Episode 330– You change and grow and evolve and that’s a good thing.  You get better, wiser, stronger and make better decisions.  You can’t be afraid of that.   Tricia took her last drink on November 14, 2016.  She is from Dallas and is 40 years old.  This is her journey of living alcohol free (AF).   Today’s episode will be a bit different.  Tricia chatted with Paul previously on episodes 100 and 212.  We will focus on life beyond the bottle and what happens after you have some sober time under your belt.   https://www.recoveryelevator.com/re-100-binge-drinking-problem-2/ https://www.recoveryelevator.com/re-212-the-body-tells-us-where-to-go-next/   Today is the final episode of Season 2.  Season 3 of the Recovery Elevator podcast begins June 21st.  We are focused on having fun, staying authentic, spicy chili mango, ice cream and helping others along the way.    Finding Your Better You – Odette’s weekly message.   Odette has encountered many people who feel stuck.  They are struggling with letting go of booze.  It’s hard to let go of alcohol in a society that encourages drinking.  It is normal and part of cognitive dissonance.  You can step out of that societal pressure that encourages alcohol consumption.    It’s when we resist that it feels the hardest.  Choosing to see this journey as an opportunity instead of a sacrifice helps is the first step to breaking free.  Choosing to see we are the lucky ones.    Alcohol makes false promises.  When we engage differently with the world, we learn we are detaching from booze and the matrix.  We must be part of society, but we have power to choose and create new experiences.  We outgrow our old selves and fitting in with others.   Remember you have the power to break free from the matrix.  You have the power to heal, make new friends, make different decisions, and focus on a better life.  Lean into new beginnings.  You matter!  You can find peace in your decision to stop drinking.        [10:28]  Odette welcomes Tricia   Tricia took her last drink on November 14, 2016.  She describes herself as a high functioning drinker.  Her family had addiction issues.  Tricia talked about being co-dependent and she was a perfectionist and over achiever.  Success validated her.  She worked in a service industry and as a chef.  She worked hard and drank hard.  She was protective of her drinking because she didn’t want anyone to know about her drinking.  She was obsessed with making it look like everything was fine.  She was a blackout drinker.  She was scared about that progression.  She was unable to quit for more than a month at a time.  She got divorced and used alcohol to cope and avoid her feelings.  Her anxiety peaked and her drinking became out of control.  One Monday she went through three days of withdrawal after a weekend of binge drinking.  She reminds everyone not to quit cold turkey if they are physically addicted because it can be life-threatening.  She started listening to podcasts, Recovery Elevator and heard stories that sounded like her.  She began looking for resources and she went to an AA meeting.  She worked the steps, got a sponsor, and went to therapy.  Not all of them stuck, but she liked being able to do it her way.  Tricia has found freedom in recovery.    [20:10] Is it easy to forget how bad your problem was?  How do you make yourself remember?   Tricia said she forgets, but not in a way that makes her want to drink.  She knows it was terrible and doesn’t want to go back.  The freshness of early sobriety, her first 90 days are hard to remember.  Recovery is a big part of her life which makes it easier to remember.    [23:19] What are some of your later lessons of sobriety?   Tricia said people pleasing and inner child work are old habits to break.  Initially your focus is not drinking.  In time you find new things to work on and it never gets old.  People pleasing is a tough one to overcome.  Separating herself from her feelings was huge.  Alcohol was 20% of her issue, t