The Recovery Show » Finding serenity through 12 step recovery in Al-Anon – a podcast
Episodes
Tom – His sister needed Al-Anon – Episode 256
16 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tom grew up in a loving, chaotic family. As an adult, he found recovery for his alcoholism, but didn't know how to cope with the alcoholics around him...
Speaker: Ann Marie R – Episode 255
07 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I'm sharing a talk by Ann Marie R. I really enjoyed her humor, but also her ability to find gifts in troubles. Please call us at 734-707-87...
Parents of teen alcoholics and addicts – Episode 254
29 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How can you detach from your teen alcoholic? What is your real responsibility when your child is an addict? How can Al-Anon help? Mary and Ellen talk ...
Denial and Acceptance – Episode 253
05 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Did you admit to yourself or others the presence of alcoholism in your life? Why not? What happened when you broke through your denial into acceptance...
Spencer on Sober Speak – Episode 252
25 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Spencer was recently a guest on the podcast Sober Speak. At Sober Speak, you will find podcasts of people sharing their story of recovery in Alcoholic...
Spirit in Action Interview – Episode 251
12 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Spencer was recently interviewed on the Spirit in Action radio show and podcast. Spirit in Action brings you stories of people living lives of fruitf...
Tom W talk – Episode 250
05 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This talk by Tom W, a member of Alcoholics Anonymous had so much recovery wisdom, I felt compelled to share it with you. I've heard it a few times alr...
Force and Power – Episode 249
29 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Read a transcript of this episode. How have you given away your power? Did you lose power over your life when you tried to force solutions? How can yo...
Love, Relationships, and Step 6 – Episode 248
22 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What do love, relationships, and Step 6 have to do with each other? Maybe everything? Sometimes events come together in my life and form a message abo...
Negative into Positive– Episode 247
15 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nancy S speaks on “Negative into Positive” in this talk from 1987. A listener asked about the story with the repeating phrase “maybe...
Why do a Moral Inventory? – Episode 246
08 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Why do we take inventory in Al-Anon? And what is a “moral inventory” anyway? Spencer shares his answers to some questions about Step 4 from our bo...
Consequences – Episode 245
24 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Do you try to reduce the consequences of your loved one’s choices and actions? Do you have trouble enforcing consequences on undesirable behavior ...
Carl H Open Talk – Episode 244
17 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to Denise, who recommended this talk. She wrote, When I heard you speak about violence in the non-alcoholic as a possible topic, I immediately ...
Recovery with Young Children – Episode 243
10 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How do you talk to your children about recovery? What have they asked you? Spencer talks with Megan about how she talks to her children about recovery...
Don’t React – Episode 242
02 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Do you find yourself reacting without thinking? Does anxiety impel you to action? How can you pause and not react? A listener wrote in with these ques...
Freedom – Episode 241
27 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What does freedom mean to you? What freedom have you found in recovery? Eric suggested this topic, and we were loosely guided in our conversation by t...
Linda L Open Talk – Episode 240
13 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I'm on vacation this week, visiting my brother in southern California. I'm sharing with you the talk given by Linda L at the March Roundup 2018 in Dea...
March Roundup 2018 – Episode 239
07 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Have you been to an AA or Al-Anon convention or round up? What did you find there? This week, I attended “March Roundup 2018”, an AA convention wi...
Myrtle A. Open Talk – Episode 238
27 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Myrtle A speaking in Lusk, WY in 1996. Myrtle says she is her own worst problem. And that she has kicked “poor me” out of the house. But s...
Healing the Trauma of Alcoholism – Episode 237
20 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What trauma has alcoholism brought into your life? How are you healing from it? I didn’t realize it, but by the time I came to Al-Anon, I had been t...
Fear of Financial Insecurity – Episode 236
06 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Do you dread mail from your bank? Are you anxious about paying the bills? Can you see a “way out” of your financial situation? What is my experien...
Slogans part 2 – Episode 235
01 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How do you use slogans? Do you “let it begin with me”? When do you ask yourself “Is it worth my serenity?” How do you “Live and let live”?...
Carol S open talk – Episode 234
23 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Eric and I had planned a discussion about slogans, to follow up on our first one in episode 131. But life intervened, so we had to ask “how impo...
Making a Decision – Episode 233
16 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Step 3 asks us to “make a decision” to turn our will to the care of a higher power. Why is this so hard for many of us? I looked back over 15 year...
