Sober is Dope!

Podcast Topics Include: Alysse Bryson, The Sober Curator, Just 4/24, SoberPOP Clubhouse, Alcohol Recovery, Drug Recovery, Mental Health, Pharmacotherapy, Narcotics Anonymous, Media, Meditation, Oculus, Comorbid Addiction, Outpatient Rehab, Seek Purpose Now, 12 Step Meetings, God, Covid 19, Cancer, Pandemic Paranoia, Woman’s Treatment Centers, Healing, Single Motherhood, YANA (Sober App), and Grief .......

Alysse Bryson Websites:

( www.thesobercurator.com )

( www.alyssebryson.com )

@thesobercurator  

@alysseinthecity ...........

Just 4/24 Holiday

Join us for the Just 4/24 live-a-thon Saturday April 24th from 1-4:30pm (PDT) 4-7:30pm (EDT) with special guest @popbuchanan @soberisdope Register here: ( www.just424.com ) .....

Alysse Bryson is a strong woman in recovery, an innovative media maven, marketing guru, and gal about town. She has a humorous outlook on life combined with a fierce determination to succeed.

What’s her street cred? Previously, Alysse was the Publisher at Seattle Met magazine, Seattle’s largest lifestyle publication. What’s she up to now? Alysse currently serves as the Director of Business Development for KING 5, and is also known as the Director of Fun. This station in Seattle is the local NBC affiliate and is the largest TV station in the market.

Alysse is a very active advocate for recovery. She just stepped off the board after six years from the Recovery Cafe and the Friends of the Recovery Cafe Network. She is now volunteering her time with the King County Recovery Coalition and the Washington Recovery Alliance.

Alysse is proud of her Pacific Northwest roots and 14+ years of sobriety, one day at a time. She is a single mom to her adult son Jakob (he’s 24) and their two Boston Terriers Roxie and Bella. When she’s not stuck behind a computer screen, Alysse enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family. Alysse loves hunting for street art, and usually has a camera in her hand. Consuming content is what she does best! She loves books, podcasts, art projects and a good Netflix binge.

Alysse is a gal on the go. When there isn’t a global pandemic, you can find her frequenting art museums, theatre, concerts, thrift-shopping, planning her next trip and checking out new restaurants. With her excellent taste and sense of style, when Alysse gives you a recommendation, you know you can trust it. She’s also been known to throw some of the best parties in Seattle.

Topics Include: Chemical Free Sobriety, God is in the Addict, Alcohol, and Drug Recovery Essentials for the First 90 Days, why important scheduling brings success, why we need to seek God first, the reasons why support groups are so important, nutritional healing for specific drugs and in general, how to honor your body, cultivating a sacred space, and finding hope through the darkness of addiction

Suzanne L. Thistle MA, MLADC

Author of Chem-Free Sobriety and

God is in the Addict

Consulting and Education

Specializing in substance use disorder prevention,

intervention, treatment, and recovery. Instagram: https://instagram.com/naturally.sober......

Books:

Chem-Free Sobriety: 101 Trailblazers share wisdom and insight about their natural recovery from substance use disorders ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087RRTHWN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_61HECKR56G5HS7A04EJG )

God is in the Addict: Alcohol and Drug Recovery Essentials for the First 90 Days ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Z7P4486/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_F32MRE888TGCADRC2R7R )

Suzanne Thistle began her recovery journey in 1987, which led her to become a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Her professional addiction experience spans over 20 years, and she currently teaches about substance use and misuse at a local university. Her roles have included executive and clinical director of two agencies, a manager, and a therapist. While serving in these positions, she received the “Legislative Advocacy Award” for addiction professionals and the “Treatment Agency of the Year Award,” both from her peers. Suzanne enjoys being with family, traveling, hiking, and relaxing on Newfound Lake during time off.

 

Primary area of expertise:

Suzanne is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor of 16 years and worked in prevention prior. I am also a person in long-term recovery, 34 years. Her road to recovery was not an easy one, laced with a traumatic childhood and emotional pain. During her entire recovery path, reading and studying addiction, attending therapy, getting an undergraduate degree in Health Education: Wellness Management and a Masters’ degree in Counseling Psychology with a substance abuse concentration gave her the ability to live life on life’s terms. Suzanne thanks God every day for life second to none. Suzanne's dreams are coming true, and now she can help others through her work and her professional and personal experience.  

 

Title of book: Chem-Free Sobriety.  

 The book Chem-Free Sobriety highlights how to stay sober without addictive medication.

It was an Amazon New Release Best Seller in April and May of 2020.  

