Stigma, Shame, and Secrecy

Stigma, Shame, and Secrecy

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation on "I Love Being Sober" centres on stigma, shame and secrecy, and how those three can quietly fuel addiction long after the party ends. The episode follows guest Mary Tilson’s journey from teenage drinking and college cocaine binges to two stints in rehab, finally reaching the moment she says, "I surrender. This is it.

I already know… I am definitely an alcoholic and an addict." She and host Tim Westbrook talk frankly about hiding drug use, trying to “moderate”, and the crushing shame that makes people want to escape rather than ask for help. You’ll hear how early exposure to yoga and 12-step meetings planted seeds years before Mary was ready to stay sober.

She explains trauma-informed yoga in plain terms: offering choice, avoiding triggering touch, and remembering that, as Tim puts it, "the issues are in the tissues." Together they highlight how movement, from hiking to high-intensity classes to simple walks, can shift mood, calm anxiety and become a practical tool in recovery. The episode also digs into mindfulness and nervous system regulation.

Mary breaks down simple practices like placing a hand on the belly and heart, slow breathing, or using a cold plunge to create space between a trigger and picking up a drink or drug. She stresses that these tools need daily practice, not just a panic deployment when everything is on fire. A big theme is community: ice-bath groups, gyms, yoga studios and sober circles where not drinking feels normal instead of weird.

Tim and Mary swap stories with humour and honesty, showing that recovery can include red lights, saunas, book clubs, and plenty of laughter. If you’re feeling stuck in secrecy or worried you’re “not ready yet”, this chat might make you ask: what tiny habit or supportive community could be your first step out of the shadows?