In this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety, you will meet John C. from Paris, Vick Losick, from New York City, John Huey from Washington D.C., and Larry Knight from Toronto. The four appeared on the podcast to talk about a new secular recovery meeting they started called “Afternoon with the Atheists,” which is named after a panel discussion they have been presenting at Secular AA...
In this episode we talk with Mike Collins. Mike is the founder of sugaraddiction.com and is passionate about helping people overcome their addictions. He is the author of “The Last Resort Sugar Detox”, which you can read for free on his website. This was Mike’s second appearance on our podcast. He was previously our guest on episode 115 which was posted in July 2019. What we talked about...
When it comes to creating a compelling documentary, the process surprisingly often starts with putting the camera down. As Host John Sheldon’s guest on this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety explains, establishing a relational trust element is essential to capturing those intimate moments that make us forget we’re watching a film. In his absorbing new project, set in a real-world rehab facility...
Accountability is at the core of any recovery program and, as we are reminded on this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety, there are many roads to get there. Host John Sheldon invites his guest, Mark Knobloch, to share some of the strategies he finds most helpful to the people he advises as an addiction recovery advisor. Having been a previous guest of the pod (Episode #181 can be found here), Mark...
As she shares with Host John Sheldon on this episode of Beyond Belief, entering recovery as a non-believer at the height of pandemic presented Katy Jacopi with special challenges. Where to find community and support when the Alcoholics Anonymous concept of a “higher power” isn’t the right fit? “The reason I couldn’t deny that I had an alcohol problem was my skepticism, my ability to ask...
Film is a medium uniquely able to capture emotional nuance, and that’s especially true when it comes to narratives about addiction. This episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety features an accomplished Hollywood veteran’s encyclopedic look at the many films (far more than you might imagine!) that tackle everything from the reality of relapse to the ripple effect of sobriety on longtime relationships to...
Maybe you’re familiar with the Cycle of Addiction, a repeating set of stages (and downward spiral) that many of us have experienced to one degree or another. Host John Sheldon’s guest on this episode of The Beyond Belief Sobriety Podcast invites us to look at a mirror image – a Cycle of Recovery tracing a replicable process for moving towards healing. Author Joi Andreoli has designed a highly...
Although of different generations, Host John Sheldon and his guest on this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety find commonality both in the loss of a loved one to suicide and their perspectives on recovery. Maggie Jenson, an alternative recovery coach, shares the journey and vision behind her remarkable Magnify Digital Rehabilitation Program, including the traumatic past she overcame through...
When it comes to alcohol, it’s easy to fall into myopia and focus on our own particular circumstances, but this episode reminds us that actually we’re all part of a much larger context – one that powerfully affects our thoughts and choices. Sobriety Coach Amy Willis shares with Host John Sheldon the four pillars that define and reinforce her approach to recovery: Radical Honesty, Mindset Change...
When it comes to promoting recovery, there is liberation in knowing that it can come in all kinds of packages. On this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety we are learning about LifeRing, a secular support group that has offered Casey Cannizzaro, a life coach, exactly the safe, flexible space he needed in order to explore not only sobriety but his identity as well. It’s an organization that advances...
You know that expression, “The only way out is through?” It’s a truism that has never been truer than in the case of Ryan Mack, who fought his way back from serious addiction, mental anguish and a toxic lifestyle. How did he do it? It started by learning to take control of his mind. Today a successful coach (you can check him out @Instagram), Ryan is sharing his inspiring journey with Host John...
Everyone’s recovery story is unique, but in the case of my guest for this episode, there are some unmistakable parallels that resonate with us both. Matt Gardiner is a certified recovery coach, sound therapist and podcast host whose journey has been marked by turning points that share some similarities with John’s, as their conversation illuminates with humor and insight. We learn about how Matt...
Are you ready to meet a secular force of nature? Then you won’t want to miss this episode. Our guest, LaDawn, shares with us the harrowing passage she made from hardened alcoholic to master of a YouTube channel that regularly delights, inspires and informs viewers on a range of mental health, lifestyle and sobriety-related topics. A woman unafraid to be 100% herself, LaDawn gets real in a way...
