RAW Recovery Podcast
Storytelling has a profound impact on individuals in recovery, as it allows them to connect with others who have walked similar paths. By sharing their own stories of struggle and triumph, individuals can find a sense of validation, comfort, and hope. When others hear stories of resilience and recovery, they feel less alone in their own struggles and are inspired to continue their journey towards healing. Storytelling can also help to break down stigmas and stereotypes surrounding addiction and mental health, promoting a culture of empathy and understanding. By sharing their stories, individuals can empower others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of hope and support that can have a lasting impact on those in recovery.
Episodes
Walking Hand In Hand With The Newcomer
On page 100 of Alcoholics Anonymous, we are reminded of the importance of working with others—especially the newcomer. It tells us to continue watching for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear, and when these show up, we take action right away.
Walking hand in hand with the newcomer isn’t just about helping them—it’s part of how we stay sober ourselves. As we carry the message, we’re ...
Have we lost the choice to drink?
On pages 22–24 of Alcoholics Anonymous, the question is made clear: have we lost the power of choice when it comes to drinking?
The Big Book describes how the alcoholic mind works—how even when we truly want to stop, something happens before the first drink that leads us back again. It explains the strange mental blank spot, the return to drinking without a clear reason, and the reality that self-k...
Arrested development is something many of us don’t recognize until we get into recovery. While life moved forward, parts of us stayed stuck—emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Today on The Daily Trudge, Dion talks about what arrested development looks like in real life, how it shows up in our reactions, relationships, and decision-making, and what begins to change as we grow in recovery.
Getting sober is just the beginning. Lea...
Learning to Be a Father in Recovery
Fatherhood doesn’t automatically come with sobriety. For many of us, it’s something we have to learn—sometimes from the ground up.
Today on The Daily Trudge, Dion talks about what it means to become a present, honest, and consistent father in recovery.
This isn’t about perfection—it’s about showing up. It’s about taking responsibility, rebuilding trust, and learning how to be there in ways we may...
HOW It Works
“How It Works” is one of the most recognized sections in the book Alcoholics Anonymous, laying out the foundation of the Twelve Steps and the path to recovery.
Today on The Daily Trudge, we walk through what the Big Book actually says about willingness, honesty, and taking action.
Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. So what does that really mean? What does it look like in real life t...
Four Years of Trudging — This Is Why I Speak Up
There are seasons in life that shape us in ways we don’t fully understand until later. Periods where we’re tested, stretched, and forced to grow—whether we’re ready or not.
Today on The Daily Trudge, Dion shares part of the journey behind why he continues to advocate so strongly for recovery.
This isn’t about one moment—it’s about the process. The experiences, challenges, and lessons ...
The Five Love Languages
Love isn’t just a feeling—it’s something we learn how to give and receive. And for many of us in recovery, that didn’t come naturally.
Today on The Daily Trudge, we’re breaking down The Five Love Languages and how they show up in real life—especially in sobriety.
What makes one person feel loved might not even register for someone else. So how do we learn to connect better, communicate better, and actually s...
When God Starts Doing What You Couldn’t
There comes a point in recovery where we begin to realize something powerful—the things we could never fix on our own start to change. Not because we figured it out, but because we finally stopped fighting.
Today on The Daily Trudge, we’re diving into today’s AA Daily Reflection and talking about what happens when we let go of control and begin to rely on God.
The Big Book tells us that self-...
Why Early Sobriety Feels So Strange
Early sobriety can feel confusing, uncomfortable, and sometimes even frightening. Many people expect life to immediately get better after putting the drink or drug down, but instead they often experience emotional swings, restlessness, anxiety, and a sense that something just feels “off.”
Today on The Daily Trudge, Dion talks about why early recovery can feel so strange and what the Big Book says...
All You Need Is Love
Today’s show is a special one—it’s my 14-year wedding anniversary. In recovery we learn that real relationships are built on honesty, patience, and a willingness to grow. The same spiritual principles that keep us sober also help us build stronger connections with the people in our lives.
The Alcoholics Anonymous reminds us that selfishness and self-centeredness are at the root of many of our problems. As we pr...
Surrender
One of the most important turning points in recovery is surrender. For many of us, the struggle wasn’t just with alcohol—it was with control. We tried to manage our drinking, manage our lives, and manage everyone around us, only to find ourselves exhausted and defeated.
Recovery begins when we finally reach the place where we stop fighting and admit that our way hasn’t worked. Surrender isn’t weakness—it’s the moment we b...
The Higher Power Idea
In the chapter We Agnostics from the Alcoholics Anonymous, the book addresses one of the biggest hurdles many people face in recovery: the idea of a Higher Power. Many of us come into recovery skeptical, doubtful, or unsure about anything spiritual.
The message of this chapter is simple but powerful — recovery doesn’t demand perfect belief. It asks only that we become willing to consider that there may be a Po...
All The Answers Are In The Big Book
For nearly a century, alcoholics searching for recovery have turned to the Alcoholics Anonymous for guidance. The book lays out the problem of alcoholism, the spiritual solution, and the steps that have helped millions of people find sobriety.
While recovery experiences may vary, the foundation remains the same: honesty, willingness, and the actions described in the Big Book. Many people discover...
You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup
In recovery, many of us spend a lot of time helping others—sponsoring, showing up for meetings, carrying the message, and being there when someone is struggling. But if we’re not careful, we can forget something important: we have to take care of ourselves too.
The saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. If we don’t take time to refill spiritually, emotionally, and mentally, eventually we hav...
No Maudlin Guilt
In As Bill Sees It (p. 15), Bill W. reminds us that while we must face our past honestly, recovery does not ask us to live in endless guilt or self-condemnation. We acknowledge the harm we caused, make amends where possible, and then move forward with humility and gratitude.
The program teaches us that dwelling in “maudlin guilt” keeps us stuck in ourselves. Real recovery comes when we learn from the past without b...
In this episode of RAW Recovery — a Trudging Together podcast, Dion sits down with Benjamin Lehner, a recovery creator who uses social media, music, and honest storytelling to talk about sobriety, growth, and rebuilding life.
Benjamin shares a powerful story that begins long before his first drink — growing up uncomfortable in his own skin, chasing validation, and turning to substances as a way to escape himself and finally feel li...
Creating Our Own Emotional Security
For many of us in recovery, emotional security didn’t come naturally. We looked for it in other people, circumstances, money, approval, or control. But those things can change at any moment.
Recovery teaches us something different: real emotional security grows from within. It comes from spiritual principles, honesty with ourselves, and learning to rely on something deeper than fear or outside va...
Today on The Daily Trudge, we’re talking about the moment when life stops looking like a fairy tale and starts looking like reality. Many of us came into recovery believing stories about how life should work—about happiness, success, family, and control. But addiction has a way of ripping the curtain down and showing us the truth.
In this episode, we’ll read and discuss a viral speech often attributed to Alan Watts that begins with...
God Centered Recovery
Plans Work Better When We Stop Playing God
Today Roger and I talk about Proverbs 16:3: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”
We talk about control, self-will, and why trying to run the show ourselves usually creates more chaos than clarity. Most of our stress comes from trying to manage outcomes instead of focusing on the next right action.
Take what you need. Leave the rest.
...
A Small Part of A Great Whole
Recovery is personal, but it was never meant to be done alone.
In The Language of the Heart, Bill W. reminds us that every member of AA is an individual, yet we are also part of something much larger than ourselves. The strength of the fellowship comes from people who bring their own experience, strength, and hope — while remembering that the group always comes first.
When we learn to balance individua...
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