TAILGATING WITH GENIUSES

Living a life with the "in crowd" in 80's New York City seemed awesome until it wasn't.  Going from all the right guest lists, the CBGB, The Tunnel, the Fashion Industry and all the beautiful people to sneaking booze and lying.  Karen's world crumbled around her and after 6-months of trying she finally made it to 90-days clean and sober.  Karen found yoga again, but at a different and better pace allowing her to balance her life starting with her mind and her body.

1.  Native New Yorker
2.  70's and 80's New York
3.  Childhood of Chaos
4.  All the adults were smokers, drinkers, and users around her
5.  Loved wine at eight year's old
6.  Rolling joints at nine year's old
7.  Playing adult
8.  Addiction become a way of life in my teens
9.  Fake IDs and the New York Party scene
10.  CBGB and the Tunnel and more, much more
11.  No consequences
12.  No respect for authority
13.  Didn't finish college, I didn't finish anything
14.  Fashion industry and a life a real excess
15.  Life at a million miles an hour
16.  My first addiction was to fantasy
17.  I never felt good enough, I was just a little girl from Queens hanging out with the beautiful people.
18.  I drank and drugged to fit in, to feel like I belonged
19.  Married at 19
20.  Marriage fell apart
21.  Constantly collecting and consuming
22.  Restaurants, cocaine, and alcohol
23.  The illusion of control
24.  Wheels starting to come off
25.  I didn't have a problem.  I took days off
26.  Binge user
27.  Nursed hangovers at work destroyed and hungover
28.  911 happened and life changed
29.  Crossed the river and left it all behind
30.  I lost the ability to control myself
31.  Without the drugs my drinking got really sloppy
32.  Expert liar
33.  Drinking in secret
34.  9-months of not drinking
35.  Post Partum
36.  Thyroid
37.  Depression and anxiety
38.  Ativan
39.  Drinking again
40.  Hospitalization and an OD
41.  Thyroid health and AA
42.  Not ready to surrender
43.  Green light to start drinking again
44.  Lying, sneaking, hiding...again
45.  Double life of an alcoholic
46.  All was NOT ok...my ultimatem
47.  Heard myself lying in a voicemail
48.  AA and falling apart
49.  6-months to get 90-days
50.  My sickness went deep
51.  12-steps set me right
52.  Yoga and somatic health
53.  Humility and taking suggestions

@Lifedismantled on Twitter

Follow me on Insta

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife)

Support Dismantled Life: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From not liking the taste of beer to dancing on and crashing through tables at the Union Front Bar to Chumbawamba Jenny's story is a gradual climb from fun to not fun at all.  "I was always more extreme than anyone else."  Eventually the wheels come off and the trail of damage piles up.  Jenny shares her story about how she just stopped fighting, surrendered, learned the right coping mechanisms, and finally learned how to be alone.

I am extremely proud of this episode.  Jenny is a friend of mine and I am honored she put her trust in me.  Thank you Jenny.  Thank you for sharing and I couldn't be happier that I was able to be a part of your journey.

1.  TikTok Light
2.  Menthol cigarettes
3.  P-Funks and Blow
4.  University of Iowa and the Union Bar
5.  Shots of Rumpleminz
6.  Chumbawamba and crashing through tables
7.  Is sharing caring?
8.  Addicts helping other addicts
9.  Failing at recovery and ripping alligator tails
10.  A normal upbringing
11.  Alcohol was my poison 
12.  Are JJ Peppers still around?
13.  "I was always more extreme than everyone else."
14.  Drinking, going out constantly, then a decade pause
15.  Binge drinking and divorce
16.  The wheels come off
17.  "My coping mechanism was off."
18.  New love, new habits, same problems
19.  Blackout wedding
20.  Addiction comparison
21.  Finding new "hot mess" friends
22.  Sober deadlines
23.  Blackout infidelity
24.  "I can't control myself.  I need help"
25.  Morning after pill
26.  I want another beer
27.  Coming clean
28.  Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
29.  Rehab was eye-opening
30.  A nerd in the font row
31.  Get a sponsor, go to AA
32.  Prejudged AA
33.  Whole Foods, bright cans, IPAs, and a relapse
34.  Unloading the evidence and Hydroflasks
35.  Relapse guilt and lying
36.  Divorce and DCFS
37.  "I surrender.  I just stopped fighting everything"
38.  Strict sponsor
39.  I was good at lying
40.  Everything and nothing moments
41.  What is it with New York City?
42.  The reasons have to be your own.
43.  "Passed out with my pants down in October in Chicago?"
44.  It's a subtle change, the fight just leaves
45.  Success comes from within
46.  Addicts are stubborn
47.  Two-years later, it's not easy, but things are good
48.  "I'm ok being alone, finally."
49.  Self-care and making yourself a priority
50.  Quieting your mind
51.  Reconnecting with my life.

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife)

Support Dismantled Life: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 16, 2016 Matt was diagnosed with cancer.  On March 16, 2016 Matt began his journey to sobriety.

1.  I was a drunk in a nice suit
2.  Work, travel, and happy hour
3.  Kings and queens of deception
4.  Thrila in Manila
5.  Functional black-outs
6.  Piss drunk at the office
7.  Pre-Borat
8.  Diagnosed with cancer
9.  Narcissistic asshole with a Harry Potter scar
10.  Cold turkey, wet sober
11.  There is freedom in sobriety, but taking the arrows of recovery suck
12.  Your past won't like your present
13.  Life is healthy, i'm sober, and cancer free.

Tweet at @lifedismantled

Support Dismantled Life: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It took Sally getting sober to be able to figure out all the other messed up shit in her life.  2 years into sobriety there is no looking back.  Living a life of service aimed at helping others get and stay sober she's on her path to sunshine.  Her story, like most alcoholics and addicts is one of restlessness, but she found sobriety through her Tinder-date, booty-call, turned best friend. 

1.  Drinks to fun ratio
2.  I loved running the red lights of my life
3.  Not drinking uncovered all of this other shit I had to address
4.  Alcoholism was the symptom of larger issues
5.  Drinking was my cloak of confidence that morphed into fear and anxiety
6.  Now I'm just an alcoholic that doesn't drink
7.  Drinking isn't usually about drinking
8.  Sober gave the room and space to deal with my shit
9.  Hamster wheels
10.  I was born with a gin in my hand
11.  Beautiful sweet spot of drunk turned to self-loathing, hatred, and self-harm
12.  My Tinder booty-call saved my life
13.  AA is amazing
14.  How about no sex for 3-months?
15.  Service keeps you sober
16.  Struggle comes from misalignment
17.  I show up for the new comers
18.  There's something bigger
19.  The gift of sobriety

Tweet at https://twitter.com/LifeDismantled

Support Dismantled Life: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flash anger happens to the best of us in our journey to sobriety.  I found myself getting angry and losing my temper over ridiculous things like a gum wrapper on the floor, my kids high-pitched screech, anything small. 

My anger issues started to bubble over and become uncontrollable.  It took about 2-weeks to get to a bad place where things started to get heavy again.  It freaked me out because I felt myself being drawn to the dark side.

I reached out on Twitter for help  It's the little things that matter and proves once again there are loving people willing to help.  Thank you @sleepysausage.  It means a lot to me that you would take time out of your day to help me.  Our few Tweets gave me what I needed to turn things around.

Tyson shares some insight around the reasons anger issues bubble up, why we lose control and some methods to overcome anger and get back to neutral.

Follow on Twitter @lifedismantled

Support Dismantled Life: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott hails from Regina, rhymes with fun, Canada.  His fight against alcoholism began long ago and it's not over yet.  It's a fight that continues, but he's living in the sunshine today.  His story is filled with great moments and even better quotes.

1.  Always recovering
2.  Regina rhymes with fun
3.  Glenneth in recovery too
4.  Off to Chicago and back and forth and back
5.  Jail in the middle of nowhere
6.  Nature vs nurture
7.  I want a dad not a sponsor
8.  My stocking-stuffer was always bail
9.  BAC = a point WTF?
10.  You don't go to AA on a winning streak
11.  Life or Death
12.  No pills, powders, or potions
13.  Pages are still being written

Tweet at us @lifedismantled

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife)

Support Dismantled Life: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

26+ months into recovery and the struggle is very real, and very hard.  I keep fighting the fight, but certain days it would just be so much easier to give in, give up, take the fatal step backwards.

1.  Trigger and Sobriety Journal
2.  Wisp of smoke method
3.  Addiction preying on my self-created weaknesses

Tweet at us at @lifedismantled

Support Dismantled Life: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 ER visits, 17 detox units, 12 rehabs, and 3 months of in-patient therapy to make it to the sunshine.  Roland joins us to share his long road to recovery

1.  First alcohol
2.  Isolation
3.  Alcohol is my character
4.  Suicidal thoughts
5.  Cancer
6.  ER hopping
7.  Cycled detox
8.  Eating to take the edge off
9.  My house of horrors
10.  Over the road
11.  Back to the bottle
12.  Going to Cali
13.  Let's do science
14.  Addiction enters through the nose
15.  Draining my batteries
16.  Mental hamster wheel
17.  The sun comes up

https://twitter.com/LifeDismantled

Support Dismantled Life: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is no magic bullet to sobriety.  I have been sober for 26+ months and these are four of the steps I took to get there.  Simplicity is key.

1.  Motivation - your why
2.  Determination - create new habits, new routines
3.  Preparation - plan for success
4.  Execution - make it happen, no BS, don't wait for anything!

Here is the link to the Tony Robbins podcast featuring Siri Lindley - https://www.tonyrobbins.com/podcasts/letting-go-fear/

https://twitter.com/LifeDismantled

Support Dismantled Life: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Going from super sly to the ER led Bhavesh to take his alcoholism head-on.  Fighting his demons for the world to see while handling the negative cultural impact from his family and community taught him the valuable lesson..."We're not bad people trying to get good, we're sick people trying to get better."

1.  College to tech industry drinking
2.  Alcohol was always there
3.  I need alcohol to function
4.  .44 BAC and the ER
5.  Monsters start small and grow
6.  I'm not an alcoholic, I'm successful
7.  Drinking in isolation and gulping it down wherever I can
8.  Great actors hiding
9.  Amateurs can't get there
10.  AA all the way
11.  Cultural stigmas
12.  Getting my shit straight
13.  My AA Breakfast Club
14.  YouTube approach
15.  Removing all of your hiding places
16.  Surrendering and choosing yourself
17.  Centering
18.  Maybe I was an asshole
19.  Everything is your fault
20.  Now I know my blindspots

https://twitter.com/LifeDismantled

Support Dismantled Life: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dismantledlife

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.