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
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RE 554: All the Damn Philosophies
Today we have Mike. He is 50 years old and from Cleveland, OH and he took his last drink on August 9th, 2022. This episode brought to you by: Better Help – 10% off of your first month #sponsored Exact Nature – 20% off your order with code RE20 We offer a free month in Café RE once per year. Starting this Wednesday October 1st, and if you sign up for Café RE during the month of October, you get a free month. [02:59] Thoughts from Paul: Paul shares with us that he recently heard a song by Cameron Whitcomb called “Quitter”, and it’s about his journey into sobriety. One line says - “The hardest part of getting clean are all the damn philosophies telling me how this is supposed to work.” We all want a manual and a clear pathway to healing. A set sequence of steps. And yes, there are The 12 Steps that have helped many. But not all. Paul believes that there isn’t a manual by design. Recovery is all about recovering you and figuring out what makes you function optimally. Discovering what makes you happy. Could there ever be a one-size-fits-all philosophy or manual for that? You’re supposed to explore different philosophies and go on a deep mission of exploration when recovering the self. We are tasked to heal and find out what philosophies work for us. We are on a mission to find what brings us joy. There isn’t a manual for that. Whatever philosophy you choose, make sure it involves other people. An addiction wants you alone with a bottle. The antidote is connection. With other human beings, animals, plants and flowers. Good news, your listening represents you coming closer to the fire. We’re putting aside our difference and coming together to heal. This is an incredible time to be alive. [06:40] Paul introduces Mike: Mike is 50 years old and lives in Cleveland, OH. He and his wife have been married almost twenty years and have two daughters, 16 and 18. For fun Mike enjoys a lot of outdoor activities with his family and enjoys reading. Mike had plenty of exposure to alcohol while growing up but swore he was going to stay away from it. Sometime in his teens he got curious and decided to try it. He instantly had the “warm fuzzy” feeling but that didn’t trigger any concern. Mike continued to drink through his teens into his twenties, accumulating three DUIs by the time he was 25. Mike learned his lesson not to drink and drive and straightened his act out a little bit. He and his wife both drank so they didn’t consider it problematic. Over time the nightly drinking increased and many times Mike would find himself drinking after getting home from events or get together. Mike never tried to moderate his drinking, but he tried to keep it under control. Gradually he began losing interest in doing things that didn’t involve alcohol. When COVID happened, the drinking time would get blurred and soon Mike was known to always have a beer in his hand. Mike’s wife didn’t like how much his was drinking but seemed to accept it for a while. He began to try and hide it, but he knew that she knew he was drinking. Mike knew the only way he was going to quit drinking was if his wife gave him somewhat of an ultimatum. There was no rock bottom, Mike says. Work was still going well, and his family was doing well, but he knew he needed to change. Mike knew he needed to prove to himself that he could beat this and decided to give it a try. So far he is three years into that first try. Mike says the first few days were tough but was committed to giving it a try. Mike did a lot of reading and listening to podcasts, started learning more about addiction and taking courses online. He has enjoyed learning about it all and thinks that we are all capable of more than we think. Mike says he feels too good to ever want to go back. Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down, you gotta take the stairs back up. We can do this. I love you guys. RE on Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes
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RE 553: 20 Things Harder Than Quitting Drinking
Today we have Emily. She is 28 years old from Denver, CO and she took her last drink on April 25th, 2025. This episode brought to you by: Better Help – 10% off of your first month #sponsored Exact Nature – 20% off your order with code RE20 Starting Wednesday, October 1st, if you sign up for Café RE you get a free month! Café RE is our alcohol-free community who recently got non-profit status and we’re all about having fun and kicking ass without alcohol. [03:45] Thoughts from Paul: Paul has said many times that quitting drinking was the hardest thing he has ever done, but that’s not true. Today he shares with us 20 things that are harder than quitting drinking. This is the short list of what is harder than quitting drinking and Paul feels that it can all be summarized with this: Continuing to poison yourself with alcohol is harder than quitting drinking and that’s exactly how we have to frame it. Regularly ingesting poison takes a bigger toll on your overall health than quitting drinking. [10:14] Paul introduces Emily: Emily is originally from Delaware but currently lives in Colorado with her boyfriend, two dogs and two cats. She works in tech sales and for fun she enjoys all things outdoors including skiing, backpacking, camping and has recently gotten some paddleboards and golf clubs. Emily was against alcohol while growing up, began to experiment when she was 16 or 17. She thought it was a great way to escape the regimented lifestyle she was living. In college, it was normal to drink from Thursday to Saturday. Emily didn’t see it as a problem because everyone around her was drinking the same way. She was able to maintain good grades and work multiple jobs while in college. Emily was working in the bar and restaurant scene and decided to continue doing that after graduating. At age 23 Emily applied to work for a liquor supplier and got a job in Connecticut. When all of her bar tabs and Uber rides were being paid for and the way that alcohol is glamorized in the industry, Emily was never forced to see the negative impact her drinking was having on her life. During the COVID pandemic, Emily was supplied with a lot of alcohol and the only thing she needed to do was make cocktail videos since everything was shut down. Her apartment complex became party central. Soon after everything began opening back up, Emily was laid off by the company she worked for. She and her fiancé moved to Colorado where she got another job working in the wine and liquor industry. This company did not foot the bill for her drinking like the last one. Emily says she and her partner both drank heavily, and it was a toxic relationship. Once she ended that she decided that she was going to become a better version of herself but didn’t change any of her habits. Emily met her current partner around age 26. She began to notice her drinking habits more around him because he does not drink much. Emily began trying to moderate during the week and then drinking like she wanted to on the weekends when she would blackout and suffer from hangovers. Before going to her cousin’s wedding in April, Emily told herself she wasn’t going to get drunk. She ended up drinking more than she planned, and it was a disaster. The next morning when she woke up, she decided she needed to quit and immediately began burnings the ships with everyone she knew. Emily threw herself into recovery by attending her first AA meeting, listening to podcasts, reading books and joining Café RE. Emily says that by quitting drinking she did lose a portion of herself, but it was a portion that she wasn’t happy with. Since quitting Emily says her sleep has improved, the mental clarity she has gained has been amazing and she is now able to trust herself. Emily’s parting piece of guidance: tell people you love and trust. Lean on people, community is everything. Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down, you gotta take the stairs back up. We can do this RE on Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes
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RE 552: Birdsong
Today we have Ty. She is 76 years old, lives in Bozeman, MT and she took her last drink on March 8th, 2008. This episode brought to you by: Better Help – 10% off of your first month #sponsored Café RE – THE social app for sober people. [04:21] Thoughts from Paul: Paul tells us that every time he goes into a retreat or event with RE, he asks the universe to send us a (safe) wildlife encounter. This past retreat in Bozeman was no different. This time, it showed up in the form of a bald eagle while we were spending time at the lake pavilion. After it flew in, it perched on a lone pine tree branch about 50 yards away from us where we admired it’s beauty and Ty, an avid birder, shared some facts about the bald eagle with the group. Paul shared that while editing the interview he did with Ty, he noticed some background noise. Normally, he does his best to avoid this, but this time he welcomed it. You will hear in the background the sound of birds. He says it was if the universe sent the birds to support Ty. [08:45] Paul introduces Ty: Ty lives in Bozeman, MT with her husband Dan. She likes to hike (gently), watch birds and enjoys reading. She is technically retired but has been editing the RE podcast since episode 25. Ty grew up with an alcoholic father in Fort Worth, TX. Her mother did not allow alcohol in the house, so her father was gone a lot. Ty didn’t drink much during high school due to the fear of her mother detecting it on her. After she graduated, Ty got married to her boyfriend. That marriage didn’t last long because her husband was an alcoholic and became abusive. They divorced when she was 21. During that time Ty would go out with friends she worked with where they would drink together. She says her rebellion against her father came out in that time – it was the early 70’s filled with drugs and rock and roll. Ty said she spiraled shortly after her dad died and went through a dark time. She sought help from the county health board and after they placed her on mood stabilizers, she started drinking less. At age 26, Ty went to university where she chose doing well in school over drinking and partying. A month after graduating college, Ty had a baby. Her daughter had a lot of health and developmental issues, so she became a full-time caregiver for her throughout her 30s. In her 40s, Ty met her current husband Dan, who does not drink. They moved to Bar Harbor, where Ty worked in the restaurant industry. This exposed her to fine wine, which she would enjoy at home after work, while her husband was sleeping. Ty says red flags began to show when she switched to vodka because it has less calories. She began to hide her bottles and drink in secret. Moderation for Ty was when she would quit drinking for Lent. One year she found that she wasn’t able to which got her thinking more about her drinking. She was attending Al-Anon meetings but was interested in the literature for AA. After taking some quizzes to determine if she was an alcoholic, she started to believe she might be. The next morning while in church, Ty says she prayed: “I can’t do this will you help me”. That evening she went to her first AA meeting where she introduced herself as an alcoholic. It was the first time she had said it to herself or anyone else. Ty says she burned the ships early on. Honesty and openness became very important to her. She knew she had to do the work and became comfortable asking her husband for support in various ways. AA has been a big part of Ty’s recovery story since the beginning. She has witnessed a lot of growth and change in the recovery world since quitting. Joining RE opened up so much for her and she says her toolbox expanded in terms of resources and learning different things. Ty’s parting piece of guidance: it’s harder to get sober than it is to stay sober. Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down, you gotta take the stairs back up. We can do this. RE on Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes
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RE 551: Better Than Before
Today we have David. He is 51 years old, lives in Pinson, TN and took his last drink of alcohol on December 23rd, 2024. This episode brought to you by: Better Help – 10% off of your first month #sponsored Exact Nature – 20% off your order with code RE20 We have a great lineup of events and courses coming to Recovery Elevator. A mindfulness course is coming up in October, then Dry January as well as a beginner ukelele course are happening in January. In February we have our first AF Songwriting course and later in the month our weeklong sober travel trip to Costa Rica. [03:11] Thoughts from Paul: In today’s intro Paul shares with us some statements he heard from Steven Glover (aka Steve-O from Jackass) who celebrates 17 years in recovery this year. Steve-O said that alcoholics are in a sense lucky because unlike other diseases where the best one can hope for is to return to a pre-illness state, when addicts and alcoholics treat their disease, they have the potential to become better versions of themselves. In Paul’s upcoming book Dolce Vita, he makes the point that addiction is almost a biological mechanism to help wake us up as humans. On the other side of the addiction, if we are to heal, then we have to build a life that is more oriented towards helping others, where we are to be more authentic and where we are to admit when we are wrong in life. One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they quit drinking is they just quit drinking. Although this is a huge step in the right direction, if this is all you do it leads to the concept of being a dry drunk. You need to address the reasons you drank to excess in the first place. By listening to a sobriety podcast, you are doing the work. You’re investing in your recovery, and you are not a dry drunk. Your potential of becoming better than before is becoming a reality. And what wonderful timing you have as the world needs your honesty, your authenticity, your smile and your service more than ever. [08:16] Paul introduces David: David is 51 years old and was born and raised in West Tennessee. He has three adult children with his wife of 31 years. For work, he manages a manufacturing facility and for fun he is a lifelong musician and also enjoys genealogy and cemetery preservation. David is the youngest of four children. He says his mother was a teetotaler and his father had a drinking problem, but it had tapered down a lot by the time David came along. David says he was raised in the country and had a small group of friends that his mother would say weren’t the best influences, and David was more of a follower than a leader and he and his friends would experiment with alcohol when he was younger. When David was 18, he met his wife. They got married in David’s early twenties and began having kids. At this point, David didn’t drink often, and his wife didn’t drink at all. It wasn’t until their thirties that they would start having the occasional bottle of wine in the house. In his late thirties, the drinking began ramping up. David began to have a regular music gig that was 45 minutes from home. He began going to have dinner and beers before the gig and over time started going out again after the gigs as well. He began drinking more on the weekends and that eventually crept into every day while isolating. After some negative health reports in 2019, David began to try and address his drinking and says it was like a hamster wheel. By 2021, he knew he wanted to pursue an alcohol-free life and shared this with his wife, who has been very supportive of him. Since his last drink in 2024, David says all of his relationships have improved, his bass playing has improved, and he started college last year and will be graduating soon. David is looking forward to continuing his personal growth, learning to meditate and travel. Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down, you gotta take the stairs back up. We can do this. RE on Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes Café RE
It isn't a NO to alcohol, but a YES to a better life! Best selling author Paul Churchill, along with Kristopher Oyen interview people who have stepped away from alcohol in their own lives. Each week this podcast does a deep dive into an exploration of what a booze free life might look like from various perspectives and opinions.
If you are sick and tired of alcohol making you sick and tired, we invite you to listen to Recovery Elevator. Check out what an alcohol free life can look like as others share their own stories of sobriety. If you are sober curious, newly sober, supporting a loved one or living your best life already in recovery, then you are in the right place.
This podcast addresses what to do if you’re addicted to alcohol, or if you think you’re an alcoholic. Other topics include, does moderate drinking work, does addiction serve a purpose, what happens to the brain when we quit drinking, should you track sobriety time, is A.A. right for you, spirituality, and more.
Similar to other recovery podcasts like This Naked Mind, the Shair Podcast, and the Recovered Podcast, Paul and Kris discuss a topic and then interview someone who has ditched the booze.
New Zealand