Beyond Belief Sobriety

In this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety, you will meet John C. from Paris, Vick Losick, from New York City, John Huey from Washington D.C., and Larry Knight from Toronto. The four appeared on the podcast to talk about a new secular recovery meeting they started called “Afternoon with the Atheists,” which is named after a panel discussion they have been presenting at Secular AA Conferences since 2016.

The meeting is intended to provide a safe space for atheists or secularly-minded people in general to find support for their recovery without the burden of a Higher Power, 12 Steps, Traditions, and all the slogans and language found in 12 Step meetings.

The meetings are held on Zoom every Sunday at 2:00 PM EST.

Episode 48: Larry K and the Settlement with the Toronto Intergroup

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In this episode we talk with Mike Collins. Mike is the founder of sugaraddiction.com and is passionate about helping people overcome their addictions. He is the author of “The Last Resort Sugar Detox”, which you can read for free on his website. This was Mike’s second appearance on our podcast. He was previously our guest on episode 115 which was posted in July 2019.

sugaraddiction.com

When it comes to creating a compelling documentary, the process surprisingly often starts with putting the camera down. As Host John Sheldon’s guest on this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety explains, establishing a relational trust element is essential to capturing those intimate moments that make us forget we’re watching a film. In his absorbing new project, set in a real-world rehab facility, Director Jared Callahan integrates us into the minute-to-minute struggle that is addiction, changing and re-shaping our understanding of it as a disease.  “Clean Slate,” a release from People People Media, tells the raw and very personal story of two roommates who hatch a plan to make a short film about their recovery journey – while still on their recovery journey.

By putting a vulnerable and unflinching lens on addiction, Jared and his team personalize its grip on sufferers and their families. The hope, says the director, is to cultivate new levels of empathy and broader awareness. “I could have used more statistics or graphs, but for this film the best way was just to say these are the guys and this is the reality at this time,” says Jared, who is also a pastor. “These are people who are your family and neighbors.” The film-within-a-film narrative opens a unique window onto recovery, highlighting the healing power of creativity, even in the face of relapse and isolation. You’ll come away from this conversation eager to watch “Clean Slate” (available on these streaming platforms) and share it with others. Community, says the director, is what knits together hope and progress along the lifelong journey that is recovery. It’s all about building trust and accountability, capturing the beauty of returning to things we have loved and lost along the way. “People who work in recovery circles laugh really hard and cry really hard,” says Jared, “and in that they are not pretending to be perfect. They are just very real.”

“Clean Slate” is available now across all streaming media platforms, including at Amazon Prime, Apple TV and on YouTube.

“As a documentary filmmaker, a lot of my job is creating a safe environment.” (Jared)

“I try to put a mirror up to who my subjects are to show both them and the world a portal into this aspect or season of life.” (Jared)

“People who work in recovery circles laugh really hard and cry really hard … and in that they are not pretending to be perfect. They are just very real.” (Jared)

“There are some moments on every project that I put the camera down on purpose because filming is relational. They’re trusting me. It’s not just filming everything and putting a camera in their face.” (Jared)

“If you journey with (the characters) you can add empathy to your life because you can see from their own experiences and words what it’s like to be them and what it’s like for them daily, hourly, minute-ly working on being healthy and staying sober.” (Jared)

“I really appreciate the recovery communities we’ve experienced in the way they value community and a multi-pronged system. No one thing is going to solve everything.” (Jared)

“Feeling like you’re in the room and the camera goes away … that’s the best thing I can do as a filmmaker.” (Jared)

“I could have used more statistics or graphs, but for this film the best way was just to say these are the guys and this is the reality at this time … These are people who are your family and neighbors.” (Jared)

“I want to be shaped, change, grow and learn. So when I do it with a video camera I kind of get to invite you along with me on a journey I’ve experienced in a really deep way.” (Jared)

“Recovery communities are so good at word of mouth and sharing their lives and things that matter to them, so I hope we’ve made something that matters to them … and that they share it with other people.” (Jared)

Learn more about People People Media.

