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Alexandra Canzonieri 01/23/2026 | Tricia Youngs 01/27/2026 | Alex Garner 01/30/2026 | Jason Arsenault 02/03/2026 | Adam Shaffer 02/06/2026 | Patrik Dahlstrom 02/10/2026

NYSLN eBook: Patrik Dahlstrom "Neuroscience-Informed Tools for Parents and Professionals Focused on Regulation, Dopamine, and Early Risk Prevention"

New York Living Network | Tuesday, February 10, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

eBook — Dopamine, Regulation & Early Risk Prevention | Patrik Dahlström

New York Sober Living Network — Dedicated eBook

🧠 Dopamine, Regulation & Early Risk Prevention

How the Brain's Direction System Shapes Addiction, Recovery, and Why Prevention Begins Long Before Substances — A Neuroscience-Informed Guide for Parents, Professionals & Educators

Speaker: Patrik Dahlström — Founder & Prevention Educator, Hope For Families

Event: NYSLN Zoom at Noon | Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Published by: Sober Living Network

1. About This eBook

This eBook captures the full keynote, Q&A, and community insights from Patrik Dahlström's session at the New York chapter of the Sober Living Network on February 10, 2026. Hosted by Dr. Ken Markowitz, MD (IMAC), the session bridged recovery and prevention through a deeply human, neuroscience-informed lens.

Core Teaching: Dopamine is not a "pleasure chemical" — it is the brain's learning and direction system. Understanding it this way transforms how we see addiction, resistance, recovery, and childhood development. Prevention doesn't start with saying "no" to substances — it starts with supporting nervous systems early, when the brain is still flexible.

Who This Is For: Parents and caregivers wanting practical regulation tools; recovery and mental health professionals seeking a shared language around dopamine and stress; educators and community partners designing early-risk programs; anyone who wants to understand why insight alone rarely changes behavior.

📖 Table of Contents

About This eBook
Meet Patrik Dahlström — Story & Bio
Dopamine 101: From "Reward Chemical" to Direction System
Stress & Learning: Why Insight Alone Isn't Enough
The Recovery Lens: Removal, Voids & the Search for Direction
How Dopamine Actually Rewires: Effort, Repetition & Safety
Moving Upstream: Children, Devices & Early Risk
Practical Tools for Caregivers: What Hurts, What Helps
For Professionals: Rethinking Resistance, Relapse & Learning
From "Why?" to "Towards What?" — The Closing Framework
Q&A Deep Dive
Reflection & Self-Assessment
Resources, Contact & Next Steps

2. Meet Patrik Dahlström — Story & Bio

🧠 Speaker Profile

Patrik Dahlström — Founder & Prevention Educator, Hope For Families
📍 Charlotte, NC, USA | 📞 +1 (980) 270-1811 | 📧 [email protected]
🌐 hope-4-families.com | 📱 Instagram: @hope4families_recovery

Patrik Dahlström's path into neuroscience-informed prevention was not academic — it was deeply personal. He grew up in a family affected by addiction and instability, experienced violence as a child, and later struggled with alcohol and substance use himself for more than 20 years.

For most of that time, he understood addiction the way most people do: as a problem of substances, of wanting something too much, of poor choices, of lack of control. But that explanation never fully matched what he experienced — either in his family or in himself.

What stood out wasn't how much people wanted substances. It was what those substances did: they structured time, created rhythm, reduced internal noise, softened emotions that felt too sharp, and made social situations manageable. In Patrik's words: "They regulated the nervous system."

When he eventually found recovery (over 5 years sober), something became very clear: addiction doesn't usually begin with substances. It begins much earlier — with stress, emotional overload, and nervous systems that never learned how to regulate safely. That realization led him into neuroscience and, ultimately, to founding Hope For Families.

Today, Patrik works at the intersection of neuroscience, parenting, and early risk prevention. He provides education, tools, and free workshops for parents, PTAs, schools, libraries, and professional communities across the U.S., Canada, and Scandinavia. His mission: translate neuroscience into something useful, early, practical, and human — before problems become entrenched.

🎯 Analogy: The GPS, Not the Gas Pedal

Most people think of dopamine as the brain's gas pedal — pushing us toward pleasure. Patrik reframes it as the GPS. It doesn't accelerate you toward a destination; it selects the destination based on what has worked before. When the GPS has only learned one route (substances, screens, avoidance), it keeps directing you there — not because you're broken, but because you haven't driven enough new routes for the system to update.

3. Dopamine 101: From "Reward Chemical" to Direction System

Patrik opened the keynote by challenging the most common misconception in both popular culture and clinical settings: that dopamine is primarily the brain's "pleasure chemical."

"Dopamine is often described as the brain's reward chemical. That description isn't wrong, but it's incomplete. And in many cases, misleading."

— Patrik Dahlström

What Dopamine Actually Does

From a neuroscience perspective, dopamine is first and foremost a learning system. It helps the brain learn from experience — not from explanation, not from advice, not from insight alone. Dopamine watches what happens over time, tracks patterns, sequences, and outcomes, and quietly updates the brain's expectations about the world.

At its most basic level, dopamine is constantly asking: "What tends to work in situations like this?"

That question is not abstract or philosophical. It is practical and immediate:

When I feel this way, what helps?
When I'm under pressure, what reduces discomfort?
When things become unpredictable, what restores a sense of control?

Whatever seems to help — even temporarily — gets logged. This is why dopamine does not evaluate morality. It doesn't care if something is healthy, destructive, or causes problems later. Dopamine evaluates efficiency.

💡 The Key Reframe

Old question: "Why do they keep choosing this?"
New question: "What has their nervous system learned to rely on when things get hard?"

Once you see dopamine as a learning system rather than a pleasure engine, behavior stops looking mysterious and starts looking predictable.

📊 Reward Prediction Error: How Dopamine Learns

Modern neuroscience describes dopamine's learning mechanism through reward prediction errors (RPE). Dopamine neurons fire not when a reward is received, but when a reward is better than expected. When something reduces discomfort more efficiently or faster than predicted, dopamine signals "pay attention — remember this." This encoding process is what makes substances so powerful: they deliver massive, reliable relief that far exceeds the brain's predictions, creating a strong learning signal that is very difficult to override with conscious effort alone.

Sources: Keiflin & Janak, "Dopamine Prediction Errors in Reward Learning and Addiction," Neuron 2015; Schultz, "Dopamine Reward Prediction Error Coding," Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience 2016.

4. Stress & Learning: Why Insight Alone Isn't Enough

Patrik's second major teaching was arguably the most impactful for clinicians and families alike: stress fundamentally changes how dopamine works.

Nervous System State	How Dopamine Operates	What It Looks Like
Calm	Flexible — explores, experiments, tolerates uncertainty	Openness to new ideas, willingness to try different approaches
Stressed	Narrow — repeats what has worked before, prioritizes speed over reflection	Rigidity, "stubbornness," returning to old patterns despite knowing better
Overwhelmed	Survival mode — learning shuts down entirely	Shutdown, dissociation, complete inability to engage with new information

"People can understand their behavior perfectly. They can explain where it comes from. They can see the consequences clearly. They can want change deeply and sincerely. And still feel completely stuck when pressure rises. That's not because they are unwilling. It's because the dopamine system has not yet learned a new way to regulate the nervous system under stress."

— Patrik Dahlström

The Insight-Behavior Gap

This is one of the most frustrating experiences in recovery, therapy, and parenting:

For professionals: it feels confusing — "We've discussed this a hundred times"
For families: it feels discouraging — "They promised they'd change"
For the person themselves: it often feels shameful — "I knew better, but I did it anyway"

Patrik's framework resolves this frustration: insight happens in the thinking brain when the nervous system is calm. Behavior under stress is driven by the nervous system, not by conscious choice. Lecturing, explaining, or confronting rarely produces lasting change because those approaches target understanding — but dopamine learns through experience, repetition, and outcomes.

🎯 Analogy: The Athlete Under Pressure

A basketball player can study game film for hours and perfectly understand every play. But when the pressure of a live game hits, their body doesn't run the play they studied — it runs the play they've practiced thousands of times. The nervous system defaults to what's been trained through repetition, not what's been understood through analysis. Recovery works the same way: new behaviors must be practiced until they become the nervous system's default response under stress.

📊 Stress, Dopamine & Learning

Research confirms Patrik's framework. Studies show that acute stress can transiently enhance reward-related learning through dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, but chronic stress dysregulates dopamine pathways, blunting healthy reward sensitivity and increasing the relative value of fast-acting rewards (substances, high-stimulation behaviors). The pathophysiological impact of stress on the dopamine system is especially pronounced during critical developmental periods — making childhood chronic stress a significant predictor of later vulnerability to addiction.

Sources: Hollon et al., "Stress and the Dopaminergic Reward System," Experimental & Molecular Medicine 2020; Porcelli et al., "Brain Mechanisms Mediating Effects of Stress on Reward Sensitivity," Current Opinion 2018; Gomes & Grace, "Pathophysiological Impact of Stress on the Dopamine System," Mol Psychiatry 2019.

5. The Recovery Lens: Removal, Voids & the Search for Direction

Patrik offered a framework that every recovery professional, coach, and family member should internalize:

"Recovery almost always begins with removal. Something stops — a substance, a behavior, a routine, a way of regulating stress. And when something that used to regulate the nervous system disappears, the brain does not experience relief. It experiences uncertainty."

— Patrik Dahlström

The Inside vs. Outside Perspective

From the Outside	From the Inside (Nervous System)
Stopping looks like progress	Stopping feels like loss
"They should feel better now"	Something that structured time is gone
"Why aren't they motivated?"	Something that regulated emotion is gone
"They're not trying hard enough"	Something that reduced internal pressure — even temporarily — is gone

The nervous system immediately starts searching for a replacement. That search is not weakness, not resistance, not lack of motivation. It is dopamine doing exactly what it evolved to do: trying to re-establish direction and predictability.

⚠️ The Void Problem

"Stopping without replacement creates a void. And the brain does not tolerate voids well." When the question "What do we move towards now?" remains unanswered, the nervous system stays unsettled — even when motivation is high, insight is strong, and the person genuinely wants change. If that direction isn't offered, dopamine will find the fastest available option. Not the healthiest one. The fastest one.

This is why early recovery so often feels flat, empty, or unrewarding — not because dopamine is damaged, and not because motivation is gone, but because the brain has not yet relearned how effort and reward connect. Patrik called this "a learning system, waiting for new conditions."

6. How Dopamine Actually Rewires: Effort, Repetition & Safety

The heart of Patrik's keynote was this practical framework — the three conditions under which dopamine systems actually change:

Condition 1: Effort Before Reward

💡 What Substances Teach the Brain

"Relief is available immediately. Regulation does not require participation. Effort is optional."

When substances are removed, the brain doesn't just miss the chemical effect — it misses the structure of reward without effort.

Low-intensity activities — walking, simple routines, learning a skill slowly — are not distractions. They are neurological retraining tools. They quietly reintroduce the connection between effort and regulation, teaching the dopamine system: "Effort is safe. Reward can follow. Regulation doesn't have to be instant."

Condition 2: Predictable Repetition (Not Intensity)

High-intensity experiences feel powerful, meaningful, and transformative. But neurologically, they don't stabilize learning well — they light the system up, and then fade. Dopamine systems stabilize through repetition that is predictable and ordinary.

"The brain does not lock in new patterns during emotional peaks. It locks them in during ordinary moments. Regular Tuesdays. Same routine. Same time of day. Same low-key experience."

— Patrik Dahlström

Change does not require intensity. It requires reliability.

Condition 3: Safety Without Boredom

There is a narrow window where dopamine learns best — where the nervous system feels safe enough to relax, but engaged enough to care:

Too much stimulation → overwhelms the system → learning shuts down
Too little stimulation → disengages the system → no learning occurs
Meaningful but manageable → the "Goldilocks zone" of neurological rewiring

This is where routines, hobbies, and skill-building become neurologically important — not as lifestyle advice or self-improvement projects, but as direction. They answer the brain's most urgent post-removal question: "What do we do instead?"

🎯 Analogy: The Garden, Not the Storm

Think of neurological change like gardening, not like a thunderstorm. Storms are dramatic, memorable, and feel transformative — but nothing grows in a storm. Growth happens in consistent, unremarkable conditions: daily watering, adequate sunlight, reliable soil. The brain rewires the same way. Not in one breakthrough session, but through hundreds of ordinary, safe, slightly effortful moments that quietly teach the nervous system a new default.

7. Moving Upstream: Children, Devices & Early Risk

The final third of Patrik's keynote shifted from recovery to prevention — and this is where Hope For Families' core mission lives.

"Once you understand dopamine as a learning and direction system, it becomes very difficult to see addiction as something that suddenly appears in adulthood. Instead, you start noticing patterns much earlier — in families, in children, in classrooms, in everyday behavior that we often label as 'normal' or 'just a phase.'"

— Patrik Dahlström

How Children's Nervous Systems Learn Regulation

Children do not have fully developed self-regulation systems
They "borrow regulation" from their environment — caregivers, routines, structure, external sources
When those sources are calm and predictable, regulation develops internally over time
When those sources are intense, inconsistent, or overwhelming, the brain adapts accordingly — learning to expect regulation from the outside (stimulation, intensity, quick release)
This is not pathology — it is learning

The Substance Connection

Patrik made a crucial link: substances do not invent regulation patterns — they refine them. They take an already-learned strategy (seeking fast external regulation) and amplify it. This is why addiction rarely appears out of nowhere. It often fits neatly into patterns established much earlier.

Devices, Games & the Dopamine Design

Patrik was careful to avoid fear-mongering about screens: "TVs and screens aren't lethal or ruining. They're not gonna make you a drug addict." But he noted that when, how, and what matters:

Many games are built on dopamine principles — small rewards, purchase loops, hooks designed to keep engagement ("They give you a little bit on the games, just to get you to buy more and more")
Unstructured, high-intensity screen time can teach young nervous systems to expect instant, effortless regulation
The issue isn't the device itself — it's whether the child is developing internal regulation tools alongside external ones

📊 Early Adversity & Dopamine Development

Research confirms Patrik's prevention framework. A study published in Molecular Psychiatry found that adversity in childhood is linked to elevated striatal dopamine function — meaning early stress literally alters the dopamine system in ways that increase vulnerability to substance use disorders later. Adolescent stress has been shown to enhance drug self-administration and alter dopamine receptor sensitivity in rodent models, suggesting a clear developmental window where prevention can intervene.

Sources: Oswald et al., "Adversity in Childhood Linked to Elevated Striatal Dopamine," PMC 2015; Enoch, "The Role of Early Life Stress as a Predictor for Alcohol and Drug Dependence," Psychopharmacology 2011; Foilb et al., "Stress in Adolescence and Drugs of Abuse," Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2013.

