Celebrating One Year: Cory's Story

Cory first wrote to Jean (via unpickledblog.com) when she was just 14 days sober. The two stayed in touch over the months that followed, encouraging one another and checking in with updates. When Cory wrote to say she was celebrating one year of sobriety, Jean invited her to share her story with listeners of The Bubble Hour.

Kirsten's Story

Still waters run deep. Kirsten was a quiet, thoughtful child who kept a lot in. She learned to be an outgoing, independent woman who moved through the world with competence and yet, the feelings and thoughts she kept to herself were eating away at her from the inside. Here is her story of pausing to turn inward and heal herself from the inside out.

Courtney's Story

Courtney is someone you wouldn't expect to struggle, but she has. Born with a malformation of her right hand, she always felt flawed and tried to compensate with exacting standards and high levels of acheivement. Her inner pain crept out in other ways, though. This episode is a solid reminder about comparing our insides to others' outsides.

Sober Mom, Grateful Daughter: Leslie and Amy

The mother and daughter relationship can be complicated under the best of circumstances. Many times more so when addiction comes into play. Mom Leslie recently celebrated one year of sobriety. She and her daughter Amy share their individual perspectives on life before and after Leslie quit drinking.

Express Yourself (Guest: Julie)

Many of us spend our time in active addiction keeping secrets and staying silent. We feel like the WORST thing that could happen would be to tell someone, only to find in recovery that it feels GREAT to talk to others about the things we kept locked away. Guest Julie has been recovering on her own and recently connected with a group of other sober women. She has also discovered the joys of writing funny pieces about her experiences and observations.

Relapse Around Us (Former Co-Host Catherine)

It can feel awful when someone we care about returns to drinking. How to respond? How to be supportive? What about feeling rejected and diminished? How do we protect our own sobriety while helping others? Jean discusses these questions with a special guest whose voice you may have been missing!

Karlyn Pipes: "The Do Over"

An Olympic hopeful whose dreams were cut short by addiction, Karlyn explains how sobriety gave her a second chance at athletic success and at personal happiness. But neither of those achievements came quickly or easily. Karlyn speaks frankly about her addiction to alcohol, and the many ways that affected her life. Her book, "The Do-Over" will have readers moving from tears to cheers to nods of understanding, and is a great read for people in recovery as well as those who long to understand addiction from the inside.

Who Am I Now? (Guest: Margaret)

If we define ourselves by what we do, it can be hard to remain stable when a big change comes along. For Margaret, retirement could have left her searching for meaning and purpose. Instead, she is looking forward to the freedom to fully be herself. Join us for a discussion about knowing ourselves from within, instead of that which others say we are.

Yvette's Story: From Dieting to Addiction

Yvette's battle with bulimia and addiction began simple enough, with a desire to lose a few pounds, and led her to a life that included homelessness and hopelessness. Today she owns a fitness business in New Jersey and an online gym where she helps women empower themselves to lead their best lives. She invites listeners to visit her website at yvettesalva.com. Yvette shares her story and shines a light on how helping others helps her stay sober and strong.

Gaby's Story: Back from the Edge...Twice

Gaby had it all...until it disappeared overnight. Alcohol was a comfort through the difficult years that followed...until it nearly took her life. You might think this would convince her to never drink again, yet she chose to try moderating after regaining her health and was soon back in care fighting to stay alive. Today she is thriving in sobriety and hopes her story will convince others to stay alcohol-free in recovery.

Listener Letters and Questions August 2016

Jean answers your questions about everything from skin picking to song writing with so much honesty she makes herself cry, and shares the feedback from our recent episode about perfectionism and motherhood ("Karen's Story"). Also covered is the meaning of the words "sobriety" and "recovery" - at least what we mean here on The Bubble Hour.

Karen's Story

Karen's story will resonate with anyone who has ever drank to numb feelings of inadequacy or depression. Karen was a hard-working high-achiever with everything under control until she embarked on a challenge she didn't feel she could master to her usual standards: motherhood. What she believed should be the happiest time of her life instead spiralled in a very different direction. Karen looks back on these low times and reflects on how far she has since come as a woman in recovery.

Sobriety and Borderline Personality Disorder (Guest: Michelle)

It's not necessarily common for alcoholics to have Borderline Personality Disorder, but it is quite common for people with BPD to struggle with addiction. Jean welcomes Michelle to explain her experiences with BPD as a person in successful long term recovery.