Jared is a national Emmy-nominated filmmaker whose work has been released through PBS, The New York Times, GQ, The Atlantic, Sundance, Tribeca and 250+ film festivals worldwide. His NYT Op-Doc, “Saltwater Baptism,” was nominated alongside Lady Gaga for a 2018 Webby Award. Jared also founded People People Media, a boutique production and collaboration space for artists working in a variety of media.

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Show Notes Written by knwhelmick at Fiverr 

Accountability is at the core of any recovery program and, as we are reminded on this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety, there are many roads to get there. Host John Sheldon invites his guest, Mark Knobloch, to share some of the strategies he finds most helpful to the people he advises as an addiction recovery advisor. Having been a previous guest of the pod (Episode #181 can be found here), Mark has returned to delve a little more deeply into the benefits he has seen play out for users of Soberlink, an in-home system featuring a cutting-edge breathalyzer with facial recognition technology. The system offers transparency and peace of mind while those in treatment re-build confidence in themselves and trust with those they love.

John and Mark reflect on the importance of meeting people fighting addiction wherever they are – physically, emotionally, psychologically and even spiritually. Both have found through the course of their own journeys that less dogma means more room for authenticity in recovery. With alcohol in particular and addiction in general so prevalent across the globe, there is growing momentum towards calling out an industry that lobbies relentlessly to make this potentially lethal substance glamorous. It’s everywhere! But because of conversations like this one, a growing number of people are bringing awareness to the powerfully negative impact alcohol has on individuals, families and entire communities. Mark shares reflections on his work and the meaning it brings to his life 10 years into sobriety, emphasizing the sense of purpose (and fun) he has found in supporting others in finding their unique paths to health and freedom.

It was a pleasure to hear Mark’s first-hand observations about our partners at Soberlink – who have given Beyond Belief Sobriety ongoing support and sponsorship. Click here to learn more about the unique remote alcohol technology that Soberlink has created to help provide accountability for people in recovery. The system includes a high-tech breathalyzer device with facial recognition that allows you to share your sobriety in real time with loved ones.

To view this and other episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety on YouTube, visit this link.

“Recovery jobs don’t typically pay much. It’s got to come more from the heart.” (Mark)

“Our (recovery) motto is: Meet the client where they’re at. Multiple pathways. Whatever works.” (Mark)

“Make sure the person knows that you’re truly listening – not going in and out. You’re absorbing what they’re saying and that’s how you can pick up on what direction an individual (wrestling with recovery) might want to go.” (Mark)

“It helps to have some underlying purpose for being sober – beyond just not going to jail and staying out of trouble.” (John)

“If you have other things that you can add to your arsenal, it strengthens your sobriety and recovery. It gives you more confidence.” (John)

“(AA) Meetings find their own personality. You’ve got to give it a shot and try several locations.” (Mark)

“If it’s not fun I’m not going to stay with it … There has to be an element of fun to it. I don’t want to sit around and be miserable and watch everyone else watch football and drink beer!” (Mark)

“Anytime I’ve heard anybody talk about Soberlink it’s always been positive … It’s just nice to know that the people who sponsor this podcast are doing something that’s helpful for people in recovery; that it’s a product that actually helps people.” (John)

Mark Knobloch is a certified recovery advisor who works with Aware Recovery Care in Connecticut. He uses a variety of tools to help individuals and their families navigate in-home treatment for addiction.

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Show Notes Written by knwhelmick at Fiverr

 As she shares with Host John Sheldon on this episode of Beyond Belief, entering recovery as a non-believer at the height of pandemic presented Katy Jacopi with special challenges. Where to find community and support when the Alcoholics Anonymous concept of a “higher power” isn’t the right fit? “The reason I couldn’t deny that I had an alcohol problem was my skepticism, my ability to ask questions and not just take something at face value,” she explains. “It’s who I am and I wouldn’t be where I am today without this thought process.” Like John, Katie is speaking out where she can to ensure that the most inclusive possible message reaches the greatest number of people – without shame or the need to subscribe to any one set of beliefs.