The following essay was authored by John Huey for the purpose of outlining the discussion of our third episode in the Atheism and Sobriety series. Abstinence and The Purity of Atheist Thought By John Huey As Atheists we see things not only as they are in personal terms without the veneer of belief, but, as we look at ideas and states of being as they may apply to the wider world, we can, if...
Although relapse is often a source of shame, it needn’t be. As we learn on this episode, there are ways to understand such stumbles as part of the larger process that is recovery. This livestream conversation features co-hosts John Sheldon and Mary C., who together explore the healing opportunities available to us when we respond to, reflect on and ideally avert relapse altogether. They are...
Highjacked by trauma and a profound desire for validation, Martin Lockett attached himself early on to gangs, drugs and violence – all in the name of fitting in. It was a path that took him into a world of trouble, including a DUI accident that resulted in the death of two people. Sentenced by the state of Oregon to 17.5 years in prison at the age of 24, his life might have been ruined by...
Today, July 20, 2022 marks thirty-four years since my last drink, so in the spirit of sobriety anniversaries, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share my recovery story. It’s a story I’ve told many times over the years, but each telling is a little different as I continually gain additional insight and learn from my past. In this talk, I didn’t spend a lot of time on my drinking years, but...
Anyone who has any experience with AA has heard the saying, “fake it ’til you make it.” Often, the statement is made to someone who isn’t buying the concept of needing a higher power to stay sober. They are told to just pretend and sooner or later, they will come along. But is there another way to think about this saying? In this livestream, Angela and John attempt to...
Every Tuesday at 7:00 PM Central, we have a meeting for listeners of the podcast, that you are free to join anytime. Typically, we’ll have a guest from a previous episode speak or we’ll play a clip from one of our episodes to use as a basis of conversation. This week, I needed to get an episode published and I was having a hard time. So, I asked the group if they would mind if I used the meeting...
Is it possible that the “higher power” concept that animates Bill W.’s framework for Alcoholics Anonymous is based on an overly narrow reading of William James, a preeminent psychologist and intellectual giant of the early 20th century? On this episode of The Beyond Belief Sobriety Podcast, author Peg O’Connor unpacks a compelling theory as well as insights from her new book, “Higher and...
Things could have played out very differently for Leonard Lee Buschel. A powerful combo of early-childhood trauma, a “professional” opportunity, and luck combined to foster a 27-year drug dealing career that might have gone disastrously wrong. In fact, a great many things did go wrong, which became undeniably clear when Leonard looked at the Top 10 catastrophic close calls he was asked to list...
I met my guest for this episode a few years ago at a meeting of the We Agnostics AA group in Kansas City. She had been attending meetings at another 12-Step Fellowship, so AA wasn’t a foreign experience. However, an AA group that was specifically tailored to meet the needs of atheists and agnostics was new to her, and as an atheist, she was excited about the opportunity to meet like-minded people...
Today, I want to talk about recovery. What is it anyway? To answer the question, I am borrowing heavily from the pamphlet “SAMHSA’s Working Definition of Recovery” published in 2012 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. I start each episode introducing Beyond Belief Sobriety as a podcast and community for people who are seeking or who have found a secular path to...
Can you become addicted to a person and if so, how can you become unaddicted? With her book, UnAddicted to You: Loving Yourself Through the Darkness, Etel Leit answers these questions through the sharing of her own personal story and the lessons learned. Etel is a PhD. candidate, a best-selling author, motivator, public speaker, and an expert in human communication. She is the founder of Sign...
In this episode, I speak with Sam Arsenault Wilson, the Chief Quality Officer, and Co-founder of Confidant Health, an app-based hub of resources and clinical providers that help people with mental health and substance use problems. I was happy to feature Confidant Health on this podcast because I believe their model, which is grounded in science, helps make addiction treatment more accessible to...
