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Recovery Elevator: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Paul Churchill
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.
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- 1 weeks ago52 min
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 – use code CONNECT for your first month free Sign up and get 10% off your first month: Better Help You may have noticed there is a new podcast intro and outro song on this episode by our very own Pablo Church. The song is now available on Spotify and Apple Music. [02:55] Thoughts from Paul: Paul shares with us an article posted by CNN 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. <p
- 2 weeks ago53 min
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 – use code CONNECT for your first month free Sign up and get 10% off your first month: Better Help You may have noticed there is a new podcast intro and outro song on this episode by our very own Pablo Church. 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 belo
- 3 weeks ago55 min
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 – sign up and claim your $100 enrollment bonus Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help [03:05] Thoughts from Paul: Earlier this year David from episode 142 sent Paul the song Find Your People 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
- 4 weeks ago43 min
RE 607: Sobriety Slogans
Today we have John. He is 39 years old, lives in Vermont, and he took his last drink on July 15th, 2026. This episode is brought to you by: Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Check out this free guide to your first seven days without alcohol. [02:43] Thoughts from Paul: Paul says that when he first quit drinking and entered the rooms of recovery, he heard so many sayings or recovery slogans and most of them made him roll his eyes. But now when he hears them, he recognizes the wisdom baked into these lines. Paul shares numerous phrases with us that many of us will recognize, but the one that got the biggest eyeroll out of him when he first got sober was "One Day at a Time". There is so much in this five-word phrase. Shortened to three words, it is The Present Moment. Shortened even further to one word, NOW. Eckhart Tolle wrote a whole book about it. If you find yourself thinking about how you're going to make it through the witching hour sober, you're not there yet. Or how you're going to be AF for the rest of your life? You're not there yet either. One day at a time means to be here in this moment. You've heard it before on this podcast, but addiction is the greatest life curriculum that one can be blessed with. You're blessed with the opportunity to fully dissect the saying one day at a time because the other side of an addiction is trying to get you to live in the present moment. [06:22] Paul introduces John: John is 39, lives in Vermont, and works in quality control and production. For fun, he enjoys golf and basketball and has rediscovered his love of reading. He says his alcohol-free journey began with Annie Grace's This Naked Mind. John first started drinking in his early teens. He and his friends drank and smoked pot on weekends throughout high school, except during sports seasons when he would tone it down. John began questioning when the last time was that he and his buddies had done anything sober. He says programming took over, and alcohol became woven into the fabric of everything. When John bought his first home in his early 20s, he adopted the habit of having a beer or t
- Sep 28, 202659 min
RE 606: Think Happy Thoughts
Today we have Alysse. She is 51 years old, lives in Seattle, WA and she took her last drink on April 30th, 2006. This episode is brought to you by: Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – the social app for sober people [02:58] Thoughts from Paul: The topic for today's podcast is Think Happy Thoughts. This links well with the most prolific teaching we covered last week, which is The Golden Rule. The human brain is the most powerful manifestation machine on planet earth. What you put out there is what you get back. Removing alcohol from your life is a HUGE step forward, but then it all comes down to the mental state you choose. Author Jay Shetty has a book called Think like a Monk. He has a line about your thoughts that he wants you to ask if the thought is a seed or a weed. If it's a weed, let it go. If it's a seed, keep building on it. Add water, healthy soil and all of that. The MOST IMPORTANT part of thinking happy thoughts is AWARENESS. You have to first become aware of your thoughts. Paul shares that he uses journaling often. He writes about things he is looking forward to and tries to be aware of his thoughts throughout the day. We often think the answer to our problems needs to be complicated and located outside of ourselves. It's within and it starts upstairs. [08:01] Paul introduces Alysse: Alysse just turned 51 and recently celebrated 20 years of sobriety. She lives in Seattle, WA, is single, and has one son. She is considering going into business for herself and enjoys content creation and arts and crafts. Alysse grew up in a small town, attended a Christian school until her teens, and says she lived a sheltered life. She first drank during her sophomore year of high school and says she drank alcoholically from the beginning. Alysse briefly attended college before dropping out and working for the airlines. At 20, she became pregnant and hoped motherhood would improve her life. She abstained from drinking for most of her pregnancy, but afterward returned to substance use, which quickly became heavier. Alysse describes her 20s as a cycle of moving in and out of her parents' house, changing jobs and friend grou
