Clean or Sober

Welcome to another episode of "Clean or Sober," the podcast where we dive deep into the journey of recovery and the experiences that shape our lives. Today, we're exploring a very personal and transformative topic: "My Experience with the 12 Steps." As of today, I have been clean and sober for 12 years, 4 months, and 18 days. It's been a journey filled with challenges, revelations, and countless moments of growth, and I'm excited to share my insights with you.In this episode, I'll walk you through each of the 12 steps, reflecting on how they've impacted my life and contributed to my ongoing recovery. We'll delve into the literature that has been instrumental in my journey, providing context and understanding for each step. From admitting powerlessness to making amends and carrying the message to others, the 12 steps offer a roadmap to recovery that has been both a guide and a lifeline for me.Whether you're new to the concept of the 12 steps, currently navigating your own path to sobriety, or simply looking for inspiration and understanding, I hope my experiences can offer some clarity and encouragement. So, let's get started on this deep dive into the 12 steps and explore the profound impact they can have on one's journey to staying clean and sober.

Welcome, listeners, to another episode of Clean or Sober, where we dive deep into stories of recovery, resilience, and triumph. Today's guest has an incredible journey to share, emphasizing the transformative power of staying clean and sober.Focusing on personal growth has catapulted our guest into a leadership role both in the workplace and within their community. Since embracing sobriety, doors of opportunity have swung wide open—leading to leadership positions, nationwide travels, and a fulfilling role as a mentor for those around them.However, the path to recovery is not without its challenges. Our guest has experienced the heart-wrenching reality of losing loved ones to the relentless grip of addiction. A pivotal moment came when one of their closest friends succumbed to an overdose, sparking a profound desire for change.Navigating recovery means confronting various hurdles, and for our guest, that includes dealing with a spouse on a different journey. While facing the complexities of a partner choosing the "California Sober" route, our guest has grappled with the temptation to question why they can't indulge as well. Yet, through unwavering self-awareness and a commitment to their program, our guest continues to navigate these challenges, witnessing a positive evolution in every aspect of their life.If you or someone you know has a compelling story of recovery and would like to be featured on the podcast, don't hesitate to reach out. You can contact us at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com. We'd love to hear your story and share it with our community.Stay tuned for an inspiring conversation that underscores the strength found in overcoming adversity. Now, let's dive into today's episode!

Today, I had the privilege of hosting a guest on the podcast whose journey is nothing short of inspirational. At one point in his life, he found himself sleeping in his car, right outside a bar he used to frequent regularly. Despite numerous challenges, he experienced pivotal "God" moments that eventually led him to surrender.This remarkable individual reached a turning point after enduring multiple relapses, prioritizing his role as a parent, and discovering a new path to living. His story is a testament to resilience and transformation.If you know someone with a compelling story who would be interested in sharing their journey on our podcast, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are always eager to feature stories that inspire and uplift.Feel free to contact us at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com.Thank you for your time, and I look forward to the possibility of connecting with someone whose story can make a positive impact.

Today's guest tried to get sober so many times.  Most of the time he was more interested in getting, using and finding ways and means to get drugs, that he did not care about any single person surrounding him.This led to an overdose which almost left him paralyzed.  There was one last ditch effort by someone amazing people in his life, and the question was asked, "What are you going to do?"  He chose to finally get fully surrendered into the program of Alcoholics Anonymous.Today he is a business owner and is very passionate about leadership outside the rooms of AA.If you or a guest would like to join the podcast, please reach out to cleanorsobercolumbus@gmai.com

At the young age of 11, she was a runaway and obviously a part of all the things which come with life on the streets and no parental encouragement or attention.  She was sexually active at the age of 11 and realized she was following in her mothers footsteps.  Despite watching her mother struggled with prostitution and a life of addiction as well, she was lured into the lifestyle and no hope from there.  After many grueling years of jails, institutions, and near death she finally decided to make a change.Now she is active in the recovery community, owns sober living properties, and throughout her recovery has visited those same women she knew on the streets in attempts to simply provide Hope!HopePoint was inspired out of volunteering with other organizations such as Amethyst, Catch Court, Salvation Army, etc..She noticed these women, who she had a passion to assist in the transition from those locations to the outside world, had no support.  From her passion to help women, she decided to be the catalyst which may bridge the gap during that difficult transition time.

Today's guest has an incredibly inspiring story. She grappled with substance use disorder and untreated mental health issues for a significant period. We often refer to individuals facing both challenges as "double winners" within our program. You've got to appreciate a touch of dark humor, right?Somehow, she managed to achieve sobriety during the pandemic, partly because she had initial exposure to Alcoholics Anonymous and witnessed its success in the lives of others around her.Coming from an alcoholic family background, she tragically lost her abusive father at a young age when her mother summoned the courage to leave the situation. As a young child, all she yearned for was her parents to stay together.After several attempts to get sober for the sake of others, she ultimately found the strength within herself to surrender and embark on the path to sobriety. Today, she not only runs a successful TikTok account but is also actively involved in the recovery community, striving to eliminate the stigma surrounding addiction and the judgmental belief that there is only one path to recovery.Furthermore, she has developed an outstanding product line of merchandise that symbolizes the personal growth achieved through addressing addiction and mental health issues. Additionally, she offers a skincare regimen, which you can find linked below.As always if you are interested in doing a podcast episode or know someone who is, please email me at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.comMERCHANDISE - RECOVERY & SOBRIETY SHIRTS/HOODIE/SWEATSHIRTShttps://linktr.ee/recoveryisfire?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

Today's guest attempted to get clean very young and was not successful.  This led to a life of continuing to use, graduating to more dangerous using which ultimately led to her surrendering enough to try treatment again.She had some period of clean time before thinking to herself, "I can probably just drink a little"  She was able to get honest with her sponsor, make it back to the rooms and today has recovery again.

My guest today has tried to get sober many times.  His brother was able to get sober earlier than he did which provided some type of attraction rather than promotion.  This allowed him to see what life could be like not using drugs or alcohol.  He eventually got sober after numerous attempts, creating his own most pits (unbeknownst to others around him), receiving lots of physical injuries and everything else that comes with using.  Today his life is surrounding by amazing people who love him and want the best for him.  The word friends does not even do justice the relationships he has as it is more like family.As always if you know someone or are interested in being on the podcast reach out to me at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com

My guest today was clean in 1987!!  With 36 years clean he shares his experience on how the program was when he entered, the life of misery he was creating for himself, some of which includes 6 DUI's (Driving Under the Influence).  He shares about not living up to the standards his parents set for him which includes, loyalty, honesty and integrity.   At some point he reached his point of surrender and checked himself into treatment.His life today is filled with so much amazing things which includes his lovely crazy wife.  They ride motorcycles today and he said, "I am living my dream."  As always if you'd like to be a guest, please reach out directly or if you know someone who would be interested, cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com

Tonight's episode is brought to you by my very first sponsor.  He was single handedly responsible for saying yes to me when I was looking for someone to guide me through the steps.A very unique person in recovery who has walked countless people through the process of recovery.  He now runs his own business called SnotFair Vintage.SNOT FAIR's Shop - DepopIG: Snot_Fair_Vintage @snotfair | LinktreeEbay: SnotFairHe is passionate about spirituality today, being mindful and being of service to others.  His story like many others is filled with ups and downs which includes following the Grateful Dead around, believing enlisting in the military would solve a problem, and having a kid while using attempting to get clean during that entire period.Love this guy with all my heart and as usual if you know someone or are interested in being a guest, reach out to me at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com

