Send us a text The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are the framework for how the groups work. According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "The '12 Traditions' of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we A.A.'s believe, the best answers to that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, 'How can A.A. best function?' and, 'How can A.A. best stay whole and so survive?'" As alcoholics, our person ambition and "good intentions," could turn this fellowship away from it's primary pur...
Sep 14, 2021•55 min•Ep. 42
Send us a text The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are the framework for how the groups work. According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "The '12 Traditions' of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we A.A.'s believe, the best answers to that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, 'How can A.A. best function?' and, 'How can A.A. best stay whole and so survive?'" As alcoholics, our person ambition and "good intentions," could turn this fellowship away from it's primary pur...
Sep 07, 2021•42 min•Ep. 41
Send us a text 12 Step groups have a tradition around their public relations policy, which is attraction rather than promotion. But what does that exactly mean? John I steps in to have a discussion of this topic. Does it mean you never talk about AA or other 12 step programs, even in front of someone clearly sick and suffering? Should you never post about the program on social media? Does this podcast violate this principle? Or is there more nuance to this? We invite you to join the discussion a...
Aug 31, 2021•57 min•Ep. 40
Send us a text The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are the framework for how the groups work. According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "The '12 Traditions' of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we A.A.'s believe, the best answers to that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, 'How can A.A. best function?' and, 'How can A.A. best stay whole and so survive?'" As alcoholics, our person ambition and "good intentions," could turn this fellowship away from it's primary pur...
Aug 24, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 39
Send us a text Tyler thought is was normal to get drunk growing up. It was what everyone in town did at his age. Then his parents got divorced and the drinking escalated. But he already had a strong, spiritual faith and it ended up being his lifeline. Tyler is a childhood friend of my wife. He heard about this podcast from her on Facebook and wanted to talk about his life in sobriety. In this episode, Tyler discusses is upbringing in a wealthy town, the break up of his parent's marriage and how ...
Aug 17, 2021•50 min•Ep. 38
Send us a text The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are the framework for how the groups work. According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "The '12 Traditions' of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we A.A.'s believe, the best answers to that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, 'Ho can A.A. best function?' and, 'How can A.A. best stay whole and so survive?'" As alcoholics, our person ambition and "good intentions," could turn this fellowship away from it's primary purp...
Aug 10, 2021•57 min•Ep. 37
Send us a text Nate Kelly is the host of the Sobriety Diaries Podcast on Instagram and wherever you get your podcasts. He is also an alcoholic. I was fascinated by his story in listening to his show and he was gracious enough to join us. In this episode, Nate talks about his story, his experience with drinking, his alcoholic stroke in his 30's that was not enough to stop drinking, his recovery and how he's been in service to those in recovery. This is an inspiring story you will love. You can fi...
Aug 03, 2021•56 min•Ep. 36
Send us a text When you are new to sobriety, you may think life is now just sitting in church basements. Early on, you'll see a lot of church basements, but as you grow in your new sobriety, the opportunity to enjoy your life presents itself. John I and Steve C join in to talk about the debt of gratitude they owe to their 12 step program and how life has become better. Support the show 📫 Get more honest conversations about sobriety delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to The Sober Friends Dispatc...
Jul 27, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 35
Send us a text Many alcoholics have had to deal with the effects of isolation both in active addition and after. Especially during COVID-19, when you have to social distance, it's easy to hide away and isolate from everyone in the name of good health. It's easy to stay home and be comfortable isolating in general and make excuses to not go to meetings or call people in the program. Matt J, John I and Steve C talked about their own issues with isolation and the trap it can ensnare us in. Support ...
Jul 20, 2021•54 min•Ep. 34
Send us a text It is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the moment. Matt J had a storm come through his town of South Windsor, CT and it left him without power and without some siding. It could have been worse as just feet from where he lives, trees were down damaging cars and homes. Seeing his kids freaking out, Matt freaked out on the inside instead of calling people in the program or using his tool. John I joins him and they talk about how to be prepared for the unexpected moment and h...
