Recovery Elevator | Stop Drinking, Start Recovering. | Alcohol, Addiction & Life In Sobriety

Today we have Jeremy. He is 43 years old and lives in Portland, Maine. He took his last drink on January 23rd, 2019.   Sponsors for this episode include: Better Help – 10% off of your first month   Recovery Elevator is going back to Peru in October 2025. On this 10-night, 11-day trip of a lifetime, we will be hiking the Inca Trail and participating in two service projects. Registration has been open for two weeks and we have about five or six spots left.   [01:40] Thoughts from Paul:   About three weeks ago, we had a gentleman named Nate share his story for one of our dry January sessions. He mentioned that just before he quit drinking, his spouse poured out a bottle of Jameson Irish whiskey onto their lawn. The whiskey killed a circular patch of grass, making it an area where conditions were no longer suitable for growth, and Nate eventually had to replace the entire section of grass.   Today's episode is titled "Would a Drink Help?". This phrase is often depicted in movies, TV, and other media after a long

Today we have Dave. He is 69 years old from Beaver Creek, CO. He took his last drink in September 17th, 2024.   Sponsors for this episode include: Better Help – 10% off of your first month Sober Link - receive $50 off of a device   If you have quit drinking and are looking for new alcohol-free friends, Café RE is the social app for sober people. Come join the party!   Tonight begins our first ever AF Songwriting Course starting at 8pm EST. Connect with other sober musicians and improve your own song writing skills.   [02:40] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares an article from the San Francisco Chronicle regarding the tanking sales of red wine in San Francisco restaurants. All alcohol sales were down but mocktail sales were up.   Many people share that it’s tough to quit drinking where they live. Paul discovered a statistic from the CDC that says where he lives in Gallatin County, Montana is listed as the drunkest of all 3,244 counties in America.   In the state of Montana, they place a white cross on the r

Today we have Kathy. She is 57 years old from Phoenix, AZ. She took her last drink on October 21st, 2024.   Sponsors for this episode include: Better Help – 10% off of your first month   Registration for one of our best international sober travel itineraries opens today, as we are going back to Peru October 4th – 15th, 2025. We are starting off in Cusco, then head into the sacred valley, and of course we’re doing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.   Next Monday our first ever AF Songwriting Course starts at 8pm EST. Connect with other sober musicians and improve your own song writing skills.   [02:43] Thoughts from Paul:   At the end of last week's episode, I discussed how certain chapters in our lives might be closing, particularly those involving drinking and all the associated antics. As Yung Pueblo poetically expressed, endings are a natural part of life. The universe thrives on cycles, where every beginning anticipates an eventual end. Embrace this closure, grieve it, if necessary, write a farewell letter

Today we have Nick. He is 41 and lives in Richfield, MN. He took his last drink on November 8th, 2023.   In one week, registration for one of our best international sober travel itineraries opens, as we are going back to Peru October 4th – 15th, 2025. We are starting off in Cusco, then head into the sacred valley, and of course we’re doing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.   Next Monday our first ever AF Songwriting Course starts at 8pm EST. Connect with other sober musicians and improve your own song writing skills.   Sponsors for this episode include:   Better Help – 10% off of your first month   [03:19] Thoughts from Paul:   Imagine if aliens were cruising the universe and made a stop on planet Earth and they saw human beings drinking a substance that appeared to be damaging their lives.   But first, this is revealing of the power of the unconscious mind, or the paradigms in our society. If you take crack, cocaine, heroin and meth and right off the bat it’s like, yeah, that will fuck your life up. But with

Episode 518 – Your Idea of Good Evolves   Today we have Ashley. She’s 25 years old from Spokane, WA and took her last drink on September 22nd, 2024.   Sponsor for this episode:   Better Help – 10% off your first month   This February, we are doing our first ever alcohol-free singer-songwriter course. In this six-week course you’re going to connect with other sober musicians. You’re going to improve your songwriting skills and hear from professional musicians. We will all write our own songs which we will share in the last week.   Registration is open for Recovery Elevator’s first ever Men’s Retreat will be April 5th through the 12th in Costa Rica.   [03:17] Thoughts from Paul:   Quoting Yung Pueblo, “Maturity is knowing that endings are a part of life. Jobs change, who you hang out with changes. Your idea of what is ‘good’ evolves. An ending is a sign that you’re opening a new chapter.”   There’s a saying in this space that we stop maturing when our drinking becomes problematic. When alcohol begins to take

