RE 585: Addiction is the AnswerRE 585: Addiction is the Answer
Recovery Elevator
Brittany recounts how secret vodka, family fear and an emergency room visit led her to say "I'm done" and commit to AA. Paul adds a humorous ukulele story that underlines how accountability and community support sobriety.
44:24•4 May 2026
Addiction Is the Answer: Brittany’s First Year Saying “I’m Done”
Episode Overview
- Hidden drinking, family worry and blackouts pushed Brittany towards a crisis she could no longer hide.
- An emergency room doctor’s reminder that she was "not alone" opened the door to honesty with her family.
- Committing to AA meetings, a sponsor and the steps brought rapid physical improvements and renewed hope.
- Brittany reframed self-care, realising that protecting her sobriety is the foundation for showing up for her children and husband.
- Both Brittany’s story and Paul’s ukulele anecdote highlight how accountability and community can catch relapse signs early.
“"If I don't take care of myself and if I don't take care of my sobriety, I won't have the life that I have now or the life in the future that I've prayed for."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? RE 585 follows Brittany, a 44-year-old mum of four and military spouse, as she talks through the messy, scary and surprisingly hopeful first year after her last drink on 27 May 2025. Brittany grew up in Wisconsin, proud of its heavy drinking culture and convinced alcoholism "wasn't going to get me" despite a strong family history.
Over time, binge-y college fun slid into secrecy and shame: swapping wine for vodka, hiding bottles in closets and water bottles, and trying to drink just enough that her Air Force pilot husband wouldn’t notice. Parenting, endless moves and raising a daughter with Williams syndrome turned alcohol into her "medication" for stress and fear.
The turning point comes in a brutal sequence: blackouts, terrifying her kids, an emergency room visit, and a doctor gently telling her, "You are not alone." That line, plus a phone call from her husband's sober friend, cracks the secrecy. When he asks, "Are you done?" and she says "Yes", Brittany describes it as like "burning the ships" and feeling a huge weight lift.
From there, the episode tracks how she throws herself into AA, racks up dozens of meetings, finds a sponsor and starts to rebuild a sense of self. She talks about crying through those early meetings, feeling her body and mind slowly reset, and seeing "the light come back" into her eyes.
Parenting is still hard, but now she says, "If I don't take care of myself and if I don't take care of my sobriety, I won't have the life that I have now or the life in the future that I've prayed for." Paul rounds things off with a funny ukulele story that shows how accountability keeps long-term sobriety honest.
If you’ve ever hidden bottles, lied to family, or thought you had to do this alone, this conversation might be the nudge to ask: is it time to say, "I'm done" too?
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