Sobertown Podcast

Podcast description: In this episode of Sobertown Podcast, Michal and Jeff discuss recovery from addiction and the role that mental health disorders play. Jeff explains his counseling approach, emphasizing the importance of accepting reality rather than resisting it, and the concept that substances distort reality. They discuss how recovery is an individual process that requires connection with others, and how treatment centers help people by removing them from daily stressors to allow for rational decision-making. They delve into the role that dopamine plays in addiction, as well as exploring the topics of resentment and betrayal. The conversation also covered Jeff's book "Simple Sh!t for Complicated People," which aims to provide an accessible, conversational guide to recovery principles. They conclude by discussing the importance of authentic self-connection and the idea that just because something is familiar doesn't necessarily mean it's healthy. There’s a lot of information packed into this short episode, be sure to catch it! Jeff Hayward is an author, facilitator, and nationally and internationally accredited counsellor specializing in the treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Website: simpletheory.ca Insta: the_simple_theory_ FB: Simple Theory Book link: https://a.co/d/02BKc71o About Michal: Michal is an American podcaster and sober warrior who believes every recovery journey is as unique as the individual traveling it. With over a decade of sobriety garnered through various recovery systems, programs, and support networks, she's passionate about breaking down stereotypes and smashing through the shame that can keep those suffering with addiction in the dark. Michal is an animal lover, rescue advocate, and tattooed motorcycle chick who has dedicated her life to helping others, whether in her personal or professional life. Nothing makes her happier than hearing from her podcast listeners, so if you’re so inspired, drop an email with a suggestion for an Early Days podcast episode, feedback, or just to say hello! Contact Michal at: [email protected] Other Sober Resources: I Am Sober App Sobertown Podcast Zoom Discussion Groups Sobertown Podcast Resource Center Recovery Online Meetings No Sippy No Slippy. Not Another Drop No matter What. Remember to Pour The Poison Down The Sink!! Sobertownpodcast.com

King 13 follows up on intergenerational trauma, promotes Sober Town resources (nearly 400 podcasts and Zoom support), and shares researched reflections (not medical advice) on addressing trauma through open communication, commitment to change, and parenting with awareness. She explains adult attachment issues rooted in early neglect/abuse and outlines secure, ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganized attachment styles, plus how fears of abandonment, rejection, engulfment, vulnerability, and conflict can harm relationships. She describes trauma bonding’s seven stages, relationship red flags, codependency, and how substance use disorder affects partners and trust, offering strategies such as boundaries, self-awareness, weekly relationship check-ins, therapy, and healthier coping. He emphasizes self-love, CBT, challenging thoughts, and nervous system regulation tools like box breathing and vagus nerve practices (breathing, humming, singing, gargling), concluding with gratitude, resilience, and choosing a simple, healthy life. About The Host: Deborah Battista aka King 13 began hosting podcasts not long after Sobertown launched. With their aligned values & passion to help others, Deborah changed career paths and became a qualified counsellor & established her own practice Counselling For Wellness. Deborah credits connection & sharing with likeminded folk as the foundation to maintaining her sobriety to date. Her holistic client-centered approach, active listening, collaborating and knowledge of useful tools will help you work out the best way to handle the challenges of life & addiction. If you would like a complimentary 'get to know you' zoom email Deborah to arrange a time. Deborah.battista17 @gmail.com Other Sober Resources: I Am Sober App Sobertown Podcast Zoom Discussion Groups Sobertown Podcast Resource Center Recovery Online Meetings No Sippy No Slippy. Not Another Drop No matter What. Remember to Pour The Poison Down The Sink!! Sobertownpodcast.com

I often hear in sober meetings look for the similarities not the differences. The most common words I have heard from individuals who start a share is "I grew up in an alcoholic home". I had no idea just how many families have been affected by AUD. I have heard this statement from folks all around the globe. It is a society accepted pandemic of wild proportions. My research indicates that high numbers of families have suffered with addiction and produced generations of family members who are also affected and still suffering today. So if this topic interests you, grab a cuppa, take a listen and hopefully hear something that can help you and your families in the recovery journey. Remember you are not alone in this arena. About The Host: Deborah Battista aka King 13 began hosting podcasts not long after Sobertown launched. With their aligned values & passion to help others, Deborah changed career paths and became a qualified counsellor & established her own practice Counselling For Wellness. Deborah credits connection & sharing with likeminded folk as the foundation to maintaining her sobriety to date. Her holistic client-centered approach, active listening, collaborating and knowledge of useful tools will help you work out the best way to handle the challenges of life & addiction. If you would like a complimentary 'get to know you' zoom email Deborah to arrange a time. Deborah.battista17 @gmail.com Other Sober Resources: I Am Sober App Sobertown Podcast Zoom Discussion Groups Sobertown Podcast Resource Center Recovery Online Meetings No Sippy No Slippy. Not Another Drop No matter What. Remember to Pour The Poison Down The Sink!! Sobertownpodcast.com

In this episode of Sobertown Podcast, Misty Christmas shares her journey through addiction and recovery, highlighting key moments that led her to sobriety, including a transformative prayer experience and a decision to move to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for sober living. She describes her struggles with various substances and mental health disorders, and her eventual recovery through a combination of therapy, support groups, and personal growth. Misty emphasizes the importance of changing one's environment, seeking treatment, and finding a higher power, while also acknowledging the ongoing variable nature of recovery. She concludes by encouraging others to pursue recovery and sharing her plans to create resources to support individuals in early sobriety. Amazon: Bearing Fruit: Journal For Women #2 Facebook: Misty Christmas Author Email: [email protected] If you have an idea for an Early Days podcast episode, or would just like to say hello, please reach out at [email protected] About Michal: Michal is an American podcaster and sober warrior who believes every recovery journey is as unique as the individual traveling it. With over a decade of sobriety garnered through various recovery systems, programs, and support networks, she's passionate about breaking down stereotypes and smashing through the shame that can keep those suffering with addiction in the dark. Michal is an animal lover, rescue advocate, and tattooed motorcycle chick who has dedicated her life to helping others, whether in her personal or professional life. Nothing makes her happier than hearing from her podcast listeners, so if you’re so inspired, drop an email with a suggestion for an Early Days podcast episode, feedback, or just to say hello! Contact Michal at: [email protected] Other Sober Resources: I Am Sober App Sobertown Podcast Zoom Discussion Groups Sobertown Podcast Resource Center Recovery Online Meetings No Sippy No Slippy. Not Another Drop No matter What. Remember to Pour The Poison Down The Sink!! Sobertownpodcast.com

In this episode of Early Days, host Michal Charles welcomes Sobertown Podcast listeners and introduces Sobertown resources before focusing on difficult emotions in recovery, including anxiety, fear, and delving into the difference between shame and guilt. She explains how seemingly small setbacks can trigger intense urges to drink and shares that stress and anxiety have been major triggers for her, as they were for her birth mother. Michal notes that many who started drinking at a young age never learned healthy coping skills, and those bad patterns were then reinforced by alcohol-centered media and culture. Referencing former podcast guest Martin Lockett, she describes guilt as a potentially useful moral signal while explaining that shame fuels isolation, stigma, and relapse, arguing for compassion over judgment and emphasizing taking sobriety one day at a time. She also highlights boredom as a relapse risk and recommends new hobbies or plans to fill newly available time, encouraging listeners to be gentle with themselves. If you have an idea for an Early Days podcast episode, or would just like to say hello, please reach out at [email protected] About Michal: Michal is an American podcaster and sober warrior who believes every recovery journey is as unique as the individual traveling it. With over a decade of sobriety garnered through various recovery systems, programs, and support networks, she's passionate about breaking down stereotypes and smashing through the shame that can keep those suffering with addiction in the dark. Michal is an animal lover, rescue advocate, and tattooed motorcycle chick who has dedicated her life to helping others, whether in her personal or professional life. Nothing makes her happier than hearing from her podcast listeners, so if you’re so inspired, drop an email with a suggestion for an Early Days podcast episode, feedback, or just to say hello! Contact Michal at: [email protected] Other Sober Resources: I Am Sober App Sobertown Podcast Zoom Discussion Groups Sobertown Podcast Resource Center Recovery Online Meetings No Sippy No Slippy. Not Another Drop No matter What. Remember to Pour The Poison Down The Sink!! Sobertownpodcast.com

Sobertown Podcast host Michal interviews keynote speaker, author, and substance abuse counselor Martin Lockett, who served 17.5 years in prison after a New Year’s Eve 2003 DUI crash in Portland that killed two women in long-term recovery and severely injured a third individual. In this podcast, Martin describes early alcohol dependence, the crash, and the newspaper article about the victims that inspired him to honor their legacies through prevention and addiction work. In prison he pursued higher education, earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in psychology, completed substance abuse treatment, learned the difference between sobriety and recovery, and began sharing his story through DUI victim impact panels. Upon release in 2021, he became a counselor and later a director focused on prevention and equity. Martin helped launch a “custody to counseling pipeline,” and now speaks nationally on DUI prevention, recovery, guilt vs. shame, and self-forgiveness. You can find more information on Martin Lockett's website, including links to his books Prison to Purpose Pipeline and My Prison Life: A Blogger's Insights from the Inside. https://www.martinlockett.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinllockett?igsh=eWsyNGxqbHhsb3Nt Martin Lockett is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, substance abuse counselor, author, and nationally recognized advocate for reducing DUI fatalities. He served 17½ years in prison following a DUI-related crash that claimed two lives and permanently injured another. At his sentencing, Lockett made a solemn vow to the victims’ families and friends to devote the rest of his life to honoring their legacies by helping others confront substance use disorders and speaking candidly about the devastating consequences of impaired driving. During his incarceration, Lockett earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and a Master of Science in Psychology, obtained state certification as a substance abuse counselor, and served as a mentor and role model to fellow inmates. He is the author of two books, Prison to Purpose Pipeline and My Prison Life, and began sharing his story through DUI victim impact panels—work he initiated while still incarcerated. Since his release in 2021, Lockett continues this mission by providing counseling support for individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges and sharing his powerful message of accountability, redemption, and hope at DUI victim impact panels, alcohol highway safety classes, high schools, colleges, and conferences nationwide, using his lived experience to inspire change and save lives. About Michal: Michal is an American podcaster and sober warrior who believes every recovery journey is as unique as the individual traveling it. With over a decade of sobriety garnered through various recovery systems, programs, and support networks, she's passionate about breaking down stereotypes and smashing through the shame that can keep those suffering with addiction in the dark. Michal is an animal lover, rescue advocate, and tattooed motorcycle chick who has dedicated her life to helping others, whether in her personal or professional life. Nothing makes her happier than hearing from her podcast listeners, so if you’re so inspired, drop an email with a suggestion for an Early Days podcast episode, feedback, or just to say hello! Contact Michal at: [email protected] Other Sober Resources: I Am Sober App Sobertown Podcast Zoom Discussion Groups Sobertown Podcast Resource Center Recovery Online Meetings

Welcome to 2026! Host Dana (Peanut) interviews Marci H, a 10-year sober recovery leader and host of "Wake Up with Marci." Marci shares her journey from a rock-bottom DUI at age 45 to finding spiritual awakening and unconditional love in sobriety. We discuss perimenopause and drinking, the difference between court-ordered and chosen recovery, and how sobriety means reconnecting with your true self. Marci reveals her daily spiritual practices and mission to help others through her books "Chaos to Clarity" and the upcoming "Wake Up, You Are Not Broken." A moving conversation about vulnerability, transformation, and the endless possibilities of sober life. Find Marci at wakeupwithmarci.com. Marci’s morning meditation to connect with Higher Power: https://youtu.be/t-3QQDfxwl4?si=tsbJ_oPsrq2qybXX

In this episode of Sobertown Podcast, host Michal aka MMC13 welcomes Dr. Amy Albright, a human potential expert and CEO of Holon, to discuss the science and transformative power of neurofeedback therapy in addiction recovery. Dr. Amy explains how neurofeedback works, its benefits for mental health and personal growth, and the importance of addressing both the physical and emotional roots of addiction. The conversation explores the role of spirituality, community, and connection in healing, as well as the challenges of overcoming shame and stigma. Dr. Amy shares insights from her clinical experience, including real-life success stories, and offers practical advice for listeners seeking transformation and support on their recovery journey. https://www.holonexperience.com/

In this powerful episode, host Peanut interviews Emma, a psychic medium and grief alchemist approaching four years of sobriety. Emma shares how she used alcohol to cope with overwhelming psychic abilities from a young age, and how sobriety became essential for her spiritual gifts to flourish. She opens up about the devastating loss of her daughter Magnolia, breaking generational patterns, and her mission to help others heal grief while living authentically and alcohol-free. Connect with Emma: Instagram @the_psychic_grief_alchemist

Join the Sobertown Podcast as host Peanut talks with author and meditation teacher Adrian van der Valk about her journey to sobriety. Adrian shares honest insights on overcoming addiction, the power of mindfulness, and building a life of purpose and “Big Sober Energy.” Discover practical tips for navigating challenges, setting boundaries, and finding hope on the path to recovery.

Join host Peanut on the Sobertown Podcast for a deeply honest conversation with psychotherapist and author Jason Shiers. Jason shares his powerful journey from childhood trauma and addiction to recovery and helping others heal. Explore the roots of addiction, the importance of addressing underlying pain, and finding peace within. Jason discusses the limitations of traditional recovery models and the value of spirituality, self-awareness, and holistic approaches to healing. Whether you're in recovery, sober-curious, or supporting someone's journey, this episode offers hope, practical insights, and a reminder that true healing comes from reconnecting with your authentic self. Learn more at Infinite Recovery Project and Sobertown Podcast.

Adi Jaffe, who shares his journey from addiction to recovery and discusses the founding of Ignited Recovery. Dr. Jaffe talks about his books, "The Abstinence Myth" and "Unhooked," and offers insights on alternative recovery paths, harm reduction, and the importance of honesty in healing.