The Bubble Hour

As the song says, "Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start..." For those in recovery, the starting point of every day is willingness. Willingness to be honest about our relationship to alcohol and about our behavior and thought patterns. Willingness to rearrange our lives and our relationships. Willingness to show up for our lives by being present instead of escaping into addiction. It's as essential a mindset for the newcomer as it is for someone who has been sober for years. Join us as we share our experiences around this fundamental building block of recovery. Remember: a little willingness goes a long way!

The earliest stages of recovery are marked by an inkling that something needs to change, and a budding curiosity emerges to ask such questions as: “What is normal drinking?” “How much is too much?” “Am I an alcoholic?” And “how do I quit drinking?” From behind the safety of our computers screens we pose the uncertainties that trouble our souls, seeking information and all that comes with it: guidance, comfort, direction, and hope. So it is that many stumble upon the frank world of sobriety bloggers: others in recovery who chronicle the ups and downs of their own personal journeys, sharing the experience as both an exercise in healing and in service to others. Join us as we speak to the authors of four popular recovery blogs: Mrs D is Going Without, Bye Bye Beer and UnPickled.

What image comes to your mind when you hear the term 'alcoholic'? A man with a bottle under a bridge?...A woman with smeared lipstick who drinks every day, can't hold a job and doesn't take care of her kids? Unfortunately, our society has created this stigma for alcoholics and it's simply NOT true.  There are more people like us than not, but many people don't get help because of this stigma and they are dying.  On this episode of The Bubble Hour we will be talking to our very special guest AnnMarie McCullough, co-founder of Faces & Voices of Recovery Canada, about what the face of an alcoholic really looks like and why it's so important that we change the way society treats this disease.  Recovery advocate Ann Marie McCullough is a maven of reinvention with a serious social conscience and a need to give back. A certified Project Manager with over 20 years experience in a variety of roles within the Healthcare and IT sectors, she now works as the Director of Communications and Community Relations at the Orchard Recovery Center.  AnnMarie combined her background in project and event management with her passion for recovery to help launch the REEL Recovery Film Festival in Vancouver and initiate the first RECOVERY DAY in Canada. Her latest projects: co-hosting Vancouver's first Recovery Radio show and co-founding Faces and Voices of Recovery Canada. In long-term recovery herself since 2008, she inspires with her energy and enthusiasm, embodying hope for others who struggle with addiction.

As we begin to change our lives in recovery, we find that “not drinking” is about so much more than what is in the glass we raise to our lips. The tools for recovery include the books we read, the activities we enjoy, and the new healthy indulgences we discover. While there is no definitive list, we’ll discuss some of our favorite things, why we love them, and how they support our recovery. Grab a pencil and paper, because you’ll want to take notes! Join Amanda, Catherine, and Jean for a lively discussion as we examine all the goodies inside our respective “Recovery Toolboxes”.

Did you grow up in a home with a problem drinker? If you did, you may have been impacted more than you know. Adult Children of Alcoholics share several common characteristics. They tend to feel different or isolated and uneasy with other people. They are intimidated by authority figures or people who are angry. They seek approval from others and lose themselves in the process. They are people-pleasers. They feel responsible for other people and put their needs before their own. They are terrified of abandonment, and will do almost anything to maintain a relationship even (or especially) if it is unhealthy. They tend to hide their feelings both as children and as adults. They often confuse love with pity and tend to love people they can rescue. They thrive on drama rather than healthy relationships because that is what they grew up with. They often become alcoholics, marry alcoholics or both. The list goes on. On this episode of The Bubble Hour our guests will share their experience both with growing up in an alcoholic home and in a home with someone in recovery. 

Denial is a defense mechanism that allows a person – despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary – to deny that something is true, when in fact, it is true.  It is one of the most powerful and difficult problems that Alcoholics and Drug Addicts face before, during, AND after treatment, because it is always the thinking that precedes the act of picking up a drink or a drug. If you have a drinking problem, you may deny it by:   Drastically underestimating how much you drink Downplaying the negative consequences of your drinking Complaining that family and friends are exaggerating the problem Blaming your drinking or drinking-related problems on others If any of these symptoms sound familiar to you, or someone you love, or if you're struggling with drinking, please listen to this informative and important show.

You're doing great:  you've built a secure sober bubble at home.  You've dumped all the booze, you've built a network of sober people to support you, you're praying and reading about recovery, you've stocked up on candy or started an exercise program.  You feel good!  You feel prepared for anything...until you have to leave your bubble.... The vacation looms with its open pool bar.  Or the cruise with the flowing cocktails.  Or your best friend's wedding in Napa.  Or maybe your work requires travel with its temptations of hotel mini-bars and boozy client dinners away from judging eyes of family and friends. Fear not!  You CAN stay sober while traveling.  Join us as we discuss the pitfalls and triggers of travel, how to sidestep them, and how to carry your sobriety bubble with you no matter where you are in the world.

