Recovery Daily Podcast

Serenity is directly tied to how I relate to my life as it is, and not as I try to make it. When my expectations don’t match reality, that gap creates frustration and anxiety. For me, serenity comes from accepting what is, even when it’s not how I want it. I don’t lower my expectations for my life, but I do adjust them to consider my chronic pain and disability. Through sobriety, I’ve learned that expectations can be thought of as premeditated disappointments. Acceptance, on the other hand, helps me to say, “Okay, this is happening today… now what?” That shift allows me to respond instead of resist. I define serenity as a moment when nothing is wrong—not because everything is perfect, but because I’ve stopped arguing with myself. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #vestibular #disability #soberlife #recoverypodcast

Carl Jung, Swiss psychologist, viewed loneliness as being misunderstood. In stroke recovery, I’ve experienced a loneliness that feels like not being fully seen, even when surrounded by people. When others can’t quite hear the effort it takes for me to think through a sentence or find the right words, it creates a subtle disconnection. We all know that connection is dependent on communication, but I’d not fully considered that loneliness results from others not understanding what we are trying to communicate or can’t say at all. Whether it’s sobriety, chronic illness, or any invisible illness, we heal when we find people like us who truly get it. Seek relationships where you can be honest about your challenges and don’t have to edit your authenicity. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #vestibular #disability #soberlife #recoverypodcast

I have intense internal pressure to do things even when I know it will cost me physically. Inspired by a conversation with my psychiatrist, I used an emotion color wheel to slow down and name what’s underneath that pressure. The emotions, like fear, guilt, sadness, anxiety, and even grief over who I used to be, play a huge role in my daily decisions. It helps to identify those emotions and separate what I feel from reality. The worst thing that can happen is nothing. The things that matter the most to me, no one else can see. There are no disasters or collapse of society when Rachel crawls into bed to rest. I need to listen to my body instead of the urgency and pressure in my mind. I’m still learning the honest way to live within my limits, care for myself without guilt, and realize that protecting my wellness is the part that no one else can see but me. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #vestibular #disability #soberlife #recoverypodcast

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is our Q2 Reads and Recovery book pick. It captures the chaos and distortion of alcoholism so well! Saying No is a difficult but necessary part of self-care. You know those moments when everything in you is saying no, but we say yes anyway and then pay for it later with fatigue, pain, frustration, or resentment. Today I talk through what people pleasing really is. When I stopped to think about what I feel when I’m saying yes but want to say No, there is an underlying fear of conflict, disappointing others, and trying to manage how other people feel about me. For those of us living in recovery with a chronic illness or pain with limited energy, people pleasing becomes self-abandonment. Fighting that urge to respond right away and pausing first helps me listen to myself and practice simple, honest boundaries without over-explaining my Why. I help to redefine what saying No means so that we no longer feel selfish. Saying No for the right reasons is respecting our own wellness and protecting our recovery. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #vestibular #disability #soberlife #recoverypodcast

Advice is easier said than done. Things like “listen to your body,” “be patient with yourself,” and “accept where you are” are simple, but living them is something else entirely. In recovery, I navigate chronic pain, fatigue, and the constant negotiation between what I want to do and what my body will allow. And it’s all day long every day that the battle occurs. I’m writing a book—I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that. Well, it has proved to push me over my pain threshold, and now I have to pull back from devices entirely other than my podcast. My loving husband and I are working on a solution that will allow me to dictate the book, so I can still work on it every day but not have to sleep for hours every afternoon to recover. So, I do listen to my body, but only when it’s screaming so loud at me that I can’t ignore it anymore. I’ll keep practicing. 😉 Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #vestibular #disability #soberlife #recoverypodcast

I remember walking past some bushes in detox on the way to the cafeteria, scared a bottle of wine could be hiding there, waiting for me. What scared me was me. I didn’t trust that I could stop myself. I thought my recovery was just physical, and I just needed to control my hand from picking up a drink. But in that short walk, I saw that the problem was more about my mind reaching for the drink instead of my hand. My thoughts were just as out of control as my drinking. I looped through fears, obsession, and imagined scenarios that hadn’t even happened. I spent so much energy trying to control the world outside of me, but the work was learning how to live with a reality that I didn’t choose. That realization followed me into stroke recovery. I can’t control that my brain broke, as much as I can’t control where alcohol shows up in the world. I can, however control my response: how I show up, speak to myself, and pause vs react. Recovery starts with surrendering the control that I never actually had in the first place, and accepting who I am in this moment. Somewhere between surrender and acceptance, I begin to find peace, by focusing only on what’s within the limit of my fingertips and not beyond. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #vestibular #disability #soberlife #recoverypodcast

