Pro Tips for Overcoming Trauma and Healing Yourself.

Hi Friends! 

You may or may not know that I host a Sober Vibes podcast. 

I talk about living openly as a recovering alcoholic and how my sobriety empowers my lifestyle. I was thrilled to interview Chris Nell, the Having a Cuppa podcast host, in a recent episode. We talked about overcoming trauma, narcissism, and Chris's journey recovering from drugs and alcohol. 

We covered a lot! 

Today I pulled some highlights from our episode to share with you on the blog. Of course, I recommend that you listen to the episode as well. Chris's story is truly inspirational and worth a listen. 

First, Chris opens up about how family dysfunction and his father's narcissism created wobbly circumstances for him growing up. We know that everyone has their own experiences and trauma in life. Unfortunately, that experience leads so many people to substance abuse. 

Both Chris and I both sought out AA as one of the first steps in our recovery. When you seek to overcome the trauma still impacting your life, that first step can seem frightening. It's only because it's still an "unknown" to you. In our episode, Chris mentioned that after a few years of working on his sobriety, he could fully embrace that part of himself. 

He said, "I'm a person who has a debilitating disease, but I am not a lost cause," and it gave me chills! It's easy to feel broken or like trying won't do any good, but taking that first step proves that dead wrong. 

After taking the first step to getting yourself some support, you'll need to get honest with yourself about how that trauma is impacting you and where it's coming from. Transparency is vital, and it may come with a lot of feelings. Remember that feeling those feelings will help you heal and grow into a version of yourself you love. 

When you don't deal with trauma, it causes "emotional imbalance," as Chris reminded me. Do you know that "off feeling" you have after you've experienced something rough? It's trauma that's waiting to be adequately dealt with. Many of us shrug off that feeling and bury it because it seems more manageable at the moment. In this episode, we agreed trauma can absolutely be a gateway to addiction if not dealt with. 

I asked Chirs what helped him in his journey.

Finding someone with similar circumstances to connect with and relate to was his response. I couldn't agree more with him! Having someone you vibe with, often outside of your immediate circle, who's also in recovery is priceless. You don't have to over-explain every feeling; they get it. 

Secondly, he suggested that anyone in early sobriety find a new place for their energy and passion to live. When you're in the drinking cycle, so much of yourself is sucked into drinking drama. You can channel that energy into something positive in recovery, like a new hobby or skill! 

To listen to the full episode with Chris, head over to the Sober Vibes podcast!

Check out my group coaching program, Sober Focus, if you're ready to take the first step and invest in support.