Recovery Elevator

RE 186: Alcohol Gives us the Wings to Fly, Then Takes Away the Sky

10 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Angie, with 146 days since her last drink, shares her story… "Alcohol gave me the wings to fly, then took away the sky" SHOW NOTES   [5:30] Paul...

RE 185: Is Tracking Continuous Sobriety Important?

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jennifer, with 568 days since her last drink, shares her story… Tracking your sobriety time – Do the numbers matter? To begin with, know that it...

RE 184: The Greatest Miracle of All Time

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Paul, with 28 days since his last drink, shares his story... The article mentioned in the episode introduction:  Science Increasingly Makes the Case...

RE 183: Be Yourself; Everyone Else is Already Taken

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jason, with 178 days since his last drink, shares his story... "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies wi...

RE 182: Creating Gaps in our Thinking

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Chris, with 96 days since his last drink, shares his story... In sobriety, it's possible to become more in tune with the inner workings of our minds....

Re 181: Water is all you Need

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jodi, with over 100 days since her last drink, shares her story... You'd think that when dealing with something as simple and common as water, there ...

RE 180: What Lies Ahead

30 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Craig, who has been sober since 9/21/16, shares his story. The unprecedented success of this podcast mirrors a simple approach to recovery.  Just sho...

RE 179: Fear – Future Events Appearing Real

23 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Problems are a part of life.  When one problem is resolved and filed neatly away a new one arrives to take its place.  At times, our problems in lif...

RE 178: Is knowledge alone enough to quit drinking?

16 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Is knowledge alone enough to quit drinking? "To know and not to do... is not to know." - Buddhist Proverb Are we able to successfully quit drinking ...

RE 177: The Ego

09 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today we hear from Jade. She's 27 years old, from Kentucky and has had her last drink on April 14th 2018. The Ego:  The part of the mind that mediate...

RE 176: Dating in Sobriety

02 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"There are many excuses to drink... but no reasons."  "When you are an addict, the only line you can cross but can not come back from is death." Da...

RE 175: Anxiety and Alcohol

25 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Alcohol and Anxiety Today we will look at anxiety and the role it plays in alcohol addiction.  Anxiety is inevitable, but we can change what we do ...

RE 174: Addressing Self Loathing With Compassionate Curiosity

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Compassionate Curiosity: a way we can get to the root of why we drink. "The problem's not that the truth is harsh, but that liberation from ignorance...

RE 173: Burn the Ships

11 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Burn The Ships For many people, the answer of what is it that is holding us back in our lives isn't exactly obvious. The question of what is blocking...

RE 172: Bravery: Ready to Face and Endure Danger or Pain

04 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Bravery:  Ready to face and endure danger or pain.  Showing Courage. Many times in life we come face to face with our next step.  We can see clear...

RE 171: The Reality of Alcohol and Where it Can Take us

28 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The path of sobriety is not always easy.  Many of us will stumble, fall, relapse and find ourselves back at square one.  It's not the end of the wor...

RE 170: Plant Medicine and Ayahuasca

21 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Please listen with an open heart and open mind. - Paul

RE 169: Has Addiction Always Been a Problem?

14 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Has addiction always been a problem?  Alcohol has been around for thousands of years, but has alcoholism? In Gabor Maté's book, "In the realm of hu...

RE 168: Alcohol Impacts More than Just Us

07 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When we are in the throws of an addiction to alcohol, the effects go beyond just us.  They affect our family and those closest to us.  After runnin...

RE 167: Now This is Just Plain Wrong

30 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The alcohol industry gives the government funds to prove light drinking is safe.  In today's era of information overload, it can be difficult to sor...

RE 166: Building Emotional Muscle

23 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A quote from "Drinking: A love Story" by Caroline Knapp sums up the theme for today's podcast:  "Early sobriety has the quality of vigorous exercise,...

RE 165: Do I Have a Drinking Problem Assesment

16 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"Do I have a drinking problem?"  Part II The first episode under this particular theme came out back in March of 2015.  In "Drinking: A Love Story"...

RE 164: Do the Medications Work?

09 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Do the medications work? Paul reads messages he received from different podcast listeners about their experiences with some of the various medication...

RE 163: Want to Know Why You Drink? Quit Drinking and You'll Find Out

02 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we drink?  When we no longer drink alcohol, the many reasons we used to drink come bubbling to the surface.  What may have started out as a ...

RE 162: Things Your Addiction Will Say in Your Own Voice

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"Your addiction will lie to you in your own voice." Your addiction will often appear to you as a voice in your head that sounds like your own rational...

RE 161: Where Does Sobriety Stand on Your Priority List?

19 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you haven't done so already, make sobriety your number one priority.  It may seem selfish to prioritize yourself over other things, but to really...