8. Practical Tools for Caregivers: What Hurts, What Helps

Area	⚠️ What Hurts	✅ What Helps
Emotional Climate	Frequent verbal arguments in front of children; visible personality changes from parental drinking	Repair after conflict — sit down, explain, visibly make up with your partner. Children can handle conflict; they can't handle unresolved conflict.
Sleep	Irregular bedtimes; kids getting only a few hours of sleep; no consistent rhythm	Consistent, early bedtimes (Patrik: 6–6:30 PM for ages 4–6). "Doesn't matter if it's 6:30 or 7:30 — just be consistent over time." Sleep cleans the brain from the day's input.
Nutrition	Excessive sugar, processed oils, and ultra-processed foods	Proper, consistent meals with reduced sugar and certain oils. Foundation for regulated nervous systems.
Regulation Tools	Only using screens/food/distraction as calming mechanisms	"Blow out the finger candles": 10 fingers up, child blows out each one. It's a breathing exercise disguised as a game. They don't think about it — they think it's fun.
Screens & Devices	Unstructured, high-intensity solo screen time; games built on dopamine loops (micro-rewards, in-app purchases)	Clear boundaries on when, how, and what. Alternate screen time with embodied activities (movement, outdoors, creative play).
Modeling	Drinking at home with visible behavioral shifts; ignoring children's distress	Calm presence, co-regulation, acknowledging feelings rather than dismissing them.

                🛠️ Patrik's Micro-Tool Kit for Caregivers
                10-Finger Candle Blowing: Child puts up 10 fingers. Blows out each "candle" one by one. A breathing/regulation exercise disguised as a game.
Consistent Sleep Window: Same bedtime every night (+/- 30 min). "It's one of the most underestimated tools for a child's nervous system."
Post-Conflict Repair: After an argument, sit down with the child and explain. Show them how adults reconnect. This reduces the threat signal and restores safety.
Proper Nutrition: Reduce sugar and processed oils. Feed the brain what it needs to regulate and learn.

            

9. For Professionals: Rethinking Resistance, Relapse & Learning

Patrik's framework has profound implications for anyone working in recovery, mental health, or education:

Reframing "Resistance"

Old Frame	Dopamine-Informed Frame
"They're resistant to change"	Their nervous system is relying on what it has learned works under stress
"They're not using what they know"	Insight lives in the thinking brain; behavior under stress is driven by learned nervous system patterns
"They lack motivation"	Dopamine hasn't yet found a new direction — the void hasn't been filled
"They keep making the same choice"	Under pressure, the brain asks "what has worked before?" not "what do I believe is best?"
"Progress disappeared overnight"	High-intensity breakthroughs fade; lasting change requires ordinary, repeated practice

Designing Better Interventions

Patrik's three-condition model suggests specific intervention principles:

Shift from compliance to learning conditions: Instead of demanding willpower, create environments where new behaviors can be practiced safely and repeatedly
Prioritize direction over restriction: Don't just tell people what to stop — actively help answer "what comes next?"
Value the ordinary: Consistent, low-intensity touchpoints (weekly sessions, routine check-ins, same-time-same-place meetings) are more neurologically powerful than occasional intensive experiences
Reduce threat: Learning requires safety. Confrontational or high-pressure approaches activate stress responses that narrow dopamine's options — the opposite of what's needed for new learning
Be patient with "invisible" progress: Real neurological change is quiet, gradual, and often invisible from the outside — but it is durable

"When learning conditions change, behavior often follows. This shifts the focus away from willpower and compliance, and toward learning conditions."

— Patrik Dahlström

10. From "Why?" to "Towards What?" — The Closing Framework

Patrik closed with what may be the single most useful reframe for anyone working in recovery, prevention, or caregiving:

🔄 The Paradigm Shift

"Why?" questions point backward — toward causes, explanations, and histories. They help us make sense of behavior, but they don't always tell us what the nervous system needs next.

"Towards what?" questions point forward — toward direction. What is this nervous system trying to move toward? What problem is it trying to solve? What kind of relief, structure, or predictability is it searching for?

When you ask "towards what?", resistance looks like an attempt at regulation. Failure looks like a learning system stuck with limited options. And your role shifts from correction to support — from force to learning conditions.

"If there's one thing I hope you take from today, it's this: Change does not happen because people finally understand why they are doing what they are doing wrong. It happens because their nervous system learns a new way to move. Slowly. Quietly. Through experience. That process isn't dramatic. It often doesn't look impressive. But it's durable. And it's the kind of change that holds — because it's learned, not forced."

— Patrik Dahlström

11. Q&A Deep Dive

Q: Is dopamine still about pleasure, or is it really just regulation?

Dr. Ken Markowitz asked this directly. Patrik confirmed it's a combination of both, but the regulation and direction functions are much larger than previously understood. In the past 5–10 years, neuroscience has learned significantly more about dopamine's role beyond simple pleasure-seeking.

Q: What harmful habits are caregivers doing that damage children's dopamine systems?

Patrik's answer: The two most damaging are (1) frequent verbal arguments in front of children — "that can be very damaging for a child's nervous system, and it's very difficult for them to regain" — and (2) drinking at home with visible personality changes — "they can see the change in personalities. Even if I didn't do anything harmful... how you speak and how you act can scare a child."

Q: Without using words, what habits can caregivers build to shape children's dopamine systems?

Patrik's answer: Sleep is the most underestimated tool. Consistent early bedtimes (his own kids: 6–6:30 PM at ages 4 and 6). Doesn't matter if it's 6:30 or 7:30 — consistency over time is what matters. Eating right — less sugar and certain oils. And simple regulation exercises like the 10-finger candle blowing technique: child puts up 10 fingers, blows out each "candle." It's a breathing exercise disguised as a game.

Q: Does sleep include naps?

For younger children, naps can be part of total restorative sleep. The key is consistent total rest and predictable rhythms, not a rigid formula.

Q: If you could wave a magic wand at the addiction epidemic, what would you implement?

Patrik's answer: "Get people to sleep. Eating right." He would implement systemic protocols around sleep and nutrition — particularly for children. "There are many kids just getting a couple of hours of sleep. It's so important to get proper rest, especially when you're a kid, because it's cleaning your whole brain from what happened during the day. And if you get 2 or 3 hours of sleep, you don't get that. And it's easier to get an unregulated nervous system."

Q: Do devices affect dopamine systems and learning capacity?

Patrik's answer: Screens aren't inherently catastrophic. "It's not gonna make you a drug addict if you use too much screens." But when, how, and what matters. Games are often built on dopamine — micro-rewards, purchase loops, hooks. The design exploits the same learning system that drives addiction. Boundaries around device use (timing, content, alternating with embodied activity) are important.

12. Reflection & Self-Assessment

🪞 For Parents & Caregivers

What does my child typically reach for when overwhelmed — screens, food, withdrawal, intensity? What is their nervous system trying to regulate?

Where in our home do arguments or adult stress spill into children's space? What does post-conflict repair look like (or not look like) in our family?

Is my child's bedtime consistent? Are they getting enough sleep for their developing brain?

Am I providing enough calm, predictable structure — or is our home environment mostly reactive and unpredictable?

What one small routine could I make more consistent this week (bedtime, meals, a shared activity)?

💼 For Recovery & Mental Health Professionals

When I encounter "resistance," am I asking "Why won't they change?" or "What has their nervous system learned to rely on?"

Do my interventions change learning conditions, or do they primarily increase pressure and explanation?

Am I helping clients answer "What comes next?" — or am I mainly focused on what needs to stop?

Are my most effective touchpoints the dramatic breakthroughs — or the consistent, ordinary, weekly sessions?

How is my own nervous system? Am I working in conditions that support my own learning and regulation?

🌱 For People in Recovery

What did my substance or behavior give me in terms of time structure, emotional regulation, and social manageability?

What direction am I offering my nervous system instead? Or is there still a void?

Am I expecting change to feel dramatic — or can I trust the quiet, ordinary, daily practice that actually rewires the brain?

What small, repeatable, slightly effortful activity could I practice this week that gives my dopamine system something safe to move toward?

13. Resources, Contact & Next Steps

Connect with Patrik Dahlström & Hope For Families

Patrik Dahlström — Founder & Prevention Educator
📞 Phone: +1 (980) 270-1811
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: hope-4-families.com
📱 Instagram: @hope4families_recovery
👍 Facebook: Hope For Families
📍 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA (serving U.S., Canada & Scandinavia)

Featured Resource

📄 Dopamine, Early Risk & the Developing Brain — Parent & Educator Brief

A concise, non-clinical resource designed to support shared language around dopamine, regulation, and early risk without being diagnostic or prescriptive. Ideal for parents, educators, and prevention-focused organizations.

📥 Download the Brief →

Watch the Session Highlights

YouTube Short: Watch Highlight Reel
Social Post A: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
Social Post B (Reel): Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Hope For Families Workshop Topics

Dopamine & the Developing Brain
Early Risk vs. Early Prevention
Why Addiction Often Starts Long Before Substances
Calm Tools / Regulation Guides for Parents

Peer-Reviewed References

Keiflin, R. & Janak, P.H. (2015). "Dopamine Prediction Errors in Reward Learning and Addiction: From Theory to Neural Circuitry." Neuron, 88(2), 247–263.
Schultz, W. (2016). "Dopamine Reward Prediction Error Coding." Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 18(3), 265–278.
Hollon, N.G. et al. (2020). "Stress and the Dopaminergic Reward System." Experimental & Molecular Medicine, 52, 1879–1890.
Porcelli, A.J. et al. (2018). "Brain Mechanisms Mediating Effects of Stress on Reward Sensitivity." Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 22, 106–113.
Gomes, F.V. & Grace, A.A. (2019). "The Pathophysiological Impact of Stress on the Dopamine System is Dependent on the State of the Critical Period of Vulnerability." Molecular Psychiatry, 24(5), 786–796.
Oswald, L.M. et al. (2015). "Adversity in Childhood Linked to Elevated Striatal Dopamine Function in Adulthood." Biological Psychiatry, 76(7), 544–553.
Foilb, A.R. et al. (2013). "Stress in Adolescence and Drugs of Abuse in Rodent Models." Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 70, 206–221.
Grace, A.A. (2015). "Regulation of Dopamine System Responsivity and Its Adaptive and Pathological Response to Stress." Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 282(1805).

Crisis & Support Resources

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (24/7, U.S.)
SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
Canada Suicide Prevention Service: Call 988 (24/7)
ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600

NYSLN Extended Event Summary: Chad Johnson's "Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery"

New York Sober Living Network | Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

A Recovery Session on Presence, Purpose, and the Transformative Power of Helping Others

📋 Complete Event Documentation

Part ① Event Overview & Context

Event Details:
🔸 Title: Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery
🔸 Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
🔸 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
🔸 Format: Live Zoom | Recovery Education & Discussion
🔸 Speaker: Chad Johnson, Sober Coach, Podcast Host, Recovery Advocate
🔸 Host: Dr. Ken Markowitz, NYSLN
🔸 Attendance: 40+ participants (Toronto, New York, Chicago, International)

Historic Significance:

This was NYSLN's continuation of their Tuesday lunchtime series connecting mental health professionals with individuals in recovery and their families. Chad's session focused on the practical, lived experience of maintaining recovery while serving others—a crucial bridge between early recovery (where the focus is on self) and mature recovery (where the focus expands outward).

Community Context:

New York Sober Living Network operates as part of a global peer-led recovery community:

🌍 Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
🌍 Additional Chapters: New York (established); Chicago (launched); Mumbai, India; Enugu, Nigeria
🌍 Mission: Create judgment-free spaces where individuals at every stage of sobriety can find understanding, resources, and peer connection
🌍 Format: Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST for NYSLN) + educational eBooks + companion workbooks + recovery resources

Part ② About Chad Johnson

Professional Background:

Chad Johnson is a Certified Sober Coach and recovery advocate with 11+ years of continuous sobriety. He operates across multiple platforms and organizations, each reflecting his commitment to breaking stigma and creating recovery-ready communities.

Credentials & Platforms:

🔹 Founder and Host of "Not All There Podcast" (peer-led recovery conversations)
🔹 Host of "Sober with Chad" (coaching and mentorship platform)
🔹 Founder of The Art of Recovery Foundation (advocating for addiction awareness and recovery)
🔹 Initiator and Host of SLN Chicago Chapter (building recovery community in the Midwest)
🔹 Certified Sober Coach (providing one-on-one and group coaching)
🔹 Professional recovery speaker and educator

Personal Journey:

Chad's credibility comes from lived experience, not theory:

💫 21 years of active addiction (alcohol and drugs) characterized by isolation and self-destruction
💫 Survivor of severe childhood abuse and multiple traumas (grew up in rural Oregon with an abusive father)
💫 Got sober and began recovery work, eventually achieving genuine sobriety around year 2-3
💫 Years 1-5: Marathon runner (literally running from his trauma); trained intensely, ran marathons, used running as a substitute for substance abuse
💫 Year 5: Body completely gave out; forced to stop running and face the accumulated trauma that surfaced
💫 Years 5-9: Prolonged nervous breakdown; had to face everything—all trauma, all shame, all pain; this period involved intensive therapy, peer support, and genuine emotional processing
💫 Year 9: Breakthrough in self-acceptance; realized he couldn't change the past, but he could accept who he was and build from there
💫 Years 9-11: Evolution into genuine recovery; began liking himself, becoming present for family, developing service work, helping others
💫 Present (11+ years sober): Married, father of two teenage sons (ages 13 and 15), actively coaching others, hosting podcasts, building community, still in therapy, still doing daily recovery practices

Why Chad's Approach Matters:

Chad bridges two critical worlds:

🌟 Traditional Recovery Models: He understands AA, NA, clinical therapy, evidence-based treatment, and the value of structure and community in recovery

🌟 Real-Life Complexity: He doesn't pretend recovery is linear or that you ever stop being a "recovering" person.

He still has struggles with his wiring, his intensity, his trauma responses. He's still doing the work after 11 years.

His unique value: He models what mature, sustainable recovery actually looks like—not perfect, but grounded, connected, purposeful, and committed to helping others find the same.

Part ③ Core Themes & Educational Content

Theme ① "Self-Acceptance is the Foundation" (Not Perfection)

The Problem:

Most people in recovery spend the first years in internal conflict. They've accepted intellectually that they're an alcoholic or addict, but they haven't accepted emotionally. Part of them is still fighting against reality, still believing they should be different, should be stronger, should have never gotten here.

This internal war is exhausting. It consumes mental and emotional energy that could be used for actual healing and growth.

