Tribe Sober - inspiring an alcohol free life!

From Junkie to Judge with Mary Beth O’Connor

 
My guest this week is an extraordinary woman – she was drinking alcohol at the age of 12 and shooting up with meths at the age of 17.  Not only did she get clean but she went on to qualify as a lawyer and eventually she was appointed a federal judge!In this episode:-
Mary Beth has a traumatic childhood which included an abusive stepfather
She felt instant relief when she picked up her first alcoholic drink at the age of 12
While still at school she was smoking pot, taking pills and acid and by 17 was shooting up meths
In spite of this hectic drug use she managed to get accepted at college
She was at college and working part time when everything fell apart – due to the combination of a life threatening rape and an abusive boyfriend
Mary Beth used meths for the next decade, not getting clean until the age of 32
During this decade she was working her way “down” the corporate ladder as she puts it
Due to her drug use she was working in jobs way below her ability
She hit rock bottom when she lost yet another job and couldn’t raise the energy to put together her resume to get another one
Her partying days were long gone and most of her drug use took place when she was alone….at the kitchen table
She had tried some therapy but as she puts it “the drugs had put a wall between me and myself” so therapy was ineffective.
Her partner was also threatening to leave her so she decided to go to rehab
The rehab was based on the 12 steps and was not a good fit for Mary Beth – she was an atheist and certainly wouldn’t agree that she was powerless
Whenever she raised her objections to any of the 12 steps she was closed down and told that this was the only way she could recover
As a result she kept quiet and became very selective in the ideas that she took on board.
She became master of the reframe so instead of Step One which is I am powerless over my addiction she would agree that she was powerless to moderate.
So many of us spend years stuck in the “moderation trap” so accepting that we are powerless to moderate will save a lot of heartache, it’s a major step forward!I referred to the podcast interview I did with British journalist Sam Delaney who built his own hybrid recovery model. That podcast was episode 153 
Exactly what Mary Beth did…and in fact what she recommends to others
I loved what she said about recovery being hard but it gets easier… whereas active addiction is much harder and can last forever!
We agreed that this journey is about progress not perfection and that very few people get is right from day one – Mary Beth certainly had a couple of slip ups during the early months
Of course the secret is to keep trying, to remember that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback.
Mark up your Sober Stretches and never question the decision. If you’d like a copy of our Annual Tracker just email membership@tribesober.com and we’ll send you one
Early sobriety was an emotional rollercoaster for Mary Beth and it was a couple of years before she felt stable
She had trauma to deal with, severe anxiety and PTSD
If 2 years seems a long time then remember the rule that it takes a month of recovery for every year that we drank – for more on that go Tribe Sober episode 61 – there you’ll find my interview with rehab doctor Dr Dawn
In spite of the long road to recovery Mary Beth began to get her career back on track within a few months
She started with a part time admin job, then a higher level full time admin role and then a supervisory role 
At six and a half years sober she was accepted back into Berkeley Law School.
She went on to work as a lawyer in a big law firm and in 2014 was appointed a Judge.
She took early retirement in 2020 and these days she gives her time to advocacy in the recovery space.
As she says we need to be patient – everybody expects recovery to be faster than it is but we need to remember that:-
Just as addiction rewires our brains in a negative way the positive habits we build in recovery will build new pathways.
Mary Beth’s book is called from Junkie to Judge and is available from AmazonThe book is a memoir which includes guidelines as well as some advice for families.
Please follow Mary Beth on TW – I’ll put her handle in the shownotes but its @MaryBethO_
Her TW feed is great and packed with useful info
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
Help us to Spread the Word!
We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.
Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
You can join our private Facebook group HERE.
PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)
Open the Podcasts app. EASY.
Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.
Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).
Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.
Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).

