The Way Out Podcast

This week we bring you a special edition of The Way Out Podcast. Each one of us has hand selected one of our favorite recovery talks to share with you, in hopes you’ll enjoy them at least as much as we do. What these speakers have in common is rather instructive – they all inject a healthy dose of humor, vulnerability, honesty, and spiritual truth into their talks, and they all leave you feeling less alone and unfixable and more connected and full of hope that in fact there is a solution that provides us the relief we’ve all so desperately sought in drugs, alcohol and other addictions. In the interest of time; each talk has been abbreviated; and I’ve provided links to the full talks in the show notes of this episode. I encourage you to listen to the rest of each one of these spectacular talks; they are worth every second of your attention. Prepare yourselves to relate, to laugh, and to reflect my friends. Without further delay, we give you The Way Out Podcast’s curated Recovery Speaker Episode – Listen Up.&nb

This week we’re talking growth in Recovery. We get off to a bit of a rocky start this week with Louie the Recovery Dog loosing his mind over various humans and animals passing in front of the window  that catch his ire; combined with an unexpected juvenile laughing fit over the synonyms to the word “growth”; suffice it to say we all clearly have some more growing UP to do. When we do finally get down to business, we illuminate what growth in recovery has looked like for each of us; and what it looks like for us today. I drop a metaphor that, I hope, will give you some insight into why growth in recovery is so critical. We also discuss what tools we can practically implement in order to activate growth in our own recovery journeys; regardless of where we are in our recovery journey. Plus we share feedback from the Sober & Serious community and take your calls – Listen Up! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-p

This week we’re bringing you an enlightening discussion on the idea that All Pathways to Recovery are valid, important, and worth considering and sharing amongst one another in the Recovery Community. There are an array of formal recovery methodologies that have worked for many of us whom are in active and long term recovery including 12 Step; Faith based, Peer led, cognitive behavioral, among others. There are those too, whom have found their own unique path using a blend of existing modalities or have flat out invented their own approach that works for them. No matter the approach, what matters is that the outcome results in meaningful and enduring change for those whom need and often more importantly, truly desire recovery from addiction and/or alcoholism. We discuss in practical terms why all pathways to recovery are valid and worthwhile; what many of these methods are, and how we can go about selecting the best pathway for us – regardless of where we are in our recovery journeys. Plus we share feedback f

This week we’re delving into the topic of Sponsorship in Recovery. If you’ve spent any time at all around the rooms of 12-Step recovery you no doubt have heard more than a few folks spout the virtues of sponsorship. We tell you what sponsors are, and perhaps more importantly what they are not as well as what a sponsor does and again of at least equal importance, what they do not do. Plus we share feedback from the Sober & Serious community and take your calls – Listen Up. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/support

This week we’re undertaking, pardon the pun, the heavy topic of Grief in Recovery. Grief is often a complicated, difficult, and down right messy process we all must endure during our time here on earth. It’s as core to the human experience as experiencing love and human connection, and indeed is an unpleasant and direct consequence of our profound capacity to bond with our loved ones. We discuss how active addiction and alcoholism often complicates the grieving process, how the grief process works, and how we can apply the tools of Recovery to aid us in this process we work through, however imperfectly that may be. Plus we share feedback on this topic from the Sober and Serious community AND take your calls – so Listen Up.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/support

This week we’re breaking down a subject that quite often played a critical role in our active addiction and alcoholism, and is if supreme importance to as many as 80% of us whom have a substance use disorder. And that is the issue of Mental Health.  Those of us whom have a mental health diagnosis know all too well the perils of having to navigate the pitfalls of both alcoholism and/or addiction along side a mental illness such as depression, anxiety, bi-polar, or any number of mental health issues. We break down what mental health means, how it affects addiction and alcoholism, and practical actions you can take to improve your mental health and as a result your daily life in Recovery. Plus we share feedback from the Sober & Serious community – you all had a LOT to say on this one, and we take calls from The Way Out Podcast Listeners. Listen Up. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/support

This week we’re discussing boundaries in Recovery. Emotional & Physical boundaries often were all over the place while we were in active addiction and alcoholism. An untoward side-effect of ritualistic masking and numbing emotions with substances produced the side-effect of being disconnected from the boundary warning signals our emotions are sending us. Recovery is often a process of discovery. Getting to know how we feel given certain behaviors and situations informs what our boundaries are. Some boundaries are abundantly clear – such as overt physical or emotional abuse, and others are less so – requiring us to pay close attention to those newfound emotions and what they’re trying to tell us about ourselves. We’ll define what boundaries in recovery are, how to define them for yourself, and how to communicate them to the people in your life. Plus we share feedback from the Sober & Serious community and take one very interesting call – Listen Up!  Great article on setting Boundaries in Recovery

This week we’ve got a compelling interview with Author Kristin Casey. Kristin is the Author of Rock Monster: My Life with Joe Walsh as well as an intimacy coach and a person in long term recovery from addiction and alcoholism. Make no mistake; the hook of Kristin’s book is Joe Walsh. Joe is an enigmatic character who commands a “look at me, look at me” kind of attention and Kristin does a superb job of bringing Joe to life over the course of the story laid out in the pages of this remarkable memoir. More striking is the way in which Kristin’s very identity becomes inextricably connected to Joe and the rise and fall of their relationship – a dynamic all too many of us can intimately relate with. The remarkably dark and desperately lonely place King Alcohol took Kristin after her identity was stripped from her as a result of the demise of their relationship is nothing short of horrifying – a true miracle she’s here with us today. The only part of Kristin’s story more remarkable than her wild ride with Joe Walsh

This week we’re breaking down the oft overlooked and perhaps even more so dreaded 12-Step concept of Character Defects in recovery. In short order, you’ll get a practical definition of what Character Defects are and why we want to shed their dominance over our day to day thoughts, actions, and interactions with others. Understanding the what and how of it will lead is into what actions we can take in order to free ourselves from the stronghold character defects such as fear, anger, selfishness, control, among many others, have on us. Plus we share feedback from the Sober & Serious community and take your calls so Listen Up. Drop the Rock: https://www.hazelden.org/OA_HTML/item/6666?Drop-the-Rock-Second-Edition&utm_source=hbf&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=droptherock Drop the Rock...The Ripple Effect https://www.hazelden.org/OA_HTML/item/367136?Drop-the-Rock-The-Ripple-Effect&src_url=itemquest&utm_source=hbf&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=droptherock --- Send in a voice message:

We’re talking relapse and recovery. Relapse often can be a loaded term; often bandied about in discussion on recovery spurring heated debates on whether relapse is a part of recovery or if it is the antithesis of what we’re trying to achieve in recovery. Make no mistake, relapse can be and is a part of many of our journeys to long term and meaningful recovery and assinging shame or judgement on those who experience relapse has no place in recovery. That said, relapse is NOT a part of recovery itself – no relapse is fundamentally the total absence of recovery and is antithetical to everything we’re seeking in recovery. We take a closer look at the stages of relapse, what behaviors mark each stage, and what we can do to thwart the onset of relapse thinking and behavior. Whether you’re new in recovery or been around a few 24 hours, you’ll get a mega dose of relapse defying insight and practical tools you can apply to your recovery. Plus, we hear what the Sober & Serious community has to say on the topic and

I’m Charlie and this week I’m bringing you a special presentation of perhaps one of the if not the most influential talks in modern 12-Step recovery. We’re bringing you this in lieu of our regularly scheduled podcast on relapse in Recovery. We had a bit of a technical snafu causing us to push our weekly recording to Wednesday. Parenthetically that caused me to work through some character defects like perfectionism, pride, and ego which I’ll talk more about in the Recover Revealed segment later in the podcast. Nevertheless, stay tuned for Wednesday’s episode on Relapse in Recovery as I am SUPER excited about what we’ve got in store for you in that episode. I’ve isolated the audio of Fred Holmquist’s lecture on the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12-Step program it outlines for all of you to easily listen and take in as you would with any other podcast you might listen to. Fred distills the quintessential dilemma of the addict and alcoholic in such a way that cuts straight to the heart of the matter wh

This week we’re talking Complacency in Recovery. Complacency can be a formidable and subtle foe in maintaining meaningful and lasting recovery. It is without question quite human to experience complacency in any number of facets in our lives; and recovery is no exception. For those of us in Recovery however, complacency often can and indeed does precede relapse.  We’re going to discuss what complacency in recovery means; how to detect it, where it stems from, and what practical action we can take to ensure we’re not falling victim to this all too common pitfall in Recovery. Plus we share comments on this topic from Sober & Serious AND take your calls! Listen Up! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/support

This week we’re talking right to and all about the Newcomer to recovery. It’s often said the newcomer is the most important person in a 12-Step meeting, though it doesn’t necessarily feel that way when you are first entering a program of Recovery. We give you, the newcomer, straight forward, practical actions you can implement straight away that will yield remarkable results as well as helpful insights into why these actions make such a big difference in Recovery. For the person in long term recovery, we remind you of how vitally important it is to your own recovery to reach out and help the newcomer in any way you can. Plus we take calls from the Way Out Podcast listeners. Listen Up. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/support

This week we’ve got a fantastic discussion on tap for you with Mr. Mike Govoni. Mike has been in long term recovery from addiction and alcoholism to the tune of 14 years, works on the front line in emergency rooms on the opioid & addiction crisis, and is the founder of Breath by Breath Wellness – where mindfulness and breath are cornerstones of his approach to total wellness coaching. Mike has one amazing Recovery story to share, along with incredibly insightful lessons he’s learned on his journey to wellness. He speaks of ACE’s – or adverse childhood experiences, a topic we’ll dive into in greater depth in our Recovery Revealed segment, as well as what he learned from each of the TWO bottoms he’s hit in his Journey to recovery; one of these bottoms while in sobriety. You won’t want to miss a minute of this gem of an interview so Listen UP. Mike can be reached here: Website: www.breathbybreathwellness.com  Instagram : mikegovoni Facebook: mike govoni  Adverse Childhood Experience Test (you'll ne

This week we’re discussing the importance of and how to inject perseverance into recovery. Without question any meaningful and lasting recovery must have some measure of perseverance as a foundational and defining characteristic. Perseverance is often the key ingredient that separates those who succeed in any endeavor, and Recovery is no exception. A cursory Google search on the word perseverance will yield countless quotes from some of history’s most influential people, waxing poetic on the virtues of hard work, determination, and a never say die attitude. You’ll get the low down on perseverance in Recovery and how to apply it to your own recovery as well as why the goal might actually be to have to persevere LESS. Plus we take calls from The Way Out Podcast Audience. One note before we kick the show off – I humbly ask that you persevere through a less than ideal audio experience as the studio equipment was adjusted by a 17 year old boy whom shall remain nameless while he was recording piano samples with Dad

The Dash: http://www.nightingale.com/articles/the-dash/   These instructions are for the below prayer (Big Book, Freedom from Bondage, p. 552): ‘If you have a resentment you want to be free of, if you will pray for the person or the thing that you resent, you will be free. If you will ask in prayer for everything you want for yourself to be given to them, you will be free…Even when you don’t really want it for them, and your prayers are only words and you don’t mean it, go ahead and do it anyway. Do it every day for two weeks and you will find you have come to mean it and to want it for them, and you will realize that where you used to feel bitterness and resentment and hatred, you now feel compassionate understanding and love.’ This week we’re taking on the number one offender in preventing recovery from taking root and often a major contributor to relapse – Resentments. We shed light on what resentments actually are, how to detect if you have them, why it’s so important to move past them, and how to a

This week I’ve got a down right remarkable story to share with you; a story not often heard on The Way Out Podcast airwaves. Melinda’s story is marked by a tumultuous and chaotic childhood providing the fertile soil for dysfunction and addiction to take root as she began to traverse the uncharted territory of adulthood. The sentinel moment that marked the beginning of Melinda’s Recovery is ultra-relatable and provides the compelling catalyst for her finding Recovery in various programs, not the least of which included the 12-Steps in Adult Children of Alcoholics. Melinda’s perspective on Recovery is on point; astute, and nuanced, and quite refreshing. To that end, and without further ado, I give you Melinda in unadulterated and totally uninterrupted fashion – Listen Up. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/support

We’ve got a phenomenal interview for you with Stephen Daniels, who is in long term recovery from both gambling and porn addiction. Stephen shares his 15 plus year battle with these addictions in an honest and authentic way, looking to smash the stigma and shame that’s so often attached to addiction, especially society’s awkward relationship to porn and the deafening silence and lack of conversation surrounding porn addiction. Stephen’s story affirms that despite how our primary addictions manifest, whether it be drugs, alcohol, gambling, or porn – the root cause and the solution is universal. Stephen’s mission to break the silence and smash the stigma of porn and gambling addiction starts right now. Listen Up. Stephen D. Daniels Motivational Speaker Email: stephendreport@gmail.com Social Media Handles twitter.com/stephendSKPL instagram.com/stephendSKPL facebook.com/stephendSKPL linkedin.com/in/stephenddaniels/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-way-out-podcast/message Support this podcast:

The Problem & Solution by Fred Holmquist Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMtTfUBTes8 (Part 1 of 5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crP10-oqzHo (Part 2 of 5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9ot0QCHzXk (Part 3 of 5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUsSarmLKtY (Part 4 of 5) https://youtu.be/rEO6fbfm1sg (Part 5 of 5) Staying Sober: A Guide for Relapse Prevention: https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Sober-Guide-Relapse-Prevention/dp/083090459X We’re addressing a common struggle many of us have faced on our recovery journeys – the process of facing and overcoming barriers to recovery. We’ve talked at length on various important and impactful elements of recovery and this week we’re helping demystify common barriers we often face before lasting and meaningful recovery can be achieved. Learning what these barriers are, and how to overcome them is paramount if we want to achieve rewarding & enduring recovery. All this, plus we take calls from The Way Out Podcast listeners – Listen Up!  --- Send in

We’ve got an outstanding final episode of 2018 for you to enjoy. Jared is coming back into Recovery after a near fatal overdose and shares very candidly and openly about his struggle with alcoholism and heroin addiction. Jared’s journey dovetails splendidly with our ensuing discussion on Community in Recovery. It’s often said in all walks of life, regardless of the situation, that “it takes a village” and that is no truer than in Recovery. Community in so many ways provides the antidote to addiction and alcoholism. We give you the big wins that come from connecting with your recovery community & even more helpful, we give you practical ways you can make that life giving community connection. Plus, we take calls from The Way Out Podcast listeners. Listen Up.   Here's the link to the video we talked about on the show! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao8L-0nSYzg&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1izEg5L_ypvQDdBLvJ4HljtUiVpVM1l4SmroeqPskaP87mkdnktsIJeuQ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/t