Ever felt boxed in by labels? In this episode of 'Recovery Elevator,' Paul Churchill opens up about his journey to sobriety and why he's ditching the term 'alcoholic.' With 18.5 months of sobriety under his belt, Paul has come to see how the word 'alcoholic' can be limiting and even dehumanizing. Instead, he prefers the straightforward 'I don't drink,' which feels less like a label and more like a lifestyle choice.

Inspired by an article from Meghan Ralston, Paul dives into how labels like 'alcoholic' and 'addict' can negatively impact one's self-identity and even affect their children. These terms often reduce people to their struggles, ignoring their full humanity. Paul and co-host Kristopher Oyen discuss the emotional and physical toll of addiction, emphasizing the importance of community support and mindfulness in recovery.

They explore alternative ways to talk about addiction, like saying 'in remission' or simply 'I don't drink,' which can make the journey feel less stigmatized and more empowering. This episode is a heartfelt conversation about the power of language in shaping our experiences and identities. By breaking up with the word 'alcoholic,' Paul aims to open up new avenues for growth, self-compassion, and transformation.

Tune in to hear why it's not just about saying no to alcohol, but saying yes to a better life.

Paul Churchill explains why he's breaking up with the word 'alcoholic' and opting for more empowering language in this episode of Recovery Elevator.

