Today we have Natasha.   She is 43, from Vancouver, B.C, and took her last drink on August 23, 2021.

 

Book:  Alcohol is Sh!t. https://www.amazon.com/Alcohol-is-Sht-Paul-Churchill-audiobook/

Today's Sponsor: Café RE
Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE. 

Highlights from Paul

 

Paul outlines the order of healing when we quit drinking. He describes the healing as happening in reverse order of the harm done. You can do the following:

 

1. Ditch the booze
2. Fuel the body with healthy food and hydrate
3. Cut down on sugar and caffeine
4. Move (aim for 20 mins a day 3x a week)
5. Recovery – AA, Café RE, Smart Recovery, IOP, etc.

 

Book:  The All-Day Energy Diet. https://amzn.to/3CmLivc

 

The healing process:

 

1. The body (3-12 months)
2. Mental healing (6 months to 1.5 years)
3. Spiritual healing

 

                                                                             

[11:04]  Natasha has been sober for over a year.   She is in medical sales, has a son, and enjoys friends, bingo, travel, and hiking.

 

Natasha was afraid of alcohol during her early years. She would dump out beer and pretend to be drunk to avoid social pressure. After her son was born, she had six beers during a concert. As she approached thirty, she drank after work with her co-workers in the restaurant industry. At 35, she knew her drinking was a problem.

 

Socializing and drinking was a big part of her job. Her relationship wasn't healthy because they drank together, and Natasha could outdrink her partner.

 

Sobriety has taught Natasha that none of her fears about quitting drinking were true; liquid courage is a myth. She is funny and entertaining with her clients. Her relationships have more meaning, and she can be present.

 

She describes the first year as brutal. After a boozy weekend with girls, Natasha knew it was time to quit. She dumped out a wine cooler, and that was it. She was angry at people who could drink normally and isolated herself a bit. Now she recognizes she can enjoy her life without the chaos of alcohol. Boundaries have become necessary, and she enjoys spending time alone. Reading, listening to podcasts, and meditation have helped her maintain her sobriety. Natasha's relationships have evolved and grown. She lost some friends along the way, but her core group supports her sobriety.

 

[58:51] Kris's Summary

 

Kris has been getting his garage in order. He recognized that he was comfortable with the chaos until he hit a tipping point. Cleaning the garage has so many parallels to recovery. Kris was overwhelmed, but he did the next right thing, took it slow, and now everything is clean, organized, and easy to navigate. 

 

Upcoming events, retreats, and courses:

• You can find more information about our events

 

Resources 

Recovery Elevator YouTube - Subscribe here!

Sobriety Tracker iTunes 

 

Recovery Elevator-

We are the only ones who can do this, but we don't have to do it alone.

I love you guys.