Recovery Elevator
Paul Churchill
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Top 10 Recovery Elevator Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Recovery Elevator episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Recovery Elevator for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Recovery Elevator episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
000: I'm an alcoholic
Recovery Elevator
02/12/15 • 9 min
Paul discusses his struggles with alcohol and his experiences in early recovery. Test Content
3 Listeners
001: Do you have a drinking problem
Recovery Elevator
02/22/15 • 40 min
Answering this question is easier than you might think........
2 Listeners
010: Shred the shame of being an alcoholic and be proud of your decision to quit drinking alcohol
Recovery Elevator
04/27/15 • 33 min
Maggie who has 14 days of sobriety in her early recovery explains how she made it this far and what gave her the motivation to stop drinking alcohol.
Here are some of the resources discussed in Episode 10
And of course, the battle with the iPhone
1 Listener
RE 420: The Most Prolific Trap
Recovery Elevator
03/06/23 • 64 min
Episode 420 – The Most Prolific Trap
Today we have Matthew. He is 49 from Phoenix, AZ, and has been a sober rock star since 12/15/2006.
Our next Ditching the Booze course is starting Monday March 20th. It is free for Café RE members. You can learn more about the course and Café RE by clicking this link.
[03:00] Highlights from Paul:
As humans, we are prone to the trap that things will be better, or we will feel better after x, y or z happens. If we are constantly attaching happiness to accomplishments, checklists, or sobriety clocks, then eventually this surface level happiness fades and doesn't last nearly as long. Diffusing this trap is our most important task as a species at the moment. To find inner peace regardless of what is going on outside.
The first thing we can do to confront the trap is recognize it and then try to find happiness in the present moment while working towards the goal in mind. This is being okay with being okay or being okay even if you feel like dog crap. You are not doing sobriety, or anything wrong, if you have a bad day or 50.
To be fair, we do feel better when we make positive change in our lives, but it’s the balance we are going for. And not to place 100% of happiness to a future date, which is never guaranteed.
Better Help: www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored
[11:37] Kris introduces Matthew:
Matthew has just past 16 years of sobriety. He is married and they have two teenage sons. He spent many years as a radio and TV personality all over the country, but recently left the business to do podcasts, motivational speaking and is the head coach of a local high school hockey team. He enjoys doing this as well as taking advantage of the hiking opportunities near where he lives in Phoenix, AZ.
Matthew was first exposed to alcohol at a very young age when his dad would share sips of beer with him. He grew up in a family where drinking was a part of the landscape at all gatherings of any kind.
He didn’t really drink a whole lot until he was in his late teens. Later in his twenties, Matthew’s career found him doing a lot of appearances where he was expected to be the life of the party and ensure that everyone present was having a good time. This involved large bar tabs and many after parties that he occasionally had too much and couldn’t function well for his job the next day.
His drinking increased a lot after his father died. He was attending therapy to deal with the great loss and how it happened. He ended up leaving his family and traveled around the country with his career eventually meeting his wife. Things were going well and then there were major changes at work which ended up with him being unemployed while his wife was pregnant. He says that he spent a lot of time drinking at that point.
The moved again shortly after that and it was after a work Christmas party that Matthew found his rock bottom moment. That night he didn’t want the party to end but was unable to find an open bar. He ended up buying some wine and walking home. It was a three mile walk in the snow to his house. His wife and son were both crying when he got home and he just went to his room and passed out. When he woke up, he wrote a letter to his wife and son saying that he will never have another drink.
When he decided to quit, he knew he couldn’t do it by himself. He went to therapy to help him uncover the “why”. He told everyone that he was not going to be able to attend any alcoholic events for a while. Learning why he was drinking was the most important piece. He believes in living a life that he doesn’t want to escape from.
[01:02:15] Kris’ summary:
Kris reflects on the power of connection with people that you can let your guard down with. It’s important to feel seen and community is a great way to do that.
Connect with Cafe RE Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee.
We are the only ones that can do this, RE
But we don’t have to do it alone.
I love you guys
1 Listener
RE 64: Why some grow out of the heavy drinking days and some become alcoholic | Who will graduate from college binge drinking?
Recovery Elevator
05/09/16 • 47 min
In this episode Rachael, with 2.5 years of sobriety, shares how she did it.