Danny grew up in a religious household and drinking was considered a sin. When he was around sixteen, he began to question the teachings of his religion. One question: Where does it say in the bible that you can’t drink? He waited until he was twenty-one before he has his first drink. In this episode, Danny describes how his drinking progressed, how it impacted his life and his view of...
In this episode Ben and I had a conversation about how to navigate Alcoholics Anonymous as an atheist, agnostic, freethinker, or otherwise secular person. We briefly touched upon what a person can expect to experience at their first AA meeting, and how to handle the overtly religious nature of most AA meetings. Topics covered in this episode include: How to deal with the praying. How to approach...
In this episode, we meet Robert Stump who has been the Executive Director of LifeRing Secular Recovery since 2012 when the founder, Marty Nicholas stepped down. In this episode Robert shares his personal story of recovery and how he found LifeRing to support him in his sobriety. His journey began in 1997 when the only available option was Alcoholics Anonymous. This posed some difficulty for...
For this episode, I had a conversation with Jack J. from Bristol England. Jack is a recovered sex addict who has created a new peer support group called Secular Organizations for Sexual Sobriety (SOSS). In this interesting conversation, Jack explains how his experience with other mutual aid groups inspired him to start this new secular option. Jack’s first encounter with a mutual aid group...
Kimiko values inclusion and believes the best way to help people is to meet them where they are. Though, she may prefer a more secular and practical approach to recovery for herself; she can easily adjust and relate to someone who values spirituality, and who is comfortable using spiritual language to describe their experience. As she shares her story in this episode, we learn that Kimiko has...
This episode highlights a website that has been a welcome refuge for alcoholics seeking to decouple religious faith and sobriety. Roger C. founded AA Agnostica a decade ago to publish the kind of information he could find nowhere else: Narratives about the experiences of secular members of Alcoholics Anonymous. Through his tireless work, Roger has afforded thousands of people a safe space to...
Our guest for this episode has built a unique online addiction treatment program that features many modalities because – as we know – recovery isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. Dr. Daniel Hochman, a psychiatrist and founder of SelfRecovery.org, shares a platform that weaves together science, behavioral change and self-knowledge to sustain not only sobriety, but a multi-dimensional journey...
I just wanted to take a few minutes to touch base and fill you in on what’s happened on the podcast, livestream and in the Beyond Belief Sobriety community. Podcast The podcast is doing well. I’ve been consistently posting an episode every week. I always post on Wednesday morning. So, if you subscribe to the podcast, you probably get a notice on your phone every Wednesday. If you don’t subscribe...
Gabe Rosales, is a professional musician, and a sobriety and criminal justice advocate from San Juan Capistrano, California. He got sober in 2007 after serving time in prison for crimes committed during the time he was actively drinking and drugging. The experience inspired him to earn a degree in Criminal Justice with the goal to help reform the system and make the world a better place...
In this episode we meet Katie Lain, an advocate and mentor for the Sinclair Method, which is a means for treating Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) based on the principal of pharmacological extinction. Those who use this method to treat AUD will take the drug Naltrexone one hour prior to drinking. Naltrexone is an opiate blocker that over time removes one’s craving for alcohol. Katie started with...
When Joanna Conti’s daughter was admitted to the hospital and placed on a 24-hour hold for a life-threatening addiction to alcohol; she wanted to find the most effective rehab for her daughter. After calling several addiction treatment centers, Joanna was surprised that none of them were measuring treatment outcomes and were therefore unable to tell her how successful their programs would...
Weekly Meeting Tuesday March 15th at 8:00 PM Eastern, 7:00 PM Central, 6:00 PM Mountain, and 5:00 PM Pacific. It’s a Zoom Meeting with ID 883 3035 4802. I’ll open the room about 15 minutes early. No password required. This week our speaker will be Serge Prengle, author of “The Twelve Proactive Steps.” Serge has been on the podcast twice. Most recently, he appeared on Episode 239, and back in...
