Steven Ginsburg: 0:00

I'm 19 years six months and 24 days sober today. 19 years, six months and 24 days sober today.

Steve Coughran: 0:07

This is the Addiction Recovery Podcast with Steven T Ginsburg, founder of Restore Detox Centers in sunny California. Enjoy your experience, Steven, isn't it interesting? In life typically, there's like one thing that we struggle with or one obstacle that stands in the way of just gaining everything, and I know the other day in group you're telling me about this is a topic that you introduced with the team there and it's near and dear to your heart. So let's talk about this idea of giving up one thing to gain everything. Where did this concept come from and what are your thoughts on it, Steve?

Steven Ginsburg: 0:47

thank you. It's an imperative topic and it's also it lends itself to the simplicity of we are examining and re-examining. You give up one thing, and the one thing can be comprised of any of the elements that makes up addiction and alcoholism. So you give up that drug, that drink of choice or all of it, and what you gain is a life of liberation and a life of integrity and a life of actually having your actions and words match and you see elements that are so rapidly destroyed by addiction and alcoholism restored. And it comes through finally surrendering and embracing that powerlessness and realizing you're powerless over drugs and alcohol, but there's manageability in your life and through that center you gain a return on everything back a day at a time.

Steve Coughran: 1:39

Yeah, Because you take the opposite of it and you do one thing and you give up everything. So it's just the opposite which is crazy that there's so much power in drugs and alcohol. But I also think there's power in sobriety as well. But it's just crazy when we get stuck in that mindset, right, or we let the disease overpower us and then all of a sudden, or you know, we let the disease overpower us and then all of a sudden you know that one thing, that that alcohol or that drug or whatever it may be, we're willing to not give it up in exchange, Like we lose everything. You know, our marriages go down the toilet, our relationships get destroyed. Financially we're impacted. We may lose a job, a career, a business, whatever it may be. And it's just mind boggling to me. What's your experience with that? And maybe help me and the listeners understand what goes on in the psyche when you're deep in it and you're just like screw it, I don't care, I lose everything, I don't care. Where does that stem from?

Steven Ginsburg: 2:43

Thank you, S steven. It's perfectly said. It triggers a chain reaction of chain reactions of thoughts and feelings. Because to me, it's the antithesis of what proves the theory that this is a disease. Because when it's someone who is bodily and mentally different than their fellows and that's what addicts and alcoholics are Addicts and alcoholics are bodily and mentally different than their fellows. And what that translates to is this, and I'll dovetail right into a quick answer to the overture you just made when we ingest a mind-altering substance and remember that is comprised of anything, including alcohol Alcohol is a mind-altering substance we ingest that said substance, our body reacts allergically, our mind is hijacked and we go into a reaction where the phenomenon of craving comes to life and we go on a full-blown run.

Steven Ginsburg: 3:37

The only thing that arrests that condition is complete substance. So, people, because they're in the midst of that complete allergic reaction, because they're in the midst of that physical, psychological and mental reaction to the mind-altering substance, it doesn't matter what's burning down, you're losing your kids, you're losing your job, you're getting divorced, you're in financial ruin, they're on a mission to destroy themselves and everything around them and they don't care because they don't have the ability to care, because they are completely altered in the midst of this allergic reaction, in the midst of a run that is brought on by that first drink or drug. And that's where, again, first things first, we've got to get people to where they are not consuming any mind-altering substance of any sort. And then you get into a groove where we help them understand. How can we start to address what they suffer from if they don't understand what they suffer from? We start to create some comprehension of what they suffer from. We start to create that a day at a time.

Steven Ginsburg: 4:42

Abstinence is the answer. And how do we gain the abstinence? It's through working, a program in recovery. So, again, I want to kind of bundle it up, but that's the bundle for you.

Steve Coughran: 4:53

Well, and it's crazy because when you're in that state of mind, I mean you're like acting so irrationally, which is like netto, right, Because I actually have a client here in Denver and unfortunately one of their retail locations got robbed and the poor girl who had the gun pulled on her she's obviously traumatized.

Steve Coughran: 5:18

But the police ended up catching the guy and he was just this teenage boy and I'm thinking, oh my gosh, this kid was willing to pull the gun, go into the store, rob them and like, nowadays, you know, Steven, it's like how many locations actually have cash? Like I hardly ever use cash. So you think like okay, maybe the grocery store has some cash, but a local food and beverage location, they're probably not going to have a lot of cash on them, Right? So even if they had a thousand bucks or 10,000 bucks, you know this guy pulled a gun, armed robbery, he's going to jail, prison most likely, and I mean I don't know how that looks for a minor, but you get the point where you know he's willing to do this and if it's motivated by drugs or to get some type of substance, like, where does that disconnect happen? Right, and I know we're not neuroscientists here, but it's just mind boggling how we're willing to, you know, pursue one thing at the expense of everything.

