meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Recovery Elevator

RE 206: The Tipping Point in Sobriety

Recovery Elevator

Paul

Education, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.71.8K Ratings

🗓️ 28 January 2019

⏱️ 52 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Dusty, with a sobriety date of  9/21/15, shares his story.

 

On January 1st, I launched the 3rd private, unsearchable Facebook accountability group.  All Café RE signups starting January 1st-January 31st will be placed in the new group.  This group will be capped at 300 members to ensure intimacy.  For the entire month of January, you can use the promo code 2019 for 75% off registration.

If you're a Recovery Elevator podcast listener and you live in or close to the Nashville area, join us Saturday, February 23rd for Recovery Elevator LIVE in Nashville at 7 pm.  Go to recoveryelevator.com for more info.

I recently finished reading the book The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.  The book isn't specifically a recovery book, but some of the ideas and themes can be applied to getting sober and staying sober.  When it comes to the journey into sobriety there are 2 tipping points I want to cover in this episode.  The first one happens when you start to question whether alcohol is serving a positive purpose in your life and the second one occurs when you quit drinking. 

At the end of the episode I will talk about a third tipping point, one to avoid. 

 

SHOW NOTES

 

[6:55] Paul Introduces Dusty.

 

Dusty is 38 years old, lives in Bozeman, Montana, and has a sobriety date of 9/21/15, just over 39 months since his last drink.  He is an accountant.  He loves playing recreational sports, just started playing hockey this year, after learning how to skate. 

 

 

[10:30 ] Give us a little background about your drinking. 

 

He started drinking when he was in high school and fell in love with it.  Same thing through college, but once he finished college that is when his drinking progressed.  It was at this time drinking was no longer fun and started to get out of control.  He was drinking alone in his apartment. 

 

[11:43 ] Did you ever try and put any rules into play, or try and quit?

 

He would try and only drink on the weekends, try and cut out beer, try to regulate.  It never worked. 

 

[15:01 ] What was your rock bottom, or your tipping point?

 

After going on a 10 hour bender, watching college football one Saturday in the downtown bars of Bozeman he was informed the following day that he had kicked a girl that night before.  He had no recollection of doing that.  Running into the girl on Sunday and seeing the look on her face was his rock bottom. 

 

[24:52 ] How did you stay sober after the first month?

 

He has a great group of friends that once he shared that he was an alcoholic they gave him 100% support.  He also got really involved in the RE Facebook group. 

 

[30:35 ] Referring to the quote, "drinking is but a symptom", do you know why you drank?

 

Probably genetically predisposed to it, it's on both sides of his family.  And like he stated earlier, he started drinking for fun in high school and then it turned into more of pity drinking in his late 20s. 

 

 

[38:50 ] Rapid Fire Round

 

  1. True or False, love is the answer…and why?

 

Absolutely!  Love conquers all.

 

  1. What was your worst memory from drinking?

 

After moving back from Kentucky he was living with his Mom for a couple of months.  She came into his room asking if he was going to work and she screamed after discovering a puddle in the middle of his room.  She blamed it on Buster the cat but he was sure it was from him.   

 

  1. Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment?

 

Probably the look on Buster's face.

 

  1. What's your plan moving forward?

 

Staying involved with the CaféRE community and creating those relationships.  Going to Nashville.  Getting out of his comfort zone.

 

  1. What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)?

 

Get some sober friends. 

 

  1. You might be an alcoholic if...

 

You pee on the floor in the middle of the night and blame it on your cat. 

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

This episode is brought to you in support by Blinkist. Right now, my listeners can try Blinkist for free. Visit blinkist.com/elevator for your seven day free trial. 

This episode is brought to you in support by ZipRecruiter. Right now, my listeners can try ZipRecruiter for free. Visit Ziprecruiter.com/elevator

Connect with Cafe RE- Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY for your first month free

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sobriety Tracker Android

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

 

 

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"

 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Recovery Elevator episode 2006.

0:02.8

I had a pint of salmon fly, honey rye beer in my hand when this bartender told me that

0:10.6

and right then once I realized what I had done, it just a switch turned on and I said that's it.

0:20.0

I put the drink down. That was the last drink I ever had. Welcome to the Recovery All There Podcast. My name is Paul Churchill. Thank you so much for joining us.

0:37.0

On today's podcast, we've got Dusty. He's from Bozeman, Montana. He's been sober since September 21st, 2015, and he says that life is just easier

0:46.0

without alcohol. On January 1st of this year, I launched the third private and unsearchable Facebook

0:51.4

accountability group.

0:52.6

All sign up starting January 1st to January 31st

0:55.7

will be placed in this cafe area group,

0:57.5

and you will also have access to the forum

0:59.3

which is located outside of Facebook.

1:01.6

We've already got several members in the group who are moving forward in life without alcohol.

1:04.9

If you're needing extra accountability, support, and you like the feeling, I'm not the only one going through this,

1:10.0

then CAFE are used for you. This group will be capped at 300 members to ensure intimacy,

1:14.7

and there is so much love and encouragement in these groups. For the entire month of January,

1:19.3

just three days left, you can use the promo code 2019 for 75% off registration.

1:24.0

Again, that's promo code 2019 and this is only for January.

1:28.0

It's just $19 a month after that.

1:30.0

And now let's hear from Blinkist.

1:32.0

I know we all have goals to hit, whether it's eating healthier or exercising more.

1:35.5

And sometime it can be hard to achieve all these while struggling with other aspects of life.

1:39.5

There is an app, I highly recommend, and I personally use use to help you hit your goals a bit easier.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Paul, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Paul and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.