My guest today spent years working as a professional in a field where the stigma of addiction or sobriety is looked down upon.  She was able to maintain some time with sheer abstinence but found out over time it takes a little work on her part doing the simple things most people suggest.  After 5 years of what seemed to be a great length and strong sobriety, she found herself divorced and needing to start over a life she knew best.  This sparked the creation of the platform of supporting others in recovery which have time, short and long, or those who are just curious.  Meet Your People | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook | LinktreeOur StoryHi! I'm Sonia, and welcome to EverBlume. I am an orthodontist and entrepreneur. I built a successful 7 location practice and sold it to pursue my passion and become a recovery coach to help others examine their relationship with alcohol so that they can live their best lives. ​We are so happy you are here. This is the first step to identifying and strengthening your goals related to your relationship with alcohol. We believe that community and connection are the foundation of recovery. And that building those connections is an active process.​Think of EverBlume as your recovery piggy bank, where the currency is support. When things are good, and you have extra to give, you make deposits. When you struggling and in need, you make withdrawals. You are investing in your connections. Sharing your struggles and triumphs builds connections.​EverBlume is a safe space for you to share, learn and grow in your recovery journey. We are not a traditional recovery program. We are a community. And you are an essential part of that community. You are not 1 of 200 people on a zoom call or even 1 of 20. You are matched with a group where your participation is integral to its success. The only expectation is that you show up with an open mind and heart, ready to give and receive support.​If you have ANY questions, please email us at: info@joineverblume.com. We will respond ASAP.  

My guest today is a sobriety coach after suffering multiple relapses, car accidents which almost killed her, and the standard shit that comes with finding ways and means to use more.  Her about me is below.Addiction Coach | Living Over The InfluenceMy name is Hayley and I am from a small town in Ontario, Canada. For years I have known that I want to work with people to help them find freedom from habits that have become destructive in their lives. I truly believe our mindset allows us to open doors and shift the trajectory of our future. In July 2020 I was introduced to "This Naked Mind" and Annie Grace. It felt as though my passion and purpose aligned and I applied to be a certified This Naked Mind Coach. While my training focuses on helping people find freedom from alcohol, it can be applied to so many areas of our lives. Living Over the Influence is about finding comfort and confidence in your own skin and breaking through your limiting beliefs and self doubt. The influence can be alcohol, drugs, social media, society, unhealthy relationships and the list goes on. You don't have to hit a rock bottom to realize alcohol is negatively impacting your life, but if you have, I promise you it was a lesson and not a life sentence.

Today I have an amazing guest, with a breadth of knowledge coupled with 20+ years of continuous clean and sober time!!  He really shares a passion I am sure many of us wish we could end.  That is the stigma of being an addict or alcoholic.  The stigma of how others may perceive me once they know the truth.  He does so much in regard to service work.  Just a few projects he is consistently working on:Men's group twice a monthWife attends Al-Anon for the past 14 yearsWorked an ACA program which is Adult Children of AlcholicsPodcast - The High Cost of AnonymityCommunity Outreach, mental health and addiction hospital careerAside from all of this focus now is heavily on building his own business in providing workshops, being a keynote speaker, and just finding ways to normalize mental health and addiction.He is also very active still today in 12 step programs, soon hopes to connect with a sponsor, and is actively seeking sponsees.  Just an all-around true desire to end the stigma, focus on service, and more importantly focus on finding a way to intervene through helping families identify problems before "WE" the alcoholic or addict struggle to get clean/sober or die.The High Cost of Anonymity Podcast: Exploring the Cost of Keeping Your Life Experience to Yourself on Apple Podcasts

My guest today is a business owner of an amazing shop called Rehab Studios (rehabstudiosny.com)  There are so many cool sobriety and recovery related items from clothing to jewelry.  Today we are talking about a few things:Using art/creativity as an outletHaving fun partying sober in recoveryFunny war storySuccessful businessThe importance of having a tribe/communityWe dive into many things such as how pivotal her parents were in providing her the desperation to do something different with an "unscheduled" (as they are for most of us) intervention.She now focuses most of her time on being creative, running her business, and finding ways to stay connected through going to meetings and being of service.  They didn't say we needed to stop having fun when we got sober, so she also occasionally dances on tables and still manages to get kicked out of clubs.As always if you or someone you know would like to be a guest, send me a message at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.comAdditional website info:Mens & Women's RTW & Jewelry — Rehab Studios (rehabstudiosny.com)Who We AreRehab Studios is a brand born from REAL people and their REAL journeys of recovery from addiction and mental illness. Our aim is to create a collection that celebrates and inspires recovery in others.Our brand is about shedding the anonymity and speaking out against the stigma. Recovery is something to celebrated, not kept secret. We're here to commemorate everyone who has ever struggled and won against these diseases and to inspire and support those still sick, still suffering and STILL fighting. Whatever your journey may be, wherever you are in it, we hope you'll share it with us. Join The TribeAnyone who has experienced the depths of addiction and mental illness knows the importance of surrounding yourself with a tribe of people who lift you up, help you through your very worst moments and celebrate your victories. Rehab Barbie is about more than just our products, it's building a community full of love, support, and dark humor, for all of us who are suffering, have suffered, or know someone who is.

