Atheists in Recovery: Recent Episodes

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"Never let a good crisis go to waste." Winston Churchill

Welcome to today’s show! In today’s episode, I list 3 ways to build your resilience in the face of pivotal events.

I announce a new project I’m excited about and invite you to join me on my new journey!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN 1. What types of events are pivotal (e.g. arrest, loss of a job, divorce/break up, big birthday, pandemic/languishing, loss, trauma, realization that I’m on the wrong path and life is passing me by). 2. How do these events impact us? 3. Understanding the Window of Tolerance. 4. What do we need at this time? What can you do with these pivotal events?

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Writing Bravely home page. Write with me! * Episode 82: Beyond Stress: training yourself to thrive in recovery * Episode 116: 3 Ways Writing Takes You from Hopeless to Hopeful: the final episode * James Pennebaker: The expressive writing method

For more info, head over to writingbravely.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s episode, I talk about how to tell when your pain is protecting you by dialoguing with our emotions. And the pain that I will be referring to is guilt, shame, remorse, maybe judgment, self judgment caused by the inner critic.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN 1. What are the types of pain? The pain of guilt or shame, remorse or judgment caused by the inner critic. 2. Who is the Inner protector is and what is its purpose. 3. How to listen to the healing signals through writing (what can they be signifying or letting us know we need to pay attention to?) 4. I give a homework exercise: Prompts - to lead down the path to get to know these undesirable parts.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Writing Bravely home page. Write with me! * Episode 106: 5 Journaling Prompts I Use The Most And The August And September Pause

For more info, head over to writingbravely.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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“You had someone to go places with. You had a date on national holidays!” -Marie, When Harry Met Sally, 1989

Welcome to today’s show!

Loneliness is a feeling that I know a lot of us try and avoid. And the thing is, we've all felt lonely at different points in our life. So it's an important topic. I've described loneliness as an epidemic in previous shows (and so has the 19th Surgeon General of the U.S. Vivek Murthy). It's so prevalent and it's also so destructive mentally, and physically. So let’s dive in.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

1. What does society tell us about loneliness (hint: it's all wrong!)
2. The difference between loneliness and solitude.
3. What is healing, what is harmful, what must be lived through?
4. We can use loneliness for self-exploration
5. I give a few writing prompts to get us started on self-exploration through loneliness.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Writing Bravely home page. Write with me! * The Secret to Not Losing Yourself: recovering from narcissistic abuse

For more info, head over to writingbravely.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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“Man is least himself when he talks in his own persona. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.”

-Oliver Wilde

Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s episode, I talk about the masks that do more harm than good. The masks we wear because we are afraid; we are afraid that it anyone see’s how incompetent we are at our job, relationships, parenting, at anything we feel is part of our identity, the costs will be too great.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

1. I talk about the top 3 masks: the social mask, the emotional mask, The “Who AM I” Mask.
2. I give you a challenge to about the masks you wear and commit to letting them slip off now and again.
3. What if fear didn’t get in the way, who would you like to be? I suggest a writing prompt.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Writing Bravely home page. Write with me!

For more info, head over to writingbravely.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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People who are resilient allow themselves to be changed by the experience of adversity. To be resilient is not to avoid difficulty but to play an active role in how difficulty transforms you. -Kelly McGonigal, PhD, health psychologist, Stanford University

Welcome to today’s show!

I’ve found that if one can focus their attention on resilience in these trying times, it shows that they can handle almost anything-it’s a learned capacity to cope!

Resilience is as important to our well-being as Josh allen is to the Buffalo Bills. :)

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

1. Skills and strategies of resilience are always trainable.
2. The core of resilience is flexibility.
3. Choosing how you respond to resilience is essential.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Writing Bravely home page. Write with me! * 3 Ways to Build Your Resilience in The Face of Pivotal Events

For more info, head over to writingbravely.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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“Creativity is a basic human response to trauma and a natural emergency defense system,” Louise DeSalvo

Welcome to today’s show!

I spend some time talking about what writing can do for us and why writing works. I talk about how writing in community can be beneficial and how I will structure my upcoming writing groups based on the literature and personal experience.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

1. Why writing? What writing can do for us?
2. Writing in community - what is the additional benefit?
3. What should we be aware of regarding safety/boundaries with writing
4. I will explain my creative process with writing.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Writing Bravely home page. Write with me! * 3 Ways to Build Your Resilience in The Face of Pivotal Events

For more info, head over to writingbravely.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

1. What is narcissism really? I discuss the myth of narcissism and how social media gets it terribly wrong.
2. How do you know if you’ve been in a relationship with a narcissist?
3. You’ve tried to be who your partner needed and when they are gone, you’ve lost yourself. Now what?
4. How writing helps with healing. I give you a few writing prompts.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Writing Bravely home page. Write with me!

For more info, head over to writingbravely.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! In today’s episode, I list 3 ways writing takes you from hopeless to hopeful:. And I’ve decided to end the Atheists in Recovery podcast so this is the final episode. I thank you all for listening. I announce a new project I’m excited about and invite you to join me on my new journey! WHAT WE’LL LEARN * Writing as a coping mechanism. Writing allows us to sit with the uncomfortable feelings and be curious about them-their contours, shapes and sizes. Writing can help us honor and light up our stories while prompting us to envision our future selves restored and renewed. * Writing as a creative outlet. Writing is just one form of creative expression. It’s not for everyone but I feel it’s easily accessible for all.

• Writing that heals. I talk about my own journey with writing and how it helped heal my traumatic wounds when therapy seemed like “too much.” The 13th-century Sufi mystic and poet Rumi wrote, “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” Thinkers from Freud to Brene’ Brown have all postulated that there’s strength in vulnerability.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Writing Bravely home page. Write with me! * James Pennebaker, Expressive Writing: words that heal * Episode 89 Three Reasons Why I Love Journaling & The April Pause * Episode 96 How to Use Journaling to Manifest Your Dreams in Recovery

• Episode 105 Q & A with Adina-daily practices for vulnerability, courage, love and belonging
• Sign up to be notified when the new podcast, Writing Bravely, drops here!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * How Johnathan’s early view of religion helped shape his identity in the world. * How his southern baptist “angry form of Christianity” messages made him question life. * At age 37, Jonathan found himself at a critical crossroads when staring into a garbage can. * The three steps to help you overcome your sugar addiction. * Why Johnathan feels the willpower argument is a lie. * Johnathan talks about what to do now that we are physically distancing and food is everywhere. * What practice Johnathan started in order to socially connect while staying physically isolated. * What’s Johnathan’s message to the A.I.R community.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Jane McGonigal’s Ted Talk * Superbetter: The Power of Living Gamefully * Recovery Record App * The Hacking of The American Mind: The Science Behind The Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains * The Sugar Demons: An Addict’s Guide to Conquering Sugar Addiction * Sugar Addiction FaceBook Group * Track Your Cravings Video Series-Step One * @crandiva * Jonathan Cranford * Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening! * Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s solo episode, I’m sharing how I use hypnotherapy to treat addiction. Below I outline 5 takeaways hypnotherapy can help you with addiction.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Hypnotherapy is not new. Hypnotherapists have been getting to the root cause of one’s suffering for years
• Say hello to your future self. You are the storyteller of your present & future
• When you fire it, you wire it. Making new neural connections
• The language you use matters
• The story of Duane (how he kicked his 20 plus year smoking habit)
• Some amazing things happen during hypnotherapy (the story of John)
• When Adina thinks of hypnotherapy she thinks of two words: Rapid Relief

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Schedule a free 15 minute 1:1 hypnotherapy consult here.

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe on ITUNES
• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN * How Rob’s community wanted to thank him for his contribution to the community and invited him to meet the Queen. And what his inner dialogue was like (hint: he was not happy). * Rob talks about his childhood growing up and how his identify was formed but it was not an easy road to becoming a successful entrepreneur. * Rob talks about his recovery journey and gives us a “happiness disclaimer.” * At 38, Rob found himself looking within the dark places of his subconscious which was hugely frightening for Rob. * How a flashback led him to relieving a traumatic event. * He wanted to stop the pain so much that he made a conscious decision to take his life. * What Rob’s interview process for therapists was like and what his litmus test was like for finding a therapist. * What Rob’s therapist told him to do right before he wanted to take that next hit that Rob credits as “her genius.” * How Rob’s underlying belief system helped him to find hope in recovery.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) * Trip of Compassion-Documentary * Before I Leave You-Book * Beforeileaveyou.com * Twitter * Facebook * Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening! * Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe on ITUNES * If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN * How David’s earliest memories were rooted in sadness & depression and he felt like something was terribly wrong with him. * David was put on anti-depressants is his early teens but felt “nothing was working.” * How a Cop was the greatest endorsement for heroin use. * When at Hazelden, David was told by staff he needed to put his life & will in God’s hands and work the steps of A.A. * David, as a devout Atheist, felt this treatment approach was not going to work for him. * After parents gave David “tough love” and an ultimatum, he went to a halfway house but felt “it was a joke” be/c all he wanted to do was use again. * David then went on a mission to show his parents that addiction was not a disease and he could stop at will. * After his friend overdosed and thinking about the permanence of death, David believed this would motivate him to stop using heroin. * How David found Buprenorphine when looking for a reliable, safe source of an opioid to start the healing process. * What the struggles were with obtaining buprenorphine from doctors in 2008. * What’s David’s response to the Opioid Crisis. * What David thinks the “miracle future” of addiction treatment looks like (hint: it involves science and facts).

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous
• DavidTheKick-Twitter

• Davidposes.com

• Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN * How Derek earliest memories were rooted in religion but his connectedness and place of belonging was found (and still is) in nature. * While Derek was in active addiction he watched his brother, father, and mother pass away from complications due to alcoholism which threw him into a deeper state of depression. * It wasn’t until a suicide attempt, that Derek decided to put himself through rehab. * Derek says as he passes his one year anniversary, routine & asking for help has been two great tools for healing.

• Derek talks about the shame and “feeling like a burden” when asking for help.
• How utilizing mentors instead of sponsors is what works for his recovery.
• What his perspective is on how to “reset your recovery.”
• How he handles things that are out of his control-he gives examples from his own life.
• Derek discusses what he means by “slowing down to speed up.”
• What Derek’s heartfelt message is to people who are in active addiction or newly sober during the pandemic.
• Tips on how Derek connects with others during the pandemic.
• What’s Derek’s message to the A.I.R. community.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * DerekJThatcher@gmail.com-Email * Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN * How Valley’s earliest sense of self was formed during “alot of using and instability.” * Valley’s mother thought since Valley grew up in AA those values would transmit but Valley had other plans. * Valley majored in love addiction, alcohol addiction, and codependency during her college years. * When Valley sat with her dying horse’s (Hooker) corpse she realized she was pregnant and had to “own it.” * How she was confronted by her then fiance to stop drinking and Valley said “no way” drinking for her was the solution and not the problem. * How getting a heart wrenching letter from her ex-fiance prompted Valley to get “free therapy.” * AA helped Valley become “right sized” because she felt she was either an Angel or the Devil. * What is Life in 10 and can you use this tool to heal. * The brain research behind sharing our vulnerable stories * What’s Valley’s advice to start sharing one’s writing in a group.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * lifein10minutes.com * Life in 10 minutes-Facebook * Life in 10 minutes-Instagram * The Halfway House for Writers * Surrender Your Weapons: Writing to Heal * Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * How hearing a sermon in a church led Peter to “wake up” and start to heal the suffering within. * How his Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. household normalized alcohol use. * What led Peter to get “interventioned” at work. * Why Peter found SMART recovery early on in his recovery and how it helped him. * What is SMART ‘s 4-point program. * Learn a few SMART recovery tools: for example, “ABC” tool. * How mindfulness works to challenge our automatic belief system. * What we need to do to release our stories (our past trauma). * What makes SMART different is focusing on the internal locus of control. * How Peter uses his spirituality in his recovery and focusing on possibilities instead of challenges. * What the Oscar Wilde quote says that helps Peter get through the “heavy spaces” in recovery.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• David Kessler
• SMARTRecovery.org
• Smart.southdakota.org
• Smart Recovery South Dakota Facebook Page
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group
• Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * How atheists/agnostics have found sobriety in AA. * The A.I.R. audience has spoken: we talk about these four categories: tolerance, losing one’s religion, the language of addiction, and coming out of the Atheist closet. * When is the right time to come out of the Atheist closet? * How you should come out of the Atheist closet (a few conversation starters are discussed).

