"Staying Sober: Thinking Ahead for Long Term Benefits"
SUMMARY
Courtney Andersen, the host of the Sober Vibes podcast, is discussing how alcohol is a long game and how ones relationship with it is a long game. She has recently explained this on other podcasts as she is doing a podcast tour to promote her upcoming book which will be released on August 15th, 2023. She encourages listeners to pre-order her book from her Instagram, website or the show notes. Courtney believes that anything is possible and that this is a topic that the good people of the world need to hear. She knows that when one is in active addiction, it can be difficult to think long-term, but she believes that once one lets themselves forget, that is when trouble can happen.
Courtney talks about their experiences with alcoholism and how they used to think that they weren't hurting anybody by drinking and blacking out, and that it wasn't that bad. The speaker acknowledges that they respect people's privacy, but doesn't understand why alcoholism and addiction are still treated as something to be hushed. She argues that there should be no shame in talking about our experiences with the disease, and that it is 2021 after all. They note that the consequences of their actions were not always catastrophic and that sometimes they were alone, and nobody knew what had happened.
She discusses the dangers of drinking, and how it can have a negative impact on one's life in the long run, even if it doesn't seem like it now. They mention how drinking can affect one's health, their relationships, their job performance, and even their children. They emphasize that even though it might not be noticeable now, the consequences of drinking can have a compounding effect and lead to more severe issues in the future. They also point out that when someone is not feeling well, the one thing they want the most is their health. Therefore, drinking should be avoided if possible.
This conversation explores the potential negative effects of drinking, especially when coupled with existing health issues or medications. The speaker comes from a place of love and understanding, but emphasizes that drinking alcohol is effectively poisoning one's body and can cause a myriad of negative health issues. The speaker illustrates the point by using the example of someone drinking heavily for 18 years and the effects that had on their health and relationships. The speaker is encouraging the listener to take a step back and consider the long-term effects of drinking, and to make the decision to stop if they feel they need to.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00:31 Episode 126: Understanding the Long Game of Alcohol Addiction
0:03:02 Topic: The Impact of Alcoholism and Addiction on Mental Health
0:04:35 "The Compound Effects of Alcohol Abuse: How Your Drinking Habits Today Can Impact Your Health and Relationships in the Future"
0:09:51 The Impact of Alcohol Abuse on Health and Relationships
0:12:14 "Rebuilding Trust and Accountability in Sobriety: A Conversation with [Name]"
0:17:28 "The Benefits of Sobriety: Learning from Relapses and Listening to Your Intuition"
0:21:36 "The Impact of Alcohol on Your Life: A Conversation with [Name]"
HIGHLIGHTS
I remember all of this and then going to bed and I'm feeling like absolute, like, bigfoot dick the next day, just like garbage, dry, heavy on myself. It's not a way to live. Not a way to live at all. So just remember, your actions today with alcohol will affect you down the road. You're not going to see, but they will catch up to you, whether it's your health, your happiness, your family life, your career, it will affect you in a negative way and all of that.
Did I get out of my routine? Did I go out to a happy hour situation when my body when my nervous system was telling me to sit at fucking home and order a pizza and cry? But I chose to ignore that feeling. Your body, your intuition is the greatest gift you have to navigate your sobriety. It will tell you it's like red flags will go up in such a way in your body where it's just hells bells, listen to it, man. You got to listen to your intuition in your body and the signals it's showing.
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