Paul, with 28 days since his last drink, shares his story...
The article mentioned in the episode introduction: Science Increasingly Makes the Case for God - Wall Street Journal
SHOW NOTES
[10:57] Paul Introduces... Paul.
Paul is from St. Paul, Minnessota. He's 67 years old, retired. He is married with 2 kids, and 2 grandchildren. He hosts an internet radio show. He enjoys cooking and films.
[13:18] Describe your drinking history.
In his 20s, he feels that he was a normal drinker. Sometimes to excess with a bad hangover, but usually a moderate amount. During his first marriage, his wife didn't drink as much. He started to experiment with stronger mixed drinks. His second wife died of breast cancer, and he was a caretaker for her. He used drinking to deal with the pain. He married again a third time and didn't feel compelled to drink too much. It started to creep back in. His office culture encouraged drinking after work. He gradually switched from beer to whiskey. He tried to moderate but not drinking during the day. He began concealing his drinking from his wife. He's tried to quit a few times in the past few years. His habits got progressively worse.
[19:10] What was different about this last attempt to quit?
After a doctor's appointment, he was shocked at his high blood pressure. He kept drinking. He started to suffer from diabetes. His doctor said it was okay to drink a little bit each day. He used that as an excuse to ramp back up. He had quit before with determination, but this time it felt different. He is exploring the painful periods of his past, and trying to find out the connection to his drinking. He thinks it has something to do with being verbally abused as a child. The alcohol has helped him relax. He thinks his anxiety is wearing off gradually.
[28:00] Describe your present relationship with anxiety.
He feels as if something bad is going to happen, irrationally. He feels an unease, an inability to relax. A few months ago, he was going to go on a trip to Ireland. He had a lot of anxiety about the trip and it worried him. He just started drinking again to manage the anxiety.
[32:10] How did you achieve 28 days this time around?
He did some research. He found an article by Roger Ebert about his struggle. He did more research and found Cafe RE. He's learning new ways to deal with his emotions that don't involve drinking.
[34:53] What's on your bucket list in sobriety?
He would like to travel. He wants to learn how to ride horses. He wants to take some guitar lessons. He wants to put more work into his radio show. He plays vintage and eclectic music.
[38:32] Rapid Fire Round
What was your worst memory from drinking?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Science increasingly makes the case for God – An article in the Wall Street Journal
Connect with Cafe RE- Use the promo code Elevator for your first month free
Sobriety Tracker iTunes
Sobriety Tracker Android
Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com
“We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!”
RE 496: One Way Street
RE 495: Stay the Course
RE 494: Discomfort = Good
RE 493: The War is Over and I Lost
RE 492: Alcohol Isn’t the Problem
RE 491: Sobriety is Not...
RE 490: Expectations are Premeditated Resentments
RE 489: The Best Parts of an Alcohol-Free Life
RE 488: Hello Truth
RE 487: How Would You Walk?
RE 486: The Most Dangerous Thing on the Planet
RE 485: The Social Cost of Alcohol
RE 484: Recovery is a Sandwich
RE 483: NA Beers
RE 482: Advice For the Newly Sober
RE 481: Collective Truths
RE 480: AF Legends
RE 479: Identity Shift
RE 478: Unlocking Curiosity
RE 477: It Can Be Done
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Your Sleep Guru Podcast
Anxiety Slayer™ with Shann and Ananga
Men Do Talk Podcast
The Dr. John Delony Show
Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris