The REAL reason for feeling some depression or symptoms of depression when you quit drinking alcohol. And one of these may be something you’ve never heard of. If you've ever used alcohol to deal with feelings of depression, you may have found that after your buzz wears off, you feel even lower than before. It’s a chicken and egg situation – which came first? Were you struggling because you were drinking, or were you drinking because you were struggling? Well, both can be...

If you find yourself in yo-yo sobriety, and you can’t figure out why you keep going back to drinking when you KNOW you don’t drink well – I’m going to give you some solutions. If you have followed me for any length of time, you know I’m all about solutions and I’m a believer in investing the majority of my time and energy into solving a problem rather than obsessing about it. One thing I can tell you with certainty is, I know what works for recovery. Not only from my personal...

Does recovery give you a framework to follow to build a happy and fulfilled life? Pete Sousa definitely thinks so, and he’s here to tell you all about it in this week’s episode! In this episode, Pete breaks down his addiction step-by-step and shares all the things he did to get, and stay, sober. Pete is a news anchor in Texas, an ESPN broadcaster, and a powerful recovery advocate on his podcast The Payoff with Pete and today he’s sharing his whole story with you. From backing his...

Being High-Functioning Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Have a Drinking Problem I understand why you feel that way and how easy it is to separate from the pack when your habits and struggles look different. It does create a sense of being different and not fitting in to traditional methods and programs. And it’s hard to call yourself an alcoholic when your picture of what an alcoholic is, is not good. But let me ask you this – if you are high-functioning, does that mean your problem is...

The uncomfortable topic no one is talking about. Or, not too many people are talking about because it can be awkward and weird like everything else in life. But it’s so important for women to understand. And, there are some great recovery revelations in this episode that have nothing to do with life stages or being a man or a woman – but have everything to do with getting sober and living the life you really want. You may know today’s guest from the To 50 & Beyond...

Many of us love to get annoyed with the AA one-liners and all the recovery phrases out there, but the truth is, they work. And if you get them, they can change your whole trajectory. When you understand what they mean, the few simple words take on a whole new meaning and it becomes its own shorthand language where you hear these few words, and you know exactly what to do. It’s a game changer. Especially if you are caught up in future-tripping, thinking about a bunch of...

    What does an addictive personality actually look like? People always tell me, “I have a very addictive personality”. Well, I’m right there with you, my friend - if you struggle with substances, it just makes sense we will struggle with behavior addictions, too. Today we’re talking about having an addictive personality and the behavior addictions we can pick up along the way. If I do something and I like it, I want more of it. Food, people, work, exercise,...

Whether you’re in the early stages of sobriety or have been in recovery for a while, understanding post-acute withdrawal can help you navigate the ups and downs of addiction recovery more effectively. PAWS can be a challenging phase in the addiction recovery journey, and knowing the symptoms and signs can help you create processes and gather tools to get through it without relapse. What is it What are the symptoms What to do If you're feeling a little crazy and need a name for it,...

Recovery fears are the absolute worst, because let's be real: all you want to do is get your life together and be present with your family, but you can’t stop thinking about all the ways your life will change and wondering if you can handle it. This can also come in the form of not wanting to engage so much with friends because you are feeling torn between two lives and totally uncertain about what your future is going to look like. And I get it – I know that life, sober or not, isn’t...

Alcoholism, or Alcohol use disorder, is a brain disorder that impairs your ability to stop or control your drinking. Welcome to our first 30 Days to Fast Track Your Recovery series where each week for the next 30 days I’m dropping an extra episode to answer some of the most confusing questions about this crazy alcohol issue we’re dealing with. Today we’re talking about the stages of alcoholism to help you get clarity on yourself, and your habits, so that you can stop screwing around and...

You guys know me and how much I love simple strategies that get you exactly the results you're looking for. Creating a life you love doesn’t happen overnight. Most of us are so wired for instant gratification that when we don’t get immediate results we get disappointed and discouraged and you can easily fall into thinking it’s too hard. Or, your brain will start justifying giving up by telling you, 'you don’t have time to focus on this right now', or, 'it isn’t even working so why...

If you’re listening to the Addiction Unlimited show, I’m guessing you’re a fan of living a sober lifestyle, right? If you’ve ever thought about going to a 12-step meeting or wanted to grow your sober community to have more support and fun, this is the perfect episode to get started. And I’m telling you – this conversation is not just for all of you; I also found so much value in this conversation and it warmed my heart taking me back to my 12-step roots! Enter Arlina Allen, the fabulous...

