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.

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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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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 share their experience both with growing up in an alcoholic home and in a home with someone in recovery. 

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Staying Sober While Traveling

You're doing great:  you've built a secure sober bubble at home.  You've dumped all the booze, you've built a network of sober people to support you, you're praying and reading about recovery, you've stocked up on candy or started an exercise program.  You feel good!  You feel prepared for anything...until you have to leave your bubble....

The vacation looms with its open pool bar.  Or the cruise with the flowing cocktails.  Or your best friend's wedding in Napa.  Or maybe your work requires travel with its temptations of hotel mini-bars and boozy client dinners away from judging eyes of family and friends.

Fear not!  You CAN stay sober while traveling.  Join us as we discuss the pitfalls and triggers of travel, how to sidestep them, and how to carry your sobriety bubble with you no matter where you are in the world.

 

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The God Thing - Spirituality / Religion / Humanism

We have experienced the far-reaching impact of our addictions on every aspect of our lives.  We have heard that the damage is physical, mental, and spiritual.  It stands to reason that our recovery should expand to encompass and heal all the hurt parts - physical, mental, and spiritual.  The latter is a fluid and perhaps unknowable thing.  Spirituality is a shape-shifter, taking different forms for different people.  Some find the structure of a religious practice to provide comfort and guidance; others prefer a more undefined spirituality; and still others do not identify with a Higher Power.  On this show, our guests will share how their personal views on this rich subject have informed their recovery.  We can all learn from their varied experiences in our own recovery journeys.

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How To Talk To Family & Friends About Your Recovery

Many of us spend years agonizing over the question..."am I an alcoholic?" before finally admitting to ourselves that "yes, I am an alcoholic". Saying those words out loud for the first time takes a whole lot of courage...and that's just the beginning. Getting and staying sober takes a lot of work and involves changing just about everything about ourselves. Many people join support groups where people suggest we go to a meeting every day? Get a sponsor? Believe in a power greater than ourselves? Let go of our resentments? Practice acceptance, patience and tolerance? Practice self-care? It's a whole new world for us, but if we want to stay sober, we learn to embrace these changes and we thrive. 

But what about our loved ones and our friends? How do we explain our recovery process to them? Many of us have hidden our disease so well that our loved ones had no idea we were drinking too much. Some will tell us to just stop. Some will suggest we only drink on the weekends or on special occasions. Even the ones who pleaded with us to stop drinking may find it difficult to understand our recovery process. 

On this episode of The Bubble Hour we will discuss ways to talk to our loved ones about our recovery process and why it needs to be the number one priority in our lives...even above them.
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Sobriety Anniversaries - The Celebrations & The Triggers

You've kept sober for a year, doing daily work to shine gentle, healing light on the roots of your disease, to heal yourself and your relationships, and to recover the core of who you are.  A sober birthday is a cause for celebration!  Then why does it feel so...strange?  Sobriety anniversaries are a mixed bag of emotions - elation and satisfaction as we reflect on the positive outcomes sobriety has brought to our lives - but also fear and uneasiness, perhaps even the potential for relapse.  Join us as we speak to guests at various stages in their recovery who have dealt with recent anniversaries and share their experiences with these emotional landmarks.

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