Where To Find The Bubble Hour Podcasts

Hello Everyone!

We have had a few changes here at The Bubble Hour, as you may have noticed! This site is no longer updated regularly (although the widget on the right side bar still has all current episodes listed and you can access them directly from there).

The show is now is Jean's VERY capable hands, as Ellie and Amanda have taken a step back to keep that work/life balance in check - and they are both doing well.

To access shows directly on Blog Talk Radio, click here.

Our podcasts are also available on iTunes by clicking here.

Looking for sober resources (including how to become a member of the "BFB" secret FB support group we reference frequently on the show)?  Be sure to check out the "Sober Resources" tab at the top of the page!

Thank you all, and happy listening!

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.