Why Do We Have To Have Everything Right Now?

Why Do We Have To Have Everything Right Now?

Curious about how others manage their sobriety journey when patience is in short supply? This RAW Recovery episode zooms in on the tug-of-war between instant relief and the slow, steady rewards of recovery. The host, Deon, mixes humour (and a lot of cat drama) with straight-talking honesty about how alcohol once acted as a quick fix for almost everything: stress, anger, loneliness, even celebrations.

He reads from the Doctor’s Opinion, reminding people that many alcoholics “drink because they like the effect produced by alcohol” and chase the “ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks”. The problem? That habit of wanting everything right now doesn’t magically disappear when the drinking stops. Across the episode, you’ll hear real-life examples of impatience: road rage, texting while driving, frustration in queues, and the urge to fix every uncomfortable feeling immediately.

Deon contrasts this with the quieter, slower work of recovery—showing up to meetings, working the Steps, rebuilding trust over months and years, and learning to sit with boredom, discomfort, or depression without trying to manufacture instant relief. He talks about teaching delayed gratification to his sponsees, even down to simple things like not instantly rescheduling when someone misses a meeting. It’s less about punishment and more about training a new kind of muscle memory.

As he puts it, recovery is like learning a drumbeat so well that you can keep the rhythm and order a five-course meal at the same time. This episode speaks to anyone who feels stuck because life, or recovery, isn’t moving fast enough. If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “Why is this taking so long?”, you might come away asking a different question: “What belongs to today, and am I willing to let the rest take the time it needs?”