044: "Do you have ADD, OCD and battle Addiction?" Laura Silverman, of the Sobriety Collective takes us through her battle with Alcoholism and her Journey into Recovery!044: "Do you have ADD, OCD and battle Addiction?" Laura Silverman, of the Sobriety Collective takes us through her battle with Alcoholism and her Journey into Recovery!
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Omar Pinto talks with Laura Silverman about her alcohol poisoning scares, mental health struggles and how she chose sobriety at 24 and never relapsed. She shares candidly how AA, therapy, creativity and community each play a part in a recovery style that actually works for her.
1:06:12•15 Dec 2015
ADD, OCD and Alcohol: Laura Silverman on Sobriety That Actually Fits
Episode Overview
- A terrifying blackout and hospital stay in New York City becomes the final turning point that leads Laura to seek help.
- Intensive outpatient treatment and early AA meetings provide structure and community when she has no sober peers.
- Laura learns that AA can be one useful tool rather than her whole identity, and that recovery can look different for different people.
- Therapy, appropriate medication, exercise, nature, and creative hobbies all play a big part in keeping her sober and emotionally steady.
- Building The Sobriety Collective helps her connect with other creative sober people and shows that sharing stories can make recovery feel less lonely.
“When I first got introduced to recovery, I stayed in recovery. I have not relapsed, and there was really nothing keeping me from getting or staying clean and sober.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation with Laura Silverman offers a candid look at one woman’s decision to stop drinking at 24 and build a life she actually wants to be present for. Hosted by recovery coach Omar Pinto, the chat is fast, funny, and unfiltered.
Laura, founder of The Sobriety Collective and host of the Bad Story Podcast, talks about living with anxiety, panic attacks, OCD and ADD, and how alcohol first felt like the magic switch that made her feel cool, confident and finally “normal”. That illusion shatters with two alcohol poisonings, including a terrifying blackout at Madison Square Garden that ends in a hospital bed and a family frantically trying to find her.
From there, you’ll hear how she throws herself into an outpatient programme, AA meetings and early sobriety, sharing the moment she realised, “When I first got introduced to recovery, I stayed in recovery. I have not relapsed.” Laura explains what worked for her in 12‑step groups, what didn’t, and why she now treats AA as one tool rather than her entire identity. The episode is especially useful if you’re juggling mental health issues alongside alcohol problems.
Laura speaks openly about medication, therapy, exercise, creative hobbies like guitar and crafts, and her need for sober friends who “get it”. She also talks about heartbreak, grief, and how she’s handled a recent breakup without even *thinking* about drinking. You’ll come away with practical ideas for building your own mix‑and‑match recovery plan, book recommendations, and reassurance that your “spiritual awakening” doesn’t have to look dramatic to be real.
If you’ve ever wondered whether sobriety is possible without fitting a perfect AA mould, this one might be exactly what you need to hear today.
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