Jul 13, 2021•52 min•Ep. 33
Send us a text Staying on the beam is about what we do everyday to ensure our sobriety. It's about the little things to maintain our sanity and keep in touch with our higher power. If left unchecked, little by little, cracks can show up until we get to the point of misery or a drink. Steve C and John I join the show to talk about how they stay on the beam. Join us on our website at https://notalonerecovery.com/ Please subscribe to the podcast and share with your friends. Support the show 📫 Get ...
Jul 06, 2021•56 min•Ep. 32
Send us a text Matt J has been diving into the world of Sober Instagram and where some other social media sites are cesspools, <cough!> <cough!> <TWITTER!>, The sober society on Instagram seems to be something totally different. It is a place where you can find positive and inspirational messages of sobriety. Matt found Morgan at https://www.instagram.com/single.40.sober.surviving/ and found a post about how she was "Sober Shamed" by a friend and how hurtful it was. Morgan has ...
Jun 29, 2021•35 min•Ep. 31
Send us a text Mark Gantt is the husband of our previous guest, Brianne Davis. Mark is best known for co-creating, writing, producing, and starring in Crackle’s groundbreaking, Streamy award-winning series, The Bannen Way. He's also an alcoholic in recovery for the last 32 years. In this episode, we discuss a short but storied drinking career that ended at the age of 19. The help he received from those closet and how Mark's Higher Power intervened in unbelievable ways. Mark also talks about his ...
Jun 22, 2021•50 min•Ep. 30
Send us a text Part of working the steps in Alcoholics Anonymous is clearing away the wreckage of the past, clearing away the harms you've done to others and the mess you've made of your life because of your addiction. Complacency can set in as life gets better with a recovery lifestyle and the threat of changes can cause anxiety. Matt J is contemplating taking on new responsibilities in his day job and this is causing him great anxiety. Steve C and John I join the show to talk about their exper...
Jun 15, 2021•54 min•Ep. 29
Send us a text Brianne Davis is an actress that you've seen in Lucifer, Dawson's Creek, True Blood, CSI Miami, The History Channel's Six and so much more. But Brianne was harboring a secret; she was a sex and love addict. After 16 years of sobriety in Sex and Love Addiction Anonymous, she made the decision to break her anonymity and share her journey with a fictionalized account of her life, "Secret Life of a Hollywood Sex & Love Addict." Regardless of your drug of choice, you will be able t...
Jun 08, 2021•35 min•Ep. 28
Send us a text The idea of Rock Bottom can be a misnomer and can be a hindrance to finding recovery. It can be easy to compare someone else's bottom to your own and therefore decided I'm, "not that bad." On this episode, Matt J, Steve C and John I talk about the concept of Rock Bottom and how everyone's bottom can be different. Support the show 📫 Get more honest conversations about sobriety delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to The Sober Friends Dispatch , our weekly newsletter where we go beyo...
Jun 01, 2021•58 min•Ep. 27
Send us a text We conclude our pass through the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with Step 12: Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. Step 12 is is a very broad step and can be looked to as the "Sponsorship Step," but it's so much more than that. John I and Steve C join the show to tell us so much more. Support the show 📫 Get more honest conversations about sobrie...
May 18, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 26
Send us a text John I and Steve C join the show to continue our discussion of the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. This week, it's Steps 10 and 11. Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. We talk about how these steps give us an outlet for when we are not p...
May 11, 2021•56 min•Ep. 25
Send us a text Steve C and John I join the show for our continued work on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. We talk about why it's important to make good with those we've harmed and why it's critical to do this step with a sponsor. Step 8: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Step 9: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Support the show 📫 Get more honest conversations about ...
May 04, 2021•57 min•Ep. 24
Send us a text Steps 6 and 7 have the shortest write up in the big book. It does not make them any less important. These are two steps Matt J says he puts into his daily life most frequently. Steve C and John I join the program to wrap up Step 5 and talk about how to quickly get into being ready to let go of our defects of character and then asking our higher power to remove them. Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Step 7 - Humbly asked Him to remove ...
Apr 27, 2021•33 min•Ep. 23
Send us a text Steps 4 and 5 go together, much like Steps 8 and 9. One step is the inventory of our wrongs and the other is when we actually speak them out loud. They separate the men from boys and can derail someone in early sobriety. Much like Steps 8 and 9, they cause anxiety in the new person in recovery but can be the path to moving past things that tripped us before. They are the steps to unload what is no longer necessary and the journey to a new way of life. John I and Steve C join the s...