One hundred and one recovery trailblazers, with 1-49 years of sobriety, 7 with over 40 years, and most with over a decade, provide an inside look at recovery.

 

5% of all net sales from Chem-Free Sobriety help end addiction to alcohol and other drugs in NH.    

 

Available as an ebook, audiobook, and paperback.

 

Where you can get this book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Gibson’s 

 

New release for 2021 

God is in the Addict: Alcohol and Drug Recovery Essentials for the First 90 Days. 

 

This book is a guide I wish was available when I got sober in 1987. It explains why important scheduling brings success, why we need to seek God first, how to balance emotions naturally, the reasons why support groups are so important, nutritional healing for specific drugs and in general, how to honor your body, what professional help and case management needs are available, how to prevent relapse, why telling the truth is so essential, successful sleep methods, how to create sacred spaces, and what to do after the 90 days. There are further readings suggestions at the back of the book.    

 

Available on Amazon in paperback, ebook, and soon audiobook.

Podcast Topics Include: God, Jane Zarse, Healing Through God’s Love, Alcoholic Anonymous, Being Sober and Pissed Off, Numbing and Not Feeling, Existing and Not Living, Emotional Sobriety, Alcoholic Dementia, Spirituality, and Meditation, Pain Funnels, Grief, Loss, Mental Health, Losing a Parent, The Subtraction Meditation Method, Transcendental Meditation, Dr. Carl Jung, Roland H, Bill W, Prayer, and Addiction Recovery........ Meet Jane Zarse Author & Top Social Media Influencer Jane Zarse was born and raised in Lake Forest, Illinois. She graduated from Boston University on the Dean’s list before acting in New York City and trading in Chicago. She spiraled into alcoholism before joining Alcoholics Anonymous and finding her way back. Sober and Pissed Off is the second book for Zarse. Her first book, Love and Compassion Is My Religion (A Beginner’s Book Into Spirituality), is a guide for finding one’s spiritual self. Zarse’s first book received excellent reviews and gained worldwide attention. She has built an impressive author platform with tens of thousands of people who are in recovery following her on social media and is a top 2% of Twitter Influencers........... ( Jane Zarse Books and Social Media Book https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Zarse/e/B075N1KP13%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share ) ( Instagram https://www.instagram.com/janezarse) ( LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-zarse-5459a2121 ) ( Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/zarsejane?lang=en ) ( Facebook https://m.facebook.com/zarsejane/ ) @zarsejane Instagram @janezarse............... “People look for retreats for themselves, in the country, by the coast, or in the hills . . . There is nowhere that a person can find a more peaceful and trouble-free retreat than in his own mind. . . . So constantly give yourself this retreat, and renew yourself.” - MARCUS AURELIUS.................. Get Jane’s Latest Book Sober and Pissed Off is a book for recovering alcoholics who are struggling with emotional wellbeing. There is no known cure for alcoholism, and the only proven treatment is spirituality. Jane Zarse is a recovering alcoholic who will never be cured. What she really has is a daily reprieve, contingent on the maintenance of her spiritual condition. When Zarse got tangled up emotionally, her spiritual condition suffered greatly. When a recovering alcoholic loses serenity, sobriety is usually next. Zarse is grateful that she didn’t return to drinking, but if she stayed as miserable as she had become, there’s no telling what could have happened. There are millions of people in recovery who are struggling with emotional sobriety. Most alcoholics come into AA as very sick people. They are maladjusted to life, unhappy, mentally defective, and out of touch with reality. They are so desperate to change in the beginning that they will do anything, but when they start getting better, some of them start slacking off. Alcoholics are childish, sensitive, and grandiose. When they stop working on recovery, their character defects become more pronounced. These character defects cause alcoholics to have personal problems that jeopardize their sobriety even after they work through all twelve steps. In Sober and Pissed Off , Zarse describes how she regained her emotional sobriety after becoming a dry, miserable alcoholic. She took her newfound freedom for granted and paid dearly for it. Sober and Pissed Off illustrates why sobriety is so much more than not drinking. This book is for the countless people in recovery who are physically sober and emotionally struggling.

Topics Include: Compassionate Service, Chemical abstinence, Benzodiazepines, Benzos, Pharmaceutical abuse, Opiates, Plant-Based Diet, Vegan, Scary Dairy, Opioids, Fentanyl, Alcoholism, Chronic Pain, Pain Management, Car Accident, Intravenous Pain Medications, Harm Reduction, Muscle Relaxers, Hyperalgesia, Tranquilizers, God, The Dark Abyss, Hermes, Thoth, Addictionologist, Death by Alcohol Withdrawal, Amputation by Intravenous Use, Rehab, Detox, Panic Attacks, Relapsed, Methadone Management, Buprenorphine/Naloxone, Suboxone, Trauma, Death, Family Intervention, Egyptology, Laws of Polarity, Hippies, 12 Steps, Anxiety Disorders, Clonazepam, Skateboarding, Alprazolam (Xanax), Non-prescription drugs......... 

