Sunday, January 27, 2013

Episode 11: Sacha Z. Scoblic, Author of Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety


Sacha Z. Scoblic is a writer and editor. She is the author of Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety, which is based on her popular essays for The New York Times blog Proof: Alcohol and American Life.” 

Currently, Sacha is a Rosalynn Carter fellow for mental health journalism through the Carter Center in Atlanta. Among other things, she writes about mental health, addiction, and pop fiction. Sacha is a columnist at The Fix, where she tackles the science of addiction, and a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post. She is also a contributing editor at The New Republic

Formerly a senior editor at Reader’s Digest, Sacha has written about everything from space camp to pulp fiction. 

She lives with her husband, Peter; son, Theodore; and terrier, SciFi, in Washington, DC.

We were thrilled to have her as a guest on our show! Come listen to our funny, down-to-earth and informative conversation with Sacha about everything from how to know if you've hit bottom, to how to handle social situations sober, to how relationships change and evolve in sobriety.  

If you want to subscribe to our podcast, click on the link (on the picture) on our right hand sidebar.  

Or, listen through the widget below: 



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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Episode 10 - Special Guest Andrea Owen from Your Kick-Ass Life

Listen to a lively, fun and informative conversation with Andrea Owen, sober woman, life coach and author of the blog Your Kick Ass Life.

Andrea's bio:


Life coach. Mom. Writer. Roller Derby Rebel. Hellraiser. She is passionate about empowering women to value themselves and fiercely love who they are.

She helps women get what they want by managing their inner-critic, leveraging the Law of Attraction and stepping into their own kick-ass version of themselves. You can learn more at www.yourkickasslife.com.

Andrea, Lisa and Ellie discuss Andrea's story of alcoholism and recovery, with a focus on people with "high bottoms", like Andrea, who make the decision to get sober before they have a lot of external losses, but who are still every bit an alcoholic as people with "low bottoms".   

We discuss some of the signs and symptoms we saw in our own drinking that led us to understand we had a growing problem.  Even though our drinking stories aren't the same, our feelings are so similar, which is a common phenomenon people find in recovery - that they aren't alone and that there are many, many people understand exactly how they feel.

We also talk about some issues that revolve around motherhood and sobriety, shame, guilt and facing down the stigma of alcoholism.  

Thank you, Andrea, for being such a lively, funny, compassionate, loving voice of sobriety!  We are so grateful to have you on our show!

Listen to Episode 10 on the widget below, or click on the picture in the right hand sidebar to subscribe/listen to The Bubble Hour's Podcast.


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Monday, January 14, 2013

Episode 9 - Special Guest Sarah Allen Benton, Author of "Understanding the High Functioning Alcoholic"

Episode 9:  Special Guest Sarah Allen Benton, Author of "Understanding the High Functioning Alcoholic"

Sarah Allen Benton
Sarah Allen Benton is author of the book, 'Understanding the High Functioning Alcoholic' , and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and therapist at McLean Hospital in MA.

She has been featured in a NY Times article by Jane Brody, has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CBS Early Show, NPR, is a blogger for PsychologyToday.com and more.

Sarah is a recovering alcoholic and has been sober since February of 2004. She gives lectures and trainings on the topic of high-functioning alcoholics at colleges, boarding schools, and at professional conferences including Harvard’s Treating the Addictions.

Please visit her website The High Functioning Alcoholic for more information about Sarah, her book and additional resources.

In this episode Sarah tells a bit of her own story of alcoholism and recovery, and answers questions about High Functioning Alcoholism, including how to define it, what common personality traits and drinking patters are found with high functioning alcoholics, and steps people who fit this description can find ways to get help.

A very informative episode, and we thank Sarah for her time, and for being such a valuable resource in helping educate us all about this aspect of what is a confounding disease for so many.

Listen to this episode here (or click on the picture in our sidebar to subscribe to our iTunes Podcast):



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Sunday, January 6, 2013

Episode 8 - The Power of Truth and Story - Shame and Alcoholism


One major issue that keeps people stuck in the cycle of alcoholism, even when they know they have a problem, or a niggling doubt that their drinking is getting worse, is SHAME.
On this episode we heard from six women who are brand new to sobriety, have had more than one Day One recently, but who are still out there swinging, talking to people, becoming part of community, and telling their story - bravely - to offer hope to others and to help heal themselves.
The antidote to shame is truth.
Through the power of story we share our truths; we're not trying to give answers, or how-to's.   They are sharing their stories to demonstrate that the only thing anyone can do wrong is not try at all, not reach out for help, not love yourself enough to face their drinking head-on.
What we hear in their stories is the commonalities we face - some of the things we do when we're still drinking, the ways we try desperately to hide it from loved ones, from ourselves, and then the freedom and community we feel when we finally tell our stories, talk about our feelings and find people who understand. 
It doesn't matter what stage you're at with your own drinking.  If you're still drinking, wondering about your drinking, newly sober or been sober awhile; we ALL have something to contribute through the power of our truths.
A common theme we heard was that when we finally told our truth, whether it was to an online community, a real-life community, a friend or family member (or even a doctor), we felt a weight lift off our shoulders.  That is the weight of shame and secrecy.  
The old adage is true, that the truth will set you free. Our mission at The Bubble Hour is to provide stories to help people know they aren't alone; that there IS hope, and if you join a recovery community - either online or offline (or both .. see tab above for resources) you will feel a PART OF, instead of stuck and alone. 
Here's tonight's powerful episode: 


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