You know you need help. You've tried everything, and you're still struggling to quit drinking. Rehab is the obvious next step, but the idea of going to inpatient treatment is overwhelming. In this ground breaking episode, you'll hear from four different guests who share what their experience in rehab was like. And not just their experiences, but you'll also hear how they handled telling their employer they were going to treatment; how they got the most out of the experience; what fears they had, and how they faced them.

Rehab has the potential to be a life changing experience. If you or someone you love is considering going to inpatient treatment for alcohol use disorder, we're here to make sure you're equipped with all the knowledge and advice you need to make this less intimidating, and also to make sure you find lasting freedom from alcohol.

In this episode:

• What will you tell your employer? Your family?
• The danger of comparing yourself to others in rehab
• What to expect from medically supervised detox
• The value of connection
• Giving yourself permission to put yourself first
• Facing - and reconciling - your past
• What does "doing the work" actually mean?
• Going back to your normal life after rehab

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Billie hails from the great state of Oregon in the greater Pacific Northwest. After a career in law enforcement, she now works as a professional elder justice subject matter expert, as well as an instructor in Oregon’s law enforcement academy. She is also a domestic violence advocate for her local police department and meets with survivors of intimate partner violence to provide resources and safety planning options. Billie continues her advocacy by being involved in her states suicide prevention and awareness programs and facilitates her local chapter of a suicide bereavement group for families who have lost their loved ones to suicide. She is wife, mom to two wonderful kids and an avid dog lover.

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My name is David and I am 20 months into my recovery journey. I had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol for 20 plus years. I started in rehab and began putting in the work. I believe everyone can choose their own path in recovery. Through support from family, friends, community, sharing, and counseling, I have been able to begin healing from childhood traumas. It is an honor to be a part of such a beautiful community of people. I didn’t know how lost I was until I found myself. One love!

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Scott: I am a proud father of twin boys. I host The Sober Heathen podcast with which I document my recovery journey. Although it is sometimes painful and deeply raw it helps me tremendously to recover honestly and openly! I have 4 OWI’s, thousands in fines due, no license until the 30’s (2030 :P), I am living back home, and I still have never felt better and in more control! Recovery is worth it because with it there is always HOPE!

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Chris McGuinn served as Policy Advisor for the U.S. Department of Labor on opioid issues. He created the “Make Them Describe, Before They Prescribe” campaign, encouraging claimants to ask important questions when receiving new prescriptions. He has also worked in the addiction treatment field, managing single-site and multi-state operations for various Intensive Outpatient providers in the Washington, DC area. He founded More Than 28 to advocate for longer stays and better insurance coverage for treatment.

www.morethan28.com

Twitter: @morethan28

Instagram: @more_than28

Facebook: www.facebook.com/morethan28

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings. We also have a Facebook Group where our friends and listeners can offer support to one another. Come join us!

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No matter how long you've been sober, staying sober during the holidays can be tough. So much of our lives revolved around alcohol for so long, and that seems to come on full force when the holiday season hits. Whether it's because you're socializing and celebrating, or because the holidays bring a deep sense of loneliness and grief, we want you to know you're not alone, and you CAN do this - and not just survive the holidays, but thrive through them. Listen as we chat with Austin, Billie, and Jennifer about their experiences with staying sober during the holidays, and what they've learned to make it easier.

In this episode:

• Grief during Christmas
• Facing hard memories without alcohol
• How you can start preparing for the holidays NOW
• How to handle the unknown of your first sober holiday season
• Learning how to allow it to just be hard
• Building new traditions to replace the old, alcohol-infused ones
• Start experimenting with new things
• Know your limits, and stay home if that's what you need to do.

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Billie hails from the great state of Oregon in the greater Pacific Northwest. After a career in law enforcement, she now works as a professional elder justice subject matter expert, as well as an instructor in Oregon’s law enforcement academy. She is also a domestic violence advocate for her local police department and meets with survivors of intimate partner violence to provide resources and safety planning options. Billie continues her advocacy by being involved in her states suicide prevention and awareness programs and facilitates her local chapter of a suicide bereavement group for families who have lost their loved ones to suicide. She is wife, mom to two wonderful kids and an avid dog lover.

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

You can also find Julie and Steve on:

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What causes a relapse? And what are you supposed to do after a relapse, if that's where you find yourself? In this week's episode of Through the Glass Recovery Podcast, we're joined by Patti Clark and Dave Davis, who share their experiences. Patti relapsed after 10 years of sobriety, and shares what she sees now, looking back on that. Dave went through several relapses before finally reaching lasting sobriety, and the lessons he learned from each relapse are what got him to where he is now. Whether you're currently in a relapse cycle, or just want to avoid relapsing in the future, this episode is chock full of everything you need to hear.

