The Truth About Alcohol (Why Quitting Feels So Hard)

Ep 75: Brook McKenzie on the Devastation Alcohol Causes in the Family Home

Welcome to Episode # 75 of The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast the show designed to help you reduce the leverage that alcohol has in your life and your relationships. Today’s guest is Brook McKenzie an Outreach Coordinator and Family Liaison for New Method Wellness. As an experienced interventionist, McKenzie works directly with addicts’ families to facilitate an interruption of the loved one’s active addiction cycle, discontinue enabling factors, and to help expedite the addict’s entry into treatment. In this episode, I draw on all of Brook's experience to help people learn how to reduce the leverage alcohol has in their relationships, especially when there are children involved, using my life experience in this area as a testbed. Podcast Takeaways New Method Wellness (http://newmethodwellness.com/) Outro Thanks for listening. Are you in a relationship that's suffering because of alcohol? If so, then why not join the Needy Helper movement, the purpose of which is to lessen the negative effects alcohol has on your relationships by working on communication and connection. We achieve this through the creation of a community forum of like-minded people and training course designed to help you move away from a life of alcohol. When signing up, you will receive my new course: “Finding Your Sober Voice in Relationships.”-http://needyhelper.mykajabi.com/store/biQtFTc7 If you find the AA Podcast a valuable resource, then please subscribe on iTunes, tell your friends about it and share the love. You would make me a very happy man indeed if you could rate us on iTunes.

Ep 74: Jennifer Matesa on Sex in Recovery

Jennifer Matesa on Sex in Recovery Welcome to Episode # 74 of The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast the show designed to help you reduce the leverage that alcohol has in your life and your relationships. Today’s guest is Jennifer Matesa, the founder of the addiction and recovery blog Guinevere Gets Sober and the author of four non-fiction books about body, mind, and human Wellbeing Including the most recent Sex in Recovery: A Meeting Between The Sheets. Jennifer speaks and writes widely, and teaches writing at the University of Pittsburgh. Her commitment to removing the stigma from addiction and recovery earned her a fellowship at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In this podcast episode, we talk about sex, sex, and more sex. Podcast Takeaways Guinevere Gets Sober (http://guineveregetssober.com/) Jennifer Matesa Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.matesa) Jennifer Matesa Twitter (https://twitter.com/Guinevere64) Outro Thanks for listening. Are you in a relationship that’s suffering because of alcohol? If so, then why not join the Needy Helper movement, the purpose of which is to lessen the negative effects alcohol has on your relationships by working on communication, connection and curating a new life. We achieve this through the creation of a community forum of like-minded people and training course designed to help you move away from a life of alcohol. When signing up you will receive my new course: “Finding Your Sober Voice in Relationships.” - https://needyhelper.mykajabi.com/store/biQtFTc7 If you find the AA Podcast a valuable resource, then please subscribe on iTunes, tell your friends about it and share the love. You would make me a very happy man indeed if you could rate us on iTunes.

Ep 73: Kate Bee on How Alcohol Specifically Effect Women; Debunking Alcohol's Myth and More

Welcome to Episode # 73 of The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast the show designed to help you reduce the leverage that alcohol has in your life and your relationships. Today’s guest is Kate Bee, the founder of The Sober School, a website dedicated to helping women navigate sobriety without feeling deprived or miserable. The Sober School provides modern, inspiring and accessible support for high-functioning women who are fed up with drinking too much. Kate's mission is to remove the stigma, misinformation and fear that surrounds addiction. Her work is informed by her own struggle with alcohol and her determination to recover outside of AA and the 12-step system. Kate drew on her own experience to create an online coaching programme, Getting Unstuck. The course helps women understand why they really drink, so they can change their relationship with alcohol for good. Kate is also a freelance journalist. She lives near Manchester in the UK. In this podcast episode, we learn about Kate's back story, the importance of educating the next generation and we question whether people's attitudes towards alcohol will eventually reach the same levels of stigma associated with smoking. We also touch upon the role that AA plays in the alcohol recovery arena, the value of getting your thoughts down on paper and why The Sober School only accepts females into its ranks. Podcast Takeaways The Sober School (http://thesoberschool.com/) The Sober School Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thesoberschool/?fref=ts) Kate Bee Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheSoberSchool?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) Thanks for listening. Are you in a relationship that’s suffering because of alcohol? If so, then why not join the Needy Helper movement, the purpose of which is to lessen the negative effects alcohol has on your relationships by working on communication, connection and curating a new life. We achieve this through the creation of a community forum of like minded people and training course designed to help you move away from a life of alcohol. When signing up you will receive my new course: “How Safe Are Your Relationships From Alcohol? 36 Books That Helped Me Connect, Communicate & Curate a New Life.” - https://needyhelper.mykajabi.com/store/biQtFTc7 If you find the AA Podcast a valuable resource, then please tell your friends about it and share the love. You would make me a very happy man indeed if you could rate us on iTunes.

Ep 72: Debating The Brain Disease Model With Susan Peirce Thompson

Debating The Alcohol Brain Disease Model With Susan Peirce Thompson Welcome to Episode # 72 of The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast the show designed to help you reduce the leverage that alcohol has in your life and your relationships. Today’s guest is Susan Peirce Thompson, Ph.D. - a psychology professor, a brain and cognitive scientist, and an expert in the psychology of eating. She is President of the Institute for Sustainable Weight Loss and CEO of Bright Line Eating Solutions, a company dedicated to helping people achieve long-term, sustainable weight loss. Her program utilizes cutting-edge research to explain how the brain blocks weight loss and every day she teaches people how to undo that damage so they can live Happy, Thin, and Free. Susan was invited onto the show to talk about the problems many people have with sugar after quitting alcohol. But the conversation veered into a debate over the validity of the alcohol is a brain disease model; the role that dogma and bias play in our teachings post recovery and much more. Podcast Takeaways Susan Peirce Thompson Blog (http://susanpeircethompson.com/) Bright Line Eating (http://susanpeircethompson.com/bright-line-eating/) Susan Peirce Thompson Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SusanPeirceThompson/) Susan Peirce Thompson Twitter (https://twitter.com/drspthompson) Unbroken Brain by Maia Szalavitz (http://www.needyhelper.com/the-alcohol-addiction-podcast-episode-50-maia-szalavitz/) Allen Carr Easyway to Control Alcohol (http://www.needyhelper.com/easy-way-to-control-alcohol-by-allen-carr/) Outro Thanks for listening. Are you in a relationship that’s suffering because of alcohol? If so, then why not join the Needy Helper movement, the purpose of which is to lessen the negative effects alcohol has on your relationships by working on communication, connection and curating a new life. We achieve this through the creation of a community forum of like minded people and training course designed to help you move away from a life of alcohol. When signing up you will receive my new course: “How Safe Are Your Relationships From Alcohol? 36 Books That Helped Me Connect, Communicate & Curate a New Life.” If you find the AA Podcast a valuable resource, then please tell your friends about it and share the love. You would make me a very happy man indeed if you could rate us on iTunes.

Ep 71: DeAnna Jordan Giving Advice on What to do When You Quit Alcohol And Your Partner Doesn't