- Sep 21, 202654 min
RE 605: The Most Prolific Teaching
Today we have Karen. She is 50 years old, from Chicopee, MA and she took her last drink of alcohol on January 13th, 2024. This episode is brought to you by: Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – the social app for sober people [03:20] Thoughts from Paul: Paul loops back to episode 599 which was titled Romanticizing the Drink. He wants to bring that idea back into consciousness and gives us two things to remember the next time we get the idea that a drink would take the edge off or make life better. Number one, it is total bullshit. Number two, he wants us to start romanticizing the clear mornings. Romanticize less financial stress and a liver that is properly functioning. Through the recovery process, Paul shares that he has learned about so many different healing modalities: meditation, breathwork, yoga, goat yoga and many more. But none are more important than The Golden Rule (aka, love they neighbor). Most people in the modern world reject this teaching due to its simplicity. Basically, it is the idea that what you put out there is what you get back. [09:12] Paul introduces Karen: Karen is 50 years old and lives in Chicopee, MA with her husband of 25 years, and their two sons. She has been a nurse for 27 years. For fun, she enjoys hanging out with her dog, loves fitness and practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Karen states that she was always a normal drinker until her mid-thirties when she fell into the "Mommy Wine Culture" trap. Her kids were older and she began drinking on the weekends at first, but it gradually crept into a daily habit. As Karen got into her forties, she started to feel the effects of drinking every day. Her insomnia on the drinking nights and the aches, pains and low energy began to catch up to her. She never believed it was the alcohol and instead assumed it was symptoms of perimenopause. Karen initially started trying to moderate the wine in an effort to save some calories and hopefully lose some weight. She says it didn't go well. On the days that Karen didn't drink she said it was boring and she was irritable. Late December 2023, Karen started feeling sluggish and was sick and tired of being sick and tired. She began to see that she was drinking faster than others when they were out to dinner. She checked her budget for the year and was surpri
- Sep 14, 202656 min
RE 604: We're Tired of Poisoning Ourselves
Today we have Cricket. She is 40 years old, lives in Chattanooga, TN, and she took her last drink on July 27th, 2022. This episode is brought to you by: Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help The new book This Is How We Quit is now available on Amazon. Throughout the rest of 2026, $2 from every copy sold will be donated to Café RE. If you are in your first 90 days of sobriety and want to share your story on the podcast, please email info@recoveryelevator.com . [02:32] Thoughts from Paul: Paul shares with us that one of the hardest things for him while doing the RE podcast is focus on his side of the street. This means not directing anger, frustration outwards towards things like big alcohol, big pharma, etc. We think modern society is how we're supposed to live, but it's mentally, physically and biologically destroying us and even the animals and nature around us. What do we do to focus more on our side of the street? You're already doing something about this by making the decision to stop poisoning yourself with alcohol. The next step is to come together as a community. Come closer to your fellow human beings. The addiction tries to trick you into believing you are alone, but you are not. Come see us in Café RE, go to a 12-step meeting, keep listening. You're not alone. [09:15] Paul introduces Cricket: Cricket is 40 years old, lives in Chattanooga, TN with her cats and works in a restaurant downtown. She enjoys reading and writing and loves good TV shows. <
- Sep 7, 202653 min
RE 603: The Opposite of Addiction is Still Connection
Today we have Hannah. She is 35 years old, from Chapel Hill, NC and she took her last drink of alcohol on August 9th, 2025. This episode is brought to you by: Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Sober Link sign up and claim your $100 enrollment bonus The new book This Is How We Quit is now available. Throughout the rest of 2026, $2 from every copy sold will be donated to Café RE. Happy 12th Soberversary Paul! [05:14] Thoughts from Paul: Paul shares that he first heard the quote "The opposite of addiction is connection" from author and speaker Johann Hari over ten years ago. He feels this concept is so important in the recovery space. Paul gives us a couple of ideas to mentally explore and this whole concept is definitely an action item. When it comes to finding your people, leverage sobriety. The camaraderie of sobriety rivals many groups. When it comes to finding your people, don't forget to find yourself. Start speaking kindly to yourself and think about not poisoning yourself with alcohol. Another important connection is the one that we have with nature and the stars. This refers to the creatures and trees in your own backyards. If people aren't your cup of tea, getting a dog is a great opportunity for lots of love and connection. [11:34] Paul introduces Hannah: </p
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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.
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