RE 590: Are You Broken?

Description

Today we have Stef. She is 39 years old, lives in Truckee, CA, and took her last drink on March 24th, 2026. This episode is brought to you by: Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026 If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, well, we just created a FREE 7-day guide for your first seven days. [02:00] Thoughts from Paul: Yes, we are all broken. Not because of a drinking problem, but because all 8 billion humans on the planet are perfectly imperfect. While a drinking problem breaks you, it can be alchemized or transformed into your greatest strength. The transformation that someone makes when stepping into an alcohol-free life is hard to describe. Imperfection, brokenness, and flaws are not failures, but rather essential openings for growth, understanding, and hope. "There's a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." – Leonard Cohen "The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places..." – Ernest Hemingway Kintsugi – the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending cracks with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. [06:10] Paul introduces Stef: Stef is 39 years old, works in property management and has two dogs. Stef was socially awkward growing up, but when she had her first drink, she says she felt at home. She loosened up and her personality came out. Rules were restrictive at home, so she didn't have a lot of opportunities to party until she was kicked out. She says she floated around and did a lot of partying at that point. When Stef was in her early 20s, her boyfriend passed away in a drunk driving accident. Stef says the only way she knew how to cope with things was to drink and forget it. It wasn't long after that she got her first DUI. She ran from the charges for about two years and when she was picked up on a warrant, she was sent to AA meetings. Stef says going to the first AA meeting felt like the first drink she had. She felt like she belonged there. She was 24