Living life on life’s terms in stroke recovery means learning how to live peacefully in a reality I didn’t choose. I still get angry, scared, frustrated, and sad, but I allow those feelings to run their course without dictating my behavior. Since my stroke I abandoned the illusion that I can control my life by just working harder, planning better, and pushing my body further. Neither life nor my body cooperate with that personal expectation. I can’t control when I hurt, feel dizzy, or struggle to talk. But I can control is how I respond and whether my peace grows or diminishes. Emotional recovery from stroke requires me to pause in my discomfort, acknowledge I don’t feel good, accept instead of resist, and to practice gratitude even when life feels unfair. Pain is not optional for me, but misery is. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #vestibular #disability #soberlife #recoverypodcast

If I could talk to my past self, I would tell her she’s doing the best she can with the tools she has, and she’s not weak, broken, or uniquely over emotional. I would tell her that the anxiety and depression are real, not imagined, and that she doesn’t have to act like she’s ok and as if nothing is wrong. I would tell her that she simply has a human condition. She’s not the only one who feels dark, scared, overwhelmed, or different, and she doesn’t have to hide those feelings or punish herself for having them. I would tell her that happiness doesn’t just happen to lucky people. We have to participate in it, practice it, and move toward it through small daily choices. I would tell her that trying to control that which is outside of her fingertips will not save her, but acceptance, rest, and connection with others will. And even though life will not unfold the way she expects due to alcoholism, stroke, and unimaginable loss, she will be okay. I will tell her that she will grow into someone braver that she ever imagined being, wiser because of the hard stuff, and strong enough to help other people who feel the same way she does. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #vestibular #disability #soberlife #recoverypodcast

I didn’t understand, or even want to consider the possibility that my stroke permanently changed my life in an instant. How do you wrap your head around that. I did everything right. I was sober for five years. I did yoga every day at 4 PM. And I even became a runner, albeit short distance and not fast. Maybe I should say casual jogger 😂. Anyway, I thought if I followed the rules, went to the doctors, did the therapy, and pushed hard through recovery, I would get to the end of it and back to normal. Instead, I spent two years trying to force myself into a life my brain could no longer sustain. I slowly increased my work load, ignoring my pain and measuring myself against the person I was before my stroke. I was in denial and terrified to admit that I could no longer do my job the way I used to. My career was slipping away from me. I reached the point of unmanageability. I shut my computer, sat on my porch, and sobbed. Leaving my job was devastating, but it was also the beginning of accepting who I am now instead of chasing who I used to be. My stroke took away a great deal, but it did not take away my ability to create meaning, connect with others, write, speak, and help people. Looking back, the real struggle was trusting that a different life could still be beautiful and falling back in to the arms of the unknown. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #vestibular #disability #recoverypodcast

I work hard to be happy. It takes intentional daily choices for me. Living with invisible illness, whether it was alcoholism, anxiety, depression, or now my vestibular disability after stroke, means there is so much going on inside of me that no one else can see. There’s a mental, emotional, and physical load behind even simple things I do. So I must participate in happiness and not wait for it to happen to me. I make conscious choices to do the things that bring me joy, comfort, meaning, and connection, even when I don’t feel like it. Happiness is getting dressed because I know I feel better when I get dooded up for the day. It is writing my book, recording my podcast, going to support groups, picking up the phone, making art, and practicing gratitude. It’s also knowing when to rest, when to say “not today,” and when to protect my energy. I can still feel grief, frustration, exhaustion, and fear, and choose to move in the direction of happiness anyway. That is the work. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #vestibular #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #recoverypodcast

Step One in my vestibular recovery means accepting that I can’t force my brain and body to behave the way they used to. If I try to push through symptoms or do more than I can handle, I just create more pain, frustration, and unmanageability for myself. No one can see my dizziness, brain fog, daily head pain, and fatigue, but recovery gets even harder when I pretend they aren’t there and try to “act normal.” Acceptance is honesty, and enables self-care and self-compassion. What helps me now is remembering that, although I can’t control my symptoms, I can control my pace, choices, boundaries, and how I respond to my body. I no longer have the luxury of not taking care of myself just because I don’t feel like it. I must or I will spiral down. I must pause before I push too far, focus on what I can do instead of obsessing over what I cannot, and choose self-care without shame or guilt. That’s how I’m supporting my vestibular system. I am learning to live differently, and even when that feels slow or invisible, it’s still forward movement. And, I’m proud of me today. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #vestibular #strokerecovery #stroke #vestibularrecovery #recovery #recoverypodcast