The Sober Parent – Episode 232
10 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Are you the sober parent in an alcoholic family? What challenges have you faced? How has recovery helped you? What challenges do you face as the sober...
Begin in Stillness – Episode 231
02 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Begin the new year in stillness, in contemplation of the year past and the year to come. What do you want to let go of from the last year? Write it do...
The Family in Recovery – Episode 230
25 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this recording from the 2010 AA Woodstock of the South, Bob B, Polly P, Ralph W, Michael E, Bill R, and Linda B share their experiences of family ...
Holiday Expectations – Episode 229
19 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As we enter into a season where many of us are celebrating an end of the year holiday — Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year — what expe...
Trust and Trustworthy – Episode 228
13 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have trouble trusting other people? Do you have people you trust? How do you know they are trustworthy? What is trust? firm belief in the re...
Five Years of Recovery – Episode 227
06 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The first episode of The Recovery Show was posted to the internet on Dec 10, 2012. It’s hard to believe that we are now 5 years and 227 episodes in....
Your Gratitude 2017 – Episode 226
26 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I asked you to share your gratitude with me. Many of you did so, and this episode highlights your voices and your gratitudes. I also put together a pl...
Parenting as an Adult Child of Alcoholics – Episode 225
22 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What challenges have you found, as an adult child of an alcoholic, in parenting your own children? What program tools have you used, and how have they...
Gratitude – Episode 224
14 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As we approach the US holiday of Thanksgiving, I naturally think about the things I am grateful for. What are you grateful for? Here are some things I...
Sally C. open talk
06 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I got a lot from this open talk by Sally C, speaking in 1984. A couple highlights from her talk: She found exactly what she was looking for in her fir...
(In)sanity and (Un)manageability – Episode 222
31 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How has the alcoholic situation affected my sanity and my life? Have I allowed the alcoholic situation to become my Higher Power? How? How has my thin...
Fran G Open Talk – Episode 221
25 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We present for you an open talk by Fran G., speaking in 1991. The post Fran G Open Talk – Episode 221 appeared first on The Recovery Show.
Courage – Episode 220
17 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How have you experienced courage in your recovery? Which steps required courage of you? How has recovery given you courage to change the things you ca...
3 P’s: Perfection, Procrastination, Paralysis – Episode 219
10 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do you find yourself seeking perfection? Do you procrastinate because you can't achieve it? Or, maybe, you are paralyzed because of it. We explore the...
Charlotte I Open Talk – Episode 218
03 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I really enjoyed and connected with this open talk by Charlotte I. I hope you do, too. Please call us at 734-707-8795 or email feedback@therecoverysho...
Spencer T Open Talk – Episode 217
26 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
An Al-Anon open talk presented by Spencer T, host of The Recovery Show, in September, 2017. The talk has the “traditional” structure: What...
Willingness – Episode 216
19 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A member asked another member to be their sponsor. The response was, “Are you willing to do what I did for as long as I did it to get what I hav...
Welcome – Episode 215
05 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How were you made welcome to recovery? How are we welcoming to others? This episode was inspired by hearing the poem In Sweet Company by Margaret Wol...
Sadness and Loneliness – Episode 214
01 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How were you lonely and sad? Is there a difference between loneliness and being alone? How has recovery helped to relieve these feelings? Eric and Spe...
Cynthia C Open Talk – Episode 213
22 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
An open talk by Cynthia C, speaking in 1986. Please call us at 734-707-8795 or email [email protected] with your questions or experience, s...
I didn’t get sober for this shit – Episode 212
15 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What are you discarding from your life in your recovery? What are you keeping? And what do you want to add? I recently found a blog post titled “...
Kindness and Courtesy – Episode 211
02 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How do kindness and courtesy help us live live more serenely and happily? Can we be kind to our alcoholic or addicted loved ones? Eric and Spencer sha...
Living with death – Episode 210
27 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do you fear your loved one will die? How can recovery help us live with death of those we love? What if that death was long in the past? This show is ...
Mary Pearl T on Steps 6-9 – Episode 209
11 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Pearl is open and honest, with a wonderful sense of humor. This is part of a longer talk, so it starts in the middle of an anecdote. She talks he...
Humility – Episode 208
04 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Is humility the same thing as humiliation? How does humility help me change? Definition from Merriam-Webster: freedom from pride or arrogance : th...
Controlling Behavior – Episode 207
27 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do you believe you can control another person’s drinking? Or maybe all of their behavior? What consequences have your attempts to control led to? I ...
