Sober while Celebrating: Red Balloons in Non-Sober Spaces

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#57: Liz and Bryce are back with another bonus episode where they share how to navigate specific situations within the realm of the sober and recovery experience. This week, we talked all about celebrations amidst recovery. For Liz, voicing her needs and being open about sobriety was imperative when she entered spaces where alcohol was not only present, but the focus. As for Bryce, he reflects upon his relationship  with music, both his own and other's, and how it is so much deeper than anything he ever felt while in active addiction. Sober spaces are happening anywhere folks are deciding to be sober, and that is a celebration within itself. We discuss this and more:

- Some of the tools Liz and Bryce have cultivated throughout their recovery journey that allow them to authentically show up in celebratory spaces .
- Creating red balloons: just by letting people know you're sober and that it's ok for them to be too starts a conversation, and let's folks know you are a safe space for them.
- Losing yourself to find yourself in the music, and how one particular concert experience changed Bryce's whole perspective.
- When Liz got sober, she realized spaces she thought she liked going to were actually because she liked drinking there. Now she doesn't enter those spaces, not because she no longer uses substances, but because she realized she never wanted to be there in the first place.
- Being a loud reference point for the folks who feel like they can't have these experiences anymore.
- An ongoing challenge: How can we activate in spaces that are supportive of our sober and recovery lifestyle, but not restrict ourselves?

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If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health or substance use related crisis, the following resources can provide immediate help.*

If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, please dial 911.

• Dial 988 for the SAMSHA Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.  Available 24/7
• Text “HOME” to 741-741 for the NAMI Crisis Text Line.  Available 24/7.
• Dial 1-800-622-2255 to connect with a nearby treatment center & community resources through the NCADD Hope Line. Available 24/7.
• Call or text 1-844-326-5400 for The GSCA CARES Warm Line.  Answered by Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialists with lived experience of Substance Use Recovery.  Available any day of the year, 8:30am-11pm EST

*Note: The resources listed are provided for informational purposes only.  This list is not comprehensive and does not constitute an endorsement by The Phoenix or the Rise Recover Live Podcast.
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