What happens to family relationships in recovery? It’s no secret that addiction affects entire families, but we thought it would be good to also talk about navigating family relationships after you’ve stopped drinking. Spoiler alert: it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Of course there are positives, like more meaningful connections and rebuilding trust. But there are struggles, too. In this sober podcast episode, we’re joined by DeAnn from Show Up And Stay, Ali from The Sober Witch, and our friend Kernie, to talk about what relationships look like, now that we’re sober and working on healing ourselves.
“First I had to heal myself, before I could heal my relationships.”
In this episode:
- We all thought we were hiding our drinking from our families
- We pushed everyone away to “protect” them from us.
- Discovering the very real need for connection
- Creating new beliefs around intimacy
- Developing the maturity to have healthy relationships
- Other people aren’t ready to change just because you are, and that’s hard to accept sometimes.
- Finding connection in recovery communities is an important part of recovery
- Our growth is going to make our families uncomfortable
- We discover new identities, and have to introduce our families to the new “us”
- Where you are at now – in your relationships and in life – is not where you’ll always be.
“It’s really hard to do the thing that is best for you, and disappoint the people that you care about.”
Kernie mentions the Myers-Briggs test, which can be found here: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
DeAnn is a human in recovery for just under 5 years. She has a non-profit committed to advocacy for those struggling with substance use disorder. Her podcast, Show Up and Stay, focuses on the space between recovering from a substance and starting the steps to healing your life. She also has a special project underway: Sober Positive Workplace, which focuses on helping organizations normalize recovery and substance-free individuals in our workplaces and other shared spaces. DeAnn is currently working on her Masters with Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies and is especially focused on integrated recovery options and counseling services inclusive of resources for co-occurring disorders.
Sober Positive Workplace showcase page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/96108017/admin/feed/posts/
DeAnn Social Links
From the Twin Cities, Minnesota area. Have worked in commercial printing for roughly 25 years with a creative background. Was walking around in life a bit lost with no direction. Lacking confidence in myself not realizing that I really never got to know myself. Had a couple failed attempts at sobriety until hitting a bottom and coming to the realization that I could not continue down the path I was on. A little over three and a half years ago I started on a real path to recovery. Met several new great friends along the way and eventually meeting myself in the process. It has become a little less about quitting alcohol (although equally important) and more about personal growth, self discovery & confidence. Leaning into my introversion has played a huge part in discovering myself. I’ve had a lot of help and support from my sober friends. I’ve been more present and reliable for family, friends and professionally than ever before. Still much to learn and plenty of growth ahead.
Get in touch with Steve and Julie:
Visit our website at throughtheglassrecovery.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter, and to gain access to our FREE weekly recovery meetings.
You can also find Julie and Steve on:
- The Ultimate List of Sober Songs: 223 Songs About Sobriety - May 17, 2024
- Navigating Through the Waves of Grief: A Personal Journey of Loss and Perseverance - April 7, 2024
- Our Sobriety Podcast is a Year Old!! - September 24, 2023