I got the idea for today's topic from an article I read by Sarah A Benton called: Why some phase out of college binge drinking and others are alcoholic. It piggy backs perfectly off last weeks episode with Johnny Manziel. Manziel appears not to be growing out of this phase and it's becoming apparent he has a real problem with alcohol.
Why do some people simply not "grow out" of this phase? Here are some reasons the article states:
• The Surgeon General's 2007 "Call to Action" report indicates that genetics account for 50% of the risk of developing alcoholism, therefore, family history is one of the strongest determinations of who may be alcoholic. In addition, the drinking culture of the individual's family and the role that alcohol plays.
• The age that he or she began drinking is another key factor. Specifically, research by the NIAAA indicates that teens who begin drinking before the age of 15 have a 40% greater chance of becoming alcoholic with or without a family history of alcoholism.
• Certain work or graduate school environments tend to incorporate alcohol into their social events such as going out after work or class for drinks or drinking while networking (ie, law, business). These cultures may normalize heavy drinking and also breed a "work hard, play hard" mentality that enables alcoholic drinking patterns.
• The drinking patterns of the group of friends that he or she lives with or socializes with. Heavy drinkers tend to migrate towards spending time with others who drink like they do and this often allows them to justify and minimize their excessive drinking.
• The individual's predispositions toward mental illness (such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety) or a trauma history (PTSD) may lead he or she to self-medicate with alcohol.
• Impulse-control issues that include thrill-seeking behaviors and a need for immediate gratification.
• Certain drinking patterns are "red flags" for alcoholism including: blacking out (ie, memory loss when drinking),inability to have just 1-2 drinks, obsessing about alcohol, rotating their social life around alcohol, drinking daily or frequently, behaving in shameful ways while drunk, always needing to drink excessively before going to a party (ie, "pre-partying") and surrounding themselves with peers who drink heavily.
Don't isolate yourself and join the discussion in the Recovery Elevator Private Forum.
Support the podcast and make your Amazon purchases through the Recovery Elevator affiliate link. 1/2 of all revenues will go to recovery non-profits.
This episode was brought to you by Cafe RE and get your daily AA email here!
1 Listener
011: 7 characteristics of a dry drunk and how to avoid this
Recovery Elevator
05/04/15 • 50 min
Moira has 9 months of sobriety, has lost 55 pounds and explains how her life is so much better without alcohol.
A dry drunk is someone who:
1. Has made no emotional or behavioral changes.
2. Someone who simply doesn't drink and does not work a programs or invest time into their recovery
7 Characteristics of a Dry Drunk:
1. Selfish
a. Alcoholics are all extremely selfish and we think we are in total control at all times. We think we have beat the system
2. My Way or the Highway – Tom Cochrane "Life is a highway"
a. Spontaneous decisions with only one person in mind
3. The Blah......
a. Things are getting boring. You’ve quit drinking, you're riding the pink cloud, but soon things start to get mundane and boring
4. We start to forget
a. The magic of how our brains are wired to forget the past
5. Sunsets aren’t quite as magnificent
a. Interesting things in life have lost their allure
6. Negativity
a. A continuous trend in negativity
7. You’re still bat shit crazy
a. Drinking is a thinking disease and not a drinking disease
b. Our drinking is but a symptom of our disease
1 Listener
034: Alcohol Myths and Realities
Recovery Elevator
10/12/15 • 54 min
Omar from the Shair Podcast joins the show.
1 Listener
RE 68: The Stigma is Even Worse for These Alcoholics
Recovery Elevator
06/06/16 • 36 min
Matt, sober since 12/11/15, who is the 4th lawyer to be interviewed on this podcast, shares how leaving a law firm to start a private law practice while drinking, can be tumultuous; to say the least.
I got the idea for this podcast from the a article I recently read in the Fix called My Top Five Female Recovery Memoirs by Regina Walker .
Statistically, women don’t recover from alcoholism at nearly the rate men do. A study in Germany concluded that alcoholism was twice as fatal for women as for men. The women in the German study with alcohol addiction were five times more likely to die during the 14-year period of the study than women in the general population.
As a culture, we often judge women with addiction issues far more harshly than we do with men. Alcohol advertising often portrays men drinking as a bonding experience, while portraying women who drink as sexual predators or, at the very least, sexually objectified (“if she is going to get drunk, she is asking for it”). Though it’s difficult for anyone with a substance abuse issue to ask for help, it is that much more difficult for a woman, who often bears an additional, gender specific stigma.
Turnabout, by Jean Kirkpatrick
Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Koren Zailckas,
Blackout Girl: Growing Up and Drying Out in America by Jennifer Storm
Drunk Mom by Jowita Bydlowska
Yellow Tale, by Tiffany Goik
Don’t forget to support the Recovery Elevator Podcast by shopping at Amazon with the Recovery Elevator link: www.recoveryelevator.com/amazon/
1 Listener
058: The Not So Smooth Transition | The Stigma
Recovery Elevator
03/28/16 • 60 min
Matt from California shares how he has made it over 5 years sober. He went to seek treatment for PTSD and realized he was also an alcoholic.
In this episode I discuss the not so smooth transition from a free community to a paid community. Below is is the post I placed in the group trying to clarify the point of the transition.
“I woke up this morning and binge listened to the Recovery Elevator podcast, and later that day I went to my very first AA meeting/Told my spouse/reached out for help...” I have received probably 75 of these messages.... Recovery Elevator is not about me, it’s not about the people in this group, it’s about the people who are still struggling.I’ll be the first one to admit, I am flawed. I am far from perfect. I am fully aware I have made several mistakes and (“spoiler alert”) I will make many more mistakes moving forward. I think my biggest mistake thus far is not being able to communicate my vision for Recovery Elevator and why this transition is taking place. Sure it’s about sustainability, and the time commitment is not feasible over time. However, our #1 goal, the mission, the force that continues to find the RE team at the same coffee shop every Friday morning at 7am for almost a year now is to shred the shame. Does that sound familiar? What that means in one word is Stigma.The stigma surrounding this disease is just as lethal if not more potent than alcohol itself. It was this stigma that led me to a failed suicide attempt in the summer of 2014. I hated myself for not being able to drink like a normal person and was ashamed. I was even more upset when the suicide attempt didn’t work. I woke up that morning pissed off and angry. I wasn’t happy to be taking in precious breaths of air with a new outlook on my 2nd chance on life. I was devastated I had to keep on living my life of misery from the disease. Can anyone think of another disease where we let ourselves and loved ones get to the most critical point before treatment or help arrives? Many times, that assistance arrives at a car crash when it’s too late (my friend in 2006) and our friends don’t get a second chance. Why do alcoholic bottoms have to be so low???? The Stigma. A gentlemen, who removed himself from the group (We didn't), brought up some great points last night and I’m very glad he did. Before this message goes any further, I want to remind people that I have stated multiple times that Recovery Elevator is not affiliated with any 12 step or other recovery programs in particular Alcoholics Anonymous. I am just about to complete my own 12 steps and I plan on passing on that “service” with a sponsee when I finish. This person mentions RE is preying on people with monetization goals. It doesn’t any ivy league business degree to make that connection. If I want a fighting chance at battling this stigma, I am going to need resources. This may come as a surprise, but I’m definitely not the first one to prey on alcoholics and here are some examples: Budweiser, Miller, Coors, Pabst, Jose Cuervo, Jack Daniels, Crown Royal, Smirnoff, Boones, Corona, rehab facilities, and many more are also targeting alcoholics. Battling the the stigma with resources will be tough, but shredding the shame with a cash flow of -$200 a month is a near insurmountable task. Think of the monthly fee going to the struggling alcoholic and not Recovery Elevator. Perhaps in 2014, if I saw a Recovery Elevator sponsored Facebook ad instead of a Bud Light Lime ad, I wouldn’t have bolted to a liquor store before they closed at 2:00 AM. A profitable sober travel company? I must be missing something, is there anything wrong with that? When I was 24, I went on what seemed to be a very profitable, packed booze cruise in Cabo, Mexico, and my actions on that boat were probably more shameful than trying create a sustainable operation which provides services to people like myself. I personally would have loved to go on sober adventure travel. Imagine being on an airplane and in the in flight magazine you see an add for a 7 day sober trip through the Grand Canyon. Am I supposed to not create a sober travel company due to traditions Recovery Elevator has never aligned themselves with? In my opinion, I wish the market was already saturated with Sober Travel companies, but unfortunately it’s not. Take a guess anyone why? The stigma. Look at the monthly fee as a fund for a common goal or the passing of the basket. I will not be getting rich off this, but for imaginative purposes, what if I did?? What if I became as rich as Bill Gates and I was open and proud about being an alcoholic. What if I even donated millions of dollars to recovery organizations. Does it really matter if I get rich or not doing this? This is my last post about this transition because my time needs to be spent trying to reach struggling alcoholics and not on people who are making the stigma even more inflammatory. I am going to give you a choice to make the transition at whateve...