In this episode, you will meet Lea Lauks, the author of Fireflies: Finding Light On A Journey Through Addiction. Lea, a gifted writer, put her talent to use painting with words, a realistic picture of the recovery process with all its ups and downs, challenges, and triumphs, and promise of a hopeful future. In this conversation, Lea shares her story of recovery as told through this amazing book...
Weekly Listener Meeting We had our first weekly listener meeting on Tuesday, March the 1st. The meeting was a success. Beth Aich, the author of “We’re Not All Egomaniacs” spoke for about thirty minutes, and then we opened the floor for comments and questions. There were 27 people at that first meeting. This Tuesday, March the 8th, we will be meeting again and our speaker will be...
John Huey discusses the second essay in his five-part series on Atheism and Sobriety. This episode focuses on personal responsibility and recovery from the perspective of an atheist, and how John’s atheism was a primary driver of his recovery. Personal Responsibility and Recovery – An Atheists View By John Huey To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you someone else is...
Anne Porter has been a listener of this podcast for a number of years, but recently she felt compelled to contact me after listening to “Episode 208: Ibby A”, and “Episode 250: Atheism and Sobriety”. In these episodes, I expressed a reluctance to serve as a sponsor, and I spoke derisively about the concept of an “AA way of life.” Anne feels strongly that...
As a person in recovery, I learned that community and connection are vital to my well-being, and as a podcaster, I know that I’m connecting with thousands of people from all over the world, many of whom I may never meet. It’s a tremendous experience and I’m grateful for this opportunity. Now, I want to do my best to make the most out of it. Today, I am announcing some initiatives that I hope will...
This episode features a conversation with RJ Zimmerman and Montee Ball from the Untapped Keg podcast. RJ and Montee share their personal stories and talk about how and why they started their podcast. An interesting conversation develops covering topics such as; the difficulty many men have with expressing their feelings, being open about our recovery, and the experience of podcasting about our...
This episode features a conversation with Aaron Reed, author of “Another In The Fire”, a book that chronicles Aaron’s addiction to methamphetamine, his experiences as an international drug smuggler, and then finding recovery in a Colombian prison. What we discussed What interested Aaron to work in Cambodia. His first experience using methamphetamine. The culture of prostitution...
In this episode, we have a discussion with Ted Perkins about the use of psychedelics to treat addiction and other mental health challenges such as PTSD, and clinical depression. About Ted Perkins When Ted grew up, he was surrounded by alcohol use as something entirely normal and necessary as part of life. His parents worked as diplomats and cocktail parties were part of the job. In his adult...
Welcome to SMART Talk! In this episode Arthur and I spoke with Joe Gerstein, founding President and a current Board Member for SMART Recovery. Joe has facilitated SMART Recovery meetings since its inception. He has developed many of the tools in the SMART toolbox and he helped start SMART meetings in several countries around the world. The Basics of SMART Recovery SMART is an acronym for Self...
In this episode, I have a conversation with John Huey about atheism and sobriety. This is the first in a series of essays that John will be writing about atheism and sobriety, and in this essay, he examines the moral structure of atheism and how that relates to recovery. ‘What is the “Moral Structure” of Atheism as it Relates to Sobriety?’ By John Huey At the outset, I need to state, at the very...
Arthur Shenker is a certified meeting facilitator for SMART Recovery and works as SMART’s National Outreach Liason to introduce SMART Recovery to treatment facilities. Arthur previously appeared as a guest on Episode 220 where he shared a little of his own personal story and talked about the SMART tools and how to use them. Recently, Arthur contacted me to ask if perhaps I would like to do...
Scott’s Story Scott J. was attending AA meetings for seven years and was sober, happy, and doing well. In fact, his life improved so much that he didn’t think he needed as many meetings. Eventually, he stopped going altogether and began playing computer games. Initially, his gaming wasn’t a problem, but this changed when he started to use gaming to cope with stress. In time, he became obsessive...
