Addiction Unlimited Podcast

Sobriety –  When you think about your sober future, what kind of life do you dream of living? What kind of impact will you have on your family? If you don’t think it’s possible to feel crystal clear on how to take your recovery and use it to build your dream life, happiness, and have a powerful impact on your family… you’ve never met Veronica Valli. Veronica is a busy mom and wife who passionately splits her time between her podcast, Soberful, writing books, and being the leader of her coaching business helping people build happy recovery. Veronica is on a mission to change the narrative on sobriety with 23 years of personal experience and a long career of helping people get sober, find happiness, and change their lives. Just like she has.  Relocating from the UK to the US, raising kids, figuring out how to make sobriety fit in the mix, and growing a business is just another day in the life for Veronica. She doesn’t just talk the talk — she walks the walk. And in this episode, Veronica is breaking dow

Alcoholism and Relationships –  If you think being an alcoholic is hard, try being in a relationship with one! You’ve heard me talk about relationship dynamics from time to time, and just how important it is to communicate with the people around us and to be patient with one another. But I’ve never really talked about what this looks like for the family, friends, and partners. On their own, keeping your sobriety in tact and navigating a relationship are tough. Put them together? It’s an entirely different beast. The fact is, addiction brings a very different dimension to relationships. People that don’t struggle with addictions or compulsions are baffled by how our brains work and they usually have more support and empathy from friends and family members for their trials and tribulations in life. Alcoholism can be very isolating, which is one reason it’s more challenging to get support, and even harder to ask for help. So today, we’re getting into the details from both sides. In this episode I’ll tell

Rock Bottom –  You’re all familiar with the concept. You see it in movies, all over television, and we read it in books. Someone’s life is spiraling out of control – they are getting DUIs, getting arrested, getting fired, going to prison – and when they are at their all-time low, they land at their rock bottom moment and decide they have to change their lives. The problem with this picture of addiction and rock bottom is – it doesn’t leave space for all of you that haven’t had any of those consequences. It doesn’t give you, the high-functioning person, an opportunity to see yourself and see how you fit in sobriety and what your path might look like. To be clear, not everyone destroys their lives before getting sober. You can be living a life with a nice roof over your head, a job, relationship, kids, drinking a latte and working out regularly and still have a substance problem. You may even relate to my situation where I was a little bit of both – I had some tragic moments that definitely got my

Quit Drinking Alcohol –  You may feel like alcohol helps with feelings of stress, anger, worry and sadness, but it isn’t what it seems and can actually have negative effects both in the short-term and long-term. Let’s get into this topic about your mental health –  how you improve when you stop drinking, are the effects of substances permanent or is it fixable, and what that journey looks like. In this episode, you will be able to: Discover the surprising effects of substance use on mental health and how it impacts your overall well-being. Unlock effective strategies to improve your mental health and reclaim control of your life. Learn about the fascinating impact of alcohol on neurotransmitters and how it can disrupt your brain’s natural balance. Explore practical ways to increase dopamine levels naturally and experience greater happiness and motivation. Gain insights into maintaining sobriety and how it can lead to significant improvements in your mental health. Also listen in

Betrayal Trauma –  If a parent or romantic partner violates your trust, you may experience betrayal trauma. Any betrayal can cause emotional distress and that trauma may affect your self-esteem, emotional health, and relationships with others. Psychologist Jennifer Freyd first introduced betrayal trauma in 1991. She described it as a specific trauma that happens in key social relationships where the betrayed person needs to maintain a relationship with the betrayer for support or protection. Most people with addiction struggles also have trauma and most people, in general, have some traumas. What is interesting in betrayal trauma is that we have it because of our parents and partners, but we also cause it in our active addiction. Lying, deceiving, hiding details about life and addictions, these are all causes of betrayal trauma. Kristin Snowden is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and one of her specialties is addiction recovery. She’s going to shed some light on betrayal trauma, what i

Addictive Behavior –  Have you ever felt like you have an addictive personality? Like you don’t have an off switch in anything. When you start something new it becomes your sole focus, you’re 100% in, and if it feels good and you like it, you just want to do more of it. I’m willing to bet, you’re nodding your head yes right now and I’m right there with you. The good news is, there’s nothing wrong with you. And you may be surprised by how many people struggle with addictive behaviors. Here’s what you’ll take away from this episode: What are the characteristics of addictive behavior? What does it mean? How do you know if a behavior has become addictive? Millions of people worldwide struggle with various forms of addiction, from substance abuse to gambling and even internet addiction. Addictive behavior is more common than you might think. Links mentioned in this episode:  Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/addictionunlimited Related Episode: If You Have An Addictive Personalit

Drinking in moderation Wherever you may be in your journey, attempts to moderate drinking are a part of (almost) everyone’s story. It’s a relationship we spend years nurturing. It has your back, it’s always there, and it always gives you what you need. Until it doesn’t. You may know today’s guest as the superstar host of the Hello Someday Podcast. And, believe it or not, she had all the same fears and anxieties that you have when she was facing the thought of quitting drinking. She worked at a Fortune 500 company, had the husband, and the kids and had a hard time wrapping her head around a drinking problem. Like you have probably done over and over again, she first tried to moderate drinking. You know what I’m talking about, all the rules you put in place for yourself to try to force you to not drink too much. I’ll only drink on the weekends I won’t drink until after 5 I’ll only drink beer, NO liquor Only on special occassions! I know, my friend, I did

Sober Vacation –  What do you have planned for your next trip? A family vacation? A family reunion, a work trip, or a camping trip? Days on the beach? Nights on the town? It’s hard to imagine doing any of it without a drink in hand, especially if you are new to sobriety or, if you are facing your first ever sober travel. Going on vacation usually means relaxing and being carefree. And for many of us, relaxing meant excessive consumption of alcohol or other substances. I was exactly the same. Every trip I ever took was a drinking trip. Honestly, everything I did was about drinking whether there was a trip or not. One of the greatest things about being sober is that my whole world expanded. I mean that, literally. I’ve gotten to travel the world and see beautiful places and have phenomenal experiences that I couldn’t have done in my drinking life. But as a sober person, traveling is full of triggers, and that can feel a bit daunting. This episode gives you a play-by-play of exactly what to do to k

Ever wonder what’s possible when you change your life? In this episode, we’ll get into the amazing success story of Will Thatcher, a sober guy and published author. Will, the author of Killing Hurt, has taken his recovery to new levels by harnessing a passion that was already inside of him but had been hiding quietly for years. I understand that feeling of wanting to do things, have fun in your life, and be passionate about something – when I got sober, I had no idea who I was or what activities I liked! But let me assure you, it changes the game and can transform your sober life, just like it did for Will. And here’s the thing: You don’t have to be a pro with years of experience with something or have a ton of money to spend to find what lights you up. In this episode, Will shares it all. Including how his life was forever changed in one family vacation and what he did to get it together, to be a better father, husband, and now author. Even if you are on the fence about the power of living sober, Will’s st

Long-Term Sobriety Successful recovery has everything to do with how you approach your daily life. Imagine this scenario: Your recovery is going great. You’re staying sober everyday, things are on track, and overall, you’re feeling pretty proud of what you’ve accomplished so far. But let’s b real — you’re also feeling a little bit burnt out from pouring every ounce of your soul into your sobriety, and some things are starting to slip because… well, you’re human, living life. Maybe your days are packed so full you feel like you have absolutely no room to breathe, or you’re losing focus on the actions that got you this far because your mind is constantly occupied with other things. Or maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed and scattered, and have no idea where to even start. Can you relate? I don’t know about you, but if I look to far into the future, I can easily get frazzled. Overthinking everything, trying to think of every possible scenario that I can’t control, and it starts to feel like I have no idea what I’

How to Forgive:  When someone wrongs you in some way, you may feel certain you’ll never be able to forgive them. Even after your immediate anger calms down, you may continue to think about the betrayal instead of letting it fade into the past. It’s pretty common to feel this way. The problem is, holding onto the negativity will harm you more than anyone else. Forgiveness might seem challenging, but in reality, forgiveness simply means choosing to let go of anger, hurt, and any desire for revenge. Think you may be ready to forgive but you aren’t sure where to start? That’s okay, we’ve got answers on this episode with Forgiveness Coach Brenda Reiss. Brenda shares why forgiveness is all about you, NOT the other person, how it benefits you overall, and how to start the process. Forgiveness helps you heal! It’s a part of your emotional recovery that allows you to close wounds and move forward. It’s you deciding to let go of the burden of being stuck with unresolved emotions, let go of some of the pain that

Effects of Alcohol on the Body Figuring out your relationship with alcohol can be hard. Especially if you’re looking for all the reasons to convince yourself you’re “not that bad”. And, on top of all the questions flying around in your head, like, am I really that bad? Will I be able to control it after I stop for awhile? Do I really have to quit forever? You may also be wondering what type of damage alcohol is doing to your body. You may even think you don’t drink enough to have physical effects from alcohol. But I’m here to tell you, alcohol is far more damaging than you think. And the surprising thing is, some of the risks are just as high for “normal” drinkers, as they are for chronic alcoholics. So today we’re talking about the effects of alcohol on the body. And not only the post acute withdrawal type of stuff, but really about the real risks that come with drinking alcohol. A sip of alcohol can feel like a your savior. You think it’s rescuing you from your anxieties, insecurities, boredom, and all th

Cope With Cravings For Alcohol   Can you relate to this: You’ve made a commitment to yourself, and maybe even your family, that you aren’t drinking anymore. You remind yourself you’re going to be more committed than ever, you’ve started some morning rituals to keep you on track, and you know this time it has to be different. Maybe you’ve made it a week or a month- maybe you’ve even made it a few months. Then one day, you are minding your own business, and out of nowhere you are hit with a craving for a drink. And it’s powerful. You try to tell yourself to ignore it, distract yourself, it will go away. But it feels like it is getting stronger, and the stronger it gets the more you start to panic. All the thoughts are flying through your head a thousand miles an hour what am I going to do? How am I going to get through this? Is one drink going to kill me? Should I have one? Should I not have one? Should I call somebody? Now your brain is off like a runaway train. Cravings can be one of the most challen

Avoid Relapse  You’ve heard it before, right? Relapse is a part of recovery. So how do you actually avoid relapse? The truth is, the vast majority of people relapse in their first year of sobriety. I know through my own experiences and those of my clients that understanding relapse and having a plan in place to overcome it, can dramatically change your life. What does that plan look like? How do you make a plan? We’re going to get into some strategies and specifics today to help you get your head wrapped around where you want to focus in terms of your relapse prevention efforts. This episode is all things relapse prevention. Not just because it’s a huge topic, but because it’s something we need to continually talk about to make sure you’re putting your efforts in the right place and moving forward in your sober life. So, I  want to get you fully up to speed on the 3 pillars of relapse prevention and the exact strategies for each of those pillars so that you can focus your time and energy only on what

One of the most challenging aspects of breaking the cycle of yo yo sobriety is learning to believe in yourself again. Rebuilding confidence isn’t an overnight process, but with the right guidance and mindset, you can rebuild a stronger, more resilient version of yourself. We all understand that facing the relentless cycle of stopping and starting again can be incredibly disheartening. It’s a rollercoaster of hope, guilt, and desperation, leaving you feeling trapped and defeated. But remember, you’re not alone. You may know today’s guest from the Euphoric AF podcast. Karolina is a powerful alcohol-free Coach and advocate and we are diving into the pain of coexisting with alcohol when you know your relationship has expired. We’ll talk about the isolation, sadness, and shattered self-esteem, and recognizing your own resilience to come out stronger on the other side. Remember, your journey is unique, and healing is a process that takes time. It’s okay to stumble along the way – what matt

Are you tired of constantly chasing this elusive ideal of how you think you should be, only to end up feeling frustrated and burnt out? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re diving headfirst into the tumultuous waters of perfectionism and learning how to conquer it. Perfectionism is this sneaky little thing that creeps into our lives, whispering lies in our ears. It convinces you that nothing you do is ever good enough, that the world will fall apart if you make the tiniest mistake or if things don’t go exactly as planned. But let me tell you something: perfectionism is the ultimate party pooper. It drains your energy, takes all the joy out of everything, and turns you into an anxiety-ridden mess. In this episode, we’ll explore some pain points that hit close to home. We’ll talk about the sleepless nights spent obsessing over that one typo in an email. We’ll talk about that paralyzing fear of starting something new because you’re terrified of screwing it up or not

If you know me, you know I live for a good success story. And today is definitely one of those. What you’ll love about my guest today is that she shares her real life and real struggles, from sitting in her life pre-pandemic dealing with a break-up, weight gain, and over spending to soothe her broken heart, to how she used the global pandemic to her advantage. You may know Alexa Lowe as a beauty influencer and content creator on YouTube, but let me tell you, she’s so much more than her beauty. When covid shut down the world she was struggling with feeling unattractive, unwanted, and overwhelmed. And not only was she over spending, she also lost her job. This episode gives you all the feels because she is sharing what inspired her to take back control of her life and turn it all around, and how she did it. Alexa will tell you: how she used a bad situation for good when she decided enough is enough, we have to get it together! what she did to get started when she had SO many things to work on This is

Have you ever wondered if someday you’ll be able to drink again? Wondering if you quit for a few months, a year, or even multiple years, if you’ll be able to come back around and drink like a “normal” person? First of all, there is nothing normal about those people- they’re terrible alcoholics and they have no idea what they’re doing- but I’m willing to bet, if you’re listening to this podcast right now, you’ve had these thoughts. And today, we’re going to take a deep dive into the absolute truth about the whole situation; we’ll talk about the different levels on the spectrum of problematic drinking when you hit the point of no return and WHY it happens no matter who you are or how high-functioning you may be This is Addiction Unlimited and I’m Angela Pugh- your personal life & sobriety Coach to guide you through this journey to transform yourself and your life. And if you’re done screwing around with all the starts and stops, you’re in the right place.   Links mentioned in this episode:  R

Did you know that 56% of people with bi-polar disorder have a history of drug abuse? And 44% struggle with alcohol issues? I’m so glad you’re here today, because this is something that we, as a community, need to continue talking about more, and that is our mental wellness. And I’m raising my hand right now as someone who struggles with wellness, and I’m curious if you are as well. Here’s the truth: if you don’t manage your mental health well—addiction and recovery can be difficult and lonely. There’s decision fatigue, you can have recovery burnout, there are tons of external pressures with friends and family, or,  drowning in this drinking culture—and if we’re not managing our own wellness, all of that stuff will take over. And because I believe in my core that recovery can be one of the best gifts you can give yourself, I want to bring more awareness to these issues that run rampant in our society and definitely in the world of substance abuse and recovery. Luckily, there are peopl

In general, “be yourself” means be true to your core identity rather than faking a different one because you think it will be attractive to others. (psychologytoday.com) You’ve heard the saying your whole life – Just be yourself! But how do you “just be yourself”, when you don’t have a solid sense of who you are? That’s what we’re talking about in today’s episode. How do you figure out who you are so that you can be authentic in your life and create relationships with people that are fun, exciting, and fulfilling. Because when you don’t know who you are, it’s impossible to show others who you are, to set healthy boundaries for yourself, and to have a life you LOVE. And if you want to live a substance-free lifestyle, you have to LOVE your life. It has to feel rewarding and empowering and fun. And that, my friend, is an inside job. Let’s plunge into: some different ways to start figuring out who you are setting boundaries to teach people about you, and how to treat you Get your earbuds sit