1 Listener
RE 413: Grit, Grace, and Gratitude
Recovery Elevator
01/16/23 • 48 min
Episode 413 – Grit, Grace, and Gratitude
Today we have Matt who is from Atlanta and took his last drink on November 15th, 2022.
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[02:35] Thoughts from Kris:
Turning 40 found him thinking more about longevity and being able to be healthy later in life. He has struggled with his physical health the past few years but gave himself a pass because his mental and spiritual health was more important at the time.
Now, five years later and several stops and starts, he realizes he needs to treat his nutrition and physical health goals like another form of recovery. Much like sobriety, he felt he shouldn’t do it alone and reached out to a friend in the health and wellness world and asked for help. Together they set some small, attainable goals rather than a strict daily routine bound for failure.
He talks about the virtues of “grit” “grace” and “gratitude” and their relation to our recovery.
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[10:21] Paul introduces Matt
Matt has 31 days at the time of this recording. He feels great making it past that milestone after many stops in starts over the past four years. Matt was born in Atlanta and moved to Utah in middle school. He was an avid skier and baseball player in school and currently enjoys going to the gym, running, and playing in a local rock band.
Matt was young when he first tried sips of his parents’ drinks. Other than a few parties, Matt didn’t drink much in high school. It wasn’t until joining a fraternity in college that his drinking really got going. He considers his drinking as binge drinking and did not drink daily however, he started developing panic attacks and having issues with his grades at school.
He buckled down and cut back on partying during his senior year and graduated. He got a good job right after college and wasn’t having any more panic attacks. He typically only drank on the weekends and didn’t feel he had a problem because work was still going well and, on the occasion that he got a hangover, he would take a break for a while.
Some consequences came when he lost his job a few years ago and his drinking really ramped up as a way to cope with it. It took him a while to realize he was drinking to cover up his feelings and started using more and more. When things at home weren’t going well Matt agreed he needed to address his drinking and started attending AA. He was stuck in the cycle of addiction with many stops and starts.
It was 31 days ago that Matt took himself to inpatient detox so that he could start the healing process. He was ready to commit to not drinking and working on getting his life back. Initially he feared judgment from others but felt relief when he got there. After four days, he feels he had a moment of clarity and started to feel better and really dove into his recovery. Matt believes in radical honesty and accountability now and is working with his wife to earn her trust back while helping her understand what addiction is like. He went back to AA, is working the steps with a sponsor and he enjoys helping newcomers. He is feeling like this is a rebirth for him and is happy to live a life without alcohol. He has a clear idea of the person, husband, and father he wants to be.
[46:35] Kris’ outro:
Kris encourages us to look at ourselves and ask if a different approach could help us with our goals that we may have been struggling to reach. Our egos want to protect us but if we pick the right people to have on our team, it can be a game changer.
Change is hard, but so is letting something keep us from our best life.
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You’re the only ones who can do this, but you don’t have to do it alone
I love you guys.
1 Listener
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FAQ
How many episodes does Recovery Elevator have?
Recovery Elevator currently has 535 episodes available.
What topics does Recovery Elevator cover?
The podcast is about Addiction, Health & Fitness, Alcohol, Selfhelp, Mental Health, Sobriety, Podcasts, Self-Improvement, Education and Recovery.
What is the most popular episode on Recovery Elevator?
The episode title '000: I'm an alcoholic' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Recovery Elevator?
The average episode length on Recovery Elevator is 52 minutes.
How often are episodes of Recovery Elevator released?
Episodes of Recovery Elevator are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Recovery Elevator?
The first episode of Recovery Elevator was released on Feb 12, 2015.
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@maliceandmocktails
Sep 13
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