Alex Wood Quits Everything

I'm on day 10 off of credit cards and I have a 102 degree fever! I faced maybe my biggest temptation this past week that nearly derailed the podcast. Also, I may have a plan for season 2 of the podcast. My guest this episode is comedian Jeff Paul. He had 27 thousand dollars in credit card debt and now it's zero. He's also been off of cigarettes for 7 years. We talk about how his divorce lead to him spending money he didn't have, smoking, drinking and impersonating a police officer.

It's the start of a new month, so that means I quit something else. November is credit cards. I talk about having my credit card maxed out for years, throw out some global credit card debt statistics and compare credit cards to drugs. My guest this episode is Toronto comedian, Tamara Shevon. She quit credit cards in 2008. We talk about how credit cards fueled her drug usage, how she was able to quit credit cards and get her financial situation back on track.

It's the end of October and I just had my first ever sober Halloween. I also had my second sleep test in as many weeks, and I've been struggling with a lot of temptation this month. My guest this episode is my old roommate, Mo. He was raised in a refugee camp in Palestine before moving to Canada 3 years ago. We talk about growing up in a war torn country, the death of his best friend, staying hopeful in tough times and how he's been able to quit smoking cigarettes.

I have strep throat. Again. Last night I had an overnight stay at a sleep clinic. I've also been having frequent relapse dreams. So while it has been a stressful week, I feel confident in my sobriety. My guest this week is, Kasha Zaraski, a Yogi/comedian and porn addict. We talk about the difficulties in quitting porn vs meat and dairy, whether women watch as much porn as men and meditation.

I'm 10 days off of porn and cigars. I had a Thanksgiving to remember with my family, where they made me special personalized dishes without and dairy in it. My guest this episode is Toronto comedian, Joey Harlem. He is a former strip club DJ and porn addict. We talk about how his job contributed to his addiction, erectile difficulties and how he has learned to watch porn in moderation.

I'm 6 months into the podcast and I'm halfway home. I've returned from my western tour and I'm back in Toronto, 3 days off of porn and cigars. My guest this episode, Nathan Macintosh. This year he taped a set for Conan and also quit watching porn. We talk about the negative ways porn affect us, our relationships, our view of women and why we wanted to quit.

I've been on tour for two weeks and I am feeling it. Too many cigars, too much social media and too much porn has me feeling awful. My guest this episode is Vancouver comedian, Mark Hughes. We talk about his heroin addiction that started at age 15, going to prison for 7 years, living on the street and most importantly his 11 years of sobriety.

I'm 3 days into my tour of western Canada, this episode is coming from Calgary, Alberta. I went 4 days without cigars, and then had cigars. They're now on the list. I also climbed a mountain and did a show in a bowling alley. My guest this episode is Kim Schneider, hot shot lawyer and comedian. We talk about her shopping addiction which saw her spend 75 thousand dollars on clothes over the past 3 years.

I'm on day 3 off of dairy and I've done some research. Dairy has similar effects on the brain as opiates. I'm still on the cigars but I have cutdown, but it's become clear that I will probably have to include them in the podcast to kick the habit. My guest this episode is Michelle Shaughnesy who has been a vegan for 7 years. We talk about her struggle with weight, an eating disorder and trying to treat herself right.

I'm smoking cigars. Frequently. I'm going to have to find a way to quit them or It's going to count as a fail on this podcast. I was at one of my oldest and dearest friends weddings and it's snowballed since then. I also drank a non-alcoholic beer. My guest this episode is Shannah Williamson aka burlesque dancer, Daisy Badcock. She's 18 months off alcohol and drugs. We talk about, her being a sober bartender, how AA has worked for her, scrubbing the bathroom floor with a toothbrush and the variety show fundraiser she's doing to raise money for CAMH.