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Recovery Dharma Website * Recovery Dharma Facebook Group * Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step LIfe * Online Secular AA Meetings * The 12 Steps According to Russel Brand * Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * Episode 22 starts our December series, Movies That Move Us. * Learn why Adina loves this movie and its relevance in the recovery space. * Learn what it means to be codependent. * The movie portrayed the subtle way drinking goes from being “fun” to more of a progressive disorder in which shame and fear are ubiquitous. * Learn what Adina thinks is the most pivotal part of the story of Michael and Alice’s relationship and how this movie is more about the Man than the Woman. * Discover what role can Al-anon (or family education programs) play in familial recovery.

• The final scene of the movie gives us a nice peak into alcoholism in the family .
• Why we may need to work on ourselves apart from the person that’s keeping you stuck and how to stop that cycle.
• Identify your role in the family of addiction and how you can heal.

RESOURCES MENTIONED * A.I.R. Private Facebook Group * Family Education Program * Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! In today’s episode, I list 5 journaling prompts I use most often (and why I think it’s the greatest recovery tool). And I’m taking a pause in August through the end of September to focus on family time, travel, self-care and to tweak a few things with the podcast. In the meantime, you may want to catch up on episodes 1-105 or relisten to a few of your favorites.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN 1. Right now I am... How Adina uses journaling in her own life, daily. She shares a story from her most recent journaling prompt. 2. I remember... 3. I don’t remember a time when... 4. ​​What I haven’t told you is... Or, what I meant to say was... (Adina loves this prompt!) Check out EP 105 on how she handles Vulnerability. 5. If I wrote the story of my life up to this point, the chapters would be named… Alternatively, if I wrote the story of my future, the chapters would be named...

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Episode 89 Three Reasons Why I Love Journaling & The April Pause * Episode 96 How to Use Journaling to Manifest Your Dreams in Recovery * Episode 105 Q & A with Adina-daily practices for vulnerability, courage, love and belonging * Sign up for the Newsletter here! Begin a new ritual that nourishes your soul and maybe start a journaling practice to liberate yourself from defeating narratives. * Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! Vulnerability “Vulnerability smells like rotten eggs, feels like slimy fish, tastes like ash.”

WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * What is Vulnerability? * What events led to Adina knowing she needed to address her own vulnerability. * How Adina previously handled vulnerability. * What the family motto was in her early days that led to her feeling that being vulnerable was not acceptable. * How Adina approaches vulnerability now. * What is Adina’s writing process. * Through writing we are able to make connections with our former, current, and future selves. * How she would use stories as reminders, as protection and prevention. * The stories that helped keep you alive when you were young, are not the stories that will help you now. * Start to write and then share those stories with others. That’s how we are able to connect with each other.

Quotes: “I was literally in a fist fight with vulnerability. And I knew at that point that I needed to start working on this.”

“Writing is a creative act of internal disruption”

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Learn more about our future A.I.R. writing group and journaling prompts by subscribing to the newsletter here!

• Episode 50: Let’s talk about the Spirituality Question: Q and A with Adina

• Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * Paul’s deepest roots came from living with a family of doctors that pushed him to excel at school. He deeply wanted to learn more about the nervous system and what makes up the brain & spinal cord. * You have to “rob” the tumor in a stealth manner so as not to awaken the brain. Think Jedi Warrior :) * How addiction affects the brain structure. And the brain wants to do good for us until there's an insult that’s put into our body (e.g. nicotine, heroin, alcohol). Then the brain gets the signal that “this must be what this person wants.” And now there’s a new normal. * When we’re at a party the brain correlates drinking with fun. And that’s when the external factors take over. * How the body & brain heal from addiction. * The normal lifestyle is not meant for us to be feeling high all the time. It’s just an average lifestyle. * Why did Paul begin to write. And why he decided to showcase some of his client’s surgical cases. * How Paul’s writing has helped people all over the world to heal. * Paul discussed how he’s changed from the beginning of his journal writing til now. * What Paul does with his writing mimics a lot of the recovery principles-joining in on conversation, giving back, showing vulnerability, courage and empathy.

Key Quotes: “You need to have the confidence that you can beat this addiction. It’s never too late.”

“Follow your bliss. And you can never go wrong if you truly follow your bliss in life.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED * DrPaulWriting.com

• The Young Neurosurgeon: Lessons from My Patients

• From The Eyes Of A Doctor

• My Surgical Cases Told In Poems

• Schedule a free consultation with me!

• Learn more about our A.I.R. writing group and journaling prompts by subscribing to the newsletter here!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! Stories I reference a quote which I feel sums up the episode well.

Write Often and Edit Well

-Esther Perel

WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * What is Brainspotting?

• We look at a case study with Tina and pay attention to her insecure attachment style.
• What the outcome was after Tina’s first brainspotting session & why Adina was surprised :)
• Why early messages are so important to our attachment styles as with the case of Tina.
• How Brainspotting accesses parts of the brain that are traumatized by many unintended experiences.
• How Brainspotting increases attunement by using a dual attunement frame. And how Tina was able to start her healing journey by feeling the empathy from me. Adina wonders if we would have gotten here with traditional talk therapy alone.
• Brainspotting helps us identify how our stuff defines us and how to unlearn these thoughts/behaviors.
• Adina feels it’s important to know one’s attachment styles. This can help with connecting better with your loved ones.
• Authentic attachment is an inherent quality of human beings. We all want to get there!

RESOURCES MENTIONED * Brainspotting.com * Episode 94: How to Face Your Anxiety Head on: the power of brainspotting * Internal Brainscan exercise (google sheets) * Schedule a free consultation with me!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * Please listen to EP 101 where we learn Arlina’s background before listening to this one :) * Why our brains are designed to focus on the negative. And how to increase our awareness of this. * Arlina, at a young age, kept finding reasons that she wasn’t “good enough” and “smart enough” and whenever she would have a negative experience, she’d use that as “evidence” to back up the stories she told herself. Confirmation bias is what’s happening. * In early recovery, we do things that we regret under the influence of alcohol. You lose the ability to choose how much you will drink or not. * Why after 27 years sober Arlina continues to work daily on emotional regulation. * What is the Default Mode Network & how we can rewire our brain in order to make better decisions. * Arlina walks us through a writing exercise on how to identify and change your irrational beliefs.

Key Quotes: “I just put a bunch of drugs & alcohol in my brain and I’m going to use that broke *ss tool to make decisions for my entire life…”

“Question your beliefs because a lot of times they’re not rooted in truth.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED * A.I.R. Survey Please take this 45 second survey to help direct the future of the AIR podcast. * Bryon Katie’s 4 Questions * SoberLifeSchool.com

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * Arlina described her deepest roots as having come from two traumatic incidents early on. She learned some survival skills that “did not translate into healthy adult relationships.” * How at age 8 or 9, Arlina discovered alcohol. And she described the first drink vividly. She stated, “The self-confidence & self-loathing was lifted….” This cemented the theory that alcohol would take away “all these bad feelings.” * Why she felt money or love was going to save her. (Hint: love did not come in the form she was expecting)! * Why she feels Quantum Physics explains everything she had learned from her religious upbringing. * Arlina shared she made all her decisions based on low self-esteem. And her work in recovery is now to identify & reframe her self-beliefs. * How “Empathy is the antidote to shame.” Arlina shared that her shame presented as defensiveness. And shame could not survive once it was spoken. * How connection became the cure to her feeling less shame, less isolated & less alone. * Stay tuned for next week’s interview with Arlina Allen as we focus on the theory & practice of her recovery along with a writing exercise!

Key Quotes: Arlina’s tagline: “If it were in a bottle, a bag, or blue jeans, I was doing it.”

“I was trying to think my way into right living. And it turns out I needed to live my way into right thinking.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED * A.I.R. Survey Please take this 45 second survey to help direct the future of the AIR podcast. * SoberLifeSchool.com

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s solo episode, I outline 6 questions to ask yourself in order to create a recovery routine that works for you. My bullet points below are a series of questions rather than statements. This is similar to what I do with my monthly newsletter. I’m a big journaler and our brains are problem solving machines so let it do its job. Write down each question and then answer it.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Question #1: What are your non-negotiables re: habits?
• Question #2: What can you do in the AM to set you up for success?
• Question #3: What puts you in “awe” mode?
• Question #4: What feelings come up when you “don’t want to do something?”
• Question #5 : What’s one thing you can focus on right now?
• Question #6: What’s your why? What’s your purpose?
• Bonus: Ruts don’t dig themselves. List some other non-negotiables to swap in and out depending on your mood.
• One of Adina’s favorite quotes related to comparison is attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Survey
• Episode 79: Resetting Your Recovery: rituals for healthy living
• Episode 87: Rituals and Routines: 6 questions to ask yourself
• Sign up for the Newsletter here!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * John described his deepest roots led him to Syracuse New York...from his upbringing, to his professional development, to his professional career and to his sobriety. * John’s sobriety journey is intertwined with a dual diagnosis with Mental Health issues. * How he needs to maintain his mental health so that he does not drink again and vice versa. * John’s first sponsor made him take his mental health seriously. * How he balanced advocacy work with personal recovery-especially in early recovery. * Where John was at the beginning of his recovery to where he is today-a person recovering out loud while respecting the traditions that people care about. * When in conversation with a student in Rams in Recovery, the student asked John how it is that he claims to be in recovery if all he’s doing is advocacy (e.g. the coffee bike). This helped John become more connected with the recovery community. And helped him to build an “underground network” of people all over the world which he taps into to help others. * How these projects (e.g. Coffee Bike, Narcan Bike) served as John's recovery program for a long time. And how the advocacy piece changes with each project. Now, the Narcan Bike, beyond the design, is largely all about advocacy.

Key Quotes: “I tried to do it on my own with my will power alone and the group of people in that room (recovery room) knew what I was going through and had been where I was...it was one of my only options. It’s the one thing I could connect to and participate in that wasn't making things worse.”

“I’ve gone from an artist who’s an activist to an activist who’s an artist.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED * A.I.R. Survey Please take this 45 second survey to help direct the future of the AIR podcast. * @5050.projects-Facebook * FreeNarcanBike.com * JohnFreyer.com * @recoveryroast * @freenarcanbike

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s solo episode, I outline 3 tips on how to overcome guilt, shame, & regret in early recovery. A sober life means feeling all the emotions and in early recovery that can be very triggering. Let's start our show with how I define guilt, shame & regret.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How to Increase your self-forgiveness. In order to walk through any difficult emotion, self-forgiveness needs to be part of that tool kit.

• How to increase your connections. It's hard to see oneself in a positive light because our thoughts can be brutal but that’s when you need to look to your external environment for help!

• How to increase your resilience. Dr. Lucy Hone (resilience expert) does a great job of exploring resilience more in depth. And she discusses three strategies she relied upon as she conducted a “self experiment.”