McCauley Sexton Bio: TIKTOK: ( https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeaNuJpg/ )

Public speaker, trained in TDCJ  (Texas department of criminal justice) Service work, recovery advocate/recovery coach and musician, with 7 years experience in traditional recovery. Strong conviction to  promote recovery from pharmaceutical abuse, with a focus on compassionate, yet accountable service to others.......... Benzodiazepines, sometimes called "benzos", are a class of psychoactive drugs whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. Wikipedia Uses: Anxiety, Seizure, Spasm Benzodiazepines most commonly used to treat anxiety disorders are clonazepam (Rivotril)*, alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan). Also used are bromazepam (Lectopam), oxazepam (Serax), chlordiazepoxide (once marketed as Librium), clorazepate (Tranxene) and diazepam (Valium). Benzos are tranquilizers or sedatives—such as Valium, Klonopin, and Xanax—often prescribed for anxiety, insomnia, muscle relaxation, and detox from alcohol. However, about 17% of people who take benzos misuse them. Opioids are a class of drugs used for pain relief. This includes prescription drugs such as Morphine and OxyContin, as well as non-prescription drugs like heroin. All opioids interact with the opioid receptors in the brain and body, which exist to process naturally-produced opioids such as endorphins. You have probably heard of the Opioid Crisis, so you know that opioids can be addictive. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 21-29% of people prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them. Of those, 4-6% transition to heroin use. About 80% of people who use heroin found their way to the drug through prescription opioids. While opioids and benzos are a different class of drug, more than 30% of overdoses involving opioids also involve benzos. Between 2001 and 2013, there was an increase in the number of people receiving simultaneous prescriptions for both of these drugs. This combination can be particularly dangerous because both drugs slow breathing. One study found that the death rate among people taking both benzos and opioids was ten times higher than that of people only taking opioids.

Podcast Topics Include: Soldiers For Recovery Community Outreach, Opioid Addiction, Heroin Addiction, Recovery from Opioids, Childhood Trauma, Child Abuse, Childhood Abandonment, The Drug Epidemic in Philadelphia, PA, The Impact of the Opioid Crisis in Philadelphia, The Philadelphia neighborhood of Kensington epicenter of the opioid crisis, Lack of Government Reform, The State’s Response to the Opioid Epidemic, How to Heal From Drug Addiction, and Not Giving Up...... Soldiers For Recovery Bio: Suleiman Hassan, Founder/CEO of the nonprofit Soldiers For Recovery ( https://soldiersforrecovery.org ), is changing the way the community addresses substance use disorder. Starting at a young age Suleiman was exposed to the hard realities of this disease which also lead to his own battle. After numerous years of battling this disease and multiple inpatient stays he has transformed his life. Suleiman is an active community volunteer through multiple avenues including being a fully licensed barber. He created Soldiers For Recovery to uplift others battling this disease so they can achieve their own dreams. His main goal is to save lives and help others thrive in recovery.

Topics Include: Defining California Sober, Breaking the Stigma on California Sober, Cali Sober, Deconstructing Demi Lovato’s Definition, Urban Dictionary’s Incorrect Definition of California Sober, Relapse by Judgement, Destigmatizing Cannabis Use for Mental Health, Trauma, and Harm Reduction, The Benefits of Microdosing, Alternatives to Pharmacotherapy, Alternatives to Rehab and 12 Steps, Dr. James Fadiman, Tim Ferris, Ayahuasca, DMT, California Sober Excludes Alcohol, Not Introducing Alcohol into Moderation, Alcohol Use only when Tapering, Alcohol as Trigger for Drug Relapse, Breaking Generational and Family Addiction, and more....... Kaitie Degen CEO and Founder of Sober Saturdayz ( https://linktr.ee/sobersaturdayz ) helps to demystify the confusion around the Demi Lovato's California Sober statements and sheds light on the importance of Harm Reduction and keeping an open mind to the many diverse paths of recovery people face. Kaitie helps to clear up the conflict that the Recovery community is expressing. This beef started from the Urban Dictionary and Demi Lovato's definition of California Sober as using both Marijuana and Alcohol in Moderation and as a form of Harm Reduction. The confusion comes from many people believing that California Sober or Cali Sober is excluding all drugs except for weed. Demi Lovato in her recent interview with ENTERTAINMENT stated that she is using weed and alcohol in moderation. She called this California Sober. For many people struggling with addiction and practicing sobriety this created obvious outrage because drinking alcohol and smoking weed can not be considered or should not be labeled as Sober. This can lead many people without proper education on the subject towards relapse, addictive behavior, and/or loosing a grip on reality. Alcohol is the ultimate gateway drug. We have seen it time and time again. Someone gets drunk and then start to crave harder drugs. It rarely works as an effective form of harm reduction. As a community this is a very sensitive topic and has not been regulated by any addiction specialist or any regulatory agency. Our position and disclaimer as Sober is Dope is to be cautious, be careful, and practice common sense. Try to seek professional help. If you are using Marijuana in moderation then we have no problem with this. Alcohol in combination with Marijuana is when the problems start to arise. Listen to the Sober is Dope Podcast: https://anchor.fm/soberisdope #californiasober #harmreduction #calisober

