No Alcohol Needed: The Podcast

Continuing our re-releases for the summer months. This episode was one of our most listened to in Season 2 and for good reason - no one makes it through life without experiencing grief. It's a complicated set of emotions, and moving through grief sober is even more of a challenge. 

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Grief and alcohol don’t mix. We all know this… and yet, when grief strikes, it’s hard not to want to numb the pain. We get it.

In this sober podcast episode, we gathered some very special people with poignant stories together to share what they’ve learned about navigating grief sober. Polly has lost not one, but two husbands. Dave’s step daughter passed away suddenly last year when he was 8 months sober. And Corina shares about the grief of divorce, along with the grief of losing loved ones.

Listen as they share their stories in this very honest, open conversation about why grief and alcohol don’t belong together, and how to move through grief in healthier ways instead.

In this episode:

• The fear of facing grief, and how it leads to even more alcohol use

We're continuing to re-release episodes throughout our summer break, choosing our most popular episodes from Season 2 to share with you throughout the months of July and August. If you've got kids, this episode will prove to be invaluable. Be sure to have a listen - or listen again!

Talking to your kids about your addiction is hard and it’s scary, but it’s also necessary. When you’re a parent and you’re working through addiction and recovery, it’s a challenge to know how much to share, and how to share it, with your children. In this groundbreaking episode, we have a conversation with Matt and Rachael about how we’ve approached talking to our own kids – of all ages – about our recovery. This is also a very personal episode, because Julie’s teenage daughter Cora joins us, to share with our listeners what it’s like from her perspective.

If you’ve got kids, this episode is a MUST listen.

In this episode:

• Preparing for the hard questions your kids WILL eventually ask you

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Matt, a 39 year old father of two from Burnt Hills, New York is14 and a half months sober.  He always believed he would get sober but at the same time feared it may never come.  The past five and half years have been a battle with alcohol that he wishes upon no one.  Along the way he has had the constant support of his family, friends and so many he has met along the way to help him achieve sobriety.  He wants to thank you all for sticking with him through all this. 

He’d like people to know that substance abuse and mental health issues do not discriminate and that if you are struggling there are people out there who want to and who will help you.  Matthew Perry always said to people who are struggling “It’s not your fault”, but this Matthew believes it’s your responsibility.  It’s your responsibility to acknowledge, accept and treat it every day, just like you would any other disease. 

Be kind to those who are still struggling.  Sobriety is hard, but it’s worth it.

shamman780 – instagram

Ben Meyer Recovery Foundation Youtube Video

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My name is Rachael and I’m a proud to say I’m in long term recovery from both drugs and alcohol. My recovery date is 7/30/2017. I have chosen not to be anonymous and to use my voice and passion to help others like me find a solution. I am a harm reductionist and a certified peer support specialist in 2 states as well as recovery advocate. I am passionate about helping and inspiring others to better themselves which is why I created my page  Addict with Purpose. https://www.facebook.com/addictwithpurpose/

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

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100 episodes! When this journey started, we had no idea where it was going to lead. We just knew we wanted to start sharing these conversations with others, in hopes that they would feel less alone, and a bit inspired.

The result? We've now created an online recovery community with a weekly meeting on Zoom, a Facebook group, and a weekly newsletter. We've become certified as recovery coaches and now offer individualized one-on-one support to anyone seeking a fulfilling, alcohol-free life. And we still produce our Top 5% podcast every Monday - the foundation and core of everything we do.

In this episode, we talk about where we started, how we got to where we are, and where we see Through the Glass Recovery heading as we make our way into Season 3, and into our 4th years of sobriety. We share the wins, the challenges, and the dreams. Our hope is that you'll get a bit of an inside look into what it's like to do what we're doing. So many of you have been listening since we started this podcast in September of 2022, and we want to invite you in and let you know what it's like behind the scenes - what we're excited about, what we're nervous about, and what it's taken to get from where we started to where we are now.

I would love to waltz in here and tell you all your friendships are going to be even better when you get sober. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Losing friends when you quit drinking is one of those challenges that nearly everyone has to learn to cope with, and it can be a very real struggle. It's painful to lose friendships, or even to watch them change as we move into this new, alcohol free phase of our lives.

We've gathered three fantastic guests to join us on this episode, to share what they've experienced and also what they've learned. Jason (Sober Gangster); Lisa (Hart2Heart Coaching); and our good friend Monica get real about how they're navigating a whole new social experience, sans alcohol. Have a listen - you'll walk away knowing you're not alone, and with some new ideas and perspectives to help you on your own journey of sobriety.

In this episode:

• How your circle shrinks as you get older, and especially in recovery - and how that's a natural process

Want to hear more about friendships? Check out this episode from last season!

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At 18, I entered prison. At 19, facing a potential 10+ years for parole violation, a pivotal decision changed my life. In a jail cell on October 12, 1996, at 3 a.m., I swore off mind-altering substances. The 21st encounter with handcuffs pushed me to break free. Living clean and sober for 27 years, I’ve found genuine freedom—earned through work, willingness, and honesty. Sobriety, my most gangster feat, opens doors to a life beyond imagination. – Jason Williams aka Sober Gangster

https://www.instagram.com/sober.gangster

https://www.facebook.com/Sobergangster

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Hi, I’m Monica! I’m 54, reside in southern New Jersey, USA, and I am over 3.5 years sober. On Dec. 31, 2019, I woke up with my last hangover. I was finally done making life harder on myself, hurting my relationships, and slowly killing myself. I’ve learned that sobriety is a never-ending

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My name is Lisa Hart Anderson. I am a sober woman in her 5th decade reinventing her life in this beautiful world of recovery. I am a Certified Recovery Coach where my passion is to help others stay on the sober path and find joy and fun again in this new life of sobriety.

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

You can also find Julie and Steve on:

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Facebook 

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When your liquid courage goes away, how do you get past the social anxiety when you get sober? First, just know you're not alone. So many people struggle with this! Remember when you walk into a situation that a lot of other people there are feeling just as awkward as you are.

We gathered some folks together who have all struggled with social anxiety, and they share their experiences and their wisdom, so you’ll walk away from this episode with more confidence and a deeper understanding of what it takes to move through social anxiety without alcohol. Join us as we chat with Robbie (host of Golden Hour Adventures podcast); Gina (also known as rapper Modern Day Monk); and Through the Glass regular Matt, as we wade into all those feelings of awkwardness and insecurity.

In this episode:

• Actionable tips to help you change your thought patterns in social situations

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My name is Gina Murillo also known as Modern Day Monk. I'm a strong woman in long term sustained recovery and I live a wonderful life as a result of that. I consider myself a vibe influencer, a recovery rapper, and recovery speaker. I teach Muay Thai kickboxing and train Brazilian Jiu-jitsu at the best gym in Grand Junction called Grand Valley Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. I'm also a full time student at Colorado State University and spend my free time helping others in all kinds of ways. My intention is to share my experience, strength, and hope with the world to help empower those around me. You can find some of the life lessons that I have learned on my social media, as I share them to inspire others. Thank you for taking the time to check out my journey. All love. 

https://moderndaymonkmusic.com

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Robbie: I started my sobriety journey due to being sick of the same old story I would put myself though. I found my cannabis and alcohol use getting worse as the years went on. I used them to cope with everything and anything. I'm now nine months sober, I couldn't be happier with my decision to take on this new journey 

https://www.podbean.com/pa/pbblog-ua75n-e24517

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Matt, a 39 year old father of two from Burnt Hills, New York is14 and a half months sober.  He always believed he would get sober but at the same time feared it may never come.  The past five and half years have been a battle with alcohol that he wishes upon no one.  Along the way he has had the constant support of his family, friends and so many he has met along the way to help him achieve sobriety.  He wants to thank you all for sticking with him through all this. 

