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: 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

Sober Vacations

The very idea of having fun on vacation without drinking can be daunting, especially for those of us who once planned our resort time around swim up bars and vineyard tours. Is it possible to have fun travelling and stay sober? How do we ensure that we have the support we need away from our usual recovery-centered routines? Whether it is a summer camping trip or a mid-winter beach getaway, vacations require a little extra planning and consideration in sobriety. On this show Jean, Amanda and Catherine recount their recent vacations and explore what worked well, what went wrong, and what they might try differently next time.

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Speaker Discussion "Meeting" with Lisa N. (Co-Founder and Former Co-Host of The Bubble Hour)

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. 

Listen through the widget below, or follow the link above to subscribe to our podcast to hear our guest Lisa N's story and our discussion. 

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Sober Fun - "We Are Not a Glum Lot!"

A common fear of getting sober is that we won't ever have fun again. Our memories of celebrations, nights out, socializing with friends typically include alcohol, so we can't imagine what we will do without it. Will our friends still want to hang out with us? Will we still laugh? What on earth will we DO now that we don't drink? Join us for a discussion that will quell those fears! Sober life opens the door to a life of fun and laughter that we never contemplated. As a famous recovery saying goes, "we are not a glum lot"! Come have some Sober Fun with us!

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Intimacy & Sex in Recovery

Intimacy…allowing ourselves to be vulnerable with another person, can be very difficult. Many of us have used alcohol or other substances to help remove our fears intimacy so the thought of being intimate while SOBER can be terrifying. Some of us were sexually abused as children. Some of us engaged in unhealthy sexual behaviors as a result of our substance abuse and still hang onto feelings of shame about our sexuality. Some of us were afraid of getting sober because we thought it would be the end of our intimate relationship with our partner. Some of us simply find it hard to let go.  On the other hand, some of us have found intimacy to be much more fulfilling and, well…intimate in sobriety.

We are thrilled to have a very special guest, Tanya Cole-Lesnick, LCSW, life coach and psychotherapist, to help us with this topic. We have four guests joining us on the show to share their experiences with intimacy in sobriety and Tanya will offer insights based on her experience with this topic.

Tanya Cole-Lesnick, LCSW, is a life coach and psychotherapist since 1995, in private practice since 2000. She works with people who are stuck. People who know their lives could have more meaning, ease, excitement, or… something different from the way they’re living at the time they seek out her services. She has also worked in mental health settings over the years with people suffering from various psychiatric diagnoses. With all her clients her approach is the same.  She calls it The One Agreement, which is a commitment she encourages us all to make to show up for ourselves, whatever that means for each of us, no matter what. Her philosophy is that we should always be checking in with ourselves to make sure that how we’re living aligns with who we are and what matters most. She helps her clients to identify where they’re not aligned, then helps them to break down old habits that no longer serve them and build up new habits that do. 

She is also in the process of a new exciting venture—creating weekend retreats in upstate New York where her clients can pamper themselves and do some life-changing emotional work at the same time. 

And, by the way, she has her own personal connection to the topic of Intimacy and Sex in Recovery, with a history of using substances to help remove the fear of intimacy, figuring out the hard way that it’s a problematic approach…

You can find more information about Tanya at: www.tanyacolelesnick.com .You can also find her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/tanyacolelesnickcoaching and Twitter: https://twitter.com/tcolelesnick

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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!

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

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.

We had so much to talk about on this show we couldn't get to it all, so stay tuned for Part 2!

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