• Bonus: What you’re feeling is not fact, they’re theories that need to be investigated.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Survey
• Star Wars: learn how to find the force in recovery
• 3 Secrets of Resilient People-Dr. Lucy Hone
• Drinking and Anxiety: what's the connection

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show! WHAT WE’LL LEARN: * Chris described his deepest roots as being introduced to spirituality by way of “special event Catholicism” God and the idea of a higher power was a novelty to Chris * How his relationship with sobriety was one of coercion by being court ordered into fellowships, group therapy, jail, and house arrests. * Chris describes his high school locker as a small black marketplace for anything he needed. * How being “uncomfortable in his own skin” led to finding relief from alcohol. * How Chris fell into a 12 step meeting around his hometown and had friends in that meeting-all young people. This was the first time Chris said to himself, “This could be fun. Sobriety can be cool” * How his last year of addiction was the darkest place he's ever been. This led to a call for help from God laden with curse words. From that day on, Chris has been sober. * Chris states he did not find spirituality until he found recovery. * When going to Hazelden, Chris flashed back to the 1st time he really got sober and hearing the professionals say, “The disease is doing pushups in the parking lot while you’re inside trying to get sober.” Chris clenched onto sobriety as tightly as he could during his stay. Even though his default thoughts were negative. * What Chris’s first spiritual experience was like on his walk “taking the long way home.” * How the gift of recovery helps one take pause to live a better life.

Key Quotes: “The disease is doing pushups in the parking lot while you’re inside trying to get sober.”

“I was really self-conscious in addiction and found my voice in recovery.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED * A.I.R. Survey Please take this 45 second survey to help direct the future of the AIR podcast. * Taking The Long Way Home by Chris Blavelt * Augustine Recovery * Augustine Recovery-Facebook * Augustine Recovery-Instagram * Chris@augustinerecovery.com

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Quote: The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.”

J.M. Barrie (Author of Peter Pan)

Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s solo episode, I outline 5 takeaways for utilizing journaling to manifest your dreams in recovery!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• What is a keystone habit?
• Why is journaling considered a keystone habit?
• Journaling accelerates your ability to manifest your goals.
• Journaling creates a springboard for daily recovery.
• Journaling creates clarity and congruence.
• Journaling wipes away (like emotional windshield wipers) emotions. In this case, venting is encouraged.
• Journaling reveals and tracks patterns and cycles.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Survey
• Episode 89: Three Reasons Why I Love Journaling & The April Pause

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Kristen describes her deepest roots and her mother’s influence on shaping her future identity.
• How to use technology to remove barriers for mental health.
• Ketamine as a dissociative and what that means for our treatment.
• How is Ketamine different from the traditional medications we take to reduce depression & anxiety.
• When adding a psychedelic treatment you are going deeper within and finding out the root cause of the issue versus a flattening of symptoms that occurs with SSRI’s.
• Kristen talks about the neurobiology of Ketamine which is so interesting (says Adina!).
• Kristen on Ketamine and how it creates this embodied experience: “Once you see something, it’s hard to unsee.”
• What happens after each treatment or “journey” to keep the new learning from fading away.
• Kristen talks about integration as a three step process to develop new habits: 1) Journaling, 2) Bulletting the key takeaways & streamlining the information 3)Committing to engaging once a day from the key takeaways list.
• Kristen goes through the safety of a telehealth guided Ketamine treatment.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Survey Please take this 45 second survey to help direct the future of the AIR podcast.
• Mindbloom.com

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• What is anxiety? And why is brainspotting perfect for resolving anxiety?
• Brainspotting as a dual attunement process.
• We look at a case study with Raphael.
• What the outcome was after Raphael’s first brainspotting session.
• What are the challenges with brainspotting for Raphael (and especially in our western culture).
• Where is Raphael now?
• Brainspotting is not a magic elixir but it does go much deeper than talk therapy.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Survey
• Brainspotting.com
• Internal Brainscan exercise (google sheets)
• Elizabeth Stanley Episode 82

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Why Adina feels the word Anxiety is overused in our society
• What is an Anxiety disorder
• What are the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to Anxiety disorder
• Learn about “Brad” and his recent relapse
• What is the relationship between alcohol and anxiety
• How do we build an anxiety tool kit?
• Adina goes through an exercise called R.A.I.N. that she uses in her therapy practice
• Another exercise called “after the R.A.I.N.”
• Adina shares an example of what a “future self” looks like and why it’s important to detach from one’s ego
• Why Adina thinks incorporating this mindful awareness practice is an essential part of your recovery tool kit

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Episode 33 How to Find Self-Love and Self-Acceptance in Recovery
• Episode 50 Let’s Talk About The Spirituality Question: Q and A with Adina
• 40 Million Adults struggle with Anxiety Disorder
• Headspace App
• Tara Brach R.A.I.N.
• A.I.R. ITUNES page

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Mishka’s “second hand smoke” of religion had helped him develop in the world.
• How living a Godless life impacted his recovery.
• Why Mishka “reluctantly” self-identifies as an Agnostic.
• What are the key takeaways from the book- one of the tools is quite similar to AA.
• Why Mishka says you need to “pay your taxes” when in recovery.
• What Mishka says about crying and “losing one’s shit” and how to feel the feelings.
• Mishka talks about what is different about now vs. then (prior to sobriety).
• Why Mishka wants us to embrace the duality of human nature.
• What’s Mishka’s message to the A.I.R community.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Cold Turkey: How to Quit Drinking by Not Drinking
• Foreword by Jeff Bezos
• @mishkashubaly
• Mishkashubaly
• Top Memoirs That AIR Recommends

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• How D.J.’s earliest roots were “tangled, buried, diseased and complex.” Learn why D.J. thought he was adopted (even at a young age) because things were “just so bad.”

• D.J. talks about his fearful experience of spirituality growing up and how God would not “show up for” him and he had proof that God was not showing up.

• D.J. feels all of what he went through led him to the person he is today-a healer.

• D.J.’s recovery journal began when he felt like “giving up” but then went to Al-Anon and discovered his husband wasn’t really the issue and that he was the issue.

• D.J. feels he is “not a bad person” he’s just been to hell and back. And survived.

• When working the 4th & 5th steps, D.J. was tasked with outline all the things he accomplished prior to getting sober. And D.J. felt this was what broke him.
• How D.J. was sending people to 12 steps before he started getting help and going to 12 step meetings.
• What was so “serene” about being in these 12 step meetings and finding a sponsor.
• What behaviors D.J. engaged in that contributed to his recovery.
• What is Co-Dependency and what do healthy boundaries look like.
• What message D.J. has for the A.I.R. community.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Djburr.com
• @djburr1022-Twitter
• TheDJBurr-Instagram
• I Just Wanted Love: Recovery of a Codependent, Sex and Love Addict D.J.’s Book

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Michael’s deepest roots shaped her identity in the world
• How Michael took some interesting routes to get to where she is today in the decluttering space
• What are some practical questions to get us started with evaluating our belongings
• An exercise in mindfulness
• What’s the first step in the purification process for individuals in recovery
• Why it’s important to create a plan along with expectations for our first purifying session
• How we can bring in things to support this process (e.g. a ritual)
• An exercise called, a mindful walk through
• How can we create an environment that is supportive of our recovery
• How has Michael changed from the start of her podcast until now

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• @letspurify-Instagram
• @letspurify-Facebook
• letspurify.energy

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s episode, I outline 3 reasons why I love journaling (and why I think it’s the greatest recovery tool). And I’m taking a pause in April to focus on self-care and to even get a bit ahead with the podcast. In the meantime, you may want to catch up on episodes 1-88 or relisten to a few of your favorites.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Self Awareness. How Adina uses journaling in her own life, daily. How journaling helps one to become more aware of their behaviors by making the unconscious conscious. This can also help you reframe trauma.
• Tracking your behaviors. Use the acronym SMART to track your progress in order to make clear goals vs. general goals
• Imagining your Future Self. For most people identity is past centric. Journaling is very future oriented. Identity is what drives your behavior. Identify who you want to be and then design that life.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Technology and Addiction: do Online Communities Work?
• Sign up for the Newsletter here!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Luke’s mother’s death at age 10 caused severe trauma throughout his life. And how learning about this masculinity code shaped his identity in the world.
• How coping mechanisms of not showing emotions kept him safe in his household.
• A turning point for Luke was when a friend pierced his denial. And Luke realized, his Mom’s life was an example, her death was a lesson.
• Luke’s recovery journey started from those first few therapy sessions.
• What helped him become vulnerable in those therapy sessions.
• Luke recalls his mentors saying therapy worked which helped him walk through the door.
• What having mentors means to Luke.
• Luke gives a detailed litmus test for how he finds mentors.
• Where is Luke currently in his journey (what’s different now vs. back then).
• What are some healthy habits Luke uses which benefits his behavior & recovery.
• What Luke would write on a billboard for all to see.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Lisa Inside Addiction-website
• Seven healthy habits I use and I recommend clients use. (Luke’s ebook)
• Facebook
• Youtube
• Instagram
• Spotify
• Top 7 Memoirs That A.I.R. Recommends

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s episode, I outline 6 questions to ask yourself on how routines & rituals have helped you in your recovery. My bullet points below are a series of questions rather than statements. This is similar to what I do with my monthly newsletter. I’m a big journaler and our brains are problem solving “vessels” so let it do its job. Write down each question and then answer it

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

Ask Yourself:

• Question #1: Identify What routines and rituals that have created continuity for you this year?
• Question #2: What new routines and rituals have created structure and joy for you this year?
• Question #3: Do you follow any religious or spiritual rituals? (a familiar A.I.R. question) :)
• Question #4: What are some special routines or rituals you’ve made with friends this year?
• Question #5: What new routines and rituals would you like to try now?
• Question #6: How can you use Rituals for “slips?”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• How Decluttering Your Life Can Positively Benefit Your Recovery
• Sign up for the Newsletter here!

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Eli’s deepest roots shaped his identity in the world in a very orthodox Jewish community in New York called Crown Heights. How his childhood felt “very unsafe.”
• As he was growing up he started to group people as “safe” and “unsafe.”
• When an older community boy took advantage of him sexually, Eli unconsciously held onto two deep seated beliefs that followed him throughout his life.
• Eli felt if he had money it would solve all his problems.
• At age 23, Eli had hit all these monetary and business goals and he believed all his problems would go away, and the opposite happened. Eli shared, “It was a shattering of a lie.”
• Eli talks about feeling “pure sadness” and how getting in touch with that emotion was crucial to his recovery.
• About 5 years into therapy Eli met with his abuser and that day changed his life.
• Shame is a fear of not being worthy of connection.
• Why support groups are so effective.
• What would Eli write on a billboard for all to see.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Eli Nash-Instagram
• “Secrets” (YouTube)
• Out of The Shadows by Patrick Carnes
• In Search of More (Podcast)

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s episode, I outline 5 Ways Hypnotherapy Can Help You Break through Emotional Rock Bottom. Hypnotherapy is this podcast is a tool but it can be replaced with any resource you like: Brainspotting, Yoga, Meditation, and Memoirs (love a good memoir).

Emotional Rock Bottom

I reference a quote which I feel sums up the episode well.

Those Who Have A Why to Live Can Bear Almost Any How

-Viktor Frankl

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• There is always light in the darkness. It’s hard to imagine that life will ever get better. But it will. Hypnotherapy will shine a spotlight on your future self.

• Even in your loneliest moments, you are not alone. Hypnotherapy will help you gain greater clarity and awareness with what’s in front of you and all around you. Lean into that vulnerability.

• The people who matter will be by your side (blood or not). The people that really care for you will stick around and those relationships will likely grow even stronger.

• Shame is just a feeling (among many). Hypnotherapy can provide a direct link to shame. Will help you to get to where these feelings originated. And remember feelings are just temporary.
• Case Study: Stefan. Stefan decided he could not live in the chaos anymore. He ultimately became the hero of his story instead of the victim.
• Rock bottom is an opportunity to recreate your life. Make it a priority to reach out for help.
• Bonus: By changing your identity, you change your behaviors. Hypnotherapy can help you change your story (usually after the 1st session). You and you alone are the one that creates meaning. Make the story you tell about your (future) self a good one!

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Schedule a free 15 minute 1:1 hypnotherapy consult here.

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How David’s earliest roots brought up feelings of isolation and sadness. Learn why being one of only a few Catholics from East Tennessee had a huge impact on David.
• How David’s first drink as an altar boy sipping the Priests wine gave him a feeling that “everything’s going to be okay.”
• David recalls a real hatred to be himself and a hatred for everyone else that “wasn’t like me.”
• David said he went to treatment 5 times in the 80’s for “back problems.” I went to get my family off my back, to get my friends off my back etc…
• When David’s sister “cut him off” that was the “straw that broke the camel’s back.” And he was ready to seek help.
• How David now realized the God of his understanding in his youth was not a nice god. Recovery introduced David to a higher power that was different than anything he was ever raised with.
• How Covid and the isolation involved with living during a pandemic prompted David to increase his Zoom recovery meetings
• Where and how David identified his Higher Power (and it continues to develop)
• David’s message to the A.I.R. community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Augustinerecovery.com
• David@augustinerecovery.com (email)

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s episode, I discuss a pandemic of loneliness and outline 3 ways to combat loneliness during Covid19.

On Measuring Loneliness

I reference a quote from Jack:

I received a DM from an old college friend the other day who said he missed me and wanted to catch up. I was so touched that I started to cry. I feel strange saying I'm lonely because I have a loving family. I repeat to myself, I have a wife and kids. But maybe I am lonely. With my week consisting of sitting in front of a computer on Zoom meetings by myself, the amount of people I come into contact with is slim.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• The Gender Divide: How Men & Women differ when trying to connect with their same sex friends
• US Surgeon General (under President Obama) addressed loneliness and why people refuse to address the fact that they’re lonely but it’s actually a sign that our body gives us
• We discuss an example from Jack’s life
• Pick up the phone. And call at least 3 guy friends a week.
• Arrange a standing event. Get something on the calendar and make it part of your routine (e.g. a standing walk around the neighborhood).
• Sleep. To increase your resistance.
• What the surgeon general says about even just trying to connect with other men

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Episode 79: Resetting Your Recovery: rituals for healthy living

• Episode 82: Beyond Stress: training yourself to thrive in recovery

• Schedule a free 15 minute 1:1 Men’s group consult here.

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Liz’s deepest roots shaped her identity in the world which led her to write about stress and trauma. She says she is “exhibit A” of what she writes about
• How we as a society undermine resilience and how this shows up in addictions
• Liz’s definition of Trauma: “a condition when our survival brain perceives us to be powerless, helpless, and lacking control”
• What is the window of tolerance to stress arousal
• 3 ways we narrow our window over our lifetime
• The most important thing is that we can widen the window
• Why the habit of worrying has huge neurobiological costs
• Adina gets some answers on habit change and the all too familiar resistance
• How to build ourselves a ladder to help with re-regulating habit change
• What’s one thing you can do right now to widen the window-this is great!
• We can go in a virtuous cycle direction or a vicious cycle direction but it’s our choice
• What is Liz’s message to the AIR community (hint: it involves willpower)

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Elizabeth-Stanley.com
• Mindfulness Based Mind Fitness Training Course Free to public servants. Just head to the FAQ’s section to find the link.
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s episode, I outline 5 ways Hypnotherapy Can Help you Find Unexpected Meaning in recovery. Hypnotherapy is this podcast is a tool but it can be replaced with any resource you like: talk therapy, yoga, Memoirs (love a good memoir).

Digging for Unexpected Meaning

I reference a quote which I feel sums up the episode well.

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. – Friedrich Nietzsche

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Take all things as ‘granted’ as gifts not “for granted” as entitlement

• Connection. (with your past & future selves)- I talk about bringing in props to the hypnotherapy session to help connect with loved ones at a time where connection is difficult for many

• Safety. We need to teach our CNS that it’s okay. We are safe at this moment. We identify 3 cues of safety in this present moment.

• Core Values. Hypnotherapy will help you identify who is your spiritual connection, your higher power, your future self. And when you’re not living up to your core values, Hypnotherapy will point this out (in a non-judgmental way :))

• We look at the story of Jack
• Service. If you are in AA, you know how powerful service can be.
• How hypnotherapy can bring us closer to our loved ones (living & deceased) And no I’m not talking about time travel. Or am I? :)

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Episode 80: How to Deal with Extreme Emotional Anxiety
• Episode 64: Writing as A Vehicle for Truth-Telling, Healing, and Recovery
• Schedule a free 15 minute 1:1 hypnotherapy consult here.

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe on ITUNES
• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Elizabeth’s deepest roots shaped her identity in the world
• When she recognized how much of a lack of emotional attunement parents can have in their child’s lives
• Elizabeth managed those really hard emotions with substances because she did not know how to manage her emotional state and/or her Childhood Emotional Neglect
• Elizabeth defines Childhood Emotional Neglect
• We talk about how we “Numb” the emotions because we did not learn how to deal with them as a child
• Elizabeth talks about the challenges with starting a mindfulness practice & Adina jokes about what her clients think of mindfulness in general
• Elizabeth shares her practitioner wisdom about how to “feel the pain” and the power of brain health
• Why awareness is so important in healing
• What’s the first step in starting a mindfulness practice (hint: it looks a lot like the first step one takes after they relapse)
• Elizabeth talks about her podcast, Women Worriers and what informed her decision to start her podcast

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Selfcompassion.org
• Insighttimer
• Headspace
• Calm.com
• @womenworriers-Instagram
• ProgressionCounseling-Facebook
• ProgressionCounseling.com
• ProgressionCounseling.com/womenworriers

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• How Derek earliest memories were rooted in religion but his connectedness and place of belonging was found (and still is) in nature
• While Derek was in active addiction he watched his brother, father, and mother pass away from complications due to alcoholism which threw him into a deeper state of depression
• It wasn’t until a suicide attempt, that Derek decided to put himself through rehab.

• Derek says as he passes his one year anniversary, routine & asking for help has been two great tools for healing

• Derek talks about the shame and “feeling like a burden” when asking for help

• How utilizing mentors instead of sponsors is what works for his recovery
• What his perspective is on how to “reset your recovery”
• How he handles things that are out of his control-he gives examples from his own life
• Derek discusses what he means by “slowing down to speed up”
• What Derek’s heartfelt message is to people who are in active addiction or newly sober during the pandemic
• Tips on how Derek connects with others during the pandemic
• What’s Derek’s message to the A.I.R. community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• DerekJThatcher@gmail.com-Email

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to today’s show!

Is low self-esteem holding you back? In today’s solo episode I outline 5 ways to banish negative self-talk, increase self worth and take back your relationship with yourself to keep you from “ruining” your recovery.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Listen to your language. They are the sentences that begin with, ‘I am…’ or ‘I am not…’.
• Who AM I? (think of the messages you received from childhood) Many factors went into creating this inner self.
• The Goal is, No Self-Esteem. The “cure” for low self-esteem isn't high self-esteem, it’s no self-esteem.
• The Story of David
• How to Accept Yourself for Who You Are. Stop judging yourself!
• Questions to ask yourself. (an exercise). Write these questions down and answer them. Our brain is a problem solving vessel!

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• The Masculinity Dilemma: covert depression and self-sabotage

• Schedule a free 15 minute 1:1 hypnotherapy consult here.

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe on ITUNES
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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s episode, As we embark on the New Year, I outline 3 things to let go of in the form of verbs (and 3 things to hold onto). This can apply to your recovery but it can also apply to your everyday life-your finances, your sexual story, your relationship with self & others.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Hypnotherapy can be a highly effective tool in the early stages (as well as the maintenance stages) of recovery
• Hypnotherapy addresses those feelings we work so hard to push down (and we consciously may not even know we do this) or dismiss
• The verb: To Ask.
• The verb: To Take.
• The verb: To Receive.
• The struggle with vulnerability (the story of Ann)
• In conclusion, what verb would you pick to strengthen in the new year

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Schedule a free 15 minute 1:1 hypnotherapy consult here.

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• How David’s earlier experiences helped him to realize his calling was to help cultivate stories in other people.
• How living near a crime scene had prompted David to ask “Why do people commit crimes” and further searching questions like: “Why did his life turn out this way?” And “Does he want a better life?”
• David discussed a story from the book about Naji who is five years old at the time and dealing with issues of race
• How to start writing and the cathartic effect it can have on us
• What to say to yourself when you think you’re not a good writer
• How to rewrite the past just by writing the story as you remember it
• How you can start a writing group right now
• What’s David’s message to the A.I.R. community

.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Episode One of Writing our Way Out Podcast
• Writing Our Way Out Prompts
• Writing Our Way Out Book
• Writingourwayout.com
• dcoogan@vcu.edu

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s solo episode, I’m sharing a book that has helped me to better understand Depression-especially male depression. In the show, I outline 5 takeaways from the book.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Here is what I want to spend time highlighting as if we were sitting together having an iced decaf mocha!
• How you can pass depression on from parent to child like a chain of pain
• For men, pain is something you should rise above and when we “fail” that is when the shame comes out
• The difference between overt vs. covert depression
• How depression leads to numbing the pain with behaviors & addictions
• Gender differences in how one handles depression
• The story of David
• Autobiographical thread throughout the book is riveting and raw especially how Terry Real turned his life around by breaking his own toxic legacy
• Adina’s PSA to the A.I.R. community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Episode 52-where Adina talks about R.A.I.N.
• I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression
• atheistsinrecovery.com/audible

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

This episode features 15 of our past guests. Each guest submitted an audio recording answering the question: “What’s the one thing you wish you knew in early sobriety.” This show was so much fun to work on. This episode is also a celebration of sorts as we mark the one year anniversary of the podcast! After this episode, I am taking a much needed break but will be back in September with brand new episodes.

