The Other Side of Hell Podcast

Most of us found ourselves in the firm grip of addiction because we were seeking. Seeking comfort. Seeking relief. Something to take us away from the negative thoughts or feelings we have inside. 

In sobriety, we have an opportunity to seek in a new way. We seek a power greater than ourselves or a new relationship to the person we thought we were. Whatever it is, its in the seeking that we find the power. By remaining in a seekin...

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a police officer AND an alcoholic? Well, wonder no more. Today we have a very special guest, Bob A., who found his way to sobriety after getting a DUI from a co-worker. Tune in to hear him talk about what life was like in the LAPD and how he worked to bring more awareness to the disease of alcoholism to his department and the law enforcement community. 

Thanks for joining us and sharing your amazi...

A wise man once said, “if you meet three assholes in a row, odds are, you’re the asshole.” What did it take for you to realize that YOU were the problem? Tune in this week to hear us rant about what it took for us to see clearly, that it wasn’t anybody or anything but our own making that was our undoing. 

This week’s topic was inspired by an amazing story from Marco. What did it take for Marco to start buying in that his response...

What does it take to get us to finally realize we have a problem? That we can’t just casually drink or use? A lot. 

Why is that? Oftentimes, we are holding on to the fantasy of what the substance CAN give us. We have reservations that keep us from fully admitting to our innermost selves that we are alcoholics or addicts and that we must find a way to abstain completely. 

Our topic this week, reservations in sobriety, comes to u...

A new year is a great opportunity to look back and reflect on moments and events to take stock. It's not always easy to see growth when we’re constantly in a state of action but when we do, it’s important to really soak it in. Gratitude is the fuel that can rocket us into the fourth dimension. 

This week, instead of a warstory, we’re doing something a little different.  Thanks to you, the fans, we have our first in-studio guest i...

We've all done some things in our past that we regret. Most, but not all, we can chalk up to the mess that was us while in our active addiction. If we're lucky enough, we get to grow through a process of making amends. But how do we make amends to those people we hurt but do not know directly? Or to those who have passed on? That's where living amends come in.

This topic was inspired by this week's warstory from Richard. Tune in ...

Let’s face it, when we were actively using and drinking, life didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Self-pity and fear ruled over us and we were convinced that the universe was conspiring against us. We looked at everything through a broken lens and it seemed nothing could go our way. 

Then, for some of us, we were given the gift of desperation and began the work and surrender of getting sober. We began to see how our story, no matte...

The alcoholic suffers from a spiritual malady, or so it says in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. What does that mean? And how can we change it? And how do we build and improve on that spiritual connection? 

This week, we’re talking all about the spiritual connection, a topic inspired by the amazing warstory from Bill. Bill was the son of an alcoholic and grew up without a father. When his alcohol got out of control he said h...

It doesn’t matter where you're from, what your background is or who your mom is, if you’re an alcoholic, odds are you’ve said a prayer or two. We don’t always know who or what we’re saying it to but there is something about it that we naturally turn to in times of need. So what is the power of prayer? Let’s talk about it. 

This week’s topic was inspired by an amazing warstory from Kelsie! Kelsie grew up sheltered but found her wa...

Let's face it. Recovery is work. Whether you're newly sober or finally doing something about your compulsive overeating, there is no doubt that the road ahead will be challenging. But you know what else is hard? An alcoholic still in the disease. Or someone who struggles with food navigating life in an oversized body. If we're lucky, we'll get to choose which path we take. 

Our topic, "choose your hard," is inspired by this week'...

Have you ever wondered what it's like to go through withdrawal from opiates or alcohol? Have you experienced it first hand? To say the least, it’s a sobering up like none other and often times, can lead to some pretty monumental growth. But it sure doesn’t feel that way when you’re going through it!

Just ask Ronny. In Ronny’s warstory, you’ll hear how quickly drugs become an everyday occurrence in his life, once he decided to par...

Maybe you’ve heard that the opposite of addiction is connection. Why is that? What is it about connecting with others that fills the void? Could “connection” be what we’ve been searching for all this time?

This is the prompt to a great conversation, that is multi-faceted, humbling, and a good reminder of what really matters. 

We have a great warstory from Mike this week who’s work in recovery inspired this topic. Mike worked in...

It seems to be one of the biggest hang ups to those thinking about getting help with a 12 step program. But is it really what we think it is? Or is our disease, once again, convincing us that we are not like others. 

That’s right. This week, we’re talking about, the God thing. 

This topic was inspired by the inspiring story from Jamie. Tune into to hear how her bottom had her compromising herself both physically, but spirituall...

As it turns out, recovery isn’t easy. Maybe that’s why it takes some of us so long to get here. But once we become desperate enough, we usually become willing, and that’s half the battle. The other half? Putting in the work. 

This week, we have an amazing warstory from Kameron who, as an adolescent,  had more felony convictions than pimples on his face. Hear the crazy places meth took him, how he got sober, and why today, he’s wi...

It’s hard to describe to someone who has never been there just what it feels like to be at your bottom. The word “fear” doesn’t quite cover all the emotions that you feel. The big book of AA describes the Four Horseman as terror, bewilderment, frustration, and despair. Yeah, it feels like that. 

Unfortunately, just getting sober doesn’t mean we don’t still feel these things. However, today, we don’t have to get drunk or high when...

Doesn’t it feel like in order to get sober, we need to smash all the ideas we had about ourselves and the world around us? I know it did for us. Along with that, we had to admit that we were wrong about some things- a lot of things. But once we started believing that we could get sober, we realized anything was possible!

This week’s topic is inspired by our warstory from Cathie! From an early age, Cathie always gravitated towards...

When we first look at getting sober, in most cases, the pain of using has become so great that we are desperate to change. One thing they ask you in Alcoholics Anonymous is if you are now willing to go to any lengths to stay sober? The answer is confoundedly yes. 

But what about those of us who have been around for a minute? Are we still willing to go to any lengths when the pain of the last drink is so far behind us? And when th...

In case you don’t know, we addicts tend to be creatures of habit. Oftentimes, without something to do, we’ll slip back into a negative way of doing or thinking. That’s why having a routine can play such a critical role in living a positive way of life 24 hours at a time. 

This week, we got another banger of a warstory from Michael Sean, who inspired this topic. Tune in to hear how Michael-Sean’s journey from Pharmaceutical Sales ...

Early on in recovery, we learn just how sick we are. Hopefully, we also learn that its not our fault and that we don't have to stay that way. But a big pill to swallow can often be this idea of a higher power. What does it mean to have your own concept of a higher power? And why is it important to getting and staying sober? In this episode, the boys get into this sometimes controversial topic. 

This week's topic was inspired by a...