It’s the Journey – Episode 206
13 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How has your past shaped you? Do you sometimes feel you can't escape it, and that you will never “get it”? Recently, I heard a couple of s...
Corrie L. Open Talk – Episode 205
06 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I connected with a lot of what Corrie shared. I hope you enjoy her talk as much as I did. Upcoming topics include the 3 P's: Perfectionism, Procrast...
My Body, My Codependency – Episode 204
30 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The pit of my stomach is churning. My neck and shoulders are tense. I don’t have any energy. My whole body is out of whack. Do you feel this way? Ha...
Adult Children of Alcoholics – Episode 203
24 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Did you grow up in an alcoholic or dysfunctional family? How has this affected your life today? How can you recover from your childhood experiences? T...
Letting go of the Process – Episode 105 replay
16 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Another busy weekend: Mothers Day and yard work. I hope you enjoy this “retro” episode about Letting go of the Process with guest host Har...
Sam V. Open Talk – Episode 202
09 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I really enjoyed this open talk by Sam V., who describes himself as “a man who thinks too much.” Please call us at 734-707-8795 or email f...
In All Our Affairs – Episode 201
02 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Step 12 says “… we tried … to practice these principles in all our affairs“. It's easy to say but harder to do. Al-Anon doesn't do me ...
Daddy’s Medicine – Brinn Black – Episode 200
25 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Brinn Black is a singer and songwriter from Nashville. She wrote a song, Daddy's Medicine, about her experience growing up with an alcoholic father. ...
Roll Away the Stone – Episode 199
18 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a stone blocking the tomb of your soul? Have you crawled inside to escape the pain of life? How can we roll that stone away? Yes, it’s East...
Father Tom W Open Talk – Episode 198
11 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As promised, here is one of my favorite recovery speakers, Father Tom W. sharing his experience, strength, and hope in Al-Anon. Upcoming topics includ...
Obsessive Thinking – Episode 197
04 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do you obsess over your loved one's drinking? Do you keep chewing over past actions or wrongs done to you? How can we stop? What is obsessive thinking...
Resentment – Episode 196
28 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do you hold a grudge? Why is this harmful? How can our program help let go of our resentments? What is a “resentment”? Why is it a problem? Where ...
What is Al-Anon – Episode 195 – Episode 10 redux
21 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What is Al-Anon? Why do we, who don't have a drinking problem, need the 12 steps? In this “retro” episode, Spencer, Kelly, and Swetha talk...
March Roundup 2017 – Episode 194
14 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This weekend, my wife and I attended March Roundup 2017, an AA convention in Dearborn, Michigan. In this episode, I reflect on that experience and hop...
Buck N Open Talk – Episode 193
07 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I recently listened to this open talk from Buck N. I loved his “old school” Al-Anon, his straightforward presentation, and his sense of hu...
Feelings, Recovery, Compassion, and Forgiveness – Episode 192
28 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Diana shares a powerful story of recovery, of discovering her own feelings, and finding compassion and forgiveness for those who harmed her. Upcoming ...
Al-Anon Slips – Episode 191
21 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to relapse in Al-Anon? Have you had an Al-Anon slip? What did you do to recover? What is a “slip”? Is it just another word for “...
Sherry S. Open Talk – Episode 190
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I hope you enjoy this open talk from Sherry S. I found wisdom and connection for myself. Upcoming topics include Alateen. Please call us at 734-707-87...
Being Ready – Episode 189
07 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Why did I come to Al-Anon when I did? Or, to ask it a different way, why didn’t I come sooner? What made me ready? Why did I come to Al-Anon when I ...
Detachment with love – Episode 188
31 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do you get caught up in other people’s problems or emotions? Does the phrase “loving detachment” just baffle you? We start with a reading from a...
Fear, Faith, and Surrender – Episode 187
24 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Steve L shares his thoughts about fear, faith, and surrender in this AA talk. What did this talk bring up for you? What thoughts do you have? Please c...
Expectations – Episode 186
17 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have unrealistic expectations of other people? Or, maybe, of yourself? How does this hurt? What are “expectations”? “Expectat...
Maria – Beyond Recovery – Episode 185
10 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How do you use recovery in your life? Join Spencer and Maria as they explore how she has found a new way of living, beyond recovery. Before coming to ...
Recovery 2016 – Episode 184
03 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How did your recovery grow in 2016? Whether we're just getting started or we've been at this for years now, we can always grow. How did recovery too...
