Real Recovery Talk

In today's episode, Ben and I discuss how we measure our client's progress and what to expect in the first one to three months of recovery treatment. We'll talk about where we see our clients make the most common mistakes and where addicts fall short in the treatment process. During our team meeting once a week, our staff discusses challenges and celebrations among our patients. "One issue that jumped out at us yesterday is video game addiction." Ben believes that this addiction can significantly sidetrack the recovery process, slowing it down. One negative effect is the disruption in client sleep cycles. In this episode, Ben gives real client examples of the adverse effects of video game addiction. We choose not to restrict our members from the outside world because that is unrealistic. This gives us the chance to see negative behaviors in our clients and the opportunity to correct those during their recovery period. "I want to know the truth about people and what their behavior truly looks like. I don't want some version of them that I'm creating, that's not organic by putting parameters on what they are allowed to do and not allowed to do." Our team looks at how our clients are utilizing their treatment time outside of scheduled activities. We hold our clients accountable for their treatment homework and follow-up to ensure they have their assignments completed before their scheduled time. Clients need to complete their task, as working through recovery involves learning about yourself. If a client doesn't do their homework, they will not progress through therapy. Getting into the habit and responsibility of completing your homework in therapy gives you an understanding of what it takes to continue your work outside of treatment. When you consistently complete assignments, you give yourself the foundation to continue your work when you leave our recovery center. This usually results in clients who are more successful at continuing their recovery for life. At Rock Recovery Center, we take a humanistic approach to recovery, teaching our clients how to live independently in a sober world. We care about the success and safety of each and every one of our clients from the moment they step into our center to the future of their well-being. Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review! Show Notes: [04:49] The process at Rock Recovery center for information intake. [05:40] Examples of video game addiction. [09:20] Ben talks about the importance of seeing bad behaviors so they can be addressed. [11:34] A good determinate of how our clients are going to do post-treatment is how they are progressing during treatment. [13:45] How a client spends their time during treatment versus after they leave and what they are doing with their friends. [17:35] When clients don't do their homework in rehab, they typically don't follow-up outside of rehab. [19:33] Our team wants to see the effort our clients put in at Rock Recovery Center. [20:11] Those who focus on others instead of themselves is a red flag. [23:42] We are here to be part of the process, however; a client must be willing to learn. [27:57] Behaviors that can lead to relapse. Episode Links and Resources Real Recovery Live Chat Real Recovery Talk on the Web Real Recovery Talk on YouTube Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes Rock Recovery Center Real Recovery Talk on Facebook Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions

In today's episode, Ben and I are discussing the risk versus reward for addicts. We talk about the real risk of dying from a drug overdose as opposed to the more minimal chance of passing away from contracting COVID when traveling to a rehab facility or attending AA meetings. Many facilities have removed group gatherings at their location. As a result, many addicts are not able to attend their rehab meetings in person. Some have been able to participate in online, however; it's easier to not go to meetings when it's no in person. Some facilities are moving forward with meetings, requiring masks and temperature screenings. Others have locked down entirely and aren't taking anyone who isn't a part of their program, leaving addicts without options for recovery. COVID has removed much of the community for many recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. People are afraid to catch the virus and won't go to groups, or they don't have the means to meet online. We need to build and cultivate options for people until groups open back up regularly. Person to person meetings have a more personal feel, and Ben has made a choice to attend real-life sessions. There are restrictions in place for safety, such as masks and social distancing. Many others have decided that drug and alcohol relapse is more harmful to their health than the risk of catching COVID. Additionally, you can't blame COVID-19 for all of your problems or as the sole reason for going back to being an addict. COVID is a stressor and it does create anxiety, however; you have to apply the tools you learn in recovery to overcome the challenges in life. At Rock Recovery Center, we take a humanistic approach to recovery, teaching our clients how to live independently in a sober world. We care about the success and safety of each and every one of our clients from the moment they step into our center to the future of their well-being. Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review! Show Notes: [04:31] Benjamin discusses his personal experience with recovery. [07:00] Recovery built on the aspect of community for sobriety and recovery. [09:12] Ben talks about the importance of spirituality and community. [12:57] Many parents are scared to send their loved ones to rehab in Florida. [14:22] Being vigilant about health standards has been a key piece for reducing the spread of COVID in addiction groups. [16:45] How a halfway house has more people die of drug overdose but none of their members died of COVID. [18:04] The elements of building a solid foundation of recovery. [22:32] Some clients were caught off-guard when they had to leave recovery. [24:36] Precautions we are taking at Real Rock Recovery Center to protect our clients. [27:29] Ben is glad he is continuing meetings and staying sober and clean. Episode Links and Resources Real Recovery Live Chat Real Recovery Talk on the Web Real Recovery Talk on YouTube Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes Rock Recovery Center Real Recovery Talk on Facebook Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions

"There's always hope, you have to take the first steps." -Tony In today's episode, I'm talking with a current patient who has been with us at Rock Recovery Center for three weeks and is 31 days clean today! He is 37 years old and comes to us from Detroit, Michigan. His sister would take care of him and his siblings, as his mom was "in and out a lot" as a result of her addiction to drugs and alcohol. He didn't lead a "normal" childhood life and grew up on the rough streets of Detroit. Tony remembers visiting his aunt and cousins, who lived down the road. When his father found out where he was living, he drove to Detroit and moved in with his mom. They were trying to mend their marriage when his dad died of an asthma attack in 1992 when Tony was seven years old. Tony found himself in the same previous situation with his mom's addiction and his unstable childhood. Tony and his siblings were dispersed among both sides of the family, he ended up with his grandmother and a violent uncle. At the age of 16, Tony decided he had enough and left his home to find his mom. He enrolled in school and stayed with his mom. He grew up in and out of foster care as a result of his mother's addiction and ran away from the group home where he was living. At the age of 17, he remembers meeting up with other kids who ran away and recalled taking his first drink of alcohol. "I don't know if I liked it, but I did notice that it got me out of myself. It made me more comfortable with my surroundings and what was going on at that time." As a child of mixed races, Tony experienced racism from both white and black communities and felt that he never "fit in" either culture. He started working out and landed a job as a bouncer in a local nightclub. Tony found it easy to hang out with the girls who worked there, who were also addicts. At this point, he was introduced to cocaine, and he found he liked the excitement and attention he was getting. He started experimenting with shooting up the pills and found out that he needed to have his opiates to feel good. Tony then realized that heroin was cheaper and easier to use and became addicted to heroin. Listen in to find out how Tony hit rock bottom and finally ended up clean at Rock Recovery Center. At Rock Recovery Center, we take a humanistic approach to recovery, teaching our clients how to live independently in a sober world. We care about the success and safety of each and every one of our clients from the moment they step into our center to the future of their well-being. Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review! Show Notes: [03:49] Tony's story of how he got into drugs and alcohol. [04:36] How alcohol gave Tony comfort from his feelings. [08:15] Growing up with his uncle and grandmother. [11:09] He looks for his missing mom at a local bar she frequented. [13:44] Why Tony hung out with other kids who drank alcohol. [17:15] Drinking on the weekend was the "thing to do" with his cousins. [19:34] Getting involved with the females who worked at the club with him. [21:19] How Tony became addicted to opiates in addition to alcohol and cocaine. [25:22] Ending up homeless and on the streets as a result of heroin use. [27:50] Tony opens up about his faith and how his belief became his guide in life. [30:36] Prayer and how this has helped Tony with his recovery from addiction. [33:29] How he made the decision to put 100% of himself into his recovery. [34:49] Tony's advice to current users and drug addicts. [37:05] Sharing your story of addiction with the right person. [42:06] Giving up your will, prayer and the practice of being a good person. [45:52] Impacting people you wouldn't have been able to reach if you weren't a recovering addict. Episode Links and Resources Real Recovery Live Chat Real Recovery Talk on the Web Real Recovery Talk on YouTube Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes Rock Recovery Center Real Recovery Talk on Facebook Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions

In today's episode, Benjamin and I are going to talk about the "why" behind being an addict. Drinking and doing drugs is a cover for an underlying emotional issue that must be addressed to fully recover successfully. Our clients, because of the choices they have made in the past, do not have the best behavior or comments when they are moving through the process of recovery. In today's episode, Ben and I will talk about questions and feedback we hear from clients most often, and how we respond to their concerns. If you're in a treatment program, make sure to really focus on treatment so you can get better and move on with your life. Realize the recovery process, to be successful, take time. You may have been an addict for over a decade - spending two weeks in recovery will not give you enough time to recognize what you need to change. Also, realize that you will need to not only be aware of the emotional issues that ended you up in recovery, but you'll also need to process these emotions and be mindful of triggers that can lead to continuing your addictive