Please visit them today:https://blog.feedspot.com/sobriety_podcasts/Matt G is from Canada and shares multiple approaches to recovery and self help outside the rooms of AA or NA. As always if you are interested or know someone who is interested in recovery, and would like to be a guest on the podcast, please reach out to me via cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.comBook Matt here:https://calendly.com/mattgardiner555/60-minute-coaching-call-w-matt-gardinerView his past podcast appearances:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tH1ZyiHxne8CSOuLEVrUL6VEaAknCCgL-ntjU-c5Fho/edit?usp=sharingEmail: mattgardiner780@gmail.comWebsite : www.recoveryroadmap.meIG & TikTok : @recoveryroadmap.meFacebook & YouTube : @mattgardinerLIVEMatt's bio“MATT GARDINER @recoveryroadmap.meRECOVERY COACH || NARRATIVE COACH || SOUND THERAPIST || BREATHWORK GUIDE“I Help Those in Sobriety Create a Healthy & Active Lifestyle without The Need for Alcohol. ”Matt Gardiner is a passionate and empathetic Recovery Coach & Life Coach who has helped numerous people get out of their 'stuck stories' and move towards the life of their dreams.He focuses on changing the language & words, and the stories you've been attaching to the events in your life.Better words + better breathing = better life.Matt's vision of Recovery includes an active and healthy lifestyle, that also includes planning for some very deliberate, relaxing downtime for self-care and healing.Matt is also a gifted musician and Sound Therapist, which compliments his work as a Coach.'Beyond Recovery' is a podcast hosted by Matt, where guests come on to share their journeys to, and through, recovery.www.recoveryroadmap.me@recoveryroadmap.me (IG & TikTok)@mattgardinerLIVE (Facebook & YouTube)lhttps://linktr.ee/mattgardiner555

My guest today has over 12 years of amazing recovery.  This time is filled with 4 different sponsors, from different countries, background and experiences.  During this time, he moved from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic.  From there finally ending up in the United States.  Recovery in the Dominican Republic was difficult because he was Puerto Rican, a gay man, and had little experience with the culture there.  His bottom is an excellent example of a power greater than ourselves working in our lives.  This bottom includes an escape from death!He provided a great example of having a bottom which brought him to the rooms, and he also had a bottom which brought him to seeking recovery.  Lastly, he is very passionate on the topic of Equity.  I have provided a link to a simple graph which explains very high level what this means.As always thank you for listening, and if you ever want to hear a topic, be on the podcast or know someone who would be interested, please reach out to cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com