DeAnna Jordan Giving Advice on What to do When You Quit Alcohol And Your Partner Doesn't Welcome to Episode # 71 of The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast the show designed to help you quit alcohol and change your life one story at a time. DeAnna Jordan serves as the clinical director at New Method Wellness where she supervises a team of caring, well-trained clinicians who provide continued support throughout a client’s stay at New Method Wellness. Jordan has over 20 years of experience working with clients in recovery and is a marriage and family therapist (MFT), specializing in the maintenance of healthy relationships. As a result of her expertise, Jordan has been featured on “Dr. Phil,” “Jane Valdez-Mitchell,” National Geographic’s “Taboo,” and has been published in Elle Magazine as well as The Huffington Post. Currently, Jordan is a contributing author for publications including Renew Everyday and U.S. News and World Report. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from University of California in Irvine, Jordan did post-graduate work at Centaur University where she graduated in the top of her class with a CAADAC certification in Centaur’s chemical dependency program. Following her time at Centaur, Jordan received her Masters in counseling psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and is a current PsyD candidate, studying depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. As a recovering addict, Jordan brings a breadth of personal recovery experience to her clinical leadership and believes a comfortable, structured and supportive environment is an essential part of maintaining long term sobriety. In addition to her passion for recovery, Jordan is extremely involved in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). As a current Woman of the Year candidate, Jordan is campaigning to raise funds for LLS blood cancer research in honor of local children who are blood cancer survivors. In this episode we talk about her 27-years of recovery condensed into her top five tips; the work of Carl Jung, stress tolerance, relapse prevention, cognitive behavioural therapy, and advice and tips relating to my blog post - 10 Reasons Your Marriage Fails After You Quit Alcohol (http://www.needyhelper.com/10-reasons-your-marriage-fails-after-you-quit-drinking-alcohol/) Podcast Takeaways “Five Minutes Off” Meditation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2UKw8tFYyY) Feeling Good with David Burns (https://feelinggood.com/) Triple Column Work (CBT) (http://sourcesofinsight.com/how-to-use-the-triple-column-technique/) Outro Thanks for listening. Before you go, if you have any questions for DeAnna or me, then please leave them in the comments section on the blog, or you can message me at needyhelper@gmail.com. If you find the AA Podcast a valuable resource, then please tell your friends about it and share the love. You would make me a very happy man indeed if you could rate us on iTunes. This podcast would not be possible without the sterling efforts of Neil Chow and Liza Lim, so big hugs and kisses to them, and also to you, the listeners, without whom this podcast wouldn't be possible, so thanks for giving me your ear to bend. Talking about community, how would you like to become a member of the Needy Helper Hub? It's a new idea to create a connected community, with support and a continual personal improvement process forever. It's my intention to be online as much as I can to answer any questions you have about your addiction and to continually update the Hub with training tools, tips and techniques to help you create a whole new life. If that interests you, then click the link below to find out more - www.needyhelper.com/the-needy-helper-hub/

Ep 70: Liv Penelle on How Quitting Alcohol Helped Her Lose 50lbs

Liv Penelle on How Quitting Alcohol Helped Her Lose 50lbs Welcome to Episode # 70 of The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast the show designed to help you reduce the leverage that alcohol has in your life and your relationships. Liv Penelle is a former food, alcohol and drug addict who managed to turn her life around and create Liv’s Recovery Kitchen - a resource for people in recovery. Liv doesn't mess about. During her rebirth, she lost 50lbs in weight - my entire body weight. She is well known throughout the recovery community for her amazing recipes and is a qualified nutrition coach. In this podcast we talk about the role, our parents inadvertently play in our addictions, eating disorders, quitting alcohol, drugs and smoking, and how on earth she managed to drop 50lbs in the process. Liv’s story has been featured in Addiction Unscripted, The Sobriety Collective, and much more. Podcast Takeaways Liv’s Recovery Kitchen (http://www.livsrecoverykitchen.com/) Liv’s Recovery Twitter (https://twitter.com/livsrecoverykit) Brain Pickings (https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/05/15/debbie-millman-look-both-ways-fail-safe/) Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1408866757) The Liver Cleanse Diet by Sandra Cabot (http://www.needyhelper.com/book-26-of-52-the-liver-cleansing-diet-by-sandra-cabot-md/) Outro Thanks for listening. Are you in a relationship that’s suffering because of alcohol? If so, then why not join the Needy Helper movement, the purpose of which is to lessen the negative effects alcohol has on your relationships by working on communication, connection and curating a new life. We achieve this through the creation of a community forum of like minded people and training course designed to help you move away from a life of alcohol. When signing up you will receive my new course: “How Safe Are Your Relationships From Alcohol? 36 Books That Helped Me Connect, Communicate & Curate a New Life.” If you find the AA Podcast a valuable resource, then please tell your friends about it and share the love. You would make me a very happy man indeed if you could rate us on iTunes. Talking about community, how would you like to become a member of the Needy Helper Hub? It's a new idea to create a connected community, with support and a continual personal improvement process forever. It's my intention to be online as much as I can to answer any questions you have about your addiction and to continually update the Hub with training tools, tips and techniques to help you create a whole new life. If that interests you, then click the link below to find out more - www.needyhelper.com/the-needy-helper-hub/

