[Bonus] Leanne and Brett Live on Stereo[Bonus] Leanne and Brett Live on Stereo
Recovery Survey
Brett Morris and Leanne Villani share candid stories about rock bottom, relapse and early sobriety, including life changes during the pandemic and the value of community. Their live conversation touches on acceptance, self-honesty, service and simple daily practices that help them stay sober just for today.
36:26•22 Feb 2021
Rock Bottom, Zoom Meetings and Just-for-Today: Leanne and Brett Go Live
Episode Overview
- Rock bottom can be a gradual mental collapse, not a single dramatic event, and may involve depression, paranoia and exhaustion more than external chaos.
- Acceptance of being an alcoholic or addict is described as the turning point where life shifts from unmanageable to genuinely better.
- Community support is framed as essential, summed up in the idea "I can't, but we can" and reinforced through meetings, sponsorship and honest conversation.
- Simple daily practices such as brief prayer, meditation and quiet moments (even in the car) help maintain conscious contact with a higher power.
- Relapse is discussed without shame, with an emphasis on self-honesty, learning from mistakes and changing behaviour if a different life is wanted.
“"Until I accepted that I was an alcoholic, my life was unmanageable. And then when I did accept it, my life fucking became great."”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This bonus episode drops you right into a live Stereo chat between two podcasters in recovery, Leanne Villani from BeYouFullMind and Brett Morris from Recovery Survey, as they swap honest stories about rock bottom and early sobriety.
Brett talks about his "series of events" rock bottom – arrest, a week in jail, countless failed attempts to switch from hard drugs to "just alcohol and marijuana" – and the friend who finally told him, bluntly, that he was going to end up dead. That reality check, plus years of exhaustion from uppers, pushed him towards full abstinence and six years of sobriety.
He shares how his rock bottom was "more of a mental rock bottom" driven by depression, paranoia and total burnout. Leanne brings a raw six-months-sober perspective. She jokes about bargaining with herself over a White Claw run, and explains how she shrank "just for today" into "just a second" to get through cravings. Acceptance is central for her: "Until I accepted that I was an alcoholic, my life was unmanageable...
and then when I did accept it, my life fucking became great." She also breaks down the idea of self-honesty and owning "my side of the street" through step work. Together they talk about sobriety during a pandemic, with Leanne loving Zoom meetings and global connections, while Brett confesses how online meetings initially threw off his routine.
They underline the power of community – "I can't, but we can" – higher power, service work, and staying honest about relapse without shame. If you're early in recovery, flirting with the idea of quitting, or years sober and feeling a bit stuck, this relaxed, slightly chaotic live chat might feel like the meeting you didn’t know you needed. Whose version of rock bottom sounds closer to yours?
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