Tribe Sober - inspiring an alcohol free life!

Eusebius McKaiser talks about his Relationship with Alcohol

 
Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living!
After running Tribe Sober for 5 years and helping hundreds of people to ditch the drink and embrace alcohol-free living I've learned a thing or two.  My biggest insight has been that sharing our stories around alcohol is the most powerful way we can help others - that's why the heart of this podcast is recovery stories.
This week I'm chatting to broadcaster, political analyst and author Eusebius McKaiser.  Eusebius hosted a daily radio show in South Africa and often invited me as his guest to discuss all things alcohol related.  Many of our community found their way to Tribe Sober via his show so I am truly grateful for his ongoing support and friendship.
In this Episode
For those of us missing his radio show Eusebius reminded us of all the other ways he engages..
He writes regularly for the Mail & Guardian - read one of his thought provoking articles here
Eusebius is of course the author of three books - Run Racist Run, A Bantu in My Bathroom and Could I Vote DA - link to all 3 books is HERE
His latest project is a book show called Cover to Cover - three episodes already in the can - here is Episode 1
We talked about his relationship with alcohol - he began drinking at college and then binge drank during his 20's and 30's
Always competitive academically he still passed all his degrees and build a successful career
Eusebius signed up for Dry January a couple of years ago and to his surprise maintained his alcohol free period for six months
He then signed up for the next Dry January and apart from one glass of wine has not had a drink for a year
He thinks his alcohol free lifestyle may be permanent this time and we discuss the benefits that he is experiencing
He explained how he has substituted different kinds of music for alcohol - to stimulate the right mood when he is writing
We agreed that as we get older we tend to start "self medicating" with alcohol - convincing ourselves that it's "fun"
Eusebius wrote a blog for our website called "Sober Diary Reflections" - you can read it here
He mentioned my Goodbye to Alcohol letter which you can hear me reading out on his show here
Eusebius feels strongly that it's not our job to justify the fact that we are not drinking and that the onus should be on those challenging us
We talked about Earthchild and how the children on the Cape Flats rarely get to experience quiet and a feeling of peace
The yoga classes provided by Earthchild can bring those children some relief from their difficult environment
So please donate to our Earthchild Fundraiser - and get 30 days of community and online support - the link is HERE
 
More infoSubscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERETo access our website click HERETo join our Dry January Annual Fundraiser click HERE - a small donation will provide you with community and online support during January
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 8-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.
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 
You can catch our FB live on Saturday mornings (11am SAST) and you can join our private Facebook group HERE
Thank you for listening! 
Till Next Week
Janet x

Janna Kretzmar, founder of the Earthchild Project

Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living!
After running Tribe Sober for 5 years and helping hundreds of people to ditch the drink and embrace alcohol-free living I've learned a thing or two. My biggest insight has been that sharing our stories around alcohol is the most powerful way we can help others - that's why the heart of this podcast is recovery stories.
This week I'm chatting to a truly inspirational woman - Janna Kretzmar - Founder of the Earthchild Project
In this Episode
2020 will be the sixth year that Tribe Sober has collaborated with the Earthchild Project for the Dry January Challenge
Over the years we have raised more than R220,000 so in this episode we discover how that money has helped 880 children
Janna tells us how she came up with the idea to start the project in 2007 - and why she thinks it's been such a successful project
She worked on an eco project in Brazil and read a book by a yogi about a project in schools in India - these were her influences
She realised that it was important to partner with the schools/teachers for the long term - not just come in for short term projects
Earthchild Clothing paid the salary of their first facilitator so that's how they got their name
We talked about the power of positive role models in communities and how she is developing young leaders
Earthchild provides yoga classes, gardening lessons, eco clubs, hiking clubs - connecting the children with their bodies and the environment
The children come from communities with high levels of gang violence and unemployment - yoga provides a tool to help them cope with stress
Some of the children who started yoga classes when they were 6 years old are now young leaders working in the Earthchild Project
More infoSubscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERETo access our website click HERETo join our Dry January Annual Fundraiser click HERE - a small donation will provide you with community and online support during January
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 8-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.
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can catch our FB live on Saturday mornings (11am SAST) and you can join our private Facebook group HERE
Thank you for listening!
Till Next Week
Janet x

From Addiction to Mindfulness - Michael Gallagher

Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living!
After running Tribe Sober for 5 years and helping hundreds of people to ditch the drink and embrace alcohol-free living I've learned a thing or two. My biggest insight has been that sharing our stories around alcohol is the most powerful way we can help others - that's why the heart of this podcast is recovery stories.
This week I'm chatting to Michael Gallagher - an author, a speaker and a coach.
In this Episode
Michael talks about his hectic childhood - with a mother who was a Jehovah's Witness and a father who was a career criminal
Looking back on his years as an addict Michael realises he "mistook pleasure for happiness"
He built a successful career in sales but was still drinking heavily - mostly vodka
During his last stay in rehab he attempted suicide and cried out for help - and something shifted for him
We talked about the importance of living in line with your values - creativity and loyalty are important values for Michael
We need to know what's driving us so that we can stop drinking and change our lives
We talked about how corporates promote the "work hard, play hard" culture - and that the "play hard" always involves alcohol
Michael is trying to change this by promoting mindfulness and meditation programs within companies
Michael has written a book called "Waking Up - A Guide for Transformation - available on Kindle and at Amazon
For more information on Michael and his work check out his website:- https://michaelgallagherspeaks.com/
More infoSubscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERETo access our website click HERETo join our Dry January Annual Fundraiser click HERE - a small donation will provide you with community and online support during January
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 8-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.
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can catch our FB live on Saturday mornings (11am SAST) and you can join our private Facebook group HERE
Thank you for listening!
Till Next Week
Janet x

How I Stopped Drinking - Carlen Makes Some Changes

 
Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living!
After running Tribe Sober for 5 years and helping hundreds of people to ditch the drink and embrace alcohol-free living I've learned a thing or two.  My biggest insight has been that sharing our stories around alcohol is the most powerful way we can help others - that's why the heart of this podcast is recovery stories.
This week I'm chatting to Carlen - who works in the wine industry!
 
In this Episode
Carlen had been a bit worried about her drinking for a long time and knew she needed to make a change
She did a private workshop more than 6 months ago and found it quite easy to stop drinking
She was really clear about WHY she wanted to make a change - no more fights with husband, no more health worries
She requested a Sober Buddy who helped her enormously - a bit of extra support and accountability
We both agreed that it's so important to know WHY a change is needed - reasons which will keep you on track over the months
Four years ago Carlen had a hypertension episode - in ICU - has regular check ups - since she gave up drinking it has improved dramatically
She is finding her running is so much better now that she's stopped drinking - it's on a different level
The cognitive dissonance has gone - no more voices in her head saying how, why, what did I say etc
No more waking up at 2am feeling full of regrets and shame - sleep has improved - plenty of energy
Carlen is in the wine industry and is still enchanted by the process - but she can taste - but doesn't see herself as a drinker any more
She keeps a tracker and ticks off her alcohol free day in the morning - she doesn't want to have to correct it later!
Carlen has been in advertising and is in the wine industry so the marketing doesn't get to her..
The fact that there are so many AF products on the market has made it SO much easier to give up drinking
She loves seeing new people joining - and how the others in the community help them get through
Carlen has started a blog about her journey which is called wynvlieg.com
More infoSubscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERETo access our website 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 today.  Read more about our 8-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.
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 
You can catch our FB live on Saturday mornings (11am SAST) and you can join our private Facebook group HERE
Thank you for listening! 
Till Next Week
Janet x

DrinkNil - Alcohol Free Drinks - with Fiona & Caroline

Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living!
After running Tribe Sober for 6 years and helping hundreds of people to ditch the drink and embrace alcohol-free living I've learned a thing or two. My biggest insight has been that sharing our stories around alcohol is the most powerful way we can help others - that's why the heart of this podcast is recovery stories.
This week we're chatting to Fiona and Caroline - who have just launched South Africa's first online store for Alcohol Free drinks - Drink Nil
In this Episode
I have witnessed a revolution in the AF drinks market since I stopped drinking 6 years ago
The choices available have gone from zero to more than one hundred!
Duchess was the first, then AF beers and now AF wines plus many more
Caroline, who comes from the wine industry, was planning to create an AF drink of her own but cashflow was an issue
So she decided to create an online platform specialising in AF drinks - and drinknil.co.za was born - in October 2020
We discuss how the demand for AF drinks is coming from different groups - moms, millennials, the health conscious - and people who just need to drink less - or not at all!
We talked about the irony of eating healthy, exercising daily, doing yoga - and then drinking a bottle of wine a day!
We discussed the fact that our community often bemoans the fact that alcohol free wines just "don't taste the same"
Caroline made the excellent point that perhaps the manufacturers shouldn't be raising our expectations by packaging the AF wines exactly like alcoholic wine - we agreed the AF choices should be seen in a category all of their own
Fiona took us through the difference between alcohol free, non alcoholic and de-alcoholised categories
More infoSubscription membership for Tribe Sober join up  HERETo access our website 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 today. Read more about our 8-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.
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can catch our FB live on Saturday mornings (11am SAST) and you can join our private Facebook group HERE
Thank you for listening!
Till Next Week
Janet x

Sobriety and your Mental Health - with Jo Borrill

 
Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living!
After running Tribe Sober for 5 years and helping hundreds of people to ditch the drink and embrace alcohol-free living I've learned a thing or two.  My biggest insight has been that sharing our stories around alcohol is the most powerful way we can help others - that's why the heart of this podcast is recovery stories.
This week we're chatting to Jo who achieved 2 years of sobriety but then relapsed.  Have a listen and find out how she bravely got back on track and tried again..
 
In this Episode
Jo started blogging the day she gave up drinking - her blog was called "Coins in a Jar"
She put a coin in a glass jar to represent each alcohol free day - see them pile up kept her motivated
She did well and achieved almost 2 years of sobriety - however when she moved to a new city things started to change
Jo had become a bit complacent and started to take a few sips of her husbands beers from time to time
Before she knew what had happened she was buying wine and back into the old routines
After a few months she knew she had to get back on track but this time round she tried a different approach
She decided to tackle her underlying issues - she's always suffered from depression to went to see a psychiatrist
Jo took some meds, got some therapy - and stopped drinking - and began to feel much much better
She is now a few months in and feels stronger this time around 
We agreed that the danger of relapse can higher for people who don't take the time to deal with their underlying issues
You can catch up with Jo's new blog on Facebook - this time she's called it "Coins in a Cracked Jar"
More infoSubscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERETo access our website 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 today.  Read more about our 8-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.
We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.
You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 
You can catch our FB live on Saturday mornings (11am SAST) and you can join our private Facebook group HERE
Thank you for listening! 
Till Next Week
Janet x

How I Stopped Drinking - Ken M Middleton

 
Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living!
After running Tribe Sober for 5 years and helping hundreds of people to ditch the drink and embrace alcohol-free living I've learned a thing or two.  My biggest insight has been that sharing our stories around alcohol is the most powerful way we can help others - that's why the heart of this podcast is recovery stories.
However in this brand new series we are also interviewing some experts - we've got a doctor, a psychiatrist, a professor, a journalist - and this week we get to meet author and sobriety advocate Ken Middleton
 
In this Episode
Ken explains that when he became an entrepreneur he decided to "give it his all" by ditching the drink and putting in 100% effort
His thinking behind this decision was that alcohol wasn't ruining his life, but it WAS preventing him from developing his potential
He was planning to take a break from alcohol but once he started experiencing the benefits he decided to continue
We talked about the "work hard, play hard culture" that prevails in many corporates - and how will catch up with you eventually
The science tells us that after a couple of decades of heavy drinking many of us will become dependent
We agreed we should never wait until he hit "rock bottom" - it makes far more sense to step off the slippery slope while you can
Ken explained how his travel routine changed when he stopped drinking - rather than staying in a bar he actually explored the city!
He wants others to discover how to thrive in alcohol free life and writes regularly for Medium
He has his own newsletter and is writing a book
You can read his article about the science of why you should quit drinking HERE
You can subscribe to his newsletter - Alcohol is Not Your Friend HERE
More infoSubscription membership for Tribe Sober you can join up HERETo access our website 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 today.  Read more about our 8-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.
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
Thank you for listening! 
Till Next Week
Janet x

CDT Testing - Scientist Jean Deenmamod

 
Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living!
After running Tribe Sober for 5 years and helping hundreds of people to ditch the drink and embrace alcohol-free living I've learned a thing or two.  My biggest insight has been that sharing our stories around alcohol is the most powerful way we can help others - that's why the heart of this podcast is recovery stories.
However in this brand new series we are also interviewing some experts - we've got a doctor, a psychiatrist, a professor, a journalist - and this week we kick off the series by interviewing Mauritian scientist Jean Deenmamode about the CDT test.
 
 In this Episode
Jean takes us through his career development and explains how he first came across CDT testing back in 2008.
He explained how the traditional "liver function" that many of us rely on is just not a reliable indicator of whether or not alcohol is harming our health.
Alcohol harms many other parts of our bodies so there is no reason to focus only on the liver - for example it is linked to 7 different types of cancer
The CDT test is a simple blood test that will show elevated markers if a person has been regularly drinking half a bottle of wine or more 
These elevated markers are a clear indication that alcohol is taking its toll on the body and that a change needs to be made
It's not a test that puts people in a box and calls them an "alcoholic - it's a lifestyle assessment that can prompt them to change their drinking habits
Seeing the results in black and white (as a number) can make all the difference - and often shocks people into taking action
If people do a CDT test they get an early warning and may be able to adjust their consumption, rather than having to stop drinking completely.
If you drink within the low risk limits of one and a half of bottles a week you are unlikely to be harming your health.
When a patient presents with anxiety/depression a doctor can do a CDT test to open the conversation about the patients drinking habits
Alcohol increases anxiety and when people give up drinking their anxiety will often lift
The test is inexpensive (30 Euros, R600) and can be arranged by your Doctor
Tribe Sober members can contact Dr Judy who will arrange for the test
If you are unable to source the test then you can contact Jean Deenmamode directly on +44(0)7917026152 or j.deenmamode@btinternet.com
More infoSubscription membership a month - you can join up HERETo access our website 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 today.  Read more about our 8-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.
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
Thank you for listening! 
Till Next Week
Janet x

5 years of sobriety - Janis

Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living!
After running Tribe Sober for 5 years and helping hundreds of people to ditch the drink and embrace alcohol-free living I've learned a thing or two.  My biggest insight has been that sharing our stories around alcohol is the most powerful way we can help others - that's why the heart of this podcast is recovery stories.
Janis came to a workshop back in 2016 and has recently celebrated her fifth Soberversary 
 In this Episode
Janis had tried taken regular breaks from alcohol but it never quite stuck
She even managed 8 months of sobriety once - then tried to moderate but found herself back drinking heavily within weeks
It was a blackout one Christmas that made her decide to make a change
We both agreed that when we drink heavily our world "shrinks" - all we care about is alcohol related activities
She saw an article in the Sunday Times about Tribe Sober - and booked on the next workshop
Janis loved connecting with other people who were struggling with alcohol and after the workshop she stayed in touch - the connection helped her to make a permanent change
She is now 5 years sober and feels "renewed" - so much energy - she knows that sobriety has helped her get through the menopause
She made and drank a lot of kombucha when she first stopped drinking - also drank AF beers
Janis connects much better to her children and has a group of Sober Buddies that she hangs out with
We both agreed that we get a lot of pleasure from everyday activities these days - now that we no longer rely on the chemical high from alcohol
The alcohol free drinks industry is exploding which is a positive sign and many young people are drinking less
We talked about how many people know that they must drink less but have no idea HOW to cut down and how Tribe Sober can help
Tribe Sober provides tools and community support to enable people to change their relationship with alcohol
More infoTo access our website click HERE - subscription membership is only R75 (£5/$6) a month - you can join up 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 today.  Read more about our 8-step program and subscribe HERE.
  Music by CadacusMusic
 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.
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
Thank you for listening! 
Till Next Week
Janet x

How I Stopped Drinking - Ashleigh‘s story

 
Tribe Sober - Your guide to alcohol-free living!
After running Tribe Sober for 5 years and helping hundreds of people to ditch the drink and embrace alcohol-free living I've learned a thing or two.  My biggest insight has been that sharing our stories around alcohol is the most powerful way we can help others - that's why the heart of this podcast is recovery stories.
Ashleigh came to a workshop back in August 2018 and has recently celebrated her second Soberversary
 
 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!
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!
Ashleigh has experienced so many benefits of sobriety - she is certainly less anxious and more confident these days
So the workshop was a real turning point in Ashley's - at the age of 40 she has celebrated two years of sobriety and has a different future ahead
She fully recognized 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 infoTo access our website click HERE and to read about subscription membership click HERE.  If you missed the Sober Spring start date then just email us for info on the next Challenge
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.
 Music by CadacusMusic
 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.
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
Thank you for listening! 
Till Next Week
Janet x