The First Year (Guest: Robin)

Milestones are an opportunity to take stock of how far we have come, and to celebrate the way that day by day, time adds up! Jean welcomes guest Robin, who recently celebrated one year alcohol-free, to share her experiences and insights. When asked what made her decide to quit drinking, Robin said (in her charming accent), "Well it was bad enough that I was getting old, I didn't want to be old and pathetic!" It is that kind of plain-spoken wisdom you can expect from this interview. Enjoy.

Kelly's Story

Does being in recovery make it easier or harder to handle the curve balls that life throws our way? That is the question I will be asking Kelly, who will tell us if being sober helped or hindered her through difficult times.

We will talk about everything from kids to yoga to travelling. An interesting lady with lots of wisdom and insights to share!

Sobriety Through a Crisis (Guest: Anne S.)

Ironically, the same difficulties in life that shake the foundations of recovery can be when sobriety is needed more than ever. In this episode, Anne (author of "A 30 Day Journey to Stillness" and ainsobriety.wordpress.com) joins Jean in person to share how she and her family have made it through a traumatic event that saw them evacuated from their community as it was threatened by out-of-control wildfires that displaced 90,000 people in one day. With just moments to leave, they escaped and could not return for weeks. This is a story of love, courage and commitment that will inspire you to keep going through rough times.

Update from Jean

Wondering where we've been? You are not alone.

Jean drops by with a quick update on what is happening with The Bubble Hour - where we have been and what is happening with the show.

Our mailbox is full of messages from listeners and we have heard you, loud and clear! You have missed us as much as we have missed you.

Listen to this update to find out what to expect in the weeks to come.

Re-Broadcast: Special Father’s Day Speaker Meeting With Frank F. – It’s A Family Disease

The heart of every show is our guests and their recovery stories.  Everyone who participates on the show is a volunteer, whose willingness to honestly share their experience, strength, and hope helps keeps us all sober. 

In honor of Father’s Day, Co-Host Amanda’s father, Frank, who is also in recovery, will join us on the show. Frank will share his own story and talk about what it was like for him to see his daughter showing signs that she was headed down the same path.

It is often said that alcoholism is a family disease. In this case, that certainly seems to be true, but this is proof that families can and do recover together.

Re-Broadcast: Adult Children of Alcoholics

Did you grow up in a home with a problem drinker? If you did, you may have been impacted more than you know. Adult Children of Alcoholics share several common characteristics. They tend to feel different or isolated and uneasy with other people. They are intimidated by authority figures or people who are angry. They seek approval from others and lose themselves in the process. They are people-pleasers.

They feel responsible for other people and put their needs before their own. They are terrified of abandonment, and will do almost anything to maintain a relationship even (or especially) if it is unhealthy. They tend to hide their feelings both as children and as adults. They often confuse love with pity and tend to love people they can rescue. They thrive on drama rather than healthy relationships because that is what they grew up with. They often become alcoholics, marry alcoholics or both. The list goes on.

On this episode of The Bubble Hour our guests will share their experience both with growing up in an alcoholic home and in a home with someone in recovery. 

Re-Broadcast: SPECIAL GUEST - Dawn Nickel from She Recovers

Dawn has been in recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol since 1989 and is well-qualified to work with women who want to recover their lives and pursue their passions.

What started out as a daily meditation practice using social media coupled with a heartfelt belief in her own life's purpose has since turned into a business called She Recovers that, at the present time, offers yoga retreats and workshops for women in recovery.

We are so excited to have Dawn as a guest on our show, where we'll talk all things recovery - including different pathways to recovery, recovering online and off, and share Dawn's inspiring story!

Re-Broadcast: Denial Equals Death

There is an epidemic of addiction in our country, especially among younger people, and it is EVERYWHERE.

In this show will talk with Jeff Bertolet, a father who is in recovery himself and whose daughter Morgan is recovering from a nearly fatal drug overdose.  His heartbreaking and hopeful story will amaze you.

We will also talk with Dr. Mark Libon, Chief Clinical Officer at Gosnold, Inc. - a treatment center in Cape Cod, Massachusetts - about his experiences talking with both young people and communities about how they feel about drug use and addiction in their communities.  What he has to say will startle you, and hopefully call you to action in helping to speak out about this deadly epidemic.

We will also talk about ways to help people struggling with addiction and what you can do within your community to help.

Please tune in to this very important show!

Re-Broadcast: Other Addictions

We here at The Bubble Hour recognize that our friends and family members may be suffering from a more diverse array of addictions than alcoholism and drug addiction.

The Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health offers this definition of addiction:

“A primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. . . . It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control... compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving” (Savage et al., 2003)

And every addict knows the pain of being separated from his or her ideal self by this complex web.

Join us as our guests share how the compulsive use of gambling and food can lead into darkness followed by recovery. We will discuss how these addictions share roots, characteristics, triggers, and recovery methods. As complicated an issue as addiction is, the faith and hope of recovery exists for everyone.

Re-Broadcast: Speaker/Discussion "Meeting" with Lisa N. (Co-Founder & former Co-Host of TBH)

In recovery meetings it is common practice for one person to share their experience, strength and hope and then to pick a recovery topic for the group to discuss. We thought it would be great to recreate that concept here on The Bubble Hour. Hearing that there are other people just like us...with the same experiences, thoughts and feelings is revolutionary.  Our featured guest on this show is a voice many of you will recognize - Lisa N., one of the founders and former Co-Host of The Bubble Hour. Tune in to this week's episode to hear our guest Lisa N's story and our discussion. 

Re-Broadcast: Motherhood & Recovery: Perspectives on Telling our Kids

Although there are many common truths and shared experiences in addiction and recovery, family dynamics may differ from person to person. When it comes to motherhood, there is no magic formula or handbook for anything including talking to our kids about recovery. What we can do is share our experiences and perspectives with one another, and be willing to thoughtfully consider the best fit for our family. This episode explores a variety of positions, from being completely open to selectively shielding our children from our experiences, and why those choices make sense.

Re-Broadcast: Beyond Our Best Thinking: Surrendering the Ego in Recovery

We all want to be individuals and to present an image to the world that we are capable, in control, and essentially put together.  Besides, the world is a scary place:  vulnerability and honesty might put us in danger if people really knew us. Our egos say, “I am responsible for your survival.  Trust me.  I’m in control.”  

This is our best thinking.  

We hang on to it even though our Egos can lead us to feel angry, resentful, defensive, frightened.  Or completely alone and fraudulent, afraid that people will find out who we really are at our core.  We scramble to maintain the image that we’re in control.  We want to do things our way, on our own steam.  We are still cautious about letting people in.

This kind of thinking can persist even in sobriety and can present a danger to our recovery.  Join us as we talk about how Ego-thinking contributed to our drinking and disturbed our peace of mind, and how connection, compassion, and authenticity  brought us serenity and keeps us sober.

Re-Broadcast: Early Sobriety - Am I Ever Going To Feel Better?

When we stop drinking most people experience physical withdrawal symptoms (acute) which can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. It's not fun, but most people expect it and are rewarded with immediate physical benefits once the alcohol or drug is purged from their system. Our lives begin to improve and we are happy, BUT then there are other things that seem to be getting worse - mood swings, anxiety, irregular sleep, etc. - and we want to scream, "I did NOT get sober for this!"  

The good news and bad news is this is completely normal. What we are experiencing is called PAWS or Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, which feels like an emotional roller coaster. PAWS can be very difficult to deal with and is a huge trigger for relapse, but drinking will only make the process start all over again and who wants to do that?!!!  So how do we get through it? How do  we manage the roller coaster ride of early sobriety? 

Join us on this episode of The Bubble Hour as we talk to our guests about their experience with early sobriety and the tools they used to alleviate PAWS symptoms. 

Re-Broadcast: Strength in Numbers: How Community Helps Us Stay Sober

When we find we have the desire to stop drinking, we may have the urge to get sober alone. "I can do this by myself" is a common refrain in early recovery. But the solo route is a difficult trek through the thickets of recovery. At worst, it may set us up for relapse; at best, it's a lonely row to hoe. Connection with other sober people creates a safe landing place where we can wiggle out of isolation and fear and into a community where we are loved and supported. Building a network of sober friends is one of the great joys of recovery. Community helps us stay sober, as we learn from each other: we learn about the disease of alcoholism, about how to stay sober, about being of service. On this episode of The Bubble Hour, we talk about how to build and belong to a sober network - from the "new kid" jitters, to the anniversary celebrations, to the gifts of sober meet-ups. Join our podcast community, and let's stay sober together!

Re-Broadcast: Dr. John Kelly-Changing the Stigma of Addiction Through Science

Many people think that recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is a lost cause when in reality there are approximately 25-40 million people who consider themselves to be in active, stable long-term recovery. Based on those numbers, most people probably interact with someone in recovery on a daily basis, but they don't even know it because it's not talked about openly. Dr. Kelly and the Recovery Research Institute's mission is change that stigma and show people, through science, that recovery is not only possible, but it is the likely outcome.

On this episode we will talk to Dr. Kelly about addiction, stigma and recovery and how understanding the neuroscience of addiction will help alleviate that stigma.

For more information about Dr. Kelly and the Recovery Research Institute, please visit:http://www.recoveryanswers.org/.

Re-Broadcast: Sober Firsts - Part 1

Early recovery is full of “sober firsts”. They seem to come fast and furious in the initial weeks and months, and can be overwhelming at times. Eventually, the “firsts” are fewer and further between, but their infrequency can make them feel more jarring. On this episode of The Bubble Hour we look at “sober firsts” of three major types:

• “Mixing with the Normies” – going back to the places and situations where drinking is part of the milieu, now as a person in recovery
• “Engaging in Recovery” – new places and situations you encounter once you quit drinking
• “Sober and Solo” – the things you go to or through on your own.

Join us and our guests as we talk about what these experiences were like for us and some tips for navigating these challenges of early sobriety.


http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bubblehour/2016/04/04/re-broadcast-sober-firsts--part-1

Rebroadcast: Sober Firsts, Part 2

Early recovery is full of sober "firsts”. They seem to come fast and furious in the initial weeks and months, and can be overwhelming at times. Eventually, the “firsts” are fewer and further between, but their infrequency can make them feel more jarring.

This rebroadcast episode is a continuation of an earlier show called, Sober "Firsts” - Part 1, which turned out to be such a rich subject that we continued the discussion. We cover everything from going to meetings to going to work and we will even be talking about sober s-e-x.

Things We Used To Drink Over, And What We Do Now

On this episode we talk about those moments in recovery when we realize we're doing something (or feeling something) that used to make us want to drink, and yet here we are able to do them sober. Along with special guest, Author Dana Bowman, we talk about what these moments were like for us when we drank, in early recovery, and what they are like for us now. 

Lots of people, when contemplating getting sober, think: "But what about that vacation/wedding/holiday? How will I get through that sober?" It's not always the big events, though, that can be difficult to navigate; sometimes it's just a long, boring day, or a disappointment, or even when things are going really well, that make us think about a drink. Before we get sober, or in early recovery (or heck, sometimes even well into recovery) it can feel like we can't make it through these thoughts/feelings/moments without a drink, an escape or a way to numb. The good news is that in recovery there are so many ways to not only survive these things, but actually learn and grow in life-changing ways.

Dana Bowman is an author and speaker who lives in a sweet small town in the Midwest. She has been published in substance.com, The After Party Magazine, The Fix, and others, and is the proud author at Momsieblog.com. Her book,Bottled: How to Survive Early Recovery, published by Central Recovery Press, is now available on amazon.com and at bookstores.

Listen through the widget below, or follow the instructions in the tab above for how to subscribe to our podcast:

Special Guest Nikki Myers from Yoga of 12 Step Recovery

An accomplished teacher and practitioner, Nikki Myers is an MBA, Yoga Therapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Certified Addiction Recovery Specialist. Born from her personal struggle with addiction, Nikki is the founder of Y12SR, the Yoga of 12-Step Recovery. Base on its theme, "the issues live in the tissues," Y12SR is a relapse-prevention program that weaves the art and science of yoga with the practical tools of 12-Step programs.

Nikki's work has been featured in the New York Times, Yoga Journal, Black Enterprise, The Huffington Post, Origin Magazine, CBS-news.com and more. She is honored to be a co-founder of the annual Yoga, Meditation and Recovery Conference at Esalen Institute and Kripalu Center. In 2014, Nikki was honored as a recipient of the NUVO Cultural Visionary Award for her work with Y12SR.

Y12SR meetings are now available all over the United States and the curriculum is rapidly becoming a feature of addiction recovery treatment centers. 

Join us as we talk to Nikki about her addiction/recovery journey, all about feelings, boundaries, spirituality, yoga/meditation and how we grow and evolve in recovery.

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Re-Broadcast: Perfectionism

When we are active in an addiction, we can feel like there is no one else in the whole world like us. “Alcoholics are screw ups and losers,” we tell ourselves, “whereas I seemed to have developed this drinking problem in spite of doing everything else in my life to a high level of excellence. I am the most unlikely alcoholic ever.” In fact, alcoholics share many common personality traits, and surprisingly that includes perfectionism. On this rebroadcast episode we discuss the various ways perfectionism can manifest in our lives, why it is so common to those who struggle with addiction, and some suggestions for easing perfectionist ways.