My faith journey began with desperation and willingness. Sobriety first introduced me to the idea of depending on a power greater than myself, even when I felt awkward and unsure about it. It felt more like discipline than conviction. I practiced gratitude, prayer, and “acting as if” I believed, long before I felt connected to anything. That willingness squeaked opened the door. I began to see that faith is continuing to reach for something beyond myself. After my stroke, faith became survival. My disability left me terrified, uncertain, and stripped of the things I used to depend on, and that is when I felt a thirst for faith. Sobriety taught me how to pray, and stroke recovery taught me how badly I needed prayer. It turned faith into oxygen for me. I am still growing into it, practicing, and am majorly uncomfortable most of the time, but I know that prayer, dependence, and trust are keeping me emotionally well. I’m sharing this because it has carried me when I could not carry myself, and hope that anyone else who’s suffering might need to hear it. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #faith #strokerecovery #stroke #recovery #recoverypodcast

How do we know when it’s time to make a change? The process begins long before the actual decision. We must notice that we are suffering. I can often recognize pain in other people much faster than I can recognize it in myself, but change begins when I stop long enough to admit, “I’m not okay.” That pause matters, rather than rushing straight into self-pity or problem-solving mode. Take time to see the situation clearly and acknowledge that what you’re going through is hard. Treating myself with the same compassion I would offer someone else is something I don’t excel at. It’s brave to acknowledge our pain without judging ourselves or feeling like a failure. The longer we are willing to sit with those emotions and talk about them out loud, the more clearly we see them for what they are. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #selfcompassion #change #timeforchange #recovery #recoverypodcast

Change began when I conceded to my innermost self that the way I was living was no longer working. This pivotal point happened when I got sober and when I left my career for stroke recovery. That inner voice tends to get buried under denial, fear, and survival mode. Admitting complete defeat meant I was willing to change something, and stop forcing my way to work. Little did I know, the only thing that had to change was everything…TWICE. Willingness felt desperate, painful, and uncertain. But once I admitted that I was not okay, a door opened to another way of life. Sobriety helped me reconnect with the voice of my innermost self, and over time I learned to listen to it instead of the voice of my disease, fears, and depression. I’ve relied heavily on that connection in stroke recovery. I try to stay connected to my innermost self each day, through fellowship with other survivors and a growing faith in something bigger than myself. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #strokerecovery #acceptance #step1 #disability #recoverypodcast

Living with a chronic illness or disability, it’s difficult to know when to stop chasing doctor appointments, medications, and possible fixes, and instead start living life. For a long time after my stroke, I searched for the next solution, better specialists, drugs and treatments that might finally change what was happening to me. I found the most frustrating part was that no one ever said, “There’s nothing more I can do, it’s ok to just go live now.” I had to come to the realization myself that it was time to accept the unexplained and adapt my life. I now keep regular check-ins with doctors, but I stopped letting my calendar and my hope be run by constant appointments and recovering from therapies that weren’t helping me. Choosing to step back from treatment was the beginning of living again. I decided that my limited energy was better spent adapting my life to having a disability than endlessly chasing relief that wasn’t coming. That shift helped me feel more in charge of my own recovery. If you are at that point, wondering whether it’s okay to stop and just live the best way you can, only you can answer that. No doctor will make that decision for you, nor should they. Whatever choice you make from that place will be the right choice for you. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #vestibulardisorder #acceptance #chronicpain #disability #recoverypodcast

This week is the VEDA (Vestibular Disorders Association) Conference, Life Rebalanced Live 2026. It’s become one of my favorite weeks of the year because it’s the one time I’m immersed into a fellowship of hundreds of people who get it. The dizziness, brain fog, nausea, visual intolerance, migraines, and fatigue are shared along with solutions for how we live well when we don’t even feel comfortable in our own bodies. For me, it starts with daily, repetitive acceptance. Before my feet even hit the floor, I remind myself that this is the current version of me, and there’s no going backward. “Once a pickle, always a pickle,” as we say in sobriety. Acceptance is the key to unlock my morning. It opens the door to willingness and allows me live well despite the symptoms. I got to learn slowly, and sometimes stubbornly, that I’m the expert on my body, and no doctor can chose the right healing path for me. I’ve had to participate in making those decisions, weighing what’s available with what helps and what hurts. I kept a symptom-and-joy journal where I wrote down what I did, when I did it, how bad my symptoms got (0–10), and how much joy I felt (1–10). That journal turned my chaos into patterns. And over time, these practices of acceptance, tracking, fellowship, rest, and small brave repetitions built confidence, purpose, and hope amidst uncertainty. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #vestibulardisorder #liferebalanced #acceptance #livingwithchronicpain #healthjournal #recoverypodcast