Chad's Journey:

For years, Chad was sober but at war with himself. He was doing the external work (meetings, therapy, running marathons) but internally rejecting himself for what he was. Around year 9, something shifted.

"This is me. This is who I am. There's nothing I can do that's gonna change that. I can't fix it. I can't do anything to change the past. But I can accept it."

This moment—when acceptance shifted from intellectual to emotional—changed everything.

Why This Matters:

When you stop fighting against yourself, when you stop trying to be someone different, a huge relief emerges. No more arguing with reality. No more shame spirals. No more performing.

Chad describes it: "There was a huge relief in that. Like, oh, okay, this is me. I don't have to go around trying to figure out who I am. I don't have to listen to my own bullshit or bullshit others. This is the person that I am."

Workbook Integration:

For future workbook development, this theme would include:

📖 Daily acceptance practices (acknowledging reality without judgment)
📖 Journaling prompts around self-acceptance
📖 Distinguishing between "I can't change the past" and "I can change my response to it"
📖 Tracking the relief that comes from stopping the internal war

Theme ② "From Acceptance to Genuine Self-Esteem" (The Scaling Method)

The Problem:

Acceptance alone isn't enough. You can accept yourself and still hate yourself. You can accept that you're a recovering alcoholic and still feel worthless.

The next step is learning to genuinely like yourself. But most recovery programs leave you to figure this out on your own.

Chad's Solution:

Chad discovered what he calls the "scaling method"—starting ridiculously small and building from there.

"I decided that maybe it was time to start liking myself for who I was. And let's start with, like, an hour, okay? I can do that, and let's start with a day, and then a couple of days, and pretty soon, I was able to string together several months of liking myself, and my entire perspective on things changed."

This isn't positive thinking or affirmations. It's a neuroplasticity practice. By consistently choosing to like himself for small increments of time, Chad rewired his brain's relationship to himself.

The Cascade Effect:

When Chad began genuinely liking himself:

🌟 He became a better parent (more present, less reactive)
🌟 He became a better husband (more emotionally available)
🌟 He became a better friend (authentic instead of performing)
🌟 He stopped caring what people thought (freedom)
🌟 He became genuinely present for others

Why This Matters:

Self-esteem built on genuine self-acceptance is sustainable because it's not fragile. It's not based on external validation or achievements. It's based on knowing yourself and choosing to show up anyway.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Daily self-esteem building exercises (start with "I did one thing well today")
📖 Scaling practices (an hour of liking yourself, then a day, then a week)
📖 Tracking cascade effects (as your self-esteem improves, what changes in your relationships?)
📖 Practical exercises in meeting yourself with compassion

Theme ③ "Community is Non-Negotiable" (The Different Layers)

The Truth:

"You can't live a life of active recovery on your own. Doing it in shadows, secretly, without letting people know, defeats the entire purpose."

Why:

Chad's addiction was an "addiction of isolation." For 21 years, he couldn't face the world or himself. He needed to numb himself every day because the pain of existing was unbearable.

Recovery demands the opposite: radical connection, visibility, vulnerability, and community.

What Community Actually Provides:

When you're surrounded by people who understand you, who've lived similar experiences:

💚 The loneliness goes away (you're no longer isolated with your pain)
💚 You have hope (you see others making it work)
💚 You're seen for who you truly are (validation and acceptance)
💚 You realize you're not broken or alone
💚 You get perspective when problems feel enormous
💚 You get support when you're struggling
💚 You remember your "why" when you're losing motivation

The Different Layers:

Chad emphasizes that community exists at multiple levels:

🔵 Recovery-Specific Community: AA meetings, NA meetings, recovery groups, sponsorship relationships. People who speak the language and understand the struggle.

🔵 Like-Minded Community: Men's groups, peer coaching circles, recovery-focused gatherings. People doing similar work, often outside of 12-step structure.

🔵 Professional Community: Therapists, coaches, mentors. People trained to help you process and heal.

🔵 Broader Community: Family, friends, colleagues. People who care about you and support your recovery, even if they haven't experienced addiction.

🔵 Service Community: People you help and coach. This creates a feedback loop where giving strengthens your own recovery.

Why Multiple Layers Matter:

People who've lived through similar experiences offer irreplaceable camaraderie. You're seen, validated, understood.

But people with no frame of reference to addiction offer something equally valuable: they remind you how far you've come and reinforce your commitment never to return. They help you integrate back into mainstream society and prove to yourself that you can function and be present outside the recovery bubble.

Chad's Communities Include:

🔹 AA meetings and his AA crew
🔹 A men's group he started at his house
🔹 Recovery podcasts and online networks
🔹 Multiple therapists over the years
🔹 Family and friends who support his recovery
🔹 Mentees and coaching clients he serves

Workbook Integration:

📖 Mapping your community (identifying which layers you have and which you need)
📖 Community-building exercises (how to start a group, how to join one)
📖 Vulnerability practices (sharing with people in each layer)
📖 Tracking the impact of community on your recovery trajectory

Theme ④ "The Three Stages of Recovery" (Critical Distinctions)

The Language Problem:

Most people use "abstinence," "sobriety," and "recovery" interchangeably. This is a profound mistake because it conflates three very different states of being.

Abstinence: Just Stopping

Definition: Not using a substance or addictive behavior.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not drinking or using drugs
🔹 Not gambling, binge eating, compulsive sex, working obsessively
🔹 Physically not engaging in the behavior

What It Doesn't Include:
🔹 Internal transformation
🔹 Healing from trauma
🔹 Building healthy relationships
🔹 Developing self-worth
🔹 Creating meaning and purpose
🔹 Any emotional or spiritual component

The Reality: You can be abstinent and still be:
🔹 Angry and resentful
🔹 Depressed and hopeless
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 White-knuckling through each day
🔹 Ready to relapse at any moment
🔹 Miserable

Sobriety: Sustained Abstinence + Awareness

Definition: Not using AND understanding why you don't use, while actively working on yourself.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not using substances
🔹 Understanding your patterns and triggers
🔹 Attending meetings or therapy
🔹 Working on yourself (journaling, meditation, etc.)
🔹 Being honest about your struggles
🔹 Showing up, even when it's hard
🔹 Having structure and accountability

What It Might Still Be Missing:
🔹 Deep healing from trauma
🔹 Full integration of lessons into daily life
🔹 Authentic connection with others
🔹 Genuine purpose and meaning
🔹 Joy and peace

The Reality: You can be sober and still be:
🔹 Going through the motions
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 Avoiding the real deep work
🔹 White-knuckling through life
🔹 One failed support system away from relapse
🔹 Functional but not fulfilled

Recovery: The Full Transformation

Definition: Living a full, authentic life in alignment with your values, having healed from the wounds that drove your addiction.

What It Includes:
🔹 Abstinence from substances and harmful behaviors (obviously)
🔹 Genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🔹 Deep work on trauma and underlying issues (nervous breakdowns, if necessary)
🔹 Authentic relationships and genuine community
🔹 Purpose, meaning, and contribution to others
🔹 Helping others (service)
🔹 Joy, peace, and spiritual alignment
🔹 Living your values
🔹 Being genuinely present for yourself and others
🔹 Still growing and evolving

What It Looks Like:
🔹 You genuinely like yourself (flaws and all)
🔹 You're present with your family and friends (not just physically there)
🔹 You help people without expecting anything in return
🔹 You handle hard days without using
🔹 You sleep well knowing you lived well
🔹 You contribute to your community
🔹 You build others up
🔹 You remember your "why" every single day
🔹 You're still doing the work (therapy, practices, community)
🔹 You're still humble and learning

The Critical Insight:

Not everyone makes the journey from abstinence to sobriety to recovery. Many get stuck in sobriety—not using, but not truly living. They're stable but not transformed. And when one pillar of support fails (lost their sponsor, can't make meetings, lost their job, relationship ends), they relapse.

Recovery, true recovery, is more resilient because it's built on internal transformation, not external structure.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Self-assessment tool (which stage are you in?)
📖 Pathway to the next stage (what does it take to move from abstinence to sobriety, sobriety to recovery?)
📖 Identifying areas of your life where you're abstinent/sober/recovering
📖 Building resilience by moving toward recovery

Theme ⑤ "The Daily Ritual That Keeps You Grounded" (Neuroplasticity in Action)

The Practice:

Chad has a non-negotiable daily ritual. Every single morning, almost 12 years into sobriety, he does the same thing:

"I wake up each day, and I have to remind myself: Hey, Chad, you're a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Don't fuck it up today."

It sounds harsh. It sounds negative. But it's neither.

Why This Works:

This is a neuroplasticity practice. By repeatedly activating the same intention every morning, Chad is:

① Bringing himself into the present moment. His mind isn't in yesterday's regrets or tomorrow's anxieties. He's here, now, making a choice.

② Activating his "why." It's not just "I'm sober," it's "I have something I'm protecting." Kids. Wife. Work. Community. Purpose.

③ Preventing relapse amnesia. Research shows that over time, people forget why they got sober. They start thinking "Maybe I wasn't that bad." Or "Maybe I can handle just one drink." By reminding himself every morning of what he is, Chad immunizes himself.

④ Reserving willpower for everything else. The biggest decision of the day is made first thing: "I'm not using today." This frees mental energy for parenting, working, helping others.

⑤ Accepting reality without fighting it. He's not saying "Pray I don't relapse." He's saying "This is who I am. And today I'm choosing not to act on it."

The Acceptance Built In:

What's beautiful about this ritual is that it's not based on shame or self-punishment. It's based on complete acceptance.

Chad is saying: "I'm deeply traumatized. I'm wired in ways that make recovery work necessary. I'm still that wounded kid from Oregon. None of that has changed. And I'm choosing, every day, to show up anyway."

This is maturity. This is humility. This is the difference between someone who's been sober 12 years and someone who's just managed not to drink for 12 years.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Creating your own daily ritual (what reminder keeps you grounded?)
📖 Neuroplasticity practices (understanding how repetition rewires your brain)
📖 Morning intention-setting exercises
📖 Tracking the effects of daily rituals over weeks and months

Theme ⑥ "Listening as a Revolutionary Act" (The Prerequisite for Service)

The Insight:

"One of the most important things you can do for someone is just be available to listen to what they have to say. You may not even need to share anything with them. Just listening to them is enough for them to get the help that they need."

Why This Is Revolutionary:

In a world of:
🔹 Constant distraction (everyone's on their phone)
🔹 Performative advice-giving ("Here's what you should do")
🔹 Problem-solving without understanding ("Why don't you just...")
🔹 Judgment and criticism ("That was stupid")

Genuine listening has become genuinely radical. People are starved for it.

The Prerequisite:

But Chad knows something crucial: you can't listen to others if you're not listening to yourself.

"If I'm stuck in my own head, dealing with my own crap, I'm not available to do that."

This is why the daily ritual matters so much. By taking time each morning to ground yourself, you clear the mental clutter that would otherwise prevent genuine presence.

It's the airplane oxygen mask principle: put your own mask on first.

What Genuine Listening Looks Like:

🔹 Putting your phone away (actual presence)
🔹 Making eye contact (showing you're engaged)
🔹 Letting them finish without interrupting
🔹 Asking follow-up questions (showing you care)
🔹 Not trying to fix them (letting them own their experience)
🔹 Not sharing your story unless they ask (keeping the focus on them)
🔹 Simply witnessing and reflecting back what you hear
🔹 Following up the next day

What It Creates:

🔹 Safety ("It's safe for me to be vulnerable with this person")
🔹 Trust ("This person genuinely cares")
🔹 Feeling seen ("Someone understands me")
🔹 Validation ("My experience matters")
🔹 Reduced isolation ("I'm not alone")
🔹 Hope ("If someone can listen like this, maybe I can get help")

Workbook Integration:

📖 Active listening exercises
📖 Reflective listening practices
📖 Distinguishing between listening and advising
📖 Tracking the impact of genuine listening on your relationships

Theme ⑦ "The Power of Small Gestures" (Compound Effect of Kindness)

The Hierarchy of Service:

Service doesn't exist at one level. It exists on a spectrum:

Level ① Minor Gestures

🔹 Smile at someone on the street
🔹 Say hello
🔹 Hold a door
🔹 Make eye contact
🔹 Give a compliment

Level ② Personal Connection

🔹 Listen without judgment
🔹 Ask meaningful questions
🔹 Remember details
🔹 Follow up
🔹 Show genuine care

Level ③ Direct Support

🔹 Help someone solve a problem
🔹 Provide emotional support
🔹 Volunteer expertise
🔹 Spend time with someone
🔹 Be physically present

Level ④ Major Intervention

🔹 Help someone get to treatment
🔹 Mentor someone in recovery
🔹 Give significant time/resources
🔹 Change someone's trajectory
🔹 Potentially save someone's life

The Key Insight:

You don't need to be at Level ④ to matter. Even Level ① gestures compound into massive impact when you think about how many people's days you're touching.

The Personal Story: Making Your Bed

During the session, participant Leo Petrilli shared: "Making my bed, every morning."

This is a perfect example. Making your bed isn't a gesture to someone else. It's a gesture to yourself. But it's exactly the kind of small, consistent action that builds momentum.

When you make your bed:

✓ You start your day with an accomplishment
✓ You create order in your environment
✓ You're being responsible to yourself
✓ You're practicing self-care
✓ You're building self-esteem
✓ Before you even leave your room, you've done one good thing

The Gratitude Practice

Participant Barb Lang noted: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes. It doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

This is crucial for recovery. In early recovery, you're not ready for grand service. But you ARE ready for:
🔹 Making your bed
🔹 Brushing your teeth
🔹 Taking a shower
🔹 Going for a walk
🔹 Saying thank you
🔹 Smiling at someone

These small acts:
① Build momentum
② Create self-esteem
③ Prove to yourself you're capable
④ Set up a foundation for bigger actions

The Scaling Principle:

Chad's approach to self-esteem and service is built on scaling:

Day 1: I brushed my teeth and made my bed
Day 2: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, and went for a walk
Day 3: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, went for a walk, and said hello to my neighbor
Week 2: I've done all of the above plus I volunteered 2 hours
Month 1: I've built a routine, volunteered regularly, and helped someone through a crisis

The power? Each small win stacks on top of the previous ones. Before you know it, you're living a life of meaning and service.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Small gesture log (tracking Level ① and Level ② acts daily)
📖 Gratitude practice (noticing small things to be grateful for)
📖 Scaling exercises (how to build momentum from one small action to the next)
📖 Tracking the compound effect over weeks and months

Theme ⑧ "Vulnerability: The Strength Everyone Overlooks" (Gateway to Service)

The Core Question:

During the session, Carby asked: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's answer was unambiguous: "Yes."