We have experienced the far-reaching impact of our addictions on every aspect of our lives.  We have heard that the damage is physical, mental, and spiritual.  It stands to reason that our recovery should expand to encompass and heal all the hurt parts - physical, mental, and spiritual.  The latter is a fluid and perhaps unknowable thing.  Spirituality is a shape-shifter, taking different forms for different people.  Some find the structure of a religious practice to provide comfort and guidance; others prefer a more undefined spirituality; and still others do not identify with a Higher Power.  On this show, our guests will share how their personal views on this rich subject have informed their recovery.  We can all learn from their varied experiences in our recovery journeys.

Many of us spend years agonizing over the question..."am I an alcoholic?" before finally admitting to ourselves that "yes, I am an alcoholic". Saying those words out loud for the first time takes a whole lot of courage...and that's just the beginning. Getting and staying sober takes a lot of work and involves changing just about everything about ourselves. Many people join support groups where people suggest we go to a meeting every day? Get a sponsor? Believe in a power greater than ourselves? Let go of our resentments? Practice acceptance, patience and tolerance? Practice self-care? It's a whole new world for us, but if we want to stay sober, we learn to embrace these changes and we thrive.  But what about our loved ones and our friends? How do we explain our recovery process to them? Many of us have hidden our disease so well that our loved ones had no idea we were drinking too much. Some will tell us to just stop. Some will suggest we only drink on the weekends or on special occasions. Even the ones who pleaded with us to stop drinking may find it difficult to understand our recovery process.  On this episode of The Bubble Hour we will discuss ways to talk to our loved ones about our recovery process and why it needs to be the number one priority in our lives...even above them.

You've kept sober for a year, doing daily work to shine gentle, healing light on the roots of your disease, to heal yourself and your relationships, and to recover the core of who you are.  A sober birthday is a cause for celebration!  Then why does it feel so...strange?  Sobriety anniversaries are a mixed bag of emotions - elation and satisfaction as we reflect on the positive outcomes sobriety has brought to our lives - but also fear and uneasiness, perhaps even the potential for relapse.  Join us as we speak to guests at various stages in their recovery who have dealt with recent anniversaries and share their experiences with these emotional landmarks.

"Keep It Simple" is a phrase we hear often in recovery, but what does that really mean? On this episode of The Bubble Hour we talk about how we plan to keep it simple in the New Year. We will share some tips and suggestions that have worked for us in recovery, as well as some things that didn't work that we plan to avoid doing this coming year. This show is not about high expectations or extreme New Year's resolutions. In fact, it's really the opposite of that. We will focus on ways we plan to be kind to ourselves and let go of trying to do everything perfectly in the New Year. So much pressure goes into the resolutions we make for ourselves. Let's talk about how we can be more gentle on ourselves. 

In recovery, we are promised a safe landing, not a calm passage. We will have to experience grief like anyone in this life. Grief can arise from many of life’s challenging situations such as the ending of a relationship, the death of a loved one, the loss or change of jobs, a serious illness or operation. Even getting sober - giving up our addictions - can give rise to grief. Now that we are sober, we will sit with many strong emotions - anger, frustration, fear, sadness, guilt, hopelessness, relief, loneliness. And although grief can be a major trigger for relapse (that old impulse to numb our feelings), we find that in sobriety we can handle hard things. We seek fellowship with others in recovery, we use our tools, and we have compassion for our grieving hearts. Join us as we meet some people who are healing their grieving hearts in recovery. With loving kindness, we share this journey and find that our hearts are capable of holding the sacredness of grief.

We here at The Bubble Hour recognize that our friends and family members may be suffering from a more diverse array of addictions than alcoholism and drug addiction. The Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health offers this definition of addiction: “A primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. . . . It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control... compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving” (Savage et al., 2003) And every addict knows the pain of being separated from his or her ideal self by this complex web. Join us as our guests share how the compulsive use of gambling and food can lead into darkness followed by recovery. We will discuss how these addictions share roots, characteristics, triggers, and recovery methods. As complicated an issue as addiction is, the faith and hope of recovery exists for everyone.

We here at The Bubble Hour recognize that our friends and family members may be suffering from a more diverse array of addictions than alcoholism and drug addiction. The Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health offers this definition of addiction: “A primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. . . . It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control... compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving” (Savage et al., 2003) And every addict knows the pain of being separated from his or her ideal self by this complex web. Join us as our guests share how the compulsive use of gambling and food can lead into darkness followed by recovery. We will discuss how these addictions share roots, characteristics, triggers, and recovery methods. As complicated an issue as addiction is, the faith and hope of recovery exists for everyone.

Healthy boundaries create healthy relationships.  Unhealthy boundaries create dysfunctional ones.   By establishing clear boundaries, we define ourselves in relation to others.  To do this, however, we must be able to identify and respect our needs, feelings, opinions, and rights.  Otherwise our efforts would be like putting a fence around a yard without knowing the property lines. On this show, we will discuss boundaries - how we establish them, how we know when they are (or aren't) healthy, and why boundaries are important to sobriety. Please join us for this important conversation! Show airs at 9pm EST, 8pm Central, 7pm Mountain, 6pm Pacific.