Busting Sobriety Myths with Eusebius

I’m recording this a couple of hours after hearing the appalling news that Eusebius McKaiser has died at the ridiculously young age of 44.
He was a national treasure for South Africans – an author, a journalist and broadcaster.  One of the smartest public intellects in the country he was a fierce defender of truth and justice as many politicians found out to their cost!
He was also a warm and generous friend.So instead of the planned episode I wanted to say a few words about my friend Eusebius and re-release one of the podcast interviews he did for Tribe Sober.
The story starts back in 2001 when I relocated from the UK to SA.  I started to watch national tv, trying to get my bearings in this beautiful and complex country.  I spotted Eusebius on a talk show and was impressed. I read a couple of his books and listened to him on the radio.  I discovered he’d been to Oxford University on a scholarship and had won a global award as a Debating Champion.
I first met him in person more than a decade ago…
Ironically I was drunk at the time!
We were at the Franschhoek Literary Festival where I’d been drinking wine most of the day.  This didn’t stop me dragging Long Suffering Husband to the Elephant and Barrel Pub in the evening. 
I spotted Eusebius in the bar.  He was with deep in conversation and I didn’t want to interrupt.  
However husband knew I was a fan and he nudged me towards him – not quite sure what Eusebius thought about this drunken Brit lurching at him but he was very kind.
For obvious reasons I don’t remember much about that conversation but that was the evening that our unlikely but enduring friendship was born.
I finally ditched the booze in 2015 and set up Tribe Sober.  Eusebius signed up for our Dry January Challenge and one of the mailers included my Goodbye to Alcohol letter – he asked me to come to Cape Talk and read it out on his Show.
So I did and we got plenty of calls from people who knew they needed to say Goodbye to Alcohol.  I’ll put a link to that radio program in the shownotes. 
Apart from reading my letter we raised more than R10,000 for Earthchild within 30 minutes.  Just like me he loved the work done by NGO Earthchild and for the last 8 years he helped me to fundraise more than R300,000  which enabled more than 1000 underprivileged children to get a year of yoga and lifeskill classes.
 I then became a regular on his show and many of our current and past members found us via Eusebius.  He loved the work we did at Tribe Sober and often promoted us on his social media.
He came to two of our workshops in Joburg.  The first one as a participant and the second one as my co-facilitator. 
We looked out for each other - he coached me to be a better speaker on the radio and I convinced him to start his own podcast when he left Cape Talk. 
Have a listen to this episode we recorded about 18 months ago
In this Episode
The sober curious movement is growing – we have an endless variety of AF drinks, many online sobriety groups and even our own magazine Hola Sober.
Eusebius believes that people should be free to make “bad choices” in life but did agree with me that education is important. Alcohol is a legal drunk which damages our health and drinkers need to be aware of that.
When tobacco advertising was banned the information about the link with lung cancer was all over the media – if alcohol advertising was banned we would hear a lot more in the media about the link between alcohol and 7 different types of cancer.
Women need to know that drinking more than 3 glasses of wine a week will raise their breast cancer risk by 15%
We tackled a couple of sobriety myths – first of all the myth that we can’t have fun without alcohol – the truth is that once you have navigated those early difficult months of sobriety then it’s easy to have fun without booze – and lovely not to have to pay the price of a hangover the next day! Our subconscious minds have been convinced by a combination of marketing and peer pressure that we need alcohol to enjoy ourselves – to deprogram this thinking we need to spend a few months socialising without alcohol – its not easy but treat it as a challenge and you will get there – your subconscious will eventually get it!
The second myth we busted was the myth that we need the buzz of booze to be creative – Eusebius wrote some of his early essays when on his way down from heavy drinking sessions but feels he has done some of his best writing since he’s been sober.
We talked about the social pressure to drink which is relentless and hard to cope with when we are in the early stages of sobriety – alcohol really is the only drug we have to justify NOT taking
That’s why CHALLENGES are so great – especially our January Challenge – we can just say “I’m raising money for charity by doing a Dry January” – nobody can really argue with that one!
We get more confident dealing with peer pressure to drink as time goes by and eventually many of us are proud of our sobriety and eager to talk about it!
Eusebius always maintains that it’s not our responsibility to make other people feel comfortable about their drinking and is quite happy to be rude to people who interrogate him about his sobriety!
We talked about dependency and I explained that I didn’t even realise what trouble I was in until I tried to cut down – and couldn’t. 
That’s another reason challenges are great – its an opportunity to test your dependency – if you can get through a month without booze easily then you are fine – if not then you may need to make some changes!
Do a challenge at least twice a year to keep your eye on your level of dependence.
A challenge is also useful if you want to cut down your drinking – low risk levels are just one and a half bottles of wine a week (or 6 beers) – so do a challenge, have a month off the booze and then it will be easier to reset your drinking pattern.
Eusebius stressed that the Earthchild project helps children to find a moment of peace in their difficult lives. Yoga may be perceived as a middle class pastime but in fact the postures and the breathing bring a sense of calm to children who grow up surrounded by gang violence and poverty.
We concluded with a few tips and benefits of sobriety:-
Eusebius main benefit which he wasn’t even expecting has been the time he has regained now he no longer drinks – he loves getting up early at the weekend and getting on with his day
His tip was to stock up on AF drinks – Dry January Challengers get a discount from DN.co.za
My benefit was sleep – as drinkers we get only 2 cycles of REM sleep (we need 7) – over the years we build up a permanent sense of fatigue if we drink – even a month off the booze will boost our energy levels
My tip was to find your people – its very hard to change your drinking alone so join tribe sober!
So I do hope we have inspired you to sign up for the January Challenge 
If you are listening to this and it's not January don't worry - we've got you covered - all you need to do is to go to our tribesober.com and hit Join Our Tribe and we'll put you on our 30 day starter challenge for new members.
More info
Subscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERE
To access our website click HERE
If you would like a free copy of our "Annual Tracker" or our e-book "66 Days to Sobriety" please email janet@tribesober.com
If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community just email janet@tribesober.com
Episode Sponsor
          This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.             If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then  sign up today          Read more about our 7-step program and subscribe HERE
     
 
Help us to spread the word!
We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave us a 5 star review on Apple podcasts, take a screenshot of your review and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page - see PS for instructions - we'll send you something special to say thank you!
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram 
You can join our private Facebook group HERE
 
PS   How to leave an rating/review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS device)
1. Open the Podcasts app. EASY.
2. Choose "Search" from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (i.e., "Recover Like A Mother") into the search field.
3. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).
4. Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.
5. Click "Write a Review" underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale, and write a review (you can rate without writing, too but it's always good to read your experience).
 

Your Sobriety Battleplan with Adam Shaeuble

I got hooked on podcasting quite early on as I’ve been lucky enough to have some great guests and I’ve learned so much from them.  Many of our members have been kind enough to inspire others by sharing their stories on the podcast and as a result we’ve attracted new members from all over the world.
So staying with podcasting my guest this week is Podcast Business Coach and Weight Loss Guru - Adam Schaeuble.
His story is similar to mine in that he resolved his own issues and then went on to help others to do the same.  Adams problems were about food rather than alcohol so have a listen to his story. 
In this Episode
Adam shared his personal transformation story with us
We agreed that many of the methods he uses to help his community can be used in the Tribe Sober community
The first step - asking for help - is the hardest - we have to put our ego to one side and reach out
Adam uses a strategic approach with his clients - gets them to plan 28 days in advance and look for "danger zones"
We discussed the importance of not letting a "slip up" derail you - just get back on track straight away
Anchor points are essential - they give you a dopamine hit to keep going forward - at TS we have milestone badges!
Adam explained the difference between motivation and inspiration - we need to be inspired if we are going to succeed
If you don't feel inspired then get some coaching - if  you come to the coaching session "motivated" you will leave "inspired"
He shared his transformation timeline with us - and stressed the importance of finding a new purpose at the end of the journey
That’s exactly what our amazing coach Lynette has been doing with 10 of our Tribe members – guiding them along the Path to Purpose via her group coaching program.
We’ve taken some of Adam’s great ideas and created a Sobriety Battleplan so if you’d like a copy just email membership@tribesober.com and Sue will send you one.
More Info
 
Subscription membership – you can join up HERE.
To access our website, click HERE.
If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com.
If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.
to join our mailing list click HERE 
 
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
Help us to Spread the Word!
We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.
Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
You can join our private Facebook group HERE.
PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)
Open the Podcasts app. EASY.
Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.
Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).
Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.
Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).

Taking the Sober Road... 8 Mistakes to Avoid

This is a solo episode to celebrate my 8th Soberversary - I'm focussing on 8 mistakes to avoid  Mistakes I made myself and larned from.
In this episode:-
Mistake number 1 - Waiting for Rock Bottom 
TIP NUMBER ONE:  Do it now!  If you’re listening to this then the chances are that you are either already alcohol free (well done you!) or you are contemplating making a change.  If you are in the contemplation phase then you should know that the average time people spend in that place is an incredible 11 years!  Alcohol dependence is like an elevator and it’s only going down.  The longer you leave it the worse it will get so Do it Now!
Mistake number 2 - Trying to Moderate
TIP NUMBER TWO – Forget Moderation! People who can moderate just do it naturally – they wouldn’t be listening to this podcast. They might have a glass of champagne at a wedding or a glass of red wine with a special meal but alcohol is not really on their radar.  I’m guessing that’s probably not you (!) so redirect that energy you put into controlling an addictive drug into building an alcohol free life that you love!
Mistake number 3 - Fearing failure 
TIP NUMBER THREE – Progress not Perfection should be your strategy.  Drop me an email janet@tribesober.com and ask for one of our trackers and log those alcohol free days.  If you have a slip up then learn from it and get right back on track.  Remember that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback.  You’ve only failed if you stop trying!
 Mistake number 4 - Worrying about other people
TIP NUMBER FOUR - Find a new Tribe
In our alcohol drenched society it can be hard to be the odd one out, especially if you are an introvert as many problem drinkers tend to be.  So for the first few months at least join a new tribe – a sober community of people just like you.  You will be blown away by the warmth, vulnerability you will find.  Read some quitlit and listen to recovery stories on podcasts as well. 
Mistake number 5 - Being influenced by marketing, movies etc..
TIP NUMBER FIVE 
Reflect on the limiting beliefs you hold about alcohol.  Examples of limiting beliefs are… I need alcohol to have fun, to socialise, to relax, to de-stress, to reward myself for a difficult day, to celebrate a good day…the list goes on.  Work on overturning those limiting beliefs and see alcohol for what it really is – a poison which is linked to 7 cancers and 60+ diseases.  Read Annie Grace’s book This Naked Mind for more on this or come to one of our workshops.
Mistake number 6 - Waiting for happiness to strike..
TIP NUMBER SIX
Be aware that your brain is still recalibrating and healing as your natural dopamine receptors crank up again (they’ve got lazy as the wine has been doing their job for so long!) 
When you quit drinking you can’t just leave everything the same except for the drinking -  you’ll need to reconfigure your life/routine and get new interests
Recovery is about so much more than “not drinking” - that’s just the start…  After guiding hundreds of our members through this journey we’ve noticed that it takes about 6 months to change the habit and then another 6 months to “do the work”, and learn how to thrive in sobriety. 
Most importantly get a new interest/hobby to keep your happy brain chemicals triggers – go to meetup.com to see the many interests that people have…and go to udemy.com to find a course to sign up for.
Mistake number 7 - Being depressed about quitting –
TIP NUMBER 7
Get excited about this life changing opportunity.  You are going to look better, feel better, sleep better and be full of energy. 
Just take a look at some of the testimonials on our website if you’re not convinced!
Realise that you’ll be gaining so much more than you will lose!
Realise that addiction is a gift - as Laura K says in her book title we really are the luckiest - only people who have become dependent are pushed right to the wall and forced to question who they really are and what they really want out of life
Quitting is an opportunity – not a problem
Mistake number 8 - Trying to do it alone
TIP NUMBER 8
Find your people!  When I got sober 8 years ago AA was pretty much the only gig in town, and AA is not for everybody.  These days there are so many alternative paths to sobriety.  There is a modern recovery movement as more and more people wake up and decide to fight back against Big Alcohol.  We are the trailblazers and have decided to no longer poison our bodies and brains to contribute to the outrageous profits of the liquor industry.
It does take courage and confidence to do this but we’ve got plenty of that… and we’ve decided to become rebels rather than sheep!
There are sober communities on Instagram and TikTok as it becomes cool to run your back on alcohol.
So go on line and explore – find your people.
We’d love you to join tribesober which you can do by clicking this link
You can pay your subs monthly so try us out for a while – its easy to cancel if you decide that were not your people after all!
You can also join our free 5 day Sobriety Bootcamp which will give you a flavour of the support we offer…
From 5-9th June 
Info on website or just request to join the Sobriety Bootcamp Facebook Group
More Info
Subscription membership – you can join up HERE.
To access our website, click HERE.
If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com.
If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.
to join our mailing list click HERE 
 