Dr. Joe Martin is an award-winning international speaker, author, educator, and certified “man builder." He is the founder and creator of Real Men Connect, a non-profit ministry focused on helping good men become great men God's way.

Joe currently hosts the #1-rated radio podcast on iTunes for Christian Men called “Real Men Connect” that mentors, trains, and disciple men on how to be amazing husbands, awesome fathers, and extraordinary leaders.

About Dr. Joe: Spiritually Focused & Certified Builder of Men https://www.realmenconnect.com/ My life’s story can be summarized in one simple sentence: “He went from rags to riches to ruined to redemption.”  Having it all by age 30, losing it all by age 40, and gaining it all back by age 50 - now hosting the #1-rated podcast for Christian Men on Apple Podcasts! Simply put: I’m passionate about helping men win! The truth is, almost every man wants to be a great husband, an awesome father, and successful provider for his family. But most men are secretly frustrated or afraid of failing in their role as "family leaders." Because deep down inside, most of us don't know how to be the men we desperately desire to be, because more than likely, we didn't have the "right man" in the home to teach us.  And I was one of those men.   As the product of a single, teenage-mother, I successfully survived abject poverty, sexual and physical abuse, father abandonment, anger, depression, rejection, and addiction by graduating from college (first generation, top of my class) at age 20; starting my first business at age 22 (retail clothing store); becoming a university professor at age 24 (youngest in history of the state of Florida); earning my doctorate degree at 28, and writing 2 books by age 30, only to lose it all 7 years later due to my addiction to pornography and sex. I’ve now dedicated my life to helping men, husbands, and fathers write their own comeback stories, or at least prevent them from having to write one at all. I've appeared on more than 75 podcasts (including Knowledge for Men, Moody Radio, Dad Tired, Men in the Arena, Right to Real Love); professionally spoken to more than 152,000 men across the country; personally coached and mentored more than 190 men, and have personally interviewed more than 475 men on my podcast who have similar comeback stories like mine. I provide men with proven, practical strategies that’s guaranteed to help them win at what matters and frustrates him the most as a man - from purpose to porn, from achievement to abuse, from communication to conflict, and from faith to failure. I equip and empower men with the confidence to take on life and win the battles they fight every day as men. Music Awesome God Creative Commons License  Youtube: https://youtu.be/PwwS4-SRKAM

Mike Duffy Founder of Happiness Hall of Fame Expert on Happiness and Money The Science Of Happiness Living Your Best Life Now! The anxiety crisis: How to avoid being a statistic of America's latest epidemic. www.mikeduffyspeaks.com www.happinesshalloffame.com Mike Duffy is a philanthropist and an author of five books on happiness including: The Happiness Book: A Positive Guide To Happiness!, The Happiness Book For Men and The Happiness Book For Kids Volumes I & II . He has interviewed the top thought leaders, athletes, rock stars, CEO's and celebrities in the world on happiness, work/life balance, resilience and success for his books. He was an MC at Woodstock '94. He gave a TEDx talk at TEDx Berkeley. He loves to speak about how you can gain greater happiness and joy in your precious life. Mike Duffy is the CEO of Happiness Wealth Management in San Carlos, CA. He has over 27 years experience in finance. He was a SVP at Merrill Lynch. He has worked with some of the wealthiest people in Silicon Valley. Mike also speaks about crucial, fundamental money management techniques and philanthropic giving. His audiences include corporations, organizations and universities including Stanford University where he guest lectures and has a scholarship award. Mike started The Happiness Hall Of Fame to recognize, encourage and celebrate people and organizations that make other people happy. Members of The Happiness Hall Of Fame include: Muhammad Ali, Dolly Parton, Jerry Rice, Serena Williams, The Golden State Warriors, The San Francisco Giants, The Wounded Warrior Project and The Make-A-Wish foundation. Mike also founded the Happiness Hall of Fame Homeless Outreach which provides money, food, counseling and hope to the hopeless. The Happiness Hall Of Fame website is: www.happinesshalloffame.com

Demi Lovato says she’s ‘California sober’ — but what does that mean?