Happy New Year. I like New Year’s Day because I can’t help but reflect on the year that has passed and think about all the ups and downs, the people I’ve met, and what I learned along the way. I do that with my life in general, so why not do the same with the podcast. In this episode, I’ll take a look back at 2021 and look forward to 2022. It was January 1, 2021, when on episode 204, I announced...
Dave G. enjoys his sobriety. He runs, dances, and swims in the open sea. He gives back by talking at schools about his experience with addiction and recovery, and through his involvement in Toastmasters, he is working on improving his speaking skills even more. As we talked, I noticed a recurring theme throughout our conversation—language. Specifically, the language used in recovery circles, and...
Jamie Salsburg is the host of “The After Gambling Podcast.” He is a former problem gambler who hasn’t gambled since July 15th, 2010, and he created the website and podcast “After Gambling” to help people who are struggling with compulsive gambling. He also provides peer support for recovering gamblers, as well as their friends and family. You can learn more about Jamie and...
Barb was adopted into a conservative, Catholic family where she had a happy home life with parents who cared and provided for her. There wasn’t anything in her childhood that was especially traumatic, but she did get pregnant in high school and put her baby up for adoption. It was a Catholic school, and though they told her she did the right thing, no counseling was offered and it was never...
In this episode, we meet Tara Boyce who shares her personal story of recovery and talks about her podcast “Addicted to Recovery: The Interactive Memoir.” Her podcast has a unique format that involves Tara reading from her own memoir and then discussing her feelings about what she wrote. She also responds to listener comments and questions from previous episodes. Tara is an incredible talent. Her...
In this episode, I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Joseph Volpicelli about the idea that some people in the early stages of losing control over their drinking may benefit from therapy and naltrexone as a means of not stopping but instead, moderating their drinking. This may be a controversial topic among those of us in the recovery community, especially those of us involved with Twelve...
Mary Beth O’Connor from Life Ring Secular Recovery and the She Recovers Foundation, teams up with Adrienne Miller from Women for Sobriety to discuss the importance of respecting multiple paths to recovery, and issues specific to women in recovery. Topics Discussed The origins and purpose of Women for Sobriety. Life Ring Secular Recovery. The She Recovers Foundation. The importance of multiple...
The book Alcoholics Anonymous written in 1939 describes alcoholics as power-driving egomaniacs who are self-centered in the extreme. The idea put forth in the book was that recovery from alcoholism would require crushing this oversized ego and learning to live with humility. This may have been an apt description of the less than 100 mostly men who were helping Bill put the book together, but is...
Serge Prengel is a therapist and life coach, and co-founder of the Integrative Focusing Therapy Online Training Program. He is also the author of The Proactive Twelve Steps: A mindful Program For Lasting Change. The sixth edition of the book was recently published and Serge visited with me to talk about what is new and why. What we discussed Why Serge wrote the book. How the steps become more...
Jan Winhall is a Clinical Social Worker and Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Toronto in the Department of Social Work. She is also the author of Treating Trauma and Addiction with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model: A Bottom-Up Approach. In this episode, Jan explains how and why addiction becomes a way of coping with trauma and bridges the worlds of trauma treatment and addiction. Topics...
Timothy Clancy is an independent Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Counselor who specializes in self-destructive behaviors such as substance abuse and eating disorders. He is a certified SMART Recovery meeting facilitator and the author of The Road to Sobriety: A Personal Experience. In this episode, Timothy shares his story and discusses alcoholism, treatment, and recovery. What we talked about...
In this episode, John Huey makes another appearance to talk about spirituality. Is there a place for spirituality in a secular recovery program?
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In this episode, we discuss the latest in the science of addiction medicine with Doctor Robb Kelly. Robb earned his Ph.D. in Psychology at Oxford University in 1984 and today lectures on addiction medicine at the University of Texas-San Antonio. He founded the Robb Kelly Recovery Group to help people suffering from addiction find recovery and purposeful lives, and his memoir Daddy, Daddy, Please...
In this episode, I caught up with Joe K. who we met back in January 2020 in episode 145. At that time, Joe had just started a secularly formatted AA meeting in Chatham New Jersey, and a few months later the world changed profoundly as did the way we understand and experience recovery. In this conversation, Joe and I talked about the various ways our perspective on recovery changed. What we talked...
In this episode, we will talk about sex addiction with David S., a member of Sex Addicts Anonymous. David will help us understand sex addiction from his personal experience, review the terminology related to sex addiction, and describe a typical Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting. What we talked about Dave’s story. The nature of addiction and living a dual existence. How sex addiction differs...
Meet Nate Kelly, host of a new video podcast called “The Sobriety Diaries.” Nate shares his story of recovery, how he got involved with podcasting about addiction recovery, and his hopes for the new podcast. I enjoyed the conversation and I look forward to following Nate’s podcast and YouTube Channel. Subscribe to Nate’s YouTube Channel Subscribe to The Sobriety Diaries Podcast Transcript John:...
PJ takes a minimalist approach to staying sober based on three fundamental actions: not taking the first drink, participating in AA meetings, and getting involved in service. After learning about secular AA meetings during a visit to the US, he and a friend started their own secular meeting in Brookvale, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. The meeting has been growing and is doing well despite the...
Mark Holmes is the author of Holmes Complete Guide to Stop Drinking Alcohol and the CEO of the Addiction Help Agency located in London, England. In this episode, Mark shares his personal story of recovery and how he was inspired to write this book and make a career change from education to helping people overcome alcohol use disorder. What we talked about The reason people start drinking alcohol...
In this episode, we meet Paul Churchill, author, podcaster, and a person in long-term recovery. When Paul’s life went into meltdown in the summer of 2014, he came to a realization that he needed to stop drinking. More importantly, though, he was ready to stop, and he wanted sobriety. Then, after about six months of sobriety, Paul feared that he was overconfident about his sobriety, so he...
In this episode, John Huey returns to ask why atheists and agnostics bother with AA. Is it a waste of time for them to try and find a place in an organization with deep religious roots? Questions for our discussion Should atheists talk to or engage with traditional AA people at all? What good does it do for atheists to be involved with AA? Shouldn’t atheists start their own organization...
Sam Morris learned that instead of waiting for someone else to save him, he was responsible for saving himself. Overcoming severe anxiety, depression, and struggles with drugs and alcohol, led him to his purpose of creating and holding space for men to experience deep healing from the things that scare them and that they are afraid to talk about. What we talked about Early childhood trauma from...
Don Ross is a certified hypnotherapist and a person in long-term recovery who has incorporated hypnosis in his recovery and helps others do the same. In this episode, we learn how Don incorporates hypnosis with the Twelve Steps What we talked about The basics of hypnosis. The difference between self-hypnosis and being guided by a trained and certified hypnotherapist. The difference between...
Kayla was introduced to AA while in treatment, and though she had a problem relating to the religious language of the program, she could appreciate the importance of community and the connection that comes from the sharing of personal stories. Seeing a need for more literature tailored to people in recovery who hold a secular worldview, Kayla would like to compile a book of stories from secular...
Jack Bloomfield is a person in long-term recovery with over 45 years of sobriety. In this episode, Jack shares his story and talks about how he became involved with interventions and how an ARISE intervention differs from traditional models.
You can learn more about Jack on his website adesignforliving.com.
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Meet David Greer, a successful business coach who also happens to be a person in long-term recovery. Seeing a connection between the two, and a need to meet, he added recovery coaching to his services. In this episode, we learn how he helps people in recovery identify and reach their recovery goals. Links to David’s website and social media pages Website: Coach David J. Greer Coach Dave on...
Katie drank abnormally from the start, and early in life, developed a pattern of working hard and playing hard. In high school, she got involved in a relationship that became an obsessive attachment and from that point on, obsessive relationships, alcoholism, and workaholism would form her adult life. Now in recovery and her eighth year of sobriety, she had an awakening as she began to question...
