Sazha Ramos And Rogan O'Donnell: How Recovery Houses Are Hit The PandemicSazha Ramos And Rogan O'Donnell: How Recovery Houses Are Hit The Pandemic
I Love Being Sober
Tim Westbrook talks with advocates Sazha Ramos and Rogan O'Donnell about how Covid-19 has affected recovery housing and sober living decisions. They share stories of outbreaks, closures and relapse, alongside practical self-care and community-focused ideas for staying sober in uncertain times.
52:22•19 Jan 2021
Covid-19, Fear and Sober Living: Is Recovery Housing Still the Safer Choice?
Episode Overview
- Staying in a recovery house during Covid-19 can offer vital community, accountability and support that are harder to find at home.
- Fear driven by media and uncertainty can push people in early recovery towards risky decisions, including leaving sober living and relapsing.
- Taking personal responsibility for wellness through sleep, nutrition, breath work, meditation and yoga helps manage stress and strengthen recovery.
- Simple morning routines and daily self-care are presented as practical foundations for a stable mind, body and spirit in sobriety.
- Returning to recovery basics—being honest, open and willing—helps people face pandemic-related challenges without abandoning their recovery path.
“"We need to take responsibility for our own wellness."”
How do individuals turn their lives around after addiction? This conversation on "I Love Being Sober" looks at that question through the lens of Covid-19 and recovery housing. Host Tim Westbrook is joined by recovery housing advocates Sazha Ramos and Rogan O'Donnell to talk honestly about whether it's safer to stay in sober living or to head back home during the pandemic.
They share first-hand stories of Covid outbreaks in their houses, the tough choices residents faced, and what happened when some people used the virus as a reason to leave and drink again. Sazha, a Navy veteran and founder of Recovery Organization Resources, paints a vivid picture of recovery houses as "home, family, community and connection" and explains why she sees them as even more crucial than treatment for long-term recovery.
Rogan, who has over 30 years of sobriety and ran a New Jersey sober home for 11 years, describes the devastating impact of Covid-related fear, financial changes and the closure of his house, and questions why recovery housing wasn't treated as an essential service. You’ll hear plenty of practical ideas too. The trio talk about Zoom meetings, the importance of human connection, and simple wellness habits like sleep, meditation, yoga and morning routines.
"We need to take responsibility for our own wellness," Sazha says, while Rogan goes back to basics: being "honest, open and willing" about fear and self-care. This episode is aimed at people in recovery, families, and anyone wondering if sober living is still a good idea during Covid-19. It brings together lived experience, humour and straight talk about fear, media, and the daily discipline that keeps people sober.
If you're weighing up your options during the pandemic, could staying connected and prioritising self-care be your next step in recovery?
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