In this episode, we are joined by Peter, Jessica, and John and we share about finding hope after addiction. We share how we maintain hope even when things get hard. You'll hear us talk about looking back to see how far we've come, and looking forward to the future, being able to recognize the potential. We discuss how we gained hope from others' stories, and how that inspires us to share our own. Hope is what keeps us going, even when we aren't sure it's worth it. 

Other topics covered in this episode include:

• How community and connection influence hope

Jessica talks about This Naked Mind by Annie Grace, a favorite book in the recovery community. Find out more about it at https://thisnakedmind.com/

Peter can be found @youre_better_than_the_steps on Instagram where he shares inspiring content related to sobriety. Go check him out!

Jessica tells her story on Instagram @imperfect_sobermom - it's honest, relatable, and real. Follow her as she navigates early sobriety and shares her experience with the world.

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In this episode, we talk with Debs, Brian, and Ben about how our friendships have changed in sobriety. When we quit drinking, one thing we worry about is how our relationships and friendships are going to change. It can be intimidating. Will we be any fun to hang out with anymore? Will our friends support our decision? Are we going to lose friends? Listen as we share our experiences with all of these questions, and a lot more.

• How we've inspired others by being honest about our recovery

What we end up realizing is that we used to drink to feel like we fit in. Now we share our sober, authentic selves and we learn where we truly belong. As Brene Brown says, "Fitting in is the greatest barrier to belonging."

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In this episode, we talk with Jane, Nat, and Elaine about setting boundaries in recovery. It turns out, all five us were raised without ever understand what boundaries are, so we've had to learn all about them in recovery. We talk about our successes and our failures, and share bits of wisdom learned along the way. Some of the topics we cover include:

• Putting sobriety first by setting personal boundaries

We may have grown up believing that boundaries are optional, but in recovery, boundaries are absolutely required.

Elaine Skylar Neal is a website designer and content creator with over two years of sobriety from alcohol.

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In this episode, we talk with Derrick, Liz, and Corinna about what it's like to go public with recovery - what we sometimes call "Recovering Out Loud". We cover topics such as

• Getting over the fear of judgement

When we're proud of all of the work we've done in recovery, and when start reaping the benefits, we often find we want to share our stories. LIsten as we share our experiences of recovering out loud.

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Special thanks to Derrick https://www.instagram.com/ddeidelsoberfit/ for his contribution to this episode! Be sure to check out his inspiring reels on Instagram and follow him for some great sober content!

In this episode, we talk with Kate , James, and Lacey about how we deal and cope with regret in sobriety. We talk about ways we've changed our focus from the past to the future, to allow ourselves to heal.

• Focus on gratitude for being alive

Learning to put the past behind us in a healthy way allows us to truly value and look forward to the future. We owe it to ourselves to give ourselves the freedom to move forward!

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Instagram - @through_the_glass_recovery

Get to know Kate on Instagram @Walking_The_Straight_Line

In this episode, we talk with Chelsea, host of The Recovered Life podcast, Molly, and Brian about navigating difficult emotions. We talk about how we find validation for our emotions, and how we've learned to cope with them, either by distracting ourselves or learning to sit with them. We talk about coping tools such as sharing the burden with others, taking care of ourselves, and even EMDR therapy for overcoming trauma. We talk about learning to be okay with being uncomfortable and acknowledge that emotions won't kill you, but the way you deal with them could.

If you'd like to get to know Chelsea better, you can check out her Instagram profile @recoveredlife and look for her podcast, Recovered Life, on Apple and Spotify.

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In this episode, we talk with Denge, Mary, and Michal about our standards and expectations in recovery. As we move further along in our recovery journeys, we often find that our standards change - as they should. Our self worth increases, and we realize we are no longer willing to settle for what we used to. So we ask the question, "How have your standards changed in sobriety?"

We discover several ways our expectations change:

-eating healthier, taking care of ourselves both mentally and physically

-setting, communicating, and enforcing boundaries and expectations with others

-boundaries at work, with friends, and with children and spouses

-how we value and use our time and energy

-standards in friendships

We teach others how to treat us, and now that our standards have changed, we may have to re-teach them.

Denge, Michal, and Mary are all friends we've made in the I Am Sober community. You can find out more about the I Am Sober app at iamsober.com

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The holidays are always a big source of anxiety and temptation for people who are in recovery. So we wanted to do an episode on what things to watch out for, share some of our anxieties, and share some of our tried and true tips for surviving the holidays sober. We all have very different families and traditions, so we've gathered what we think is a great mix of folks in this episode to try to share several different perspectives.

We talk about the stress of the whole holiday season, from having money to buy gifts to going to events. We go on to discuss setting boundaries, figuring out what you're able to spend, where you're willing to go, what expectations you're willing to meet and which ones you aren't. And we talk about sticking to those boundaries.

We share our experiences with giving and receiving alcohol as gifts, and how we handled those situations. We also offer tips and ideas for what to say when offered a drink, or when you're asked why you don't drink. We talk about how to plan ahead for social situations, and things we've learned along the way that help make them a little more comfortable. We discuss how to handle serving alcohol to family and friends when we are the ones hosting the gatherings. And we also talk about all of the reasons choosing to stay sober through the holidays is the best decision we've made. The holidays should be a time of joy, and of connection, and of memories made. Let's stay sober, and give ourselves the chance!

Get to know Zoe on her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesoberoldsoul

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Instagram - @through_the_glass_recovery

In this episode, we talk with our friends Robert and Michal about changing the narrative, what it means to change the stories we've held onto throughout our lives. We talk about the stigma of alcoholism and how it stops people from getting the help we need. We talk about changing spiritual beliefs and religious narratives. We also share about the narratives we hold about ourselves, and how that affects both us and the people in our lives. Listen as we discuss ways to change the lens through which we see the world. 

In this episode we continue our discussion about the challenges of early recovery.