Kylie Butler is a podcaster, a writer, a career coach, a recovery coach, and a person in long-term recovery. Through her podcast and coaching business, “A Meaningful Life By Design”, she helps people bring their unique gifts to the world in a meaningful way. In this episode, she shares her journey of recovery and how she came to find purpose and meaning in her life. What we talked...
Arthur Shenker, a certified SMART Recovery facilitator talks about the basics of SMART Recovery, and its tools for building and maintaining motivation, coping with urges to use, managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and living a balanced life. What we talked about Arthur’s background History of SMART Recovery Four Points of SMART Medically Assisted Treatment Motivational Enhancement...
In this episode, we meet Susie Darin from the Online Soberish Book Club, a monthly, international, free, alcohol-free, sobriety-focused book club, open to anyone on the spectrum of questioning their relationship with alcohol. The group meets via Zoom, and in non-social distancing times, those in Tampa Florida can opt to meet in person and hang out with the others who join through Zoom. Susie...
In this episode, Angela and I talk about what makes a 12-Step group unique and effective. Our conversation is based on a chapter from the book, The Alternative Twelve Steps: A Secular Guide to Recovery, by Martha Cleveland, PhD., and Arlys G. What we talked about The uniqueness of 12-Step groups. • Each person works a self-directed program. There is no facilitator or professional leader. •...
Matt didn’t ease into alcoholism. He got drunk the first time that he drank when he was in the seventh grade. By the time he was in high school, he was taking all the drugs and alcohol he could find, and at the age of fourteen or fifteen, he realized that he needed to stop. He managed to stay sober for short periods of time, and this on and off sobriety continued for years until eventually...
Mari Q. shares her story of addiction and the phases of her development over the many years she has been in recovery – a process she describes as a healthier practice. The Twelve Steps are only one piece of her recovery, there is a lot more that she learned outside of Twelve Step meetings that she incorporates into her recovery. What we talked about Mari’s introduction to the Twelves Steps...
Modern 12 Step Recovery: Alcoholics Anonymous for the 21st Century, published in January 2021, provides a contemporary introduction to Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps. In this episode, I had a conversation with the author, Glenn Rader who talked about why he thinks it’s important that AA and the Twelve Steps be framed within the context of modern psychology. What we talked about...
Randy Haveson is a person in long-term recovery, a life coach, an author, and a full-time keynote speaker with a passion for helping people build their self-esteem. In this episode, we learn about Randy’s life-journey and discuss his book The Ego Cleanse: Becoming Your Own Best Friend. In this book, Randy discusses the difference between ego and self-esteem, the common obstacles to building...
John Huey makes his eighth appearance on the podcast, and in this conversation, he is expressing his concern about agnostics and atheists who make themselves miserable by comporting to someone else’s ideas of recovery. What we talked about Sources of stress in AA. Why people are seeking a secular alternative to traditional AA meetings. The importance of holding yourself to your own...
Stephanie S. crossed a line when her drinking changed from a want to a need. In this episode, she describes the insidious nature of addiction and shares a song that she wrote about her struggle entitled “Until You Try.” The song, performed by her son David, does a magnificent job of capturing the emotional pain of repeatedly trying and failing to stop drinking. What we talked about...
Meet Seth Perry. Clean since April 12, 2010, Seth grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, and today he is a clergy person living in Kingston, Ontario. Seth’s problem with addiction started in Vancouver, and for the last six years of his drinking, he worked as a stand-up comedian. After burning all his bridges in the industry because of his drinking, he left that life behind. Since getting...
This episode features a conversation with Mickey Bakst from an organization called Ben’s Friends, which provides a forum for people in recovery who work in the food and beverage industry. Micky talks about the history behind the group’s founding and the special challenges facing food and beverage workers in recovery. You can learn more about Ben’s Friends at their website...
Meet AJ who helped start a secular AA meeting in New Jersey. In this episode, he talks about his early experiences with alcohol, his evolving thoughts on spirituality, the progressive nature of alcohol use disorder, and how he managed the AA program as an atheist. As we were talking, AJ related an anecdote about what he was thinking of saying to his ex-wife one morning when she was upset with him...
Meet Ibby A. who has been sober since November 30, 1996, and shares her story of recovery from trauma and addiction, and how she views her recovery through a secular lens. Key points discussed Childhood trauma. Geographical cures. Impact of defective relationships on addiction. The benefit of a self-appraisal. Repairing relationships with family. Early experiences with AA and white-knuckling it...
Justin M. from Canberra provides an update on the progress of secular AA meetings in Australia and New Zealand and talks about his views on AA’s singleness of purpose. Key points discussed A brief history of secular AA meetings in Australia. How secular AA is closer to the founding principles of AA. A discussion about the singleness of purpose in AA. How COVID impacted secular AA meetings...
Rich L. is from Mountainview, California, and he helped start a secularly formatted AA meeting in his community. In this episode, he shares his personal story of recovery, how and why he started a secular AA meeting, and how things are going today for both him and his group. Key points discussed Growing up in an alcoholic home. Drinking makes Rich feel normal. Rich’s feeling about religion...
In this episode, I spoke with Brendan from the Rainham Freethinkers Group located in London, England. I met Brendan at the online International Conference of Secular AA where I was working behind the scenes and he was participating in the panel about The ‘God’ Word Pamphlet. Brendan shares his story of recovery and his experience as a secular person in Alcoholics Anonymous. Key...
Happy New Year, friends. I want to begin the year by writing to you about AA Beyond Belief. These last five years have gone by so fast. It’s been like a dream. I never imagined that I would ever have such an experience, but it’s been an incredible ride, and I am honored to have this opportunity to be of service. Thank you, Roger C., for making this possible in the first place. Of...
In this episode, we meet Jenne M., and Jim D., both secular members of Overeaters Anonymous. We talk about their struggles with food addiction, the difficulty they experienced as atheists in OA, their experiences starting secular OA meetings, and their website secularovereaters.org. Topics Discussed Jim’s Story Jenne’s Story What makes a secular OA meeting, secular. Overcoming the...
Colette’s date of sobriety is December 23, 2006, and on the date of this posting, she is celebrating fourteen years sober. In this episode, she shares her journey as a person in recovery from anorexia, depression, and alcoholism. Her’s is an inspiring story and she does a great job describing her early struggles as well as the joy she has found in being sober. Topics and key points...
Marty B. is a recovering alcoholic and a retired airline pilot. He got sober in AA and after his first year of sobriety, another pilot introduced him to Birds of a Feather, a worldwide network of AA meetings established for airline pilots and cockpit crewmembers. In this episode, Marty describes the unique needs of pilots in recovery and how Birds of a Feather offers a helping hand. Key points...
In this episode, we meet Andy F., an agnostic who got sober in AA and is now writing a book about his experience overcoming his initial objections to the Twelve Steps. Key points and topics discussed Andy’s experience as a child in foster care. First doubts about God and religion. Mental illness and alcoholism. Time in prison. First impressions of AA. Obstacles with the Twelve Steps. Why...
Glenn S. is a recovering alcoholic, a “Richard Dawkins atheist” who helped found three humanist AA meetings in New York City, and an artist who for twenty-five years brought a sketchbook to meetings where he took notes and sketched the people around him. The sketchbook helped him listen during meetings and resulted in a wonderful book that he titled Twenty-Five Years of Listening...
Luke Worsfold is an entrepreneur who fell into addiction as he began to equate his self-worth with his net worth. Quickly, his life spun out of control and he lost everything. In this episode, Luke tells the story of his recovery and how his podcast Lisa Inside Addiction inspired him to become an addictions counselor. Key points and topics discussed Luke’s early life and first experiences...
In this episode, we meet David Whitesock, who shares his story of addiction and recovery, and how his journey led him to develop the Recovery Capital Index, a useful tool for measuring recovery capital. Key points and topics discussed Dave’s story of addiction and recovery. How studying architecture influenced the development of the Recovery Capital Index. Dave’s recovery plan...