Christmas 2016 wishes
27 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
My wishes to you are that the spirit of the Christmas season, of peace and good will to all people, may be with you in the coming year. Please call us...
Kathy C Open Talk – Episode 183
20 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Kathy shares her experience, strength, and hope in her open talk. I particularly appreciated the way she kept the focus on herself — her feeling...
Anger – Episode 182
13 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Do you get angry? More importantly, maybe, how do you deal with your anger? Has recovery helped you be less angry or to let it out more gently? This w...
Keep it Simple – Episode 181
06 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Do you overcomplicate your life? How can we “Keep it Simple”? Let’s look at the section of How Al-Anon Works about the slogan “Keep it Simple”...
Being Thankful – Episode 180
22 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How are you thankful? Can you be thankful even when life isn’t going well? How can being thankful improve your situation? As I approach the US Thank...
Say what you mean and mean what you say – Episode 179
15 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Say what you mean, mean what you say, and don't be mean when you say it. Many of us have formed patterns of communication that linger even though they...
178 – Boundaries “Best of” episode
08 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This “retro” episode was originally published as Episode 103. Have you ever set an ultimatum? What did you do when it wasn’t honored? Ho...
Knowing myself – Episode 177
01 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Start where you are. When change comes, as it always does, it helps to know who you are. Why is it important to know “who I am”? What does it mean...
A Recovery Story – Laura – Episode 176
25 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What is your story? What brought you to recovery? What challenges have you faced? What have you found here? We had a conversation with Laura about rec...
Honesty – a workshop – Episode 175
19 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean that this is a program of “rigorous honesty”? How have you been dishonest to others and to yourself? What have you learned about...
Forgiveness is critical to recovery – Episode 174
12 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to forgive? Why do we talk of “finding” forgiveness? And who really gains from forgiveness? What does forgiveness mean? Dictiona...
Start where you are – Episode 173
04 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Start where you are. Bring your angry self. Bring your despairing self. Bring your resentful and frustrated self. Bring your confused self. And we wil...
Why The Recovery Show – Episode 172
27 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Why is there The Recovery Show? September 30 is International Podcast Day, which “is dedicated to promoting Podcasting worldwide through education a...
Dawn C – Open talk – Episode 171
20 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we present an open talk by an Al-Anon “long timer”, Dawn C. Upcoming topics include courage, fear, faith, and worry. Please cal...
Year of Yes – Episode 170
13 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Can you say “Yes” and mean it? When is it better to say “No”? I recently read a book, Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, subtitled “How to Dance ...
Feelings – Episode 169
06 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever felt controlled by your feelings? What feelings could you identify in the past? How do you balance feelings and facts? Were you able to ...
Spencer’s Open Talk – Episode 168
30 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What was it like? What happened? And what is it like now? Spencer was invited to give an “open talk” recently, and he elected to use this ...
Serenity – Episode 167
23 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What is serenity, anyway? And how do you get it? Let’s start with a definition: (dictionary.com) 1. the state or quality of being serene, calm, or t...
Confession, Redemption, and Forgiveness – Episode 166
16 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
“I've got a confession to make.” How do you feel when you say that? How do you feel when you hear it?! What is the power that confession h...
Stepping Stones to Serenity Part 4 – Episode 165
09 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This is part 4 of a 4-part seminar titled “Stepping Stones to Serenity”, presented by Ellen C in 2008. This part covers steps 10 through 1...
Choices – Episode 164
02 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Do we have choices in our lives? What kinds of choices do we have? How have we found choices in recovery? Choice Before Recovery Did you feel you had ...
Rediscovering Myself – Episode 163
26 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Did alcoholism erase you? How did you find yourself in recovery? Who are you? What do you want? Do you know now? Upcoming topics include choices and s...
Stepping Stones to Serenity Part 3 – Episode 162
19 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This is part 3 of a 4-part seminar titled “Stepping Stones to Serenity”, presented by Ellen C in 2008. This part covers steps 7 through 9....
Dancing with Dementia – Episode 161
12 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How is living with alcoholism like living with dementia? Can I use what I have learned in one, with the other? The sermon was titled “Dancing with ...
Step 1: Powerlessness and Power – Episode 160
06 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be powerless? How can admitting powerlessness give you power over the unmanageability of your life? Spencer and Tom, joined virtu...
Stepping Stones to Serenity Part 2 – Episode 159
28 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This is part 2 of a 4-part seminar titled “Stepping Stones to Serenity”, presented by Ellen C in 2008. This part covers steps 4 through 6....