(Disclaimer: This transcript was made using AI technology. Please excuse any errors).

Music 0:00
Welcome to the Atheists in Recovery Podcast, where we talk about finding hope in recovery.

And now your host, Dr. Adina Silvestri

Adina Silvestri 0:11
Hola guys, welcome to Episode 55 of the Atheists in Recovery podcast. And today is really a solo episode and it's a short episode. I wanted to talk about my August pause and my one year podcast anniversary musings, what this podcast has become and where I started from versus where I am today. And so let's just get started. today. Well, as all of you know, that have been listening to the podcast is the start of the August pause. And so I'm taking a break from podcasting in August to focus on self care and to maybe even get, dare I say a bit ahead. With the podcast. In the meantime, you may also want to catch up on episodes one through 54. Maybe we listen to a couple of your favorite episodes. While on August, pause, I encourage you to continue reading, writing, listening to content that and stories through the podcast that really that nourishes you that nourishes your soul. That takes you to a deeper level. So that's it for the August pause. I also want to mention that although weekly podcasting for 12 months is a great goal, it's not sustainable. And so I'm going to be scheduling more pauses and this is subject to change, obviously, but the idea is that I will be working on the podcast nine months out of the year and taking off April, August and December. All right, let's talk a little bit about my one year anniversary. So that happened, I guess two weeks now two weeks ago, as I record this, and I went fast, we hit the one year anniversary. And the podcast addresses for those of you that are unfamiliar, it addresses spiritual and scientific belief systems with people in long term recovery. In order to deconstruct through limiting thought patterns and introduce new behaviors entertains, you can use and so it is a guest based podcast, I do invite guests on. I do also like to do solo episodes because I like them. I like that they're short and sweet. And I can share something that I've learned in the field that hopefully you'll find helpful. And the podcast, hopefully is informational. I mean, that's the goal. It's sometimes humorous, depending on a few, if you like, dry humor, and it's also going to be an ongoing conversation. You know, I don't claim to have the answers my guests do. don't claim to have all the answers but I hope that it provides a little solace and hope and healing throughout your recovery let's talk about the title. Okay, the title atheist in recovery. So it confuses people and I get it, I get it. I talk more about spirituality and religion and finding your higher power then I talk about atheism and that's for good reason this you know, guys this podcast wasn't created based on my belief system. I created this podcast for my clients and people would come up to me and say, you know, I just I can't go to a I can't do the God thing I found you on the internet. You don't seem woo woo it doesn't seem like you practice it practice a you seem like you do a lot of other sort of out of the box things and they were right. I don't As the only way it can't be, you guys know that it can't be. And so that's like saying there's only one way to treat diabetes we know that that's that's never gonna work we have each person has just individual traits and personalities and stories, it would just never work that way. And so that's why I created the Atheists in Recovery podcast was for my clients and their belief systems. And do I think that they're hardcore atheists? No, I don't. I don't believe they're hardcore atheists. So the title is perhaps misleading, but the tagline guys is is right on. Yeah, everyone believes in something. I feel like that is what I what I talk about the most in recovery. I mean, I have people coming on that. Do believe in God, I have people coming on that believe that

God spelled backwards is their God dog is their god I have people come on that I just are just everything in between atheist and answering to a God. Right, a higher power. And so I think that that title the the title could be misleading, but the tagline come on you guys got to give me you got to give me credit there. You know so I come from this framework that I believe that individuals have the answers, they know what they need in order to get better. And so I support that and then also, the scientists semi believes in higher power. I believe in a future self. I believe that when you're struggling and you just don't know where to turn. when the going gets tough. You have to separate from your ego. You have to have that separation. You You have to know that there's something else that's larger than you. I see it all the time. And that's when the breakouts happen for my guys. And so, you know, when I asked them to have self compassion when I asked them to look deep inside, they're calling on their dead grandmother, they're calling on their best friend who died or, you know, their mother, you know, they're calling on individuals that have their best interest in mind. You know, the thinking that got us to where we are isn't going to be the thinking that gets us out. And so, you know, I have to have that in the podcast. I have to talk about that. So hopefully this makes sense. Hold on the soul. I want to share this very brief poem by William Cope, Moyers and let me know what you think. Okay. I was born with what I like to call a hole in my soul. A pain that came from the reality that I just wasn't good enough that I wasn't deserving enough that you weren't paying attention to me all the time that maybe you didn't like me enough. For us addicts recovery is more than just taking a pill or maybe getting a shot. Recovery is also about the spirit about dealing with that hole in the soul. And so wherever you find belonging, wherever you find your people, maybe it's in a, you know, maybe it's in a secular version of AA, maybe it's in SMART, maybe it's, you just grab a bunch of people that are in recovery, and you guys meet for coffee each week. It doesn't matter, but you need that. You need that support. You need to find your people. It's going to make this journey so much easier. Well, so that's a short version of what I think about the title and year one was exciting. One we've had so many guests on again, you know, you could sort of scroll through episodes one through 54. You've had people on that wrote about their memoirs, people on that talk about creativity in recovery, how to find your higher power recovery, mindfulness in recovery, people that were new to recovery and how to survive those first four weeks. I had some people on from where I live from Virginia. And that was also very nice to have some of my friends on that are really killing it in the addiction field. And so for year two, as we kind of wrap up today's episode, I have no idea what I'm doing in year two. But I hope you'll keep listening. I want to do another podcast takeover. I think that that was so much fun, a lot of work but so much fun. So when I have some more creative individuals on maybe talking about how to write your story, and what that looks like, If you have ideas for future podcast episodes, make it easy on me and email me. Email me, you could find my contact info at atheistsinrecovery.com and just hit any of the yellow buttons or the contact page will help you out. And hopefully my belief system doesn't deter you from continuing to listen. You know, would it help you to know that it my belief system changes and evolves on a very regular basis? You know, does that help you or deter you? I'm not sure. But I constantly am open to other people's belief systems and continuously challenging mine. I'm always searching guys.

And so I hope you continue to listen to the podcast, and subscribe. And if you're subscribing Thank you. If not, why the hell not kidding. You can subscribe via iTunes Spotify. Google Play any of the podcast platforms just go on that page to search. Well first search for Atheists in Recovery and then hit the subscribe button on those pages. Okay guys, I will see you in a month. Take care. Bye.

Music 10:17
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