AA? SMART? Refuge? Therapy? Coaching?
If you’ve ever tried to get sober and felt overwhelmed by all the recovery options out there, this video breaks everything down in a simple, honest, and non-judgmental way. Whether you're sober-curious, in early recovery, or coming back after relapse — this guide will help you understand what’s out there and how to choose the right recovery modality for you.

In this 16 -minute breakdown, I cover:
✔ 12-Step programs (AA, NA, CA) — what they’re actually like
✔ SMART Recovery & secular options
✔ Refuge Recovery, Recovery Dharma & mindfulness-based modalities
✔ Therapy for addiction (CBT, DBT, EMDR, MI)
✔ Online recovery communities & sober coaching
✔ Harm reduction & medication support
✔ How to actually choose a path that fits your life, personality, and needs

Recovery isn’t “one size fits all.” It’s a toolbox.
You get to build the version that keeps you alive, sober, and growing.

If this helped, drop a comment about your experience with different recovery paths — it might help someone else watching.

🔔 Follow for more content on sobriety, relapse prevention, addiction psychology, emotional healing, and building a life you don’t need alcohol to escape from.

Is sobriety supposed to feel boring?
Short answer: yeah… sometimes it does. But there’s nothing wrong with you — your brain is literally recalibrating after years of artificial dopamine spikes from alcohol, cocaine, or whatever your drug of choice was.

In today’s video, I break down why boredom happens in early recovery, how long the flat / plateau phase lasts, and what actually helps you rebuild motivation, joy, excitement, and real dopamine again.

You’ll learn:
✔ Why your dopamine system drops during early sobriety
✔ Why boredom is NOT failure
✔ How boredom can trigger relapse (my story)
✔ How addiction hijacks “fun”
✔ How to build REAL dopamine (not the quick highs)
✔ How to create a life that’s exciting again without substances
✔ The difference between boredom vs loneliness
✔ How long the “flat” recovery phase lasts
✔ Practical steps to feel better today

If you’re sober-curious, newly sober, or coming back after relapse — this video will make you feel seen, validated, and supported.

👇 Subscribe for more recovery content
IG: @RecoveringOutLoudPod
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Recovery is simple, not easy. One day at a time.

Your first 30 days of sobriety can feel confusing, overwhelming, and honestly… scary.
In this video, I break down exactly what to expect in early recovery — week by week — so you don’t have to go through it alone.

We’ll talk about withdrawal, cravings, sleep, anxiety, emotional ups & downs, what’s normal, and how to make it through the first month alcohol-free.

This video is for you if:
• You’re on Day 1 or restarting
• You want a simple plan to stay sober
• You’ve relapsed before and want this time to be different
• You need support, reassurance, and practical tools that actually work

What you’ll learn:
• How to survive the first 7 days without alcohol
• Why cravings feel so intense & how to handle them
• The emotional rollercoaster of Days 8–14
• How your body and brain start healing
• What to do each day to make sobriety easier
• Common traps that lead to relapse
• A simple daily routine for your first 30 days alcohol-free

If you’re in early recovery, you are NOT alone. Drop where you’re at (Day 1, Day 5, Day 30!) and I’ll cheer you on. You can do this — one day at a time.