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
Help us to Spread the Word!
We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.
Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
You can join our private Facebook group HERE.
PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)
Open the Podcasts app. EASY.
Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.
Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).
Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.
Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).
 
 

The 4 Stages of Alcoholism with Vanessa Hilton-Barber

Vanessa is a writer, photographer and wild water swimmer.  
Like so many of us she began drinking in her teens.  That was the beginning of a habit that started off as fun but evolved into something much darker over the years.
In this episode
Vanessa divides her drinking career into phases:-the Fun phase (15-19)the Social phase (19-30)the Fairly Desperate phase (30-39)
the I Need to Quit phase (39 onwards)
This pattern fits pretty well with the theory that 20 years of regular drinking will result in alcohol dependence
If you’d like to hear the science behind that theory then have a listen to my interview with Ken Middleton – episode 23 of Tribe Sober podcast – November 2020
Vanessa tried to moderate and did manage to cut down for periods.
However she was still binge drinking now and again so the dependence was still there.
Along with her moderation attempts of course she had some rules
She started a rule when she was at University and kept it going ever since. It was the 3 day rule.  She would never drink more than 3 days in a row.
However she realises now that her 3 day rule actually kept her in a cycle of drinking and then withdrawal.
Here in South Africa there is a culture of binge drinking at the weekend
Vanessa explained that in her office they used to refer to Thursdays as "Steak Knife Thursdays" as everyone was “on edge” waiting to start drinking.
It was Covid that opened Vanessa’s eyes to the nation's love affair with alcohol.
Several alcohol bans meant that many people had to be creative about sourcing their alcohol.
She describes the moment during Covid when she had just a tot of whisky but it released such a strong craving that it made her realise she would have to make a change.
Vanessa discovered Tribe Sober and loved the support of the international community.
She did Dry July and loved watching the alcohol free days stack up on her tracker.
As she learned more about the harm that alcohol does she felt more and more motivated to go alcohol free.
So she did Sober October but still had periods of binge drinking.
At the beginning of 2021 Vanessa decided to try coaching – as a member of Tribe Sober she had been offered a free coaching session so decided to take it up.
She loved her coaching sessions with Lynette and by session 2 she had ditched the booze completely
We agreed that Lynette’s philosophy that we must get “comfortable with being uncomfortable” is a powerful one
By riding the discomfort and pushing through we will experience emotional growth and grow new neural pathways
One of the goals that Vanessa set during an early coaching session was that when she reached her first Soberversary she would share the strategies that had enabled her to quit.
That’s how her stunning book was born…TOTS which stands for the Other Twelve Steps
It is full of gorgeous illustrations which came from the doodles she would make during her coaching sessions – doodles she would develop further as she reflected on her learnings
She calls TOTS a string of sparkling gems and I couldn’t agree more
If you’d like a digital copy of TOTs just email membership@tribesober.com and we’ll send you a copy
In TOT’s you will find a description of the Hero’s journey along with its transformative challenges
Just like the hero we may stumble and fall on our journey but if we keep trying we will succeed
Our reward will be the gift of elixirs which will enable us to help others to do what we’ve done
Vanessa also refers to the book "The Artists Way" by Julia Cameron in TOTs
We agreed that this book can be the key to unlocking our creativity and doing our daily morning pages can be a life changing habit
Vanessa described the benefits of alcohol free living as exponential but a huge one for her has been the energy
Now she no longer has to try to control her drinking and manage the after effects she has so much more energy and mental strength
This made me think of my interview with William Krause two episodes ago… when he said that redirecting that energy we wasted on controlling alcohol is the key to unlocking the life of our dreams
​Vanessa referred to her coaching sessions as the key – I love the way she describes the power of coaching – she says it’s about “having someone in your story with you”.
If you’d like to connect directly with Vanessa then you can email her Vanessa@contentarchitect.co.za and
If you’d like to experience the power of coaching then join tribe sober – new members are entitled to a coaching session with Lynette
Just go to tribesober.com and hit join our tribe
More Info
Subscription membership – you can join up HERE.
To access our website, click HERE.
If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com.
If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.
to join our mailing list click HERE 
 
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
Help us to Spread the Word!
We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.
Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
You can join our private Facebook group HERE.
PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)
Open the Podcasts app. EASY.
Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.
Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).
Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.
Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).

Recovering Attorney Lily Shanks

My guest this week is Lily Shanks from Dallas.
Lily describes herself as a recovering attorney.
After graduating from a top tier-law school, Lily practiced commercial litigation in a Big Law firm but although she was able to indulge her passion for expensive cars and shoes the stress resulted in a daily wine habit.
She got sober and left her corporate job to train as a coach.
These days Lily specializes in recovery and relationship coaching and coaches her clients to create their best, most fulfilling lives, starting from the inside.
In this episode
Lily discovered alcohol at a young age – via the liquor cabinet of one of her friends parents.  It tasted disgusting but she knew it would change the way she felt…so she persevered and found ways to disguise the taste
As a shy teenager who wanted to be popular she found that alcohol gave her the liquid courage she needed
She was the only child of older parents she felt she had to be perfect… to do everything right..
Lily also felt she had to be independent and not ask for help
These two beliefs led to a feeling of loneliness – a feeling that continued as she grew older
The loneliness was a feeling that would last until she got into recovery and learnt how better to connect with people – when she learned that connection was the opposite of addiction
As a straight A student Lily would worry about the possibility of getting a B
Her drive for perfectionism helped her to graduate, get through law school and get a highly paid job at a top firm
However she was always chasing the next thing, the next box to be ticked – buying a new car and more shoes even though she didn’t need either – she thought it would make her feel better which it did but only for a very short time
She was doing the same with alcohol – drinking more and more in the hope that it would make her feel better but of course as it’s a depressant it only made her feel worse.
Like many of us Lily was under the illusion that alcohol was glamorous and fun and cool..until one day it wasn’t.
As early as 5 years into her legal career Lily started to sense a misalignment.. she wasn’t feeling fulfilled in her job and thought that the alcohol was helping to ease this uncomfortable feeling
She took a years sabbatical and got her yoga teaching qualification and taught full time which she really enjoyed
Yoga had helped her cope with her stress and she loved the fact that she was able to share that with her students
Eventually Lily felt under financial strain so she returned to practicing law – (yet her finances always ran to buying wine!)
She was using wine at the end of the day to self medicate her stress and eventually she could feel it affecting her work performance – some days she struggled to get to work as she was battling a severe hangover
Like many of us Lily became an expert in disguising her drinking problem – so much so that former colleagues and friends were surprised to hear she’s in recovery
Like many of us she did a lot of her drinking alone on the sofa at home
In Jan 2018 she tried to take a break for Dry January but couldn’t notch up more than a few alcohol free days…and she always intended to go back to drinking at the end of the month
Doing a challenge like Dry January is when a lot of people realise for the first time that they are dependent
When you join Tribe Sober the first thing we do is put you on a 30 day alcohol free challenge so that we can help you to assess your level of dependence and what kind of help you need
Short challenges are great to test your dependence but the true benefits of sobriety don’t come in until you’ve been alcohol free for a few months so it’s important to push through and keep going
Like most of us Lily imposed some rules around her drinking as she tried to moderate – yet of course after 2 or 3 drinks there was no off switch
She finally ended her drinking career in 2018 – finishing it with a few months of intentional heavy drinking before accepting that she would have to make the change
She had a series of rock bottoms - including a ladies wine tasting trip and a weekend drinking alone in her apartment
She also felt mortified when she saw several recordings on a security camera of her arriving home very late at night obviously the worse for wear
Waking up hungover every morning she finally accepted that she needed help
She took some time off work and started being honest about the problem… with a friend, with a doctor and with her therapist
The key to change is honesty – we have to accept to ourselves that we have a problem and then reach out for help – this is the most difficult part of the whole journey
Once we’ve reached out and found some help the journey can begin
If you’re still procrastinating about getting some help then do it today – reach out to tribesober.com and we’ll help you get started on this life changing journey – just go to tribesober.com and hit join our tribe
As Lily said we have to be ready to keep an open mind and try something different
She had been resistant to the idea of AA but managed to find a small group that she loved - near to where she lived
She found the connection she had been looking for – people who were sharing stories just like hers
That’s such a special moment - the moment we realise we are not alone in this
Lily's experience shows the importance of keeping an open mind – we agreed on the strategy to keep trying different groups until you find "your people"
She talked about the importance of Sober Firsts and how she tackled them gradually during her first year of sobriety
She also stopped dating as she wanted to focus on herself rather than looking for a partner to make her feel good
As she said going a year without drinking was a huge change for her so it had to be her primary focus
At Tribe Sober we advise people to throw the book at their sobriety and treat it as a major project for that first year
So Lily's first year was spent notching up Sober Firsts, appreciating the benefits of sobriety as they came in… it was only in year two that she began to do the deeper work
We agreed that Year one is just the beginning of the journey and that there is so much more to recovery than not drinking
If you take a listen to Tribe Sober podcast episode 61 from September 2021 you will hear a rehab doctor explaining that for every year we drank we should allow a month of recovery
So if like me you’ve been drinking for decades your recovery will not be quick but you will be noticing more and more benefits of sobriety as the months pass
We both agreed that life doesn’t become perfect when we get sober but we’ll be better able to cope with challenges
Personal growth will come from dealing with difficulties – as Lily said “if it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you”
Lily is now a life coach, a sobriety coach and a relationship coach – you can connect with her on myinternalweather.com - or email her lily@myinternalweather.com
More Info
Subscription membership – you can join up HERE.
To access our website, click HERE.
If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com.
If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.
to join our mailing list click HERE 
 