And participant Leo Petrilli captured the emotional truth: "Tears are power."

What Vulnerability Actually Means:

Vulnerability isn't weakness. In recovery, vulnerability means:

🔓 Being willing to tell the truth
🔓 Admitting you don't have it all figured out
🔓 Sharing your struggles, not just your successes
🔓 Asking for help
🔓 Being emotionally present
🔓 Letting others see the real you

Vulnerability = Strength in Recovery:

Chad models this throughout his life:
🔹 He shares his crazy stories about his addiction
🔹 He talks about his trauma
🔹 He admits when he's struggling
🔹 He participates in therapy
🔹 He shares his failures alongside his successes
🔹 He asks for help from his wife, friends, and community

Why This Matters:

When people see you being vulnerable and still showing up, it gives them permission to do the same. Vulnerability creates connection. Connection creates recovery.

In a culture that often teaches—especially men—to hide emotions, recovery requires the opposite. When you can:
🔹 Cry
🔹 Express emotion
🔹 Show fear
🔹 Admit confusion
🔹 Ask for help

You're demonstrating the strength it takes to live an authentic life.

Vulnerability in Service:

When you serve others from a place of vulnerability, the service transforms:

💚 It's not superior or patronizing (you're not better than them)
💚 It's peer-to-peer, person-to-person
💚 It says: "I've been where you are. Here's how I'm moving forward"
💚 It gives them hope that change is possible
💚 It allows them to see the real you, not a performance
💚 It creates connection, not dependency

Workbook Integration:

📖 Vulnerability practices (safe places to practice being vulnerable)
📖 Distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate vulnerability
📖 Tracking how vulnerability deepens your relationships
📖 Practicing service from a place of vulnerability

Part ④ Practical Frameworks & Tools

The Daily Scaling Method for Self-Esteem

Chad's most practical contribution is his daily scaling method for building self-esteem:

Start Ridiculously Small

The first goals in recovery aren't "Get a job" or "Rebuild your marriage." They're:
🔹 Tie your shoes
🔹 Brush your teeth
🔹 Get dressed
🔹 Do laundry
🔹 Fold the laundry
🔹 Go for a walk

Why? Each action is evidence that you're not lazy, not broken, not incapable. You're capable of doing one thing. And then another. And then another.

Document Your Wins

Chad's approach:
"I can look back, like, oh, well, you know what? I walked my dog today. And I picked up the dog poop. I was an active person in public today. I was out in society, and I was doing something. I was being polite and responsible. And that's something that you can build on for the day."

The practice:
🔹 Keep track of what you accomplished
🔹 Celebrate small wins
🔹 Notice your presence and activity in the world
🔹 Build a positive narrative about yourself

Connect Positive Actions to Positive Feelings

Chad shares: "There's also, you know, I spoke to another person about their recovery a day, and that made me feel good. So that's something that I like feeling, so I'm gonna do that again."

The pattern:
① Do a positive action
② Notice how it feels
③ Identify the positive feeling
④ Repeat the action to experience the feeling again
⑤ Build a routine around actions that feel good

Meet People Where They Are

As a coach, Chad emphasizes that recovery isn't one-size-fits-all:

Early Recovery (First 30 Days):

🔹 Focus: Not using, showing up to meetings, basic self-care
🔹 Goal: Survive and stay connected

First Year:

🔹 Focus: Building routine, processing trauma, developing self-esteem
🔹 Goal: Get stable and start healing

Year 2-5:

🔹 Focus: Deep trauma work, relationship repair, building life
🔹 Goal: Create a sustainable recovery lifestyle

Year 5+:

🔹 Focus: Mastery, giving back, evolving spiritually
🔹 Goal: Live with purpose and serve others

Use Journaling and Expression

Chad uses journaling extensively:
"I've got notebooks everywhere. I'll be flipping through work ideas, and then I'm like, oh god, here's 5 pages of whatever I was going through that day. So I'll go back and read it. That's another nice way to reflect back on what you were feeling, what you were writing."

The benefits:
🔹 Gets thoughts out of your head
🔹 Allows reflection and pattern recognition
🔹 Provides evidence of growth over time
🔹 Engages a different part of your brain
🔹 Creates accountability

Relatable Connection (Especially with Kids)

Chad's example with his 13-year-old son:
"I just try to encourage him with little things, or say 'Oh, that's cool, good job.' Like, not being critical. Unless it needs to be, right? And meeting him, accepting him. Okay, today was just whatever. He doesn't like school. Alright, well, let's not make a big deal about it, okay? Let's find something positive that we can talk about or relatable."

This applies to self-esteem:
🔹 Find one thing you did well
🔹 Don't be overly critical
🔹 Find something positive to focus on
🔹 Meet yourself with acceptance and encouragement

Part ⑤ The Roadmap to Service

Option ① Existing Organizations

Local Services:

🔹 Food banks and soup kitchens
🔹 Donation and charity centers
🔹 Community centers
🔹 Religious organizations
🔹 Non-profits

Recovery-Specific:

🔹 12-step meetings (sponsorship, literature table, setup/cleanup)
🔹 Recovery houses
🔹 Treatment centers
🔹 Recovery coaching organizations
🔹 Peer support groups

Getting Started:

🔹 Search your area for volunteer opportunities
🔹 Call and ask: "I'm in recovery and looking to give back. How can I help?"
🔹 Start small—even 2 hours per month makes a difference

Option ② Community Projects

Community-Based Service:

🔹 Food drives (sorting cans, organizing donations)
🔹 Park cleanups
🔹 Beach cleanups
🔹 Community gardens
🔹 School volunteering
🔹 Youth sports coaching

Getting Started:

🔹 Go to events happening in your community
🔹 Volunteer with your kids (teaches them about service)
🔹 Notice what issues matter to you and find organizations working on them

Option ③ Start Your Own

Chad's Story:

"When I got sober, my kids were very young. I needed to be present for bedtime and my wife. So I started my own group meeting at my house. It's pretty easy to do, because there are a lot of like-minded people out there."

Ideas for Starting Your Own:

🔹 AA/NA home meeting
🔹 Book club focused on recovery
🔹 Men's or women's group
🔹 Peer support circle
🔹 Online community
🔹 Mentorship circle
🔹 Service project group

The Power of Starting Small:

🔹 Invite a few people over
🔹 Create a safe, welcoming space
🔹 Be consistent
🔹 Let it grow organically
🔹 Lead by example

Option ④ Direct Asking

Chad's Most Powerful Suggestion:

"If you just go around and ask, 'Hey, I am looking to be of service to other people. Is there anything that you guys need help with that I might be able to help you with?' And it'll stop people dead in their tracks. They'll think, and you'll get an answer. Either they can help you, where they work can help you, or they know someone that needs help and they can get you pointed in that direction."

Why This Works:

🔹 Most people are waiting for someone to ask
🔹 Your genuine desire to help is rare and valued
🔹 It opens doors you didn't know existed
🔹 It often leads to unexpected connections and opportunities

The Benefit of Service (No Matter Which Path)

No matter which path you choose, service does something that nothing else can:

🌟 Reinforces your sobriety (reminds you why you got sober)
🌟 Builds self-esteem (you're doing good)
🌟 Connects you to others
🌟 Creates meaning and purpose
🌟 Breaks the cycle of self-centeredness
🌟 Helps you sleep better knowing you helped someone
🌟 Keeps you humble and grounded
🌟 Models recovery for others

In a very real sense, service is the antidote to addiction. Addiction is about taking, using, consuming. Recovery is about giving, serving, contributing.

Part ⑥ Q&A Highlights & Community Engagement

Q① Clarifying Sobriety, Abstinence, and Recovery

Carby's Question: "Can you help me clarify the difference between Sobriety/Abstinence and Recovery?"

Chad's Response: Chad distinguished between the three stages clearly, emphasizing that not everyone moves through all three. Many people remain in sobriety indefinitely—not using, but not truly living. Recovery is the full transformation where you're genuinely liking yourself, present with others, and serving your community.

💡 Key Insight: Understanding these distinctions changes how you approach your recovery and helps you identify where you might be stuck.

Q② Vulnerability as the Mechanism of Lasting Change

Carby's Question: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's Response: Chad affirmed that vulnerability is absolutely central to lasting recovery and to the mechanism of service. When you serve from a place of genuine vulnerability, it creates peer-to-peer connection rather than a hierarchy of "helper" and "helped."

Leo Petrilli's Contribution: "Tears are power."

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability is strength. When you allow yourself to feel, to admit struggle, to ask for help, you unlock the capacity for genuine connection and authentic service.

Q③ How to Practice Vulnerability

Carby's Follow-up: "Follow up to that question.. How can I 'practice' Vulnerability"

Chad's Response: While not fully elaborated in the transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests starting small—sharing something real with one trusted person, being honest about struggles, asking for help, expressing emotion.

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability can be practiced incrementally, just like self-esteem. You don't need to share everything with everyone. Start with safe people in safe spaces.

Q④ Getting Started with Service

Carby's Question: "If I want to pursue the path of Service.. how do I get started?"

Chad's Response: Chad provided four concrete pathways (existing organizations, community projects, starting your own, direct asking), emphasizing that the best path is the one you actually take. Meeting people where they are is key—in early recovery, even volunteering 2 hours per month is meaningful.

💡 Key Insight: Service doesn't require perfection or grand gestures. It requires consistency and genuine desire to help.

Q⑤ Addressing Negative Influences

Carby's Question: "In respect to my previous life/habits, and especially my circle of (negative) influence (ie. 'friends', coworkers).. Do you recommend to distance myself to keep out of range of trouble or triggering environments?"

Follow-up Question: "When will i know it is the 'right' time to 'test the waters' and re-enter those environments and reconnect with those 'friends'..."

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured, Chad's approach suggests waiting until your recovery is solid enough to handle triggers, being strategic about re-entry, and maintaining boundaries with people/places that actively undermine your sobriety.)

💡 Key Insight: Recovery doesn't mean permanent isolation, but it does require strategic boundary management in early stages. Re-entry happens when your recovery is resilient, not when you think you're "fixed."

Q⑥ The Role of Spirituality and Belief

Carby's Question: "And in addition to community / service.. does my beliefs influence my recovery? For example, does God (religion aside) play a role?"

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured in transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests non-dogmatic spirituality. Whether you call it God, the universe, purpose, or community, having something larger than yourself to orient toward helps recovery significantly.)

💡 Key Insight: Spirituality matters, but it doesn't require a specific theology. What matters is having meaning and purpose beyond your own ego.

Q⑦ Community Recognition of Small Victories

Participant Leo Petrilli: "Making my bed, every morning."

Participant Barb Lang: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes, it doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

Ken Markowitz Response: "I agree! It's the small things that we often take for granted and should always be grateful for."

💡 Key Insight: The community affirmed that small actions, done consistently, are the foundation of recovery. Making your bed daily is as valid and important as major service work.

Q⑧ Session Closing

Participant Damien Reilly: "I have to jump. Thanks everyone! Thanks Chad! Thanks Ken!"

Multiple Participants: "Thanks so much Chad, and Ken!" and "Thanks all"

Part ⑦ Integration & Next Steps

For Participants:

① If you attended the live session:

🔸 Download the full eBook for deeper learning
🔸 Implement the daily ritual (your own version of "Don't fuck it up today")
🔸 Practice one Level ① gesture daily (smile, hello, thank you)
🔸 Identify which layers of community you have and which you need
🔸 Choose one service pathway to explore this month
🔸 Start journaling (small wins, feelings, reflections)

② If you're new to this work:

🔸 Read through the eBook first to understand the framework
🔸 Start with the daily ritual (adapt it to your own belief system)
🔸 Begin with Tool #1: Making your bed and doing basic self-care
🔸 Document your small wins
🔸 Build from there

③ If you want to deepen the practice:

🔸 Consider one-on-one coaching with Chad or another trained coach
🔸 Join a recovery community (AA, SMART, Lymbic, etc.)
🔸 Combine this work with therapy or counseling
🔸 Start a home group or meet-up in your area
🔸 Join NYSLN Tuesday sessions weekly (free, judgment-free community)

For Mental Health Professionals:

The NYSLN platform is a vital resource for:
🔹 Connecting with clients in recovery
🔹 Understanding peer-led support models
🔹 Referring clients to free community resources
🔹 Learning about cutting-edge recovery practices
🔹 Building collaborative relationships with recovery communities

Part ⑧ The Bigger Picture

Why This Matters Now

Recovery work has traditionally focused on "stopping the behavior" (abstinence) and cognitive processing (therapy). This helps millions. But many people still feel stuck, still struggle with meaning and purpose, still can't regulate their nervous systems without substances.

Chad's work—and NYSLN's platform—represents a paradigm shift: Healing requires meeting the person where they are across all dimensions simultaneously.

This means:
💫 Traditional therapy (still essential)
💫 Plus 12-Step or peer programs (still valuable)
💫 Plus practical self-esteem building (small gestures, daily rituals)
💫 Plus community across multiple layers (recovery-specific and broader)
💫 Plus service and meaning-making (gives purpose to recovery)

The Result:

People don't just stop using substances—they reclaim their lives. They:
🌟 Develop genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🌟 Build authentic community across multiple layers
🌟 Discover meaning and purpose through service
🌟 Regulate their nervous systems (can be present without numbing)
🌟 Sleep well knowing they lived well
🌟 Know they're not alone
🌟 Have hope that change is possible

Part ⑨ Accessibility & Inclusivity

NYSLN's commitment to accessibility:

Financial:

💰 Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST)
💰 Free eBooks and educational materials
💰 Free community access
💰 Sliding scale for direct coaching

Accessibility for Different Backgrounds:

🌈 No religious requirement
🌈 Non-dogmatic spirituality
🌈 No special preparation needed
🌈 Judgment-free (cameras on or off—your choice)
🌈 Welcomes skeptics and believers alike

For Healthcare Providers:

🏥 Mental health professionals welcome
🏥 NYSLN serves as a vital platform to connect with the community you serve
🏥 Integration with clinical recovery models (not replacement)

Part ⑩ Contact & Resources

Speaker:

Chad Johnson, Sober Coach & Recovery Advocate

🔗 Website: https://www.soberchad.com/
🔗 Email: (available through website)
🔗 Podcasts: "Not All There" & "Sober with Chad"
🔗 Services: Coaching (sliding scale), Speaking, Advocacy
🔗 Location: Chicago, IL (distance sessions available globally)

New York Sober Living Network:

🔗 Website: https://soberlivingnetwork.org
🔗 Linktr: https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
🔗 Email: [email protected]
🔗 Weekly: Tuesday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

Related Resources:

🔗 Art of Recovery Foundation: https://www.artofrecoveryfoundation.org/
🔗 Lymbic: https://www.lymbic.org/
🔗 Not All There Podcast: https://notalltherepod.com/

Crisis Resources:

🆘 National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – Free, confidential, 24/7
🆘 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
🆘 AA: https://www.aa.org/
🆘 SMART Recovery: https://www.smartrecovery.org/
🆘 Local mental health clinic or doctor

Part ⑪ The Larger Vision

What Chad's Work Represents

Chad Johnson isn't unique in being sober for 11+ years. But he's exceptional in how openly he shares his journey—not just the victories, but the nervous breakdown in year 5, the ongoing struggles with his trauma wiring, the daily commitment he still makes.