RE 160: Made a Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

 Step Four – "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves" The Recovery Elevator Podcast isn't affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous,...

RE 159: I'm Breaking Up With the Word Alcoholic... Again

05 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"Enhanced Dopamine Receptors" or EDR The word "alcoholic" carries such a stigma in today's society and also implies that one's addiction to alcohol i...

RE 158: Is Everyone Really Drinking?

26 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting" You can't always believe what you hear.  Just because we believe that everybody was kung fu fighting, doesn't mean ...

RE 157: Don't Alcoholics Live Under Bridges?

19 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Many of the stereotypes surrounding alcoholism don't match up with reality.  The image of the homeless guy holding the bottle in a brown paper bag an...

RE 156: Progress Not Perfection

12 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Paul vents a little bit of his frustration and anger in recovery about AA and "big alcohol".  Without alcohol in our lives to help ...

RE 155: Filling the Void Left By Alcohol

05 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"For us to be successful in sobriety, we must fill the void left by alcohol." -Russel Brand, Recovery:  Freedom from Our Addictions Drinking plays a ...

RE 154: Can Pills Help Control Our Drinking?

29 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"Does anybody have experience with naltrexone, Antabuse (disulfiram), or Campral (acamprosate)?"  These drugs are designed to help people deal with ...

RE 153: Do Half Measures Really Avail Us Nothing?

22 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon."   This phrase is commonly...

RE 152: Asking For Help With Alcohol: Made a Decision to Turn Our Will and Lives Over

15 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Paul summarizes Step 3 from the "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous.   "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we u...

RE 151: This Recovery Program Claims an 80% Success Rate

08 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The American Medical Association recognized alcohol dependence as a disease over 55 years ago. Alcohol dependence fits the disease model because it is...

RE 150: We Can Do This

01 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It is January 1st, 2018.  Today represents the start of a new year.  The fact that you are listening to a podcast that is all about bettering your l...

RE 149: Some Facts About Alcohol

25 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Facts about Alcohol:  Less than 20% of people with alcohol abuse disorders actually seek treatment for their disease.  Excessive alcohol consumption...

RE 148: The Perfect Storm for Alcoholism

18 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Randy Craig, with 49 days since his last drink, shares his story.   SHOW NOTES   [2:53] Paul Introduces Randy.  I was born and raised in Casper Wyo...

RE 147: Is Alcoholism a Disease, a Habit, or Voluntary?

11 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The 3 basic camps of addiction can be broken into the following categories: The prevailing wisdom today is that addiction is a disease. This is the m...

RE 146: We Came to Believe

04 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul discusses Step 2 from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.  ...

Re 145: 4 Strategies to Utilize in Social Situations

27 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

These 4 Strategies will help us get through any social situation.  Will power can only last us so long.  Accountability Play the tape forward Alway...

RE 144: Gratitude is Key in Sobriety

20 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." – Cynthia Ozick What is gratitude, and how can this help us get and sta...

RE 143: The Reverse Intervention

13 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul discusses reverse interventions.  They, "normal drinkers" don't get it.  How can we expect normal drinkers to understand what we are going thro...

RE 142: We Were Powerless Over Alcohol

06 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul discusses Step One: " We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable." from the Big Book of Alcoholics A...

Re 141: Alcohol and "Hanxiety"

30 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Anxiety as it relates to drinking is discussed.  Alcohol suppresses the nervous system.  It is a depressant.  If we depress the nerves for long per...

RE 140: Those Uncomfortable Feelings Serve a Purpose

23 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul discusses anxiety and depression as interpreted through an episode of the Dharmapunx Podcast.  Heather, with 269 days since her last drink, shar...

RE 139: PAWS - Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms/Syndrome

16 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week's topic is PAWS- Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms/Syndrome.  Paul explains what PAWS is, how to deal with it, and some of the signs to look f...

RE 138: The Science of Addiction

09 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul summarizes an article from National Geographic "The Science of Addiction."  Nearly 1 in 20 adults worldwide are addicted to alcohol.  21 millio...

RE 137: The "ISM" or the Incredibly Short Memory

02 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

I want to talk about the word Alcoholism, more specifically, the tail end of that word, the ISM- Incredible Short Memory, the painful acute memories a...

RE 136: One in Eight Americans are Alcoholics

25 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

New data has revealed that one in eight Americans are now alcoholics due to an alarming rise in alcohol consumption in women, elderly people and ethni...

RE 135: Key Tips For Early Sobriety

18 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul reads posts from members of Café RE answering the question: "What are some things that helped you in early sobriety?  There are some emerging c...

RE 134: What I Learned at the Recovery Elevator Retreat

11 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul summarizes the Retreat, which took place in Bozeman, Montana.   SHOW NOTES   [13:22] Paul Introduces Kristin 238 days sober, Amy 11 years sober...

