Chad, with 37 days of sobriety shares how he is doing it... Resources mentioned in this episode:
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SHOW NOTESPaul Introduces Chad
Chad has been sober for 37 days! Boom! Chad racked up about 2.5 years of sobriety in a previous life... "It doesn't get any easier. The best thing you can do is to get sober and stay sober." Chad is 25 and works in the communications field. He was born and raised in Atlanta and has lived all over the world. Chad is currently single (and recommends staying this way in early sobriety). Chad is really into backpacking... He got totally hooked during his time in rehab.
What were your drinking habits like?
"I avoided drinking and other habits until the summer before I went to college. I was afraid that something would happen to me if I drank. Little did I realize that that would become a self-fulfilling prophecy." Chad joined a fraternity in college and was drinking close to a 750ml of "nasty" Burnett's vodka a day...
Did you ever try to “cut-back” and put rules in place?
"You name it, I did it... But nothing ever worked." Chad went to rehab around age 22/23 to a place in the Pisgah National Forest, where he relearned how to live life -- survival techniques, meditation, etc. Chad attributes the program to his sobriety.
After 2.5 years of sobriety, what was your shoelace? What made you drink again...?
"Oh man, as with so many men in sobriety, it was a lady friend..." Chad was going on a first date with a girl that he perceived to be way out of his league... Chad was so nervous and remembered how embarrassed he would feel if he had to explain on a first date that he doesn't drink... Looking back, Chad now knows that honesty is the answer. "One drink led to two drinks... And three months later I was back to blacking-out..." The girl left Chad after two months when she realized something just wasn't right. Chad believes that he had this experience so that he could add it to the long list of reasons why he doesn't drink.
Chad talks about recovery and his recovery portfolio.
Chad is working with a sponsor (AA) as he feels that he needs to get relief quickly. Chad is working one step every week right now -- it's like a mini 12-week program. AA is working for Chad and he is going to keep doing it... Besides listening to the RE podcast (Chad's favorites are RE 67 with Buddy and any that highlight the newly sober). "These relationships that we form (in recovery) go way beyond the face value of most relationships. People in recovery can relate on such a deeper level."
When your next shoelace comes, when life happens, what do you plan on doing differently?
Chad is now asking for help. "It's admitting that you need help, that I need to reach out for additional resources. I see this as a sign of being a man." It's calling his sponsor, connecting with his recovery groups/contacts, and listening to the RE podcast. It is a courageous thing to be vulnerable and ask for help.
Who's your favorite Atlanta hip-hop star?
Listen in to get an update on ATL stars from Paul & Chad!
Rapid Fire Round What was your worst memory from drinking? "In November of 2015, I got behind the wheel of my car and decided to visit a friend 4 hours away... Short of the long of it, I woke up in jail the next day in Raven Co. I was off by quite a bit..." Did you ever have an “oh-shit” moment? "37 days ago when a co-worker pulled me aside and asked me if I was drunk in a meeting. It was no longer a personal thing." What is your plan in sobriety moving forward? "Continue to utilize and build 'that' network. I'm so afraid to ask for help, so if I'm constantly surrounding myself with other alcoholics in recovery I know that I can always reach out for help." What’s your favorite resource in recovery? "On Reddit - Stop Drinking sub-Reddit, where people can chat in a forum, and SMART recovery." What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)? "Footwork. It's what action you're taking in order to stay sober the next day. Putting one foot in front of the other." What parting piece of guidance can you give to our listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? "Listen to the examples that people have provided, examine the evidence and determine for yourself what you're willing to do to get back on track and to be happy because what you're doing right now clearly isn't working. Take an objective look and take action." QUOTABLES
"When you make it through a craving, that feeling of accomplishment, that general good feeling... That's the new high that I'm chasing." - Chad
"I'm finally doing it for myself, not for other people." - Chad
"You might be an alcoholic if you get behind the wheel of a car with 2-bottles of vodka and end up floatin' in a canoe in Raven Co. where they filmed Deliverance... You might have a problem." - Chad
“We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up. WE can do this!”
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