Today my guest is Victoria LaMadeline. She has been clean and sober for over 19 years and we’re going to be talking about why she left her NA community and what she does now to stay sober.    Victoria and I also making plans to do a podcast series called “the self help junkie podcast” where we talk about books, podcasts, and psychology and how to apply the information to your life. I think it’s going to be a great series because so many of us are obsessed with personal growth, but it can be tricky to take action on it sometimes. Each episode will cover the ideas that can help us evolve and specific actions for transformation. Stay tuned for more on that later!   But before we jump in, I thought it would be helpful to talk about the difference between peer support and professional support in terms of seeking help to get sober. When I first got sober in 94, I was broke and couldn’t afford professional help so I went to 12 step meetings to learn how to stop drinking. I’m kind of an all or nothing kinda girl so I jumped in with both feet. I did the whole 90 meetings in 90 days, found a whole new friend group, got a service position, got a sponsor and worked the steps. I had an amazing experience and I loved it all. But having said that, I discovered I had some traumatic experiences that required professional help. I needed to work with someone who was trained in helping someone heal from trauma and someone who could provide the confidentiality and safety required for trauma work.   Both were absolutely necessary for me in the beginning. I needed peer support that I could call on any time. People who would be willing to spend hours taking me through step work and socializing with me. I needed friends and community, but also professional support for the big stuff.   I mention this because I think it’s easy to confuse the two. I made mistakes by expecting too much from my peer group at times. I also suffered needlessly at times by not seeking professional help when I needed it. So my encouragement to you is to seek out the help you need from those who are willing and able to give it. There are so many resources available to us now and it’s only a Google search away!    And if you don’t know where to start, you’re welcome to book some time with me by visiting soberlifeschool.com  That’s it from me, please enjoy this episode with Victoria   Connect with Victoria here: Visit Website:  Follow on Instagram:    Subscribe So You Don’t Miss New Episodes!   Listen On:   Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/30g6ALF   Spotify https://odaatchat.libsyn.com/spotify   Amazon Music      Watch Full Episodes on YouTube! https://bit.ly/2UpR5Lo