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!

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.

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.

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

Special Guest: Dr. John Kelly - The Science of 12 Step Facilitation

What Does Science Tell Us About The Effectiveness of 12 Step Treatment and Other Mutual Help Organizations In Addiction and Recovery? 

The most widely recognized 12 Step recovery organizations globally are Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA).   Most people who seek to get and stay sober are referred to a 12 Step recovery program at some point, and some people resist attending based on fear, shame, or the idea that 12 Step programs “don’t work”. 

Even within the 12 Step recovery community there is discussion, sometimes, about the effectiveness of these programs. Statistics are thrown around –both for and against – but what does the science say?  How effective are these programs?

Dr. John F. Kelly

On this episode, we were honored to have Dr. John F. Kelly as our guest.  Dr. Kelly is the Elizabeth R. Spallin Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the founder and Director of the Recovery Research Institute at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the Program Director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service (ARMS) and the Associate Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine at MGH.

Dr. Kelly discusses with us how 12 Step recovery groups impact an individual’s recovery from a scientific perspective.   How well do these programs work?  Is there a difference in their effectiveness for early versus long-term recovery?  Are they more effective following a treatment program?  What studies have been done to demonstrate “success” rates of 12 step group members, and how exactly is “success” defined in this environment?

If you participate in a 12 Step recovery program, are considering participating or believe they don’t work but are curious to learn more, this show is for you.  

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