He'd like people to know that substance abuse and mental health issues do not discriminate and that if you are struggling there are people out there who want to and who will help you.  Matthew Perry always said to people who are struggling “It’s not your fault”, but this Matthew believes it’s your responsibility.  It’s your responsibility to acknowledge, accept and treat it every day, just like you would any other disease. 

Be kind to those who are still struggling.  Sobriety is hard, but it’s worth it.

shamman780 - instagram

Ben Meyer Recovery Foundation Youtube Video

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

You can also find Julie and Steve on:

 Instagram 

Facebook 

Tiktok

We're continuing to re-release our favorite episodes from Season 2 while we enjoy our summer break.

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In this Valentine's Day episode, we invite our guests to share their thoughts on love. We share what we've learned about love and how it affects our relationships in recovery. You'll hear from sober influencer Amber, Jared Blaine - host of the Blaklist Podcast, and sober influencer Jennifer, about how their understanding of love has changed as they've worked on healing and understanding themselves. Each of us walked away with a new understanding of love, and we know you will, too.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Sobriety allows us to show up in loving relationships in the way that others deserve.

In this episode, we mention the following books and resources:

Codependent No More by Melody Beattie

Rewired by Erica Speigelman

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman (Click the link to take a quiz and discover your own love language!)

If you loved this conversation and want to learn more about how our understand of love changes in recovery, be sure to check out this episode.

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For 15 years, Jared Blaine battled the grip of addiction, a relentless struggle that eventually led him into a perilous world intertwined with the Mexican cartel.

Jared's commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of those battling addiction and mental health issues led him to launch The Blaklist Podcast.

Through this platform, he shares stories of triumph, insights into recovery, and invaluable resources the guide individuals toward treatment, interventions, and sober living homes. As a fervent advocate for recovery and mental health, Jared strives to spread hope and positivity, one episode at a time.

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My name is Jennifer Gerroir, and you can find me on Instagram @dropkicksober. My sober date

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Hello, my name is Amber and I just recently celebrated 2 years alcohol free on Christmas Eve. I live alone with my cats in Rhode Island and work a FT and PT job, saving money, rebuilding my credit and learning how to live an honest and full life.

Growing up as an only child in a toxic family dynamic with alcoholism and undiagnosed mental health disorders running the show, I developed complex trauma that I wouldn’t be aware of until the day I took my last drink and began to uncover the lies that alcohol had me believing for so long. I lacked self love and self worth and believed I was just not built for the kind of life that I desired. Come to find out I had the power to build that life all along, but alcohol robbed me of the ability to see it. Sobriety has allowed me to see an alternative path in life and recovery is providing the tools that enable me to walk that path. I am in the process of finding my voice and discovering where I can be of service to others who are still stuck in the lie. I hope to someday run a sober living community on a working farm where others can unplug from their toxic environments and truly heal.

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

You can also find Julie and Steve on:

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Facebook 

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The question, "How has getting sober affected your life?" brought about an incredible conversation about the benefits of a sober life. Join us as we chat with a few of our good friends (and Through the Glass regulars) - John, Antje, and Derrick - about how our lives have changed in recovery. The benefits are incredible - from the small changes and little wins, to life changing growth.

Some of the benefits of a sober life that you'll hear us talk about include:

• Learning emotional regulation, so our emotions don't run away this us anymore

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Antje first discovered drinking as a way to “fix” her eating disorder. She thought that drinking was more acceptable than binging and purging all of her meals. When drinking grew more and more out of control, she reluctantly considered sobriety in January of 2022. Soon after, she found connection and support in an online sober community. She is so glad to that she took that first, scary step and gave sobriety a chance.

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Derrick Deidel is 3 years sober. He has come from the depths of addiction, trauma, mental health , prison and homelessness to be a light in this world. He loves recovery and is a huge advocate for it and those seeking help. He works for Mile High Recovery Center managing the Residential treatment house, he is a peer recovery coach and personal trainer. He tries to be kind and gracious to everyone cause that same stuff changed his life.

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Sign up for our newsletter at throughtheglassrecovery.com for sober tips, tools, and motivation, and get access to our free weekly sober support meetings.

