Recovery Advocacy - What Is It? Why and How to Get Involved.

More and more, we hear about Recovery Advocacy. But what does that really mean? Why should we care about Recovery Advocacy? What resources are out there? How can people get involved?

We get these questions frequently, and as National Recovery Month comes to a close, we wanted to wrap up our experiences from this past month: what we witnessed, what we learned, what resources we found and how we got active.

We will also share resources for where you can involved in Recovery Advocacy right in your own community - how to help with policy change, how to get more drug/alcohol education in your school, what organizations are already out there who need your help. We will also talk about what we are doing from a grass roots standpoint with our non-profit Shining Strong; one of the most valuable things we have learned over the past year is that if you can't find the resources you want or need, you can create them! We are blessed to have found many partners and fellow advocates willing to help spread the words that there IS hope, and RECOVERY WORKS.

Listen To Lifestyle Internet Radio Stations with The Bubble Hour on BlogTalkRadio

Shame. How It Hurts Our Recovery, And Ways To Overcome

Guilt and shame are frequently thought of as the same concept, and the terms are often used interchangeably, they seem to go hand in hand; however, they are not the same. 

Both emotions involve concepts of “wrong” behavior or having done something “wrong,” either by omission or commission. 

They also both involve negative emotions and feelings. On this show, we will explore the difference in these two heavy words. "Guilt says I've done something wrong; shame says there is something wrong with me. Guilt says I've made a mistake; shame says I am a mistake. Guilt says what did was not good; shame says I am no good." 

Shame is so common in recovery - especially early recovery. Coming to terms with the things we did while actively drinking is a big part of healing. In recovery, we face not just the reality of our own past actions, but the stigma that surrounds addiction as a whole. 

There is so much hope, though. By sharing our stories and our truths, we learn we are not alone, and the power of honesty and community help us move out of the darkness of shame and into the light of recovery.

Shame is one of the primary things that keeps people stuck in the cycle of addiction.  In this show we talk about some of the ways we deal with our own guilt and shame, through story and conversation. 

Listen through the widget below, or see the tab above on how to subscribe to our podcast: 

 

Current Lifestyle Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with The Bubble Hour on BlogTalkRadio

Special Guest - Joy Rigberg from Next Step Recovery

Have you ever been curious about Recovery Coaching and other recovery paths?

We're very excited to have Joy Rigberg, Founder of Next Step Recovery Coaching as a guest on our show!

As an Addiction Recovery & Life Coach, Joy blends Masters-level credentials in Counseling & Education with transformative life coaching to help people rebuild self-trust, connect with your strengths, and create the future they want & deserve.

We talk with Joy about her own experiences as someone who loves a recovery person (and what it was like to love them when they were active), as well as about what Recovery Coaching is .. what types of recovery paths she explores with her clients, and what resources are out there for people seeking to learn more.

Current Lifestyle Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with The Bubble Hour on BlogTalkRadio

Special Guest - Greg Williams, Creator of the Documentary Film The Anonymous People

We were very excited to have Greg Williams, Filmmaker and Creator of the documentary The Anonymous People as a special guest on our show! Greg is a person in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drugs since age seventeen. He is a health policy advocate, and documentary filmmaker who specializes in the creation of compelling and purposeful content. At age 29, The Anonymous People, is Greg’s first independent feature-length film. His new film is bringing lasting solutions to the screen for one of America’s top health problems.

The Anonymous People is a documentary film about the over 23 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction. Deeply entrenched social stigma have kept recovery voices silent and faces hidden for decades. The vacuum has been filled with sensational mass media depictions of people with addiction that perpetuate a lurid fascination with the dysfunctional side of what is a preventable and treatable health condition. Just like women with breast cancer, or people with HIV/AIDS, a grass roots social justice movement is emerging. Courageous addiction recovery advocates have come out of the shadows and are organizing to end discrimination and move toward recovery-based solutions.

The moving story of The Anonymous People is told through the faces and voices of citizens, leaders, volunteers, corporate executives, public figures, and celebrities who are laying it all on the line to save the lives of others just like them. This passionate new public recovery movement aims to transform public opinion, engage communities and elected officials, and finally shift problematic policy toward lasting solutions.

You can learn more about the Anonymous People and this recovery movement by going to their brand new Facebook page, Many Faces 1 Voice HERE. On their site you can watch amazing videos from people telling their recovery story, as well as learn more about the film and how to take action.

If you have not yet seen the trailer for the ground-breaking film, please watch it here:

Please listen to this important show in the widget below, or look in the tab above to see how to subscribe to our podcast: 

Check Out Life Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with The Bubble Hour on BlogTalkRadio

Re-Broadcast: Am I or Aren't I an Alcoholic?

Am I an alcoholic?  Or not?

This is one of the most frequent questions we're asked from people who are wondering about their drinking.

The only person who can answer this question, though, is the person asking it. 

Alcoholism is a disease that relies on the patient to diagnose his/herself.

Even though our factual experiences/stories are different, we find out in recovery that we share some common experiences and emotions (commonly known as "signposts") as we progress down the road of addiction.

The hardest signs to recognize are the sneaky, subtle ones that happen earlier on in the 'drinking arc'.  As the disease progresses, the signs become more obvious, but many of us normalize it somehow, or are simply in straight out denial that our drinking is becoming a problem.

This most recent show features special guest Michele, who shares some of her own signposts, and Lisa and I contribute some of ours as well. 

If you can identify with anything you hear tonight, please click on the tab above that offers some sober resources with information and community you may find helpful.

There is no one way to define "alcoholic".  In fact, that label keeps many people stuck and alone.  In this show we want to focus on the common feelings and experiences - things we wish we'd known along our own path were warning signs. 

It's not how much or how often you drink, it's what it does to you that matters. 

That's what this episode is all about; our similarities, and the fact that you're NOT alone. 

Here's the episode, but you can also listen to it on our sidebar.  Click on the tab above to learn how to subscribe to our podcast as well:

Online Lifestyle Radio at Blog Talk Radio with The Bubble Hour on BlogTalkRadio