AA Beyond Belief

In this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety, you will meet John C. from Paris, Vick Losick, from New York City, John Huey from Washington D.C., and Larry Knight from Toronto. The four appeared on the podcast to talk about a new secular recovery meeting they started called “Afternoon with the Atheists,” which is named after […]

In this episode we talk with Mike Collins. Mike is the founder of sugaraddiction.com and is passionate about helping people overcome their addictions. He is the author of “The Last Resort Sugar Detox”, which you can read for free on his website. This was Mike's second appearance on our podcast. He was previously our guest […]

When it comes to creating a compelling documentary, the process surprisingly often starts with putting the camera down. As Host John Sheldon's guest on this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety explains, establishing a relational trust element is essential to capturing those intimate moments that make us forget we're watching a film. In his absorbing new […]

Accountability is at the core of any recovery program and, as we are reminded on this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety, there are many roads to get there. Host John Sheldon invites his guest, Mark Knobloch, to share some of the strategies he finds most helpful to the people he advises as an addiction recovery […]

 As she shares with Host John Sheldon on this episode of Beyond Belief, entering recovery as a non-believer at the height of pandemic presented Katy Jacopi with special challenges. Where to find community and support when the Alcoholics Anonymous concept of a “higher power” isn't the right fit? “The reason I couldn't deny that I […]

Film is a medium uniquely able to capture emotional nuance, and that's especially true when it comes to narratives about addiction. This episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety features an accomplished Hollywood veteran's encyclopedic look at the many films (far more than you might imagine!) that tackle everything from the reality of relapse to the ripple […]

Maybe you're familiar with the Cycle of Addiction, a repeating set of stages (and downward spiral) that many of us have experienced to one degree or another. Host John Sheldon's guest on this episode of The Beyond Belief Sobriety Podcast invites us to look at a mirror image – a Cycle of Recovery tracing a […]

Although of different generations, Host John Sheldon and his guest on this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety find commonality both in the loss of a loved one to suicide and their perspectives on recovery. Maggie Jenson, an alternative recovery coach, shares the journey and vision behind her remarkable Magnify Digital Rehabilitation Program, including the traumatic […]

When it comes to alcohol, it's easy to fall into myopia and focus on our own particular circumstances, but this episode reminds us that actually we're all part of a much larger context – one that powerfully affects our thoughts and choices. Sobriety Coach Amy Willis shares with Host John Sheldon the four pillars that […]

When it comes to promoting recovery, there is liberation in knowing that it can come in all kinds of packages. On this episode of Beyond Belief Sobriety we are learning about LifeRing, a secular support group that has offered Casey Cannizzaro, a life coach, exactly the safe, flexible space he needed in order to explore […]

You know that expression, “The only way out is through?” It's a truism that has never been truer than in the case of Ryan Mack, who fought his way back from serious addiction, mental anguish and a toxic lifestyle. How did he do it? It started by learning to take control of his mind. Today […]

Everyone's recovery story is unique, but in the case of my guest for this episode, there are some unmistakable parallels that resonate with us both. Matt Gardiner is a certified recovery coach, sound therapist and podcast host whose journey has been marked by turning points that share some similarities with John's, as their conversation illuminates […]

Are you ready to meet a secular force of nature? Then you won't want to miss this episode. Our guest, LaDawn, shares with us the harrowing passage she made from hardened alcoholic to master of a YouTube channel that regularly delights, inspires and informs viewers on a range of mental health, lifestyle and sobriety-related topics. […]

The following essay was authored by John Huey for the purpose of outlining the discussion of our third episode in the Atheism and Sobriety series. Abstinence and The Purity of Atheist Thought By John Huey As Atheists we see things not only as they are in personal terms without the veneer of belief, but, as […]

Although relapse is often a source of shame, it needn't be. As we learn on this episode, there are ways to understand such stumbles as part of the larger process that is recovery. This livestream conversation features co-hosts John Sheldon and Mary C., who together explore the healing opportunities available to us when we respond […]

Highjacked by trauma and a profound desire for validation, Martin Lockett attached himself early on to gangs, drugs and violence – all in the name of fitting in. It was a path that took him into a world of trouble, including a DUI accident that resulted in the death of two people. Sentenced by the […]

Today, July 20, 2022 marks thirty-four years since my last drink, so in the spirit of sobriety anniversaries, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share my recovery story. It's a story I've told many times over the years, but each telling is a little different as I continually gain additional insight and learn from […]

Anyone who has any experience with AA has heard the saying, “fake it 'til you make it.” Often, the statement is made to someone who isn't buying the concept of needing a higher power to stay sober. They are told to just pretend and sooner or later, they will come along. But is there another […]