RE 133: America's Drinking Problem Is Much Worse This Century

04 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul summarizes the article "America's Drinking Problem Is Much Worse This Century" by John Tozzi   Alcohol abuse has shot up since 2001, and the num...

RE 132: Don't Beat Yourself Up - Alcohol Already Does That

28 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Self-Loathing is rampant in addiction, and it needs to be addressed and curtailed if we want to find long-term recovery.  Self-trash talk is a double...

Re 131: The Hungry Ghosts

21 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul summarizes a talk by Tara Brach named "Healing Addiction: De-Conditioning the Hungry Ghosts"  Addiction is addiction, it doesn't matter what it ...

Re 130: When Things Fall Apart

14 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul summarizes the book "When Things Fall Apart" by Pema Chodron.  How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart—when we are conti...

RE 129: No One Really Believed I Was An Alcoholic, Even When I started Going To AA

07 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul  comments on a video show on stopdrinkingexpert.com titled "Alcohol will kill you"  If we can put "smoking kills" packaging of cigarettes, why ...

RE 128: The Spiritual Consequences of Alcohol Consumption

31 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul breaks down and discusses the article: "The Spiritual Consequences of Alcohol Consumption" by Zahrah Sita Although it is mass produced, mass prom...

RE 127: Present and in the Moment Without Alcohol

24 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Rule Number One of podcasting is plug in the microphone. Pete, with 488 days of sobriety shares his story.   SHOW NOTES   [2:19] Paul Introduces Pet...

RE 126: The Most Effective Way To Do It... Is To Do It

17 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it."  - Amelia Earhart Paul discusses his difficulties in quitting smoking, and it's parallels to quitting...

RE 125: Focus on the Action and Not the Results

10 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul discusses the webinar, which took place in Café Re, and focused on why taking action is so hard.  It's much better to focus on the action and n...

RE 124: It Helps To Talk About It

03 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Garrett, with 16 days since his last drink, shares his story   SHOW NOTES   [ 9:15 ] Paul Introduces Garrett.  I've had stretches of sobriety, I h...

RE 123: The Drunkest Cities in America

26 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Mary, with 3 years since her last drink, shares her story…. We all think that the cities we live in should be on the "Nations Drunkest Cities" list....

RE 122: Lessons Learned From a Weekend With Drunk People

19 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Becky, with 10 months since her last drink, shares her story………… What I learned after spending the weekend with 12 other people at a lake hous...

RE 121: Recovery Can be Confusing

12 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Dan, with 27 years since his last drink, shares his story…… The new Café RE Blue has been launched.  This face book group will cap @ 200.  If y...

RE 120: Another One Joins Team Sobriety

05 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Jason, with 4 years since his last drink, shares his story……………. Sign up now, there are only 3 spots left for the RE Retreat in Bozeman, MT ...

RE 119: The 13th Step

29 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Kari, with 4 years since her last drink, shares her story………………. Café RE is now on a waitlist to join.  Once the list gets to approximat...

RE 118: The Black Dog

22 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Steph, with 6 months since her last drink, shares her story Café RE is now on a waitlist to join.  Once the list gets to approximately 30-40 people,...

RE 117: Alcohol Does Not Bolster Intelligence

15 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Ashley, with 16 days since her last drink, shares her story….. Do not forget the AALRM race in Bozeman MT, on 5/20.  This supports recovery.  You ...

RE 116: Duped by Alcohol

08 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Laura, with 41 days since her last drink, shares her story……. Do you ever feel duped by alcohol?  Throughout high school, we were all told to "ju...

RE 115: Big Alcohol

01 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Julie, with 92 days sober, shares her story……… Big alcohol companies like to blame the individual rather than the poison that they sell.  The l...

RE 114: Genetic Predispositions to Alcohol

24 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Coral, with 7 months since her last drink, shares her story…… Do we have to say it again?  Let's drop the stigma regarding addiction.  The resea...

RE 113: Healthcare, Alcohol, and Addiction

17 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Michael, with 32 years since his last drink, shares his story. In a recent CNN interview with Jeremy Broderick, he talks about how the GOP replacement...

RE 112: Can I Successfully Cut Down or Control My Drinking?

10 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Heath, with 40 days since his last drink, shares his story….. *****Please review the RE podcast in iTunes***** Can we taper off alcohol?  It is nea...

RE 111: Is Quitting Drinking a Sacrifice?

03 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Lou, with 2 years since his last drink, shares his story… 5/20/17 – Join us for Run for Recovery in Bozeman, MT.  Not a runner?  Sign up for a v...

RE 110: Does Alcohol Give Us Courage?

27 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Chris, with 11 months since his last drink, shares his story…… Does alcohol relieve our fears?  Absolutely not.  It may initially feel like it d...