In this episode:

• The loss of connection as a cause of relapse
• Finding people you really feel a connection with - not just any support group, but the right one
• Understanding society's influence
• Learn about yourself and your challenges so you can move through them
• Dealing with the shame after relapse
• Sobriety vs. Recovery
• Finding the lesson in a relapse
• Learning to love yourself enough that you can stay sober
• When you're limping along in sobriety, you're likely to relapse

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Patti Clark is the award-winning author of This Way Up: Seven Tools for Unleashing Your Creative Self and Transforming Your Life. Her own experience as a middle-aged woman in recovery is deeply reflected in her new book, Recovery Road Trip: Finding Purpose and Connection on the Journey Home.

Patti was born and raised in Northern California, lived in New Zealand for many years, and is now living in Portugal.

Online

https://www.patticlark.org

https://www.facebook.com/PattiClarkAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/patticlarkauthor

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Senior Database Architect by day. Husband, Father, Musician, Photographer, Artist, Internet DJ, Astrologer, Designer and Writer by night. Born and raised in Ottumwa, Iowa and later in Cedar Rapids, moved to Illinois in the 80s to go to DeVry. And never left. With many attempts at quitting drinking through the pandemic, it finally worked for me on the 20th of March 2023 and I have not looked back since.

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

You can also find Julie and Steve on:

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Facing fear in recovery can feel overwhelming. When you're still using alcohol, it's easy to drink your way through what would be a scary situation. But in sobriety, facing fear means developing resiliency, building confidence and courage, and knowing how to face fear head on.

In this episode, we explore how fear has affected us now that we're in recovery. We talk about what things make us feel afraid or anxious and why. We also share everything we've learned about moving through fear in ways that don't make us want to turn back to alcohol. Join us as we chat with Kenny (Recovery Hill); Corina, and Amber, and share our insights and advice on dealing with fear in recovery.

In this episode:

• Getting sober gives you the confidence to face anything
• Social anxiety and the fear of public speaking
• "Suck it up and just do it."
• Healthy fears vs. unhealthy fears - how to tell the difference
• Fear is about assumption and uncertainty
• The foundation of dysregulation is fear
• Fear can either lead you to worse version of yourself or a better version of yourself - it's up to you.
• Dealing with the fear of major change
• How others influence our fear
• Authenticity decreases the effect that fear has on us
• The more fears you face, the more confident you become
• Fear and excitement are physiologically the same experience
• How to make friends with fear
• Talking about fears helps to release their hold on you
• The process of building resiliency
• Fear has value - and we would be wise to stop avoiding it.

A large number of people who have an alcohol use disorder are using alcohol, at least in part, to self medicate symptoms of anxiety. For many, they don't realize that the alcohol is actually fueling and perpetuating their anxiety, because in the short term, it feels like alcohol is the quickest way to settle racing thoughts and a pounding heart. Removing alcohol from your life will immediately decrease your anxiety levels, but for some people, they're still left with some of the rumination and worry that kept them in a drinking cycle for so long. Learning tools that you can use in place of alcohol is fundamental in sobriety - without these tools, you'll be at risk of relapse.

In this episode, Taylor and Sarah join Julie and Steve to talk about coping with anxiety after quitting alcohol. They offer tips and tools that you can use right now, in addition to some mindset shifts that will be helpful for you to adopt. If you've ever suffered from anxiety - even in small doses - this is an episode you won't want to miss.

For more conversations about anxiety after quitting drinking, check out these previous epsiodes:

How to Cope With Anxiety In Recovery

Social Anxiety and Alcohol

In this episode:

• Panic attacks
• Supplements that help with anxiety after quitting alcohol
• Understanding that drinking actually causes anxiety
• Developing good habits that bring peace (and realizing alcohol counters those habits)
• Mindfulness as an anxiety tool
• Why imagining the worst isn't always a bad thing
• Therapy to increase coping skills
• The subconscious' effect on anxiety
• Why authenticity is at the core of overcoming anxiety

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My name is Taylor! I embarked on my sober journey in January of 2024 after being sober curious for about a year. After years of using alcohol to cope with trauma from abuse, anxiety, OCD & panic attacks, I took the final leap into healing and gave it up.

I am from small town Wisconsin and spend most of my days on the farm with my fiance taking care of our crops, chickens and cows. I am passionate about helping others, traveling, writing, and growing in my faith by participating in Bible study and spending time at our local church. I share my alcohol free journey with others to inspire and build community on TikTok through Tay’s Sober Journey.