Episode 517 – Protect Your Sobriety Like it’s Your Kid   Today we have Cindy. She is 36 years old, lives in Los Angeles, CA and took her last drink on December 31st, 2023.   Sponsor for this episode:   Better Help – 10% off your first month   Café RE is THE social app for sober people. If you are struggling to meet people who no longer drink alcohol, then this community app is for you. Yes, it is mostly online, but we’ve got a bunch of in-person meetups on the calendar.   This February, we are doing our first ever alcohol-free singer-songwriter course. In this six-week course you’re going to connect with other sober musicians. You’re going to improve your songwriting skills and hear from professional musicians. We will all write our own songs which we will share in the last week.   [03:11 Thoughts from Paul:   A member of Café RE shared that their therapist told them to protect their own sobriety like it was one of their own children, especially in the delicate stages at the beginning. Everything good that c

Episode 516 – The Source of Pain   Today we have Hattie. She is 34 years old from South London, UK, and she took her last drink on April 25th, 2021.   Sponsors for this episode include:   Better Help – 10% off your first month   Sober Link - get a promo code for $50 off of the device.   Registration is open for Recovery Elevator’s first ever Men’s Retreat will be April 5th through the 12th in Costa Rica. We’ve got space for 12 guys.   Café RE is THE social app for sober people. If you are struggling to meet people who no longer drink alcohol, then this community app is for you. Yes, it is mostly online, but we’ve got a bunch of in-person meetups on the calendar.   [03:57] Thoughts from Paul:   Ask the Magic 8 Ball “is alcohol the primary source of my pain?” and the responses will be “it is certain” “it is decidedly so” “without a doubt” and “yes, definitely”.   Of course, alcohol is causing the pain. It’s the most destructive and addictive substance on the planet and for some strange reason it’s still in ou

Episode 515 – The Joys of Detox   Today we have Patrick. He’s 43 years old from Montreal, Quebec and took his last drink on November 11th, 2024.   Join Recovery Elevator for our Restore Dry January course. This is our most intensive course, and it’s all about accountability. This is the best setup we’ve had yet for this course as participants get access to all of Café RE, including the chats and the community when they sign up for the course.   Recovery Elevator’s first ever Men’s Retreat will be April 5th through the 12th in Costa Rica. We’ve got space for 12 guys. Registration for this event opens December 30th at 8AM EST.   AG1 – offering new subscribers a free $76 gift when you sign up   [3:58] Thoughts from Paul:   **DISCLAIMER** alcohol is the most dangerous substance to detox rom. Listen to your body and seek medical attention if you think you need to.   It doesn’t matter what you’re eliminating from your diet, the body does not like change. Studies have shown that when we take that first step forwar

Episode 514 – A Drinking Problem is Totally Normal   Today we have Erin. She is 50 years old from Denver, CO and took her last drink on August 21st, 2023.   Registration for Dry January is now open. This is our most intensive course, and it’s all about accountability. If you’ve been trying to quit drinking and haven’t found success, it’s most likely you’re not surrounded by the right people or don’t have community. Over 70% of our Restore Dry January participants report making it through January without taking a drink.   Café RE is the social app for sober people. We meet over 30 times a month online with our daily chats covering all different topics or specialty chats. If you’re looking for accountability with others who are ditching the booze or have already done so, we’d love to have you.   [02:48] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul’s opinion is that a drinking problem is a normal response to living in a culture that has completely lost its marbles. Most anthropologists believe that addiction is a modern phenomen

Episode 513 - 10 Things to do Daily   Today we have Forrest. He is 31 years old from Atlanta, GA and took his last drink on March 14th, 2022.   Sponsors for this episode:   Visit Sober Link to learn more and to get a promo code for $50 off of the device.   Registration for Dry January is now open. This course is all about accountability, connection, and having fun. We come together 14 times in the month of January via Zoom, and you’ll also find yourself in smaller breakout rooms where you can connect with others who are ditching the booze.   If you enjoy the Recovery Elevator podcast, please help spread the word by leaving a review wherever you listen from.   [03:38] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares a list of recommendations of little things to dry and do daily. The best way to make change in your life is with small, intentional steps towards your goal.   1)    Water – at least once per day, drink as much water as you can. Dehydration causes a lot of our fatigue later in the day.   2)    Meditation – for

