Deep Recovery is More than Abstinence - Jim KreitlerDeep Recovery is More than Abstinence - Jim Kreitler
I Love Being Sober
Tim Westbrook and Jim Kreitler talk about how real recovery goes far beyond simply not drinking, focusing on surrender, long-term support, and spiritual growth. The conversation touches on treatment, family healing, and the different roles that sponsors, therapists and recovery coaches can play.
36:05•19 May 2020
Deep Recovery, Real Surrender: Jim Kreitler on Loving Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Deep recovery involves lifestyle change, emotional healing, and spiritual growth, not just avoiding substances.
- Longer engagement in treatment and aftercare, including programmes like IOP and ongoing meetings, raises the chances of sustained sobriety.
- Working the 12 steps with a sponsor and practising honesty, humility and service helps prevent relapse and supports a meaningful life.
- Therapists, sponsors and recovery coaches each have distinct roles; using multiple supports can strengthen early and long-term recovery.
- Parents and loved ones benefit from their own support groups and learning to stop enabling while maintaining their own wellbeing.
“I really believe that my recovery, even on a daily basis, is dependent on the depth of my surrender.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This conversation between host Tim Westbrook and long-term sober guest Jim Kreitler looks at that question through the lens of surrender, support, and deep recovery. Jim, sober since 1998, explains how his drinking began as a way to manage a “stressful life” despite a good upbringing, and eventually reached the point where he “couldn’t stop” even when he didn’t want to drink or use.
He talks openly about going to inpatient treatment, enjoying the therapy, feeling physically better – and then ignoring key discharge recommendations like sober living, ongoing therapy, and full 12-step engagement. That choice led to relapse and a hard lesson: “length of engagement in treatment is important” and “actually working the steps with a sponsor is important.” A big theme here is surrender.
Jim says, “my recovery… is dependent on the depth of my surrender,” both to the reality of his addiction and to the recovery programme he follows. He contrasts white-knuckled abstinence with “deep, meaningful recovery” that involves changing ingrained behaviours, building healthy habits, and finding a personal spiritual connection.
For him, sobriety has brought back family relationships, self-respect, and the joy of helping others: “I love being a sober man.” Tim and Jim also break down the different roles of therapists, sponsors, and recovery coaches, stressing that each supports a different part of the journey. Sponsors guide people through the 12 steps, therapists address trauma and mental health, and recovery coaches help structure daily life and accountability.
They highlight that recovery plans should be individual, much like “superfoods” differ from person to person. The episode speaks to people in active addiction, loved ones who are scared and unsure what to do, and anyone curious about what long-term recovery can look like beyond simply not drinking. It might leave you asking: where could a bit more surrender and support change your path?
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