Untoxicated Podcast

Addiction

Ep28 – Bar Zero: Great Food, Exotic Drinks, Fun People with No Alcohol

Emily Schrader has always been a risk taker. Drinking alcohol and doing drugs was a natural fit for a woman living life on the edge. Now, with 15 years of sobriety, she is taking a different kind of risk putting everything she's got into her non-profit mission called Bar Zero. Starting as a catering company that offers an exotic dry bar experience, Bar Zero will eventually grow into a full brick and mortar restaurant and bar here in Denver. With the "sober curious" movement proving to be more than a passing trend, I'm not sure her vision is much of a risk at all. After hearing her story of redemption, compassion, dedication and proven experience, I'm excited to see what the future holds for those of us who want a place where we fit, with a wide variety of mixed drinks, hold the poison. Visionaries like Emily are making the dream happen in cities all over the United States. Only listen if you want to get excited about it, too. For more information about Bar Zero, to contact Emily Schrader or to get involved with their mission, please checkout their website.

Addiction

Ep27 – Accomplishment Black Hole

I'm supposed to feel rested coming off the holidays, right? So why do I feel so bad - worthless and sinking? Some people drink to avoid processing trauma, abuse or neglect. High-functioning alcoholics like me drink as a reprieve from the relentless pursuit of accomplishment. This episode isn't specifically about alcoholism or addiction in general. It is about dealing with the human condition in a society that pushes us into an endless loop of self-dissatisfaction.

Addiction
Relationship

Ep26 – Surviving the Holidays Sober

This is our third consecutive sober holiday season, and it is monumentally better for both my wife and me. In this episode, Sheri and I discuss the differences in Christmas number three on our quest for recovery. The stress and excitement are still there, but we've finally shed the pressure from both keeping up appearances, and the dreadful anticipation of alcoholic antics. It's really much, much better, but it didn't come easily nor quickly.

Addiction
Speech

Ep25 – My Alcoholism is Not a Spiritual Problem

In this episode, I share a speech I gave to a community of people recovering from alcoholism through the twelve steps. It was not an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, though many of the people in the audience were AA participants. In the speech I make the argument that alcoholism is not a spiritual problem for me, so a spiritual solution is no solution at all. The speech led to a lively, yet open-minded discussion. Now I want to know what you think. I hope you'll listen, share a comment or send me an email at matt@SoberAndUnashamed.com.

Addiction
Relationship

Ep24 – When Alcohol Stops Working with Jolene Park

Jolene Park and her friends were like the cast of Sex in the City with their nights on the town and affinity for classy wines while complaining about their relationship struggles. The dots where there, but Jolene couldn't connect them. Until she stopped drinking. Now Jolene is a leading voice talking about the benefits of going alcohol free, no matter where you are on the spectrum from casual drinker to falling-down drunk. Learn more about her nutrition and freedom from drinking coaching at grayareadrinkers.com and healthydiscoveries.com. Check out Jolene's interview on the Home Podcast with Laura McKowen and Holly Whitaker that really launched her work in this area. Then, check out her Tedx that went viral and has over 120,000 views. This is a great conversation with a health care professional and sobriety badass doing great work to destroy the stigma and help people become their best selves when they leave drinking behind.

Addiction
Relationship

Ep23 – Healthy Delay: The Pace of Recovery for an Alcoholic Spouse

When I was trying to gain my permanent sobriety, I needed my wife's support more than ever. I thought her cautions attitude and reserved enthusiasm was selfish on her part. I didn't understand that she needed to protect herself, and she had no control over my commitment to never drink again. I was the one who was selfish by crushing her soul, then expecting her to celebrate my recovery. We discuss this topic, and also our new ebook written from Sheri's perspective called: He's Sober. Now What? A Spouse's Guide to Alcoholism Recovery. We hope you download it now for free!

Addiction

Ep22 – Gray Area Drinking with Christy Wynne

Christy Wynne didn't have a spectacular, catastrophic, up-in-flames relationship with alcohol. Sure, she partied for many years, but she decided to leave the booze behind because she just didn't feel right, and she could deny the cause of her health just being off no longer. Now she has taken her sobriety to new levels by coaching other gray area drinkers and speaking out about the damage caused to women by the mommy wine culture. In this episode, we debate the use of the label, "alcoholic," and talk about Christy's one-day-at-a-time approach to sobriety versus Matt's commitment to permanent sobriety. The bottom line is that there is a wide spectrum of people who are questioning their relationship with alcohol, and Christy shares what she has learned about treating each person individually to help them feel better and reach full potential. Christy is @danceyourselfcleancoaching on facebook and Instagram, and you can check out her website and email below: danceyourselfcleancoaching.com christywynne@yahoo.com Here's an article published in Urban Life Wash Park in January of 2019 where Christy discusses gray area drinking: Alcohol and Women: The Unsexy Truth

Addiction
Relationship

Ep21 – Sheri’s Social Drinking: Alcohol Remains Toxic to Our Marriage

The damage done to our marriage by my active alcoholism was massive. We are still trying to deal with the resentment, and repair trust and our intimate relationship. But now, we face an unexpected challenge. Sheri's occasional, social drinking is having a toxic effect on our marriage. I'm not proud of the impact, but I do think it is important that we talk about it. Please let us know what you think. Comment on the episode, or contact us directly: matt@SoberAndUnashamed.com sheri@theStigma.com

Addiction
Speech

Ep20 – Alcoholism is More Prolific than Cancer, and We Are the Cure

Almost 15 million Americans have cancer, but there are more than 15 million American alcoholics. Addiction to alcoholism touches all of our lives. In this speech designed to inform and destigmatize, I talk about how victims of cancer are treated with love and care while victim of alcoholism are treated with scorn and shame. The cure for alcoholism is available to us in changed attitudes and in the voices of those of us willing to tell our stories - willing to wear the label alcoholic without fear. It is a speech about misperception and bravery. It is about societal influence and rejecting the stigma. Most of all, it is about the cure. For more information about speaking opportunites, please visit the Outspoken page of my SoberAndUnashamed.com website, or contact me at matt@SoberAndUnashamed.com.

Speech
Teens

Ep19 – Fearless Teen Drinking: Make Alcohol a Choice

Listen to this speech I wrote for the students at a large, racially and economically diverse high school after they experienced a series of brazen and dangerous incidents of alcohol abuse. We can't convince all adolescents to abstain from alcohol, but we can convince them to make drinking a choice with two acceptable answers. Let's reduce peer pressure and increase mutual respect. Maybe we should give our teens the chance to make the right choice when drinking alcohol isn't an expectation. If you would like to talk about speaking opportunites, please contact me at matt@SoberAndUnashamed.com, or visit my Outspoken website.

Ep29 – Doritos Made Me an Alcoholic: The Why, the How and the Stigma of Alcoholism

Ep30 – Humor is the Ultimate Icebreaker with Debbie Scheer