Katy, who is a poet and writer, shares the story of her journey to recovery, which she ultimately cobbled together with a mix of intuitive, personal choices. You’ll learn on this episode about the many alternative groups and formats that have sprung up to serve a broad spectrum of people – resources that can still be hard to locate today, let alone 25 years ago when John first got sober in a more narrowly AA-centric world. “We’re so conditioned to be afraid of doubt,” says Katy, who is starting a podcast on exactly that topic. “If we give voice to that fear, but also acknowledge how doubt has a positive impact on who we are as people, I think it can help facilitate a bigger conversation.” Get out your notepad. This conversation highlights lots of great recovery groups!

To view this and other episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety on YouTube, visit this link.

 After she was diagnosed with bipolarism, Katy uncovered the existence of a problem with alcoholism and went in search of secular support.

“Many treatment centers and other organizations that have to do with recovery are staffed by people familiar with the 12 steps … and haven’t educated themselves beyond that.” (John)

“Ultimately I had to be true to myself and I am an atheist and … even back 30 years ago I didn’t use the term ‘higher power.’ ” (John)

“You decide for yourself what your recovery is … That word recovery has actually been defined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as nothing more than a process of change, of personal growth.” (John)

“There is no definition that you put on someone else for what their recovery is.” (John)

“I didn’t want to walk into a community and be honest about my outlook on life only to maybe hinder someone else’s experience.” (Katy)

“The reason I couldn’t deny that I had an alcohol problem was my skepticism, my ability to ask questions and not just take something at face value … It’s who I am and I wouldn’t be where I am today without this thought process.” (Katy)

“It’s a shame that something that started out trying to be open and inclusive for everybody has somehow become more focused on a narrower path.” (John)

“We are fortunate that there are so many more ways to get sober now.” (John)

“I was drinking for all the wrong reasons and then dealing with the consequence and the fallout.” (Katy)

“The more people who talk about (addiction), the more opportunity exists that it will reach somebody who needs to hear it.” (Katy)

“Those of us who are sober and in a position to be open about it are doing a service because it helps eliminate the stigma behind not just having an addiction but being in recovery.” (John)

“We’re so conditioned to be afraid of doubt … If we give voice to that fear, but also acknowledge how doubt has a positive impact on who we are as people, I think it can help facilitate a bigger conversation.” (Katy)

Kathryn V. Jacopi, an adjunct professor, received her MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University. Her writings have appeared in Pudding Magazine, Statorec, Fjord, Manzano Mountain Review, and Drunk Monkeys. Kathryn’s poem received first place for the 2016 Hysteria Writing Competition. When she’s not reading, writing, and lesson planning, Kathryn’s either kayaking or enjoying her spouse’s fantastic cooking. This is Kathryn’s first publication in Fictional Café.

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Show Notes Written by knwhelmick at Fiverr

Film is a medium uniquely able to capture emotional nuance, and that’s especially true when it comes to narratives about addiction. This episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety features an accomplished Hollywood veteran’s encyclopedic look at the many films (far more than you might imagine!) that tackle everything from the reality of relapse to the ripple effect of sobriety on longtime relationships to the intimate ways in which 12-step programs save lives. Ted Perkins has written “Addicted to Film: Movies We Love About the Habits We Hate” for anyone interested in recovery, anyone who loves someone in recovery and anyone who cares about the many impacts that a whole spectrum of addictions have on society. “Movies are really very interesting vehicles to tell some very profound things not just about addiction,” he says, “but the story of people overcoming addiction.”