• Joe C. shares his message to his younger self and his analogy between recovery time and flying a plane is a good one!
• Joe’s website is Rebellion Dogs Publishing
• Tom Bannard discusses how the hard recovery work will pay off. Tom’s website is VCU's Rams in Recovery
• Bari Cohen shares what she wishes she knew about a connection to a higher power and fully committing to the 12 steps. Bari’s Facebook page is, Bari Cohen
• Liv Pennelle’s experience is, recovery is fluid and your needs change as you progress. Liv’s website is: Liv's Recovery Kitchen
• Bill Greer discusses learning how not to be overwhelmed at the start. He uses great imagery to drive home his point. His website is: Smart Recovery USA
• Duane Osterlind shares there is nothing to be afraid of when asking for support and nothing to be ashamed of for getting support. His website is: Novus Mindful Life
• Nicole Burgess talks about what she would tell clients who are starting their trauma recovery journey. Her website is: Nicole Burgess Coaching
• Peter Finger shares that recovery gets easier as you go and having new coping skills to replace the old ones helps to exercise that recovery muscle. His website is: Smart Recovery South Dakota
• Dr. Liz discuses how your whole life is going to get better in recovery and your future self will thank you. Her website is: Dr. Liz Hypnosis
• Julie Cole says she wishes she knew to slow down in early recovery and to treat it like a marathon and not a sprint. Her website is: Cole Wellness
• Rev. Edie Weinstein shares recovery is a process and not a one and done event. Her website is: Opti Mystical
• Matt Markowicz discusses loneliness and disconnection with self as being his primary battles in early sobriety. You can reach him on Linkedin: Matt's Linkedin Page
• Diane D Rodriguez (Dee Dee) discusses how loss and grief can show up in early sobriety and help to keep us stuck. Her website is: Live Life Changed
• Chris Marshall-says that fun needs to be a focus in your sobriety. His website is: The Sans Bar
• Mishka Shubaly says both laughing til it hurts and inappropriate jokes are still available to you in sobriety and to have fun! His website is: Mishka Shubaly

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How John’s early view of religion helped shape his identity in the world
• Why did John ultimately decide to conform to religious beliefs even though his family had decided religion was not a part of their worldview
• How John’s traumatic experience (and how he absorbed that experience) led to his accelerated drinking
• How after 25 years in AA, John came to the conclusion that he was an Atheist
• Why John rejects the concept of a higher power and how this led to a fracture with his home group
• What informed John’s decision to start the AA Beyond Belief community
• John talks about how he has changed as a person from the beginning of the podcast until now
• What would John write on a billboard for all to see

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• aabeyondbelief-Facebook
• aabeyondbelief-YouTube
• Aabeyonbelief.org
• atheistsinrecovery.com/audible

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.
• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

This episode features a few of our past guests. Each guest submitted an audio recording answering the question: “What’s the one affirmation I use in recovery.” The holidays are upon us and not everyone loves the holidays! Affirmations can be a great way to focus your attention on something positive. This episode is also the last new episode of 2020. After this episode, I am taking December off but I will be back in January with brand new episodes.

• Rob Imbeault shares how this “cheesy” affirmation changed his future self through new habits, motivation and perseverance

Rob’s website is: https://www.robimbeault.com/

• Dr. Brandon Bergman shares a reminder of how to get through the holidays sober through a acronym that has been empirically proven to work

Dr. Bergman’s website is: https://www.recoveryanswers.org/

• Adina shares her holiday affirmation and how she uses it in her extensive morning routine

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• This is the final episode in our November series, A Care Package for The Holidays
• How Katie Vernoy’s earliest roots of familial stability helped her to become someone who spoke out even when teachers and others told her she was “too much”
• What is the difference between goal setting and New Year’s Resolutions
• Katie teaches us goal setting using a ladder metaphor-Adina thinks you’re going to like it
• How procrastination plays into goal setting (e.g. I am going to be a marathon runner but I’ve barely run around the block).
• Why it’s helpful to have an end in mind (a picture of what your future self looks like) so that you can reverse engineer it into mini steps
• How does whimsy play into our goals and does it help with motivation?
• Katie shares her B.O.S.S. acronym she uses to help people make decisions

• Katie shares her B.O.S.S. goal with the A.I.R. community

• What message Katie has for the A.I.R. community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• KatieVernoy.com
• TherapyReimagined.com

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Episode 70 continues with our November series, A Care Package for The Holidays
• Learn how Disordered Eating co-occurs with Substance Use Disorders
• Don’t skip meals.
• Make time to move. Adina shares her number 1 way to move on Thanksgiving
• Make a balanced plate. Adina is not a dietician but she’s picked up a few tips from them
• Plan your indulgences.
• Consciously decide what to skip. Brainstorm 1-2 foods you’re not going to enjoy
• Eat slowly while sitting down and what the research shows about slowing down your eating.
• Say thanks but no thanks to guilt. And remember, you can always get back on the wagon the next day.
• Adina shares one of her go-to resources to help you in your recovery journey

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Top 7 Recommended Memoirs
• Conversations on Mindful Eating-Blog

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Episode 69 starts our November series, A Care Package for The Holidays
• Learn why Adina loves this movie and its relevance in the recovery space
• The movie portrays what it's like to go into treatment when forced by external factors
• Learn what it means to be codependent and the underlying intergenerational trauma as a thread weaving it’s way throughout the movie
• Discover what regret does to our recovery journey
• What Adina doesn’t like about the movie-which involves “looking for reasons” that someone is an alcoholic or addict
• Identify your role in a family living with addiction and how you can heal
• The final scene of the movie leaves Adina feeling like she wants a sequel. What does life look like after recovery?
• Adina shares one of her go-to resources to help you in your recovery journey

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Top 7 Recommended Memoirs
• 28 days-Movie

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

For many Americans, myself included, I feel a sense of worry that this may be a horrific election. No matter who you are voting for this year, Americans feel they have the weight of the future resting firmly on their shoulders. Let’s dive deeper into election anxiety and how we can build our resilience during this season.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Election Anxiety, What is it?
• Limit your news feed-in turbulent times, conversations can turn ugly when talking about political events
• Set boundaries-be proactive with your time & energy and listen to what your body needs
• Get out in nature. Try a mindful walk to lessen your anxiety.
• How can you impact the future. Voting is not enough. Get involved and you will start to feel better about the world.
• Take a mental health day after the election. Self-Care during this season is so important.
• Adina’s message to A.I.R. about one’s feelings surrounding this election.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Gartner Survey
• Volunteer Match
• A related podcast episode-EP 67

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

Social Distancing has forced many in-person events on line, including happy hour invites we receive from work, friends, family or for celebrations like birthdays or anniversaries. And the common theme for these events is drinking. In today’s solo episode, I’m sharing 5 ways to create a virtual happy hour sans booze.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Find what made you happy before happy hour
• Make a list of your “happys”
• Adina shares one of her “happys”
• Put yourself first. This should not come as a surprise that Adina wants you to put yourself first! And questions to ask if feeling guilty is the reason you do not put yourself first
• Always have an exit plan (accountability buddies are great for this)
• Setting boundaries. I provide questions to ask in case your boundary setting is in need of recalibration

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• How to create a more content, more confident you-Scheduling Link

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• How D.J.’s earliest roots were “tangled, buried, diseased and complex. Learn why D.J. thought he was adopted (even at a young age) because things were “just so bad”

• D.J. talks about his fearful experience of spirituality growing up and how God would not “show up for” him and he had proof that God was not showing up

• D.J. feels all of what he went through led him to the person he is today-a healer

• D.J.’s recovery journal began when he felt like “giving up” but then went to Al-Anon and discovered his husband wasn’t really the issue and that he was the issue

• D.J. feels he is “not a bad person” he’s just been to hell and back. And survived

• When working the 4th & 5th steps, D.J. was tasked with outline all the things he accomplished prior to getting sober. And D.J. felt this was what broke him
• How D.J. was sending people to 12 steps before he started getting help and going to 12 step meetings
• What was so “serene” about being in these 12 step meetings and finding a sponsor
• What behaviors D.J. engaged in that contributed to his recovery
• What is Co-Dependency and what do healthy boundaries look like
• What message D.J. has for the A.I.R. community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Djburr.com
• @djburr1022-Twitter
• TheDJBurr-Instagram
• I Just Wanted Love: Recovery of a Codependent, Sex and Love Addict D.J.’s Book

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• How David’s earliest memories were rooted in sadness & depression and he felt like something was terribly wrong with him
• David was put on anti-depressants is his early teens but felt “nothing was working”
• How a Cop was the greatest endorsement for heroin use
• When at Hazelden, David was told by staff he needed to put his life & will in God’s hands and work the steps of A.A.
• David, as a devout Atheist, felt this treatment approach was not going to work for him
• After parents gave David “tough love” and an ultimatum, he went to a halfway house but felt “it was a joke” be/c all he wanted to do was use again
• David then went on a mission to show his parents that addiction was not a disease and he could stop at will
• After his friend overdosed and thinking about the permanence of death, David believed this would motivate him to stop using heroin
• How David found buprenorphine when looking for a reliable, safe source of an opioid to start the healing process
• What the struggles were with obtaining buprenorphine from doctors in 2008
• What’s David’s response to the Opioid Crisis
• What David thinks the “miracle future” of addiction treatment looks like (hint: it involves science and facts).

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous
• DavidTheKick-Twitter
• davidposes.com

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• How Valley’s earliest sense of self was formed during “alot of using and instability”
• Valley’s mother thought since Valley grew up in AA those values would transmit but Valley had other plans
• Valley majored in love addiction, alcohol addiction, and codependency during her college years
• When Valley sat with her dying horse’s (Hooker) corpse she realized she was pregnant and had to “own it”
• How she was confronted by her then fiance to stop drinking and Valley said “no way” drinking for her was the solution and not the problem
• How getting a heart wrenching letter from her her ex-fiance prompted Valley to get “free therapy”
• AA helped Valley become “right sized” because she felt she was either an Angel or the Devil
• What is Life in 10 and can you use this tool to heal
• The brain research behind sharing our vulnerable stories
• What’s Valley’s advice to start sharing one’s writing in a group

.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• lifein10minutes.com
• Life in 10 minutes-Facebook
• Life in 10 minutes-Instagram
• The Halfway House for Writers
• Surrender Your Weapons: Writing to Heal

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• How Rob’s community wanted to thank him for his contribution to the community and invited him to meet the Queen. And what his inner dialogue was like (hint: he was not happy)
• Rob talks about his childhood growing up and how his identify was formed but it was not an easy road to becoming a successful entrepreneur
• Rob talks about his recovery journey and gives us a “happiness disclaimer.”
• At age 38, Rob found himself looking within the dark places of his subconscious which was hugely frightening for Rob.
• How a flashback led him to relieving a traumatic event.
• He wanted to stop the pain so much that he made a conscious decision to take his life.
• What Rob’s interview process for therapists was like and what his litmus test was like for finding a therapist
• What Rob’s therapist told him to do right before he wanted to take that next hit that Rob credits as “her genius.”
• How Rob’s underlying belief system helped him to find hope in recovery

.RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
• Trip of Compassion-Documentary
• Before I Leave You-Book
• Beforeileaveyou.com
• Twitter
• Facebook

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s solo episode, I’m sharing how I use hypnotherapy to treat addiction. Below I outline 5 takeaways hypnotherapy can help you with addiction.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Hypnotherapy is not new. Hypnotherapists have been getting to the root cause of one’s suffering for years
• Say hello to your future self. You are the storyteller of your present & future
• When you fire it, you wire it. Making new neural connections
• The language you use matters
• The story of Duane (how he kicked his 20 plus year smoking habit)
• Some amazing things happen during hypnotherapy (the story of John)
• When Adina thinks of hypnotherapy she thinks of two words: Rapid Relief

.RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Schedule a free 15 minute 1:1 hypnotherapy consult here.

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe on ITUNES
• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s solo episode, I’m sharing a book that has helped me to better understand Depression-especially male depression. In the show, outline 5 takeaways from the book.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Here is what I want to spend time highlighting as if we were sitting together having an iced decaf mocha!
• How you can pass depression on from parent to child like a chain of pain
• For men, pain is something you should rise above and when we “fail” that is when the shame comes out
• The difference between overt vs. covert depression
• How depression leads to numbing the pain with behaviors & addictions
• Gender differences in how one handles depression
• The story of David
• Autobiographical thread throughout the book is riveting and raw especially how Terry Real turned his life around by breaking his own toxic legacy
• Adina’s PSA to the A.I.R. community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Episode 52-where Adina talks about R.A.I.N.
• I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• How David’s earlier experiences helped him to realize his calling was to help cultivate stories in other people.
• How living near a crime scene had prompted David to ask “Why do people commit crimes” and further searching questions like: “Why did his life turn out this way?” And “Does he want a better life?”
• David discussed a story from the book about Naji who is five years old at the time and dealing with issues of race
• How to start writing and the cathartic effect it can have on us
• What to say to yourself when you think you’re not a good writer
• How to rewrite the past just by writing the story as you remember it
• How you can start a writing group right now
• What’s David’s message to the A.I.R. community

.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Episode One of Writing our Way Out Podcast
• Writing Our Way Out Prompts
• Writing Our Way Out Book
• Writingourwayout.com
• dcoogan@vcu.edu

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• What does the term higher power mean to you?
• Learn about spirituality or higher power as an emotional experience
• How do atheists/agnostics reconcile their higher power with the 12-steps?
• Learn about rituals and daily experiences of living sober within an atheists/agnostic worldview
• Explore sobriety as a personal journey

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• AA (Alcoholics Anonymous)
• NA (Narcotics Anonymous)
• SMART Recovery
• International Conference for Secular AA
• Atheist/Agnostic Pamphlet-The “God” Word
• Undrunk: A Skeptics Guide to the 12-Steps
• The Alternative 12-Steps: A Secular Guide to Recovery
• A Freethinker in Alcoholics Anonymous
• An Atheists Unofficial Guide to AA
• Waiting: A Non-Believers HIgher Power
• Common sense Recovery
• A Secular Sobriety
• The 12 principles of Alcoholics Anonymous
• Staying Sober without God: A Practical Guide to 12 steps
• A Principle of Recovery by John Grisham
• Drunk Mom: A Memoir
• Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12-Step Life: A Daily Reflection book for nonbelievers, freethinkers and everyone
• RebellionDogsPublishing
• AA Beyond Belief-community
• AA Agnostica-community

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

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Welcome to today’s show!

In today’s solo episode, I’m sharing a book that has stood out for me that is equal parts story telling and equal parts scientific research. By Dr. Gabor Mate’. Below I outline 3 takeaways from the book.

WHAT WE’LL LEARN

• Here is what I want to spend time highlighting as if we were sitting together having coffee!
• To understand this colossal and complex dilemma by looking at the title of this book and it relates to the Buddhist Religion and Hungry Ghosts.
• To have a look under the hood (so to speak) about the brain science of addiction.
• To discuss “what is addiction” and to spend some time understanding the false beliefs associated with the war on drugs.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
• Hungry Ghosts: Their History and Origin
• Rat Park
• Vietnam Veterans Study
• King County Bar Association of 2001

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe on ITUNES
• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Dr. Tarman’s early spiritual background in the convent for mothers and children in Germany impacted her sense of self
• How Dr. Tarman would ask questions about God and the rituals behind it but saw the power of it both good and bad.
• Why Dr. Tarman found it interesting that there is something very powerful about human nature seeming to need group connection and a belief in something
• How Dr. Tarman feels about her spirituality today and how it’s ever evolving
• Why she finds agnostics to be more spiritual than people who have the answers
• What she finds interesting about 12 step work: The higher power of your own understanding and why that is the magic of recovery and of a good life
• What Phil Werdell and Dr. Tarman found to backup their theory of food addiction and how clinicians turn their back on this idea
• Why the book was meant to break the barrier of thinking about food as an addiction
• What Dr. Tarman feels is the hardest hurdle to jump when addressing the addiction
• How Dr. Tarman teaches Step 2 of AA in class
• Dr. Tarman breaks down the neurobiology of addiction (adina’s fav. part)!
• What is Insulin resistance and how Dr. Tarman compares it to addiction
• Dr. Tarman talks about treatment and what’s next after you identify your food addiction
• Dr. Tarman’s message of hope to people struggling with food addiction

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Food Junkies: The Truth About Food Addiction
• Sugar Free for Life: I’m Sweet Enough Closed Facebook Group
• Addictions Unplugged

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

1. How to identify the “God” of your choosing when identifying as an atheist in a 12-step program
2. Why listening to near death experiences has a positive effect on us
3. How one looks for answers from childhood through past life regressions & reincarnation
4. How to identify your “higher power” around the lessons of our childhood (e.g. authority figures have a major impact on us)
5. How your higher power belief develops (plus bonus worksheet)!
6. What does it mean if you have a critical higher power (versus a supportive one).
7. How to “hand it over” or turn over the feelings you are struggling with, or thoughts of relapse in recovery

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Higher Power Worksheet
• Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
• Drlizhypnosis.com
• Hypnotize Me Podcast
• “There goes the Brainstem: Tales from the Trenches of Early Motherhood”
• “Birth Stories from the Yogafairy: Real Tales of Birth from Yogafairy Mamas”
• “Your Marriage CAN change Overnight”
• Insight Timer Offer: Text the word “Hypnotize” to 444999 to join her newsletter, download free hypnosis files and/or visit her website.

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Adina talks about the August pause and her schedule going forward
• What you can do during this podcast pause to help nourish your soul
• A review of what the podcast is all about
• Adina addresses the title (and tagline) Atheists in Recovery
• Adina talks more about the future self/higher power in recovery
• Adina shares a poem, A Hole in The Soul
• Why finding your people is so important in recovery
• Adina discusses year 2 and what that may look like
• A plea for ideas for future episodes

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. ITUNES page

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

This episode features 15 of our past guests. Each guest submitted an audio recording answering the question: “What’s the one thing you wish you knew in early sobriety.” This show was so much fun to work on. This episode is also a celebration of sorts as we mark the one year anniversary of the podcast! After this episode, I am taking a much needed break but will be back in September with brand new episodes.

• Joe C. shares his message to his younger self and his analogy between recovery time and flying a plane is a good one!

Joe’s website is Rebellion dogs publishing

• Tom Bannard discusses how the hard recovery work will pay off. Tom’s website is VCU's Rams in Recovery
• Bari Cohen shares what she wishes she knew about a connection to a higher power and fully committing to the 12 steps. Bari’s website is, The Virginia Center for Addiction Medicine
• Liv Pennelle’s experience is, recovery is fluid and your needs change as you progress. Liv’s website is: Liv's Recovery Kitchen
• Bill Greer discusses learning how not to be overwhelmed at the start. He uses great imagery to drive home his point. His website is: Smart Recovery USA
• Duane Osterlind shares there is nothing to be afraid of when asking for support and nothing to be ashamed of for getting support. His website is: Novus Mindful Life
• Nicole Burgess talks about what she would tell clients who are starting their trauma recovery journey. Her website is: Nicole Burgess Coaching
• Peter Finger shares that recovery gets easier as you go and having new coping skills to replace the old ones helps to exercise that recovery muscle. His website is: Smart Recovery South Dakota
• Dr. Liz discuses how your whole life is going to get better in recovery and your future self will thank you. Her website is: Dr. Liz Hypnosis
• Julie Cole says she wishes she knew to slow down in early recovery and to treat it like a marathon and not a sprint. Her website is: Cole Wellness
• Rev. Edie Weinstein shares recovery is a process and not a one and done event. Her website is: Opti Mystical
• Matt Markowicz discusses loneliness and disconnection with self as being his primary battles in early sobriety. You can reach him on Linkedin: Matt's Linkedin Page
• Diane D Rodriguez (Dee Dee) discusses how loss and grief can show up in early sobriety and help to keep us stuck. Her website is: Live Life Changed
• Chris Marshall-says that fun needs to be a focus in your sobriety. His website is: The Sans Bar
• Mishka Shubaly says both laughing til it hurts and inappropriate jokes are still available to you in sobriety and to have fun! His website is: Mishka Shubaly

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

• If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Michael’s deepest roots shaped her identity in the world
• How Michael took some interesting routes to get to where she is today in the decluttering space
• What are some practical questions to get us started with evaluating our belongings
• An exercise in mindfulness
• What’s the first step in the purification process for individuals in recovery
• Why it’s important to create a plan along with expectations for our first purifying session
• How we can bring in things to support this process (e.g. a ritual)
• An exercise called, a mindful walk through
• How can we create an environment that is supportive of our recovery
• How has Michael changed from the start of her podcast until now

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• @letspurify-Instagram
• @letspurify-Facebook
• letspurify.energy

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Why Adina feels the word Anxiety is overused in our society
• What is an Anxiety disorder
• What are the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to Anxiety disorder
• Learn about “Brad” and his recent relapse
• What is the relationship between alcohol and anxiety
• How do we build an anxiety tool kit?
• Adina goes through an exercise called R.A.I.N. that she uses in her therapy practice
• Another exercise called “after the R.A.I.N.”
• Adina shares an example of what a “future self” looks like and why it’s important to detach from one’s ego
• Why Adina thinks incorporating this mindful awareness practice is an essential part of your recovery tool kit

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Episode 33 How to Find Self-Love and Self-Acceptance in Recovery
• Episode 50 Let’s Talk About The Spirituality Question: Q and A with Adina
• 40 Million Adults struggle with Anxiety Disorder
• Headspace App
• Tara Brach R.A.I.N.
• A.I.R. ITUNES page

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How John’s early view of religion helped shape his identity in the world
• Why did John ultimately decide to conform to religious beliefs even though his family had decided religion was not a part of their worldview
• How John’s traumatic experience (and how he absorbed that experience) led to his accelerated drinking
• How after 25 years in AA, John came to the conclusion that he was an Atheist
• Why John rejects the concept of a higher power and how this led to a fracture with his home group
• What informed John’s decision to start the AA Beyond Belief community
• John talks about how he has changed as a person from the beginning of the podcast until now
• What would John write on a billboard for all to see

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• aabeyondbelief-Facebook
• aabeyondbelief-YouTube
• Aabeyonbelief.org

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:
Adina answers a question from a listener that’s probably been on many of your minds.
How being vulnerable relates to recovery
What does connection have to do with recovery
Why Adina feels people don’t recover without addressing this question and how she uses it in her Hypnotherapy practice
How using this one question can open up a dialogue that leads to more searching questions

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Episode 31 with Robert Cox
Episode 8 with Dr. Elizabeth Bonet
Atheists in Recovery on ITUNES

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Johnathan’s early view of religion helped shape his identity in the world
• How his southern baptist “angry form of Christianity” messages made him question life
• At age 37, Jonathan found himself at a critical crossroads when staring into a garbage can
• The three steps to help you overcome your sugar addiction
• Why Johnathan feels the willpower argument is a lie
• Johnathan talks about what to do now that we are physical distancing and food is everywhere
• What practice Johnathan started in order to socially connect while staying physically isolated
• What’s Johnathan’s message to the A.I.R community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Jane McGonigal’s Ted Talk
• Superbetter: The Power of Living Gamefully
• Recovery Record App
• The Hacking of The American Mind: The Science Behind The Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains
• The Sugar Demons: An Addict’s Guide to Conquering Sugar Addiction
• Sugar Addiction FaceBook Group
• Track Your Cravings Video Series-Step One
• @crandiva
• Jonathan Cranford

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Teresa’s irreligious background led to her spiritual awakening in her 20’s
• How Teresa is building bridges to recovery for families suffering from addiction
• Why she views faith as a problem
• What is radical acceptance
• Why Teresa feels her recovery changed her faith
• What Teresa found in the 12 steps that caused a faith shift in her
• What Teresa feels in a major problem in organized religion
• What our current times are telling us about the limitations of religion
• Why Teresa feels physical meetings don’t get people sober
• What Teresa means when she says people in recovery were made for pandemics and uncertainty
• Why Teresa is worried about the “tremendously successful people” out there during the pandemic

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Northstar Community
• Teresa@northstarcommunity.com
• Northstarcommunity.com
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Mishka’s “second hand smoke” of religion had helped him develop his identity
• How living a Godless life impacted his recovery
• Why Mishka “reluctantly” self-identifies as an Agnostic
• What are the key takeaways from the book- one of the tools is quite similar to AA
• Why Mishka says you need to “pay your taxes” when in recovery
• What Mishka says about crying and “losing one’s shit” and how to feel the feelings
• Mishka talks about what is different about now vs. then (prior to sobriety)
• Why Mishka wants us to embrace the duality of human nature
• What’s Mishka’s message to the A.I.R community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Cold Turkey: How to Quit Drinking by Not Drinking
• Foreword by Jeff Bezos
• @mishkashubaly
• Mishkashubaly
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Beyond Freak Out: How to Win The Battle Against Your Inner Demons