My guest today just recently graduated an amazing six-month program which tests your patience, sobriety, and dedication to working a program.  He has moved into their sober living and is starting to gain back his life.He talks a lot about how rough it was living in a household where domestic violence was a normal occurrence, and it was expected to "look the other way OR keep it a secret"  His mother unfortunately passed away recently due to drug use, so he does his best to carry on being the best version of himself.He talks about having more than 10 felonies, creating counterfeit money, and the crazy lifestyle associated with the methamphetamine community.As always if you are interested in being a guest or know someone who would be, please send me a message to cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.comTRANSCRIPTWell, ultimately the I, well, one time I was driving to where I counter for the money. I think I got set up. I, the guy that I was doing it with I got pulled over and there was uncut money printed on paper, cut money. Oh, just did the print sheets of it. And it wasn't cut up yet. Cause it was pretty hard to tell if it was cut up.Like I doubt I would've gotten cut, but they found the sheets and I was, I'm a dumb ass. I literally like was driving on an expired license plate. That's why I got pulled over. When I have literally like 10 felonies in the car I had, I had like a quarter of ice and I dumped it in my Yeti cup full of water.So they couldn't prove that. And then I'm like sitting in the cop car with water and drink the whole thing to come on. And then I was in jail, like freaking out, dude. All right. So I appreciate you coming on. Like I said, you know, lots of great things for us to talk about. We got, you know, we're going to talk first kind of about the corporate culture and what it looks like in corporate America, the stigmatism behind that, and kind of what that behavior's like yet stigmatized on our end talk about, you know, kind of what ended you up in prison and what you did in prison growing up, gay, a lot of domestic violence in your story.Talk a little bit about that and then maybe some, a little bit about your childhood and anything else. So, yeah. So you did want to talk a lot about, you know, kind of what happened to your very lucrative career. So why don't you just kind of tell me about, tell me about that. Yeah. So luckily I'm actually back in my same job and that's something that's, the solution has offered me and working my nine step I was able to get back.So, wow. That's a short period of time. What's your, what's your clean date? July 13th, 2020. I was actually on a conference. And my boyfriend was driving and I was leading the conference call and the cops pulled us over and they got where they were looking to get out of the car and hung up the phone. And my boss didn't hear from me for a year and four months.And then when I was in treatment, I was working in the nine and reached out to him and was ending, ended up. He wanted to hire me back. So yeah, my boss is the CEO of the company. So it there's no background checks or anything like that. Cause he hired me on a referral basis. So I was able to get him back, but still that's a, that's a, that's amazing.And just like, you know, for anybody that's listening, just like a realization of how quickly things could change. Like we talk a lot about the things that come back, you know, first being just, you know, freedom. But also in, in these things aren't guaranteed, like what you're talking about is not a guarantee once I stopped using and doing dumb shit, but in less than two years, Yeah, you've got your fucking dream job back.Yeah. This time, last year I was sitting in jail and didn't know I was facing six to 10 years, so I didn't know what was going to happen. I would never have guessed that I was just able to go to my niece and

My guest today is strong, both literally and figuratively, and is a proud business owner.  She went from living in an absolute horrible condition filled with drug dealers, prostitutes, bed bugs, and everything else associated with the lifestyle.She would continue through her early years in and out of jail, eventually spending a full year in jail.  She did get out after 7 months but quickly returned after not being able to pass a simple drug screen.Fast forward to today where she focuses heavily on her spirituality, program, helping other women achieve success through better nutrition and working out.  She is a fitness guru, owns her own business which is tailored to suit specifically women!As always if you would like to be a guest or know someone, please send me an email cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com

My guest today talks about what it was like growing up in a pretty normal household.  Eventually her parents divorced which resulted in life as she knew it changing pretty quickly.She eventually ended up progressing in her disease where she forged checks eventually ending up in jail with her first felony as a result of her mother pressing charges.  At the time it may have seemed harsh, but was exactly what she needed.In and out of jail did nothing in terms of stopping the addiction.  She is now heavily involved in service work, attends meetings regularly, and is a shining example of what recovery and sobriety look like.

A good friend of mine discusses the struggles when it comes to sponsoring other women.  In the beginning of the podcast, she talks about what it is like to have several years clean and begin to think about stopping going to meetings.Throughout the years, I have felt that way many times.  We discuss the tools used to combat this.  She moves on into what it was like growing up with not one, but two parents who were both in the program.  They held hard lines and eventually she became homeless.Landing to a story of where she received her nickname "Bambi" because she looked like a deer stuck in the headlights while she was smoking crack.Stay tuned!  If you ever would like me to discuss a topic or would like to be a guest, please email me at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com

My guest today is from the UK.  She decided once she was well into her sobriety to come over to the United States, not being in great physical shape or as she puts it more eloquently, "Fat, Forty, Funny, and Fucked" and hike across the entire United States.She talks through the mental challenges of being sober, alone, and on a hike without the support of overseas.  She was able to build a decent connection with COVID pushing so many people to Zoom meetings.She talks us through how difficult it was for her to surrender to the program, as she quickly realized she spent her entire life trying to cheat the system.  She tried to do things her way and leave the proper way out of it.