Host John Sheldon discovers how Ted came to his expertise and why he chose to write this book, which has also inspired a movie club for all of us interested in watching and chatting about fascinating, moving and sometimes funny addiction-related films. In rapid fire succession, Ted is taking us on a tour of movies dating from the 1936 film “Reefer Madness,” with its covert racist agenda, to the 1988 release of “Clean & Sober,” a film with special resonance for John, who got sober that same year. If you’ve ever wondered about multi-dimensional resources out there that you haven’t yet tapped, this episode will equip you with a long list of movies to check out and a deeper understanding of the social, political and scientific trends that have shaped our understanding of addiction and recovery through the decades!

Click here if you’d like to purchase “Addicted to Film: Movies We Love About the Habits We Hate” and don’t miss Ted’s movie club, which you’re invited to join for free here.

“I had sort of a bird’s eye view of the goings on (in Hollywood) at very high levels … and learned a lot and, in the course of a career like that, alcohol and going to parties was a huge part of the job.” (Ted)

“You really can’t work in the movie business if you don’t party … I would pick up $1,000 tabs for movie stars. It was just a big part of it.” (Ted)

“I decided maybe these movies about drugs and alcohol and recovery have something interesting to say about it. So I barricaded myself in my room and watched 100 movies in 100 days.” (Ted)

“I started to see that movies are really very interesting vehicles to tell some very profound things not just about addiction but the story of people overcoming addiction and some of the heroic efforts as well as some of the sad endings.” (Ted)

“It’s kind of a miracle that these movies about recovery exist at all because it was a very touchy subject and it’s kind of a Debbie Downer topic.” (Ted)

“Alcoholism and drug abuse were these things that sort of happened in the shadows and were swept under the rug so for mainstream audiences to see that was in a sense a public service but it was also a great story – so it accomplished both aims.” (Ted)

“Successful recovery is really sometimes the exception to the rule and we have to be aware of that and also understand that some people are just not in a place where they’re going to seek help. And that’s tragic, but we’ve got to learn from that.” (Ted)

“There are reasons that people use drugs and alcohol and not all of them are personal choices … There are a lot of mitigating circumstances.” (Ted)

“If we’re judging sex and what it should be, then we’re really setting ourselves up in a trap      with everybody putting their own vice or judgments into an analysis of what is a purely private concern, which is how you want to have sex.” (Ted)

“All you can do (as the partner of an addict) is take care of yourself, be vigilant and put systems in place to love but verify.” (Ted)

Check out Smart Recovery USA

Ted is President of Recovery TV and a professional, broadcast-quality video content production services provider for: Inpatient/Outpatient Rehab Facilities, Licensed Clinicians & Counselors, Sober Homes/Re-Entry, Mental Health Facilities & Practitioners. His skills also include show hosting, new business development, video production, motion graphics and YouTube content production. 

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If you’d like to support this podcast, please consider clicking here to become a patron. Your contribution of just $1, $3 or $5 a month goes a long way towards building this community!

To view this and other episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety on YouTube, visit this link.

Show Notes Written by knwhelmick at Fiverr

Maybe you’re familiar with the Cycle of Addiction, a repeating set of stages (and downward spiral) that many of us have experienced to one degree or another. Host John Sheldon’s guest on this episode of The Beyond Belief Sobriety Podcast invites us to look at a mirror image – a Cycle of Recovery tracing a replicable process for moving towards healing. Author Joi Andreoli has designed a highly visual – and positive – framework for recovery that will inspire you with its openness and emphasis on the power of connection. Her new book also offers two different tracks – one an easy-to-follow manual for recovering individuals and the other sound clinical instruction geared towards mental health professionals and drug counselors.

A licensed marriage and family therapist who is herself a longtime member of the recovery community, Joi’s approach is supported by Four Cornerstones that meet you wherever you are. The cycle’s stages highlighted in her book, “The Recovery Cycle: A Practical Guide to Loving Your Sober Life,” invite readers to participate in their own vision of recovery:

You’ll enjoy this exchange of stories and reflections on everything from the important role that connecting with others plays in recovery to how our families of origin shape behaviors and expectations that impact our lives well beyond childhood experience. John and Joi also explore an expansive definition of spirituality – a dogma-free but no less sacred expression of what it feels like to be human and share with others. Retrieving our truest selves isn’t easy, says Joi: “It’s hard work, a cycle, a process. It’s never over-and-done. It’s a continuous process.” The good news? The process can be joyful and – wherever you are in your cycle of addiction or recovery – you’ve got access to a tremendous community of support and variety of paths to pursue in finding the right fit!