Recovery under Quarantine

Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How to know if you’re a “fighter” in relationships
• A tool that Adina loves in dealing with the “freakout” during Covid-19 or at anytime
• How it’s important to recognize and allow the difficult feelings instead of running from them
• We visit with Russell and learn how he uses S.T.O.P. to address his inner demons
• How Adina’s college sport and kickboxing days prepared her for dealing with pain

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Anger Management (Founders) School Now Enrolling
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• The path that led to Julie identifying as a “seeker” amidst a structured group of “spiritually wounded” individuals
• Julie had a foundation of 12-step recovery but also guided her recovery in holistic ways
• Why it feels so hard “like moving through mud” to access resources online
• Why Julie feels one has to get clear about their recovery goals
• The one question she asks to help identify one’s recovery goals
• When living in homes with other people, those individuals cannot give us peace and security
• What do Cabs in Times Square have to do with our thoughts and feelings
• What can we do to connect with ourselves and tools on how to identify our feelings
• It’s okay to not know how we’re feeling right now and to give ourselves some grace
• What’s Julie’s message to the A.I.R community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• www.colewelness.com
• @Cole_Wellness
• Imago Therapy
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene’ Brown
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Dr. Eddie’s path that led to his practice as a Zen Buddhist
• Why he feels so many people miss out on addiction treatment due to not being able to afford specialized care and what he’s working on to change that
• Why change based tools (like certain therapies) tend to not work and how acceptance based strategies (e.g.serenity prayer) can work in a world where we have problems we can’t simply change
• Why lapses or relapses are reflective behaviors and how mindfulness can help
• How we can use Mindfulness based stress reduction to overcome the experience of craving
• What is Urge Surfing and how does it help with cravings
• How Mindfulness changes the mind (not the physical structure) and lays down new tracks in the brain for new associations and to ramp up areas that will inhibit using drugs
• How Mindfulness can help with changing our reward values and dopaminergic reward system
• Why it’s important to start a mindfulness practice in these challenging times
• What Dr. Eddie’s message is to the A.I.R. community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
• Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention
• Urge Surfing MP3
• deddie@mgh.harvard.edu
• @davideddiephd
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How her spirituality was “shaken” but not lost after the death of her only son
• What is grief? Diane talks about the common myths of grief
• What are some things we can do to deal with grief and loss under quarantine
• We get clear about meaning making and why we try to seek it in religion, relationships, step work, etc...
• We learn everything we think is normal about grief, becomes abnormal, and everything that we've believed to be abnormal in grief becomes normal
• Atheists and Rituals:Why do we need them?
• We learn how to find support and meaning as an Atheist-A roadmap for meaning
• What Dee Dee’s message is to the A.I.R. community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Elizabeth Kubler Ross 5 Stages of Grieving
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How to increase your mental health resilience through music
• Why Adina feels therapy doesn't have to stop when you’re at home
• Why you should schedule a session when you know you have time to yourself
• Find a spot where you are most comfortable
• Why Adina doesn’t feel you should worry about appearances
• How to avoid distractions during your session
• Why grounding yourself is beneficial to your overall session

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Paul Rudd’s Escape from Virtual Island
• Day One-Journal App
• Pandemic Resource Page
• Episode 18: Music in Recovery
• Coronavirus Online Therapy

• Virtual Recovery Meetings Online

• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Brandon self-identifies as a cultural ethnic Jew and as he has aged- a focus on spirituality
• What is Recovery Related Use of Online Technology (R.O.O.T)
• Why Brandon feels recovery is a fundamentally social process
• What is the difference between general interest sites vs. recovery interest sites (e.g. In The Rooms; Sober Grid)
• That online technology is not only for emerging adults but for middle adulthood and mature adults
• Individuals in a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to use R.O.O.T than those of higher socioeconomic lines
• What are the benefits of using R.O.O.T (and the challenges)
• What can you do as a participant to get the most out of online recovery communities
• Brandon talks about the benefits of listening with intent during social isolation

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Expanding the reach of alcohol and other drug services: Prevalence and correlates of US adult engagement with online technology to address substance problems
• Connections App
• Prescription Digital Therapeutic to Help Treat OUD & SUD | reSET-O & reSET
• Recovery Research Institute
• @BrandonBphd
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Laura talks about her upbringing abroad as a secular and cultural Jew and how that helped form her identity
• She also talks about her underlying mental health issues growing up and felt “ostracized” in many circles which led her to start drinking
• Laura shared that her “lack of commitment” to a healthier way of living kept her in a cycle of starting and stopping drinking
• Laura talks about what her personalized approach to recovery looks like
• What were Laura’s early struggles re: AA (although she will refer to it as a viable “option” in recovery)
• What is the Sobriety Collective and how does it help people
• Why Laura focused the Sobriety Collective on building a resource around creativity and creative people, and living in recovery, out loud
• How Laura copes with the isolation and loneliness as a result of sheltering in place
• What mantra’s Laura uses to cope with her mental and emotional health
• What Laura’s message is to the A.I.R. community

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• The Sobriety Collective
• BoozefreeinDC.com
• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
• @wearesober
• @boozefreeinDC
• @zeroproofnation
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Bill talks about his drinking becoming a problem at age 40 but it wasn’t until his 50’s that he reached out for help
• What Bill found helpful regarding the intensive outpatient program structure
• What Bill felt was scary about going to a support group for the first time
• Bill goes through the motivational tools found in Smart Recovery
• Bill’s wife receives a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer and he explains how the program helped him with those intense feelings like morning the loss of a loved one
• Bill talks about how one can tell if SMART is right for you
• How does one’s faith or religious belief system fit into Smart Recovery
• What Bill’s message is to family members who struggle with a loved one battling addiction

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• www.smartrecovery.org (check out the meeting locator)
• Friends and Family Meetings
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Catherine talks about faith and religion as being a big part of her childhood in Northern Ireland but how she never felt the need to “revisit it” until recovery
• As a self-identified Atheist, why Catherine felt she was “doing it wrong” in recovery
• What Catherine says to individuals who criticize her lack of a higher power
• How Catherine arrived at the decision to finally stop drinking
• What AA has to do with Catherine’s sobriety date
• What were Catherine’s early recovery days like and why she considered early recovery “a second job”
• How she found her sober community online 6 years ago and what that means for us navigating our current self-isolation days
• What recovery looks like for Catherine right now
• How perspective surrounding recovery and emotion can look different when one has several months in.
• What Catherine’s message is to Atheists in recovery

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• AA Agnostica 12 Steps
• 100 Day Challenge
• @unexpectedjoyof
• The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober
• The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober Journal
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

How the story, The Wizard of Oz, is laden with such great metaphors about the use of spirituality, feelings of “home” and relationships in recovery
What can you do when you’ve “lost” your brain
How to advocate for yourself when you’ve “lost” connection as in covid-19 social distancing
What to tell yourself when you’ve “lost” courage

RESOURCES MENTIONED

A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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5 Ways to Maintain Sobriety When You’re Stuck at Home

Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Why Adina thinks now is the best time to connect with others and put your recovery first
• How Reddit (and other virtual communities) are good options
• How to advocate for yourself with your therapist, sober coach, recovery team etc.
• When to talk to your loved ones and learn why virtual face-to-face is better than just texting alone
• Why starting a meditation practice right now is so important
• Learn a mindfulness exercise that you can do right now to help you sleep!

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Virtual Support Groups Google Doc, Redditors in Recovery
• Meditation for Beginners
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How SMART compares to other 12-Step Groups
• What SMART believes about the self-empowering vs. powerlessness approach
• Tom feels SMART is a “haven” for Atheists and Agnostics
• Tom thinks “cross talk” is a great benefit to SMART meetings
• Tom shared how one knows if they are “right” for SMART based on a specific personality characteristic
• What is SMART ‘s 4-point program
• What are “Dual Citizens” in mutual help groups
• What is the underlying mechanism of action in these groups that makes mutual help groups effective
• What the T.S. Eliot quote says about rediscovery and how Tom has applied it to his own life especially when looking at his own family
• Why Tom feels perseverance is the key to recovery
• Why Tom feels it is so important to build up the new sober life in recovery so that it is less appealing to want to go back to the “old” life

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Practicalrecovery.com
• Smartrecovery.org
• smartrecoverysd.org
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How hearing a sermon in a church led Peter to “wake up” and start to heal the suffering within
• How his Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. household normalized alcohol use
• What led Peter to get “interventioned” at work
• Why Peter found SMART recovery early on in his recovery and how it helped him
• What is SMART ‘s 4-point program
• Learn a few SMART recovery tools: for example, “ABC” tool
• How mindfulness works to challenge our automatic belief system
• What we need to do to release our stories (our past trauma)
• What makes SMART different is focusing on the internal locus of control
• How Peter uses his spirituality in his recovery and focusing on possibilities instead of challenges
• What the Oscar Wilde quote says that helps Peter get through the “heavy spaces” in recovery

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• David Kessler
• SMARTRecovery.org
• Smart.southdakota.org
• Smart Recovery South Dakota Facebook Page
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Why Adina feels letting out our feelings (and the coping strategies to do so) helps with taking an objective stance on those negative feelings
• Why moving one’s body is so important in recovery
• Spend time with “your” people and reconnect with family or connect with new friends
• How to get to know the “new” sober you-spiritually, emotionally, mentally
• Why Adina loves the introverts and their unique skill sets
• How helping a friend in need helps get you out of your head
• Why taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do in recovery
• Why Adina thinks you’re choosing LOVE already and how to continue that habit for years to come

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Episode 5: Conceptualizing Society Recovery and Beyond

• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Why Nicole struggled with the exclusive messages received from her Church
• How she developed her core spiritual belief to be more inclusive vs. exclusive
• How little traumas can add up to a big trauma and why that matters
• Why it’s important to incorporate spirituality into your recovery
• What tools Nicole uses to address opening Pandora’s box in a safe way
• Why Nicole says “feeling happy all day long” is an illusion
• How Nicole deals with the “hamster on the wheel” thoughts
• How writing things down affects our thoughts/feelings
• What is a Highly Sensitive Person
• How Nicole’s spiritual belief grounds her and dampens the nervous system
• We end with a Jungian quote-one of Nicole and Adina’s favorites

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• NicoleBurgesscoaching.com
• NicoleBurguesscoaching.com/mindfulness
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Why Robert considers himself a Christo-Buddhist
• How Tibetan Buddhism led him down a certain path for 15 years
• How the Dalai Lama led him towards seeing Christ as a bodhisattva
• How we numb out the pain and shame at the risk of ever feeling happiness
• Why Robert thinks the “what is your drug of choice” question is ridiculous
• How to differentiate between mindfulness and meditation
• How mindfulness trains the brain to slow it down and not react to past trauma or bodily sensations
• Why Robert feels treating the trauma instead of the addiction is the right approach
• Learn a few mindfulness tools for our tool box
• How mindfulness leads to meditation
• What does brokenness do for our life
• The connection between mindfulness and Rumi’s poem, The Guest House
• Why a regular mindfulness practice is so important to one’s recovery

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Brene Brown Talks About Numbing Out
• Waking The Tiger
• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
• Liferecoveryconsulting.org
• robert@liferecoveryconsulting.org
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Learn what the definition of Intuition is
• Learn about mindfulness and how this practice increases your intuition
• Learn to take heed of your biology every day
• Why Journaling is so important
• Why following the flashes of intuition may be one of the best decisions you can make
• What happened to Adina while running that made her glad she listened to her gut
• Why we have strong intuitions about what people write in their emails and how we unconsciously interpret these writings
• How you can win more replies on your dating profile :)

