Re-Broadcast: Sober Firsts - Part 1

Early recovery is full of “sober firsts”. They seem to come fast and furious in the initial weeks and months, and can be overwhelming at times. Eventually, the “firsts” are fewer and further between, but their infrequency can make them feel more jarring. On this episode of The Bubble Hour we look at “sober firsts” of three major types:

• “Mixing with the Normies” – going back to the places and situations where drinking is part of the milieu, now as a person in recovery
• “Engaging in Recovery” – new places and situations you encounter once you quit drinking
• “Sober and Solo” – the things you go to or through on your own.

Join us and our guests as we talk about what these experiences were like for us and some tips for navigating these challenges of early sobriety.


http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bubblehour/2016/04/04/re-broadcast-sober-firsts--part-1

Rebroadcast: Sober Firsts, Part 2

Early recovery is full of sober "firsts”. They seem to come fast and furious in the initial weeks and months, and can be overwhelming at times. Eventually, the “firsts” are fewer and further between, but their infrequency can make them feel more jarring.

This rebroadcast episode is a continuation of an earlier show called, Sober "Firsts” - Part 1, which turned out to be such a rich subject that we continued the discussion. We cover everything from going to meetings to going to work and we will even be talking about sober s-e-x.

Things We Used To Drink Over, And What We Do Now

On this episode we talk about those moments in recovery when we realize we're doing something (or feeling something) that used to make us want to drink, and yet here we are able to do them sober. Along with special guest, Author Dana Bowman, we talk about what these moments were like for us when we drank, in early recovery, and what they are like for us now. 

Lots of people, when contemplating getting sober, think: "But what about that vacation/wedding/holiday? How will I get through that sober?" It's not always the big events, though, that can be difficult to navigate; sometimes it's just a long, boring day, or a disappointment, or even when things are going really well, that make us think about a drink. Before we get sober, or in early recovery (or heck, sometimes even well into recovery) it can feel like we can't make it through these thoughts/feelings/moments without a drink, an escape or a way to numb. The good news is that in recovery there are so many ways to not only survive these things, but actually learn and grow in life-changing ways.

Dana Bowman is an author and speaker who lives in a sweet small town in the Midwest. She has been published in substance.com, The After Party Magazine, The Fix, and others, and is the proud author at Momsieblog.com. Her book,Bottled: How to Survive Early Recovery, published by Central Recovery Press, is now available on amazon.com and at bookstores.

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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.

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Re-Broadcast: 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 rebroadcast 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.

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Rebroadcast: Co-dependency - 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 rebroadcasted 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.

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Special Guest - Mary Killian, Author of "The Roustabout Heart: Adventures in Recovery"

We are excited to have Mary Killian, author of "The Roustabout Heart: Adventures in Recovery" as a special guest on our show!  We talk to her about her addiction/recovery journey, what her life is like today, and discuss her amazing book! 

More about Mary:

She loves talking about her recovery. It's her favorite topic in the whole world. Being sober is the most important thing in her life. All the other neat stuff she knows and enjoys depends on this commitment. She has wonderful friends, a solid marriage and a happy, healthy family. She believes in her heart that she deserve these privileges. Her relationship with God is strong and beautiful. She's got dreams and goals. These are all huge developments.

She's okay with letting folks know the details of her experience.She likes sharing her feelings. She is hopeful and proud of the person she is becoming.

Find Mary on the interwebs here: 

www.marykillian.com (Website)

www.highwiregirl.com (New blog)

www.highwiregirl.blogspot.com (Old blog)

www.theroustaboutheart.com (Book)

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