Crystal, with 84 days of sobriety, shares her story. This is a special podcast episode!  It marks 4 consecutive years of podcasting…208 straight Mondays in a row.  Paul talks about how Recovery Elevator and the RE community has saved his life, and shares ways we can all help others stop drinking.   SHOW NOTES [11:00] Paul Introduces Crystal. Crystal has been sober for 84 days and lives in San Antonio, Texas.  She is a life style/transformation coach.  She is 30 years old and recently single.  For fun Crystal likes to workout.       [12:56] Give us a little background about your drinking.    Crystal considered herself a binge drinker.  She tried to moderate her drinking by only drinking on the weekends, as her drinking was starting to affect her work and relationships, but that led to going hard core on the weekends.    [15:00] When did you first realize you had a problem with alcohol?   That was a couple of years ago when she realized she didn’t drink like other people.  She always wanted more to drink, always wanting to be buzzed or drunk.  One drink was never enough.  It was in 2018 that she realized that she really had to make a change.       [19:38] You started your sobriety journey in January 2018, walk us through that.    She became sober curious in January 2018, but feels like it didn’t stick at that time because she wasn’t doing it entirely for herself.  She was sober for a few months but eventually lost her “why” and fell back into her old habits.  There was a moment in 2018 that she felt like she had no control and that was a scary moment for her.    [21:33] Do you feel like there were times in the last year that you were running on willpower alone?       She definitely thinks it was on willpower alone and was trying to do it on her own.     [24:04]  You mentioned when you first got sober you didn’t think of it in terms of being sober the rest of your life, talk about that.    She thought it was going to only be a temporary thing and that she would learn how to moderate it.  She realized that she couldn’t moderate it, that only having a one or two drinks would never be enough.    [26:13]  What did you change 84 days ago?   The first couple weeks were difficult for her.  She got connected with friends at church and let her family know.  She shifted her focus and became really honest with herself.    [30:11] What have you learned about yourself in these last 87 days?   She learned she could have a personality without being drunk.  She learned that she could have fun and accomplish a lot more without being drunk.    [31:48]  Why do you think you drank?   She thinks she started drinking because it gave her liquid courage in the social scene and then it just turned into a habit.  She feels it was a coping mechanism this last year as she was dealing with her breakup.    [33:43]  Walk us through a typical day in your sobriety.    Working with her clients daily helps her as well.  Working out, meditating, staying in the Word, staying connected helps her on a daily basis.      [39:20] Rapid Fire Round   What was your worst memory from drinking?   The moment when she realized she could not control her drinking.    Tell us about a time when you could not control your drinking.   Just having the feeling that she couldn’t stop was definitely her A-ha moment that she realized that she needed to make a big change.   What is it like being 30 and getting sober?   It’s a challenge but what she has found that helps her is connecting with other sober people.    What is your favorite resource in recovery?   The community aspect, podcasts like Recovery Elevator, filling my mind with positivity and being around like minded people.    What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)?   Being reminded that her feelings were valid, and so is her story.    What parting piece of advice can you give to listeners?   Stay connected, embrace the journey, and know that there are going to be good days and bad days.  Know that bei