Codependency: 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 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.

Discover Lifestyle Internet Radio with The Bubble Hour on BlogTalkRadio

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 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.

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

Speaker/Discussion "Meeting" with Jo

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, feelings is revolutionary.  Tune in to this week's episode to hear our guest's story and topic of discussion. 

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

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

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 show features special guest Michele, who shares some of her own signposts, and Lisa and Ellie contribute some of theirs as well.

There is no one way to define "alcoholic".  In fact, that label keeps many people stuck and alone.  In this show we 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.

Discover Lifestyle Internet Radio with The Bubble Hour on BlogTalkRadio

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.

Popular Lifestyle Internet Radio with The Bubble Hour on BlogTalkRadio

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.

Discover Lifestyle Internet Radio with The Bubble Hour on BlogTalkRadio

Re-Broadcast: As They Say - A Grateful Heart Will Never Drink

Google the phrase 'the power of gratitude' and you'll find many links to articles and research that show how living a life in gratitude can increase our sense of well-being and optimism and can decrease our levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

Those benefits alone would make this a worthy topic - who doesn't want to feel happier? - but for the alcoholic and addict, an active gratitude practice can be a game changer. Alcoholism and addiction are characterized by a mental obsession. Our behaviors and thought patterns can defy logic, such as when we drink or use despite consequences or vows to stop. We may feel justified in our drinking or using by anxiety, worry, anger, depression. We may get stuck in this thinking with self-pity, shame, and blame, and the painful cycle continues.

Gratitude is the fastest way out of the despair caused by this cycle! This is why many people in long term recovery subscribe to the notion that an active gratitude practice is an essential part of their sobriety. Join us as we discuss with our guests the ins and outs of a gratitude practice - the ways it helps them stay sober, examples of its benefits, and how to build a practice. In sobriety, we can have Thanksgiving every day!"

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