Tribe Sober - inspiring an alcohol free life‪!‬ Janet

Today’s guest is going to give us a peek into Hollywood and the fascinating world of movies about recovery
Ted Perkins worked in the film industry for 30 years and has a book out called:-
"Addicted in Film, Movies We Love About the Habits We Hate"
I’ve just finished reading it and it’s fascinating – I had no idea there were so many films about recovery!
The book forms the basis of his Recovery Movie Meetup program
In this episode:-
Ted grew up in a diplomatic family, where cocktail parties were the norm..
Worked as a movie producer for Universal Studios for 30 years, then pursued independent screenwriting
The Movie industry (like so many other industries) is “awash in alcohol” as Ted put it
His drinking was mainly recreational until he began to work independently as a scriptwriter when it became more about managing his anxiety 
His scriptwriting career involved a lot of waiting around for responses regarding scripts he had submitted
Ted shared his personal struggle with moderation and his attempts to control his drinking
He talks us through his unique approach to sobriety – rather than 90 meetings in 90 days he watched 100 recovery movies in 100 days!
In fact I’ve recently interviewed a guy for the podcast who listened to 100 Tribe Sober podcasts in 100 days… and it worked!   He’s sober now and I ‘ll be releasing that interview soon
I’m even thinking of creating a 100 episode playlist to go with it!
Apart from his movie watching Ted also worked with Smart Recovery
His recovery led to him writing his book and developing Recovery Movie Meetups
His book is called: "Addicted in Film, Movies We Love About the Habits We Hate" – available on Amazon – and on kindle – do check it out, its brilliant
Recovery Movie Meetups enables communities to host support meetings using addiction-themed movies… and Tribe Sober will be hosting their first Recovery Movie Meetup with Ted on 11th May
We’ll be watching an addiction themed movie and following it with a discussion – using guided questions
I asked him for his Favorite Recovery Movie: which is the "Lost Weekend" which came out way back in (1945)
I asked him to Recommended a Movie: He suggested "Thanks for Sharing" for its portrayal of various addictions and recovery aspects
We discussed Society's stigma towards alcoholism: that misconception of alcoholics as homeless, contrasting with the majority of people affected who are in fact functional alcoholics
Of course the danger of seeing the alcoholic as a homeless man in the park is that we look at him and think – I’m not that bad so I can carry on drinking!
This suits the alcohol industry very well of course.
AA's branding of the "alcoholic" can be likened to the religious branding of sinners – it’s a way to keep the flock together – to keep them coming to church… or meetings.
We agreed that we had to take the Initiative in our recovery: we can’t just sit around waiting for life to become perfect – we have to rebuild our life, embrace opportunities and create an alcohol free life that we love
Recovery is about reclaiming life’s possibilities
We talked about the Hollywood celebrities who are modelling sobriety and making it cool: Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Anthony Hopkins, Demi Lovato, and plenty of others
I really loved Teds feedback loop – I’m going to read a quote from the transcript of the interview
Over time it'll work itself out and you'll see, …. all of the things that you thought were not going to be possible will become possible and you'll do things that you never thought possible      Then your life in sobriety will then start an automatic feedback loop. Showing you how great life is and will continue to get as you pursue sobriety.
I love that idea of an automatic feedback loop – as the benefits of sobriety start to come in we realise we want to hold on to them….
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Today’s guest is Ken Middleton
If you’re a regular listener then you’ll already know Ken and many of you have read his fabulous book which is called Bamboozled – How Alcohol Makes Fools of us all!"
Kenis an interesting case because he didn’t embark on this journey because he was worried about his alcohol dependence… he did it because he realised that alcohol was preventing him from reaching his potential
As he says “even if alcohol doesn’t destroy you it will prevent you from reaching your potential”
How true!
This is my actually my third podcast episode with Ken – You can listen to the other podcast episodes here and here
 
