Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. In today's episode, Early discusses the foundational ideas that the RD secular addiction recovery/sober curious support groups have been built upon. These ideas are a work in progress, but include: -a land & history acknowledgement -viewing oneself as a scientist and a test subject in our recovery -the belief that we are powerful and already whole -a practice of recognizing our a...
Oct 14, 2025•35 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In today's episode, we hear Brittany's addiction recovery/sober curious story. She grew up with parents in active addiction and experienced abandonment and trauma in early childhood. When she had her first drink, fireworks started going off, and she knew that this was the key to feeling better... for now. As she became an adult her drinking got out of control, although she wasn't able to view it that way at the time. She experienced tragedy after tragedy, and as she did, she spiraled further and...
Oct 07, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. In order to rewire our brains, we must feed them new information. Or bathe them in a soup of new information. Today, Early recommends a few books and podcasts to support addiction recovery. They also start the conversation about accountability for harm caused during addiction. Books: How to Eat to Change How You Drink by Brooke Scheller, DCN, CNS Dry by Augusten Burroughs The Places ...
Sep 30, 2025•29 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Today we hear Emily's addiction story and about how she became sober curious. Emily's childhood involved having one parent in severe addiction, and the other parent covering for them. She discusses the complexity of loving someone who is abusing you, and using sex as a young person to seek the approval she wasn't getting at home. She began drinking and smoking pot, and soon began using both quite heavily. Emily reflects on how her upbringing affects her relationships in adulthood. Today she is w...
Sep 23, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. In today's episode, Early discusses the two pivotal mental shifts they made in their life that turned recovery from feeling impossible to being possible. Once they made these mental shifts, they were no longer "trying to quit drinking." Instead, they finally just quit. Want to donate to our nonprofit? Click here to donate! Join our Patreon! Click here! Check out our merch store! Clic...
Sep 16, 2025•29 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Today we hear Bill's addiction recovery story. Bill first saw the destructive powers of alcohol when his dad started drinking a lot after his parents got divorced. His own experimentation with binge drinking led to blackouts early on. In high school, he recognized that his drinking and weed smoking had started messing up his life and he decided to move in with his grandmother. After moving out and going to college, the lack of oversight led to an acceleration in his drinking and he flunked out o...
Sep 09, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. Today we explore more secular addiction recovery resources for sober curious people. What works for you is what works for you! Try everything and see what sticks. Maybe understanding your shadow self will help. Perhaps reading about someone else who has been on a crack bender will make you feel less alone. Maybe the practical tools of Buddhism will soothe your anxious mind. Everythin...
Sep 02, 2025•28 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Today we hear Jonny's addiction recovery story as a neurodivergent veteran. Jonny grew up with a father who drank quite a bit. He made it to the age of 19 without ever drinking or using drugs, and then after signing up for the navy, he started to party. Drinking felt like a better version of himself - at first. After leaving the military he started working at a bar on Dickson Street. The drinking culture of bartenders gave him a free pass to take shots whenever, and to be drunk at work. Eventual...
Aug 26, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. In this week's episode, Early shares a bit about addictive cravings and how to survive them for sober curious people or folks in addiction recovery. They also share a few resources of things that have been helpful for them along the way. However, what's most important is to find what works for you. Do you like running? Music so loud your ears bleed? Yoga videos? Do you like calling y...
Aug 19, 2025•27 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In today's episode, Early speaks with Hope about their addiction recovery story as a queer and neurodivergent person. They were raised by their grandparents due to their parents being in active addiction. Hope was determined to not be like their parents, but things didn't turn out the way their kid self had planned. They began by smoking weed to alleviate cramps, and later started stealing beer from their grandparent's fridge. Skipping school became the norm, and after getting their GED they sta...
Aug 12, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. Let us continue to bathe our brains in a soup of new information. This month's list contains two addiction memoirs and a book on attachment theory, as well as three single-episode recommendations for podcasts on attachment theory. Addiction recovery stories help us feel less alone, and understanding attachment theory can help us lead a healthier sober or sober curious life! Books: I'...
Aug 05, 2025•29 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Obsidian returns to discuss their ongoing addiction recovery story as a queer and neurodivergent person! In today's episode, we discuss the complexity of using again after a period of abstinence. Our healing work doesn't just disappear, and it can inform our experience when we use again. Picking back up again can be very different, end quickly, and be a reminder of why we quit in the first place. The danger lives within our perspective, and whether we view ourselves as inherently "bad" for using...
Jul 29, 2025•55 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Today we hear Randy's addiction recovery story. Randy's life started with tragedy and abandonment trauma; he was the sole survivor of a car wreck that killed his mother and two brothers when he was only 9 months old. Growing up he was always the odd one out until he found drugs and bad kids. He managed to keep his life together for a long time while drinking and using a variety of drugs. Eventually, crack became his downfall. Years of hard drug use landed him in a scientology based rehab, then l...
Jul 22, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. In today's episode Early goes over our inherent need for both community and alone time, why your social anxiety makes you normal, how alcohol advertising targets our "wound of existence", anti-individualism, why normal things don't feel good anymore, and the ultimate question to ask while socializing: "Why am I here??" Follow along with the slideshow: Click here! Johan Hari's Ted Tal...
Jul 15, 2025•32 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In today's episode, Early talks with their friend Elise about her addiction recovery story. Elise suffered sports concussions as a kid and had to stop playing soccer, which at that time was a huge part of her identity. A resulting change in her body and self-image led to an eating disorder as a teen. During high school she experimented with alcohol with her friends. As an adult she entered into relationships with men who had addictions, and this led to her also drinking more. A relationship with...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably ever heard of. Today Early discusses a few more books & podcasts to supplement your recovery, along with a speech from their soapbox and for some reason - a lot of cussing. They discuss a practical book about methods to expore while quitting drinking, an addiction memoir, tracing addiction back to childhood trauma with Gabor Mate, imposter syndrome and how to overcome it, a podcast for wine moms...