Episode 512 – Side Effects of Sobriety   Today we have Tammy. She is 61 years old from San Diego, CA. She took her last drink on September 6th, 2021.   Sponsors for this episode:   Better Help  - code ELEVATOR for 10% off of your first month   Registration for Dry January is now open. When you sign up for Restore, you not only get access to the course, but you also get access to the whole Café RE community. If you sign up in December, you get access to the community for the rest of December and all of January. This is Recovery Elevator most intensive alcohol-free course. We will meet 14 times in January and it’s all about accountability.   Free Relapse Prevention Plan   [04:26] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul recently came across a post from someone who recently quit drinking, and they included a list of things they no longer suffer from. Or this could be said that these are the possible side effects of sobriety.   Paul shares the extensive list ranging from the loss of anxiety and depression to improvements to

Episode 511 - How to Market Alcohol   Today we have Arlina. She is 55 years old from Boise, ID and took her last drink 30 years ago.   Restore – registration opens Monday December 2nd. This is Recovery Elevator’s most intensive AF course for someone looking for extra accountability for Dry January.   Recovery Elevator’s first ever AF Songwriting course will be in February 2025. During the six-week course, participants will write, edit and perfect a song that you’ll perform for the cohort in week six.   Sponsors for this episode:   Better Help  - code ELEVATOR for 10% off of your first month     [03:09] Thoughts from Paul:   When Dr. David Nut, a British researcher was tasked by the government to put a harm score on 20 of the world’s drugs, it wasn’t crack, heroin, meth or cocaine in the number one spot. It was alcohol. Especially when looking at the economic impact.   Paul says that when he becomes president, he would not attempt prohibition, which was an epic fail in the early 20th century. But he would pr

Episode 510 – Alcohol Policy   Today we have Kevin. He is 42 years old, from Fresno, CA and is celebrating 500 days at the time of this recording.   Sponsors for this episode:   Better Help  - code ELEVATOR for 10% off of your first month   AG1 – free gift with your first subscriptions, in addition to their Welcome Kit.   Restore – registration opens Monday December 2nd. This is Recovery Elevator’s most intensive AF course for someone looking for extra accountability for Dry January.   [03:34] Thoughts from Paul:   Happy Thanksgiving Week!  Life is not perfect but there is so much to be thankful about. Paul shares that when a sponsor first challenged him to write down five things he was grateful for each day, he could not do it. Nowadays he recognizes so much to be thankful for.   This entire week is all about gratitude and giving thanks. This is a tradition in our modern culture that tells us to come together as a family and give thanks. Plus, there’s pumpkin pie.     A tip to help you stay sober this Thur

Episode 509 – It’s a Sobriety Problem   Today we have Nicole. She is 46 years old from Fairfax, VA. She took her last drink on May 18th, 2023.   If you are seeking community on your alcohol-free journey, Café RE is just the place. We have been off Facebook for over a month, and we love our new home. In addition, we are also a non-profit. We would love to see you there!   Restore – registration opens Monday December 2nd. This is Recovery Elevator’s most intensive AF course for someone looking for extra accountability for Dry January.   Sponsors for this episode:   Better Help  - code ELEVATOR for 10% off of your first month   [03:32] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul is always saving lines or notes that he would like to use in future podcasts. Today he reads a bunch of those that haven’t quite found a home yet. This includes random stats, some of the consequences of drinking, how alcohol affects us, and that connection is an important component in our lives regardless of addiction status.   [09:02] Paul introduces N

Episode 508 – Your Job is to Have Fun   Today we have Fanny. She is 39 years old and lives in Wilmington, NC. She took her last drink on February 3rd, 2021.   Recovery Elevator is going back to Peru in October 2025. On this 10-night, 11-day trip of a lifetime, we will be hiking the Inca Trail and participating in two service projects. Registration opens January 13th and closes May 30th in order to secure tickets to the Inca Trail.   Sponsors for this episode:   Better Help  - code ELEVATOR for 10% off of your first month   Sober Link - $50 off of device using this link   [01:43] Intro:   Better Rhodes recently sent Paul a couple of drinks to sample, and he shares that they were all fantastic. Gone are the days when O’Doul’s was the only alcohol-free option around.  Paul says his favorite was Hiyo.   Better Rhodes – code RECOVERYELEVATOR15   [04:05] More thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares an article called Benefits of Play for Adults that shares the importance of being playful as adults. Remember that as a