In this episode:-
Ken started his sobriety journey by educating himself on the scientific effects of alcohol. There is such power in knowledge – the more we understand about the damage alcohol does the less we feel like drinking it!
His drinking career was pretty typical – starting at college where he used it to fit in and socialize. His drinking then intensified during his sales career
It was when he decided to become an entrepreneur that Ken realized the detrimental impact of alcohol on his productivity.
He decided to take a 90-day break from drinking with his wife, to his surprise this period of sobriety led to a significant increase in his productivity and income.
Two weeks into his sobriety, Ken read Annie Grace's "This Naked Mind" which changed his perspective on alcohol.
This book helped him to recognize the spectrum of alcohol's effects,
We agreed that society stigmatises the alcoholic to such an extent that we imagine an alcoholic to be a homeless man in the park – this gives us a reason to decide we are not “that bad” so we can carry on drinking!
This suits the alcohol industry very well of course!
Inspired by his journey, Ken wrote "Bamboozled" to share his experiences and educate others on the hidden dangers of alcohol.
One of the things I love about his book is the stories he includes - alcohol parables like "Scott and Mitchell," illustrating how drinking choices in college can impact future success.
Ken emphasizes the cognitive and emotional impairment caused by alcohol, affecting decision-making, learning, and long-term success – of course its especially harmful for young brains which are still developing
Ken encourages his readers to consider the long-term effects on their lives and potential.
He believes in running towards personal growth rather than away from alcohol, recognizing the multitude of benefits gained through sobriety.  I love this approach and see our members getting more and more motivated as the benefits of sobriety keep coming!
Societal views on drinking are changing, with more and more young people abstaining - For example the latest stats from the UK tell us that 39% of 18-24 people just don’t drink
Another of Kens alcohol parables focuses on Sarah and Susan
Susan's excessive drinking hinders her career growth, while Sarah's more moderate approach leads to promotion.
Hollywood's portrayal of alcohol influences societal perceptions and behaviors – Ken has a whole chapter on this and its fascinatingIf you haven't yet read Bamboozled then you’re missing out – it’s a really great read, you can buy it from Amazon or you can get it directly from Ken on TheBamboozledBook.comDo check out his 90 day challenge that he mentioned – he’s set up a website for that which is called https://www.dry90.com/ - I’ll put the links in the shownotes
You can also follow Ken on Instagram @kenmmiddleton and of course his regular newsletter is called Alcohol is Not Your Friend.
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My guest Sarah Rusbatch is a Brit living in Oz –  she struggled with alcohol dependence for years but finally nailed sobriety and trained as a Sober Coach.  She's also written a book called "Beyond Booze" which enables people to build an alcohol free life that we love!
In this episode:-
Sarah began drinking in her early teens
It became a way to fit in and make friends at school and at university
We reflected on the drinking culture in the UK during the 90s, influenced by tv series like Sex and the City and the Ladette culture.
After moving to Australia and becoming a mother, Sarah felt a bit lost – she struggled to find a new friendship group and turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
Despite not drinking every day, Sarah realized she had a problem with alcohol when it started affecting her physical and mental health.
She shared a painful experience at a party where she lost her balance and fell over, cutting her face
A visit to the pharmacy the next day resulted in the shop assistant slipping her the number for a domestic abuse helpline
This incident prompted her to start a 21-day detox, which she eventually extended by using various tools such as
Annie Grace's Book: which introduced the novel concept of reconsidering alcohol as something other than wonderful!
She began to realize the negative impacts of alcohol on anxiety, sleep, weight, and productivity.
We discussed Workplace performance and how quitting alcohol can lead to a 30% increase in effectiveness, highlighting how alcohol not only damages our physical and mental health but it prevents us from reaching our potential.
Sarah explained how drinking damages the Pillars of Good Health: Alcohol affects various aspects of health beyond direct consumption, such as sleep, exercise, and nutrition, impacting overall well-being.
She talked about the Relationship with her Husband: Both were heavy drinkers, enabling each other's habits and avoiding confrontation about their drinking.
Her husband Initially stopped drinking for three years, then restarted… he eventually decided to quit again due to realizing the negative impact on his life.
This ties in with one of the great tips Sarah shared with us – go alcohol free for a while, collect the data – then make a comparison with how you feel when you drink… do it as an experiment, be a scientist in your own life!
Sarahs 3 Benefits of Sobriety: Rediscovery of authentic self, better role modeling for children, and a renewed zest for life which enables her to  fulfil her potential.
Her tips to get your Sobriety started: Have a clear why and do a 30-day experiment, immersing yourself in the resources, and embrace community support.
Sarah's Book and Community: "Beyond Booze" focuses on building a fulfilling alcohol-free life. Its not about how to quit as much as how to build an alcohol free life that you love
Find out more about Sarah via her website which is:-  www.sarahrusbatch.com

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This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
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Mike Waite is working to improve brain health awareness via behavior, nature, and immersive technologies.
He teaches about brain health through his podcast which is called the Brain Shaman
Mike is American but lives in Japan – he has a pretty wild drinking story about how he ended up in Japan so you won’t want to miss this one!
In this episode:-
Mike shared his mindblowing story of relocating to Japan while under the influence of alcohol!
Sometimes it can be liberating to close down our rational brain and go where alcohol takes us but as Mike emphasised we are playing Russian Roulette and it can be disastrous
In fact many people are in prison because alcohol took them to a dark place and they committed a crime in a blackout!
We discussed the importance of dismantling the limiting beliefs that we hold about alcohol 
We need to educate ourselves about the effects of alcohol on the brain and body, including both short-term and long-term consequences.
We are both fans of William Porter so if you want to understand the science behind alcohol dependence then his book Alcohol Explained is a great place to start because..
The more we understand about the damage alcohol can do the less inclined we’ll be to drink it!
We are “groomed” by the Liquor Industry to want alcohol from a very tender age..
As an example Mike explained that he used to watch movies like American Pie and The Hangover at the age of 12 or 13 – these movies built a strong belief that he would need lots of alcohol to party and have fun
Of course the influence of alcohol advertising is even stronger on the teenage brain which is still developing
Recognising marketing for the BS that it is takes away the power – I shared my tactic for timing how long we get into a movie before the alcohol comes out
We agreed that envisioning a group of cynical marketing executives rubbing their hands together as their sales increase will help us to recognise the manipulation that is taking place on a continual basis
We have to use our imagination to redefine associations with alcohol so that when we see it on the shelf we realise its poison
We have to cultivate self-awareness and mindfulness to recognize and address underlying reasons for using alcohol, such as stress, anxiety, or social pressure.
We agreed on the value of supportive communities and networks, like Tribe Sober, where individuals can connect, share, and support each other in their journey towards sobriety and improved brain health.
Mike is experiencing the value of a sober community himself as he goes through our 66 day sober challenge.
Mike encourages holistic approaches to well-being that prioritize mental and physical health, emphasizing the importance of sleep, nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle factors in maintaining brain health and overall wellness.
He took us through some alternative coping strategies and activities for relaxation, stress relief, and socializing that don't involve alcohol and emphasized their benefits
We have to recognize the social pressure and rebel against it – we need to learn to be a rebel not a sheep – after all its easy to drink – being alcohol free takes confidence and courage!
We need to remember the power of fading affect bias: we mustn’t forget the dark places our drinking took us to
Tribe Sober has 2 tools to avoid FAB
Create a blacklist of negative drinking experiences
Write a goodbye letter to alcohol, symbolizing the end of the relationship
When we quit drinking we have to channel our energy into positive activities 
We need to recognize alcohol's role in wasting our time and energy
We also need to consider long-term health consequences, including nerve damage and neurodegeneration
We discussed the fact that more and more celebrities are sober these days
Ironically Bradley Cooper who dazzled the 12 year old Mike with his drunken antics in the Hangover has been sober for 20 years!
You can follow Mikes podcast which is called Brain Shaman on Spotify and

Today’s guest is Sober Coach Carolyn Clark who has an inspiring recovery story to share.
Not only is she thriving in her alcohol free life but she’s running sober retreats in Bali!
WE never know whats round the corner when we embark on this journeyWe really have to trust the Universe…ditch the booze, do the work… and the magic will happen
I bet Carolyn never thought she’s be running retreats in Bali when she was drinking every night!
 
