RE 555: Don't Drink the Kool-Aid

Today we have Camille. She's 36 years old, from Coeur d 'Alene, Idaho, and she took her last drink on August 22nd, 2024. This episode brought to you by Better Help – 10% off of your first month #sponsored Café RE [04:26] Paul introduces Camille: Corrine is 36 years old and lives in Coeur d'Alene, ID with her husband and two young children. For fun they enjoy spending time with friends in their community and spending time outside. Camille says her father got sober when he was 24 and while growing up, she wasn't told that she couldn't drink but her dad gave her things to look out for. She experimented with alcohol in her teens while partying with friends. When she was 18, she began to be very active with church and started dating her now husband. Camille and her husband got married when she was 21 and she says her drinking ramped up in her mid-twenties. They enjoyed hosting get-togethers with friends and neighbors. Camille says that over time she began to lose the "on/off switch". She and her husband were still active in church, so Camille found herself living a secretive double life. Camille was able to quit drinking both times she was pregnant but would always be ready to start back after giving birth. When her first child was five months old, Camille began drinking boxed wine in an effort to believe that she wasn't drinking as much as she was. Not long after this, she began having alcohol in multiple locations so she could rotate through it. Working as a hairstylist and taking on more responsibility at church found Camille more exhausted and feeling more shame about her drinking. She began to feel like God was asking her to hand her problem over. She was at the point where she was disgusted with how she looked and felt and tired of the anxiety and mental gymnastics surrounding her drinking. Camille's husband never questioned her drinking, and she was scared to bring it up. When he decided to quit drinking in solidarity with a friend, Camille decided to join them a few weeks later. The first two weeks, Camille says she was white knuckling. She tried to distract herself as much as possible. She started making jewelry, exercising, listening to podcasts and reading quit lit. She tried listening to This Naked Mind again and identified with a lot of things. Camille began to burn ships with her friends and fellow church members and learned she was not alone. Her parents were very supportive when she shared with them as well. After the first two weeks, Camille began to reap the benefits of an alcohol-free life. She says she now feels free and fully present with the people that matter. [47:39] Thoughts from Paul: This is an intro that Paul says he has been wanting to do for a while but has shied away because the subject matter can be triggering for some, including himself. Politics, news, the state of the US, the state of the world. The message he wants to convey is DO NOT DRINK THE KOOL-AID. The news, social media, politicians and all of the algorithms on the internet are trying to put you in a fearful state. They have learned that fear and fake news hold your attention longer, that they can control you better, and they make more money on advertisements, etc. One thing on the news that we see is doom and gloom, but Paul shares that he does not see that in real life. He doesn't want to downplay things, but things aren't nearly as bad as the news wants you to think. We need to start choosing where to put our attention. We are almost enabling addicts who are addicted to power by giving them our attention. Go meet you neighbor, learn the names of birds in your yard, and be kind to yourself. Humans are going through a lot of change at the moment. And change is hard. We're going to be just fine. Recovery Elevator Rule 22, let's lighten up and not take ourselves too seriously. I love you guys. RE on Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes