<p><span>Today we have Mike. He is 50 years old and from Cleveland, OH and he took his last drink on August 9^th, 2022.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>This episode brought to you by:</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><a name="_Hlk195860230"></a><a href="https://www.betterhelp.com/get-started/?go=true&slug=elevator&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=2687&utm_term=elevator&promo_code=elevator&landing_page_img=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FqYHezjI.jpg&aff_channel=podcast&discount_rate=10&discount_period=P1M&date_interval=P1M&percentage_off=10&amount=1&amount_spelled_out=one&unit=month&gor=start"><span><strong><span>Better Help</span></strong></span></a> <span><span><strong>–</strong> 10% off of your first month #sponsored</span></span></p> <p><a href="https://exactnature.com/RE20"><span><strong><span>Exact Nature</span></strong></span></a> <span><span>– 20% off your order with code RE20</span></span></p> <p><span><span> </span></span></p> <p><span><span>We offer a free month in </span></span><a href="https://www.cafe-re.org/alcohol-free-community/"><span><strong><span>Café RE</span></strong></span></a> <span><span>once per year. Starting this Wednesday October 1st, and if you sign up for Café RE during the month of October, you get a free month.</span></span></p> <p><span><span> </span></span></p> <p><strong><span>[02:59] Thoughts from Paul:</span></strong></p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <p><span>Paul shares with us that he recently heard a song by Cameron Whitcomb called </span><a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/3ai1kBVQF9GusoxIdgBrjz?si=19992daa63ce4700"><strong><span>“Quitter”</span></strong></a><span>, and it’s about his journey into sobriety.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>One line says  - <em>“The hardest part of getting clean are all the damn philosophies telling me how this is supposed to work.”</em></span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>We all want a manual and a clear pathway to healing. A set sequence of steps. And yes, there are The 12 Steps that have helped many. But not all.</span></p> <p><span>Paul believes that there isn’t a manual by design. Recovery is all about recovering <u>you</u> and figuring out what makes <u>you</u> function optimally. Discovering what makes you happy. Could there ever be a one-size-fits-all philosophy or manual for that?</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>You’re supposed to explore different philosophies and go on a deep mission of exploration when recovering the self. We are tasked to heal and find out what philosophies work for us. We are on a mission to find what brings us joy. There isn’t a manual for that.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>Whatever philosophy you choose, make sure it involves other people. An addiction wants you alone with a bottle. The antidote is connection. With other human beings, animals, plants and flowers.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>Good news, your listening represents you coming closer to the fire. We’re putting aside our difference and coming together to heal. This is an incredible time to be alive.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><strong><span>[06:40] Paul introduces Mike:</span></strong></p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <p><span>Mike is 50 years old and lives in Cleveland, OH. He and his wife have been married almost twenty years and have two daughters, 16 and 18. For fun Mike enjoys a lot of outdoor activities with his family and enjoys reading.<span> </span></span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>Mike had plenty of exposure to alcohol while growing up but swore he was going to stay away from it. Sometime in his teens he got curious and decided to try it. He instantly had the “warm fuzzy” feeling but that didn’t trigger any concern. Mike continued to drink through his teens into his twenties, accumulating three DUIs by the time he was 25.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>Mike learned his lesson not to drink and drive and straightened his act out a little bit. He and his wife both drank so they didn’t consider it problematic. Over time the nightly drinking increased and many times Mike would find himself drinking after getting home from events or get together.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>Mike never tried to moderate his drinking, but he tried to keep it under control. Gradually he began losing interest in doing things that didn’t involve alcohol. When COVID happened, the drinking time would get blurred and soon Mike was known to always have a beer in his hand.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>Mike’s wife didn’t like how much his was drinking but seemed to accept it for a while. He began to try and hide it, but he knew that she knew he was drinking. Mike knew the only way he was going to quit drinking was if his wife gave him somewhat of an ultimatum.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>There was no rock bottom, Mike says. Work was still going we