In this episode:-
Carolyn started drinking as a teenager to cope with childhood trauma - this escalated as she got older
Her father's alcohol-related death prompted her interest in counselling
Carolyn experienced some tragic losses in 2016-17 – these led to increased drinking as a coping mechanism – as it got to 6pm she just wanted to numb out the feelings
She reached a turning point in December 2020 when she looked in the mirror and saw her brothers face looking back at her – this was her brother who had died from alcohol related causes
So she decided to do Dry January
She joined a supportive online community, found strength in accountability
Carolyn hasn't had a drink since December 31, 2020
Even though she wasn’t even trying she lost a lot of weight by ditching the booze and taking up exercise – I think she said 3 stone which is about 20 kilos or 42 pounds!
If you’re interested in how alcohol affects your weight you must have a listen to my podcast with James Stanwick which was released on March 9th – that’s already had more than 2,000 downloads so it obviously struck a chord 
Carolyn and I agreed that we gain courage to try new things in sobriety – sobriety is a superpower – we get this feeling that if we can do this.. we can do pretty much anything!
She decided to train as a sober coach during the second year of sobriety
Even though she lost her mother in 2021 she remained committed to sobriety
Her 44 year marriage has also ended recently but these days she manages to Cope with her feelings in a healthy way through journaling, beach walks, and expressing her emotions rather than numbing them away with alcohol
She also incorporated a yoga practice into her journey of self discovery and body connection
These days Carolyn leads retreats in Bali… retreats for sober women who want to connect, heal and thrive
You can find out more about Carolyn and her retreats by going to her website which is carolynclarkcoaching.com and she’s also on Instagram as soberhappysixties 
 

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This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
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We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.
Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!
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You can join our private Facebook group HERE.

 

Today’s guest is the wonderful Ann Dowsett Johnston who many of you will have heard of – she is a pioneer of the modern recovery movement and published her book "Drink" back in 2013 – which makes it one of the very first QuitLit books
In this episode:-
Ann's book Drink has been out for more than a decade and is still selling well – her TED talk has had 1.5m views 
I did a previous interview with Ann a couple of years ago that you can listen to here. 
The prologue to the book describes alcohol's seductive charm…and eventual harm
I love this analogy and here at Tribe Sober we suggest that our members write a Goodbye letter to alcohol as it evolves from a handsome stranger to an abusive lover
Ann predicted the dramatic rise in risky drinking for women, which has sadly come true over the last decade
There is an epidemic of female drinking, especially among younger women, with serious health consequences – we are even seeing young women presenting with liver disease
The alcohol industry has been targeting women for the last couple of decades – using the tobacco marketing playbook  and they’ve been stunningly successful
Many of us believed that we couldn’t have fun or relax or cope with stress without alcohol – and it certainly takes a few months to deprogram our thinking, to overturn those limiting belief
Ann is from Canada so had first hand experience of the public backlash that the low drinking guidelines (two drinks a week) caused!
The reduction in drinking guidelines came as new research was published linking alcohol to cancer and many other health conditions
Ann and I both love the modern recovery movement and the many different recovery pathways – I often say that if you want to give up drinking you need to find your people – if you think that Tribe Sober might be your community then go to tribesober.com and hit join our tribe
Ann mentioned the three levers for change: price, marketing reduction, and availability, but government action is slow and Big Alcohol will continue to use its lobbying power
So as individuals we must actively seek out the knowledge – we need to educate ourselves about the harm that alcohol can do to our brains and our bodies
Knowledge is power and the more we understand about alcohol the less we’ll feel like drinking it
Even if we decide to drink it should be an informed decision, we need to understand the risks
Ann talked about her "Writing Your Recovery" courses which offers support and tools for memoir writing.
Its a powerful 8-week online memoir-writing course.
Starts on 24th April and accommodates various timezones – go to her website annsdowsettjohnston.com for more info – I’ll put the links in the shownotes
Ann will also be facilitating a South African writing retreat during week commencing 15th October – you can get on the waiting list for that by emailing info@bkr.co.za
Ann now has 15 years of sobriety and spoke of the many benefits she has experienced
She returned to school at 64 to become a psychotherapist, specializing in women's substance issues and trauma
She has a wonderful relationship with her grandchild
Ann strongly believes that once we walk away from alcohol remarkable things will happen – the universe has a plan for us – she is awakened to wonder as she puts it
She’s built a rich and an alcohol free life that she loves, a life she definitely doesn’t want to escape from!

More Info
Tribe Sober membership – you can join up HERE.
To access our website, click HERE.
If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com.
If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.
 


Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
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