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Head Space

• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Bari didn’t feel a connection to God in her religious upbringing
• Why Bari felt this “unsettled” feeling throughout her life and how this led to her addictions
• How she found herself living on 700 calories per day
• What Bari’s high school health class had to do with her Bulimia
• How Bari found her “people” in a mutual support group
• Why eliminating Sugar, Flour, and Wheat made Bari miserable and seek alternative recovery options
• How Bari found this “new” experience and depth when re-working the 12 steps
• What Bari does to find this depth in the 12 steps.
• The questions she asks to deepen her understanding of a power greater than herself
• What is “spiritual malady”
• To her surprise, learn why Bari’s intellect could not apply to “fix” this problem of addiction
• Why she feels strongly about not letting someone else read the Big Book for her
• What Bari’s recovery looks like now

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Rams in Recovery
• Bari Cohen’s Facebook
• Bari Cohen’s Email
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Liv used food to deal with a difficult (traumatic) childhood
• What Liv says about cravings and how to view cravings as an “unmet need”
• When and how Liv’s spiritual journey evolved
• What she looks for in her Spiritual leaders
• Although not anti-AA, Liv feels we should trust ourselves and feels YOU are the best person to direct your life
• What the prayer and meditation step is-step 11 and what Liv would add to it
• Liv found recovery first and then her spirituality
• How Liv’s current depressive state is a good example of holistic approach to recovery
• How Liv’s spirituality has helped give her many things (e.g. ritual and meaning)
• How Liv’s writing has informed her recovery
• The process non-writers can get started with for writing about one’s recovery journey
• What is “AA Fragility?”
• What Liv’s recovery looks like now

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Trauma and the 12 Steps: A Complete Guide for Enhancing Recovery
• Don’t Just Sit There!:44 Insights to Get Your Meditation Practice off The Cushion and Into The Real World
• Holy Whitaker’s book, Quit Like A Woman
• Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
• Livsrecoverykitchen.com (website)
• liv@livesrecoverykitchen.com (email)
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Learn what is the most frequent question Adina gets asked surrounding recovery
• What it means to be vulnerable and what it means to violate the “Man Code”
• What steps you can take to start being vulnerable right now
• Self-Blame and Unforgiveness. Learn to rewrite your story.
• How to let go of relationships and commitments that no longer serve us.
• Impatience. How to let go of impatience and the “When will this self-discovery or therapy be over so I can start my life” questions
• Anger. How to let it go and gain some “deathbed clarity”
• Bonus: New Year's Resolutions. Why Adina hates them so much and how these resolutions can harm us in the long run
• How to use forward thinking to gain greater insight/awareness and create a new story, one that is authentic and unique to you.
• How to find a recovery community when you self-identify as an atheist/agnostic

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Who Am I exercize

• Modern Masculinity article

• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Learn how Dorri’s first “God” or higher power was Jimi Hendrix
• How the Nazi Holocaust is a thread throughout Dorri’s life
• How her father’s stolen Nazi Dagger became part of Dorri’s suicide plan
• Dorri learned about escape from a childhood game in 5th grade
• What the book Go Ask Alice had to do with Dorri’s story
• How art informed Dorri’s recovery after she woke up from a black out
• Dorri would romanticize drugs and how it made her feel like she “was somebody”
• What Dorri feels are the positive aspects of AA
• How she rationalized her drug/alcohol use and continued to use while going to 12-step meetings
• What she thinks about “the God within” in Buddhism
• What she considers her “God” to be now
• How Dorri’s AA sponsor of 31 years has helped her through the traumatic events in her life and why she still talks to her today
• What behavioral skill her sponsor has taught her that has helped with depression

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Dorriolds.com

• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Learn what comes up for Edie when remembering the first time she watched Star Wars as a child
• Learn how Edie’s religious upbringing shaped her identity and how those beliefs influenced who she is today
• What Rev. Edie does or rather does not tell people about spirituality
• Why she thinks prayer is “portable” and what the shared force is when sharing intention together
• What Reiki is and how it relates to the force
• What would you do if you had your Jedi powers?
• How do you accept your Darth Vader and your Luke Skywalker and the interplay between good vs. evil
• How Yoda (the present time therapist) can help you sit with these uncomfortable feelings just like how he helped Luke
• Forgiveness. How can you do evil things and still have this self-forgiveness
• How Edie struggles in recovery and how letting go (of past hurts) helps us move forward and evolve
• The hero’s journey
• What are Edie and Adina’s favorite parts of the Star Wars movie(s)

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• www.opti-mystical.com
• bydivinedesign@comcast.net
• https://www.facebook.com/snuggleyoga
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/edie-weinstein-b8a7b44/
• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• The magnificent plot: the search for answers is a thread throughout this movie
• Learn why Adina loves this movie and its relevance in the recovery space
• How do we sit with change
• What Adina thinks is the most beautiful part of the movie
• Adina shares an example from her own life on how she never really fit in within her Catholic upbringing
• The great divide between science and faith as seen in the relationship between Ellie and Palmer
• The Occam’s Razor principle
• What Adina learned watching it now vs. when she first saw it in her 20’s
• The questions that started this podcast and how the movie in a very real way “answers” these questions of what it means to be an Atheist and what it means to take these great leaps of faith

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group
• Contact

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• The magnificent plot: Phil Connors (aka Bill Murray) begins by asking two strangers, “What would you do if every day was the same and you were stuck in one place and nothing you did mattered.”
• Learn why Adina loves this movie and its relevance in the recovery space
• Why Phil wakes up to Sonny & Cher’s alarm “I’ve Got You Babe.”
• What is Phil’s process for figuring out what is going on and why he is stuck-he starts with the pleasure phase and then goes through a dark period
• Things really start to change for Phil Connors once he realizes the human suffering around him
• What Adina thinks is the most beautiful part of the movie
• Adina shares an example from her own life on how she gets through the boredom and the mundane
• What Adina learned watching it now vs. when she first saw it in her teenage years
• The questions that started this podcast and how the movie in a very real way “answers” these questions

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• Episode 22 starts our December series, Movies That Move Us.
• Learn why Adina loves this movie and its relevance in the recovery space
• Learn what it means to be codependent
• The movie portrayed the subtle way drinking goes from being “fun” to more of a progressive disorder in which shame and fear are ubiquitous
• Learn what Adina thinks is the most pivotal part of the story of Michael and Alice’s relationship and how this movie is more about the Man than the Woman
• Discover what role Al-anon (or family education programs) plays in familial recovery
• The final scene of the movie gives us a nice peak into alcoholism in the family
• Why we may need to work on ourselves apart from the person that’s keeping you stuck and how to stop that cycle
• Identify your role in the family of addiction and how you can heal

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group
• Family Education Program

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.

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Food and Sugar Addiction: A Message of Hope

Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Dr. Tarman’s early spiritual background in the convent for mothers and children in Germany impacted her sense of self
• How Dr. Tarman would ask questions about God and the rituals behind it but saw the power of it both good and bad.
• Why Dr. Tarman found it interesting that there is something very powerful about human nature seeming to need group connection and a belief in something
• How Dr. Tarman feels about her spirituality today and how it’s ever evolving
• Why she finds agnostics to be more spiritual than people who have the answers
• What she finds interesting about 12 step work: The higher power of your own understanding and why that is the magic of recovery and of a good life
• What Phil Werdell and Dr. Tarman found to backup their theory of food addiction and how clinicians turn their back on this idea
• Why the book was meant to break the barrier of thinking about food as an addiction
• What Dr. Tarman feels is the hardest hurdle to jump when addressing the addiction
• How Dr. Tarman teaches Step 2 of AA in class
• Dr. Tarman breaks down the neurobiology of addiction (adina’s fav. part)!
• What is Insulin resistance and how Dr. Tarman compares it to addiction
• Dr. Tarman talks about treatment and what’s next after you identify your food addiction
• Dr. Tarman’s message of hope to people struggling with food addiction

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Food Junkies: The Truth About Food Addiction
• Sugar Free for Life: I’m Sweet Enough Closed Facebook Group
• Addictions Unplugged

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• What Adina feels you need to do right now to get your mind right prior to the holidays
• Why Adina feels you have to listen to your body during this stressful time-pay attention to biology
• Why you should have compassionate nos and healthy boundaries
• What tools Adina uses to ground herself and what is in her toolbox
• Why family pushing your buttons has nothing to do with YOU
• Family expectations. What to do with past holiday traditions and how to ask for what you need

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• A.I.R. Private Facebook Group
• Aveda’s Stress Fix

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Lisa never quite bought “the story” (in Catholicism)
• Why Lisa felt the Universe was “out to get me”
• What it was like living in the Middle East and going through a divorce
• How cinema influenced Lisa’s early substance use
• How Lisa feels Addiction Memoir is like going to a well-curated meeting
• How these books are not linear but rather a journey and the end is not neat and tidy
• What Lisa loves about these books that have helped with her recovery
• How storytelling formed the basis for Lisa’s recovery
• Why Lisa feels humility (as known in recovery circles) smacks of humiliation
• How being able to understand the self as a story was a game changer
• What Lisa recommends as the first step to begin the addiction memoir journey

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• LisaLKirchner.com
• Lisa’s article in the Fix
• Mary Karr’s Book Lit

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How Bill won what is considered an Oscar for his volunteer work with teaching homeless individuals how to play the guitar

• What does this tension between his childhood religion and “hands on experience based understanding” of the universe mean?

• How Bill’s religious dogma helped him understand and investigate the universe-exploring the conflict of tension and release
• How Bill’s self-reliant care helped him to proceed in recovery
• How Bill was able to make “big emotion” happen at his piano versus the dinner table
• How religious traditions like to keep emotions under wraps and Bill was able to find a safe place to express them
• How Bill’s love of music “saved him” when he encountered big issues (e.g. his chronic illness)
• What is the difference between music therapy and music care?
• How humans respond to sound and rhythm: why sound is so powerful
• Bill shares an exercise on how to use music in recovery
• How If you’re experiencing a feeling you do not want, there’s information for you there and your lizard brain has information for you that sound and rhythm are giving to you
• Bill shares how we can use music in recovery and how it helps with the process of releasing stress, especially the stress of going through the recovery process and separating from one’s use

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• The Quest

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• What does sex look like and how is it different sober vs. in active addiction
• What you can do right now to have a healthy sex life while in recovery
• How to find help for issues with sex disorders like erectile dysfunction (and how Dr. Moali normalizes it)
• How relationship issues impact male’s performance
• How untreated mental health issues affect one’s sexual functioning and sexual health
• How religious shame impacts our sexual functioning
• How to have a conversation with your providers (physical, mental, spiritual) about sexual health
• How to improve your relationship with your body and body awareness (a few tips)
• That it is possible to have great sex at any time at any age (disabled or not)

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Sensate Focus Touch
• Becoming Cliterate by Dr. Mintz, Ph.D
• Sexology Podcast
• Oasistocare.com

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to today’s show!

WHAT WE’LL LEARN:

• How atheists/agnostics have found sobriety in AA
• The A.I.R. audience has spoken: we talk about these four categories: tolerance, losing one’s religion, the language of addiction, and coming out of the Atheist closet
• When is the right time to come out of the Atheist closet
• How you should come out of the Atheist closet

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Recovery Dharma Website
• Recovery Dharma Facebook Group
• Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step LIfe
• Online Secular AA Meetings
• The 12 Steps According to Russel Brand

For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!

• Leave an honest review on ITUNES. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

• Subscribe on ITUNES