Recovery Elevator

Today we have Robert, who has been sober for 3 years and 4 months. This is how he quit.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Robert, who has been sober for nearly 3.5 years shares how he has made it this far.

In this episode we hear from Shawn from the Model Health Show Podcast and he gives us valuable tips on how to get a grip on alcoholism with these tips and tricks. Below are links to some of the items he mentions in the podcast.

Rebounder - Mini trampoline for cardio. NASA says this is the most effective form of exercise and detoxification. Moves your lymphatic system and starts to remove the muck that has built up into our systems over years of drinking. Start with no more than 10 minutes. . This helps drop your cortisol levels which will reduce stress throughout the day.

Magnesium - Key to the early sobriety.

Spirulina - Highest form of protein in the world by weight. Rich in B vitamins

Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin (B2) great for depression

Vitam B3 - Niacin. Helps capillaries dilate and get blood to your system and help eliminate waste in the body.

Vitamin B12 - Great for Energy

Multi B Vitamin - A great combination of all the B Vitamins.

Green Super Food Blend - Not processed in a laboratory and is great for early recovery.

Shawn's Bio: Shawn Stevenson is a bestselling author and creator of The Model Health Show, featured as the #1 Health podcast in the country on iTunes. A graduate of The University of Missouri - St. Louis, Shawn studied business, biology and kinesiology, and went on to be the founder of Advanced Integrative Health Alliance, a company that provides wellness services for individuals and organizations worldwide. Shawn has been featured in Entrepreneur magazine, Men's Health magazine, ESPN, FOX News, and many other media outlets. He is also a frequent keynote speaker for numerous organizations, universities, and conferences - all with outstanding reviews. To learn more about Shawn visit TheModelHealthShow.com

Join Team RE on May 21st for the 3rd annual run for recovery at AALRM.org and use promo code Recovery Elevator for a 10% discount.

Don't isolate yourself and join the discussion in the Recovery Elevator Private Forum.

Come join the ultimate Recovery Elevator meet-up in Peru where we will be volunteering at orphanages with Peruvian Hearts, working with local alcoholics, and why not hike the 38 mile Inca Trail to Machu Picchu while were down there!

This episode was brought to you by Cafe RE and get your daily AA email here!

Today we have Sarah, with 91 days of sobriety. This is how shw quit.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

In this podcast episode I cover an article from Sober Nation covering why Alcohol is such a potent drug.

In this episode I review The Staying Sober Handbook, by Howard P Goodman and I would definitely recommend it for someone who is in recovery or as an informational piece if you want to know more about the disease in general.

This episode was brought to you by Sober Travel and Sober Nation.

In this episode I review The Staying Sober Handbook, by Howard P Goodman and I would definitely recommend it for someone who is in recovery or as an informational piece if you want to know more about the disease in general.

Don't isolate yourself and join the discussion in the Recovery Elevator Private Forum.

Come join the ultimate Recovery Elevator meet-up in Peru where we will be volunteering at orphanages with Peruvian Hearts, working with local alcoholics, and why not hike the 38 mile Inca Trail to Machu Picchu while were down there!

Today we have Johan, who has been sober since November 15, 2015. This is how he quit.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Today we have Molly, who has been sober for almost 30 days. This is how she quit.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

We also have Paul's brother Mark on the podcast. Paul expected Mark to understand his pains, struggles and inner thoughts. He even developed unnecessary resentments towards him which he didn't deserve.

Today we have Matt from California, who has been sober for 5 years. He went to seek treatment for PTSD and realized he was also an alcoholic. This is how he quit.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

In this episode I discuss the not so smooth transition from a free community to a paid community. Below is is the post I placed in the group trying to clarify the point of the transition.

"I woke up this morning and binge listened to the Recovery Elevator podcast, and later that day I went to my very first AA meeting/Told my spouse/reached out for help..." I have received probably 75 of these messages.... Recovery Elevator is not about me, it's not about the people in this group, it's about the people who are still struggling. I'll be the first one to admit, I am flawed. I am far from perfect. I am fully aware I have made several mistakes and ("spoiler alert") I will make many more mistakes moving forward. I think my biggest mistake thus far is not being able to communicate my vision for Recovery Elevator and why this transition is taking place. Sure it's about sustainability, and the time commitment is not feasible over time. However, our #1 goal, the mission, the force that continues to find the RE team at the same coffee shop every Friday morning at 7am for almost a year now is to shred the shame. Does that sound familiar? What that means in one word is Stigma. The stigma surrounding this disease is just as lethal if not more potent than alcohol itself. It was this stigma that led me to a failed suicide attempt in the summer of 2014. I hated myself for not being able to drink like a normal person and was ashamed. I was even more upset when the suicide attempt didn't work. I woke up that morning pissed off and angry. I wasn't happy to be taking in precious breaths of air with a new outlook on my 2nd chance on life. I was devastated I had to keep on living my life of misery from the disease. Can anyone think of another disease where we let ourselves and loved ones get to the most critical point before treatment or help arrives? Many times, that assistance arrives at a car crash when it's too late (my friend in 2006) and our friends don't get a second chance. Why do alcoholic bottoms have to be so low???? The Stigma. A gentlemen, who removed himself from the group (We didn't), brought up some great points last night and I'm very glad he did. Before this message goes any further, I want to remind people that I have stated multiple times that Recovery Elevator is not affiliated with any 12 step or other recovery programs in particular Alcoholics Anonymous. I am just about to complete my own 12 steps and I plan on passing on that "service" with a sponsee when I finish. This person mentions RE is preying on people with monetization goals. It doesn't any ivy league business degree to make that connection. If I want a fighting chance at battling this stigma, I am going to need resources. This may come as a surprise, but I'm definitely not the first one to prey on alcoholics and here are some examples: Budweiser, Miller, Coors, Pabst, Jose Cuervo, Jack Daniels, Crown Royal, Smirnoff, Boones, Corona, rehab facilities, and many more are also targeting alcoholics. Battling the the stigma with resources will be tough, but shredding the shame with a cash flow of -$200 a month is a near insurmountable task. Think of the monthly fee going to the struggling alcoholic and not Recovery Elevator. Perhaps in 2014, if I saw a Recovery Elevator sponsored Facebook ad instead of a Bud Light Lime ad, I wouldn't have bolted to a liquor store before they closed at 2:00 AM. A profitable sober travel company? I must be missing something, is there anything wrong with that? When I was 24, I went on what seemed to be a very profitable, packed booze cruise in Cabo, Mexico, and my actions on that boat were probably more shameful than trying create a sustainable operation which provides services to people like myself. I personally would have loved to go on sober adventure travel. Imagine being on an airplane and in the in flight magazine you see an add for a 7 day sober trip through the Grand Canyon. Am I supposed to not create a sober travel company due to traditions Recovery Elevator has never aligned themselves with? In my opinion, I wish the market was already saturated with Sober Travel companies, but unfortunately it's not. Take a guess anyone why? The stigma. Look at the monthly fee as a fund for a common goal or the passing of the basket. I will not be getting rich off this, but for imaginative purposes, what if I did?? What if I became as rich as Bill Gates and I was open and proud about being an alcoholic. What if I even donated millions of dollars to recovery organizations. Does it really matter if I get rich or not doing this? This is my last post about this transition because my time needs to be spent trying to reach struggling alcoholics and not on people who are making the stigma even more inflammatory. I am going to give you a choice to make the transition at whatever price you would like, $1, $5, $8 or $10. If you have already signed up at $5 and would like to change to $1 per month, then email me at [email protected] and I will make the change. If you do have negative comments, call me personally at 970-376-7558 and we can chat about why a Sober Travel ad during the Super Bowl is such a terrible and shameful thing.

Don't isolate yourself and join the discussion in the Recovery Elevator Private Forum.

Come join the ultimate Recovery Elevator meet-up in Peru where we will be volunteering at orphanages with Peruvian Hearts, working with local alcoholics, and why not hike the 38 mile Inca Trail to Machu Picchu while were down there!

This episode was brought to you by Sober Travel and Sober Nation.

Today we have Penni from Australia, with 6 months of sobriety. This is how she quit.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Also discussed in the episode the Radio Lab's podcast episode The Fix. Is there really a pill that an cure alcoholism? Believe me, I have searched high and low....

Today we have Bill, who has been sober since October 22nd 2015. This is how he quit.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Also in this episode how exhausting and potentially dangerous it can be while drinking and traveling. That is when the light bulb for sober travel went off about two weeks.

Today we have Brandy, who has been sober for 69 days. This is how she quit.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

I also talk about how I mapped out my talk to the largest school audience yet. Footage from this YouTube video to come shortly, but here the video that I made for the freshman and sophomore classes.

-if when on vacation, every time you go out to eat with your boyfriend (who does not want you to drink) you make sure he sits in a place with his back to the bar so you can sneak a drink on your way to the bathroom. -Phenina

-if you wake up in the hospital and have to ask the nurse to help you look up impound lots after your car was totaled 4 days earlier and you have no recollection of where the accident happened. -Maureen

-if you check your bank online to find charges that you don't recognize...after all, you haven't been to that bar in months! You call the bar to contest the charge and then realize that it was your signature on the bill and you had been there in a blackout. -Jill

-if you get so desperate for mixers that you use mint tea or similar to mix your vodka, decided it tastes worse somehow, and just start doing shots, alone, on a Tuesday. -Sarje -if your podcast app says you've heard those 15 podcasts, but you don't remember a single one. -Arista

Today we have Gavin, who has 100 days of sobriety. Gavin is from from England and this is how he quit.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Ideas for this podcast topic came from an article I read on The Fix and the benefits of laughter are from Help Guide.