behavior. It's also easy to be in a mindset of not wanting to drink or do drugs, but that alone will not lead to a successful recovery. We talk about the six legs of alcoholism, including consequences, which, in and of themselves, are not enough to give you a clean and sober life. Some clients want to get back to their family and responsibilities. However, we see clients that leave early as they have self-evaluated they are OK, they go home and continue their addiction. Many times, you weren't helping before you came to rehab, as your addiction came first. You were most likely stealing and being an emotional and spiritual burden to your loved ones. When you're not ready to leave, you aren't prepared to take care of someone else, let alone take care of yourself. At Rock Recovery Center, we take a humanistic approach to recovery, teaching our clients how to live independently in a sober world. We care about the success and safety of each and every one of our clients from the moment they step into our center to the future of their well-being. Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review! Show Notes: [03:27] Why people come for treatment at Rock Recovery Center. [04:12] When our clients "don't even feel like using anymore." [08:19] Motivators and consequences for the addict. [11:17] Addicts saying they don't want to drink or drug anymore is usually a precursor to a future negative event. [14:07] Unicorn addicts who can successfully complete the program in 30 days. [18:15] Treatment and sober living can take up to a year to recover. [19:49] "I just want to move on and put 'this' behind me." [22:19] SMART goals and creating a new and healthy routine. [24:40] The difference between leaving and leaving when you are ready. Episode Links and Resources Real Recovery Live Chat Real Recovery Talk on the Web Real Recovery Talk on YouTube Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes Rock Recovery Center Real Recovery Talk on Facebook Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

"When I started coming to meetings, I actually saw freedom in people's faces, and in the way they spoke, they were just really happy! And I wanted that, you know? It gave me a whole new perspective." - Patricia Ben and I are chatting with Patricia today. She is a very successful member of our community. Patricia took our suggestions and acted on them to become sober. Consuming her first drink at 12, Patricia decided she liked the feeling of drinking, trying to escape her feelings. This process became a never-ending cycle, bringing fear into her life until she finally realized she couldn't live the life she was living. She had several factors that led up to her eventual sober recovery. With her third DUI and recently breaking up with her boyfriend, Patricia started binge drinking for weeks on end, then stopped. While binge drinking, she would pay for a motel, drink until she passed out, then wake up the next day and repeat the pattern again. She also held a job at a bloodwork lab during the day and worked 60+ hours per week. Part of her knew if this behavior continued that she would die. Patricia realized she needed a change and wanted to do whatever she could to get back on the right path. The first time she checked into treatment, she worked on her sobriety for a year-and-a-half. "I was stuck in a sort of a bubble, and I was so focused on my internship that I didn't have time for anything else. When I got out of that, it was very much a culture shock for me. I didn't have anything else to rely on besides my new husband, and life got very overwhelming for me, and I ended up in a motel room." She didn't have a clear path to fall back on when she was released from her prior treatment center and returned to drinking. At Rock Recovery Center, we take a humanistic approach to recovery, teaching our clients how to live independently in a sober world. Many times, we don't have to remove freedoms from our clients as they are going down the right path with guidance. Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review! Show Notes: [03:35] Patricia is a star member of our sober community. [04:37] She tells of her story of spiraling downward into addiction. [06:04] Factors that led to her second attempt at treatment, including her third DUI. [08:40] What Patricia learned during her treatment at Rock Recovery Center. [10:40] How Patricia would deal with her previous life stressors running away. [13:53] Her daily schedule interning at her first treatment center. [16:50] Recovery happens outside of work, not inside of your workday. [19:45] Patricia realized that the choices she was going to make came down to her making the right decisions. [21:49] Treatment models that fail is because they do not give the opportunity to practice their new tools in treatment. [26:00] Providing the opportunity for yourself to do better. [27:28] Three suggestions given to Patricia to help her build a better life. [31:33] The challenges and reality of becoming sober. [34:48] Why rehab romance never works. [39:27] The pattern of romantic relationship development in rehab. [41:27] Thanks to Patricia for coming on the show. We are honored to witness her sobriety. Episode Links and Resources Real Recovery Live Chat Real Recovery Talk on the Web Real Recovery Talk on YouTube Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes Rock Recovery Center Real Recovery Talk on Facebook Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

