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 397: The Ultimate Connection
RE 396: The Brain and Alcohol | Genetic Predisposition
RE 395: Can You Have Fun Without Alcohol?
RE 394: Fixin' to Grow
RE 393: Hello Listeners
RE 392: One Week Without Alcohol
RE 391: What do You Want to Hear?
RE 390: The Secret to Change
RE 389: Journal Speak
RE 388: Who Do I Think I Am?
RE 387: Why Some Make it, and Some Don't
RE 386: The One Mistake People Make When Quitting Drinking
RE 385: You're Free
RE 384: The Path of Least Resistance
RE 383: Chapter 4 - Clearing Space
RE 382: So Now What?
RE 381: We're All Addicted to Something
RE 380: What is Sober?
RE 379: Doing Your Part
RE 378: Finding Grace
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