Steven Ginsburg: 6:20

Yeah, spot on, there's look, there's no ability. The minute we have that reaction, that response, that mind-altering substance leads people to a place where all reason is completely blown out the window, because once they have that element cross their lips, I'm done is triggered, all bets are off and anything can and will happen until they reach whatever their bottom is, where they surrender and there is a chance to arrest the condition and start the road back. And and it truly, steve, it truly is, and you and I could spend hours on this topic and in a roundabout way, through every group and with every individual I have the blessing of coming alongside. We've camped out on this topic. This is what really gives people the ability to finally see some hope is that they get so sick and tired of being sick and tired, they realize there's a way to create a remission.

Steve Coughran: 7:27

There's a way to create abstinission.

Steven Ginsburg: 7:28

There's a way to create abstinence. There's a way to perpetuate that remission and that abstinence. It's going to be through the footwork of working a program and then the X factor that is driving that erratic behavior is eliminated, a day at a time, and they only need to focus on the remission on a daily basis. And then what's given back, what's promised in the promises and elsewhere, is your life, of integrity is restored. And here's the hard part, and it's the last thing I'll say and we can go from here. The unfortunate part is we are remarkably resilient people, and the fortunate part, S steve, is that we are remarkably resilient people. We bounce back well, and the disease can thrive on that because it's like cool, the bounce back is going to be so great I'm going to have them forget they're sick in the first place, and that's where we've got to stay on top of it and continue to focus on the solution.

Steve Coughran: 8:23

And that's why I love how you repeat that over and over again, because there's power in repetition. As you always say, with it's working the program. It's working, the program. Right, you go off the program, you're going to relapse the deal's one way.

Steven Ginsburg: 9:03

And I believe in it and I've seen it in my life and I see it in other lives and I'm very passionate about what you and I explore. I'm sitting here on the's my point, steve, that one thing I gave up, which is any mind altering substance, has provided me 19 years, six months and 24 days with everything that my life is about and everything I'm blessed and called on to do, and it is by systematically doing the same things over and over again so that my remission continues. But I dare not let up on the solution because drink time will come. It says it in the book. I am as likely to relapse as anyone else in this world because I have a disease that tells me on a daily basis that I don't suffer from that disease.

Steve Coughran: 9:41

Yeah, and I love that, love that, and, and here's the here's. The cool thing is, you know I'm a nerd, so I just did the math real quick. You have woken up 7,142 times, taking one day at a time, saying look, today I'm going to focus on being sober and today I'm going to work the program. You've done that 7,000 times.

Steven Ginsburg: 10:06

Yes, sir.

Steve Coughran: 10:07

And that's where the power comes from. The power doesn't come from some internal grit or like we need to have more discipline or self-control and then I'm going to be good. No, it's one day at a time. 7,000 days is what you've done. And you woke up and you said I am choosing to work my program and to be a part of the solution and to be sober just today.

Steven Ginsburg: 10:27

just today, and then tomorrow I'll do the same. It's 4.41 over here on my end. I'm on the phone with you right now. I've been to a meeting today. I prayed today. I talked to my sponsor today. I've worked the 12 steps. The 12 steps work me. I am not relapsing today and I want to implore people, beg people to do likewise, so they can give up that one thing and gain what? Everything.

Steve Coughran: 10:51

Gain everything. So much power in that. Because if you came to me and let's leave on this note here, this positive note If you came to me and said, Steve, look, give up your bubble water you know me, I love bubble water, I drink a ton of it If you said, give it up and you can have a beautiful home, a beautiful family, your relationships are going to be so much more intimate and deep and full of connection and love and you're going to feel better, You're going to look healthier, You're going to be able to like run, play, breathe, you know, play with your kids, whatever. Just give that up. I would say yeah, but you know, I think in life sometimes we have a hard time giving up things, but inevitably when we give up one thing, we get so many blessings in return. And I think that's what you're saying and I love that message, Steven.

Steven Ginsburg: 11:43

Hey, I appreciate your advocacy for it. It's something I am passionate about. My conviction raises daily this disease. I hate this disease. I love the people who suffer from it and I appreciate your part in helping us examine the solution.

Steve Coughran: 11:56

All right, everyone, and thanks for joining us for another episode. We love hearing from you, so if you want to reach out to us, you could ask us questions. You can just give us feedback. Whatever it may be, you can connect at hello at restore detox centerscom. We'd love to hear from you, stephen, always a pleasure and until next time, take care of yourself everyone.