From the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous Page 86-88

on awakening Follow Us:JOIN ME ON MY SOCIALS - FREE RECOVERY GUIDE AND RECOVERY COACHING ⁠https://linktr.ee/Recoveringoutloudpod⁠🌐 Website: recoveringoutloud.ca📱 Socials: @RecoveringOutLoudPod (Instagram, X, TikTok & more)🔗 All Links: linktr.ee/Recoveringoutloudpod💡 Helpful Resources for Addiction & Recovery🇨🇦 National (Canada-Wide) ResourcesCanadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA)Research, policy, and resources on substance use and addiction.Health Canada – Substance Use and AddictionsGovernment info on prevention, treatment, and harm reduction.Canada’s Drug and Alcohol Treatment DirectoryLocate treatment centers across Canada.National Overdose Response Service (NORS)Peer-run hotline for safer drug use support.📞 Call: 1-888-688-6677🏠 Ontario-Specific ResourcesConnexOntario – Mental Health & Addiction HelplineFree, confidential support for addiction and mental health.📞 Call: 1-866-531-2600Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres (OATC)Opioid addiction treatment (methadone, Suboxone).Ontario Harm Reduction NetworkSafer drug use, naloxone, and harm reduction programs.CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)Leading hospital for addiction and mental health care.📞 Call: 1-800-463-6273Withdrawal Management (Detox) Services in OntarioFind detox and treatment programs.Ontario 211 – Addiction & Mental Health ServicesConnect to local support services.📞 Dial: 211🚨 Crisis & Immediate HelpOverdose Prevention Hotline: 1-888-853-8542Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 | Text: 45645Good2Talk (For Students): 1-866-925-5454💬 Join the conversation! Share your thoughts in the comments, and let’s recover out loud together.👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for new episodes every week!#AddictionRecovery #MentalHealth #RecoveringOutLoud #recovery #addiction #podcast #sober #sobriety

This episode explores opioid addiction, methadone and Suboxone treatment, fentanyl risks, withdrawal, and the emotional toll of relapse. Kate from CATC breaks down how opioid agonist therapy works, why shame keeps people stuck, and what treatment centers can do better. Anthony shares raw stories from relapse, detox, and how connection, honesty, and support saved his life. If you want real insight into recovery, harm reduction, and long-term sobriety—this is the episode to hear.

In this episode of Recovering Out Loud, we dive into a raw and honest conversation about relapse, body language, hidden pain, and the transformation that happens when recovery is paired with purpose.

We unpack the moment a friend could see a relapse coming before the person struggling could even admit it. We talk about the shame, denial, and the sixth-sense intuition people in recovery often develop.

From 48-hour blackouts to becoming a coach who helps people rebuild their relationship with movement, she shares how fitness became a powerful anchor in sobriety — but also how it can become obsessive, toxic, and another addiction if we’re not careful.

We explore:
• How childhood pressure + performance can shape addiction
• Why your body language reveals everything you try to hide
• How community workouts mimic recovery meetings
• The rise of steroids, Ozempic, and “fitness as numbing” in sobriety
• Workaholism, burnout, money stress, and staying spiritually grounded
• How to move from extrinsic validation to intrinsic values
• Why recovery is “six garbage cans with five lids”

If you’re navigating sobriety, struggling with body image, stuck in obsessive fitness cycles, or looking for community — this episode is for you.

Listen, share, and join the recovery conversation.
#sober #recovery #addictionrecovery #mentalhealth #fitnessjourney #healing

In this episode of Recovering Out Loud, Anthony sits down with Alexandra Perry, Director of Business Development for Inpatient and Virtual Programs, and former Executive Director at Trafalgar Addiction Treatment Centres. With over a decade of experience across nonprofit shelters, addiction treatment, and higher education, Alexandra brings a powerful mix of lived experience, leadership insight, and compassion to the conversation.

Together, they unpack:

• The real link between workplace stress, burnout, and substance use

• Why “recovery is a privilege” for some — and how that must change

• The truth about hitting rock bottom and why prevention matters more than ever

• How trauma, shame, and silence keep people sick

• What organizations can do to create trauma-informed, supportive spaces for employees

This is a raw, human conversation about systemic change, courage, and connection — reminding us all that recovery starts with empathy and asking for help.

In this emotional and deeply relatable episode of Recovering Out Loud, host Anthony sits down with Eryl McCaffrey, a psychotherapist and woman in long-term recovery, to explore the toxic link between body image, perfectionism, and addiction.

Eryl opens up about growing up in an alcoholic home, chasing perfection to escape pain, and how her obsession with control over her body and success masked deeper wounds.
They dive into what it means to truly let go — to stop chasing validation and start building connection, spirituality, and self-acceptance.

You’ll learn:

• Why perfectionism and body image struggles often lead to addiction

• How trauma disconnects us from our bodies and our emotions

• What “relief” really means in early recovery

• Why spiritual connection is the antidote to self-destruction

• Daily recovery practices that rebuild peace, gratitude, and purpose

This conversation is for anyone stuck in the loop of not enoughness — and ready to find peace in their own skin.