Redefining Sobriety: Why 'Alcoholic' Isn't the Only Label

Paul, with 18.5 months of sobriety, shares how he did it. That's right, I'm breaking up with the word alcoholic and opting for a simpler less defining answer of I don't drink. I got the idea for this podcast after reading the following article and I hope you like the show notes. As you can probably tell, I've had some recent help with show notes since mine leave much to still be desired. COUNT ME OUT OF “RECOVERY NATION” - NEGATIVE SELF-IDENTITY IS THE CRUELEST STIGMA (Stanton Peele: July 7th, 2016)   <ol> <li>The labels “alcoholic”, “addicts”, and “in recovery” dehumanizes people, both for the person</li> </ol>     themselves and their children.               -Influence contributor, Meghan Ralston, wrote in her article (I'm Breaking Up With the Word              Addict),   Agree - “Even in a chaotic stage of drug use, we are not “other.” We are women, we are someone's daughter, we continue to laugh, we continue to like jazz and cheeseburgers and comfy pajamas. We cry, we get so lonely, we hate sitting in traffic. Addiction can be wretched, no question, but we do not ever stop being human beings, even during the times in our lives when we are dependent on drugs.”   Disagree - “For many people, myself included, the word “addict” is incredibly harmful and offensive. You do not have my permission to call me an addict. You can of course refer to yourself as an addict, if you wish.”<a href="#_ftn1" name= "_ftnref1">[1]</a>   <ol start="2"> <li>Don't refer to yourself as an “addict.”</li> </ol>               -It's depressing             -No one should highlight/define themselves by their worst trait or period in              their life.   <ol start="3"> <li>These concepts arose in conversation between Dr. Peele and Talk Recovery Radio:</li> </ol>   “Dr. Stanton Peele was today’s thought provoking live guest on Talk Recovery.… our show is meant to be a platform where all pathways to recovery are welcomed to be discussed… But today, that almost didn’t happen. There was an 'us and them' feel to the show… Why do people feel the word addict is stigmatizing?”<a href= "#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a>               -Peele explains that the host seemed to feel that he was part of a movement              that set people recovering apart from everyone else.                           -Culture seems to encourage this separation.                              -public policies                              -celebrities' confessionals                              -treatment circles                              -recovery high schools                              -etc.               -Show host ironically wonders why there's a stigma towards addicts while he himself labels               himself as one.   <ol start="4"> <li>Peele refuses to label himself by marching with Recovery Nation, a group that lets themselves be lead</li> </ol>     by their labels.                         -”Thinking of yourself as an alcoholic causes you to behave the way you think alcoholics                            behave.”        -To quote Peele and Ilse Thompson,   “You are not your addiction; you are a valuable human being whose qualities endure and exceed your addiction. … It’s impossible to expect a person to achieve wellness by focusing on his or her faults and mistakes. Perhaps this is why conventional recovery asserts that people must remain 'in recovery' forever and continue to identify themselves as addicts, no matter how long they are sober.”<a href="#_ftn3" name= "_ftnref3">[3]</a>     -Today people seem to expect labeling. Peele states,   “Imagine a child with a learning difficulty looking at you and saying, 'I am retarded,' or 'I am stupid.' We would cry and hug them and tell them that wasn’t true!”   -Peele goes on to pose the question of why it is that people always discourage each other from   identifying themselves by their problems or illnesses, except when it comes to addiction.   -While debating former head of treatment at Hazelden, Peele asked how he short-circuited his family   heritage.               -While the clinician had a cynically humorous answer, Peele gave his answer for the man to the               radio show hosts. The method to preventing his children from taking on addictive traits was to               raise them in emotionally and financially stable home, encourage them, provide for them, and               allow them to be who they want to be.               -What doesn't help children, is to burden them with the “destiny” that they would most likely be               an alcoholic.   -The “tough love” approach often comes in too late, Peele says.               -Before a child can misbehave during drug use, you ought to instill him with morals of               responsibility to themselves and others.   -Peele is reframing addiction in an opposite direction from the “disease” mindset. He puts it like this:   “Addiction is not a consequence of taking drugs and drinking. Rather, it arises from the way in which these and other compelling activities fit into people’s lives and meanings.”   -To end the interview, Peele asked how the show host quit smoking cigarettes.               -His response was that his recovery program didn't allow it, but also that it didn't allow him to               call himself a cigarette addict. Rather, they insisted on the generic term addict.               -He then was able to quit smoking (one of the  hardest substance addictions) without patches.               This was because it didn't address smoking, or label them as cigarette smokers.   FOR COPYRIGHT PURPOSES   All content read here has been cited appropriately. The content is based majorly from the article written by Doctor Stanton Peele: Count Me Out of “Recovery Nation” - Negative Self-Identity Is the Cruelest Stigma of All. For original sources, please consult the bibliography located below.   BIBLIOGRAPHY     <ol> <li>Peele, Stanton Dr. “Count Me Out of 'Recovery Nation': Negative Self-Identity Is the Cruelest Stigma of All.” The Influence (blog), July 7, 2016. Accessed July 14, 2016.<a href= "http://theinfluence.org/count-me-out-of-recovery-nation-negative-self-identity-is-the-cruelest-stigma-of-all/">http://theinfluence.org/count-me-out-of-recovery-nation-negative-self-identity-is-the-cruelest-stigma-of-all/</a>.</li> </ol>     <ol start="2"> <li>Peele, Stanton. Recover! An Empowering Program to Help You Stop Thinking Like an Addict and Reclaim Your Life. Boston, MA: Da Capo Press, 2015.</li> </ol>   <ol start="3"> <li>Talk Recovery. “Interview with Doctor Stanton Peele (Facebook Post).” World Addiction Treatment Expert Dr. Stanton Peele | Last Door(blog), June 30, 2016. Accessed July 14, 2016.<a href= "https://www.lastdoor.org/world-addiction-treatment-expert-dr-stanton-peele/">https://www.lastdoor.org/world-addiction-treatment-expert-dr-stanton-peele/</a>.</li> </ol>   4.Ralston, Meghan. “I'm Breaking up with the Word 'addict' and i Hope You'll Do the Same.” The Huffington Post (March 25, 2014): 1. Accessed July 14, 2016.<a href= "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meghan-ralston/breaking-up-with-the-word-addict_b_5028999.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meghan-ralston/breaking-up-with-the-word-addict_b_5028999.html</a>.  <a href="#_ftnref1" name= "_ftn1">[1]</a>           Meghan Ralston, “I'm Breaking up with the Word 'addict' and I Hope You'll Do the Same,” The Huffington Post (March 25, 2014): 1, accessed July 14, 2016,<a href= "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meghan-ralston/breaking-up-with-the-word-addict_b_5028999.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meghan-ralston/breaking-up-with-the-word-addict_b_5028999.html</a>. <a href="#_ftnref2" name= "_ftn2">[2]</a>                 Talk Recovery, “Interview with Doctor Stanton Peele (Facebook Post),” World Addiction Treatment Expert Dr. Stanton Peele | Last Door (blog), June 30, 2016, accessed July 14, 2016, <a href= "https://www.lastdoor.org/world-addiction-treatment-expert-dr-stanton-peele/">https://www.lastdoor.org/world-addiction-treatment-expert-dr-stanton-peele/</a>. <a href="#_ftnref3" name= "_ftn3">[3]</a>                 Stanton Peele, Recover! An Empowering Program to Help You Stop Thinking Like an Addict and Reclaim Your Life (Boston, MA: Da Capo Press, 2015). Don’t forget to support the Recovery Elevator Podcast by shopping at <a href= "http://www.recoveryelevator.com/amazon/">Amazon</a> with the Recovery Elevator link: <a href= "http://www.recoveryelevator.com/amazon/">www.recoveryelevator.com/amazon/</a> This episode was brought to you by <a href= "http://www.recoveryelevator.com/community/">Cafe RE</a> and get your <a href="http://www.transitionsdaily.org/subscribe.html">daily AA email here!</a>