Jul 01, 2025•25 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Today we hear Andie's addiction recovery story and how they got into harm reduction. Andie's life started in a family with everyone in various degrees of neurodivergence and addiction. They began as many of us do, with stealing beer out of a friend's parent's garage fridge. Soon they got in legal trouble from bringing alcohol to school. They and their brother both proceeded to escalate their drug and alcohol use, although things went of the deep end much more quickly for their brother. After hig...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. This is a replay of Early's interview with Samar Kargbo on his podcast "Sort of Sure" - a podcast about imposter syndrome. Early talks about their time in EMS, a bit about their addiction recovery story, starting a nonprofit, and how they overcome seemingly insurmountable tasks. Check out Samar's work - https://samarthinks.com Join our Patreon! Click here! Check out our merch store! ...
Jun 17, 2025•26 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Today we hear Sophia's addiction recovery story. Sophia grew up in a house where both parents drank. She took her first drink when she was 12 and was smoking meth by age 14, and began rebelling in every way possible. She met some older friends, began selling meth and weed, and remarks on how her relationships felt transactional. Later she went to prison several times, once where she was subjected to a prison boot camp, and another time she was pregnant while in prison. A persistent discomfort wi...
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. Another curated list of recovery resources to help you on your journey! It is time to reprogram our brains and bathe them in a soup of new information. We hear about a book discussing sober sex and dating, addiction recovery stories, and a book about addressing burnout and neurodivergence under capitalism. Books: Dry Humping by Tawny Lara Girl Walks Out of a Bar by Lisa Smith Lazines...
Jun 03, 2025•27 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Today we hear from Misha about their addiction recovery story as a LGBT and neurodivergent person. He describes his childhood as both boring and traumatic, having grown up queer in a strict religious household. His brothers introduced him to the liquor cabinet, and after they moved away, it became all his. A sexual assault in college sent him spinning out of control and he shortly found himself in the psych ward, which proved to be less than healing. He found recovery through a series of steps i...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Today we hear Clay's addiction recovery story as a neurodivergent person. His life began with both parents having problems with addiction, and having to leave with his mother and sister on the run from their father. This created a foundation of deep fear that characterized much of his life. Struggling in school as a neurodivergent person added additional stress. Smoking weed allowed him to have the social connection he yearned for as a young person, then opiates soon came into the picture, as di...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 8 min
As we continue to bathe our brains in a soup of new information, we grow, and we become stronger and more resilient. Learning new things helps to rewire our brains! Make your addiction a thing of the past. We discuss becoming sober curious, a book on the neuroscience of addiction, indigenous storytelling, sober black girls club, a podcast on women in recovery, and more! Books: Sober Curious by Ruby Warrington The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease by Marc Lewis Crazywater by Brian...
May 13, 2025•22 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In today's episode, Obsidian tells their addiction recovery story. Their life begins with a mix of emotions, with their loved ones both caring for them in some ways and also being emotionally abusive in others. They mostly abstained from substances even though their friends were imbibing-it just didn't feel safe enough to experiment at the time. Their first experiences with alcohol and weed were both unexpected. In adulthood, they had a major friend group fracture, followed by a serendipitous en...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. People are always asking how/why Recovery Demystified got started! In today's episode, Early discusses why they started Recovery Demystified as a non-profit instead of a for-profit business. They also give a reader's digest version of their story with addiction and recovery as a queer and neurodivergent person, including bits and pieces of why AA/NA caused more harm than good. Recove...
Apr 29, 2025•26 min
In today's episode, Karrie tells her addiction recovery story. Her life began as a victim of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy - her stepmother created fake health problems on her behalf which resulted in unnecessary medications and surgeries. Much of the time she was locked in her room. She later went to juvie, a shelter, and the foster care system. When she found alcohol, she experienced a "hallelujah moment," and began drinking as fast and as much as she could. Soon, she burned through all her fri...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. Click here to follow along with the slideshow! Today, Early discusses how thoughts originate, and how addictive processes can hijack our thoughts. They then present three concrete methods to address difficult thoughts. We explore the HALT method, the RAIN method, and the kitchen table method for responding to challenging emotions. Addiction recovery opens us up to experiencing everyt...
Apr 15, 2025•30 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In today's episode, Kailey tells her addictionr recovery story with alcohol and vaping. Her parents were divorced and as the oldest child she took on much of the role of parenting her siblings. Soon, she started with average teenage experimentation and college binge drinking. She reflects on how "no one teaches us how to drink" and how this led to her binge drinking and vaping to the max. She began to create rules around her drinking to rein it in. Ultimately, her supressed emotions began bubbli...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Recovery Resources that actually help, build your own recovery with secret resources you probably never heard of. Addiction recovery support... incoming! Let us continue to bathe our brains in a soup of new information. Knowledge is power, after all, so how about picking up a new book or listening to a new podcast? Addiction recovery resources can come in many shapes and sizes. Learning how to communicate with ourselves and others, as well as understanding the science of addiction, can be helpfu...
Apr 01, 2025•23 min•Season 2Ep. 3
n today's episode we hear Robert's addiction recovery story. Robert's life began in a pretty rough way: with childhood neglect, abuse in the family, and having his dad give him beers because he thought it was funny. Robert's childhood consisted of misbehavior, escalating drug and alcohol use, and being repeatedly kicked out of different schools. In adulthood he followed his intuition to seek more in life by traveling, though his addiction and arrest record tagged along with him. He couldn't keep...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Season 2Ep. 2