Ep 69: Jan Dirk Capelle on Service, Giving Back & Effective Altruism

Jan Dirk Capelle on Service, Giving Back & Effective Altruism Welcome to Episode # 69 of The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast the show designed to help you quit alcohol and other addictions and change your life one story at a time. This week my guest is Jan Dirk Capelle an Effective Altruist who works for the meta-charity Raising for Effective Giving. The theme of the Needy Helper is to serve others. We do this by helping people quit addictions and giving time and money to help reduce suffering via charities that are the most effective. I invited Jan onto the show to give you a deeper insight into the concept of Effective Altruism and why it is so crucial if we are to do the most good we can do. In this episode we talk about our connectedness with the world, why we should give to others less fortunate, what Brexit and Donald Trump's Presidency means to the future of EA and much more. Podcast Takeaways Raising for Effective Giving (https://reg-charity.org/) Peter Singer Ted Talk: The Why And How of Effective Altruism (https://www.ted.com/talks/peter_singer_the_why_and_how_of_effective_altruism) Julia Galef Ted Talk: Why You Think You’re Right - Even If You’re Wrong (https://www.ted.com/talks/julia_galef_why_you_think_you_re_right_even_if_you_re_wrong) Earthlings (http://www.needyhelper.com/earthlings/) GiveWell (http://www.givewell.org/) Animal Charity Evaluators (https://www.animalcharityevaluators.org/) Against Malaria Foundation (https://www.againstmalaria.com/) To find out more about the Needy Altruist and out 1% pledge email me directly at needyhelper@gmail.com Outro Thanks for listening. Before you go, if you have any questions for Jan or me, then please leave them in the comments section on the blog, or you can message me at needyhelper@gmail.com. If you find the AA Podcast a valuable resource, then please tell your friends about it and share the love. You would make me a very happy man indeed if you could rate us on iTunes. This podcast would not be possible without the sterling efforts of Neil Chow and Liza Lim, so big hugs and kisses to them, and also to you, the listeners, without whom this podcast wouldn't be possible, so thanks for giving me your ear to bend. Talking about community, how would you like to become a member of the Needy Helper Hub? It's a new idea to create a connected community, with support and a continual personal improvement process forever. It's my intention to be online as much as I can to answer any questions you have about your addiction and to continually update the Hub with training tools, tips and techniques to help you create a whole new life. If that interests you, then click the link below to find out more - www.needyhelper.com/the-needy-helper-hub/

Ep 68: Angus Malcolm on Filling The White Space; Meaning & Purpose & Effective Altruism

Welcome to Episode # 68 of The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast and my guest Angus Malcolm I met Angus several years ago when he started to become interested in my sober journey on my first-ever blog before Needy Helper. Recently, Angus turned to me for help with his recovery after he split with his fiancee, and I invited him to join the Needy Helper Hub. Angus is an influential member of the Hub and at the time of this recording has gone three months sober. I invited him onto the show so people can learn what he found difficult in those first three months, and what tips, tools and techniques he learned along the way. We also got stuck into meaning & purpose, filling the white space and his interest in effective altruism. Podcast Takeaways The Adam Podcast Episode (http://www.needyhelper.com/the-alcohol-addiction-podcast-presents-adam/) The Most Good You Can Do by Peter Singer (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0300219865) The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0330454595) Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1514698137) Outro Thanks for listening. Before you go, if you have any questions for Angus or me, then please leave them in the comments section on the blog, or you can message me at needyhelper@gmail.com. If you find the AA Podcast a valuable resource, then please tell your friends about it and share the love. You would make me a very happy man indeed if you could rate us on iTunes. Before you go, do you want to join me in the trenches and learn what life is like in the middle of an addiction story? I'm not talking about the part when you are drunk out of your skull and can't remember anything. I'm talking about what comes after you quit. How do you fill the white space? How do you find a new community? How do you find meaning and purpose? If these questions interest you, then buy my new book Needy Helper 2015 Diary Excerpts: A Life After Alcohol - amzn.to/2axGveg This podcast would not be possible without the sterling efforts of Neil Chow and Liza Lim, so big hugs and kisses to them, and also to you, the listeners, without whom this podcast wouldn't be possible, so thanks for giving me your ear to bend.

