Ep152 – Five Ways Alcohol Impacts Brain Chemistry

The brain is the final frontier of human biology, so the full impact of alcohol on our gray matter is a topic that undergoes continuous discovery. In this episode, Sheri and Matt discuss five ways alcohol impacts us neurologically – four impacts on the drinkers, and one substantial impact on the brains of the people who are in consistently close proximity to the drinkers (like spouses). They also talk about flying squirrel suits and the most famous wizard.

If you love or loved an alcoholic, and your recovery could benefit from connection with people who understand, please check out our Echoes of Recovery program.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:57 — 60.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More

Ep151 – New Hope after Death with Suzy Jahn

The official cause of death was, “Complications of chronic ethanolism.” We all knew Suzy’s husband Matt was struggling and relapsing, but no one is ever really ready for death by alcohol. Suzy Jahn joins Sheri and Matt on this episode, and she tells her story of hope lost, and of hope regained by her work in recovery, and through the love of her family. Suzy is exceptionally strong as she navigates the mourning and rebuilding process – a process no one should ever have to go through.

If you love or loved an alcoholic, and your recovery could benefit from connection with people who understand, please check out our Echoes of Recovery program.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:05 — 58.7MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More

Ep150 – Echoed Voices – Live!

To celebrate our 150th podcast episode, we gathered in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains for our first ever Echoes of Recovery retreat. We took a break from hiking and hot springs to record this very special podcast episode together – fourteen people around the same microphone sharing the same story with their own individual details and perspectives. If you think you are alone as the spouse of someone suffering from alcohol addiction, this one is for you.

If you love or loved an alcoholic, and your recovery could benefit from connection with people who understand, please check out our Echoes of Recovery program.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:18:38 — 72.0MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More

Ep149 – Mantras: Gross and Glorified

Why do we give so much power to the mantras that surround us (at least some of us do (Sheri’s looking at you, Matt))? There are gross and glorified mantras that are pillars of the recovery community, slogans and sayings that drive a fledgling little alcoholic-in-training deep into addiction, and buzz phrases and quotes from movies and pop culture that have become ingrained in our daily lives. Even our most basic and popular wedding vows are fraught with serious problems. Still, there are some mantras that seem to be useful. Sheri and Matt talk about them all, including one designed to bring dinner-time harmony in their own raucous home.

If you love or loved an alcoholic, and your recovery could benefit from connection with people who understand, please check out our Echoes of Recovery program.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:50 — 51.1MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More

Ep148 – Phases of Relationship Recovery

There is a flow to the process of recovering a marriage from alcoholism. In this episode, Sheri and Matt talk about the universalisms found in the eight phases of relationship recovery. This is time consuming and emotionally draining work, and a lot of what Sheri and Matt have learned is counterintuitive and daunting. From boundaries and detachment, to coming back together as two strong and self-sufficient individuals, these overlapping phases are a roadmap back from the pit of alcoholic despair.

If you love or loved an alcoholic, and your recovery could benefit from connection with people who understand, please check out our Echoes of Recovery program.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:18:09 — 71.6MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More

Ep147 – Chaos between the Traumas

Anyone who has experienced an alcoholic relationship is familiar with the traumatic events when the drinking and the aftermath spins wildly out of control. But for most high-functioning alcoholics, there are plenty of times when nothing traumatic happens, but the family lives in a consistent state of chaos. There is no chance to relax – no opportunity to drop from high alert. That’s the damage to the nervous system that Sheri and Matt describe in this episode. It is story time, Untoxicated friends. Can you relate?

If you love or loved an alcoholic, and your recovery could benefit from connection with people who understand, please check out our Echoes of Recovery program.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:54 — 54.8MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More

Ep146 – Consistently Different

As a drinker, Matt’s goal for the marriage was for Sheri to agree with him on morals, politics, religion, finances, parenting, etc. Only now in sobriety, Matt is realizing that with the exception of morals, they are dramatically different people with different opinions, beliefs and motivators. Acceptance – consistent acceptance – of those differences is required for the marriage to thrive. And falling back into old habits of criticism and disappointment is triggering for them both. Two healthy, independent, sober people can really thrive as a couple…as long as there is consistent respect.

If you love or loved an alcoholic, and your recovery could benefit from connection with people who understand, please check out our Echoes of Recovery program.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:49 — 50.2MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More

Ep145 – From Denial to Reality with Leah

Leah suffered from denial for years while living with someone whose drinking became a progressively more significant problem. She describes it like living in the middle of a tornado and refusing to acknowledge the storm. From early days of dating, though her wedding day, and even when her husband decided he needed to stop drinking, Leah ignored all of the red flags because alcoholism couldn’t possibly happen to her. And when her husband got sober, that’s when the denial really ramped up. She was sure sobriety would fix everything. It all came crashing down, and her denial left her totally unprepared. Now Leah faces reality head on, and she makes three really significant points that the loved ones of alcoholics really must understand.

If you love or loved an alcoholic, and your recovery could benefit from connection with people who understand, please check out our Echoes of Recovery program.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:16 — 52.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More

Ep144 – Pride Over Shame

Pride, self-esteem, ego and confidence often get a bad rap in the traditional recovery community as leading to relapse. We believe the opposite is true, and that self-esteem is the single most important component to long-term sobriety. But that’s not what this episode is about. Sheri and Matt talk about the critical importance of self-esteem to the healing and recovery of the spouses and other loved ones of alcoholic. At the end of the episode, Matt explains why Sheri’s growing self-esteem is so important to him.

If you love or loved an alcoholic, and your recovery could benefit from connection with people who understand, please check out our Echoes of Recovery program.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:28 — 55.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More

Ep143 – Write Your Story for Us All

We are thrilled to announce the “Evolution Series” as part of our Sober and Unashamed website and blog. Writing our stories of the impact of alcohol on our lives and families is very therapeutic, and we invite you to write and submit your story for the potential publication to our audience of readers. Not only will you feel the power of vulnerability rewarded, but you will help so many others who will relate to your story and know they are not alone. Don’t just listen or read about our mission. Join us and be a part of the solution.

To submit your story to the “Evolution Series,” send your writing to matt@SoberAndUnashamed.com. Share your story for the benefit of us all!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:15 — 37.8MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | More