#7: Emily McAllister is a writer, photographer and content creator. A Boston native, she now calls Southern California home, and lives with her husband and 2 daughters. Emily writes about recovery, honest motherhood and anything to do with personal development. She specializes in lifestyle, family and childbirth photography, capturing raw, candid, 'in-between' moments.

Emily has been sober since September 25, 2009. She is fueled by spontaneous dance parties and copious amounts of coffee.

Connect with Emily:
Blog: https://chasingmcallisters.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/chasingmcallisters
Instagram: http://instagram.com/emilymcallisterphotography
Facebook: http://facebook.com/chasingmcallisters

Our Sponsor:Lionrock Recovery (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com)

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Show Notes:
1:38 - Emily’s recent accident (hit by a drunk driver)

6:25 - “We still feel the same way everyone else who does NOT have the disease would feel”

9:22 - Where Emily was raised

11:45 - When Emily first started drinking and why

13:32 - Struggling with social anxiety

14:00 - “I thought that pot could change the world”

14:45 - Early stages of her eating disorder

15:23 - “It all started with depression”

17:50 - “I didn’t understand I was never going to look like that”

22:08 - The re-occurring theme

26:03 - Leaving Boston to make a new life

33:33 - It was “go time”

35:04 - The things we make okay / switching addictions

39:55 - The first time reaching out for help

44:30 - Technically homeless

48:35 - The broken toothbrush

53:05 - Relapsed right out of rehab

1:01:56 - The first time Emily and Ashley met

1:09:40 - The night they almost decided to drink again after getting sober

1:11:18 - The importance of being connected to a community, showing up and people knowing what is going on with you

1:11:55 - When Emily first met her husband

1:14:14 - Her relapse in Prescott

1:19:22 - Emily’s friend, Nicole, passes away from her addiction

1:22:22 - A spiritual awakening through grace

1:25:08 - “Your husband is a different person now”

1:29:10 - Emily’s life today and how it happens

1:34:12 - Getting present and changing negative self-talk

1:37:22 - “I’m not willing to kill myself to fit into one mold”

1:39:42 - My life looks so different

Our Sponsor:
Lionrock Recovery (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com) The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast would like to thank our sponsor, Lionrock Recovery, for their support. Lionrock Recovery is an online substance abuse counseling program where you can get help for drinking or drug use from the privacy of your own home. For more information, visit http://www.lionrockrecovery.com.