Just click here if you’d like to learn more about Joi’s thought-provoking book, “The Recovery Cycle: A Practical Guide to Loving Your Sober Life.”

“If you’re thinking that there’s a problem, there probably is a problem.” (Joi)

“If I want to progress and have my behavior align with my ideals for myself, my inner most self, I need to do that sober.” (Joi)

“I believe recovery rituals need to include other sober people that I like and that have the same values.” (Joi)

“If we live (the cycle) fully and engage in it, insert ourselves into the whole thing, we can drop down into feeling a greater connection to ourselves, others and maybe something greater – if you believe in that.” (Joi)

“We have a common shared experience in our pain and in our joys and I think it’s vital to have healthy, caring relationships.” (Joi)

“Relationships require work. There’s no way around it, which I think is good. It helps us as human beings.” (John)

“We get sober but are still bringing that (childhood) conditioning to our relationships.” (Joi)

“Impulse control is really a hallmark of sobriety … but it’s hard work, a cycle, a process. It’s never over-and-done. It’s a continuous process.” (Joi)

“People use the word God, but it’s almost a shared spirit … Developing this relationship with myself and my values is all mixed into it, connecting with myself and other people.” (Joi)

“Connection with other people is that feeling of being safe and feeling like you’re loved and with people who understand you.” (John)

“(My book) is a visual representation of this emotional journey that we’re all going to do. We’ve just got to stay sober!” (Joi)

Joi earned her Master’s in Psychology from Antioch University, Los Angeles. She spent three years studying communication strategies and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at the WANT® Institute, becoming a Certified WANT® Educator and Transactional Analysis Practitioner.

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If you’d like to support this podcast, please consider clicking here to become a patron. Your contribution of just $1, $3 or $5 a month goes a long way towards building this community!

To view this and other episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety on YouTube, visit this link.

Show Notes Written by knwhelmick at Fiverr

Although of different generations, Host John Sheldon and his guest on this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety find commonality both in the loss of a loved one to suicide and their perspectives on recovery. Maggie Jenson, an alternative recovery coach, shares the journey and vision behind her remarkable Magnify Digital Rehabilitation Program, including the traumatic past she overcame through positivity and empowerment. “Recovery isn’t about shaming yourself,” she says. “It’s about recovering things that you love so much that (alcohol) doesn’t have the power over you that you once believed.”

You’ll learn about how Maggie found her way to mental and physical health through a combination of modalities and an emphasis on self-awareness. Her platform offers innovative educational modules, a knowledge bank of video resources, nutritional and physical fitness coaching and an active online community for support and accountability. A non-judgmental, non-religious, science-driven orientation infuses every aspect of the Magnify Digital Rehabilitation Program, which also embraces the concepts of harm reduction and Alcohol Use Disorder on a spectrum. With her positive mindset, Maggie doesn’t want recovery to be all about abstaining from a substance we fear. Instead? She’s inviting us to celebrate the things we love and reconnect with an identity that is “free and powerful and driven and healthy.”

To explore more of Maggie’s work and hear her inspirational message, visit her many social media channels (links below). Or schedule a discovery call here.

