Welcome to today’s show!   WHAT WE’LL LEARN: How Johnathan’s early view of religion helped shape his identity in the world. How his southern baptist “angry form of Christianity” messages made him question life. At age 37, Jonathan found himself at a critical crossroads when staring into a garbage can. The three steps to help you overcome your sugar addiction. Why Johnathan feels the willpower argument is a lie. Johnathan talks about what to do now that we are physically distancing and food is everywhere. What practice Johnathan started in order to socially connect while staying physically isolated. What’s Johnathan’s message to the A.I.R community.   RESOURCES MENTIONED   Jane McGonigal’s Ted Talk Superbetter: The Power of Living Gamefully Recovery Record App The Hacking of The American Mind: The Science Behind The Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains The Sugar Demons: An Addict’s Guide to Conquering Sugar Addiction Sugar Addiction FaceBook Group Track Your Cravings Video Series-Step One @crandiva Jonathan Cranford Schedule a free consultation with me!   For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe on ITUNES.   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page. 

Atheists in Recovery

How to Fight Your Sugar Addiction

Welcome to today’s show! In today’s solo episode, I’m sharing how I use hypnotherapy to treat addiction. Below I outline 5 takeaways hypnotherapy can help you with addiction.   WHAT WE’LL LEARN   Hypnotherapy is not new. Hypnotherapists have been getting to the root cause of one’s suffering for years Say hello to your future self. You are the storyteller of your present & future When you fire it, you wire it. Making new neural connections The language you use matters The story of Duane (how he kicked his 20 plus year smoking habit) Some amazing things happen during hypnotherapy (the story of John)  When Adina thinks of hypnotherapy she thinks of two words: Rapid Relief   RESOURCES MENTIONED   Schedule a free 15 minute 1:1 hypnotherapy consult here. For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe on ITUNES If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page. 

5 Ways Hypnotherapy Can Help Cure Addiction

Welcome to today’s show!    WHAT WE’LL LEARN How Rob’s community wanted to thank him for his contribution to the community and invited him to meet the Queen. And what his inner dialogue was like (hint: he was not happy). Rob talks about his childhood growing up and how his identify was formed but it was not an easy road to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Rob talks about his recovery journey and gives us a “happiness disclaimer.” At 38, Rob found himself looking within the dark places of his subconscious which was hugely frightening for Rob. How a flashback led him to relieving a traumatic event. He wanted to stop the pain so much that he made a conscious decision to take his life. What Rob’s interview process for therapists was like and what his litmus test was like for finding a therapist. What Rob’s therapist told him to do right before he wanted to take that next hit that Rob credits as “her genius.” How Rob’s underlying belief system helped him to find hope in recovery. RESOURCES MENTIONED Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Trip of Compassion-Documentary Before I Leave You-Book Beforeileaveyou.com Twitter Facebook Schedule a free consultation with me! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening! Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. Subscribe on ITUNES If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page. 

(Encore) Recovery and The Integrated Soul

Welcome to today’s show!    WHAT WE’LL LEARN   How David’s earliest memories were rooted in sadness & depression and he felt like something was terribly wrong with him. David was put on anti-depressants is his early teens but felt “nothing was working.” How a Cop was the greatest endorsement for heroin use. When at Hazelden, David was told by staff he needed to put his life & will in God’s hands and work the steps of A.A. David, as a devout Atheist, felt this treatment approach was not going to work for him. After parents gave David “tough love” and an ultimatum, he went to a halfway house but felt “it was a joke” be/c all he wanted to do was use again. David then went on a mission to show his parents that addiction was not a disease and he could stop at will. After his friend overdosed and thinking about the permanence of death, David believed this would motivate him to stop using heroin. How David found Buprenorphine when looking for a reliable, safe source of an opioid to start the healing process. What the struggles were with obtaining buprenorphine from doctors in 2008. What’s David’s response to the Opioid Crisis. What David thinks the “miracle future” of addiction treatment looks like (hint: it involves science and facts). RESOURCES MENTIONED   The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous DavidTheKick-Twitter Davidposes.com Schedule a free consultation with me! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe on ITUNES   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page. 