Ep 67: Sasha Tozzi on Self-Esteem, Sex and Sobriety

Sasha Tozzi on Self-Esteem, Sex and Sobriety Welcome to Episode # 67 of The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast and my guest Sasha Tozzi. Sasha is a writer and lifestyle & recovery coach who helps people break their addictive and self-sabotaging behaviour patterns and return to joy in their lives. She is a lover, a lioness, and a believer in magic & miracles. In this podcast, we talk about low self-esteem, how it creates the building blocks of an addiction and what you can do to change it. We speak of the three words everyone likes to avoid when talking about alcohol abuse and that's sex. We also get stuck into conflict, anxiety, connection, trust, and how important it is to begin our education on alcohol abuse at a young level. Podcast Takeaways Sasha Tozzi Website: http://www.sashaptozzi.com Johann Hari http://chasingthescream.com/ Generation Found Documentary http://generationfoundfilm.com/ Journey to the Heart by Melody Beattie https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0062511211 Freedom by Jeremy Griffith https://www.amazon.co.uk/FREEDOM-Human-Condition-Jeremy-Griffith-ebook/dp/B01FMRBELO/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1478459852&sr=1-3&keywords=freedom Outro Thanks for listening. If you have any questions for Sasha or me, then please leave them in the comments section on the blog, or you can message me at needyhelper@gmail.com. If you find the AA Podcast a valuable resource, then please tell your friends about it and share the love. You would make me a very happy man indeed if you could rate us on iTunes. Before you go, do you want to join me in the trenches and learn what life is like in the middle of an addiction story? I'm not talking about the part when you are drunk out of your skull and can't remember anything. I'm talking about what comes after you quit. How do you fill the white space? How do you find a new community? How do you find meaning and purpose? If these questions interest you, then buy my new book Needy Helper 2015 Diary Excerpts: A Life After Alcohol - amzn.to/2axGveg Talking about community, how would you like to become a member of the Needy Helper Hub? It's a new idea to create a connected community, with support and a continual personal improvement process forever. It's my intention to be online as much as I can to answer any questions you have about your addiction and to continually update the Hub with training tools, tips and techniques to help you create a whole new life. If that interests you, then click the link below to find out more - www.needyhelper.com/the-needy-helper-hub/ This podcast would not be possible without the sterling efforts of Neil Chow and Liza Lim, so big hugs and kisses to them, and also to you, the listeners, without whom this podcast wouldn't be possible, so thanks for giving me your ear to bend.

Ep 66: James Healy on Losing Your Family And The Fight to Get Them Back Again

Welcome to Episode # 66 of The Alcohol & Addiction Podcast and my guest James Healy James is an expert recovery coach dedicated to helping people achieve long-term, sustainable addiction recovery. He is the host of the Recovery Innovators Radio podcast and founder of Recovery Innovators Coaching. Utilising cutting-edge strategies, he teaches people how to develop effective personal recovery plans so they can live Healthy, Sober, and Free. In this podcast we talk about his new radio show, quitting smoking and alcohol and which one was the most difficult and why, the importance of journaling, creating a vision of the future, making the vision of your sober life more fun and exciting than the drunken one, losing your family, and the hard work that it takes to get them back again. Podcast Takeaways James Healy Recover Innovators Radio Network http://recoveryinnovatorsradio.com The Five Languages of Love by Gary Chapman https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/080241270X The 30 Day Sobriety Solution by Jack Canfield https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1471148661 Outro Thanks for listening. Before you go, if you have any questions for James or me, then please leave them in the comments section on the blog, or you can message me at needyhelper@gmail.com. If you find the AA Podcast a valuable resource, then please tell your friends about it and share the love. You would make me a very happy man indeed if you could rate us on iTunes. Before you go, do you want to join me in the trenches and learn what life is like in the middle of an addiction story? I'm not talking about the part when you are drunk out of your skull and can't remember anything. I'm talking about what comes after you quit. How do you fill the white space? How do you find a new community? How do you find meaning and purpose? If these questions interest you, then buy my new book Needy Helper 2015 Diary Excerpts: A Life After Alcohol - amzn.to/2axGveg Talking about community, how would you like to become a member of the Needy Helper Hub? It's a new idea to create a connected community, with support and a continual personal improvement process forever. It's my intention to be online as much as I can to answer any questions you have about your addiction and to continually update the Hub with training tools, tips and techniques to help you create a whole new life. If that interests you, then click the link below to find out more - www.needyhelper.com/the-needy-helper-hub/ This podcast would not be possible without the sterling efforts of Neil Chow and Liza Lim, so big hugs and kisses to them, and also to you, the listeners, without whom this podcast wouldn't be possible, so thanks for giving me your ear to bend.