RE 586: Addiction is the Answer

RE 586: Addiction is the Answer

What insights can experts and survivors share about addiction? This Recovery Elevator episode brings together host Paul Churchill and a panel of "sober rock stars" for a live Q&A at Recovery Point, a resource centre in Bozeman, Montana, famously part of the "drunkest county in America." It’s aimed at anyone who feels stuck in alcohol or addiction and is wondering what real recovery can actually look like day to day.

You’ll hear from Linda, Jay, Jen and Chris, who each share quick but hard-hitting snapshots of their drinking and how things began to change. Jay talks about repeated DUIs, jail and homelessness, saying he "could not not drink" until treatment court and AA gave him structure and community.

Jen describes growing up where booze was baked into every celebration and the moment she stood in her kitchen, poured a beer down the sink and told herself, "This is not serving you anymore.

It's got to be better than this." Chris reflects on years of industry-fuelled drinking, ending with lonely nights in his garage, and how discovering Recovery Elevator and Café RE "pretty much saved my bacon." Linda shares a stark rock bottom where she ran three people off the road and hit someone head on, and how treatment court and peer support helped her accept she "can't do it no matter what" without community.

The conversation then swings to what life looks like alcohol-free: coaching kids’ softball, new hobbies like horse riding and chickens, spontaneous sober travel and the simple joy of actually enjoying camping without a drink. Mantras like "keep it simple" and "life does not have to suck" show up again and again.

This episode leans heavily into connection, normalising asking for help and reminding anyone listening that "you don't have to do it alone" and "you're not a burden." If you’re wondering whether alcohol is costing you more than it gives, what’s one small step you could take towards your own version of that freedom?