(Encore) Harm Reduction, The Opioid Crisis, and The Miracle Future

Welcome to today’s show!    WHAT WE’LL LEARN   How Derek earliest memories were rooted in religion but his connectedness and place of belonging was found (and still is) in nature. While Derek was in active addiction he watched his brother, father, and mother pass away from complications due to alcoholism which threw him into a deeper state of depression. It wasn’t until a suicide attempt, that Derek decided to put himself through rehab. Derek says as he passes his one year anniversary, routine & asking for help has been two great tools for healing. Derek talks about the shame and “feeling like a burden” when asking for help. How utilizing mentors instead of sponsors is what works for his recovery. What his perspective is on how to “reset your recovery.”  How he handles things that are out of his control-he gives examples from his own life. Derek discusses what he means by “slowing down to speed up.” What Derek’s heartfelt message is to people who are in active addiction or newly sober during the pandemic. Tips on how Derek connects with others during the pandemic. What’s Derek’s message to the A.I.R. community.   RESOURCES MENTIONED   DerekJThatcher@gmail.com-Email Schedule a free consultation with me! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe on ITUNES   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.  

(Encore) Resetting Your Recovery: rituals for healthy living

Welcome to today’s show!    WHAT WE’LL LEARN   How Valley’s earliest sense of self was formed during “alot of using and instability.” Valley’s mother thought since Valley grew up in AA those values would transmit but Valley had other plans. Valley majored in love addiction, alcohol addiction, and codependency during her college years. When Valley sat with her dying horse’s (Hooker) corpse she realized she was pregnant and had to “own it.” How she was confronted by her then fiance to stop drinking and Valley said “no way” drinking for her was the solution and not the problem. How getting a heart wrenching letter from her ex-fiance prompted Valley to get “free therapy.” AA helped Valley become “right sized” because she felt she was either an Angel or the Devil. What is Life in 10 and can you use this tool to heal. The brain research behind sharing our vulnerable stories What’s Valley’s advice to start sharing one’s writing in a group.   RESOURCES MENTIONED   lifein10minutes.com Life in 10 minutes-Facebook Life in 10 minutes-Instagram The Halfway House for Writers Surrender Your Weapons: Writing to Heal Schedule a free consultation with me! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe on ITUNES   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.  

(Encore) Writing as A Vehicle for Truth-Telling, Healing, and Recovery

Welcome to today’s show!   WHAT WE’LL LEARN:   How hearing a sermon in a church led Peter to “wake up” and start to heal the suffering within. How his Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. household normalized alcohol use. What led Peter to get “interventioned” at work. Why Peter found SMART recovery early on in his recovery and how it helped him. What is SMART ‘s 4-point program. Learn a few SMART recovery tools: for example, “ABC” tool. How mindfulness works to challenge our automatic belief system. What we need to do to release our stories (our past trauma). What makes SMART different is focusing on the internal locus of control. How Peter uses his spirituality in his recovery and focusing on possibilities instead of challenges. What the Oscar Wilde quote says that helps Peter get through the “heavy spaces” in recovery.   RESOURCES MENTIONED   David Kessler SMARTRecovery.org Smart.southdakota.org Smart Recovery South Dakota Facebook Page A.I.R. Private Facebook Group  Schedule a free consultation with me!   For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.  

(Encore) SMART Recovery: The ABC’s of Recovery

Welcome to today’s show!   WHAT WE’LL LEARN:   How atheists/agnostics have found sobriety in AA. The A.I.R. audience has spoken: we talk about these four categories: tolerance, losing one’s religion, the language of addiction, and coming out of the Atheist closet. When is the right time to come out of the Atheist closet? How you should come out of the Atheist closet (a few conversation starters are discussed). RESOURCES MENTIONED Recovery Dharma Website Recovery Dharma Facebook Group Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step LIfe Online Secular AA Meetings The 12 Steps According to Russel Brand Schedule a free consultation with me! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.  

(Encore) What to Say at Regular AA Meetings: coming out of the (Atheist) closet

Welcome to today’s show!   WHAT WE’LL LEARN:   Episode 22 starts our December series, Movies That Move Us. Learn why Adina loves this movie and its relevance in the recovery space. Learn what it means to be codependent. The movie portrayed the subtle way drinking goes from being “fun” to more of a progressive disorder in which shame and fear are ubiquitous. Learn what Adina thinks is the most pivotal part of the story of Michael and Alice’s relationship and how this movie is more about the Man than the Woman. Discover what role can Al-anon (or family education programs) play in familial recovery. The final scene of the movie gives us a nice peak into alcoholism in the family . Why we may need to work on ourselves apart from the person that’s keeping you stuck and how to stop that cycle. Identify your role in the family of addiction and how you can heal.   RESOURCES MENTIONED   A.I.R. Private Facebook Group  Family Education Program Schedule a free consultation with me! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.  