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It doesn’t matter if you’re a few days sober or ten years sober – cravings happen. At their best, they are annoying. At their worst, they sneak up on you when you least expect it and smack you upside the head and suddenly everything is spinning and you don’t know which way is up. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a whole new stack of tools to add to your sober toolbox, and you’ll realize that cravings aren’t actually something to fear or feel bad about at all.

Besides learning how to beat alcohol cravings, we help you work through:

• Coping with FOMO when it shows up as a trigger

Katie talks about the toolbox that she uses to help her stay sober. Here’s her list of tools:

• Call my sponsor

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Robbie started his sobriety journey due to being sick of the same old story he would put himself though. He found his cannabis and alcohol use getting worse as the years went on. He used them to cope with everything and anything. Robbie is now nine months sober, and couldn’t be happier with his decision to take on this new journey. Robbie co-hosts Golden Hour Adventures podcast and can be found on Instagram @runshills605.

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Katie B is 42 years old from Dallas, Texas but currently lives in Everett, WA. She has a handsome husband of 7 years with 1 16 year old son,  Jakob,  and 2 bonus kids, Layla, 15 and Isaac, 20. For the last 2.5 years she’s worked at the same rehab facility where she got sober. Her sobriety date is March 16th, 2016 after 28 1/2 years of active addiction and alcoholism. 

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Matt is a 38 year old father of 2 from Burnt Hills, NY who works in State government. He’s an avid outdoorsman, and his favorite times are those he gets to spend with his children playing games, reading, and coaching his son’s sports teams. Matt has attempted both inpatient and outpatient treatment multiple times in the past 5 years,and last year had the opportunity to experience residential sober living at Release Recovery in Westchester County. He encourages people who are still struggling to reach out and know it’s ok to ask for help. You can find Matt on Instagram @shamman780

Watch Matt’s story on YouTube here.

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[email protected]

Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com

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Do I really need to stop drinking? Do I really have a problem?

So many people google these questions that there are dozens of quizzes to help you decide whether your drinking is really bad enough that you need to stop. So our conversation today is about exactly that - how did you know that you really needed to stop drinking? And how do you deal with the idea of quitting forever, once you make the decision?

Listen to this gripping and poignant conversation we have with Melissa (aka The Sober New Yorker) and author and motivational speaker Martin Lockett, about how their journeys got them to the point of choosing to stop drinking, and what they wish they had known before they got to that point. Each of them shares their journey to recovery, and while their stories could not be more different, commonality is found beneath the surface, when we realize how important connection and compassion are when it comes to sharing our stories.

This episode is unlike any other we've ever recorded. As we end Season 2, we want to thank each of our listeners for sharing this adventure with us. Be sure to follow along on social media as we explore new ways to deepen the sense of community that Through the Glass is fostering, and we'll be back in September for Season 3, with all new episodes and guests so that we can all continue to grow and learn on this path we call recovery.

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Martin Lockett is a writer and speaker whose words have impacted thousands of people, even before leaving prison. He served almost 18 years for manslaughter, caused by an accident one New Year’s eve where he drank excessively and drove through a stop light, colliding with a car carrying three people. Upon learning that the two people who died that night were volunteers in the drug and alcohol recovery community, Martin chose to honor them by dedicating his life to helping others through addiction counseling and drinking and driving prevention.

Now released, Lockett continues his mission and message by helping those in need of counseling for mental health and substance use disorders and sharing his powerful story at DUI victim impact panels, high schools, conferences, and highway safety classes across the country. 

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

You can also find Julie and Steve on:

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To move through shame, guilt and regret after quitting drinking, it's first necessary to understand the difference. Only then can we learn how to deal with each emotion in a way that is helpful and healthy. In this episode, we are joined by Brittany, co-creator of The Mocktails Made Us, and Joel, founder of The Sober Sessions, to chat about how we deal with shame and regret in a way that allows us to move forward and continue to thrive.

In this episode:

• Last change comes from love, not shame

Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

You can also find Julie and Steve on:

 Instagram 

Facebook 

Tiktok