Demi Lovato says she still smokes weed and drinks alcohol, referring to the type of management known as “California sober.”

In the wake of her near-fatal heroin and fentanyl overdose in 2018, Demi Lovato has described her moderate drinking and cannabis use during addiction recovery as being “California sober.”

The 28-year-old pop star was asked to talk about her return to the limelight following almost a decade of struggle with addiction during an interview with Tracy Smith on “CBS Sunday Morning.”

Lovato has endured two highly publicized relapses and suffered “three strokes and a heart attack” during that time — details of which will be shared in her forthcoming YouTube documentary “Dancing With the Devil.”

Lovato also talked about her current stage of recovery, when CBS’s Smith asked her to elaborate on the “moderation” approach to recovery.

“So, you’re doing what they call moderation, I guess, right? So, you’re drinking, smoking a little bit of weed, is that fair to say?” Smith asked.

“Yeah. I think the term that I best identify with is ‘California sober,’ ” said Lovato, at her Los Angeles home with Smith last week. “I really don’t feel comfortable explaining the parameters of my recovery to people, because I don’t want anyone to look at my parameters of safety and think that’s what works for them, because it might not.”

She continued, “I am cautious to say that, just like I feel the complete abstinent method isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for everybody, I don’t think that this journey of moderation is a one-size-fits-all solution for everybody, too.”

Yet some viewers were critical of the “California sober” tagline.

While the textbook definition of “sober” implies a total lack of intoxicating substances, Lovato’s “California sober” is different — a little more loosely defined.

Also shortened to “Cali sober,” the tongue-in-cheek catchphrase was coined in 2016, according to one of the earliest definitions on UrbanDictionary.com: “To abstain from all drugs except marijuana and alcohol.”

“It’s a terrible term,” said NYU Langone Health addiction psychiatrist Dr. Collin Reiff, explaining that the “ambiguous” word indicates a lack of accountability in the addiction patient. “It’s a real slippery slope,” he told The Post.

Unfortunately for some, a label like “California sober” may serve to support the addict’s denial of their disease. “Ambiguity is a restraining force that holds the individual back from sobriety,” said Reiff. “It takes courage to be specific.”

Carrie Wilkens, co-founder and clinical director of the Center for Motivation and Change in Manhattan, conceded that it may seem tone-deaf toward Californians who engage in sobriety, but praised Lovato for her “bravery.”

“The fact that she is talking about her process so openly is a gift and I’m sure inspirational to many,” Wilkens told The Post, adding that “one size does not fit all.” 

“It is often a long, multi-step process of understanding what your goals need to be and why,” Wilkens explained. “It takes a lot of bravery to share your change process with the world and I’ll give her a lot of credit for doing that.”

Regardless of the potential successes and pitfalls associated with this approach, Lovato has strongly identified with the potentially problematic slogan — as indicated by the song “California Sober,” which appears on her upcoming album, “Dancing with the Devil … the Art of Starting Over,” set to drop on April 2. California Sober

Demi Lovato

https://nypost.com/2021/03/22/demi-lovato-says-shes-california-sober/amp/ What is California Sober Video: https://youtu.be/SFXVa10YveQ Demi Lavato Interview: https://youtu.be/sidNFieLxBA

Legendary West Coast Rapper Ras Kass takes a moment out of his day to share encouraging words with the Sober is Dope Podcast. Please enjoy and listen to Ras Kass on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0OiS4KHxViIFnJooFTXl7V?si=nlGYmjiyTJO6ciaXq10Mug

Ras Kass: John Austin IV (born September 25, 1973), better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He returned as a member of the hip hop supergroup The HRSMN along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. Ras is a member of the group Golden State Warriors with Xzibit and Saafir. Editors of About.com ranked him No. 30 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007). Pitchfork Media called him "one of the best rappers of all time."

Thank you Ras Kass for supporting the Sober is Dope Podcast community. Learn more about Sober is Dope World ➡️

https://linktr.ee/Soberisdope