(Encore) When A Man Loves A Woman-Movie Review

Welcome to today’s show! In today’s episode, I list 5 journaling prompts I use most often (and why I think it’s the greatest recovery tool). And I’m taking a pause in August through the end of September to focus on family time, travel, self-care and to tweak a few things with the podcast. In the meantime, you may want to catch up on episodes 1-105 or relisten to a few of your favorites.    WHAT WE’LL LEARN Right now I am... How Adina uses journaling in her own life, daily. She shares a story from her most recent journaling prompt. I remember... I don’t remember a time when... ​​What I haven’t told you is...  Or, what I meant to say was... (Adina loves this prompt!) Check out EP 105 on how she handles Vulnerability. If I wrote the story of my life up to this point, the chapters would be named… Alternatively, if I wrote the story of my future, the chapters would be named...   RESOURCES MENTIONED Episode 89 Three Reasons Why I Love Journaling & The April Pause Episode 96 How to Use Journaling to Manifest Your Dreams in Recovery Episode 105 Q & A with Adina-daily practices for vulnerability, courage, love and belonging Sign up for the Newsletter here! Begin a new ritual that nourishes your soul and maybe start a journaling practice to liberate yourself from defeating narratives. Schedule a free consultation with me! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe on ITUNES   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page.  

5 Journaling Prompts I Use The Most And The August And September Pause

Welcome to today’s show! Vulnerability “Vulnerability smells like rotten eggs, feels like slimy fish, tastes like ash.”   WHAT WE’LL LEARN:   What is Vulnerability?  What events led to Adina knowing she needed to address her own vulnerability. How Adina previously handled vulnerability. What the family motto was in her early days that led to her feeling that being vulnerable was not acceptable. How Adina approaches vulnerability now. What is Adina’s writing process. Through writing we are able to make connections with our former, current, and future selves. How she would use stories as reminders, as protection and prevention. The stories that helped keep you alive when you were young, are not the stories that will help you now. Start to write and then share those stories with others. That’s how we are able to connect with each other.  Quotes:   “I was literally in a fist fight with vulnerability. And I knew at that point that I needed to start working on this.”   “Writing is a creative act of internal disruption” RESOURCES MENTIONED   Learn more about our future A.I.R. writing group and journaling prompts by subscribing to the newsletter here!   Episode 50:  Let’s talk about the Spirituality Question: Q and A with Adina   Schedule a free consultation with me! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page. 

Q & A with Adina-daily practices for vulnerability, courage, love and belonging

Welcome to today’s show!   WHAT WE’LL LEARN: Paul’s deepest roots came from living with a family of doctors that pushed him to excel at school. He deeply wanted to learn more about the nervous system and what makes up the brain & spinal cord. You have to “rob” the tumor in a stealth manner so as not to awaken the brain. Think Jedi Warrior :) How addiction affects the brain structure. And the brain wants to do good for us until there's an insult that’s put into our body (e.g. nicotine, heroin, alcohol).  Then the brain gets the signal that “this must be what this person wants.” And now there’s a new normal. When we’re at a party the brain correlates drinking with fun.  And that’s when the external factors take over. How the body & brain heal from addiction.   The normal lifestyle is not meant for us to be feeling high all the time. It’s just an average lifestyle. Why did Paul begin to write. And why he decided to showcase some of his client’s surgical cases. How Paul’s writing has helped people all over the world to heal. Paul discussed how he’s changed from the beginning of his journal writing til now. What Paul does with his writing mimics a lot of the recovery principles-joining in on conversation, giving back, showing vulnerability, courage and empathy. Key Quotes:   “You need to have the confidence that you can beat this addiction. It’s never too late.”   “Follow your bliss. And you can never go wrong if you truly follow your bliss in life.” RESOURCES MENTIONED   DrPaulWriting.com   The Young Neurosurgeon: Lessons from My Patients  From The Eyes Of A Doctor My Surgical Cases Told In Poems   Schedule a free consultation with me! Learn more about our A.I.R. writing group and journaling prompts by subscribing to the newsletter here! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.    If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page. 

Neurosurgery and Addiction: it's never too late to rewrite your story

Welcome to today’s show! Stories I reference a quote which I feel sums up the episode well.  Write Often and Edit Well  -Esther Perel WHAT WE’LL LEARN:   What is Brainspotting? We look at a case study with Tina and pay attention to her insecure attachment style. What the outcome was after Tina’s first brainspotting session & why Adina was surprised :) Why early messages are so important to our attachment styles as with the case of Tina. How Brainspotting accesses parts of the brain that are traumatized by many unintended experiences. How Brainspotting increases attunement by using a dual attunement frame. And how Tina was able to start her healing journey by feeling the empathy from me. Adina wonders if we would have gotten here with traditional talk therapy alone. Brainspotting helps us identify how our stuff defines us and how to unlearn these thoughts/behaviors.  Adina feels it’s important to know one’s attachment styles. This can help with connecting better with your loved ones. Authentic attachment is an inherent quality of human beings. We all want to get there!   RESOURCES MENTIONED   Brainspotting.com Episode 94: How to Face Your Anxiety Head on: the power of brainspotting Internal Brainscan exercise  (google sheets) Schedule a free consultation with me! For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page. 

The Opposite of Addiction is Connection: 3 ways brainspotting can help heal addiction

Welcome to today’s show!   WHAT WE’LL LEARN: Please listen to EP 101 where we learn Arlina’s background before listening to this one :) Why our brains are designed to focus on the negative. And how to increase our awareness of this. Arlina, at a young age, kept finding reasons that she wasn’t “good enough” and “smart enough” and whenever she would have a negative experience, she’d use that as “evidence” to back up the stories she told herself. Confirmation bias is what’s happening. In early recovery, we do things that we regret under the influence of alcohol. You lose the ability to choose how much you will drink or not. Why after 27 years sober Arlina continues to work daily on emotional regulation. What is the Default Mode Network & how we can rewire our brain in order to make better decisions. Arlina walks us through a writing exercise on how to identify and change your irrational beliefs. Key Quotes: “I just put a bunch of drugs & alcohol in my brain and I’m going to use that broke *ss tool to make decisions for my entire life…”   “Question your beliefs because a lot of times they’re not rooted in truth.” RESOURCES MENTIONED   A.I.R. Survey Please take this 45 second survey to help direct the future of the AIR podcast.  Bryon Katie’s 4 Questions  SoberLifeSchool.com For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page. 

How to Challenge Your Stressful Thoughts (And Live Your Way into Right Thinking) Part 2

Welcome to today’s show!   WHAT WE’LL LEARN: Arlina described her deepest roots as having come from two traumatic incidents early on. She learned some survival skills that “did not translate into healthy adult relationships.” How at age 8 or 9, Arlina discovered alcohol. And she described the first drink vividly. She stated, “The self-confidence & self-loathing was lifted….” This cemented the theory that alcohol would take away “all these bad feelings.” Why she felt money or love was going to save her. (Hint: love did not come in the form she was expecting)! Why she feels Quantum Physics explains everything she had learned from her religious upbringing. Arlina shared she made all her decisions based on low self-esteem. And her work in recovery is now to identify & reframe her self-beliefs. How “Empathy is the antidote to shame.” Arlina shared that her shame presented as defensiveness. And shame could not survive once it was spoken. How connection became the cure to her feeling less shame, less isolated &  less alone. Stay tuned for next week’s interview with Arlina Allen as we focus on the theory & practice of her recovery along with a writing exercise! Key Quotes: Arlina’s tagline: “If it were in a bottle, a bag, or blue jeans, I was doing it.”   “I was trying to think my way into right living. And it turns out I needed to live my way into right thinking.”   RESOURCES MENTIONED   A.I.R. Survey Please take this 45 second survey to help direct the future of the AIR podcast.  SoberLifeSchool.com For more info, head over to atheistsinrecovery.com and subscribe to our email list. And thank you for listening!   Leave an honest review on ITUNES.  Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.   Subscribe to the A.I.R. newsletter where you will learn to identify patterns of dysfunctional thinking, change the dysfunctional thinking into something more positive, and find hope in recovery.   If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with friends, family, and other professionals by using the social media buttons on this page. 

How to Challenge Your Stressful Thoughts (And Live Your Way into Right Thinking)

Atheists in Recovery podcast will address the spiritual and scientific belief systems of people in long term recovery in order to deconstruct limiting thought patterns, and introduce new behaviors and routines you can use.

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Atheists in Recovery

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