Today I welcome my friend Lily (they/them) to the podcast! We have a lot in common and share our passion for 12 Step recovery. Lily entered the rooms of our fellowship at the ripe age of 12, following an incident with their dad that brought up a lot of repressed memories and pain. Lily shares how the program supported them to move through deep pain and grief in the relationship with their alcoholic father, and how over time in recovery they were able to shift out of self-pity and change their perspective. Today Lily is incredibly grateful to be able to have a loving and fulfilling relationship with their dad. We also talk a lot about our personal Higher Powers/God. Lily shares how their relationship with God continues to expand and support them in all their creative endeavours.

Episode breakdown:

• In their early teenage years, Lily became aware of all of their pain that had accumulated over the years. They turned to 12 Step recovery as a way to make sense of and process the pain that had begun to negatively affect their quality of life.
• In 12 Step meetings, Lily was attracted to the honesty and vulnerability present in people’s shares. Like me, Lily had been searching for intimacy in the wrong places.
• In meetings Lily felt seen and accepted for who they were. They felt held and supported in their pain, which caused them to keep coming back.
• Lily used to hate and resent their dad due to his inappropriate behaviour in their relationship. They share how they took responsibility for themselves, were able to move through their self-pity and deep pain, eventually becoming willing to reconnect with their dad.
• I share my experience reconnecting with my dad a few years ago, and why I believe that deep down we just want to love our family members.
• Lily first resisted the concept of alcoholism being a disease. They explain how viewing alcoholism as a disease supported their healing and their relationship with their dad.
• Lily shares how they were able to surrender to their pain, finding the beauty in grief and discovering the powerful lessons their Higher Power had waiting for them.
• We talk about the freedom we experience as a result of moving through our pain.
• Lily shares an experience they had which expanded their understanding of their Higher Powers.
• We talk about our program and why everyone is free to choose their own concept of a Higher Power/God.

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Book reference: Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi

Thank you for listening! If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about Lily's story, would like to know more about the 12 Step recovery program we are in, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at morewillberevealed.podcast@gmail.com

Lots of love,

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode deals with themes of grief and loss, as well as wonder and awe. My dear friend and sponsee, Pamina, lost her mum to alcoholism earlier this year. At the time, Pamina was beginning her 12 Step recovery journey and building a relationship with her Higher Power. Her mum’s death came unexpectedly, and resulted in Pamina being thrown in the deep end…

In this episode, Pamina vulnerably shares her story with us: her experience in early recovery as an atheist, what changed, and how the program supported her before, during and after her mum’s death. Despite knowing the details of her story already, this incredibly intimate conversation had me in almost constant goosebumps. Pamina’s experiences are deeply humbling and inspiring. She shares what her last words to her mum were and why she is immensely grateful to be in 12 Step recovery, how she is moving through layers of grief, how her relationship with her mum has not only healed but deepened, even in death, and how her Higher Power continues to show up for her again, and again, and again.

This episode is deeply moving. I will not do it the disservice to break it down into bullet points.

If you are suffering from the effects of someone’s alcoholism/addiction, or if you want to get a feel for the genuine miracles that occur in 12 Step recovery, I highly suggest you listen to this episode - but don’t forget the tissues!

If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about Pamina’s story, would like to know more about the 12 Step recovery program we are in, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at morewillberevealed.podcast@gmail.com

Lots and lots of love,

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I am introducing you to my boyfriend Dejan! In this episode Dejan opens up about the journey he has been on to take full responsibility for his mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. He shares vulnerably about the ways in which he used to distance himself from and deny his problems, how he was finally able to face reality, and which steps he took to take full accountability for his life and show up in our relationship as an equal partner.

Episode breakdown:

• Dejan shares how our relationship created a catalyst for change. Questions I asked him caused him to consider things he hadn’t before, and he was increasingly confronted to face areas of his life that he’d been trying to avoid.
• We discuss how Dejan was often emotionally distanced at the beginning of our relationship, trying to stay busy and not creating the space we needed to develop a deep, intimate connection.
• Eventually my breaking point came. I communicated my boundaries and told Dejan I was no longer willing to do the emotional work for us both. If he wanted to be in a relationship with me, he would need to take responsibility for himself and his personal growth.
• In the days that followed, Dejan sought support in a 12 Step program and his recovery journey began. He slowly learnt to feel into his emotions and face the pain he had suppressed for many years.
• Having kept the truth about his financial situation a secret, Dejan finally told me about his 24,000€ debt. In order to repay all his debts, he had to move back to his parent’s flat and completely change his relationship with money.
• Dejan shares how he developed daily routines which enable him to identify and process his true feelings, and to support him to continually move forward in all areas of life.
• I share how Dejan’s commitment to our relationship and his personal growth has allowed me to deeply trust him.
• Dejan shares how becoming honest with himself and taking responsibility for all areas of his life has enabled him to experience deep love, true joy, and more freedom than ever.

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Thank you for listening! If you resonate with this episode, want to know more about Dejan’s story, would like to know more about the 12 Step recovery program we are in, or have any other comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at morewillberevealed.podcast@gmail.com

Lots of love,

Josephine

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.