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
Help us to Spread the Word!
We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.
Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
You can join our private Facebook group HERE.
PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)
Open the Podcasts app. EASY.
Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.
Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).
Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.
Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).
 

Is Alcoholism a Disease? with Will Krause

My guest this week is Will Krause who is an author, entrepreneur and academic.  He helps addicts to quit using and then to go on and lead the life they were meant to live – he gives them hope
As you will hear he is passionate about analysing why people do what they do as he believes this is the key to change.
Will also believes that we can actually use this key to unlock the life of our dream
 In this Episode
Will had an early tragic experience of addiction when his younger brother died
He was depressed and frustrated as he had no idea how he could have helped his brother
On reflection Will decided that he was an addict himself – not to a substance but to perfectionism
Will did many courses but one day one of his professors came to him and explained that it was time he switched his focus from facts…to finding out WHY people did what they did
This advice along will his brother’s death was the catalyst to him studying addiction and discovering what addiction really is… and that it’s actually NOT what we’ve been taught it is!
He talked to us about the many homeless addicts in Seattle and points out that they all have exceptional skills that we cannot even comprehend – skills to survive and to score their drugs
Most of us would not last more than a couple of days if we had to live that kind of life
We talked about functioning alcoholics and how skilled we are at keeping the show on the road – holding down the high powered job and managing a family
Whether it’s a homeless addict or a functioning alcoholic they can both redirect their skills and energy to leading a life that will give them purpose
As Will explains we need to give people HOPE – hope that there is a way out
We discussed the disease model which neither of us subscribe to
Yes alcohol consumption does change the brain but according to neuroscience our brains are meant to change!
Falling in love changes our brain as well!
The brain has simply learned a habit – a habit that can be replaced by a healthy habit
Will compared this with Alzheimers which IS a disease and takes away parts of the brain…
Cancer is also a disease… where cancerous cells take over and cause tumours
Will describes addiction as a “learned coping mechanism”
When we unlearn it and stop drinking we’ll go through a difficult period as we replace the harmful habit with new and healthy ones
In our experience here at Tribe Sober most people take between 3 and 6 months to get through this transition
We agreed on the importance of having a tribe even when we no longer drink… if we leave we can easily fall prey to our previous thought patterns and start wondering if we are able to have "just one drink now"
Spoiler alert – we probably can’t!
We do get quite a few returning members to our Tribe, people who’ve discovered that without the connection they flounder..
Will talked about the importance of knowing WHY we do what we do
He helps addicts to understand Why they do what they do and also that they have an exceptional brain
Addicts are able to see the world differently
When addicts understand this, and realise that they can use their skills to turn their life around they begin to feel HOPE
Will feels that those of us who have struggled with dependency are the lucky ones – we can get through the pain of our addiction and find our purpose on the other side
Once we understand why we do what we do we can go on to discover our purpose
If we just stop drinking without understanding WHY we drank we won’t be able to find our purpose and we may go from one addiction to the other
As we often say at Tribe Sober there is so much more to recovery than “not drinking” – we have to create an alcohol free life that we love, a life full of joy and purpose – a life we don’t want to escape from!
Will has a book coming out called “Unlearning Addiction”
The premise of his book is that addiction is a learned behaviour that we can unlearn – we can replace it with healthy habits which will lead to us discover our purpose
The book explains why we do what we do – it gives the hope that people need, along with the tools to change
He kindly offered to share the manuscript with anyone who contacts him and mentions Tribe Sober –
Contact him at unlearningaddiction@gmail.com to request the manuscript
More Info
Subscription membership – you can join up HERE.
To access our website, click HERE.
If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com.
If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.
to join our mailing list click HERE 
 
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
Help us to Spread the Word!
We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.
Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
You can join our private Facebook group HERE.
PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)
Open the Podcasts app. EASY.
Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.
Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).
Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.
Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).

Sober and Strong: Ashleigh’s Story

 
My guest this week is Ashleigh who came to a workshop way back in 2018 and has been thriving in her sobriety ever since
In this episode:-
Ashleigh's first scrape with alcohol came when she was expelled from school at the age of 15!
In her 30's she recognized that there could be a problem when she found herself making lots of rules around her drinking - rules that she promptly broke!
Her point that she wasn’t a tramp living under a bridge highlighted the fact that society says we are fine until we get to that stage – her family weren’t quite sure why she going alcohol free 
Ashleigh decided to step off the slippery slope before things got any worse
She realises that the majority of the people she knows are drinking too much but they don’t even realise
At the workshop Ashleigh learned about the toxicity of alcohol and began to join the dots between her constant tiredness and her daily glasses of wine
At the end of the workshop she knew it would be pointless committing to "moderation" - she had to go "all in" - she knew she had crossed the line with her drinking and there was no looking back
She felt confident leaving the workshop - she had her toolkit, some new information and people to connect with - she felt she could do this
At the beginning she treated herself to hot chocolate, coffee and cake etc. - but as time went on she weaned herself off the sweet things - and has now lost 10kgs!
She talked about the importance of Sober Firsts – the first wedding, the first flight, baby shower and of course the first time we try sober dancing!
Ashleigh has experienced many benefits of sobriety - she is certainly less anxious and more confident these days
So the workshop was a real turning point for Ashleigh - at the age of 43 she has celebrated five years of sobriety and has a completely different future ahead!
Now that she is more knowledgeable she realises that the majority of the people she knows are drinking too much although they don’t even realise
She talks about all the euphemisms we use for hangovers and how no one wants to "let the cat out of the bag" as she puts it
No-one wants to acknowledge that as a society we have an alcohol problem
Ashleigh fully recognizes that if she hadn't taken this step she could have been in a very different place in 5 years time - alcohol is a very "slippery fish" as she said!
More Info
Subscription membership – you can join up HERE.
To access our website, click HERE.
If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com.
If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.
to join our mailing list click HERE 
 
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
Help us to Spread the Word!
We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.
Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
You can join our private Facebook group HERE.
PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)
Open the Podcasts app. EASY.
Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.
Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).
Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.
Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).

My Path to Purpose with Lynette Le Roux

 
My guest this week is very special member of our Tribe Sober Team
I first met Lynette LeRoux when she came to one of our workshops more than 5 years ago
She was in a dark place back then but the workshop was the catalyst she needed to change everything
Lynette has been transforming and enriching her life for the last 5 years – she’s found her passion and qualified as a Coach and for the last 3 years she has been working for Tribe Sober as a Coach
In this episode
Lynette first tasted alcohol at the tender age of 9 – she’d got hold of some tiny bottles of whisky and brandy which she kept near her bed.  She would take a sip when she went to bed as it comforted her
Going off to boarding school at the age of 5 left her with lingering feelings of isolation – a feeling that those little sips chased away.
As she reflects back she realises it was a way to feel nurtured and held
She didn’t drink much in her teens but in her 20’s she met a guy who loved his whisky and she began to drink regularly
Lynette had never really felt comfortable in her own skin so alcohol helped her to socialise
Her relationship deteriorated due to her partners drunken rages and he left her when she was pregnant
She coped well over the next few years and began to develop her career
The usual after work drinks culture prevailed and Lynette fell back into her old patterns
She would drink excessively at the weekends as well as after work sometimes
Like many of us she would resolve to stop or cut down but nothing really changed
Then she met her current husband who hardly drinks at all
He thought she drank too much so she tried hard to make a change
She managed some sober stretches but as she got into her 40’s the alcohol came back into her life
Even though she was drinking Lynette tried a lot self development programs during this period
Looking back she realises that she never tried to integrate her learnings into her daily life
If we don’t apply the learnings then the courses are really a waste of time and nothing will change
As she moved into her 50’s Lynette became more dependent on alcohol
She felt she was losing connection with her husband and her friends
Always looking for the quick fix she decided to study plant medicine
As part of Lynette’s ongoing odyssey for a quick cure for her problems she came across our one day workshop
She attended the workshop but true to form she never really engaged
After the workshop she didn’t apply the tools or connect via the chatgroups
So nothing really changed and three months after the workshop she hit her rock bottom
Driving to work and struggling with an awful hangover she had a “not this” moment
Followed by a “if not this then what?” moment
Out of desperation she looked at her Tribe Sober workshop notes and decided to reconnect
Lynette went to the coffee meetup and engaged on the WhatsApp group
After reading other peoples messages for a while she decided to reach out
She posted a message that she felt really low
Another member explained that she felt that way because her brain was recalibrating and healing
This really resonated with Lynette and became her mantra
She began to study coaching and started to see that a different way of life was possible
As Lynette has been coached herself and has coached many people I asked her to explain why coaching is so valuable
She explained that coaching helps us to get perspective on our life and our mind
Coaching enables a growth mindset as we move towards our future self
We talked about the benefits she has gained from 5 years of sobriety
The biggest benefit for Lynette was reconnecting with herself and then developing her passion for coaching
She’s learned so much about her beautiful brain and she’s learned how to feel
She’s learned that emotional pain is a sign of growth and she must learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable
That's a lesson she’s taught us all here at Tribe Sober
We agreed that there is so much more to recovery than “not drinking”
As Lynette said tha's just 10% of the work – and we will never thrive in sobriety if we don’t tackle the other 90%
We talked about anhedonia which is the low mood that sometimes hits us in early sobriety
For more on dealing anhedonia check out Lynette’s video on our you tube channel and the Tribe Sober podcast interview with Dr Loretta Breuning, episode 55 on Apple Podcasts
We talked about the Path to Purpose which is a brand new Group Coaching that she has created this year
On 30th April her first group of 10 people will begin the program.. and find their Path to Purpose
The program will last for 8 weeks
It will include content but also leave space for co creation.   Space to tune into the needs of the group and deal with what comes up
One of the outcomes of the program is that the participants will have a self coaching program which will enable them to continue their development
If you’d like to know more about the Path to Purpose program then click here
The next program is fully booked but you can join the waitlist or you can email Lynette on coaching@tribesober.com to discuss whether it’s the right program for you
More Info
Subscription membership – you can join up HERE.
To access our website, click HERE.
If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com.
If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.
to join our mailing list click HERE 
 
