Alcoholism wears many disguises, designer suits, yoga pants, varsity jackets, and even clergy collars. I grew up thinking it only happens to the homeless guy holding a liquor bottle in a paper bag. But alcoholism quietly hides in boardrooms, backyards, dorm rooms, and retirement condos. Each person battling addiction pulls a constellation of loved ones into the orbit of their struggle. Partners tiptoeing around mood swings are torn down by hard decisions they must make to save themselves. Children are learning to read the room instead of bedtime stories. Coworkers are covering shifts and workloads ignored by the sick and suffering. And friends want to help yet feeling powerless.

Recovery is as universal as the disease, and treatment for the suffering alcoholic can be tailored. My experience includes medical detox, addiction therapy, peer support, spirituality, and medication. What is need most is judgement-free support, honest communication, a program rooted in emotional wellbeing, and encouraging communities.

When we trade stereotypes for understanding, we spread awareness and extend empathy to everyone touched by alcohol’s reach. May we all have a fighting chance to grab the lifeline and climb out together.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

For more information, visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#AlcoholAwareness #EndStigma #AddictionRecovery #SoberCommunity #MentalHealthMatters #RecoveryJourney #OneDayAtATime #BreakTheSilence #FamiliesInRecovery #HealthForAll

Last night as I fell asleep I imagined my thoughts written in invisible ink, like with the secret decoder pens that we’d find in a cereal box back when Kelloggs was cool. You remember, you can’t read the message without the second decoder pen. As I let go of my thoughts, I was comforted by the thought of not decoding my thoughts until morning. I wasn’t ignoring them. I was simply choosing to put them on my nightstand until morning. That little image helped me fall asleep faster. It’s a way of visualizing that my worries will still be there in the morning, and I don’t have to fix them right now.

This act of mentally setting down the decoder pen is emotional sobriety in action. It’s discipline. It’s choosing to rest instead of reacting. It’s an inner conversation that I’m responding thoughtful to. In recovery, I’ve learned that clarity comes by honoring the pause.

So, at night when your thoughts start forcing their way into your bed with you, imagine they are encrypted and give yourself permission to rest instead. Know that these thoughts are safe on your nightstand until you pick up the decoder pen tomorrow.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

For more information, visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#emotionalsobriety #mindfulnesspractice #mentalhealthrecovery #sleephygiene #letgoandletgod #thoughtmanagement #recoveryjourney #restisproductive #anxietymanagement #nighttimeroutine

Today I met with my sponsor about Step 4. I began to see the self-inventory in a new way, broken down into three parts. The first is the traditional part of writing down my resentments and identifying my role in those relationships. What surfaces for me is a fear of abandonment. That fear has shown up in so many ways throughout my life, including pulling away from people before they have the chance to leave me. That’s the non-interesting part of my step 4 this time as it continues to be a theme in my life, but I’m working on it.

The interesting parts of Step 4 are those which I realized today. They are dissecting acceptance so that I can better achieve it in my relationships. First, recognizing that everyone has “their stuff”, as my sponsor always says. Everyone brings their own pain and experiences into relationships, just like I do. That awareness creates room for empathy. And then the last part is acknowledging that I can’t change other people. That doesn’t mean I’m okay with how they treated me, but it means I’m no longer wishing they were different. That’s where real freedom comes in. This way of looking at Step 4 today helped me take more meaningful responsibility, without shame, and gave me a way to approach the most painful resentments with more compassion and clarity.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

For more information, visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

#Step4Recovery #SoberLiving #TwelveSteps #EmotionalSobriety #LetGoAndLetGod #HealingJourney #FearOfAbandonment #SpiritualGrowth #RecoveryTools #OneDayAtATime