This Matter of Fear (The Daily Trudge)

This Matter of Fear (The Daily Trudge)

How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? This RAW Recovery episode, part of the Trudging Together podcast, zooms in on one huge piece of that puzzle: fear. Host Dion sets a relaxed, slightly chaotic tone from the start – grumbling about being a "grumpasaurus", opening a surprise package of stickers and pens, and rolling through "Dion’s daily funnies" with groan-worthy one-liners about Al-Anon, leftovers, and kids "resisting a rest".

It’s light, chatty and unfiltered, the kind of style that makes you feel like you’ve dropped into a laid-back home group rather than a formal talk. From there, things shift into deeper territory. Using Bill W.’s article "This Matter of Fear" from *Language of the Heart*, Dion reads and reacts in real time, tying the text to his own recovery.

Fear is described as "an evil corroding thread" that fuels anger, guilt, and depression, yet Dion highlights Bill’s view that it can also be "a stepping stone to prudence and decent respect for others". You’ll hear how Dion links his bad mood, nightmares, and feeling overwhelmed to underlying fear: fear of losing consistency, fear of not being enough, and that old sense of not belonging.

He talks through how shouting at pets and snapping at people are just symptoms, and how he uses programme tools to stop the spiral — ten step style honesty with his wife, speaking it out loud, and choosing a different attitude. Faith and a higher power sit at the centre of his approach: "The opposite of fear is faith.

And people of faith have courage." He connects this with the idea of spiritual awakening in AA, and how courage is built by repeatedly walking through tough situations without alcohol. The episode feels aimed at anyone who relates to fear, insecurity, and that "itty Bitty Shitty Committee" in their head. If fear still quietly runs your day, could it be time to look at what it’s really costing you?