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Sarah Siegel-Kolodziejski, originally from a small town in England, relocated to the United States around 30 years ago. With a background in fashion, real estate, and clean beauty, she started her passion project, Pure Clarity, under the motto “mindful drinking, mindful living.” Drawing from her personal journey with an unhealthy relationship with alcohol to an alcohol- free lifestyle 3 years ago, her goal was to create a platform for inspiring leaders, wellness and consumers in the zero-proof movement to come together. Through retreats, classes, and collaboration with alcohol-free brands, she hosts events in southern California for a community dedicated to celebrating an alcohol-free lifestyle fueled by mindful living. Whether for a lifetime, a day, a month or......

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

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In this episode, we’re diving into a topic that so many of us face on our sobriety journey: the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Julie and Steve sit down with Gina (Modern Day Monk), art therapist Heather, and their long time friend Raul, for a great conversation, sharing personal experiences and insights on navigating social events, friendships, and lifestyle changes while staying alcohol-free. Together, they unpack the emotional challenges, offer practical tips, and explore how to create a fulfilling life without the need to "keep up" with the drinking culture. Whether you’re new to sobriety or years into your journey, this conversation is sure to resonate and inspire. Tune in, and let’s tackle FOMO together!

In this episode:

• You'll have to grieve your past life - and that's okay
• We tend to romanticize drinking... but romanticizing is not reality
• Learning to socialize without alcohol
• Fear of missing out on real life instead of fear of missing out on drinking
• Learn how to have fun without alcohol
• Create a recovery where fomo doesn't exist
• Find new ways to celebrate
• True joy only happens without alcohol
• Addressing the parts of you that make you want to avoid being present
• Finding "JOMO"
• Find people who make you want to do better

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Hello my people!

My name is Gina Murillo also known as Modern Day Monk. I'm a strong woman in long term sustained recovery and I live a wonderful life as a result of that. I consider myself a vibe influencer, a recovery rapper, and recovery speaker. I teach Muay Thai kickboxing and train Brazilian Jiu-jitsu at the best gym in Grand Junction called Grand Valley Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. I'm also a full time student at Colorado State University and spend my free time helping others in all kinds of ways. My intention is to share my experience, strength, and hope with the world to help empower those around me. You can find some of the life lessons that I have learned on my social media, as I share them to inspire others. Thank you for taking the time to check out my journey. All love.

https://moderndaymonkmusic.com

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

You can also find Julie and Steve on:

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In this episode of Through the Glass Recovery Podcast, we take a look into the ripple effects sobriety can have on personal relationships. Often, the road to recovery isn't just about changing your habits—it's about transforming the way you interact with the people closest to you. Whether it's mending broken trust, fostering deeper connections, or navigating difficult conversations, sobriety will profoundly impact your connections. In this episode, you'll hear real-life stories from author Patti Clark and Kerryann, finance professional and student of psychology, who have experienced these shifts firsthand, sharing their insights, struggles, and successes in rebuilding bonds and fostering healthier relationships in their journey to sobriety.

In this episode:

• The painful reality of letting certain relationships go
• Choosing relationships carefully
• How your spouse can support you
• Different people will react to your sobriety in different ways
• How to respond when people think you're boring
• Dealing with the friction when you stand up for yourself
• Removing expectations from relationships
• Relationships with teen children
• Codependency, and how to disconnect with love
• Connected relationships shine a light on the empty ones

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Patti Clark is the award-winning author of This Way Up: Seven Tools for Unleashing Your Creative Self and Transforming Your Life. Her own experience as a middle-aged woman in recovery is deeply reflected in her new book, Recovery Road Trip: Finding Purpose and Connection on the Journey Home.

Patti was born and raised in Northern California, lived in New Zealand for many years, and is now living in Portugal.

https://www.patticlark.org

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

You can also find Julie and Steve on:

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In this episode of Through the Glass Recovery Podcast, we focus on one of the most crucial phases of recovery: your first 30 days sober. Five people share what they experienced during this transformative period, offering an honest look at the challenges, triumphs, and lessons they’ve learned. If you're in the early stages of your own sober journey and are wondering what to expect, these stories provide powerful insights, encouragement, and practical advice. Tune in for raw, real-life reflections on navigating sobriety’s beginning steps and learn how to thrive, not just survive these first 30 days.

In this episode:

• Setting small goals
• Finding support in a community
• How your partner can support you
• Overcoming the shame that comes with addiction
• The benefits of therapy
• Doing it for you - instead of for someone else
• Making it your only job - no matter what, all that matters is that you don't drink
• Dealing with emotions in early sobriety
• Withdrawals
• Giving yourself grace and patience
• Permission to be selfish for awhile

If you're making your way through early sobriety, or are ready to quit drinking, make sure you check out these episodes also:

What to Expect In Early Sobriety

What We Wish We Knew About the First 30 Days of Sobriety

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Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.

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