Every Tuesday at 7:00 PM Central, we have a meeting for listeners of the podcast, that you are free to join anytime. Typically, we'll have a guest from a previous episode speak or we'll play a clip from one of our episodes to use as a basis of conversation. This week, I needed to get […]

Is it possible that the “higher power” concept that animates Bill W.'s framework for Alcoholics Anonymous is based on an overly narrow reading of William James, a preeminent psychologist and intellectual giant of the early 20th century? On this episode of The Beyond Belief Sobriety Podcast, author Peg O'Connor unpacks a compelling theory as well […]

Things could have played out very differently for Leonard Lee Buschel. A powerful combo of early-childhood trauma, a “professional” opportunity, and luck combined to foster a 27-year drug dealing career that might have gone disastrously wrong. In fact, a great many things did go wrong, which became undeniably clear when Leonard looked at the Top […]

I met my guest for this episode a few years ago at a meeting of the We Agnostics AA group in Kansas City. She had been attending meetings at another 12-Step Fellowship, so AA wasn't a foreign experience. However, an AA group that was specifically tailored to meet the needs of atheists and agnostics was […]

Today, I want to talk about recovery. What is it anyway? To answer the question, I am borrowing heavily from the pamphlet “SAMHSA's Working Definition of Recovery” published in 2012 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. I start each episode introducing Beyond Belief Sobriety as a podcast and community for people who […]

Can you become addicted to a person and if so, how can you become unaddicted? With her book, UnAddicted to You: Loving Yourself Through the Darkness, Etel Leit answers these questions through the sharing of her own personal story and the lessons learned. Etel is a PhD. candidate, a best-selling author, motivator, public speaker, and […]

In this episode, I speak with Sam Arsenault Wilson, the Chief Quality Officer, and Co-founder of Confidant Health, an app-based hub of resources and clinical providers that help people with mental health and substance use problems. I was happy to feature Confidant Health on this podcast because I believe their model, which is grounded in […]

Danny grew up in a religious household and drinking was considered a sin. When he was around sixteen, he began to question the teachings of his religion. One question: Where does it say in the bible that you can't drink? He waited until he was twenty-one before he has his first drink. In this episode, Danny […]

In this episode Ben and I had a conversation about how to navigate Alcoholics Anonymous as an atheist, agnostic, freethinker, or otherwise secular person. We briefly touched upon what a person can expect to experience at their first AA meeting, and how to handle the overtly religious nature of most AA meetings. Topics covered in […]

In this episode, we meet Robert Stump who has been the Executive Director of LifeRing Secular Recovery since 2012 when the founder, Marty Nicholas stepped down. In this episode Robert shares his personal story of recovery and how he found LifeRing to support him in his sobriety. His journey began in 1997 when the only […]

For this episode, I had a conversation with Jack J. from Bristol England. Jack is a recovered sex addict who has created a new peer support group called Secular Organizations for Sexual Sobriety (SOSS). In this interesting conversation, Jack explains how his experience with other mutual aid groups inspired him to start this new secular […]

Kimiko values inclusion and believes the best way to help people is to meet them where they are. Though, she may prefer a more secular and practical approach to recovery for herself; she can easily adjust and relate to someone who values spirituality, and who is comfortable using spiritual language to describe their experience. As […]

This episode highlights a website that has been a welcome refuge for alcoholics seeking to decouple religious faith and sobriety. Roger C. founded AA Agnostica a decade ago to publish the kind of information he could find nowhere else: Narratives about the experiences of secular members of Alcoholics Anonymous. Through his tireless work, Roger has […]

Our guest for this episode has built a unique online addiction treatment program that features many modalities because – as we know – recovery isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition. Dr. Daniel Hochman, a psychiatrist and founder of SelfRecovery.org, shares a platform that weaves together science, behavioral change and self-knowledge to sustain not only sobriety, but a […]

I just wanted to take a few minutes to touch base and fill you in on what's happened on the podcast, livestream and in the Beyond Belief Sobriety community. Podcast The podcast is doing well. I've been consistently posting an episode every week. I always post on Wednesday morning. So, if you subscribe to the […]

Gabe Rosales, is a professional musician, and a sobriety and criminal justice advocate from San Juan Capistrano, California. He got sober in 2007 after serving time in prison for crimes committed during the time he was actively drinking and drugging. The experience inspired him to earn a degree in Criminal Justice with the goal to […]

In this episode we meet Katie Lain, an advocate and mentor for the Sinclair Method, which is a means for treating Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) based on the principal of pharmacological extinction. Those who use this method to treat AUD will take the drug Naltrexone one hour prior to drinking. Naltrexone is an opiate blocker […]