Even when our painful circumstances don’t move, our emotions around them do. My disability is permanent, but my emotional experience is fluid. You may have heard before that our emotions move like weather, and it’s our job not to attach ourselves to them. But, my character defects tell me that whatever hurts today will hurt like this forever. I don’t have to drag my pain through a hard season. I can acknowledge it without letting it run my life. The way I create that distance between me and the pain is getting honest about what’s happening, out loud, with safe people. I tend to feel more comfortable in pain than I am in joy. Pain feels familiar and predictable. Joy requires vulnerability and needs me to participate. Almost ten years ago, someone threw me a life raft. It took several throws before I caught it. Life rafts come in a thousand forms: AA, support group, therapist, sponsor, friend, faith community, or rehab program. Anyone can throw you one, but it’s our job to reach for it, catch it, and keep holding on long enough for the rescue to unfold. We need each other to process pain, and together we learn how to float. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #PainIsAProcess #OneDayAtATime #EmotionalSobriety #StrokeRecovery #VestibularDisorder #peerrecoverysupport #peerrecovery

I sat down with Kaitlin Weigle to discuss what it’s like to live with OCD, and what misconceptions exist, like “all OCD’rs are clean.” Kaitlin breaks down how OCD is the obsessive loop and compulsions that try to neutralize fear, including mental compulsions like arguing with your thoughts, seeking reassurance, and avoiding triggers. We talked about intrusive thoughts, why they feel so convincingly real, and the shift that happens when you learn that the content of the thought isn’t the problem. Instead, the solution is in the relationship you have with the thought. Along the way, we laugh a lot and, not surprisingly, we connect the dots between OCD, anxiety, and the universal experience of “the conversation between our ears.” We discussed practical recovery concepts, like exposure and response prevention (ERP), accepting uncertainty, and the idea that “possible doesn’t mean probable.” Kaitlin shares what it looks like to do one uncomfortable thing a day and pair it with self-care, plus how loved ones can be supportive without feeding the reassurance trap. From there, we pivot into peer recovery support, what it is, and how it’s different from traditional talk-therapy. We close with rapid-fire takeaways, resources like Sharewell and HeyPeers, and a clear message for anyone struggling quietly with OCD: you’re not alone, you’re not your thoughts, and you deserve a life that isn’t driven by fear. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #ocd #intrusivethoughts #ocdrecovery #obsessivecompulsivedisorder #ocdawareness

Yesterday I heard the phrase, “gratitude is action,” and it gave me pause. What does that really mean? In early recovery, my sponsor and sponsees shared three “gratefuls” with each other every day. Not autopilot answers, but three gifts that positively affected my life that day. It took time to build the habit, but I began scanning for strengths, assets, and connection. That training mattered when my life changed after my stroke. The shift toward noticing what is available, what is working, and what is possible became a practiced skill. Gratitude moved from a feeling to something I did on purpose. Gratitude becomes action when I use what I’ve been given. Recovery communities work because each of us brings something different to the table. I don’t have to be everything to everyone. I just bring my gifts. If I’m grateful for my voice, I speak. If I’m grateful for creativity and steady hands, I make things for people. If I’m grateful for connection, I show up to meetings, support groups, and my world-famous 💃🏻 podcast. Hope is transmitted through example, and participation is how I express gratitude. So, gratitude asks two questions: what have I received today, and what can I offer today? Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #gratitudeinaction #gratitude #gratitudeisaction #grateful #threegratefuls #gratefulforgifts

After my stroke, I began experiencing vision problems and headaches that I couldn’t clearly explain. Over time, I realized the core issue wasn’t my eyesight itself but my inability to tolerate motion, especially seeing things move. Walking through a grocery store felt overwhelming, like everything was rushing toward me. I saw multiple eye doctors and completed extensive testing, yet I was repeatedly told my vision system was normal. Some tests were painful, particularly visual convergence exercises, but the only explanation I was given was a minor convergence issue. I lived with symptoms that didn’t match the test results. I tried vision therapy, but it consistently triggered nausea and worsened my symptoms without improvement. Vestibular therapy, however, helped me function better. It didn’t remove my symptoms, but it reduced my fear and gave me practical strategies, such as focusing on a stable object while walking or moving my eyes intentionally instead of scanning. I still manage headaches, light sensitivity, and motion intolerance daily, but I’ve learned how to pace myself, identify triggers, and adapt. My vestibular disorder is permanent, but with the right tools and acceptance, I’m building a joyful life around it. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube. Rather listen on Apple Podcasts? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/recovery-daily-podcast/id1693924779 Visit my Etsy shop, and join my creative journey at Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling #vestibulardisorder #vestibularmigraines #vestibularsystem #visionchallenges #strokerecovery #visiontherapy #vestibulartherapy