From Self-Medicating to Self-Care

“I need a drink” is a common catch phrase people use to sum up a bad day.  The culture is rife with advice that a “nice glass of wine” is all it will take to feel better about whatever challenges life dishes up.  So, when we are faced with big health issues, like anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses; physical illness or changes in our physical health; or stress caused by any social or familial changes or losses, it can seem like an easy fix to pick up a drink to “take the edge off.”

As alcoholics, this response becomes our go-to.  We come to depend on alcohol to deal with our problems.  It becomes a vicious cycle as our bodies and brains are stressed from processing the alcohol, as we stuff our emotions deeper and deeper down inside, and as we become dependent on the drink to fix us.

We find great freedom from that dependence in sobriety, but it can be daunting to realize that even though we are now sober, we still have the same issues we had before we sought relief in the bottle - the same anxiety, the same depression, the same hormonal changes, the same trauma.  On this show, our guests share their experiences about how they found new and better ways to deal with their lives.  From menopause to dual diagnoses, we can move from self-medicating to proper self-care!

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What Do I Drink If I No Longer Drink?

Julie Elsdon-Height

It's a simple question that can cause a person in recovery to stammer incoherently: "What would you like to drink?" After years of ordering a go-to favorite that is now forbidden, it can be hard to answer that question truthfully. What DO people in recovery drink on social occasions? In restaurants?  At parties?  At home after a hard day? Can anything bring the same satisfaction that alcohol once did???

Julie Elsdon-Height, author the recipe book "Mocktails and More" and the blog www.SoberJulie.com will join us as we discuss practical answers to the much asked question, "What do I drink if I no longer drink??!"

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Re-Broadcast - Sarah Allen Benton, Author of "Understanding The High Functioning Alcoholic"

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.

Listen below, or look in the tab above to learn how to subscribe to our podcast! 

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A Little Willingness Goes A Long Way

As the song says, "Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start..." For those in recovery, the starting point of every day is willingness. Willingness to be honest about our relationship to alcohol and about our behavior and thought patterns. Willingness to rearrange our lives and our relationships. Willingness to show up for our lives by being present instead of escaping into addiction. It's as essential a mindset for the newcomer as it is for someone who has been sober for years. Join us as we share our experiences around this fundamental building block of recovery. Remember: a little willingness goes a long way!

 

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Sobriety Bloggers

The earliest stages of recovery are marked by an inkling that something needs to change, and a budding curiosity emerges to ask such questions as: “What is normal drinking?” “How much is too much?” “Am I an alcoholic?” And “how do I quit drinking?” From behind the safety of our computers screens we pose the uncertainties that trouble our souls, seeking information and all that comes with it: guidance, comfort, direction, and hope. So it is that many stumble upon the frank world of sobriety bloggers: others in recovery who chronicle the ups and downs of their own personal journeys, sharing the experience as both an exercise in healing and in service to others. Join us as we speak to the authors of four popular recovery blogs: Mrs D is Going Without, Bye Bye Beer and UnPickled.

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Special Guest: AnnMarie McCullough, Faces & Voices of Recovery, Canada

AnnMarie McCullough

What image comes to your mind when you hear the term 'alcoholic'? A man with a bottle under a bridge?  A woman with smeared lipstick who drinks every day, can't hold a job and doesn't take care of her kids? Unfortunately, our society has created this stigma for alcoholics and it's simply NOT true.  There are more people like us than not, but many people don't get help because of this stigma and they are dying. 

On this episode of The Bubble Hour we talk with our very special guest AnnMarie McCullough, co-founder of Faces & Voices of Recovery Canada, about what the face of an alcoholic really looks like and why it's so important that we change the way society treats this disease. 

Recovery advocate Ann Marie McCullough is a maven of reinvention with a serious social conscience and a need to give back. A certified Project Manager with over 20 years experience in a variety of roles within the Healthcare and IT sectors, she now works as the Director of Communications and Community Relations at the Orchard Recovery Center.  AnnMarie combined her background in project and event management with her passion for recovery to help launch the REEL Recovery Film Festival in Vancouver and initiate the first RECOVERY DAY in Canada. Her latest projects: co-hosting Vancouver's first Recovery Radio show and co-founding Faces and Voices of Recovery Canada.

In long-term recovery herself since 2008, she inspires with her energy and enthusiasm, embodying hope for others who struggle with addiction.

Please listen below, or see the tab above for how to subscribe to our podcast!

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What Do You Put In Your Recovery Toolbox? - Part 1

As we begin to change our lives in recovery, we find that “not drinking” is about so much more than what is in the glass we raise to our lips. The tools for recovery include the books we read, the activities we enjoy, and the new healthy indulgences we discover. While there is no definitive list, we’ll discuss some of our favorite things, why we love them, and how they support our recovery. Grab a pencil and paper, because you’ll want to take notes! Join Amanda, Catherine, and Jean for a lively discussion as we examine all the goodies inside our respective “Recovery Toolboxes”. 

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