When Joanna Conti's daughter was admitted to the hospital and placed on a 24-hour hold for a life-threatening addiction to alcohol; she wanted to find the most effective rehab for her daughter. After calling several addiction treatment centers, Joanna was surprised that none of them were measuring treatment outcomes and were therefore unable to tell […]

Weekly Meeting Tuesday March 15th at 8:00 PM Eastern, 7:00 PM Central, 6:00 PM Mountain, and 5:00 PM Pacific. It's a Zoom Meeting with ID 883 3035 4802. I'll open the room about 15 minutes early. No password required. This week our speaker will be Serge Prengle, author of “The Twelve Proactive Steps.” Serge has […]

In this episode, you will meet Lea Lauks, the author of Fireflies: Finding Light On A Journey Through Addiction. Lea, a gifted writer, put her talent to use painting with words, a realistic picture of the recovery process with all its ups and downs, challenges, and triumphs, and promise of a hopeful future. In this […]

Weekly Listener Meeting We had our first weekly listener meeting on Tuesday, March the 1st. The meeting was a success. Beth Aich, the author of “We're Not All Egomaniacs” spoke for about thirty minutes, and then we opened the floor for comments and questions. There were 27 people at that first meeting. This Tuesday, March […]

John Huey discusses the second essay in his five-part series on Atheism and Sobriety. This episode focuses on personal responsibility and recovery from the perspective of an atheist, and how John's atheism was a primary driver of his recovery. Personal Responsibility and Recovery – An Atheists View By John Huey To be yourself in a […]

Anne Porter has been a listener of this podcast for a number of years, but recently she felt compelled to contact me after listening to “Episode 208: Ibby A”, and “Episode 250: Atheism and Sobriety”. In these episodes, I expressed a reluctance to serve as a sponsor, and I spoke derisively about the concept of […]

As a person in recovery, I learned that community and connection are vital to my well-being, and as a podcaster, I know that I'm connecting with thousands of people from all over the world, many of whom I may never meet. It's a tremendous experience and I'm grateful for this opportunity. Now, I want to […]

This episode features a conversation with RJ Zimmerman and Montee Ball from the Untapped Keg podcast. RJ and Montee share their personal stories and talk about how and why they started their podcast. An interesting conversation develops covering topics such as; the difficulty many men have with expressing their feelings, being open about our recovery, […]

This episode features a conversation with Aaron Reed, author of “Another In The Fire”, a book that chronicles Aaron's addiction to methamphetamine, his experiences as an international drug smuggler, and then finding recovery in a Colombian prison. What we discussed What interested Aaron to work in Cambodia. His first experience using methamphetamine. The culture of […]

In this episode, we have a discussion with Ted Perkins about the use of psychedelics to treat addiction and other mental health challenges such as PTSD, and clinical depression. About Ted Perkins When Ted grew up, he was surrounded by alcohol use as something entirely normal and necessary as part of life. His parents worked […]

Welcome to SMART Talk! In this episode Arthur and I spoke with Joe Gerstein, founding President and a current Board Member for SMART Recovery. Joe has facilitated SMART Recovery meetings since its inception. He has developed many of the tools in the SMART toolbox and he helped start SMART meetings in several countries around the […]

In this episode, I have a conversation with John Huey about atheism and sobriety. This is the first in a series of essays that John will be writing about atheism and sobriety, and in this essay, he examines the moral structure of atheism and how that relates to recovery. ‘What is the “Moral Structure” of […]

Arthur Shenker is a certified meeting facilitator for SMART Recovery and works as SMART's National Outreach Liason to introduce SMART Recovery to treatment facilities. Arthur previously appeared as a guest on Episode 220 where he shared a little of his own personal story and talked about the SMART tools and how to use them. Recently, Arthur […]

Scott's Story Scott J. was attending AA meetings for seven years and was sober, happy, and doing well. In fact, his life improved so much that he didn't think he needed as many meetings. Eventually, he stopped going altogether and began playing computer games. Initially, his gaming wasn't a problem, but this changed when he […]

Happy New Year. I like New Year's Day because I can't help but reflect on the year that has passed and think about all the ups and downs, the people I've met, and what I learned along the way. I do that with my life in general, so why not do the same with the […]

Dave G. enjoys his sobriety. He runs, dances, and swims in the open sea. He gives back by talking at schools about his experience with addiction and recovery, and through his involvement in Toastmasters, he is working on improving his speaking skills even more. As we talked, I noticed a recurring theme throughout our conversation—language. […]