He's not selling a fantasy of "fixed recovery." He's modeling realistic, sustainable recovery: work, commitment, community, service, and genuine presence.

The Paradigm Shift

From "How do I stop using?" to "How do I build a life worth living?"

From "One day at a time" (survival mode) to "One day at a time with purpose" (thriving mode)

From "I need help" (vulnerability as need) to "I can help others" (vulnerability as strength)

Part ⑫ Final Words

Chad's Message to the Community:

(While not directly quoted, Chad's consistent message throughout is:)

"Show up. Be available. Start small. Be honest about who you are. Connect with people. Help others. That's the path. Not the only path. But a path that works."

Ken Markowitz's Framing:

"Recovery isn't about perfection. It's about showing up, staying connected, and living with gratitude one day at a time."

✨ Conclusion

The January 20, 2026 NYSLN session with Chad Johnson was a masterclass in practical recovery wisdom. Participants left with:

✨ Understanding: Why service is the mechanism of lasting recovery
✨ Frameworks: The three stages of recovery and how to move between them
✨ Practices: Daily rituals, scaling methods, small gesture frameworks
✨ Community: Connection to NYSLN and the broader SLN network
✨ Hope: Proof that transformation is possible, one day at a time
✨ Purpose: Clear pathways to meaningful service

By the end of the session, it was clear: recovery isn't something you achieve and then stop working on. It's a way of living—present, connected, purposeful, and dedicated to helping others find their own way.

Building Connection. Empowering Lives. Restoring Hope.

New York Sober Living Network

🔗 https://soberlivingnetwork.org
📧 [email protected]
👥 https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Sober Living Network – Global Community

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 Connect through website
🔗 Registration: https://SoberLivingNetwork.org

Event Documentation Date: January 20, 2026

Materials Created: eBook (Full Educational Resource) + Event Summary (Quick Overview) + Extended Event Summary (Comprehensive Documentation)

Access: All materials available free to NYSLN community members and registered participants

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 [email protected]
👥 Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Download PDF

Download SLN Recovery Workbook V2

TSLN eBook: Adam Shaffer "20+ Years of Addiction to 11 Years Sober: Adam Shaffer's Recovery Coach Journey"

Toronto Sober Living Network | Friday, February 6, 2026 | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST

eBook — From 20+ Years of Addiction to 11 Years Sober: Adam Shaffer’s Recovery Coach Journey

Toronto Sober Living Network — Dedicated eBook

🔥 From 20+ Years of Addiction to 11 Years Sober

Adam Shaffer's Recovery Coach Journey: How Lived Experience, Relentless Hustle, and Radical Honesty Built a Full-Time Coaching Practice in Toronto

Speaker: Adam Shaffer, RCP., ASW.

Event: TSLN Friday Night Keynote | February 6, 2026

Published by: Sober Living Network

1. About This eBook

This eBook captures the full keynote, Q&A, and community insights from Adam Shaffer's session at the Toronto Sober Living Network on February 6, 2026. Adam brought raw vulnerability and practical wisdom to a conversation that covers the full arc of addiction, recovery, entrepreneurship, and purpose.

Core Teaching: Sobriety doesn't require a dramatic bottom — sometimes the cycle itself is the crisis. The same resourcefulness that sustains addiction can be redirected to build a life of meaning, freedom, and service.

This guide expands on Adam's story with peer-reviewed research, practical frameworks, and reflection tools for individuals in recovery, families, and aspiring recovery professionals.

📖 Table of Contents

About This eBook
Meet Adam Shaffer — Biography & Journey
The Addiction Cycle: No Dramatic Bottom Needed
The Moment of Decision — Edmonton, November 2014
Early Recovery & Redirecting the Hustle
From Chef to Film Industry to Recovery Professional
Building a Recovery Coaching Practice from Zero
Adam's Coaching Model: How He Serves Clients
Understanding Addiction: When Substances Make the Decisions
Q&A Deep Dive: Family Dynamics, Manipulation & Unmotivated Clients
Book Recommendations & Continuous Growth
Reflection & Self-Assessment
Resources, Contact & Next Steps

2. Meet Adam Shaffer — Biography & Journey

🔥 Speaker Profile

Adam Shaffer is a Toronto-based recovery professional with 11 years of continuous sobriety (sober date: November 16, 2014) after more than 20 years of active addiction. His story defies the "dramatic rock bottom" narrative — Adam's bottom was the cycle itself: two decades of substance use that moved across cities, relationships, and substances without a single catastrophic event forcing change.

Originally from Mississauga, Ontario, Adam began using at age 15. He spent years in downtown Toronto, moved through a destructive relationship, worked as a chef (attending culinary school while using daily), and eventually traveled to Edmonton, Alberta — where everything changed. After getting clean in one of the province's toughest neighborhoods, Adam returned to Ontario, worked in the film industry as a special effects technician on Netflix and Warner Brothers productions, and ultimately built his full-time recovery coaching practice.

His professional credentials include CCAR Recovery Coach training, CDI College Addictions Worker Diploma, Patti Pike Interventionist Training, Sober Systems Inc. Recovery Coaching certification, CPI Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, and multiple First Aid certifications. He is currently pursuing a nutrition course at George Brown College to enhance his holistic approach to client care.

Specialties: 12-Step Modality, Mentoring, Recovery Coaching, Sober Companionship, Meditation & Spirituality, Safe Transport, Family & Crisis Interventions

🎯 Analogy: The Career Shapeshifter

Adam's career path — chef → special effects technician → recovery coach — mirrors the resourcefulness he describes in addicts. Just as addiction redirects enormous energy toward obtaining substances, recovery allowed Adam to redirect that same energy into reinvention. Each career pivot taught him skills he now uses daily: the chef's discipline, the film crew's adaptability under pressure, and the entrepreneur's willingness to start from zero.

3. The Addiction Cycle: No Dramatic Bottom Needed

One of the most powerful aspects of Adam's story is what didn't happen. There was no single catastrophic event. No arrest, no overdose, no hospitalization. Adam described a steady, grinding 20-year cycle:

Started using at 15 — primarily to make friends and find belonging
Downtown Toronto from ages 17-22 — found community only among other users
Every time he changed chapters — new city, new relationship, new job — the only thing that changed was the substance
"I just stayed in the bottom, one bottom or another"
Hid his addiction by manipulating others: "If I can manipulate you into believing me to get what I wanted, I was always okay"
Parents enabled by looking the other way
Had a co-using girlfriend — "two peas in a pod" — escalating the cycle

"Nothing was ever bad enough to be a bottom for me. I just stayed in the bottom, one bottom or another. And I couldn't see the cycle for the life of me. Right in my face. I couldn't see it."

— Adam Shaffer

📊 What Research Says About Chronic Relapse Cycles

Addiction is now understood as a chronic, relapsing condition. Research shows that relapse rates hover around 70% at one year following treatment, with many individuals returning to substance use within the first three months. One study found only 39% of patients remained in remission during a one-year follow-up, while another found 50-60% relapsed within months after detoxification. These statistics validate Adam's experience: addiction doesn't require a singular dramatic event to be devastating — the cycle of chronic use is itself the crisis.

Sources: Factors Associated with Relapses in ASUD, PMC 2023; New Findings on Biological Factors Predicting Addiction Relapse, Sinha 2011; Psychological and Neural Mechanisms of Relapse, Stewart 2008.

💡 Key Insight: The "No Trauma" Narrative

Adam specifically noted: "I don't have trauma in my life. I don't have a bad upbringing. I just had trouble making friends." This is critical for families and professionals to understand — addiction does not require a traumatic origin story. Loneliness, social isolation, and the need to belong can be sufficient drivers. Adam's drugs became his friends, and the people who used with him became his community.

4. The Moment of Decision — Edmonton, November 2014

Adam's path to sobriety began with an impulsive decision to move to Edmonton, Alberta with someone he barely knew. The plan was to find work in oil camps as a cook. That plan fell apart almost immediately — Adam used different substances in a different city, accomplishing nothing.

Then, after 4-5 days in cold November Edmonton, something shifted:

"I remember saying to myself, this is my life. And this is what I'm going to keep doing. And 4-5 days later, I decided... I need to make a change."

— Adam Shaffer

What made this moment different:

No external pressure — No one told him to get clean. No intervention. No court order.
Self-admission — He stood outside smoking and said: "I have a problem. I want to keep using. I need some help."
Immediate action — He found out what steps were needed to enter treatment, completed a pre-treatment program, tested clean, and entered a treatment center.
Sober date: November 16, 2014 — He used for the last time on November 15th, and has never used since.
Location — "I got sober in the four worst blocks of the whole province. Because I wanted it."

🎯 Analogy: The Internal Switch

Adam's moment wasn't external — it was internal. Think of it like a circuit breaker that had been tripping for 20 years. Each time it tripped, Adam simply reset it and kept going. In Edmonton, the breaker didn't just trip — it stayed off. The difference wasn't the circumstances; it was Adam's readiness to stop resetting the same broken circuit.

📊 Self-Motivated Recovery

Research on the stages of change model (Prochaska & DiClemente) shows that lasting behavioral change is most sustainable when it originates from internal motivation rather than external coercion. Studies on "natural recovery" — cessation without formal treatment — suggest that a significant portion of people who overcome addiction do so through self-initiated change, often triggered by a cumulative realization rather than a single event. Adam's story exemplifies this "readiness" model perfectly.

Source: DiClemente, "Relapse on the Road to Recovery," 2022.

5. Early Recovery & Redirecting the Hustle

Adam stayed in Edmonton for two years after getting sober, then returned to Ontario. His 12-step foundation gave him structure, but what fueled his recovery was the realization that the same traits that sustained his addiction could now build a life:

"Most addicts and alcoholics are pretty resourceful, disciplined people at the end of the day. I get to utilize these assets into my life today."

— Adam Shaffer

What early recovery looked like for Adam:

Starting with nothing — "I had some clothes. That's it. And some money. I had nothing."
Small, consistent goals — He wrote down what he wanted on his phone in notes, then did each thing one by one
12-step community — Provided structure, accountability, and a discovery that he was good at helping people
Family trust rebuilding — After 2 years sober, family began trusting and believing in him again
No grand plan — "I never had this big goal in mind. I just would always write things down of what I wanted to do. And then I'd do that."

💡 Key Insight: Sobriety vs. Active Addiction — The Effort Comparison

Adam made a profound observation: "Staying sober is so much easier than what it was and what it took to stay high." The logistical complexity of maintaining an active addiction — finding money, sourcing substances, managing relationships, hiding behavior — actually requires enormous energy. Recovery simply redirects that energy toward constructive goals.

6. From Chef to Film Industry to Recovery Professional

Adam's professional trajectory demonstrates how sobriety unlocks possibility:

Phase	Role	Key Lesson
During Addiction	Chef (trained at culinary school while using daily)	Discipline exists even in addiction — attending class high shows resourcefulness
Early Recovery (Year 2-6)	Chef → Special Effects Technician (Film Industry)	Courage to pivot. Worked on Netflix & Warner Bros. productions until COVID disrupted the industry
Post-COVID (Year 6-8)	Went back to school for addictions; trained as sober coach, then interventionist	When one door closes, your lived experience becomes the asset
Current (Year 8-11)	Full-time self-employed Recovery Coach, Interventionist, Sober Companion	3.5 years building the practice — it takes 3-5 years to build a lucrative business

Adam's film industry experience is significant — it proves that recovery doesn't limit career ambitions. He worked on major productions, built professional relationships, and only pivoted to recovery work when COVID forced a change. This pivot wasn't a step down; it was a calling recognized.

7. Building a Recovery Coaching Practice from Zero

This section captures Adam's most practical business-building wisdom — hard-won lessons from 3.5 years of entrepreneurship in an industry that barely existed in Canada when he started.

The Mistakes That Taught Him

Wrong brand name — Started as "Freedom Recovery Sober Coaching" before rebranding to Sober Coach Adam
Wrong approach — "I'd reach out and be like, 'Hey, hire me!' They're like, 'Who are you?'"
Unrealistic timeline — Expected 2 years to build; learned it takes 3-5 years
Financial darkness — "It got dark. When I say dark, I mean... as far as finances"
Each year he identified what went wrong and changed the approach

"My hurdle in business is doing enough things wrong, so I start doing them right."

— Adam Shaffer

What Finally Worked

Networking compound effect — A friend in Arizona connected him to a company that sent him away for a life-changing job
Online visibility — "If you're not out there, if you're not visible on a platform and online, you don't exist"
Relationship-based referrals — When you stay sober long enough and maintain relationships, people come back to you
Refusing to quit — "I put in way too much energy and resources to try and do something else"
Continuous investment — Sunk enormous effort into business growth in the final push

🏗 Adam's Business Rule

"Keep your regular job until your self-employment exceeds your pay for 6 months. Then say goodbye to your job." Adam admitted this isn't what he did — but it's what he was taught and what he recommends. He had to build while living alone in downtown Toronto, which meant accepting hard months to reach abundance and clarity.

Advice for Aspiring Recovery Coaches

Start in a treatment center — Gain contacts, on-the-ground experience, and learn what you don't know
Go work somewhere before starting your own thing — "Any influencer I followed says go get a job somewhere, learn the stuff, then go start"
Ask, reach out, get visible — The people who thrive are the ones who network relentlessly
Be prepared for 3-5 years — Don't expect a lucrative practice in year one
The market in Canada is growing — Recovery coaching is well-established in the US but emerging in Canada, creating opportunity for early movers

📊 Recovery Coaching as a Profession

The CCAR (Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery) has trained more than 110,000 individuals globally as recovery coaches. The profession is gaining recognition across North America, with formal certifications like CARC (Certified Addiction Recovery Coach) and CRPA (Certified Recovery Peer Advocate) becoming standard. Research demonstrates that peer recovery coaches significantly improve treatment engagement — one study found that patients who engaged with a coach post-discharge were significantly more likely to link with ongoing treatment (83% vs. 0%).

Sources: CCAR Training, 2025; Digitally Assisted Peer Recovery Coach Study, JMIR 2023; Addiction Peer Recovery Coach Training Pilot, PeerJ 2021.

8. Adam's Coaching Model: How He Serves Clients

Adam's practice is distinct in the Canadian market. Here's how he structures his work:

Service	Description
Recovery Coaching	One-on-one support, goal setting, accountability, recovery planning. Primarily in-person but some online work. Serves men 25+ with any addiction or mental health challenge.
Sober Companionship (Live-In)	24/7 in-person care for extreme cases where clients don't want treatment. Adam lives with the client, teaches sober living skills while doing activities (gym, pool, daily life). Clients cover his accommodation (Airbnb/hotel) for out-of-town assignments.
Interventions	Planned, professional family interventions. Educates families on enabling and codependency. Coordinates with treatment centers for admissions and smooth transitions.
Safe Transport	Discreet, secure transport for at-risk individuals to treatment centers across North America. De-escalation, constant family communication, privacy law compliance.

Key Practice Principles

Modality-neutral — Adam never suggests any specific fellowship (AA/NA) to clients. If they ask to go to a meeting, he'll bring them. But he never initiates: "I will never suggest, 'Hey, you want to try a meeting.'"
Intuition-driven — "If it doesn't feel right, I walk. My intuition only gets better and stronger every year."
Separate from his own recovery — His business is distinct from 12-step fellowships. He doesn't tell discovery call prospects he's in 12-step recovery. "My coaching practice is my business, which is separate from all those fellowships."
Relapse-realistic — "It comes with the job. I don't take it home." He described a client who drank the day after a breakthrough conversation — acknowledging that relapse is part of the work, not a failure.

🎯 Analogy: The 12-Step Paradox

Adam's relationship with 12-step recovery illustrates a crucial nuance in the coaching world. His personal sobriety is rooted in 12-step work, but his professional practice is deliberately modality-neutral. This is like a doctor who personally practices yoga for their own health but prescribes whatever treatment is right for each individual patient. The coach's personal recovery path informs their empathy but shouldn't dictate the client's journey.

9. Understanding Addiction: When Substances Make the Decisions

The Q&A produced one of the evening's most powerful teaching moments. When Wade asked how to empathize with a self-confessed manipulator who's using crack and alcohol, Adam cut straight to the core:

"The reason why they're manipulating you is because the substances are making the decisions for them. And that is the definition of understanding addiction."

— Adam Shaffer

Adam's Framework for Understanding Manipulation in Addiction

The substance drives the behavior — If someone is using, it's the drugs making their decisions, not the person you know
Remove the substance, remove the motive — A sober person doesn't need to manipulate you because they have no reason to
They cannot stop on their own — "If you can understand that they can't stop on their own, and it's not just willpower — it's crack cocaine — then you can begin to empathize"
Empathy requires understanding the disease — You can empathize once you accept that addiction, not character, is driving the behavior

📊 The Neuroscience of Impaired Decision-Making

Adam's framework aligns with neuroscience. Chronic substance use causes lasting neural changes in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system — the brain's reward and decision-making circuits. Research shows that these changes increase sensitivity to drug-related cues and stress while impairing the prefrontal cortex's ability to regulate impulses. In practical terms: the addicted brain is physiologically different from the non-addicted brain, and "just say no" ignores this biological reality.

Source: Stewart, "Psychological and Neural Mechanisms of Relapse," Philos Trans R Soc Lond B, 2008; Sinha, "New Findings on Biological Factors Predicting Addiction Relapse," 2011.

💡 The "Disease, Not Choice" Framework

Attendee Jennie G reinforced this in the chat: "It isn't a choice, it is a disease." This perspective — shared by Adam, Jennie, and supported by decades of neuroscience research — is essential for families. When you reframe addiction from "they choose to hurt me" to "their brain is hijacked by a disease," the pathway to empathy and effective support opens.

10. Q&A Deep Dive: Family Dynamics, Manipulation & Unmotivated Clients

Question 1: Olga — Restoring Family Relationships After Police Removal

Situation: A loved one was moved out of the family home with police 1.5 years ago due to constant alcohol and substance use. He developed intense anger and hatred. Parents attempted to communicate but he shows attitude, anger, and accuses them of betrayal.

Adam's Response:

The behavior pattern — ongoing anger at 1.5 years — suggests he may not actually be sober
"I don't know anyone that's ever acted that way at a year and a half sober" in 11 years of active recovery community involvement
Without monitoring (breathalyzer/drug tests), there's no way to truly know
Resentment at family is normal in early recovery, but active meanness is a red flag
A sober person may not talk to family, but they typically won't be cruel about it

Question 2: Wade — Empathizing with a Manipulator

Situation: Dealing with a close person who self-identifies as a manipulator, uses alcohol and previously crack, and uses words to hurt.

Adam's Response: (Covered in Section 9 above) The substances make the decisions. Empathy becomes possible when you understand the disease is driving the behavior, not the person.

Question 3: Miracle Hawkinberry — Unmotivated Residents in a Recovery Residence

Situation: Three unmotivated male residents, one who refuses to find good in anything, affecting the whole house. Newly certified recovery coach.

Adam's Response:

"It sounds like they're unfortunately all doing this together" — negative energy is contagious in communal settings
Separate them — "A bunch of dogs aren't getting along, what do you do? You separate them."
Have one-on-one conversations: "Hey, what's going on? What's your plan? What's your two-day plan?"
As a coach, help them build a recovery plan — even a 2-day plan creates forward momentum

Jason Miller added in the chat: "The one that does not find good in anything, maybe find something that he is good at, even picking weeds in the garden."

🎯 Analogy: Separating the Pack

Adam's dog analogy is deceptively simple but deeply practical. In group recovery settings, negative energy clusters. Just as a trainer separates dogs who are feeding off each other's anxiety, a recovery coach needs to break the group dynamic by working one-on-one. The issue isn't three unmotivated people — it's one negative energy source that the other two are absorbing. Find the source, address it individually, and the house dynamic shifts.

11. Book Recommendations & Continuous Growth

Adam had books visible behind him during the session and shared three specific recommendations:

Book	Why Adam Recommends It	Best For
Codependent No More (Melody Beattie)	"Start there." The foundation for understanding codependency in addiction dynamics.	Recovery professionals, family members, anyone in a relationship with an addict
Love First: A Family's Guide to Intervention (Jeff & Debra Jay)	"Get this book and you can help your loved one." Practical intervention framework.	Families wanting to help, aspiring interventionists
Atomic Habits (James Clear)	"One of the best books for self-development. I've read it twice, just to be sure."	Anyone building new habits, recovery or otherwise

Adam's Growth Mindset

Currently studying nutrition at George Brown College — to better serve clients holistically
Planning another course in the next month
"Self-development is extremely important to me this year — not because of a new year, but because these are my new interests and focuses"
"Say less, do more" — his new operating principle
"I never, ever want to settle. That is my personal key to success."

"It's about growing and expanding. I never want to settle. I want more, but not in a greedy way. I always want to be growing and showing and helping others."

— Adam Shaffer

12. Reflection & Self-Assessment

🧬 Personal Reflection Prompts

Take a few minutes to honestly consider these questions inspired by Adam's session:

Am I waiting for a "dramatic bottom" before making a change — or is the cycle itself enough reason to act?

What resourcefulness or discipline do I currently use in unhealthy ways that could be redirected toward my goals?

Do I understand that a loved one's addiction behavior is driven by the disease, not by their character? How does that change my response?

If I'm building a recovery practice or any business: Am I prepared for 3-5 years of building? What's my plan for the dark months?

Am I trusting my intuition — or ignoring it? When was the last time something "didn't feel right" and I walked?

What small, consistent goal can I write down today and accomplish this week?

👪 For Families & Supporters

Have I been enabling my loved one by "looking the other way" like Adam's parents did?

Am I interpreting their manipulative behavior as a character flaw or as a symptom of the disease?

Do I have my own support system (therapy, Al-Anon, coaching) — or am I trying to do this alone?

If my loved one is showing anger 1+ year into supposed sobriety, have I considered that they may not actually be sober?

💼 For Aspiring Recovery Professionals

Am I willing to start in a treatment center to gain experience before going independent?

Is my brand and message clear — or am I making the same mistake Adam did with his first business name?

Am I visible online? Could someone find me if they searched for help right now?

Do I have a financial plan to sustain 3-5 years of building before expecting a full income?

13. Resources, Contact & Next Steps

Connect with Adam Shaffer

Adam Shaffer, RCP., ASW.
📞 Phone: 647-657-2196
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: sobercoachadam.com
📍 Location: Downtown Toronto, Canada (serving all of North America)
🔗 LinkedIn: Adam (RCP., ASW.) Shaffer

Watch the Session Highlights

YouTube Short: Watch Highlight Reel
Social Post A: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
Social Post B (Reel): Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Adam's Training & Certifications

Recommended Books

Codependent No More by Melody Beattie
Love First: A Family's Guide to Intervention by Jeff & Debra Jay
Atomic Habits by James Clear

Crisis & Support Resources

Canada Suicide Prevention Service: Call 988 (24/7)
ConnexOntario (Ontario Addiction Services): 1-866-531-2600
CAMH (Centre for Addiction & Mental Health): 416-535-8501
Distress Centre Toronto: 416-408-4357
Alcoholics Anonymous Toronto: 416-487-5591
Narcotics Anonymous: 1-866-262-6363
The Gatehouse (CSA Survivors): thegatehouse.org — Mentioned during the session as a TSLN partner requiring $500K annually to operate

Peer-Reviewed References

Sinha, R. (2011). "New Findings on Biological Factors Predicting Addiction Relapse Vulnerability." Current Psychiatry Reports, 13(5), 398–405.
Stewart, J. (2008). "Psychological and Neural Mechanisms of Relapse." Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 363(1507), 3147–3158.
PMC (2023). "Factors Associated with Relapses in Alcohol and Substance Use Disorder." PMC, 11075040.
DiClemente, C.C. (2022). "Relapse on the Road to Recovery." PMC, 9014843.
PeerJ (2021). "Addiction Peer Recovery Coach Training Pilot: Assessment of Confidence Levels." PeerJ, 9, e10783.
JMIR (2023). "Digitally Assisted Peer Recovery Coach to Facilitate Linkage to Outpatient Treatment." Formative Research, 7(1), e43304.
Tandfonline (2024). "Exploring Self-Care Factors for Recovery in AUD and the Role of Peer Recovery Coaches." Issues in Mental Health Nursing.
CCAR Training (2025). "Welcome to CCAR Training – Global Leader in Recovery Coach Training." addictionrecoverytraining.org.

NYSLN Extended Event Summary: Chad Johnson's "Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery"

New York Sober Living Network | Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

A Recovery Session on Presence, Purpose, and the Transformative Power of Helping Others

📋 Complete Event Documentation

Part ① Event Overview & Context

Event Details:
🔸 Title: Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery
🔸 Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
🔸 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
🔸 Format: Live Zoom | Recovery Education & Discussion
🔸 Speaker: Chad Johnson, Sober Coach, Podcast Host, Recovery Advocate
🔸 Host: Dr. Ken Markowitz, NYSLN
🔸 Attendance: 40+ participants (Toronto, New York, Chicago, International)

Historic Significance:

This was NYSLN's continuation of their Tuesday lunchtime series connecting mental health professionals with individuals in recovery and their families. Chad's session focused on the practical, lived experience of maintaining recovery while serving others—a crucial bridge between early recovery (where the focus is on self) and mature recovery (where the focus expands outward).

Community Context:

New York Sober Living Network operates as part of a global peer-led recovery community:

🌍 Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
🌍 Additional Chapters: New York (established); Chicago (launched); Mumbai, India; Enugu, Nigeria
🌍 Mission: Create judgment-free spaces where individuals at every stage of sobriety can find understanding, resources, and peer connection
🌍 Format: Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST for NYSLN) + educational eBooks + companion workbooks + recovery resources

Part ② About Chad Johnson

Professional Background:

Chad Johnson is a Certified Sober Coach and recovery advocate with 11+ years of continuous sobriety. He operates across multiple platforms and organizations, each reflecting his commitment to breaking stigma and creating recovery-ready communities.

Credentials & Platforms:

🔹 Founder and Host of "Not All There Podcast" (peer-led recovery conversations)
🔹 Host of "Sober with Chad" (coaching and mentorship platform)
🔹 Founder of The Art of Recovery Foundation (advocating for addiction awareness and recovery)
🔹 Initiator and Host of SLN Chicago Chapter (building recovery community in the Midwest)
🔹 Certified Sober Coach (providing one-on-one and group coaching)
🔹 Professional recovery speaker and educator

Personal Journey:

Chad's credibility comes from lived experience, not theory:

💫 21 years of active addiction (alcohol and drugs) characterized by isolation and self-destruction
💫 Survivor of severe childhood abuse and multiple traumas (grew up in rural Oregon with an abusive father)
💫 Got sober and began recovery work, eventually achieving genuine sobriety around year 2-3
💫 Years 1-5: Marathon runner (literally running from his trauma); trained intensely, ran marathons, used running as a substitute for substance abuse
💫 Year 5: Body completely gave out; forced to stop running and face the accumulated trauma that surfaced
💫 Years 5-9: Prolonged nervous breakdown; had to face everything—all trauma, all shame, all pain; this period involved intensive therapy, peer support, and genuine emotional processing
💫 Year 9: Breakthrough in self-acceptance; realized he couldn't change the past, but he could accept who he was and build from there
💫 Years 9-11: Evolution into genuine recovery; began liking himself, becoming present for family, developing service work, helping others
💫 Present (11+ years sober): Married, father of two teenage sons (ages 13 and 15), actively coaching others, hosting podcasts, building community, still in therapy, still doing daily recovery practices

Why Chad's Approach Matters:

Chad bridges two critical worlds:

🌟 Traditional Recovery Models: He understands AA, NA, clinical therapy, evidence-based treatment, and the value of structure and community in recovery

🌟 Real-Life Complexity: He doesn't pretend recovery is linear or that you ever stop being a "recovering" person.

He still has struggles with his wiring, his intensity, his trauma responses. He's still doing the work after 11 years.

His unique value: He models what mature, sustainable recovery actually looks like—not perfect, but grounded, connected, purposeful, and committed to helping others find the same.

Part ③ Core Themes & Educational Content

Theme ① "Self-Acceptance is the Foundation" (Not Perfection)

The Problem:

Most people in recovery spend the first years in internal conflict. They've accepted intellectually that they're an alcoholic or addict, but they haven't accepted emotionally. Part of them is still fighting against reality, still believing they should be different, should be stronger, should have never gotten here.

This internal war is exhausting. It consumes mental and emotional energy that could be used for actual healing and growth.

Chad's Journey:

For years, Chad was sober but at war with himself. He was doing the external work (meetings, therapy, running marathons) but internally rejecting himself for what he was. Around year 9, something shifted.

"This is me. This is who I am. There's nothing I can do that's gonna change that. I can't fix it. I can't do anything to change the past. But I can accept it."

This moment—when acceptance shifted from intellectual to emotional—changed everything.

Why This Matters:

When you stop fighting against yourself, when you stop trying to be someone different, a huge relief emerges. No more arguing with reality. No more shame spirals. No more performing.

Chad describes it: "There was a huge relief in that. Like, oh, okay, this is me. I don't have to go around trying to figure out who I am. I don't have to listen to my own bullshit or bullshit others. This is the person that I am."

Workbook Integration:

For future workbook development, this theme would include:

📖 Daily acceptance practices (acknowledging reality without judgment)
📖 Journaling prompts around self-acceptance
📖 Distinguishing between "I can't change the past" and "I can change my response to it"
📖 Tracking the relief that comes from stopping the internal war

Theme ② "From Acceptance to Genuine Self-Esteem" (The Scaling Method)

The Problem:

Acceptance alone isn't enough. You can accept yourself and still hate yourself. You can accept that you're a recovering alcoholic and still feel worthless.

The next step is learning to genuinely like yourself. But most recovery programs leave you to figure this out on your own.

Chad's Solution:

Chad discovered what he calls the "scaling method"—starting ridiculously small and building from there.

"I decided that maybe it was time to start liking myself for who I was. And let's start with, like, an hour, okay? I can do that, and let's start with a day, and then a couple of days, and pretty soon, I was able to string together several months of liking myself, and my entire perspective on things changed."

This isn't positive thinking or affirmations. It's a neuroplasticity practice. By consistently choosing to like himself for small increments of time, Chad rewired his brain's relationship to himself.

The Cascade Effect:

When Chad began genuinely liking himself:

🌟 He became a better parent (more present, less reactive)
🌟 He became a better husband (more emotionally available)
🌟 He became a better friend (authentic instead of performing)
🌟 He stopped caring what people thought (freedom)
🌟 He became genuinely present for others

Why This Matters:

Self-esteem built on genuine self-acceptance is sustainable because it's not fragile. It's not based on external validation or achievements. It's based on knowing yourself and choosing to show up anyway.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Daily self-esteem building exercises (start with "I did one thing well today")
📖 Scaling practices (an hour of liking yourself, then a day, then a week)
📖 Tracking cascade effects (as your self-esteem improves, what changes in your relationships?)
📖 Practical exercises in meeting yourself with compassion

Theme ③ "Community is Non-Negotiable" (The Different Layers)

The Truth:

"You can't live a life of active recovery on your own. Doing it in shadows, secretly, without letting people know, defeats the entire purpose."

Why:

Chad's addiction was an "addiction of isolation." For 21 years, he couldn't face the world or himself. He needed to numb himself every day because the pain of existing was unbearable.

Recovery demands the opposite: radical connection, visibility, vulnerability, and community.

What Community Actually Provides:

When you're surrounded by people who understand you, who've lived similar experiences:

💚 The loneliness goes away (you're no longer isolated with your pain)
💚 You have hope (you see others making it work)
💚 You're seen for who you truly are (validation and acceptance)
💚 You realize you're not broken or alone
💚 You get perspective when problems feel enormous
💚 You get support when you're struggling
💚 You remember your "why" when you're losing motivation

The Different Layers:

Chad emphasizes that community exists at multiple levels:

🔵 Recovery-Specific Community: AA meetings, NA meetings, recovery groups, sponsorship relationships. People who speak the language and understand the struggle.

🔵 Like-Minded Community: Men's groups, peer coaching circles, recovery-focused gatherings. People doing similar work, often outside of 12-step structure.

🔵 Professional Community: Therapists, coaches, mentors. People trained to help you process and heal.

🔵 Broader Community: Family, friends, colleagues. People who care about you and support your recovery, even if they haven't experienced addiction.

🔵 Service Community: People you help and coach. This creates a feedback loop where giving strengthens your own recovery.

Why Multiple Layers Matter:

People who've lived through similar experiences offer irreplaceable camaraderie. You're seen, validated, understood.

But people with no frame of reference to addiction offer something equally valuable: they remind you how far you've come and reinforce your commitment never to return. They help you integrate back into mainstream society and prove to yourself that you can function and be present outside the recovery bubble.

Chad's Communities Include:

🔹 AA meetings and his AA crew
🔹 A men's group he started at his house
🔹 Recovery podcasts and online networks
🔹 Multiple therapists over the years
🔹 Family and friends who support his recovery
🔹 Mentees and coaching clients he serves

Workbook Integration:

📖 Mapping your community (identifying which layers you have and which you need)
📖 Community-building exercises (how to start a group, how to join one)
📖 Vulnerability practices (sharing with people in each layer)
📖 Tracking the impact of community on your recovery trajectory

Theme ④ "The Three Stages of Recovery" (Critical Distinctions)

The Language Problem:

Most people use "abstinence," "sobriety," and "recovery" interchangeably. This is a profound mistake because it conflates three very different states of being.

Abstinence: Just Stopping

Definition: Not using a substance or addictive behavior.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not drinking or using drugs
🔹 Not gambling, binge eating, compulsive sex, working obsessively
🔹 Physically not engaging in the behavior

What It Doesn't Include:
🔹 Internal transformation
🔹 Healing from trauma
🔹 Building healthy relationships
🔹 Developing self-worth
🔹 Creating meaning and purpose
🔹 Any emotional or spiritual component

The Reality: You can be abstinent and still be:
🔹 Angry and resentful
🔹 Depressed and hopeless
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 White-knuckling through each day
🔹 Ready to relapse at any moment
🔹 Miserable

Sobriety: Sustained Abstinence + Awareness

Definition: Not using AND understanding why you don't use, while actively working on yourself.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not using substances
🔹 Understanding your patterns and triggers
🔹 Attending meetings or therapy
🔹 Working on yourself (journaling, meditation, etc.)
🔹 Being honest about your struggles
🔹 Showing up, even when it's hard
🔹 Having structure and accountability

What It Might Still Be Missing:
🔹 Deep healing from trauma
🔹 Full integration of lessons into daily life
🔹 Authentic connection with others
🔹 Genuine purpose and meaning
🔹 Joy and peace

The Reality: You can be sober and still be:
🔹 Going through the motions
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 Avoiding the real deep work
🔹 White-knuckling through life
🔹 One failed support system away from relapse
🔹 Functional but not fulfilled

Recovery: The Full Transformation

Definition: Living a full, authentic life in alignment with your values, having healed from the wounds that drove your addiction.

What It Includes:
🔹 Abstinence from substances and harmful behaviors (obviously)
🔹 Genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🔹 Deep work on trauma and underlying issues (nervous breakdowns, if necessary)
🔹 Authentic relationships and genuine community
🔹 Purpose, meaning, and contribution to others
🔹 Helping others (service)
🔹 Joy, peace, and spiritual alignment
🔹 Living your values
🔹 Being genuinely present for yourself and others
🔹 Still growing and evolving

What It Looks Like:
🔹 You genuinely like yourself (flaws and all)
🔹 You're present with your family and friends (not just physically there)
🔹 You help people without expecting anything in return
🔹 You handle hard days without using
🔹 You sleep well knowing you lived well
🔹 You contribute to your community
🔹 You build others up
🔹 You remember your "why" every single day
🔹 You're still doing the work (therapy, practices, community)
🔹 You're still humble and learning

The Critical Insight:

Not everyone makes the journey from abstinence to sobriety to recovery. Many get stuck in sobriety—not using, but not truly living. They're stable but not transformed. And when one pillar of support fails (lost their sponsor, can't make meetings, lost their job, relationship ends), they relapse.

Recovery, true recovery, is more resilient because it's built on internal transformation, not external structure.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Self-assessment tool (which stage are you in?)
📖 Pathway to the next stage (what does it take to move from abstinence to sobriety, sobriety to recovery?)
📖 Identifying areas of your life where you're abstinent/sober/recovering
📖 Building resilience by moving toward recovery

Theme ⑤ "The Daily Ritual That Keeps You Grounded" (Neuroplasticity in Action)

The Practice:

Chad has a non-negotiable daily ritual. Every single morning, almost 12 years into sobriety, he does the same thing:

"I wake up each day, and I have to remind myself: Hey, Chad, you're a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Don't fuck it up today."

It sounds harsh. It sounds negative. But it's neither.

Why This Works:

This is a neuroplasticity practice. By repeatedly activating the same intention every morning, Chad is:

① Bringing himself into the present moment. His mind isn't in yesterday's regrets or tomorrow's anxieties. He's here, now, making a choice.

② Activating his "why." It's not just "I'm sober," it's "I have something I'm protecting." Kids. Wife. Work. Community. Purpose.

③ Preventing relapse amnesia. Research shows that over time, people forget why they got sober. They start thinking "Maybe I wasn't that bad." Or "Maybe I can handle just one drink." By reminding himself every morning of what he is, Chad immunizes himself.

④ Reserving willpower for everything else. The biggest decision of the day is made first thing: "I'm not using today." This frees mental energy for parenting, working, helping others.

⑤ Accepting reality without fighting it. He's not saying "Pray I don't relapse." He's saying "This is who I am. And today I'm choosing not to act on it."

The Acceptance Built In:

What's beautiful about this ritual is that it's not based on shame or self-punishment. It's based on complete acceptance.

Chad is saying: "I'm deeply traumatized. I'm wired in ways that make recovery work necessary. I'm still that wounded kid from Oregon. None of that has changed. And I'm choosing, every day, to show up anyway."

This is maturity. This is humility. This is the difference between someone who's been sober 12 years and someone who's just managed not to drink for 12 years.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Creating your own daily ritual (what reminder keeps you grounded?)
📖 Neuroplasticity practices (understanding how repetition rewires your brain)
📖 Morning intention-setting exercises
📖 Tracking the effects of daily rituals over weeks and months

Theme ⑥ "Listening as a Revolutionary Act" (The Prerequisite for Service)

The Insight:

"One of the most important things you can do for someone is just be available to listen to what they have to say. You may not even need to share anything with them. Just listening to them is enough for them to get the help that they need."

Why This Is Revolutionary:

In a world of:
🔹 Constant distraction (everyone's on their phone)
🔹 Performative advice-giving ("Here's what you should do")
🔹 Problem-solving without understanding ("Why don't you just...")
🔹 Judgment and criticism ("That was stupid")

Genuine listening has become genuinely radical. People are starved for it.

The Prerequisite:

But Chad knows something crucial: you can't listen to others if you're not listening to yourself.

"If I'm stuck in my own head, dealing with my own crap, I'm not available to do that."

This is why the daily ritual matters so much. By taking time each morning to ground yourself, you clear the mental clutter that would otherwise prevent genuine presence.

It's the airplane oxygen mask principle: put your own mask on first.

What Genuine Listening Looks Like:

🔹 Putting your phone away (actual presence)
🔹 Making eye contact (showing you're engaged)
🔹 Letting them finish without interrupting
🔹 Asking follow-up questions (showing you care)
🔹 Not trying to fix them (letting them own their experience)
🔹 Not sharing your story unless they ask (keeping the focus on them)
🔹 Simply witnessing and reflecting back what you hear
🔹 Following up the next day

What It Creates:

🔹 Safety ("It's safe for me to be vulnerable with this person")
🔹 Trust ("This person genuinely cares")
🔹 Feeling seen ("Someone understands me")
🔹 Validation ("My experience matters")
🔹 Reduced isolation ("I'm not alone")
🔹 Hope ("If someone can listen like this, maybe I can get help")

Workbook Integration:

📖 Active listening exercises
📖 Reflective listening practices
📖 Distinguishing between listening and advising
📖 Tracking the impact of genuine listening on your relationships

Theme ⑦ "The Power of Small Gestures" (Compound Effect of Kindness)

The Hierarchy of Service:

Service doesn't exist at one level. It exists on a spectrum:

Level ① Minor Gestures

🔹 Smile at someone on the street
🔹 Say hello
🔹 Hold a door
🔹 Make eye contact
🔹 Give a compliment

Level ② Personal Connection

🔹 Listen without judgment
🔹 Ask meaningful questions
🔹 Remember details
🔹 Follow up
🔹 Show genuine care

Level ③ Direct Support

🔹 Help someone solve a problem
🔹 Provide emotional support
🔹 Volunteer expertise
🔹 Spend time with someone
🔹 Be physically present

Level ④ Major Intervention

🔹 Help someone get to treatment
🔹 Mentor someone in recovery
🔹 Give significant time/resources
🔹 Change someone's trajectory
🔹 Potentially save someone's life

The Key Insight:

You don't need to be at Level ④ to matter. Even Level ① gestures compound into massive impact when you think about how many people's days you're touching.

The Personal Story: Making Your Bed

During the session, participant Leo Petrilli shared: "Making my bed, every morning."

This is a perfect example. Making your bed isn't a gesture to someone else. It's a gesture to yourself. But it's exactly the kind of small, consistent action that builds momentum.

When you make your bed:

✓ You start your day with an accomplishment
✓ You create order in your environment
✓ You're being responsible to yourself
✓ You're practicing self-care
✓ You're building self-esteem
✓ Before you even leave your room, you've done one good thing

The Gratitude Practice

Participant Barb Lang noted: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes. It doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

This is crucial for recovery. In early recovery, you're not ready for grand service. But you ARE ready for:
🔹 Making your bed
🔹 Brushing your teeth
🔹 Taking a shower
🔹 Going for a walk
🔹 Saying thank you
🔹 Smiling at someone

These small acts:
① Build momentum
② Create self-esteem
③ Prove to yourself you're capable
④ Set up a foundation for bigger actions

The Scaling Principle:

Chad's approach to self-esteem and service is built on scaling:

Day 1: I brushed my teeth and made my bed
Day 2: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, and went for a walk
Day 3: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, went for a walk, and said hello to my neighbor
Week 2: I've done all of the above plus I volunteered 2 hours
Month 1: I've built a routine, volunteered regularly, and helped someone through a crisis

The power? Each small win stacks on top of the previous ones. Before you know it, you're living a life of meaning and service.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Small gesture log (tracking Level ① and Level ② acts daily)
📖 Gratitude practice (noticing small things to be grateful for)
📖 Scaling exercises (how to build momentum from one small action to the next)
📖 Tracking the compound effect over weeks and months

Theme ⑧ "Vulnerability: The Strength Everyone Overlooks" (Gateway to Service)

The Core Question:

During the session, Carby asked: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's answer was unambiguous: "Yes."

