The Bubble Hour

Jenny's path to recovery included several "fasts" from alcohol - planned, supported breaks for 30 or more days as she worked to envision her life without drinking. When her father died, she longed to honor her grief by feeling it fully. She now sees how living alcohol-free allows her to live engage more actively in her life. As a writer, Jenny feared that alcohol was entwined with creativity--but has discovered the very opposite is true! She has used the down time during the covid pandemic to turn her attentions to a novel she wrote decades earlier. Of Butterflies and Bullies is loosley based on Jenny's experience of being bullied in her pre-teen years, and the project has been healing and gratifying. Visit https://www.butterfliesbullies.com to learn more and purchase the book. Follow Jenny on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dalton_jen  * Host Jean McCarthy's website is https://jeanmccarthy.ca and her blog UnPickled is at http://www.unpickledblog.com  

Beverly Sartain is a Psyche Strategist who helps helpers heal their wounds so that they can serve Self and humanity from wholeness. Image of Healing Roadmap created by Bev Sartain: https://holisticcoachtraininginstitute.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/HCTI+-+A+Healing+Roadmap.pdf  Website - https://holisticcoachtraininginstitute.com/ Book - Transcending Trauma: How I Use Spiritual Psychology To Heal My Life Workbook - Spiritual Psychology Healing Workbook Course - Spiritual Psychology Healing Course FB Group - Holistic Coach Network Podcast - Holistic Coach Legacy Podcast

Nicole has overcome great losses and built a life full of joy, but it was not an easy path to arrive where she is today. Grief was all too present in her life, even as a child. Nicole was just 11 when her mother died unexpectedly. Then, as newlyweds, Nicole and her husband suffered multiple pregnancy losses. Though she didn't necessarily see alcohol use as a coping strategy, her dysfunctional drinking patterns escalated throughout her teen years and into adulthood as life became more and more complicated. Nicole is now 13 years sober and her passion is to help others develop the skills to change the direction of their lives. She says, "My mission is simple. I help successful people create change. Change in their stories, change in narrative, and change in their relationship with themselves, others and substance, by providing solutions in healing their worth, practicing self compassion, living into core values, identifying character strengths and creating healthy and positive thought life." Learn more at htt

Cybele Botran of Wide Awake Recovery shares her story of recovery and healing. Cybele believes that each of us can be our own healers once we get past the judgement, guilt, and shame that hold us back. She teaches transformative practices of self-love, self-compassion, and self-forgiveness to help others find the powers within to let go of unconscious beliefs and embrace joy. Cybele has a free download for listeners interested in learning more about inner-child work: Free e-booklet: Self-Love for Your Inner Child Website: www.wideawakerecovery.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/wideawakerecovery Facebook: www.facebook.com/wideawakerecovery (Pleae note: This conversation includes discussion of adverse childhood experiences including sexual trauma.)

Lori Massicot is a sober woman on a mission to help women over 40 create a life they love alcohol-free. For thirty years, Lori thought that alcohol was the solution to her anxiety and shyness, and on August 11, 2013, she decided to quit drinking and become the solution she had always been. Lori uses a simplistic approach to sobriety and helps women create a deeper relationship with themselves as they age through connection, self-care, and self-compassion. Lori is a Life and Sober Coach, Nutrition Coach, and host of the To 50 and Beyond podcast, where she talks openly with her guests about aging sober and creating overall wellbeing in midlife and beyond. www.lorimassicot.com She's lived in Southern California her whole life and is a mom and wife and a dog lover who strives to live a simplistic lifestyle in recovery.   * Host Jean McCarthy's website is www.jeanmccarthy.ca and her blog is www.unpickledblog.com

Founder of Recovery Buddha and woman in recovery, Penni Moussa is also a Clinical Psychologist, intuitive healer, writer, creative & mother of 3 young adults; the youngest of whom is on the Autism Spectrum. Having travelled a journey which includes recovery from addiction, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma & grief, Penni’s lived experience informs her work as a trauma therapist within the recovery community. Website: https://www.recoverybuddha.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RecoveryBuddha Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RecoveryBuddha  * Host Jean McCarthy's website is www.jeanmccarthy.ca