I talk to a dear friend of mine, who just happens to be a doctor.  This not to trump the previous doctor, but this episode is definitely jampacked with exciting stories.  We talk about primarily how geographical changes do not work for an addict alcoholic like him.He moves from New York to Columbus, then over to Guam.  He went from Guam to Japan and had plans to move to Switzerland to end his own life.  Finally he ends  up in the United States, and each time successfully relapses, well I mean as successful as you can relapse.From there he makes a move which is final to Georgia.  All the while he takes himself with him, so shortly after arriving he is using again.  We talk about the amazing journey he took to meet his now current husband on the top of Mt. Fuji.If you ever have any topics you'd like to hear some experience, strength or hope OR you'd like to be a guest, please reach out to me at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com

I talk to a dear friend of mine, who just happens to be a doctor.  This not to trump the previous doctor, but this episode is jampacked.  We talk about primarily how geographical changes do not work for an addict alcoholic like him.  He moves from New York to Columbus, then over to Guam.  He then goes from Guam to Japan.  From there he revisits the United States, and each time successfully relapses, well I mean as successful as you can be relapsing.  From there he makes a move which is final to Georgia.  All the while taking himself with him, so shortly after arriving he is using again.  We talk about an amazing journey he took to meet his now current husband on the top of Mount Fuji.  If you ever have any topics you'd like to hear some experience, strength, and hope OR you'd like to be a guest, please reach out to me at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com

Dr. Nicole Labor who is a Medical Director over several facilities, and has over 15 years sober, talks about the medical implications of addiction, what that looks like in the brain, and why staying clean and sober is so difficult.

Today's guest shares about the amazing company she works for called Freedom a la Cart.  They offer many services and help survivors of sex trafficking.  From their site, they mention "People are not property" and go on to say: No person should be bought or sold for sex. Not here in Central Ohio. Not anywhere.Freedom a la Cart empowers survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation to build lives of freedom and self-sufficiency. We believe that giving a woman practical job skills and developing strong work ethic is vital for creating a pathway to freedom. So, we've created a safe place of restoration where survivors can heal, learn and grow as they prepare for sustainable employment and reintegrate into our community.She shares about the path she took, which ultimately led her to get sober.  This includes adapting to greater and greater bottoms each time.  From living in a trailer barely able to support herself.  Then running with a biker gang, where she eventually ended up being raped, which caused her to leave that area.  Getting the house she and her boyfriend were selling drugs out of robbed, and narrowly escaping being killed in her own basement.  Finally, ending up on the streets with some of the most dangerous people.Each time things became worse than the previous incidents. As always if you or someone you know would like to be a guest, reach out to me at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com  If  you have suggestions for a topic you'd like us to share on please send that over as well.

This episode I am joined by KL Wells, founder and CEO of VoicesInCourage (voicesincourage.com), which is a platform developed for the loved ones of addictions or alcoholics who may have found some resources to help them, but all of them were not a great fit.  KL has developed a support system for the family members who may be struggling as a result of our disease.  As she says, "There are meetings for alcoholic addicts, sponsors, retreats, but there are little resources for us loved ones who are also dealing with a lot of our own issues."She shares the struggles of watching her son deteriorate for years with his own struggle with addiction.  He was arrested multiple times, went through mental hospitals, and finally today has ~7 months clean and sober.As always everyone thank you for listening.  If you know someone or yourself would like to be a guest, please reach out to me.  If you ever want us to speak on a specific topic please let me know as well via cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com 

Who is the baby?  One of our dear friends who joined myself, and another friend of ours on the podcast.  We dive mostly into the insanity of what our lives were like without the use of drugs.  We talk about what it looks like when we are trying to fill a god sized hole with instant gratification items such as relationships early in sobriety and recovery.  This is all driven by dopamine release, and a fueled obsessive, compulsive, and self centered behaviors which lead to unmanageability.  We end it with the unfortunate shit stories while being clean!  Thanks for listening as always.  If you would like to be a guest, know someone who would be, or would like a specific topic to be discussed, please email me at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com

