Shows / RAW Recovery Podcast
RAW Recovery Podcast
Storytelling has a profound impact on individuals in recovery, as it allows them to connect with others who have walked similar paths. By sharing their own stories of struggle and triumph, individuals can find a sense of validation, comfort, and hope. When others hear stories of resilience and recovery, they feel less alone in their own struggles and are inspired to continue their journey towards healing. Storytelling can also help to break down stigmas and stereotypes surrounding addiction and…
Episodes
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Do We Care When It Doesn’t Affect Us?
Do We Care When It Doesn’t Affect Us? It is easy to care about a problem once it reaches our family, our neighborhood, or our own life. But what about when the…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
The Danger of the Plateau
The Danger of the Plateau Early recovery often comes with urgency. Life is uncomfortable, consequences are fresh, and we know something has to change. But what…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Rarely Have We Seen A Person Fail
Rarely Have We Seen A Person Fail The opening of How It Works gives one of the strongest statements in the Big Book: “Rarely have we seen a person fail who has…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
We May Be Different, But We Are Not Less
We May Be Different, But We Are Not Less Recovery brings together people from every kind of background, personality, belief system, and life experience. We may…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Deep Resentment Leads To Futility And Unhappiness
Deep Resentment Leads To Futility And Unhappiness The Big Book warns us that deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness. That does not mean we were…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Why Help People Anyway?
Why Help People Anyway? Helping people sounds simple until the person we help disappoints us, criticizes us, misunderstands us, or gives us absolutely nothing…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Least Possible Organization?
Least Possible Organization? Alcoholics Anonymous has always tried to walk an unusual line: enough organization to get the work done, but not so much…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
What Does ChatGPT Think The Daily Trudge Is?
What Does ChatGPT Think The Daily Trudge Is? After spending a long time helping me build topics, descriptions, outlines, thumbnails, and conversations around…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Expectations Are Aligned With Our Serenity
Expectations Are Aligned With Our Serenity Expectations can quietly become one of the biggest sources of frustration in recovery. We decide how people should…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
We Made Direct Amends (NOW AD FREE)
We Made Direct Amends Making direct amends is more than saying we’re sorry. It means facing the harm we caused, taking responsibility for our part, and doing…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Two Kinds of Pride
Two Kinds of Pride Pride is usually talked about as something dangerous in recovery—and it certainly can be. Self-centered pride can keep us defensive…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
We Must Be Neutral To Alcohol
We Must Be Neutral To Alcohol The Big Book describes a point in recovery where alcohol no longer has to dominate our thinking. We are not spending our lives…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Why Do We Have To Have Everything Right Now?
Why Do We Have To Have Everything Right Now? Alcoholism trained many of us to look for relief right now. If we were uncomfortable, we wanted the feeling…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Language of the Heart
Language of the Heart In Alcoholics Anonymous, people from completely different backgrounds can sit down together and somehow understand each other in a way…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Your Dark Past Is The Key To Life For Others
Your Dark Past Is The Key To Life For Others Today’s Daily Reflection, “Lightening the Burden,” points to something powerful in recovery: the very parts of our…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
How to Work With Big Emotions in Recovery
How to Work With Big Emotions in Recovery Recovery does not mean we stop having anger, fear, sadness, anxiety, or moments when everything feels overwhelming…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
What Does It Mean to Be Restored to Sanity?
What Does It Mean to Be Restored to Sanity? Step Two says that we came to believe a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. But what exactly…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
My Opinion on Non-Alcoholic Sober Bars and Kava Bars
My Opinion on Non-Alcoholic Sober Bars and Kava Bars Sober bars, alcohol-free nightlife, and kava bars are becoming more common—but are they actually helpful…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
The Family After the Drinking Stops
The Family After the Drinking Stops When the alcoholic gets sober, the drinking may stop—but the family does not automatically return to normal. The Family…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Meeting Others Where They Are At
Meeting Others Where They Are At One of the most important things we learn in recovery is that not everybody is going to be where we think they should be…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
There Is A Solution
There Is A Solution Alcoholism can leave us believing there is no way out. We try controlling our drinking, changing circumstances, making promises, and…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
The Psychic Change That Makes Step One Possible
The Psychic Change That Makes Step One Possible In The Doctor’s Opinion, Dr. Silkworth says that without an entire psychic change, there is very little hope of…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
The Psychic Change That Makes Step One Possible
The Psychic Change That Makes Step One Possible In The Doctor’s Opinion, Dr. Silkworth says that without an entire psychic change, there is very little hope of…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Alcoholism and Other Mental Illnesses
Alcoholism and Other Mental Illnesses The Big Book recognizes that some alcoholics also live with serious emotional and mental disorders—and says that many…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Healing Defective Relationships
Healing Defective Relationships The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 80, points directly at one of the places where recovery can get very real: our…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Purpose Over Popularity
Purpose Over Popularity It is easy to start measuring our value by attention, approval, numbers, or whether people notice what we are doing. But recovery keeps…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
AA As Such, Ought Not Be Organized
AA As Such, Ought Not Be Organized Alcoholics Anonymous has groups, committees, service positions, and a worldwide service structure—but AA itself was never…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
When Did Fun Become Suspicious?
When Did Fun Become Suspicious? Somewhere along the way, many of us learned to associate adulthood, responsibility, and recovery with being serious all the…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
A Tradition Born Of Our Anonymity
A Tradition Born Of Our Anonymity Anonymity is more than keeping our last names private. In Alcoholics Anonymous, it became a principle that protects the…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Where Rationalizing Leads
Where Rationalizing Leads Alcoholics can be remarkably good at explaining away the very behavior that is putting us in danger. As Bill Sees It, page 197, warns…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Stepping Away From Terminal Uniqueness
Stepping Away From Terminal Uniqueness One of the easiest ways to stay stuck in recovery is to believe that nobody really understands us, that our situation is…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
AA #2 — Dr. Bob
AA #2 — Dr. Bob Dr. Bob was one of the two men at the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous, but his story is much more than simply being “the other founder.”…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Phenomenon of Craving
Phenomenon of Craving The Doctor’s Opinion describes one of the central ideas behind alcoholism: once the alcoholic takes the first drink, a craving can begin…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Why Can’t an Alcoholic Just Stop at One?
Why Can’t an Alcoholic Just Stop at One? The Doctor’s Opinion gives us one of the clearest explanations of alcoholism in the Big Book: for the real alcoholic…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
The Scapegoat/Black Sheep’s Job
The Scapegoat/Black Sheep’s Job In dysfunctional families and groups, one person can become the designated problem—the scapegoat or “black sheep.” They may…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
God Doesn’t Heal What We Refuse to Change
God Doesn’t Heal What We Refuse to Change We can pray for healing, ask God for help, and say we want a different life—but if we are still protecting the same…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
How Do You Use Your Strengths to Work on Your Blind Spots?
How Do You Use Your Strengths to Work on Your Blind Spots? We all have strengths. We all have blind spots. But what if some of the very things we do well can…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Spearheads of God’s Advancing Creation
Spearheads of God’s Advancing Creation Recovery is not meant to stop with us. The Big Book tells us that we can become useful to God and to the people around…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Healing Can Spread the Same Way Dysfunction Can
Healing Can Spread the Same Way Dysfunction Can Dysfunction can move through families, relationships, and generations—but healing can spread too. When one…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
The Importance of a Recovery Foundation
The Importance of a Recovery Foundation The first three Steps are the foundation of recovery: admitting powerlessness, coming to believe that a Power greater…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Life Will Take On New Meaning
Life Will Take On New Meaning The Big Book tells us that life will take on new meaning when we begin working with others and watching people recover. Today…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Our Refusal to Grow Up
Our Refusal to Grow Up Getting sober does not automatically make us emotionally mature. We can stop drinking and still demand that people behave the way we…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Understanding Love Languages
Understanding Love Languages People can care deeply about each other and still miss one another because they give and receive love in different ways. Today…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
When We Think the Other Shoe Is Going to Drop
When We Think the Other Shoe Is Going to Drop For many alcoholics, peace can feel unfamiliar. When life begins going well, we may start waiting for something…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
The Four Agreements
The Four Agreements The Four Agreements offer a practical way to examine how we speak, think, react, and show up in our relationships. Today we’ll talk about…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Understanding AA Slogans
Understanding AA Slogans AA slogans are short, simple, and easy to repeat—but that does not mean they are shallow. Today we’ll break down six familiar slogans…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Acceptance Is the Key That Will Set You Free
Acceptance Is the Key That Will Set You Free Acceptance does not mean that we approve of everything that happened, excuse harmful behavior, or stop taking…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Maximum Service to God and Others
Maximum Service to God and Others Recovery is not only about what we stop doing. It is about becoming useful. Today we’ll talk about what it means to place God…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Alcoholism—The Progressive Disease
Alcoholism—The Progressive Disease Alcoholism does not remain in one place. It may begin slowly and appear manageable, but over time it takes more: more…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
A Vigorous Attempt to Repair the Damage
A Vigorous Attempt to Repair the Damage Step Eight asks us to make a list of the people we have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all. This…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
And the Wisdom to Know the Difference
And the Wisdom to Know the Difference The Serenity Prayer asks us to accept what we cannot change, find the courage to change what we can, and develop the…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
We Thoroughly Follow the Path or We Drink
We Thoroughly Follow the Path or We Drink Recovery leaves very little room for half-measures. We either continue practicing honesty, open-mindedness…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
We Must Move Away From Victimhood
We Must Move Away From Victimhood What happened to us may not have been our fault. The pain, trauma, betrayal, neglect, or abuse may have been real, and…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
How Trauma and Survival Kill the Inner Child
How Trauma and Survival Kill the Inner Child When a child is forced to survive instead of simply being allowed to grow, something inside begins to shut down…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
What Are We Teaching the Newcomer?
What Are We Teaching the Newcomer? Newcomers do not learn only from what we say in meetings. They also learn from how we treat one another, how we handle…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Stop Measuring Alcoholism by What You Still Have
Stop Measuring Alcoholism by What You Still Have A job, a house, a car, money in the bank, or the fact that you have never been arrested does not prove that…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
The Spiritual Substance of Anonymity Is Sacrifice
The Spiritual Substance of Anonymity Is Sacrifice Anonymity in Alcoholics Anonymous is more than keeping our names out of the public eye. At its deepest level…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
We Didn’t Get Sober to Isolate Family
We Didn’t Get Sober to Isolate Family Sobriety is supposed to help us become more present, honest, patient, and available to the people we love—not disappear…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
Our Primary Purpose
Our Primary Purpose Alcoholics Anonymous has one primary purpose: to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. Today we’ll talk about why carrying…
- RAW Recovery Podcast
What Is a Page 21 Drunk?
What Is a Page 21 Drunk? Page 21 of the Big Book gives us one of AA’s clearest descriptions of the real alcoholic. The alcoholic may begin as a moderate…