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
Help us to Spread the Word!
We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.
Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
You can join our private Facebook group HERE.
PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)
Open the Podcasts app. EASY.
Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.
Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).
Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.
Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).

Born a Crack Addict.... Leah Forney

My guest this week is an incredible woman – a Queen as she calls herself and quite rightly too!
Both Leah’s parents were addicts and she was actually born with crack cocaine in her system.
Not many of us would even survive such a start in life but Leah not only survived she thrived..
She survived being born as a crack babyShe survived a sexual assault andShe survived alcohol dependence
These days she is an Activist and Public Speaker - campaigning against sexual violence
In this episode:
Brought up by her maternal grandparents Leah felt different from her friends as school…
As she gradually began to learn more about her mom she felt abandoned and resentful
Especially as her grandma didn’t ever want to talk about her mom
Leah struggled to understand her parents addictions until she began her own healing journey
Then she realised that in fact her parents had done their best with the tools available to them at the time
Considering her tough start in life Leah was doing ok until she got sexually assaulted
By a guy she had dated once and then rejected
Angry about his rejection he began to stalk her and one day he got into her apartment and raped her
She felt the cops wouldn’t help her so didn’t report it at the time
Leah felt angry, frustrated, guilty but had no coping skills so she turned to alcohol
She’d stayed away from drugs and alcohol because of her parents but this event just pushed her over the edge
As a child of addicts it was the only coping technique she knew
She spent a whole year drinking heavily to numb out her feelings
Eventually she did report her rape to the cops but they blamed her as it was someone she knew – that just made everything worse
As she sank further into alcohol dependence a friend convinced her to go to therapy to process her feelings
She also went to Al Anon to try to understand her parents better
Leah managed to stop drinking and has been sober for a decade
8 years after her rape she was astonished to receive the results of her rape kit
The rape kit contained the evidence collected by the police when she reported the crime
Apparently the police hadn’t passed on the kit for testing as she knew her assailant
In spite of the fact that 57% of rape victims know their perpetrator!
This led her to do some research on the incredible backlog of rape kits in the US – hundreds of thousands of them sitting on shelves untested while the assailants walk free
Leah decided to become an Activist in the fight against sexual violence
These days she has a voice and is raising awareness by campaigning and public speaking
Leah has written an incredible 8 books!
Her latest one "Unapologetically Me" is about the internal conflict of being the daughter of addicts – and the love/hate relationship with her parents
Writing is part of her healing journey
Leah talked about the difference between surviving and thriving
At Tribe Sober we say we want people to thrive in their sobriety, not just survive
The difference between those two states is of course that:-
Surviving means just staying afloat, getting by without drinking, just existing and meeting basic needs whereas
Thriving in sobriety means flourishing -  experiencing positive growth and progress in various aspects of life.
Leah has turned her Pain into Power which is what many of us at the Tribe have done and is why we say that
Sobriety is our Superpower!
Leah said something interesting about trauma…
If you don’t do the work to heal you can often feel as if you are just “waiting for the other shoe to drop” 
Step into a place of healing and the shoe won’t drop
Leah got through the worst and is now ready for the best!
You can follow this incredible woman on social media and her website is https://www.leahmforney.com/ 
More Info
Subscription membership – you can join up HERE.
To access our website, click HERE.
If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com.
If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.
to join our mailing list click HERE 
 
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE
Help us to Spread the Word!
We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.
If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.
Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
You can join our private Facebook group HERE.
PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)
Open the Podcasts app. EASY.
Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.
Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).
Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.
Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).