RE 75: I'm Breaking Up With The Word Alcoholic

Recovery

Sobriety

Alcohol

Personal Recovery Stories

Relationships

Self-Help

Mental Health

Society and Culture

Interviews

Faith-Based Recovery

Alcohol, Addiction & Recovery

Creativity & Innovation

Sexual Health & Wellbeing

Substance Abuse & Drug Recovery

Health & Wellness

Financial Empowerment

Family & Relationships

Comedy & Culture

It isn't a NO to alcohol, but a YES to a better life!  Best selling author Paul Churchill, along with Kristopher Oyen interview people who have stepped away from alcohol in their own lives. Each week this podcast does a deep dive into an exploration of what a booze free life might look like from various perspectives and opinions. 

If you are sick and tired of alcohol making you sick and tired, we invite you to listen to Recovery Elevator. Check out what an alcohol free life can look like as others share their own stories of sobriety. If you are sober curious, newly sober, supporting a loved one or living your best life already in recovery, then you are in the right place.

This podcast addresses what to do if you’re addicted to alcohol, or if you think you’re an alcoholic. Other topics include, does moderate drinking work, does addiction serve a purpose, what happens to the brain when we quit drinking, should you track sobriety time, is A.A. right for you, spirituality, and more. 

Similar to other recovery podcasts like This Naked Mind, the Shair Podcast, and the Recovered Podcast, Paul and Kris discuss a topic and then interview someone who has ditched the booze.

Recovery Elevator

Ever felt boxed in by labels? In this episode of 'Recovery Elevator,' Paul Churchill opens up about his journey to sobriety and why he's ditching the term 'alcoholic.' With 18.5 months of sobriety under his belt, Paul has come to see how the word 'alcoholic' can be limiting and even dehumanizing. Instead, he prefers the straightforward 'I don't drink,' which feels less like a label and more like a lifestyle choice.Inspired by an article from Meghan Ralston, Paul dives into how labels like 'alcoholic' and 'addict' can negatively impact one's self-identity and even affect their children. These terms often reduce people to their struggles, ignoring their full humanity. Paul and co-host Kristopher Oyen discuss the emotional and physical toll of addiction, emphasizing the importance of community support and mindfulness in recovery.They explore alternative ways to talk about addiction, like saying 'in remission' or simply 'I don't drink,' which can make the journey feel less stigmatized and more empowering. This episode is a heartfelt conversation about the power of language in shaping our experiences and identities. By breaking up with the word 'alcoholic,' Paul aims to open up new avenues for growth, self-compassion, and transformation.Tune in to hear why it's not just about saying no to alcohol, but saying yes to a better life.

Paul Churchill

Paul Churchill

RE 75: I'm Breaking Up With The Word Alcoholic

RE 75: I'm Breaking Up With The Word Alcoholic

RE 75: I'm Breaking Up With The Word Alcoholic

Monday 25th July 2016

About this podcast

Recovery Elevator

Redefining Sobriety: Why 'Alcoholic' Isn't the Only Label