Strangers in Recovery

Sandra, from Ireland, is a lady in long-term recovery. She talks about her experiences with alcohol, the limiting beliefs she had and how she started her sobriety nearly 27 years ago, and how it shaped her over time. She has started Recoveryhour in 2020 when COVID shut down the world to have a place for recovering addicts helping them to maintain their recovery. She's an active member of the #RecoveryPosse community, and we can see her posts on Fridays at #FlamingoPosse.

She talks about moments of her life in recovery, how she maintains her recovery, and what it means for her to be in long-term recovery. She understands community needs and dedicates her life to serving them with empowerment and kindness. Her personality shines through the words that are relatable for all addicts at any stage of recovery, her laugh is a joyful reminder for everyone about life gets better in recovery when we open our eyes and hearts.

She is a thoughtful person who listens and helps whenever she can. She's currently working on an upcoming event on 8 March 2022 at the International Women's Day as its statement says: "Show other women who might be considering stepping onto a recovery path is one the best decisions a woman can make for her own life that her family and community will benefit from. Every hour counts, every moment makes a difference and every second is a glimmer of hope we can shine brightly for those who want a way out."

Her stories and explanations of certain aspects of her addiction might resonate with many of us struggling with our own ones, and wanting to discover a better life in sobriety. You can follow her on Twitter @RecoveryHour.

I appreciate you leaving your comments and thoughts on https://strangersinrecovery.club website. You can reach your host at [email protected], follow him on twitter.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and stick with us until the next episodes! Listen to all episodes with care and empathy. We are here to show our best selves via stories from our worst periods. We are Strangers in Recovery.

Chris from the UK, recovering alcoholic and compulsive gambler, Co-Host of All Bets Are Off Podcast and Trustee at Gambling Education Network is back with the second part of our discussion where he talks about his activities in recovery. He shares the journey about how he got into the podcasting field, how it allowed him to express himself and help others, and what are their plans for the future. He mentions other podcasts addressing gambling harm and talks about the Do It For Her movie that the Gambling Education Network commissioned.

We openly talk about details of gambling addiction, the various depth of it, and involved parties who suffer from its harm. His humble personality shines through in words, we can connect to his narrative and understand what helps him to be sober and bet-free these days through the various recovery activities where he's involved.

His stories might resonate with many of us struggling with alcohol, gambling and mental health, looking for support, or feeling lost with all details of our own problems. You can follow him on Twitter @gillsy1002_, listen to the Gambling Addiction Recovery Podcast called All Bets Are Off where he's a Co-Host and the leading impact-focused UK charity Gambling Education Network dedicated to the prevention and reduction of gambling harm.

The first part of the discussion with Chris is at Strangers in Recovery episode 16!

I appreciate you leaving your comments and thoughts on https://strangersinrecovery.club website. You can reach your host at [email protected], follow him on twitter and instagram.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and stick with us until the next episodes! Listen to all episodes with care and empathy. We are here to show our best selves via stories from our worst periods. We are Strangers in Recovery.

Chris from the UK, recovering alcoholic and compulsive gambler, Co-Host of All Bets Are Off Podcast and Trustee at Gambling Education Network shares his experiences with drinking and gambling, brings us to the years when he has been addicted to both and the journey of how he found the way out of them by supporting tools such as honesty, connections, and fellowships like Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous.

In the first part of this double episode, he shows moments of his life, how he built up his years in active addictions, and the moments that led him to utter surrender allowing him to start his recovery in 2017. He openly talks about details of his addictions, the various mental health issues, and the losses of his life. His humble personality shines through in words that are encouraging and relatable, we can connect to his narrative and understand what helps him to be sober and bet-free these days.

His stories might resonate with many of us struggling with alcohol, gambling and mental health, looking for support, or feeling lost with all details of our own problems. You can follow him on Twitter @gillsy1002_, listen to the Gambling Addiction Recovery Podcast called All Bets Are Off where he's a Co-Host and the leading impact-focused UK charity Gambling Education Network dedicated to the prevention and reduction of gambling harm.

The second part of the discussion with Chris is coming on 13 February!

I appreciate you leaving your comments and thoughts on https://strangersinrecovery.club website. You can reach your host at [email protected], follow him on twitter and instagram.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and stick with us until the next episodes! Listen to all episodes with care and empathy. We are here to show our best selves via stories from our worst periods. We are Strangers in Recovery.

Chris from New Zealand, an individual recovering from mental health issues, shares in-depth about her depression and life challenges and the ways how she improves her life in recovery by connecting with people from all around the globe.

She shows moments of her life, how she asks for support and became able to play supporting roles too. She openly talks about what has led her to arrive at her current self. Her personality shines through in words that are encouraging and relatable, we can connect to this narrative and understand how much it takes to maintain a good life not only on the surface but underneath as well.

Her stories might resonate with many of us struggling with mental health, looking for support, or just a few motivational messages during our own recovery. You can follow her on Twitter @ChrisBzchris, on Instagram @1bzchris, visit her blog at https://chrissiestable.com and meet her at RecoveryHour meetings.

I appreciate you leaving your comments and thoughts on https://strangersinrecovery.club website. You can reach your host at [email protected], follow him on twitter and instagram.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and stick with us until the next episodes! Listen to all episodes with care and empathy. We are here to show our best selves via stories from our worst periods. We are Strangers in Recovery.

Dave, a recovering addict from the United States, co-founder of SugarXGlobal, registered dietitian, and co-author of The Fix for Cravings who detoxed from sugar, grains, and 25 years of ADHD medicins shares in-depth about his addiction to primary food but other substances as well, the ways how he understands addictions and treats his own with following 12 steps principles.

He shows moments of his life, how he has been an artisan bread baker and transformed into the current himself, that he personally understands Addiction Interaction Disorder (one disease, many outlets), and often says, switching outlets is like switching seats on the Titanic; the ship is still sinking! His humble personality shines through in words that are encouraging and relatable, we can connect to his narrative and understand that regardless of our choice of drug we all can be in recovery.

His stories might resonate with many of us struggling with various types of addictions, and how he helped develop a system based on CARE (Connection, Action Steps, Recovery Protection, and Education) as the foundation for addicts to Grow. Recover. Transform. You can follow him on Twitter @DaveWolfeSRX, he can be reached at [email protected], and followed during his 5 days challenge kicking off on 10 January about crushing cravings at https://www.5daycrushyourcravingschallenge.com.

I appreciate you leaving your comments and thoughts on https://strangersinrecovery.club website. You can reach your host at [email protected], follow him on twitter and instagram.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and stick with us until the next episodes! Listen to all episodes with care and empathy. We are here to show our best selves via stories from our worst periods. We are Strangers in Recovery.

Adam, a UK-based recovering addict, founder of Mind Body & Sole non-profit organization shares in-depth about his mental health, the ways how he gets support from the communities around him, and the struggles that challenge him.

He shows moments of his life, how he supports others via his non-profit clothing brand, and openly talks about what has led him to arrive at his current self. His personality shines through in words that are encouraging and relatable, we can connect to his narrative and understand how much it takes to manage his organization physically and mentally and how can we be part of its goals.

His stories might resonate with many of us struggling with mental health issues, looking for support, or just a few motivational messages during our own recovery. You can follow him on Twitter @MindBodySoleUK, on Facebook @MindBodySoleUK, and on Instagram @MindBodySoleUK, visit the website at https://www.mindbodysole.uk and if you're able to, support the brand by ordering from the collections or send your donations via PayPal by clicking directly on this link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7523N48GSH9RW

"I started looking at YouTube, and looking at meditations and watching all these videos on Dr. Joe Dispenza. And it was like he was talking to me personally, how resetting your mind set into your brain and stuff and like your body's an engine and your brain is the catalytic converter and just weird things and it all clicked. I took up meditation, I started doing it all the pressure inside me. It just wasn't there. I use the Headspace, which I still use to this day. And I used an app called Sober Grid. It's for recovering addicts, alcoholics, drug addicts. And also my dad. We used to just go out for walks my dad used to live 20 miles away, but he'd always drive, pick me up on you know, sat in the carpark not even talking, just enjoying each other's company. And then we go for a walk. So probably nature, meditation, and just speaking to people, anonymously, helped me and helps me to this day to be honest."

I appreciate you leaving your comments and thoughts on https://strangersinrecovery.club website. You can reach your host at [email protected], follow him on twitter and instagram.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and stick with us until the next episodes! Listen to all episodes with care and empathy. We are here to show our best selves via stories from our worst periods. We are Strangers in Recovery.

Bala, the host of the show takes it over for an episode and invites you to listen to certain parts of his guests again and be with them for the last episode in 2021.

He shares about what he has learned in the last over 4 months since he hasn't placed a bet and how he sees now his own recovery where the Strangers in Recovery podcast incorporates with its weekly guests. He established it as a format to talk safely, freely, and with full honesty which he brings now again from his own understanding.

The two poems have been published originally in Hungarian in Spanyolnátha art magazine at its latest edition: http://www.spanyolnatha.hu/uj-lapszam/szepiras/szemben-a-semmivel-nemvers-joga-definiciok-onmagamra-didergunk-a-vilagtalansagban-fonyeremeny/5500/

Now he presents two of them translated into English.

opposed to nothing

you order a drink

a spin

just a hit,

and dive into the last one.

you became a burnt tablecloth

after you pulled it by your own toes.

you have been left behind.

you were well educated

- as opposed to nothing –

now not even your own reflection is familiar anymore

myself, myself

later, you take a seat next to me

trace of coffee on the tablecloth

remembrance

jackpot

cards on doors scratched

screams pouring on woods

I let it in

it stops

cheerless island

by the pass of the morning

your hand of seconds

stems breaks off

same boat same place

in the mirror the third

cherry

I appreciate you leaving your comments and thoughts on https://strangersinrecovery.club website. You can reach your host at [email protected], follow him on twitter and instagram.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and stick with us until the next episodes! Listen to all episodes with care and empathy. We are here to show our best selves via stories from our worst periods. We are Strangers in Recovery.

Pamela, a recovering alcoholic from the United States talks about her experiences with sobriety of over 7 years and how she went through her rehabilitation and found her new life in Alcoholics Anonymous. She is the author of the Letting Go of the Thief book, regularly shares at various meetings, and is an active and inspiring member of the #RecoveryPosse community.

She talks about moments of her life in recovery, how she discovered that unmanageability of her drinking could have taken her life and how she has started to use her talent in writing to help other addicts and alcoholics. Her personality shines through the words that are relatable for all addicts at any stage of recovery, we can easily identify with her narrative and understand how much it takes to be honest and show a full picture of alcoholism.

Her stories and explanations of certain aspects of her addiction might resonate with many of us struggling with our own ones, and wanting to discover a better life in sobriety. She gives a detailed overview of how she navigates through difficult periods of life, such as the holiday seasons. You can follow her on Twitter @pamela_pesta.

"I really let go of the anger because I came to understand it as a disease. And that was a saving grace for my whole family. And for me too, and I think I was able to leave rehab, tell myself I'm okay with a scarlet A (for alcoholic) in my head now, I'm okay with this because it's a disease and I'm battling it. I'm doing everything I can to be a different person, to be a better person, and to be strong and I really went on that for a very long time. I still do."

I appreciate you leaving your comments and thoughts on https://strangersinrecovery.club website. You can reach your host at [email protected], follow him on twitter and instagram.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and stick with us until the next episodes! Listen to all episodes with care and empathy. We are here to show our best selves via stories from our worst periods. We are Strangers in Recovery.

Keith, the London-born and bred compulsive gambler brings us in the second part of his episode to his rehabilitation period and talks about his life in recovery.

In this second episode, he focuses on moments of his life in recovery, highlights that the consistency of attending meetings plays a key role, and helps him with identifications and realizations. He shares stories about asking for help, his struggles with asking his first sponsor to be his sponsor, difficulties of certain steps of GA/NA 12 steps programs, and various aspects of a recovering addict's everyday life. His personality shines through his words that are relatable for all addicts at any stage of life, but in this episode, we focus mainly on challenges at recovering stage. For the first episode, please visit and give a listen to this episode.

He is currently addiction-free for over 7 years and regularly attends recovery meetings.

"At fellowships [Keith's names Narcotics Anonymous, but it stands for most of the Anonymous fellowships], people come and share at meetings their experience, strength and hope for 20-25 minutes, and then people share back to them. So, wait until you hear somebody, similar to you, and then you're inspired to be - when you hear their story, you think: wow, that's where I'd like to get to! If you want to be cantankerous, miserable see-you-next-Tuesday then wait until you hear some miserable guy speaking and go ask him. I heard this guy, loved everything he said, and wanted what he had. And I went up to him, very embarrassed, I found it very hard to ask for help, and I kind of mumbled, do you think, maybe, you can kind of help me, whatever. And after me, going around the subject for 3-4 sentences, he asked me Are you asking me to be your sponsor? And I went: Yes. And he said: Ok, come outside and let's have a coffee after this meeting."

I appreciate you leaving your comments and thoughts on https://strangersinrecovery.club website. You can reach your host at [email protected], follow him on twitter and instagram.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and stick with us until the next episodes! Listen to all episodes with care and empathy. We are here to show our best selves via stories from our worst periods. We are Strangers in Recovery.

Keith, a London-born and bred compulsive gambler talks about his life, in a very detailed manner in the part1 episode where we can follow his journey through several major relapses, how he has gone through many businesses which were successful and then crashed, pointing him to the ultimate surrender which will be discussed at part2, next Sunday. His experiences with in-and-out of Gamblers Anonymous over decades and talking briefly about Narcotics Anonymous too shows an addict's lifelong learning process that has several points which we can relate to and find ourselves in his shoes.

In the first episode, he focuses on moments of his life in active addictions, using a format of NA to tell his full truth which might sound intimidating. He mentions several points that will be discussed more in-depth in the second episode. His personality shines through his words that are relatable for all addicts at any stage of life (in active addiction, early recovery, in a severe relapse, back to recovery, and so on), we can easily connect to his narrative and understand how much it takes to be honest and show a full picture of addiction.

He is currently addiction-free for over 7 years and regularly attends recovery meetings.

"I kept believing in some way, that I can control it. I didn't believe I was suffering from a sidious disease, which is incredibly patient, which will wait for as long as it needs to wait, and will as sometimes like light will go on, at the moment of weakness: this voice will tell you that you're cured. Now I believe that I cannot be cured. My disease can be arrested. But, I will always have it. I was too arrogant. I went into meetings and by the end, asked myself: who are these people, why do I need to listen, what the f*ing hell they can tell me? I don't need to hear their stuff anymore. I heard that, I got it, I will find another way. This is good for them, this is what these people need. And this attitude kept me in addiction. And I decided to bet again."

I appreciate you leaving your comments and thoughts on https://strangersinrecovery.club website. You can reach your host at [email protected], follow him on twitter and instagram.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and stick with us until the next episodes! Listen to all episodes with care and empathy. We are here to show our best selves via stories from our worst periods. We are Strangers in Recovery.