#141 – Rob Lohman: 101 Reasons to Quit Getting Drunk During the Holidays

#141 – Rob Lohman: 101 Reasons to Quit Getting Drunk During the Holidays

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This conversation on Recovery Survey brings back interventionist and author Rob Lohman for a candid catch‑up that many people in or around addiction will relate to. Rob shares how his history of alcohol, drugs, gambling, divorce, bankruptcy and suicidal thinking didn’t end the moment he stopped drinking.

Twenty‑one years sober, he still faced a mental breakdown that led to his arrest on multiple charges and a prison sentence, yet that experience becomes a key part of the hope he offers today. As he puts it, “When we get brutally honest, which hurt, brutally honest kind of sucked, but it was so liberating to be like, okay, the gig’s up.” The chat centres on two of Rob’s books.

The first explains how family‑led interventions can “bring the bottom up” for a loved one instead of waiting for some mythical rock bottom. He stresses that treatment alone isn’t magic; lasting change needs the whole family system to shift, not just the person heading to rehab. His latest book, *101 Reasons to Quit Getting Drunk During the Holidays: A Journey Into Your Relationship With Alcohol*, acts as a hybrid between a workbook and a journal.

It asks blunt questions like “How has alcohol robbed you of your potential?” and gives space to write, helping people look honestly at drinking across the whole year, not just Christmas. Rob and host Brett Morris talk through different recovery paths—AA, Celebrate Recovery, SMART‑style approaches, yoga, meditation, apps, and communities like The Phoenix—and keep coming back to three pillars Rob now focuses on: hope, identity and purpose.

The message is simple: there are many ways to change, but you do have to take action. If you or someone you care about is wrestling with alcohol or other addictions, could it be time to stop waiting for rock bottom and start raising the bar instead?