The REAL reason for feeling some depression or symptoms of depression when you quit drinking alcohol. And one of these may be something you’ve never heard of. If you’ve ever used alcohol to deal with feelings of depression, you may have found that after your buzz wears off, you feel even lower than before. It’s a chicken and egg situation – which came first? Were you struggling because you were drinking, or were you drinking because you were struggling? Well, both can be true. Drinking can increase depression – but depression is also linked to heavier alcohol use. There are a few things to be ..read more

If you find yourself in yo-yo sobriety, and you can’t figure out why you keep going back to drinking when you KNOW you don’t drink well – I’m going to give you some solutions. If you have followed me for any length of time, you know I’m all about solutions and I’m a believer in investing the majority of my time and energy into solving a problem rather than obsessing about it. One thing I can tell you with certainty is, I know what works for recovery. Not only from my personal recovery and fighting all the same battles you’re fighting, but also from the thousands of people I’ve worked with ove ..read more

Does recovery give you a framework to follow to build a happy and fulfilled life? Pete Sousa definitely thinks so, and he’s here to tell you all about it in this week’s episode! In this episode, Pete breaks down his addiction step-by-step and shares all the things he did to get, and stay, sober. Pete is a news anchor in Texas, an ESPN broadcaster, and a powerful recovery advocate on his podcast The Payoff with Pete and today he’s sharing his whole story with you. From backing his car into a ditch at his friend’s party, going to treatment, and working at KFC to strengthen his recovery, Pete’s ..read more

Being High-Functioning Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Have a Drinking Problem I understand why you feel that way and how easy it is to separate from the pack when your habits and struggles look different. It does create a sense of being different and not fitting in to traditional methods and programs. And it’s hard to call yourself an alcoholic when your picture of what an alcoholic is, is not good. But let me ask you this – if you are high-functioning, does that mean your problem is different? Or your lifestyle is different? And if you continue to view your problem as different, which is probably wh ..read more

The uncomfortable topic no one is talking about. Or, not too many people are talking about because it can be awkward and weird like everything else in life. But it’s so important for women to understand. And, there are some great recovery revelations in this episode that have nothing to do with life stages or being a man or a woman – but have everything to do with getting sober and living the life you really want. You may know today’s guest from the To 50 & Beyond podcast. When she quit drinking at forty-five, she felt like she had been run over by a truck for years. She was doing the bac ..read more

Many of us love to get annoyed with the AA one-liners and all the recovery phrases out there, but the truth is, they work. And if you get them, they can change your whole trajectory. When you understand what they mean, the few simple words take on a whole new meaning and it becomes its own shorthand language where you hear these few words, and you know exactly what to do. It’s a game changer. Especially if you are caught up in future-tripping, thinking about a bunch of possibilities, what if this happens… what if they do this or say this… what will I do if this… Did you know that studies show ..read more

    What does an addictive personality actually look like? People always tell me, “I have a very addictive personality”. Well, I’m right there with you, my friend – if you struggle with substances, it just makes sense we will struggle with behavior addictions, too. Today we’re talking about having an addictive personality and the behavior addictions we can pick up along the way. If I do something and I like it, I want more of it. Food, people, work, exercise, self-improvement and recovery, television, ice cream – it could literally be anything. If I get some gratification from it, I ..read more

Whether you’re in the early stages of sobriety or have been in recovery for a while, understanding post-acute withdrawal can help you navigate the ups and downs of addiction recovery more effectively. PAWS can be a challenging phase in the addiction recovery journey, and knowing the symptoms and signs can help you create processes and gather tools to get through it without relapse. ?What is it ?What are the symptoms ?What to do If you’re feeling a little crazy and need a name for it, this may be it. Don’t worry about taking notes with this episode because I’ve created a whole guide for you as ..read more

Alcoholism, or Alcohol use disorder, is a brain disorder that impairs your ability to stop or control your drinking. Welcome to our first 30 Days to Fast Track Your Recovery series where each week for the next 30 days I’m dropping an extra episode to answer some of the most confusing questions about this crazy alcohol issue we’re dealing with. Today we’re talking about the stages of alcoholism to help you get clarity on yourself, and your habits, so that you can stop screwing around and get the support you want. Alcoholism develops gradually and symptoms range from mild to severe, depending o ..read more

You guys know me and how much I love simple strategies that get you exactly the results you’re looking for. Creating a life you love doesn’t happen overnight. Most of us are so wired for instant gratification that when we don’t get immediate results we get disappointed and discouraged and you can easily fall into thinking it’s too hard. Or, your brain will start justifying giving up by telling you, ‘you don’t have time to focus on this right now’, or, ‘it isn’t even working so why are you wasting your time??’ I am the person who, if I eat well and work my buns off at the gym that day and stay ..read more