Listen below, or follow the instructions on our website for how to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes: 

Rebroadcast: Co-dependency - Detaching with Love

Have you ever wondered why you can’t seem to maintain a healthy relationship? Do you feel like people take advantage of your kind heart and generosity? Do you feel a sense of responsibility for your loved one's happiness? If any of these questions ring true for you, you may be a codependent.

Codependency is an emotional behavior that affects our ability to have healthy, mutually-satisfying relationships. It is often found in individuals who are in a relationship with an addicted person or someone with a mental illness. Codependents often have low self-esteem and look for anything outside of themselves to make them feel better…including drugs and alcohol or other compulsive behaviors so you can see why this is an important topic for us to understand and address.

On this rebroadcasted episode of The Bubble Hour we dig into the nature of a codependency and discuss how we can “detach with love” so that we can enjoy healthy, happy relationships with our loved ones.

Listen below, or subscribe to our podcast on iTunes:

Special Guest - Mary Killian, Author of "The Roustabout Heart: Adventures in Recovery"

We are excited to have Mary Killian, author of "The Roustabout Heart: Adventures in Recovery" as a special guest on our show!  We talk to her about her addiction/recovery journey, what her life is like today, and discuss her amazing book! 

More about Mary:

She loves talking about her recovery. It's her favorite topic in the whole world. Being sober is the most important thing in her life. All the other neat stuff she knows and enjoys depends on this commitment. She has wonderful friends, a solid marriage and a happy, healthy family. She believes in her heart that she deserve these privileges. Her relationship with God is strong and beautiful. She's got dreams and goals. These are all huge developments.

She's okay with letting folks know the details of her experience.She likes sharing her feelings. She is hopeful and proud of the person she is becoming.

Find Mary on the interwebs here: 

www.marykillian.com (Website)

www.highwiregirl.com (New blog)

www.highwiregirl.blogspot.com (Old blog)

www.theroustaboutheart.com (Book)

Listen below, or follow the tab above to subscribe to our podcast: 

Special Guest: Anna David, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, AfterParty Magazine

Photo courtesy of Anna David

We are very excited to welcome special guest Anna David to our show! 
Anna is the NY Times bestselling author of six books as well as a journalist, TV talking head and college speaker who focuses on addiction, recovery and relationships. She’s the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of AfterPartyMagazine and RehabReviews, is the host of the AfterPartyPod podcast and has been sober over a decade-and-a-half.  
We talk with Anna about all kinds of things, including pink clouds (and what to do when we fall off them), how we grow in recovery, learning to get comfortable with discomfort, accepting life on life's terms, and what her life is like today.
Listen below, or click on the tab above to learn how to subscribe to our podcast: 

Dropping the "A" Word - Moving From Contemplation to Action

We get a lot of emails from people saying they are still drinking but are concerned they may have a problem, or are trying not to drink and listen to this show as one of their tools. We are so grateful that the show helps people on their journey towards, or in, sobriety.  One pattern we see is that the arc of contemplating “am I or aren’t I an alcoholic?” looks very similar for most people.  This is especially true of people who are earlier on in this process and who have yet to experience many outward ramifications from their drinking.

We can spend a lot of time thinking about whether or not we are truly an alcoholic, and this is an obstacle to taking action about your drinking.

On this show we talk about what this contemplative arc looks like, for many people, and provide a few resources that can be helpful in finding community that can help (because, as we talk about all the time on this show, community is the key to getting sober).

We mention the following online communities in this show, and we encourage you to check them out! If you want more information on the Booze Free Brigade ("BFB") and how to join this private FB community, please email us at thebubblehour@gmail.com and we can tell you how.

The other resources we mention on the show are as follows: 

www.soberrecovery.com

www.intherooms.org

www.womenforsobriety.org 

www.hazeldensocial.org 

You can listen to the show below, or go to the tab above to subscribe to our podcast! 

Signposts of Alcoholism, And An Honest Conversation About "Hitting Bottom"

On Sunday's show Ellie, Amanda and Catherine talked about early warning signs and symptoms of alcoholism, as we reflect back on our own sobriety journeys.  

We also have an honest conversation about "hitting bottom", what it means to hit an 'emotional' bottom, and some of the different challenges faced by people who get sober before any dire legal, financial, familial or medical issues occur.

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