“The first words out of my mouth as soon as I took that drink and felt the buzz were: ‘Wow. I see why my mom was an alcoholic.’ It was the first sense of warmth that I’d gotten in so long.” (Maggie)

“I could drink hard alcohol so I thought I was really cool. Ten years pass, you get into your mid-20s and it’s not as cool anymore.” (Maggie)

“No person can take intelligent, positive action if they’re locked in a negative state.” (Maggie)

“When we’re locked into a negative drinking behavior, that’s an identity. That’s a belief that we have about ourselves, that we have no power and need (alcohol) to feel better.” (Maggie)

“Recovery isn’t about shaming yourself into avoiding and trying to manipulate and control external circumstances. It’s about recovering things that you love so much that (alcohol) doesn’t have the power over you that you once believed.” (Maggie)

“It’s about experimenting with your life and passions without having to necessarily quit forever.” (Maggie)

“If you really want to help somebody, you’ve got to meet them where they are. And you’ve got to understand that not everybody needs the same thing.” (John)

“Over time harm reduction leads to … almost 100% abstinence. It’s just a process.” (Maggie)

“(My) identity is not sober or addicted. It’s free and powerful and driven and healthy … Instead of living in recovery, I’m recovered. I’m human. I’m normal.” (Maggie)

“Any recovery path needs to have a big focus on identity and who you believe you are – and are not … You have to assess your goal and if your beliefs are contradictory, you’re never going to get there.” (Maggie)

“The steps are all there, but they mold to the person versus making a person mold to the steps.” (Maggie)

Maggie is an Alternative Recovery Coach & Mentor teaching society how to Think Different to Drink Different, or Never Again! She is the proud Owner and Operator behind Magnify Progressive Wellness, a company devoted to being your one-stop-shop for wellness with an emphasis on mental health.

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If you’d like to support this podcast, please consider clicking here to become a patron. Your contribution of just $1, $3 or $5 a month goes a long way towards building this community!

To view this and other episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety on YouTube, visit this link.

Show Notes Written by knwhelmick at Fiverr

When it comes to alcohol, it’s easy to fall into myopia and focus on our own particular circumstances, but this episode reminds us that actually we’re all part of a much larger context – one that powerfully affects our thoughts and choices. Sobriety Coach Amy Willis shares with Host John Sheldon the four pillars that define and reinforce her approach to recovery: Radical Honesty, Mindset Change, Habit Change and Resiliency. Alcohol and our relationship to it  are viewed through the prism of deep-seated trauma and cultural conditioning that factor into everyone’s equation in some way.

With a special focus on women and the LGBTQ community, Amy’s practice is informed by her own lived experience – and the stats that indicate disproportionate issues with substance addiction among mothers and marginalized communities. She highlights complementary tools that augment the work, like tapping (known as EFT), meditation and habit change. And you’ll also learn about the major social and economic forces at play as well as glimmers of hope that sober curiosity is subjecting alcohol use to the same sort of scrutiny that over time created a wholesale change in our attitudes towards smoking. No more free passes for the alcohol industry’s relentless advertising and lobbying!

If you’d like to support this podcast, please consider clicking here to become a patron. Your contribution of just $1, $3 or $5 a month goes a long way towards building this community!

To view this and other episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety on YouTube, visit this link.

“I’ve always had within me a call to support other people and through my own experiences and struggles and knowing that there were lots of other people out there who could use the support, I wanted to be that person.” (Amy)

“The mindset piece is just to acknowledge that so much of what we experience in our worlds and in our lives is based around what we think about things and believe to be true about ourselves, other people and the role alcohol plays in our lives.” (Amy)

“A recovery coach is a great place to go to figure out what you want from your life.” (John)

“It becomes really challenging, if not impossible, to create the change you’re looking for if you’re not yet at a place where you can be deeply honest with yourself.” (Amy)

“Without the truth there is no movement, so it’s not really optional.” (Amy)

“Beliefs and thoughts are tremendously powerful. They shape our experiences, how we move through the world, our actions, our behaviors.” (Amy)

“Taking time to train the brain like you might train your body at the gym can be really helpful.” (Amy)

“It’s important in the conversation to place the blame where it lies, which is on the substance and on the people who make and sell it to us as harmless and a solution to what they perceive our issues to be.” (Amy)