RE 109: How To Quit Drinking

20 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Mitchell, with 30 days since his last drink, shares his story How to quit drinking Do not drink. Replace the beverage in your hand with a Popsicle or...

RE 108: 5 Reasons Why We Drink Alcohol

13 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Amanda, with 19 months since her last drink, shares her story   Why we drink:   Alcohol is everywhere. Drinking appears to be the norm.  We are bo...

RE 107: What Is Mindfulness

06 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Paul G with 10 years of sobriety, shares his story…… What is mindfulness?  Mindfulness is basically a type of coping strategy.  It is being in t...

RE 106: How Most People Get Sober

27 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Henk, 5 years sober, shares his story….. How do most people get sober?  We all assume that it is through rehab or 12 step programs and that your od...

RE 105: Does Getting Sober Mean Just Not Drinking?

20 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

James, with 79 days sober, shares his story…….. Paul starts the show by recommending Annie Grace's video course on how to get started in sobriety ...

Re 104: What I Learned In Rehab

13 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff, who has been sober since Dec 5, 2016, shares his story……   Paul starts the show recounting his 2 weeks visiting Hope Rehab in Thailand. (ww...

RE 103: Why I Quit Drinking

06 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Shane with 3 days since his last drink, shares his story….. Paul starts the show off by listing his reasons for quitting drinking: I wake up eager ...

RE 102: 4 Types of Drinkers, Which One Are You?

30 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Amelia, with 79 days since her last drink, shares her story…… According to the HBO documentary, Risky Drinking, 70% of people drink.  Most drinke...

RE 101: What Is Alcohol and How Is It Created

23 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Erik, with 67 days since his last drink, shares his story…. What exactly is alcohol and how is it created?  According to the book, Beyond the Influ...

RE 100: Binge Drinking Is the Problem

16 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tricia, with 30 days since her last drink, shares her story…. Congratulations Recovery Elevator on 100 episodes!  How did we make it to 100 episode...

RE 99: God, Spirituality and a Higher Power: Run For the Hills

09 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Mona, with 2 weeks since her last drink, shares her story……. Paul starts the show by answering some "fan" mail questions about God and AA.  Many ...

RE 98: Non Alcholic Beverages in Sobriety | How To Blend In

02 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Shaun, with 2 months since his last drink, shares his story One of the most common questions we get asked as alcoholics is, "What do you drink now tha...

RE 97: Cognitive Dissonance | Your Addiction In Your Own Voice

26 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Bubba, with 1 year since his last drink, shares his story. SHOW NOTES Cognitive dissonance = the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or at...

RE 96: The Relationship Between Food and Alcohol Cravings

19 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Wynn, with 28 years of sobriety, shares his story... SHOW NOTES Tis the season to be jolly and sober….. What are the differences between food cravin...

RE 95: I Can't Quit Drinking Because Alcohol is my Identity

12 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Melissa, with 1 month of sobriety, shares her story... SHOW NOTES It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…. Many of us believe that we c...

RE 94: Alcohol Abuse Isn't a Character Issue? You Don't Say...

05 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

John with 17 years of sobriety and Adrianne with 11 years, share how they did it. This is their story... SHOW NOTES According to the American Society ...

RE 93: Why Some Descend Faster Than Others

28 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Stephanie has been sober for nearly 5 years... This is her story… Support the Recovery Elevator Podcast by shopping at Amazon with the Recovery Elev...

RE 92: How Alcohol Played a Part in the Presidential Election

21 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Sara, with 5 months and 10 days of sobriety, tells us how she did it. [9:21] Paul introduces Sara Sara has been sober for 5 months and 10 days, or a t...

RE 91: 12 Ways to Stay Sober Over the Holidays

14 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

 Sasha has been sober for just over 5 years... This is her story… Support the Recovery Elevator Podcast by shopping at Amazon with the Recovery Ele...

RE 90: Why Being a Dry Drunk and Using Will Power Doesn't Work.

07 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Christine has been sober for 129 days... This is her story… Support the Recovery Elevator Podcast by shopping at Amazon with the Recovery Elevator l...

RE 89: Rehab vs No Rehab and Success Rates?

31 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

 Zach has been sober for 3.5 years... This is his story… Support the Recovery Elevator Podcast by shopping at Amazon with the Recovery Elevator lin...

RE 88: If We Drink Alcohol Again, It's Like We Never Stopped and Why

24 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Val has been sober for 6 months... This is her story… Support the Recovery Elevator Podcast by shopping at Amazon with the Recovery Elevator link: w...

RE 87: Why Alcohol Eventually Stops Working

17 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Kenny has been sober for 1 & 1/2 years... This is his tale... Support the Recovery Elevator Podcast by shopping at Amazon with the Recovery Elevator l...