In Broken Open, parenting and family consultant Maureen Towns shares her journey through her teenage kids’ mental health and addiction issues to help parents find freedom in chaos.  Maureen Towns BScN, MA is a relationship mentor with over 25 years of nursing experience in both public and private health care across Canada. After experiencing mental illness and addiction with her own children, she founded Maureen Towns Consulting to help families struggling to care for their own loved ones. Her work with parents inspires them to rediscover themselves within chaotic and challenging situations. Website: www.maureentowns.com  Broken Open Podcast: https://maureentowns.com/podcast/ More links and show notes at https://jeanmccarthy.ca/2021/03/22/the-bubble-hour-s9e11-maureen-towns/ * Host Jean McCarthy's website is www.jeanmccarthy.ca with links to her blog Unpickled, more Bubble Hour epsiodes, her books, and more  

Ruby Warrington is the author of Sober Curious (2018) and The Sober Curious Reset (2020). Her books have given voice to a movement that embraces an alcohol-free lifestyle as a choice, and encourages people to explore their relationship with alcohol proactively. Ruby shares her personal story and digs deep into some unexpected results in her personal life, like deeper intimacy and greater authenticity. Ruby's website is www.rubywarrington.com  More links and shownotes here *** Host Jean McCarthy's blog is www.unpickledblog.com Her latest books are available through her website www.jeanmccarthy.ca/books

Host Jean McCarthy hosts a solo show with updates on her recovery, a big upcoming milestone, reflections on grief and celebration, plus heaps of encouragement for YOU! Learn more about Jean at www.jeanmccarthy.ca where you can link to her blog UnPickled, buy her books, and hear more episodes of The Bubble Hour.

Sean McCann and Andrea Aragon are the husband and wife team who co-wrote the recovery memoir “One Good Reason.”  Sean McCann rose to fame as a founding member of the multimillion selling folk group Great Big Sea. But all of that performing and partying allowed Sean’s alcoholism to flourish in plain sight, as he drank to cope with the long-buried pain of childhood abuse by a trusted family priest—a secret he kept until 2014 when he shared his truth and began using his music and stage presence as a mental health advocate. “One Good Reason” includes the parallel narrative of Sean’s wife, Andrea Aragon. Her balancing insights give this memoir extraordinary insights into the nuanced and complex effect of addiction on the family.  For more information visit www.seanmccannsings.com Host Jean McCarthy's blog UnPickled is at www.unpickledblog.com and her latest books are available at www.jeanmccarthy.ca/books For more episodes of The Bubble Hour please visit www.thebubblehour.com

Looking back, Deb can see that she was self-medicating mental health problems with alcohol. When she entered a partial hospitalization program to assess and treat her symptoms of anxiety and depression, it was necessary to address the issue of alcohol use disorder that had developed as a result. She describes quitting alcohol as 'low hanging fruit' that made way for prescription drugs and therapy to work more effectively. Deb's diagosis is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), sometimes called 'emotional hypersensitivity.' She says that with BPD, "every emotion feels like a knife to the chest."   (To hear another Bubble Hour interview about BPD, check out "Michelle's Story" Season 5, Episode 5) For links to resources mentioned in this episode, click here. Host Jean McCarthy's books and blog can be linked to through her website www.jeanmcarthy.ca

Kelly created a self-image as a party girl that became eventually an uncomfortable way to live. Self-centered partners who also drank problematically appeared one after another. She leaned on others for her self-worth and thought, “if you like me then I’m less broken." Now she realizes that her biggest relationship problem was with herself. Today Kelly is standing in her authenticity and learning to love and appreciate herself as a sober woman. “It’s one of the best things that I’ve ever done for myself.” “Therapy is like peeling the layers back trying to get to the root issue, because if you don’t get to the root out you’re likely to relapse. It’s really painful drudging up all of the old stuff but after suppressing it for so long, there was just so much to work through…” “I’ve gotten comfortable in my own skin and actually enjoy being around myself so I don’t have this desperate need to be with somebody like I always had.” Click here for links for the resources mentioned in this episode: https://jeanmc

Matt Salis shares his story and insights on recovery. Matt and his wife Sheri have co-authored a book about marriage and recovery, Sober Evolution: Evolve into Sobriety and Recover Your Alcoholic Marriage. They also host a podcast together called UnToxicated. Visit www.soberevolution.org to learn more about their work, download free resources, and connect to Matt's blog Sober and Unashamed. Learn more about their recovery programs SHOUTSobriety and its partner program Echoes of Recovery at www. shoutsobriety.org Host Jean McCarthy's blog is www.UnPickledBlog.com and her latest books are available at www.jeanmccarthy.ca/books