“Alcohol is the problem. It’s not the individual. It’s not our fault. Yes, we are people who make choices, of course, and are responsible. But we are playing with a loaded gun – not knowing it’s a loaded gun.”  (Amy)

“Women’s drinking has been on the rise for years and nobody seems to be paying attention to it, even though it seems to be a pretty critical issue for a lot of women.” (Amy)

“With all the messaging that we’ve been inundated with for the majority of our lives, it’s very easy to take (alcohol) on as a problem or something that you’re failing at. But we need to understand the larger context that we’re all operating in and the powerful forces and influences at play.” (Amy)

Amy C. Willis is a Sobriety & Mindset Coach who specializes in working with women and LGTBQ+ folks who are struggling with their drinking/their relationship to alcohol, teaching them how to #LosetheBooze, sustain sobriety and create a life they don’t want to escape from. Within her coaching practice, Amy focuses on creating change at the level of habit. Habits (any behaviors that have become automated) dictate 40-95% of human behavior so by becoming aware of our habits, disrupting them, and replacing them with new, healthier habits, we are able to create lasting, sustainable change. Amy also infuses mindset work and resilience building into her work. 

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If you’d like to support this podcast, please consider clicking here to become a patron. Your contribution of just $1, $3 or $5 a month goes a long way towards building this community!

To view this and other episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety on YouTube, visit this link.

Show Notes Written by knwhelmick at Fiverr

When it comes to promoting recovery, there is liberation in knowing that it can come in all kinds of packages. On this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety we are learning about LifeRing, a secular support group that has offered Casey Cannizzaro, a life coach, exactly the safe, flexible space he needed in order to explore not only sobriety but his identity as well. It’s an organization that advances the idea that there are as many ways to live free of illicit or non-medically indicated drugs and alcohol as there are stories of sobriety. Casey shares with Host John Sheldon the path he took and why LifeRing – with its inclusive, flexible philosophy – makes such a good fit for so many people. This conversation touches on how the program differs from AA’s more structured (and tradition-bound) approach and how pandemic has transformed the recovery landscape with new ways of connecting people evolving in their sobriety through platforms ranging from book clubs to text-only meetings to global online meetings to the forum created by The Beyond Belief Sobriety Podcast.

If you’d like to learn more about the resources that LifeRing has to offer, click here. You’ll find a wide variety of meetings as well as reading resources.

If you’d like to support this podcast, please consider clicking here to become a patron. Your contribution of just $1, $3 or $5 a month goes a long way towards building this community!

To view this and other episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety on YouTube, visit this link.

“I embrace the differences and I’m so glad that I did because as I listened to (episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety) I heard something miraculous happening, an open-mindedness and willingness to question things and that’s where it started for me.” (Casey)

“In the early years the podcast was focused on secularizing the 12 Steps. It was all about that, but gradually over time it evolved away from AA to the point where I don’t really even consider myself a member of AA but rather just a person in recovery who is interested in secular paths to recovery.” (John)

“That’s what recovery is all about. It’s never the same as long as we continue to grow.” (John)

“A lot of 12-Step ideology reminds me of the organized religion of the recovery world. And certainly some people seek that out and need it. I was not one of them.” (Casey)

“Substance abuse is really a spectrum disorder.” (John)

“(Self-empowerment) basically means that each person’s recovery can and does look different and LifeRing is encouraging of people finding their own path.” (Casey)

“That intersection where mental health intersects with substance abuse and recovery intersects with identity is a valuable one to hear.” (Casey)

“The fact that we’re able to make support and recovery available to anyone, anywhere – I love that!” (Casey)

“If the kind of support I need right now in my life doesn’t exist, let me create it. Because if I need this kind of support it’s very likely that someone else does too.” (Casey)

LifeRing Website

If you’d like to support this podcast, please consider clicking here to become a patron. Your contribution of just $1, $3 or $5 a month goes a long way towards building this community!

To view this and other episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety on YouTube, visit this link.

Show Notes Written by knwhelmick at Fiverr