Episode 507 - Why the First 30 Days Can be Rough   Today we have Jason. He is 56 years old and from Minneapolis, MN. He took his last drink on December 31st, 2021.   Sponsors for this episode:   Better Help  - code ELEVATOR for 10% off of your first month   [01:06] Intro:   In today’s episode you are going to hear Jason say that he doesn’t identify as an alcoholic. How many alcoholics do you think have been interviewed on the podcast? Paul says the answer is zero.   Zero because whenever people hear the word alcoholic, the first things that come to mind are homeless, living under a bridge, brown paper bag. Zero guests have fit this description.   Studies show that only 5% of alcoholics are actually homeless, living under a bridge, etc. However we are all walking the same path regardless of how far it takes us.   It’s never too late to get help, and we’ve got your back. The real villain here is alcohol, not the addict. In 2024, you can be alcohol-free, you can be sober, you can be sober curious, you can be an

Episode 506 – Drink Yourself Sober   Today we have James. He is 33 years old from Birmingham, UK and he took his last drink in May 30th, 2023.   Café RE is now off of Facebook and we have our own app. If you’re looking for accountability with others who are ditching the booze or have already done so, we’d love to have you.   Sobertopia – a platform for all things Alcohol-Free   Drop the Bottle   Sponsors for this episode:   Better Help  - code ELEVATOR   AG1   [03:57] Thoughts from Paul:   Today’s guest James said something that sparked a dormant memory for Paul, which was to drink yourself sober. Paul shares how in the summer of 2014, he knew he was quitting drinking, it was just a matter of time. He was reading quit lit and the alcohol was no longer working for him.   Trying to expedite the quitting, Paul drank with the intent to give himself more reasons to quit. Even though he does not recommend anyone do this he shares this as a reminder that paid that we listen to, embrace, and no longer run from ca

Episode 505 – What is Recovery?   Today we have Dave. He is 46 and lives in Boston. He took his last drink on March 5th, 2023.   Sponsors mentioned in this episode:   Better Help  - code ELEVATOR     There are two spots left on our next Alcohol-Free travel trip to Vietnam. This upcoming January 9th-20th, 2025, we’re heading to this incredible Southeast Asia paradise for 10 days and 11 nights with 25 travelers who are done nursing hangovers.   On January 1st, 2025, join us for Dry January. We meet 14 times as a group during the moth and the session days are Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays.   And in February, we are doing out first ever alcohol-free Singer/Songwriter course. In this six week course you’ll learn all about the song writing process, hear from professional musicians about how they write songs, and you’ll write and perfect your own song during the course. Experience with an instrument is recommended to required as this is not a “how to play and instrument” course.   [03:32] Thoughts from Paul:   Pa

Episode 504 – A Dopamine Feast   Today we have Don. He is 44 and lives in Clarkson, MI. He took his last drink on November 15th, 2021.   Sponsors mentioned in this episode:   Better Help  - code ELEVATOR     The theme for this podcast is I am Here, I am Whole. What does that mean? It means, that in this moment, the only moment that has ever mattered or ever existed, I choose to be here, and I will view myself as whole.   Please don’t kick the can of wholeness, authenticity and self-love down the road. It has to be now.   [04:22] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares that he really enjoyed the book Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke, minus one part of it that talks about a dopamine fast as a way to beat an addiction.   A recent NYT article summarizes why Paul doesn’t like the dopamine fast idea. It has to do with the quote that “it’s less about quitting drinking, and more about creating a life that doesn’t require alcohol”. There are many healthier ways to release dopamine, such as hobbies you enjoy, that don’t

Episode 503 – It Takes What It Takes   Today we have Leah from Akron, OH. She took her last drink on September 4th, 2022.   Sponsors mentioned in this episode:   Better Help  - code ELEVATOR   Tonight is our first session of our Ditching the Booze Mindfulness course. It will be on Monday nights at 7:30 EST for the next five weeks. This course will teach you the basics of mindfulness and mediation. It is included with Café RE membership. Visit Café RE to sign up if you aren’t already a member.   Speaking of Café RE, our community is no longer on Facebook. We have found a new home that is off social media, and it now has an app that you can find in the app stores.   [03:28] Thoughts from Paul:   The only thing harder than forgiveness is the opposite – resentments. It is important that we begin with forgiving ourselves.   It takes what it takes for you to get sober and quit drinking. There is no set pathway into and out of a drinking problem. Paul believes this is one of the reasons why alcohol-free communitie