As a little girl, Nichol was not protected the way a child should be. The abuse she suffered left emotional wounds that she kept hidden from the world. Through her teens and adult years, she leaned on alcohol to cope and, despite a strong work ethic and deep love for her daughters, dependency unfolded. Her pattern was unpredictable and she suffered frightening blackouts frequently. Then came an experience that changed everything. Nichol woke up one morning caked in blood and did not recognize the disfigured face in the mirror. A drunken fall the night before nearly ended her life, but she summoned her strength to use the experience as a catalyst for change. Nichol recently celebrate her 50th birthday and a 3-year milestone of sobriety. She shares her story in hopes of taking away some of the stigma and shame others might feel who have been through similar experiences. For links to resources mentioned in this episode, click here: https://jeanmccarthy.ca/2021/01/18/the-bubble-hour-s9e3-nichols-story/ * Hos

Getting sober is just the beginning for recovery coach and therapist Shelby John, who believes that we can then go on to reach higher for a more joyful, fulfilling life than we ever imagined.  Now 18+ years sober, Shelby recognizes that she not only hit a bottom with her addiction but also then hit what she calls a "sober bottom"; a point at which she saw a need to live differently. Learn more about Shelby at www.shelbyjohncoaching.com and check out her podcast https://confidentsoberwomen.buzzsprout.com. Shelby has created a Facebook group for women in recovery here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/confidentsoberwomen * Host Jean McCarthy's blog is UnPickled and her latest books are available at www.jeanmccarthy.ca/books

Welcome to Season 9 of The Bubble Hour! Host Jean McCarthy shares some thoughts about this special time of year, looks back over 9 years of this podcast and offers inspiration for the days ahead. Recovery is better together and The Bubble Hour is honoured to be part of your recovery toolkit! Jean shares excerpts from her books, which are available at www.jeanmccarthy.com/books. Jean's blog is www.unpickledblog.com.

Darcy noticed she was becoming increasingly reliant on alcohol to relax after her twin boys were born. Then came the double trauma of a miscarriage followed by a devastating decision to end another ill-fated pregnancy.  Darcy tried to push through her emotions, carrying on with her job and meeting the demands of parenting her young sons. She began using alcohol to cope, and the progression took off. She began to question her own value and when she wondered if her family might be better off without her, she knew it was time to ask for help. After some time of being alcohol-free, as well as a joyfully successful pregnancy, Darcy contemplated moderation and found that her drinking returned to previous patterns. It was alarming and quick. Soon she was back in care and determined to do whatever it might take to be free of the hold that alcohol had over her. * Host Jean McCarthy's blog is UnPickled and her lastest books are available via www.jeanmccarthy.ca/books  

Kathy's busy, active life was disrupted abruptly when her husband was diagnosed with a dibilitating and ultimately fatal disease at a young age. The stress of being a caregiver led her to lean on alcohol and the pattern continued into her second marriage, which also ended in tragic loss. Grief and lonliness fuelled Kathy's reliance on alcohol even more, until the day she decided to take her power back. https://jeanmccarthy.ca/2020/12/21/the-bubble-hour-s8-e47-kathy-l * Learn more about host Jean McCarthy through her blog UnPickled and find her latest book releases at www.jeanmccarthy.ca/books

Michael Blanchard's work combines photography and personal essays to illuminate the recovery experience and show the beauty and hope beyond the darkness of addiction. His books include Fighting for My Life: Finding Hope and Serenity on Martha's Vineyard and Through a Sober Lens: A Photographer's Journey.  Michael is a gallery owner on Martha's Vineyard who sees his storefront as more than a place to present art; it is also a way to connect with others and share his message of hope. Visit Michael's website to purchase his books and learn more about his story at www.blanchardphotomv.com * Host Jean McCarthy's blog is UnPickled and her lastest books are available at www.jeanmccarthy.ca/books

"This was a T-intersection. This was not a crossroads. If I carried on drinking, I knew exactly where I was going to go." Louise A. shares her story of reluctant participation in the recovery process. It took some time for her to accept that she was like the other people in the meetings that she'd been attending. "It was like waking up on a rollercoaster every single day," she says. "Full speed. Strapped in. Tied down. Unable to do anything or think about anything until it stopped." Now Louise sees those meetings as "a place where we are able to practice being ourselves" and explore what it feels like to live more authentically. Louise's poetry page is on Instagram @mypoetryismytherapy * Host Jean McCarthy's blog UnPickled is at www.unpickledblog.com and her latest books are at www.jeanmccarthy.ca/books