Apr 20, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 22
Send us a text John I and Steve C join the show to talk about what each step is and how it's implemented in the 12 steps of recovery. Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him Join us at https://notalonerecovery.com/ Support the show 📫 Get more honest conversati...
Apr 13, 2021•54 min•Ep. 21
Send us a text Each week we've focused on the alcoholic but the family is affected by this disease too. For this episode, I invited my old friend Gerri who has been surrounded by alcoholics in her life. Alcoholism affects more than just the alcoholic, it affects family and friends too. Support the show 📫 Get more honest conversations about sobriety delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to The Sober Friends Dispatch , our weekly newsletter where we go beyond the podcast to share real strategies for...
Apr 06, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 20
Send us a text The number one killer of alcoholics is a resentment. Steve C and John I join the program to talk about what a resentment is and why it's so dangerous. Check out our website at https://notalonerecovery.com/ to listen to the show, find our social media links and find helpful recovery links. Support the show 📫 Get more honest conversations about sobriety delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to The Sober Friends Dispatch , our weekly newsletter where we go beyond the podcast to share r...
Mar 30, 2021•54 min•Ep. 19
Send us a text John I joins Matt J to talk about Living Sober. This is not about the book "Living Sober," but what it means to put the plug in the jug and change yourself where being sober, happy and free is a reality. First, Matt J talks about his latest sobriety anniversary and talks about how his life changed. Then they give their definition of what living sober really means and how it is different than just stopping drinking. Please visit our website at https://notalonerecovery.com/ where yo...
Mar 23, 2021•54 min•Ep. 18
Send us a text Matt J's father passed away at the end of January. He had not seen him since December 25, 1982 at the age of 7. Matt's father had untreated alcoholism and it led to his parent's divorce. It also led to Matt's obsession with never becoming an alcoholic and yet failing. Matt wanted to share this story to talk about two paths, the eventual end that alcoholism presents and the path of recovery. Check out our website at https://notalonerecovery.com/ Support the show 📫 Get more honest ...
Mar 09, 2021•30 min•Ep. 17
Send us a text Hannah got sober after COVID shut down the planet, including most AA meetings in early 2020. She came to her first AA meeting on Zoom and has only started attending 12 step meetings recently. Hannah is in her early 20's and talks about her brief run with alcohol, what made her think she had a problem, how she found her first meeting and what she feels she's missing with the fellowship since it's changed with the pandemic. If you are new to recovery or just feel like you might have...
Mar 02, 2021•49 min•Ep. 16
Send us a text John I and I continue the conversation from last week about the history of AA. The theme for these two episodes are the unsung heroes of Alcoholics Anonymous. The talk moves to Ebby Thatcher, who Rowland Hazard helped avoid jail. Through the Oxford Groups, Ebby "found religion," and went to spread the message to those sick and suffering. Ebby shares the concept of God of your understanding, which changed things for Bill. Then, a twist of fate leaves Bill W in a place where he can ...
Feb 23, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 15
Send us a text John I joins me to talk about the early history of AA. But first, we celebrate another year of John's sobriety (his anniversary date is Feb 14, 1990). I this podcast, we focus on the unsung heroes of AA, like Rowland Hazard, who had the resources to consult with Dr. Carl Jung in an attempt to treat his alcoholism. Although Rowland Hazard never joined Alcoholics Anonymous, his connections to the Oxford Groups led him to Ebby Thatcher. This led Thatcher to share the idea with his fr...
Feb 16, 2021•47 min•Ep. 14
Send us a text Author Gigi Langer, the author of the book, 50 Ways to Worry Less Now is the guest on this week's podcast. She's also a guest on one of my favorite podcasts, Recovered with Mark S. (Highly Recommended). You can purchase Gigi's book at https://gigilanger.com/ where she also has a recovery blog. In this podcast we hear Gigi's story of sobriety, her challenges at maintaining relationships, despite being in a highly competitive academic program, how she found her way into the rooms of...
Feb 09, 2021•48 min•Ep. 13
