Recovery Elevator

About Recovery Elevator

It's not a NO to alcohol — it's a YES to a better life! Bestselling author Paul Churchill interviews people who have successfully quit drinking, offering an honest, uplifting look at what an alcohol-free life can really look like. Each week, Recovery Elevator explores sobriety from fresh perspectives — no judgment, no lectures, just real stories from real people. Whether you're sober curious, newly sober, supporting a loved one, or already thriving in recovery, you've found your community. Topics include: how to stop drinking alcohol, alcohol addiction and dependency, whether moderate drinking actually works, what happens to your brain when you quit drinking, the role of spirituality in recovery, whether AA is right for you, tracking sobriety milestones, and whether addiction might be trying to tell you something. If alcohol is making you sick and tired, Recovery Elevator is your invitation to explore what life on the other side looks like — through candid conversations and inspiring guest stories.

Publisher

cdf

Category

education · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

12 Feb 2015

Latest episode

26 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

614 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Oct 2026

   RE 610: Dangerous Study

   Today we have Jennifer. She is 49 years old, lives in Orange County, CA and she took her last drink on July 13th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Café RE (https://www.cafe-re.org/) – use code CONNECT for your first month free Sign up and get 10% off your first month: Better Help (https://www.BetterHelp.com/elevator)   You may have noticed there is a new podcast intro and outro song on this episode by our very own Pablo Church (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3VmOLvmT30oPdFRDA6E8XH?si=jcvgJWJ-S2yTNgrzq4nUzw). The song is now available on Spotify and Apple Music.   [02:55] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares with us an article posted by CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/18/health/alcohol-use-disorder-alcoholism-recovery-wellness) which was sent to him by a listener. The article argues that recovery doesn't have to mean full abstinence, that science has evolved, that alcohol use disorder exists on a spectrum, and that some people can return to moderate drinking. When Paul read that the NIAAA was involved, the entire article lost credibility. After a big study in the mid-2010's claimed that alcohol was good for us, it was uncovered that the study was sponsored by Big Alcohol.   This article uses Brad Pitt's return to drinking in a more restrained manner after seven years of sobriety as concrete data. Big Alcohol has lost almost a trillion dollars of sales in the last five years. Alcohol consumption is down and the sober curious movement is gaining momentum. So, it seems convenient that this article drops saying "hey, maybe you don't have to quit after all".   We don't know if this article was funded by Big Alcohol, but it doesn't line up with all that we see and hear in the trenches.   [10:06] Paul introduces Jennifer:   Jennifer is a registered nurse and dog mom to three French bulldogs, now exploring who she is in sobriety.   Jennifer says she has always chased a change in how she felt. In high school, drugs were easier to access than alcohol, but once she turned 21, drinking became her focus. She and her friends drank heavily, and she assumed it was simply what people did in their twenties.   Around age 30, Jennifer got a DUI. As a nurse, she had to report it to the Nursing Board and enter a diversion program. She attended AA, rehab, and support groups, worked with a sponsor, and completed the steps to protect her nursing license. Privately, she questioned whether she truly believed she was an alcoholic. She eventually returned to nursing in a non-patient-facing role and remained sober for more than nine years.   Her relapse began unexpectedly when she went out after work and ordered a whiskey without planning to drink. She was unhappy in her marriage, had stopped attending meetings, and had drifted away from her sober community. After separating from her husband, she dated someone who introduced her to the Los Angeles nightlife she had long romanticized. Drinking escalated quickly, and for the next eight or nine years she repeatedly tried to moderate.   Eventually, alcohol stopped being about fun. Jennifer drank to stop the shakes and palpitations, avoid feeling sick, and get through basic tasks. On July 12th, she admitted to her fiancé that she had already been drinking at 10 a.m. The next day became her last drink, though she initially told herself she only needed to dry out and feel better.   The first month was difficult, but she found RE and began hearing pieces of her own story in others' experiences. She felt relief in letting go of the exhausting cycle of planning how to moderate. This time, she chose to do recovery differently: she started therapy, joined Café RE, and began reaching out to the community despite feeling uncomfortable putting herself out there.   At 73 days sober, Jennifer...

2. 

   19 Oct 2026

   RE 609: Recovery and Sobriety

   Today we have Taku. He is 44 years old, lives in Tokyo, Japan, and took his last drink on September 25th, 2021.   This episode is brought to you by:   Café RE (https://www.cafe-re.org/) – use code CONNECT for your first month free Sign up and get 10% off your first month: Better Help (https://www.BetterHelp.com/elevator)   You may have noticed there is a new podcast intro and outro song on this episode by our very own Pablo Church (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3VmOLvmT30oPdFRDA6E8XH?si=jcvgJWJ-S2yTNgrzq4nUzw). The song will be available on Spotify and Apple Music next Monday, October 16th.   [03:40] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul reminds us of the difference between sobriety and recovery. Sobriety means not drinking alcohol, but simply removing alcohol doesn't necessarily address the reasons someone drank in the first place. While sobriety is an important step toward health and healing, recovery goes deeper.   Sobriety is abstinence, staying away from something. Recovery is abstinence, and getting to the root of unease that caused you to reach for the drink in the first place. Recovery is the opposite of a dry drunk but just being sober oftentimes goes hand in hand with being a dry drunk.   Recovery is creating a life where alcohol isn't needed. Ask yourself, are you sober or are you in recovery?   [09:07] Paul introduces Taku:   Taku currently lives in Japan and works in translation for an American company. He is married and they have no children. For fun, they enjoy specialty coffee and Taku enjoys playing music and attending live concerts.   Born in Japan and raised in the United States, Taku grew up navigating two cultures and languages. He often felt like he didn't quite belong, and social anxiety made it difficult to feel comfortable in his own skin. At 15 or 16, he discovered alcohol and immediately felt at home. Drinking eased his anxiety and made it easier to connect with people.   What began as a social lubricant escalated in college, where blackouts became part of the picture. After moving back to Japan and entering the corporate world, Taku relied on alcohol to transform from a reserved professional into the funny, outgoing guy at night. Losing his belongings and regretting things he said while drinking became familiar, but he rationalized the consequences.   In his late 30s, Taku transferred to Los Angeles, where his drinking intensified. He drank nightly and regularly drove drunk. During a vacation with his wife, he drank so much that an argument in a taxi led to police involvement and a night in a Riverside County jail. His visa was later revoked, and he quit his job and returned to Japan. Despite these consequences, he continued drinking heavily.   On September 25, 2021, Taku went out with his wife and friends determined to drink "like a gentleman." Instead, he blacked out again and received an angry text from his wife. The next morning, he finally recognized the cycle he had been repeating since his teens: drinking, making mistakes, apologizing, and promising to quit. He began to wonder what life might look like if he simply took alcohol out of the equation.   Taku found Paul's TED Talk and the Recovery Elevator podcast, which helped him commit to exploring sobriety. Two weeks later, he attended his first AA meeting in Tokyo. Despite his nervousness, he found a welcoming community where he could share the parts of his story he had hidden from others without being judged. Connecting with people who understood his experience helped him realize he didn't need alcohol to be himself or to feel that he belonged.   In his first year, Taku thought his drinking problem wasn't severe enough to require a sponsor or the 12 steps. Eventually, he recognized the value of facing his inner struggles and found a sponsor. Now, more than five years sober, he...

3. 

   12 Oct 2026

   RE 608: Find Your People

   Today we have Lani. She is 38 years old, lives in Salt Lake City, UT and she took her last drink on June 9th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Soberlink (https://www.soberlink.com/partners-soberlink-users/recovery-elevator) – sign up and claim your $100 enrollment bonus Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help (https://www.BetterHelp.com/elevator)   [03:05] Thoughts from Paul:   Earlier this year David from episode 142 (https://www.recoveryelevator.com/?s=142) sent Paul the song Find Your People (https://open.spotify.com/track/6GuyIXoGIaTw1Pg6Ug9enJ?si=35c6fa3636c547a9) by Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors. Paul's first reaction was "holy crap, this song was written for Recovery Elevator". He rebranded the Bozeman Retreat into Find Your People Retreat and with the musical accompaniment of Uprise, the group sang this song every day.   The message within the lyrics reminds us that the opposite of addiction is connection and when you ditch the drink and find your people, your brain will heal. Your liver will send you a thank you card, your dopamine system will rewire, and life will smooth out.   You've heard so many times on this podcast that sobriety is all about recovering your authentic self, than you need to find yourself, and you need others to do that. When you find your people, then you find yourself.   [07:27] Paul introduces Lani:   Lani is 38 years old and works in the juvenile justice system, providing trauma-informed care to youth. She has a dog named Chip, a partner named Audrey, and enjoys hiking, kayaking, yoga, gardening, and spending time outdoors. Lani grew up in Utah in a home affected by chaos and her estranged father's alcoholism. Searching for belonging and structure, she became involved in the LDS church. She began drinking in high school despite promising herself she wouldn't follow in her father's footsteps. After leaving the church around 2010, alcohol gradually became a bigger part of her life, eventually progressing to daily drinking. In 2018, after graduating from college and recognizing that her relationship was toxic and her drinking was out of control, Lani planned to become a flight attendant. After drinking heavily, the night before an important test, she failed and felt something needed to change. She moved to Dallas and attended an AA meeting, where she found a sense of belonging and met her first sponsor. She stayed sober for about six months, even living out of her car and tent for a period while working and attending meetings. After moving back to Utah, Lani relapsed. Over the following years, she moved to Colorado and back to Utah, changed jobs, and experienced more difficult relationships. Despite periods of sobriety, including nearly seven months in 2024, she repeatedly returned to daily drinking. In October 2025, Lani went to treatment after a frightening experience involving alcohol and travel. She continued drinking after treatment, eventually reaching another breaking point during a trip to Seattle. After returning home, she tapered off alcohol to manage withdrawal symptoms and returned to an AA meeting on June 10th, 2026. Now 78 days sober at the time of recording, Lani is learning to let herself break, accept help, and stop pretending she is okay. She struggles with the concept of a higher power but is finding meaning in meditation, journaling, daily meetings, and connecting with nature. She is also learning to give herself permission to rest and allow recovery to unfold one day at a time. Lani's parting piece of guidance: Be patient with yourself and just try. There's no right or wrong way to do it. Invite someone in. Don't do it by yourself. There are people that are willing to talk with you about it. And if that's where it starts, let it be that. Recovery...

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