The One Day At A Time Recovery Podcast

Today my guest is Dr Laura Petracek, a clinical psychologist and author of "The DBT Workbook for Alcohol and Drug Addiction: Skills and Strategies for Emotional Regulation, Recovery and Relapse Prevention". Can I just tell you… I LOVE A WORKBOOK! This one in particular is good for people like us because there are questions and writing prompts that support behavior change. But before we jump in, it's resource time! Today I just want to talk about one of the most misunderstood tools, meditation. Whenever I suggest meditation to clients or friends, I'm inevitably met with resistance. The two comments I hear the most are: either "I just can't meditate", or "Yeah I should probably do that", but it never happens. So let's clarify the biggest misconception: Meditation is not about not thinking. If you think you're failing at meditation because you can't keep thoughts out, that idea is a misunderstanding. In meditation, there is no goal per se other than to be fully present in the moment. As you notice your brain is thinking, you just bring your awareness back to the breath. If you notice you are thinking 1,000 times, then you simply notice without judgment and bring it back. It's like casting a line out when you're fishing. You focus on the breath, notice when you're lost in thought, and reel it back in. Meditation is a practice, and like any practice, we suck at it in the beginning, then we keep practicing and get better and better. In regards to why people consider it but don't do it, I propose it;s because it's not a priority. I wonder if it's not a priority because the value of meditation just hasn't been made clear enough. But instead of talking about why its so good for you, which a lot of people do, I'm going to highlight the COST of NOT doing it. If we can agree that the quality of your life depends on the thoughts you think and the actions you take, then we have to acknowledge a simple truth which is that it all centers in your brain. And just like you wouldn't run a marathon without training first, why would you think you could tackle something like getting sober, or make any major change in your life without conditioning your mind first? It's where all your decisions are made! Meditation is the process of conditioning your mind and your nervous system to help you achieve your goals so that you can ultimately achieve what we all want. Things like better relationships, health, peace, satisfaction, contentment and connection. If you DON'T practice meditation, it could literally cost you the very things you are actively trying so hard to achieve. I hope this helps you to decide to make meditation a priority. There are endless youtube videos and apps available at your fingertips. So do it today, and let me know what meditations you like and I'll share them on the Facebook page! So that's it! Please enjoy the episode with Dr Laura Petracek Connect with Dr Petracek here: Visit Website: Follow on Instagram Watch on YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuRolkOZ7X8fCEFCDYd5tg Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen On: https://apple.co/30g6ALF https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify https://bit.ly/3n0taNQ Watch Full Episodes! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo

Today my guest is Dr Luke Sniewski, author of Somawise: Get out of your head and into your body. I'm really grateful he reached out to share his story because if there is still a taboo subject in recovery, it's porn addiction, and we need to talk about it. You're going to hear his story, the underlying trauma that is at the root of his addiction and the healing practices that helped him to transform his life. In fact he was so deeply transformed that he has dedicated his life to helping others. He shares a lot of wisdom along with a lot of practical advice that you can apply to your life right away. And speaking of transformation, I wanted to let you know that we do have a women's Big Book study on Saturday Mornings, 8am pacific, 11am eastern. This is the book that is mentioned as being the most helpful in early sobriety, more than any other book from the 257 guests I've spoken with. We're at the very beginning of the book so it's a perfect time to join. If you would like to check it out, just join the One Day At A Time - Private Women's Group on Facebook for the zoom link. So that's it! Please enjoy the episode with Dr Luke Sniewski. Connect with Dr Luke Sniewski here: Visit Website: https://www.lukesniewski.com/ Follow on Instagram @dr.luke.sniewski Watch on YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuRolkOZ7X8fCEFCDYd5tg Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen On: https://apple.co/30g6ALF https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify https://bit.ly/3n0taNQ Watch Full Episodes! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo

Today my guest is Ann Dowsette Johnson, Bestselling Author of "Drink" which was on the Top 10 Best Books by Washington Post. She is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author, turned psychotherapist. Her very popular TedTalk is listed among the top 7 talks about sobriety and addiction. We spent a little time on her workshop "Writing Your Recovery" - a 8 week class which one of her students describes as and I quote: "hands-down a transformative life affirming experience". The next one is starting on April 12, so if you're interested in joining, just visit her website at anndowsettejohnson.com to register. Before we jump in, I just want to say, it's time I listen to you for a change! I would like to invite you to reach out to me with suggestions on topics you'd like to hear about, specific guests or anything else that's on your mind. You know I like to talk, but the truth is I'm a really good listener too. So you can message me on IG @arlinaallen or @odaatpodcast or leave a comment on the podcast facebook page, appropriately named The One Day At A Time Podcast. I want to make content that YOU want to hear. If you are finding these conversations helpful, it would help me greatly if you subscribe, share with a friend or leave a review on Apple Podcasts. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you, so thank you for walking this crazy journey with me! So that's all I have for today! Please enjoy the episode with Ann. Connect with here: Visit Website: https://www.anndowsettjohnston.com/ Follow on Instagram @ Watch on YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuRolkOZ7X8fCEFCDYd5tg Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen On: https://apple.co/30g6ALF https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify https://bit.ly/3n0taNQ Watch Full Episodes! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo

Today my guest is Allen Berger, Licensed Clinical Therapist, and Podcast co-host of "Start Here: Conversations about what matters most". He's also published several books including: "12 Stupid Things That Mess Up Recovery: Avoiding Relapse through Self Awareness and Right Action" and "12 Essential Insights for emotional sobriety: Getting Your Recovery Unstuck" Dr Berger was able to break down ideas around the paradox of accepting powerlessness in order to transcend it, overcoming resistance to doing recovery work and so much more. There were so many lightbulb moments in this episode, I can't wait for you to hear it! Before we jump in, I wanted to share with you that there's a free resource guide available at SoberLifeSchool.com It's called "100 Resources for your first 100 Days". It's a list of the books that have completely expanded my mindset, healed deep emotional pain, and provided context and perspective that have brought me so much self awareness and peace of mind. I also included a list of about 35 recovery podcasts, and facebook sober groups. I think it's critical that those of us that are on this path of healing that we educate ourselves and connect with others. There are so many facets to recovery that it's important to hear stories from others that are just like us and hear how they have overcome typical challenges. So grab your copy today at soberlifeschool.com and let me know which resources resonate with you the most! So that's all from me! Please enjoy the episode with Dr Allen Berger. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for daily inspiration: @odaatpodcast and @arlinaallen Connect with here: Visit Website: https://abphd.com/ Follow on Instagram @ Watch on YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuRolkOZ7X8fCEFCDYd5tg Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen On: https://apple.co/30g6ALF https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify https://bit.ly/3n0taNQ Watch Full Episodes! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo

Today my guest is Author and Writing Teacher Maureen O'Brien. We're talking about her recovery journey, the spiritual awakening in a Burger King parking lot, growing up in a dysfunctional home, but mostly her new book, "Gather the Fragments: My Year of Finding God's Love". Maureen is such a sweet and generous soul with a talent for helping people to write their own stories. In fact, she's been a tremendous help to me personally, to rise out of the slog of my second book draft so I'm deeply grateful for her. Before we jump in, just a reminder that if you are a woman in recovery with a desire to do the deep work of becoming free of long standing negative behavior patterns, I offer private coaching sessions. I use a unique combination of coaching strategies to help you identify and achieve goals, and hypnosis to release those stubborn self sabotaging blocks. If you are sick of the same old character defects and you are really ready for change, this is your sign to take action. Book a call with me today by visiting SoberLifeSchool.com So that's it! Please enjoy the episode with the lovely Maureen. Connect with Maureen here: Follow on Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/maureen_obrien_writer/ Watch on YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuRolkOZ7X8fCEFCDYd5tg Buy the book here: https://amzn.to/3TfnqBP Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen On: https://apple.co/30g6ALF https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify https://bit.ly/3n0taNQ Watch Full Episodes! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo

Today my guest is Amber Hollingsworth. She is the owner, founder, and counselor at Hope for Families. Amber grew up in a family plagued with addiction so she has first hand experience of what it's like to live in a dysfunctional home. She is also a content creator and has a very educational youtube channel called Put the shovel down, so I highly recommend you check that out too. I learned so much from speaking with Amber and I hope you will too. Before we jump in, I just want to thank you all for the amazing feedback on the last episode with Dr. David Spiegel. Lots of you have told me you've already downloaded the Reveri app and have started learning self-hypnosis! For those of you who would like me to support you with one on one, online support, I offer a series of hypnosis sessions to help resolve long standing behavior patterns. procrastination, self-sabotage, low confidence and of course, cravings. I call it the Breakthrough process, and if you would like to learn more, just visit soberlifeschool.com and book a strategy call with me today. We can do the Spiegel Eye Roll test to determine how hypnotisable you are! And as always, if you need some free sobriety resources get the 100 Resources for Your First 100 Days" available for download at soberlifeschool.com So that's it! Please enjoy the episode with Amber. Connect with Amber here: Visit Website: https://www.familyrecoveryacademy.online/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PutTheShovelDown Follow on Instagram @addictionrecoveryhope Watch on YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuRolkOZ7X8fCEFCDYd5tg Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen On: https://apple.co/30g6ALF https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify https://bit.ly/3n0taNQ Watch Full Episodes! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo

Today my guest is the esteemed Dr. David Spiegel. I'm going to read you his bio from the Standford University of Medicine website, but as a side note, this is NOT the David Spiegel from the Amber Heard trial. Dr Spiegel is a Willson Professor and Associate Chair of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Director of the Center on Stress and Health, and Medical Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Spiegel has more than 40 years of clinical and research experience studying psycho-oncology, stress and health, pain control, psychoneuroendocrinology, sleep, hypnosis, and conducting randomized clinical trials involving psychotherapy for cancer patients. He has published thirteen books, 480 scientific journal articles, and 170 book chapters on hypnosis, psychosocial oncology, stress physiology, trauma, and psychotherapy. He was a member of the work groups on stressor and trauma-related disorders for the DSM-IV and DSM-5 editions of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In my estimation, Dr Spiegel is largely responsible for legitimizing modern hypnosis and making it widely accessible through the Reveri app. He was recently on The Huberman Lab podcast where they went deep into the neuroscience and brain mechanics of hypnosis, so I highly recommend you check that out too, but today, I directed him to speak primarily on the use of hypnosis to treat addiction, trauma, and chronic pain management for those who don't want to become dependent on drugs. The topics we cover include: What is hypnosis Guided Meditation vs Hypnosis Hypnosis for healing shame based self identity Why Guilt is often the response to sexual abuse and trauma How to use hypnosis to break self-sabotaging behaviors We talk about Reveri - Low cost app for learning self-hypnosis ….and much more. It was such an honor to have him on, I learned so much from him and I know you will too! So without further delay, please enjoy this episode, with Dr. David Spiegel Connect with Dr David Spiegel! Visit Website: https://www.reveri.com/ Watch on YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuRolkOZ7X8fCEFCDYd5tg Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen On: https://apple.co/30g6ALF https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify https://bit.ly/3n0taNQ Watch Full Episodes! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo

Today my guest is Cole Chance. She is a woman in long term recovery, a yoga instructor and the creator of EMERGE Recovery, a live, online journey to recovery steeped in love, acceptance and empowerment. We talk about how she recovered from addiction and the tools that continue to support her on her path to wholeness. Before we jump in, I have a couple of tips for you. I've been meaning to talk about one of the most powerful relapse prevention tools that I have used for over 28 years, and I call it "willingness calls" A willingness call is an act of willingness to invest in your sobriety. It's about cultivating a support system where you can give and receive support. The basic idea is that you have a list of people you call for a quick check in. I recommend one call per day, but you can do more if you'd like. The reason we do this is simply that addiction is a disease of isolation and connection is the cure. Another reason is that to prevent relapse we need to condition ourselves to reach out before we're in crisis. We make these calls when we feel good, because it is so hard to call when we feel bad if we're not already in the habit of it. It reminds me of this quote "We don't rise to the level our expectations, we fall to the level of our training" Archilichocus So to give you an idea of the format of the call, I typically call someone and say hey, I only have a few minutes but I just wanted to check in with you. Ask: What's going on with you, then share a little bit about what's going on in your life and that's it! Pretty soon you will be current with several people and when life gets life-y, you are already in the habit of calling, and you can get right into the solution, without having to spend a lot of time giving someone the whole back story. And lastly, it's a great way to build self-esteem but you will have the opportunity to be supportive to others. So that's it, I encourage you to put this into practice today and let me know how it goes! And without further delay, please enjoy the episode with Cole. Connect with Cole! Visit Website: https://emergerecovery.com/ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colechanceyoga/ Watch on YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuRolkOZ7X8fCEFCDYd5tg Lightning Round Answers: Book recommendation: Drinking, A Love Story Self Care Practice: wake up, no phone, water, meditate, coffee, movement throughout the day. Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen On: https://apple.co/30g6ALF https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify https://bit.ly/3n0taNQ Watch Full Episodes! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo

Today my guest is Richie Stephens, actor and author of The Gangster's Guide to Sobriety. I heard him on the Rich Roll podcast and I was immediately hooked by his Irish accent and his ability to tell a good story. And let me tell you, he's got a ton of them! I could literally listen to him all day. Before we jump in, I wanted to say a huge Thank You to you and all my previous guests for helping the show reach the top 1% of self-help podcasts! All the shares, likes and especially the reviews help with ratings, so thank you, you all are amazing! If you haven't yet had a chance to rate and review the podcast, it only takes a minute and your efforts have a global impact. And as always, I have a really good free resource for you - I created a guide called "100 Resources for your first 100 days" available to you by visiting SoberLifeSchool.com It's a resource list of the best podcasts, recovery books, and online support groups. I'm telling you, even if you are short on cash, there is no shortage of support available to you. So get your free copy and I hope you love it! And with that, please enjoy the episode, with Connect with Richie! Follow on Instagram @richieactor Watch on YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuRolkOZ7X8fCEFCDYd5tg Lightning Round Answers: Book recommendation: Self Care Practice: Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen On: https://apple.co/30g6ALF https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify https://bit.ly/3n0taNQ Watch Full Episodes! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo

Today my guest is Andrea Ashley, the host of a VERY popular podcast called Adult Child. After getting sober in 2008, she found ACA which is "Adult child of alcoholics / Dysfunctional families" and it changed the course of her recovery. She launched her podcast to help others just like her, heal from childhood trauma to lead healthy fulfilling lives. She has a private where she facilitates ACA meetings, so check that out. She's so much fun to talk to and I can't wait for you to meet her! Before we jump in, I want to talk about what happens to those of us who grow up in a dysfunctional home. We are forced to learn survival skills like people pleasing, validation and love through performance, and denying or suppressing our feelings. Those survival patterns show up in adulthood as addiction, workaholism, codependency, unhealthy relationships and extreme independence. We have trouble trusting others and feel the need to do everything ourselves and often isolate ourselves when we're in emotional pain. The good news is that this is a cycle that can be broken. If you are at the point where you feel like you need something more and you're ready to do the deep work, I am available to support you through that process. I offer customized 1:1 support to help you break those patterns. If you want to talk with me to see if coaching is right for you, then set up a strategy call with me by visiting sober life school.com and at the top of the page you'll find a link to "Private Coaching". Change is possible and it would be my honor to work with you. So without further delay please enjoy the episode with Andrea! Connect with Andrea! Visit Website: Follow on Instagram Watch on YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNuRolkOZ7X8fCEFCDYd5tg Lightning Round Answers: Book recommendation: Self Care Practice: Subscribe So You Don't Miss New Episodes! Listen On: https://apple.co/30g6ALF https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify https://bit.ly/3n0taNQ Watch Full Episodes! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo