Matt was inspired by Gill Tietz's Sober Powered episode, Staying Sober During the Holidays. The episode is much less staying sober during the holidays, and more staying sober at events where booze is available. Practicable advice for those in recovery for anytime.BBQsWork partiesConcertsEctJohn, Matt and Steve talked about their experience being on guard for the unguarded moment. In this episode we talk about:Keeping your drink in your hand. If you put it down, get anotherTell a bartender you are not drinking and stick with that person (thanks Gill)Our thoughts on non-alcoholic versions of an alcoholic drinkHow people put booze in food and to watch out.This is great advice for anyone looking at sobriety, new or old.Katie The Traveling Lactation ConsultantTongue Tie, Breastfeeding Medicine, Breastmilk allergy & more as Katie travels the countryListen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Autism 360We chat all things autism parenting, neurodiverse families and building up our communitiesListen o...
The show is brought to you by Sean, who bought us a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberfriendspod. Sean thought it was important to put the show in the newcomer's ear.Recovery is not just for the person getting sober. Recovery affects the family too. For us, our family was very happy when we put the bottle down. But they had a hard time understanding all these meetings we had to go to and all these drunks running through our house.For Matt, it was a place of friction for his wife over the first 3 years of sobriety. His wife would talk about running out to be with his friends when his family needed him. Over time, the family understood that the work with other alcoholics was what made him a better dad and husband.We thought this might speak to you. Do you have challenges getting to meetings or however else you choose to get sober, due to family obligations? What have you experienced? We are looking for your feedback too!Katie The Traveling Lactation ConsultantTongue Tie, Bre...
Ryan M has made recovery a huge part of his life. He didn't get sober, he got involved. Ryan has been part of the service culture of AA from his entire time getting sober (March 2013). Coming into the program in his early 30's, he was attracted to the younger people in his 12 step group and got involved the the Young People in AA organizations. If you go to a service group in Ryan's area, chances are you will run into him.It was not always like that. During his drinking career, Ryan isolated. He started out being part of the crowd and as his drinking got worse, he got older and his friends moved on, his only companions were TV shows and movies. Ryan lived vicariously through the shows he watched, never really engaging with life. At Ryan's lowest, he was arrested at his parent's home, while picking up dog poop. And like many of us who put down the bottle, he was able to change into something beyond his wildest dreams.Join us for this inspiring story of recovery and service from our f...
Vacation is a dangerous time for those of us with problem drinking. Vacation is a great time to suspend all the rules and drink as much as we want. Hey, it's 5pm somewhere! Am I right? Or am I right! On this episode of the Sober Friends podcast, Matt, Steve and John talk about the trap that vacation can cause for us. It's a risky time because we have time on our hands. We talk about how to overcome the temptation on vacation and have a plan:Get a list of phone numbers from people you can call, when your backside is on fireIf out of the country, download apps that allow you to communicate over the internetTalk to family and friends and explain your situation and ask for supportIf you are involved in a 12 step program, go online or get booklets of meetings around your vacation spotWant to help our show? Subscribe, review, rate and share. Help us get the show into the ears of those who could use it the most.Katie The Traveling Lactation ConsultantTongue Tie, Breastfeeding Medicine, Bre...
The dictionary definitions of "Abstinence" and "Sobriety" look very similar. For the purpose of living a happy, joyous and free life in recovery, they can mean very different things. Overall, Matt, Steve and John identified Abstinent as being dry. This is a state where alcohol has been removed but nothing has come in to replace it. To get sober, you have to replace alcohol as the solution to your problems. We drank because it numbed the pain or it enhanced the joy. Being sober means that you can get through everyday life without leaning on the crutch of a drinkMatt, Steven and John talk about their own experiences being abstinent and being sober.Want to help our show? Subscribe, review, rate and share. Help us get the show into the ears of those who could use it the most.Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?i...
For those of us with a drinking problem, one of the symptoms was isolation and putting up walls to drive others away. Once some of us get sober we still have a hard time letting others in. If you discovered what I really am like, you'd see I was a fraud, an awful person and someone you'd be repelled by. Do you feel this way sometimes?John, Steven and Matt discuss the inability to get intimate with our chosen pack and how not being able to get vulnerable an honest can have disastrous consequences on our sobriety.Katie The Traveling Lactation ConsultantTongue Tie, Breastfeeding Medicine, Breastmilk allergy & more as Katie travels the countryListen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Autism 360We chat all things autism parenting, neurodiverse families and building up our communitiesListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifyWe wanted to alert you that you may hear some ads inserted into the show. We’ve carefully selected each ad to be sure it’s recovery appropriate. We are not looking to make a profit,...
It’s so easy to focus on the bad stuff in life and even easier to correlate them. Matt has had some issues with his house and financing the repairs. At every corner, he’s run into roadblocks (see last week’s episode). Matt’s therapist posed a question:“Have you considered a gratitude list?”So instead of focusing on all the bad stuff, why not look at what good you still have?In this episode of the Sober Friends podcast we talk about staying grateful when life gives you lemons and how you can deal with life on life’s terms.Want to help our show? Subscribe, review, rate and share. Help us get the show into the ears of those who could use it the most.Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100407Artist: http://incompetech.com/Katie The Traveling Lactation ConsultantTongue Tie, Breastfeeding Medicin...
Oh my! Financial insecurity. It's one of those fears that can make you drink and can derail any period of recovery. One of the AA Promises says:"Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us."Does that mean if financial insecurity pops up again, you've been doing the program incorrectly?Matt J has some financial issues lately. Along with a lot going on at work and in his home life, the financial concerns of a home project have become overwhelming. Instead of suffering in silence, he used this podcast as a way to help others. Steve C joined the show and gave his perspective and advice including, "why not go to a few more meetings?"Have you had fear of money? Did this go away the longer you recovered? Are you new and this is at the forefront of your concerns? If you are in a 12 step program, where did the 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th steps come into play?This is great episode that whatever your length of clean time, we know you can relate and find value!Want to help our show? Subsc...
If you are just thinking about putting down the bottle or are brand new, this episode is for you. When we taped this episode, Steve V had 102 days of sobriety. Steve believes he was born an alcoholic and his first experiences with alcohol. He always drank to excess and his marriage broke down over his alcoholism. When Steve moved out and lived alone, his alcoholism progressed. Steve is also a first responder and talked about the mental trauma that job has and how he found a treatment center that catered to police, EMT and firefighters. Even with rehab, Steve picked up the drink again and it was not until his last bottom, a fight with his ex, that he dove into the 12 steps for real.Please subscribe, follow, listen, rate and share our show.Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100407Artist: http://inc...
Today’s show is dedicated to the memory of Frank C. He helped so many in East Hartford, CT and the surrounding area.When I got sober, I marveled at the old timer. They had respect of the room. They looked content and they were sober. Not just sober, really, really sober with a lot of years. How the hell did they do it? Was it the way they crossed their legs? I was determined to find out, because I wanted to be a geezer some day too!There comes a time that the old timer who was there when you got sober, isn’t there anymore. Someone I trust and adore in my meetings said, “Keep making friends in the program because you don’t know when the current ones we have will leave us.If the 12 steps and meetings are a part of your recovery, I’m sure you will identify with this show.Please subscribe, follow, listen, rate and share our show.Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/So...