Denise and I met 5 years ago when she was a patient at Costa Rica Recovery. We saw each other in passing at the AA and NA meetings. And when she finished her treatment, she went back to the United States. She recently returned to Costa Rica to share her story on the anniversary of her 5th year in sobriety. It impacted me so much, I asked her if she would be willing to share her story on the podcast and here we are.
Denise has an intense past full of childhood trauma and abuse, self-loathing, and racism that developed into full-blown alcoholism and a long pattern of destructive relationships. She eventually found sobriety but relapsed when shoulder pain and a toxic husband lead her into painkillers and other sedatives. She tried to kill herself and overdosed frequently as her son was growing up.
By some miracle, she found her way to Costa Rica Recovery and is grateful to be alive to tell us how she broke free from her addiction and the victim mentality that kept her from getting clean.
CLEAN DATE: November 25th 2012
For the show notes and links mentioned in this episode, go to theshairpodcast.com/181.
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Mark Goodson is a very active member of our SHAIR Recovery group, and it’s about time we had him on to tell us his wild story. His life of addiction started before he ever took his first drink and eventually triggered an episode of drug induced psychosis that led him to bizarre behavior, like stripping down naked in a Mexican church.
Now Mark Goodson’s a sober husband, dad, and writer at his website called The Miracle of the Mundane. Merriam-Webster defines the word ‘mundane’ as dull, but Mark finds ordinary life to be a miracle, and his sobriety has unleashed creativity he never knew he had before.
CLEAN DATE: October 13th 2007
For the show notes and links mentioned in this episode, go to theshairpodcast.com/180.
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Andrea Dye is a directionally challenged expat who no longer has to huff shoe polish to feel alive. She focuses on cultivating the positive impact of living a balanced life and collaborates on non-commercial interests with cool folks around the world. She is the author of 25 Years 1 Lesson and has a hell of a story for you today.
Andrea became a raging alcoholic at the age of 14, and eventually graduated to other drugs. She was rebellious and selfish, with no intention of ever getting clean. She hated being sober so intensely that while in rehab she considered breaking open an air conditioner so she could huff the freon.
Andrea’s road to recovery was gradual, with her fighting tooth and nail all the way. Listen to how she finally surrendered to recovery and how she developed coping mechanisms that keep her emotionally and physically sober to this day.
CLEAN DATE: SEPT. 22, 1991
For the show notes and links mentioned in this episode, go to theshairpodcast.com/179.
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Sam Mooney’s not writing a bestselling book or running a marathon. He’s not a celebrity or a pro-athlete. He’s a salesman who plays and coaches softball in his small town. He’s a husband to his best friend for 18 years and a father to 4 kids. Sam’s the average dude next door.
But Sam was an alcoholic dad who would get so drunk that he couldn’t be trusted home alone with his kids. He would drink to the point of blackout and his wife would have to scoop the vomit from his mouth so he wouldn’t choke to death. He would get violent, and it got to the point where his family was scared to death of him.
Now Sam is more than 8 years sober and celebrates his recovery every day. He volunteers at drug court and human services to prevent youth drinking in his area and cherishes every moment with the family he so nearly lost to his alcoholism.
CLEAN DATE: APRIL 25th, 2010
For the show notes and links mentioned in this episode, go to theshairpodcast.com/178.
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Sarah Mabry is the wife of our former guest, John Mabry (SHAIR 165). John has been sober for two and a half years and now hosts the High Sobriety Podcast, but before he got clean, his addiction put Sarah and his kids through unimaginable emotional destruction.
This is Sarah’s first podcast. For the first time she gets to share her story out loud. Sarah is not a recovering addict or alcoholic, but drugs and alcohol still took her over her life. She is here to talk about what it was like being the wife of an addict and what it is like now living with a spouse who is in recovery.
For the show notes and links mentioned in this episode, go to theshairpodcast.com/177.
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