RE 156: Progress Not Perfection

Today we have Katie, with 496 days since her last drink. Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE. In this episode, Paul vents a little bit of his frustration and anger in recovery about AA and "big alcohol". Without alcohol in our lives to help us deal with difficult emotions.. anger, resentment, and frustration (to name a few) often rise to the surface. Paul expresses his concern for the abundance of alcohol in society, despite the overwhelming evidence that it is destructive and harmful. SHOW NOTES [12:00] Paul Introduces Katie. Katie is 29 years old, originally from New York, but lived in Colorado for a while and now lives in Dallas, Texas. Since quitting drinking and she is now into fitness. She recently ran her first half marathon. [15:45] How did you realize you had a problem and how did you get sober? Katie drank a lot in school. After college, she moved to Denver. She started going out every night, and developed insomnia. Went to the doctor, was prescribed Xanax. The medication eventually stopped working. The insomnia continued. She medicated on both ends of her sleep. [19:50] When did you realize the core problem wasn't being solved? In Dallas, the doctors tried to taper down her medications. [23:33] When did rehab enter the picture? She felt alone and stuck. She broke down in her apartment. While moving, she found pills that she was hiding from herself. While her father was helping her move, they went to therapy and had a break down in front her her therapist and her father. Therapist told her she was still young and had a lot of life in front of her. [27:45] You realized you had a drinking problem while in rehab? Yes. She was in denial about why she was going. Thought it was just for rest. Left sober, but with the intention of using her meds normally, or as prescribed. In rehab, she slept well. She was going to try to use meds to stay sober... realized she was an alcoholic. [30:35] What was it like after? Returning to Dallas was tough. She had no support structure. Started to make friends through the sober community. Got into fitness. Met a guy who was a big drinker, turns out he had been sober for a while and understood her situation. [37:00] How did you overcome the desire to relapse? She lost a romantic partner, and it was difficult. She insisted on making it to 1 year, though. She realized that emotions are fleeting. [38:10] What is your proudest moment in sobriety? She's visiting her best friend from college. They're celebrating sobriety together. She's also found out that many other people are getting sober. [40:26] What is something that you've learned about yourself in sobriety? She's resilient. She's been hitting her fitness goals more easily. [41:41] Rapid Fire Round What was your worst memory from drinking? Woke up in a disgusting apartment with bug bites. Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? The moment of clarity in rehab. What's your plan moving forward? Focus on the positive, and keeping the eye on the prize. Don't mess with the routine. What's your favorite resource in recovery? Her gym. A tough workout, with intention setting. What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? It's a lot easier to stay sober than it is to get sober. What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? Just try it. You can always go back to the life with alcohol. You might be an alcoholic if... You have a parking permit at the liquor store so you can park there without worrying about driving drunk. Resources: The Sober Truth – a book by Lance and Zachary Dodes, debunking recovery programs From Death Do I Part – a book by Amy Lee Coy, her story about overcoming addiction Sobriety Tracker iTunes Sobriety Tracker Android Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to [email protected] "We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"