"I have little brothers and sisters that currently don't have a dad so I feel like if I work on myself and get better for myself I can be a better role model and support for my family back home.' " - Mitchell Ben and I are chatting with Mitchell, who is 21 and has been in treatment five times because of his previous cocaine addiction. He started his addiction at 16, with college friends smoking weed mixed with cocaine. Then, he had two knee surgeries as a result of football injuries at age 17 and was hooked on Percocet. Not only was he addicted, but he also sold his prescription to other friends. He admits that early on, during his addiction, "I lost a lot of really good friends, and I lost a perfect girl at that time." Mitchell's mother was monitoring his medication and realized he was taking too many drugs and decided to stop giving him his medicine. At that time, Mitchell decided to go into treatment for juveniles at age 17 for one year. After his time in rehab, Mitchell returned home to live with his parents. He soon became, "caught in the wrong crowd, started fighting, stealing and not living the life that I should've been. It was really hard." At 19, he had to get another surgery, let his friends persuade him to take narcotic pain medications. From this point, he went back to cocaine, then switched to Xanax, and tried a multitude of other drugs. At 20, he went to detox again in Miami. Since then, he has been bouncing back and forth between centers without success until he came to Rock Recovery Center. He understands how peer pressure really pulls him down in a negative cycle. Mitchell knows he has to work on himself and have more self-control with his emotions. His family has a big part in gaining his sobriety. Dad is currently in prison, he loves his dad and feels that he has to help himself before he can help his dad. Even though his dad is in a tough situation, Mitchell understands that he needs to become clean so his dad won't be disappointed in him. Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review! Show Notes: [03:58] Mitchell introduces himself and starts with his story of addiction at age 16. [06:20] How he played the healthcare system to get more opioid drugs. [09:34] What elements made Mitchell become unstable in recovery? [10:30] How he is influenced by females and why he wants to break this habit. [12:56] Ben talks about his experiences with previous relapses. [15:48] Pitfalls that have given Mitchell huge obstacles for his sobriety. [19:18] What things Mitchell can't go without during his sobriety. [21:45] Going to treatment to go back and contribute to your family's health. [25:03] Mitchell's plans and goals moving forward. [28:20] Mentors and people to look up to during treatment. [30:48] Priorities with relationships - make sure you are going in the right direction. Episode Links and Resources Real Recovery Live Chat Real Recovery Talk on the Web Real Recovery Talk on YouTube Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes Rock Recovery Center Real Recovery Talk on Facebook Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

"I remember looking in the bathroom mirror and saying to myself, 'You're an alcoholic because you are drinking just like your old man.' " -John S. Ben and I are chatting with John S., who is a "real alcoholic" in his words. We are going to talk to John about sponsorship, which he is very adamant about. Our group chat will also dive into the differences between privately run and not-for-profit run treatment centers. John is a "real alcoholic" who was born in New Orleans, which is the drinking city of the world, where you can purchase drive-through alcohol. His father was a "beer-drinking alcoholic who loved to fight." He was unfaithful to his wife and cheated when playing games. His parents divorced around age 5, as his dad was very abusive. He started drinking casually in high school and remembered that he was always the guy pushing the alcohol on everybody during high school games. During college, he joined a fraternity and continued to drink, however, he didn't finish college. Even with drinking full-time, he never received a DUI. In addition to drinking, he added cocaine to his addiction in the mid-'80s. Since he was a functioning alcoholic, John was able to land a good banking job, making good money. He purchased a home and a lovely car with his new salary. He was living the good life until he was rear-ended by a dump truck and wasn't able to work because of damage to his spine and his neck. Now at home full-time, he started drinking more during the day as he was home alone. Drinking was an escape for his pain and suffering from his accident and subsequent surgeries. He would hide his alcohol in different places within his home and drink straight from the bottles. John would drink a little bit from each bottle, however, his partner only knew of one bottle he was drinking, so he didn't understand how much he was drinking. His doctor and his therapist didn't think he was an alcoholic. Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review! Show Notes: [04:38] John talks about his story, his path to alcoholism and his recovery. [07:05] He started drinking during his high school years. [08:56] John's mom remarried and moved, thinking that a geographical change would help her son. [10:23] His story of being rear-ended by a dump truck and the resulting effects. [13:36] John's friends who were in AA would try to get John to come to meetings. [15:54] The point at which his partner told him he needed to go to treatment. [18:30] His first night in a treatment center in Salt Lake City, UT. [22:24] Hiding bottles from himself, his partner and his family. [24:00] John started helping people the first day he was in recovery. [33:30] His take on relating to other people who were alcoholic, but not successful in life. [39:56] He talks about his "sponsees" in the program. [41:29] He and his person he has sponsored are total opposites but have a strong friendship. [46:19] John talks about his current living situation and sobriety. [51:51] Alcoholism as a progressive illness and relapse. [55:45] How desperation sets people apart. [58:44] John talks about how he came into Rock Recovery Center spiritually and morally bankrupt but came out the other end a whole person. Episode Links and Resources Real Recovery Live Chat Real Recovery Talk on the Web Real Recovery Talk on YouTube Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes Rock Recovery Center Real Recovery Talk on Facebook Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