If you are trying to stay sober and change your life, I need you to understand this concept of Sponsorship – or Coaching. Do you feel a little weird about getting a sponsor or having a hard time finding a reliable sponsor? Maybe you have no idea what it is and don't know if you actually need one. This episode is all about sponsorship for those in 12-Step programs, and Coaching for those who aren't,  because the concepts are the same. A Coach guides you in a process just like a...

Anna David is the New York Times bestselling author of Party Girl (plus seven more!), she is the founder of Legacy Launch Pad Publishing and three-time TEDx speaker who has appeared on Good Morning America, Today Show, The Talk and dozens of other programs. As if that wasn’t enough, her first novel, Party Girl, is in development as a feature film. With a list of successes that impressive, it would be easy to get the impression that her journey has been easy. But, just like you and...

According to research 92% of people give up on their goals or fail to follow through. What happens with traditional goal-setting – * set the goal, go after the goal, not hit the goal. Not only not hit the goal, but totally bomb and feel bad about yourself. * set a goal, go after the goal, reach the goal, but it happens a month late or three years later so you still feel a little bad about yourself. * set the goal, go after the goal, and all of a sudden something shiny and new...

What’s holding you back from the life you’ve always wanted? When you want to make a big change in your life, you need to face anything and everything holding you back from making that change successfully. Anything that drains your energy, distracts your focus, or clutters your mind. Mental clutter is often what prevents us from moving forward at all or, at the very least, it makes our progress much slower. It’s baggage that has to be unloaded. As an expert in helping people, I can...

Most people are going about dating ALL WRONG. Have you ever felt like you attract all the wrong people in your dating life? I hate to be the one to tell you... but there are reasons you keep ending up in undesirable situations and it's not because of everyone else. I know, it was a hard lesson for me, too. You see the red flags early on, and you ignore them. That person you know isn't a great fit or is a little unhealthy asks for your number, and you give it. Your date lies...

I’m willing to bet you have a lot going on in your life right now. It feels like there are dozens of things that have to be done every day and, of course, life loves to throw those curve balls. I just had a huge curve ball of  my own when my father unexpectedly had to have open-heart surgery and our whole world changed in the blink of an eye. He’s okay, btw – he is back home and we are taking his care one day at a time. And that phrase, one day at a time, is exactly the kind of...

Have you ever had one of those moments where somebody said something and you feel yourself instantly in anger? Your ears get hot – maybe your ears ring –  you feel your face flush - your heart rate elevates - stomach turns... there are all kinds of indicators. We all know what anger is and we’ve all experienced it – whether it was a quick annoyance or full-blown rage. Anger is a normal, often healthy, human emotion. Feeling angry can be positive when it motivates you to make...

If you're listening to the Addiction Unlimited show, I'm guessing you're interested in sobriety and recovery, right? If you’ve struggled to make sense of it all because you are high-functioning, have a great job, a family, and a house in the right zip code... ...but you know deep down that you need to make a change, and make it last, this is the perfect episode to get serious insight on how alcohol doesn't discriminate. It doesn’t care if you have money or come from a prominent...

73% chronically overthink?? You heard that right. 73% of 25- to 35-year-olds chronically overthink, along with 52% of people ages 45 to 55 struggle with chronic overthinking. It might feel like you’re the only one lying awake at night, dwelling on a decision you made earlier that day or worrying about tomorrow’s to-do list, but if you’re nodding your head yes right now because you are an overthinker… you’re not alone. We live in a fast-paced and demanding world, and although it's...

Accountability is your secret weapon. Quitting alcohol is a powerful decision, and maintaining sobriety requires accountability. It's not just about giving up a habit; it's about creating a new, healthier lifestyle. If you’re serious about stopping the self-destruction and chaos that drinking brings to your life, this is something you want to understand, and get it right. In this episode we talk about some of the major misconceptions about recovery that will trip you up and keep you...

Why do you drink? Why do you have this problem? What are the underlying issues?? You've probably asked yourself these questions a million times in your journey to live alcohol-free. When you decide to quit drinking, you might have a sense of hope, relief, and optimism. You can see your new life free from alcohol, where you can finally be your true self and get your life in order. But, the reality is that quitting drinking is not a magic pill that instantly solves all your...

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to step into the unknown, and commit to sobriety 100%? In a world where drinking, and over-indulging are often front and center, it's easy to feel that way. You know firsthand how difficult it is to step into this process, make a decision to quit drinking, then figure out how to stick to that decision on a daily basis, figuring out how and where to get help, with the constant anxiety of, what will my family say, how will I ever have fun...