This episode consists of a strong woman who has built herself a strong support group of women.  She talks about attending a private school up until her sophomore year, and then was abruptly thrown into the public school system.She laughs about checking off all the boxes of the shit she did not do during her more shy years in the first 30 days of public school, which consisted of smoking her first cigarette, drinking and doing drugs, and even kissing a boy!She had some excellent success early, and from the outside looking in, you would never know there was an underlying issue.  She was able to continue volunteering, coaching sports, and appearing normal on the outside.  She eventually ended up having a WILD marriage in Vegas of all places, which ended badly (go figure), but was finally able to claw herself out of that situation through a lengthy and costly divorce.She says she would not take any of the mistakes back, including a temporary relapse, because all those things have led her exactly where she is today which is completely at peace, and the happiest she has been in a long time.As always if you would like to be a guest or have topic suggestions, please feel free to email at cleanorsobercolumbus@gmail.com

We talk a lot about relapse prevention, what we believe are the major causes for relapse, or better yet, over the years we have been clean and sober, what do we believe could be the leading cause.  With almost a combined 21 years clean and sober between us, we also discuss the importance of sponsorship.  What does a sponsor do?  What is a sponsors main role as it pertains to the sponsor/sponsee relationship?  Later in the podcast we discuss MAT (Medically Assisted Treatment) simply as our insight of years of anecdotal experience being in the rooms.  We discuss what we have seen work, what we have seen fail, and also discuss everything in between.  It is not our experience to have been on these long term, mostly just under two weeks once detoxed, but the insight is great nonetheless.If you have comments or suggestions, please send them over to me.

This episode was amazing.  My guest has a very unique story of being taken, under false pretenses, to another county 6000 miles away from his mother.  To then being brought back many years later.  The struggles in early childhood, which potentially drove him on the path he chose.  He talks about going through treatment programs, sober housing, going to prison, and what peace is like today as a result of working a program.  

This guest is a great friend of mine.  She talks about how difficult the choice was to adopt her child out in early recovery.  Partly due to early recovery and partly due to the very toxic father who was still actively using.  She talks about how important the support was of her family, everyone in sobriety and recovery, and not a single person told her what to do.  They pushed her to seek the answer within herself through prayer, mediation, and what turned into a long process of people responding with, "I support you either way." structured answers.  This allowed her to build an excellent solid foundation with the God of her understanding.  Additionally, she was able to feel very secure in the fact she made the right decision.

This was a great trio with two excellent guests!  We cover what their relapse looked like.  More importantly, what details and series of events happened prior to the relapse.  There is some good back and forth with a combined total of 20+ years of sobriety and recovery.  The relapse was a small bump in the road, and fortunately neither of them ended up where they were the last time they decided to use. 

This podcast my sister decided to join me. She shares being trafficked at an early age, what that looks like from a kids' perspective, and being a runaway. She talks about the hopes and subsequent loss of our father at a young age, how that impacted her, and molded a lot of her decision making as she grew older.We cover a story of her running from me on the street, denying visits while in jail, and ultimately a rather interesting story of her run-in with an undercover officer.

This episode is filled with wild things such as him creating an invention, sponsorship, getting clean as a newcomer during COVID, and hiding in the bushes at the young age of 13 after being up for 3 days assuming a star is a police helicopter.

This episode is filled with some great back and forth. We talk about what relapse looks like. We speak a little about how COVID has affected going to meetings. We discuss what our first use looked like, and find a way to include the story about how I shoved a credit card in my ass cheeks.

My very first Clean or Sober Podcast episode! I chose a great friend of mine and sponsee. We have worked together for more than five years. This is just a snippet of his story. We do manage to cram into the episode his story of struggling in early use trying to raise a baby at 18. We talk about the point of absolute hopelessness in which he didn't want to continue living. We also talk about what his spiritual awakening looks like, and share some war stories.