Benjamin and I will give you advice on how to overcome the three biggest challenges you may face when you are moving from a life of addiction to a life of sobriety. First, you have to establish new relationships with other sober people. Don't hang out with your old friends who are drinking or doing drugs. They will be a negative influence on your life and can drag you back down to return to being an active addict. You'll outgrow the addicts that used to be your "friends," recover your family relationships and build new positive habits in your life. Look at your relationships and review your connections with others. Find those who genuinely love you and care about your well-being and restore these relationships. Review the relationships with others who are your drinking buddies or your friends you did drugs with and do not continue those connections. Grow your network that contains people who are also recovering, people who will assist you in moving forward in your sobriety, and add those who are a part of your sobriety journey. Secondly, you have to establish a new lifestyle as the former lifestyle is not conducive to sobriety. You have many hours to fill without drugs and alcohol. Find positive activities you like to do, such as exercise, finding a new hobby, and finding a job you want to do. Fill your day with positive, fun activities instead of the negative influence of drugs. You can also relearn to love old activities while sober! Third, be careful not to get into the "groundhog's day" syndrome. Make goals that are time-sensitive, and plan your day around moving forward toward your goals. Do activities that help you achieve what you want out of life. Make sure to start your day out positive. Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review! Show Notes: [03:15] Stopping your addiction is not easy, but you can recover and live a better life. [03:54] Establish new relationships with other sober people. [06:05] Build your life of recovery with spiritual growth and other positive habits. [10:34] You may want to restore relationships with others who stopped hanging out with you because of your addiction. [13:16] Establish a new lifestyle for your new life of recovery. [16:26] Why Ben hates running and he thinks it sucks, and why he does it every morning. [18:18] Find new activities you like to do through your new sober connections. [20:29] What can you do to deal with the boredom? [24:04] The Triangle Club meets at 7am for those who are dedicated to getting their lives back together before they go off to work. Episode Links and Resources Real Recovery Live Chat Real Recovery Talk on the Web Real Recovery Talk on YouTube Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes Rock Recovery Center Real Recovery Talk on Facebook Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

Benjamin and I will give you advice on the questions you should ask and how you can research recovery and addiction centers. There are seven key questions or points you should discuss when you are looking for a center. #1 Confirm that the person who answers the phone actually works at the facility and isn't a hotline operator. Make sure you are speaking to someone at the center, not an answering service. A team member can give you a better idea of what is going on at their treatment center and details about daily living and structure. When someone calls Rock Recovery Center, Ben and I see you, sit in on meetings, and follow-through with your recovery. #2 Seek an organization that provides a list of full-time healthcare and addiction facility team members, along with their credentials. Find out the client-to-staff ratio in the system that you are looking to go to or place your loved one. Ask about the longevity of the staff and the turnover rate. #3 Check with state and federal agencies to see if complaints have been filed with the center or its staff members. Look for places that are licensed through your local children and families, Joint Commission, or other reputable organizations. Look at Google reviews, but read the reviews, don't just look at star ratings. See what people are saying about the center. #4 Do not use a facility that offers perks such as free flights, rent, food, cash, drugs, or other open items in exchange for joining their program. This is an illegal offering from the facility or a client / patient broker. #5 Look for a facility that is associated with a medical institution, depending on what state you are looking for treatment. Some states, like Florida, have better small care treatment facilities. Ask about caseload to doctor ratio - make sure the large facility doesn't have a large client to doctor or therapist ratio. More than eight to 12 clients per therapist aren't going to give your loved one good care. Also, ask about staff turnover. #6 Abstinence, for long-term, is, in our opinion, the best form of treatment. We have had clients tell us their drug of choice and don't consider themselves to be sober when they are on "treatment drugs." Clients who have been on Suboxone can get hooked on this for years and are very sick when they get off their secondary drugs. Some centers will not take addicts who are on these drugs. #7 Check for accreditation for the facility you are looking into for your loved one. Review that facilities are doing activities to improve their standards. Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review! Show Notes: [05:56] #1 Confirm that the person who answers the phone actually works at the facility and isn't a hotline operator. [11:15] Ben does his best to personally greet clients when they arrive at Rock Recovery Center. [12:10] #2 Seek an organization who provides a list of full-time healthcare and addiction facility team members, along with their credentials. [17:16] Read Google reviews to see what others are saying about the facility. [19:30] #4 Do not use a facility that offers perks such as free flights, rent, food, cash or other free items in exchange for joining their program. [22:16] Avoid places that are involved in illegal activity, they cannot be trusted. [25:10] Be wary of treatment centers that first ask you what type of insurance you have. [30:13] Ask about case load to doctor ratio - make sure the large facility doesn't have a large client to doctor ratio. [33:09] Our discussion about using drugs to get off of addiction. [36:36] Ben talks about our success rate at Rock Recovery Center and the benefits of abstinence based therapy. [40:54] You can't relapse if you're not sober. Suboxone and other drugs are more addicting than the illegal drugs people are trying to get off of. [45:40] Ben and I discuss the checkboxes for staying accredited. [47:39] Give us a call or email us with questions! Episode Links and Resources Real Recovery Live Chat Real Recovery Talk on the Web Real Recovery Talk on YouTube Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes Rock Recovery Center Real Recovery Talk on Facebook Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

"In every single way, my sobriety has become a blessing for me." -Sean, Rock Recovery Center I have a guest today, Sean, who is from Long Island, New York. He came to our recovery center eight years ago for thirty days and decided to become a resident of Florida. We talk about Sean's stage character, how he dropped his walls, and his process of recovery. Two days before he came to Rock Recovery Center, Sean remembers "almost drinking myself to death. Everything was dark in my life. I didn't see a way out, and 99% of my thinking had to involve some sort of alcohol. I was losing my health, my wife and children, borderline diabetes with more than 120 pounds extra weight." He was Baker Acted after police came to his house because they received a call and thought he was going to hurt himself. When he returned from the hospital, he talked with his wife. In this conversation, he was yelling at her, then had a moment of clarity. The next day, he told his wife he needed help. Although he realized he needed help, he was adamant about not participating in a 12 Step Program as he didn't think it would work for him. When Sean landed in Florida for his first day of recovery, he felt he would erase over two decades of drinking in 29 days. In his first AA meeting, he didn't let any of the conversations in his head. He was 100% sure that this program wouldn't work for him. He created a calendar with 29 days to cross off until he went home. At the time he had six "x" marks on his calendar, he understood the fellowship of AA. "The lower your bottom, the higher your hope." He heard others who had much worse situations with addiction tell their stories of hope. "They were talking about how wonderful and amazing their lives were. If they could do it, I could do it! That little mustard seed of hope, that little bit of open-mindedness cracked open. Once it cracked open, it was off to the races." Listen in to find out how Sean realized he had a problem with alcohol, why he owes a debt of gratitude to the friend who told his wife details about his alcoholism, and why he thought he could "think his way through this" because of his education as a health coach. Learn how Sean views his recovery process today, how he came to the realization that he had to let the program process "in," and why prayer has made a significant difference in his life. Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review! Show Notes: [04:34] Sean's story of how and why he came to Rock Recovery Center. [07:34] What woke Sean up to his reality was a "look" he got from his then wife. [09:29] His first day of recovery at Rock Recovery Center. [11:33] Ben talks about his witness with Sean's process. [13:30] Sean says, "I was without a doubt, a polished up garbage can." [18:18] He saw the pain and sadness in his wife's eyes. [20:55] The key people in his life that influenced Sean to go to recovery. [22:55] For twenty years he tried to break the cycle of alcoholism on his own. [24:32] What factors changed Sean to stop drinking and how he views his recovery process today. [25:33] The day he decided to start praying, he has prayed everyday since and hasn't missed a day. [27:06] His experience in outpatient treatment after his inpatient time at the recovery center. [33:23] When Sean realized his new "normal" in his life. [37:27] How the community we build around us will directly affect your level of success. [41:10] Sean getting in with the "old timers" who had been sober for many years. [45:08] His old company rehires him and he was able to stay away from alcohol on the job and how his sobriety has made him stronger. [48:58] "There's a lot of respect for my sobriety" with people who drink. [51:14] His post recovery relationship with his children and his family. [53:42] How he recovered his relationship with his sister. [55:43] "You never know what meeting is going to change your life." Episode Links and Resources Real Recovery Live Chat Real Recovery Talk on the Web Real Recovery Talk on YouTube Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes Rock Recovery Center Real Recovery Talk on Facebook Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com