And participant Leo Petrilli captured the emotional truth: "Tears are power."

What Vulnerability Actually Means:

Vulnerability isn't weakness. In recovery, vulnerability means:

🔓 Being willing to tell the truth
🔓 Admitting you don't have it all figured out
🔓 Sharing your struggles, not just your successes
🔓 Asking for help
🔓 Being emotionally present
🔓 Letting others see the real you

Vulnerability = Strength in Recovery:

Chad models this throughout his life:
🔹 He shares his crazy stories about his addiction
🔹 He talks about his trauma
🔹 He admits when he's struggling
🔹 He participates in therapy
🔹 He shares his failures alongside his successes
🔹 He asks for help from his wife, friends, and community

Why This Matters:

When people see you being vulnerable and still showing up, it gives them permission to do the same. Vulnerability creates connection. Connection creates recovery.

In a culture that often teaches—especially men—to hide emotions, recovery requires the opposite. When you can:
🔹 Cry
🔹 Express emotion
🔹 Show fear
🔹 Admit confusion
🔹 Ask for help

You're demonstrating the strength it takes to live an authentic life.

Vulnerability in Service:

When you serve others from a place of vulnerability, the service transforms:

💚 It's not superior or patronizing (you're not better than them)
💚 It's peer-to-peer, person-to-person
💚 It says: "I've been where you are. Here's how I'm moving forward"
💚 It gives them hope that change is possible
💚 It allows them to see the real you, not a performance
💚 It creates connection, not dependency

Workbook Integration:

📖 Vulnerability practices (safe places to practice being vulnerable)
📖 Distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate vulnerability
📖 Tracking how vulnerability deepens your relationships
📖 Practicing service from a place of vulnerability

Part ④ Practical Frameworks & Tools

The Daily Scaling Method for Self-Esteem

Chad's most practical contribution is his daily scaling method for building self-esteem:

Start Ridiculously Small

The first goals in recovery aren't "Get a job" or "Rebuild your marriage." They're:
🔹 Tie your shoes
🔹 Brush your teeth
🔹 Get dressed
🔹 Do laundry
🔹 Fold the laundry
🔹 Go for a walk

Why? Each action is evidence that you're not lazy, not broken, not incapable. You're capable of doing one thing. And then another. And then another.

Document Your Wins

Chad's approach:
"I can look back, like, oh, well, you know what? I walked my dog today. And I picked up the dog poop. I was an active person in public today. I was out in society, and I was doing something. I was being polite and responsible. And that's something that you can build on for the day."

The practice:
🔹 Keep track of what you accomplished
🔹 Celebrate small wins
🔹 Notice your presence and activity in the world
🔹 Build a positive narrative about yourself

Connect Positive Actions to Positive Feelings

Chad shares: "There's also, you know, I spoke to another person about their recovery a day, and that made me feel good. So that's something that I like feeling, so I'm gonna do that again."

The pattern:
① Do a positive action
② Notice how it feels
③ Identify the positive feeling
④ Repeat the action to experience the feeling again
⑤ Build a routine around actions that feel good

Meet People Where They Are

As a coach, Chad emphasizes that recovery isn't one-size-fits-all:

Early Recovery (First 30 Days):

🔹 Focus: Not using, showing up to meetings, basic self-care
🔹 Goal: Survive and stay connected

First Year:

🔹 Focus: Building routine, processing trauma, developing self-esteem
🔹 Goal: Get stable and start healing

Year 2-5:

🔹 Focus: Deep trauma work, relationship repair, building life
🔹 Goal: Create a sustainable recovery lifestyle

Year 5+:

🔹 Focus: Mastery, giving back, evolving spiritually
🔹 Goal: Live with purpose and serve others

Use Journaling and Expression

Chad uses journaling extensively:
"I've got notebooks everywhere. I'll be flipping through work ideas, and then I'm like, oh god, here's 5 pages of whatever I was going through that day. So I'll go back and read it. That's another nice way to reflect back on what you were feeling, what you were writing."

The benefits:
🔹 Gets thoughts out of your head
🔹 Allows reflection and pattern recognition
🔹 Provides evidence of growth over time
🔹 Engages a different part of your brain
🔹 Creates accountability

Relatable Connection (Especially with Kids)

Chad's example with his 13-year-old son:
"I just try to encourage him with little things, or say 'Oh, that's cool, good job.' Like, not being critical. Unless it needs to be, right? And meeting him, accepting him. Okay, today was just whatever. He doesn't like school. Alright, well, let's not make a big deal about it, okay? Let's find something positive that we can talk about or relatable."

This applies to self-esteem:
🔹 Find one thing you did well
🔹 Don't be overly critical
🔹 Find something positive to focus on
🔹 Meet yourself with acceptance and encouragement

Part ⑤ The Roadmap to Service

Option ① Existing Organizations

Local Services:

🔹 Food banks and soup kitchens
🔹 Donation and charity centers
🔹 Community centers
🔹 Religious organizations
🔹 Non-profits

Recovery-Specific:

🔹 12-step meetings (sponsorship, literature table, setup/cleanup)
🔹 Recovery houses
🔹 Treatment centers
🔹 Recovery coaching organizations
🔹 Peer support groups

Getting Started:

🔹 Search your area for volunteer opportunities
🔹 Call and ask: "I'm in recovery and looking to give back. How can I help?"
🔹 Start small—even 2 hours per month makes a difference

Option ② Community Projects

Community-Based Service:

🔹 Food drives (sorting cans, organizing donations)
🔹 Park cleanups
🔹 Beach cleanups
🔹 Community gardens
🔹 School volunteering
🔹 Youth sports coaching

Getting Started:

🔹 Go to events happening in your community
🔹 Volunteer with your kids (teaches them about service)
🔹 Notice what issues matter to you and find organizations working on them

Option ③ Start Your Own

Chad's Story:

"When I got sober, my kids were very young. I needed to be present for bedtime and my wife. So I started my own group meeting at my house. It's pretty easy to do, because there are a lot of like-minded people out there."

Ideas for Starting Your Own:

🔹 AA/NA home meeting
🔹 Book club focused on recovery
🔹 Men's or women's group
🔹 Peer support circle
🔹 Online community
🔹 Mentorship circle
🔹 Service project group

The Power of Starting Small:

🔹 Invite a few people over
🔹 Create a safe, welcoming space
🔹 Be consistent
🔹 Let it grow organically
🔹 Lead by example

Option ④ Direct Asking

Chad's Most Powerful Suggestion:

"If you just go around and ask, 'Hey, I am looking to be of service to other people. Is there anything that you guys need help with that I might be able to help you with?' And it'll stop people dead in their tracks. They'll think, and you'll get an answer. Either they can help you, where they work can help you, or they know someone that needs help and they can get you pointed in that direction."

Why This Works:

🔹 Most people are waiting for someone to ask
🔹 Your genuine desire to help is rare and valued
🔹 It opens doors you didn't know existed
🔹 It often leads to unexpected connections and opportunities

The Benefit of Service (No Matter Which Path)

No matter which path you choose, service does something that nothing else can:

🌟 Reinforces your sobriety (reminds you why you got sober)
🌟 Builds self-esteem (you're doing good)
🌟 Connects you to others
🌟 Creates meaning and purpose
🌟 Breaks the cycle of self-centeredness
🌟 Helps you sleep better knowing you helped someone
🌟 Keeps you humble and grounded
🌟 Models recovery for others

In a very real sense, service is the antidote to addiction. Addiction is about taking, using, consuming. Recovery is about giving, serving, contributing.

Part ⑥ Q&A Highlights & Community Engagement

Q① Clarifying Sobriety, Abstinence, and Recovery

Carby's Question: "Can you help me clarify the difference between Sobriety/Abstinence and Recovery?"

Chad's Response: Chad distinguished between the three stages clearly, emphasizing that not everyone moves through all three. Many people remain in sobriety indefinitely—not using, but not truly living. Recovery is the full transformation where you're genuinely liking yourself, present with others, and serving your community.

💡 Key Insight: Understanding these distinctions changes how you approach your recovery and helps you identify where you might be stuck.

Q② Vulnerability as the Mechanism of Lasting Change

Carby's Question: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's Response: Chad affirmed that vulnerability is absolutely central to lasting recovery and to the mechanism of service. When you serve from a place of genuine vulnerability, it creates peer-to-peer connection rather than a hierarchy of "helper" and "helped."

Leo Petrilli's Contribution: "Tears are power."

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability is strength. When you allow yourself to feel, to admit struggle, to ask for help, you unlock the capacity for genuine connection and authentic service.

Q③ How to Practice Vulnerability

Carby's Follow-up: "Follow up to that question.. How can I 'practice' Vulnerability"

Chad's Response: While not fully elaborated in the transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests starting small—sharing something real with one trusted person, being honest about struggles, asking for help, expressing emotion.

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability can be practiced incrementally, just like self-esteem. You don't need to share everything with everyone. Start with safe people in safe spaces.

Q④ Getting Started with Service

Carby's Question: "If I want to pursue the path of Service.. how do I get started?"

Chad's Response: Chad provided four concrete pathways (existing organizations, community projects, starting your own, direct asking), emphasizing that the best path is the one you actually take. Meeting people where they are is key—in early recovery, even volunteering 2 hours per month is meaningful.

💡 Key Insight: Service doesn't require perfection or grand gestures. It requires consistency and genuine desire to help.

Q⑤ Addressing Negative Influences

Carby's Question: "In respect to my previous life/habits, and especially my circle of (negative) influence (ie. 'friends', coworkers).. Do you recommend to distance myself to keep out of range of trouble or triggering environments?"

Follow-up Question: "When will i know it is the 'right' time to 'test the waters' and re-enter those environments and reconnect with those 'friends'..."

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured, Chad's approach suggests waiting until your recovery is solid enough to handle triggers, being strategic about re-entry, and maintaining boundaries with people/places that actively undermine your sobriety.)

💡 Key Insight: Recovery doesn't mean permanent isolation, but it does require strategic boundary management in early stages. Re-entry happens when your recovery is resilient, not when you think you're "fixed."

Q⑥ The Role of Spirituality and Belief

Carby's Question: "And in addition to community / service.. does my beliefs influence my recovery? For example, does God (religion aside) play a role?"

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured in transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests non-dogmatic spirituality. Whether you call it God, the universe, purpose, or community, having something larger than yourself to orient toward helps recovery significantly.)

💡 Key Insight: Spirituality matters, but it doesn't require a specific theology. What matters is having meaning and purpose beyond your own ego.

Q⑦ Community Recognition of Small Victories

Participant Leo Petrilli: "Making my bed, every morning."

Participant Barb Lang: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes, it doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

Ken Markowitz Response: "I agree! It's the small things that we often take for granted and should always be grateful for."

💡 Key Insight: The community affirmed that small actions, done consistently, are the foundation of recovery. Making your bed daily is as valid and important as major service work.

Q⑧ Session Closing

Participant Damien Reilly: "I have to jump. Thanks everyone! Thanks Chad! Thanks Ken!"

Multiple Participants: "Thanks so much Chad, and Ken!" and "Thanks all"

Part ⑦ Integration & Next Steps

For Participants:

① If you attended the live session:

🔸 Download the full eBook for deeper learning
🔸 Implement the daily ritual (your own version of "Don't fuck it up today")
🔸 Practice one Level ① gesture daily (smile, hello, thank you)
🔸 Identify which layers of community you have and which you need
🔸 Choose one service pathway to explore this month
🔸 Start journaling (small wins, feelings, reflections)

② If you're new to this work:

🔸 Read through the eBook first to understand the framework
🔸 Start with the daily ritual (adapt it to your own belief system)
🔸 Begin with Tool #1: Making your bed and doing basic self-care
🔸 Document your small wins
🔸 Build from there

③ If you want to deepen the practice:

🔸 Consider one-on-one coaching with Chad or another trained coach
🔸 Join a recovery community (AA, SMART, Lymbic, etc.)
🔸 Combine this work with therapy or counseling
🔸 Start a home group or meet-up in your area
🔸 Join NYSLN Tuesday sessions weekly (free, judgment-free community)

For Mental Health Professionals:

The NYSLN platform is a vital resource for:
🔹 Connecting with clients in recovery
🔹 Understanding peer-led support models
🔹 Referring clients to free community resources
🔹 Learning about cutting-edge recovery practices
🔹 Building collaborative relationships with recovery communities

Part ⑧ The Bigger Picture

Why This Matters Now

Recovery work has traditionally focused on "stopping the behavior" (abstinence) and cognitive processing (therapy). This helps millions. But many people still feel stuck, still struggle with meaning and purpose, still can't regulate their nervous systems without substances.

Chad's work—and NYSLN's platform—represents a paradigm shift: Healing requires meeting the person where they are across all dimensions simultaneously.

This means:
💫 Traditional therapy (still essential)
💫 Plus 12-Step or peer programs (still valuable)
💫 Plus practical self-esteem building (small gestures, daily rituals)
💫 Plus community across multiple layers (recovery-specific and broader)
💫 Plus service and meaning-making (gives purpose to recovery)

The Result:

People don't just stop using substances—they reclaim their lives. They:
🌟 Develop genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🌟 Build authentic community across multiple layers
🌟 Discover meaning and purpose through service
🌟 Regulate their nervous systems (can be present without numbing)
🌟 Sleep well knowing they lived well
🌟 Know they're not alone
🌟 Have hope that change is possible

Part ⑨ Accessibility & Inclusivity

NYSLN's commitment to accessibility:

Financial:

💰 Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST)
💰 Free eBooks and educational materials
💰 Free community access
💰 Sliding scale for direct coaching

Accessibility for Different Backgrounds:

🌈 No religious requirement
🌈 Non-dogmatic spirituality
🌈 No special preparation needed
🌈 Judgment-free (cameras on or off—your choice)
🌈 Welcomes skeptics and believers alike

For Healthcare Providers:

🏥 Mental health professionals welcome
🏥 NYSLN serves as a vital platform to connect with the community you serve
🏥 Integration with clinical recovery models (not replacement)

Part ⑩ Contact & Resources

Speaker:

Chad Johnson, Sober Coach & Recovery Advocate

🔗 Website: https://www.soberchad.com/
🔗 Email: (available through website)
🔗 Podcasts: "Not All There" & "Sober with Chad"
🔗 Services: Coaching (sliding scale), Speaking, Advocacy
🔗 Location: Chicago, IL (distance sessions available globally)

New York Sober Living Network:

🔗 Website: https://soberlivingnetwork.org
🔗 Linktr: https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
🔗 Email: [email protected]
🔗 Weekly: Tuesday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

Related Resources:

🔗 Art of Recovery Foundation: https://www.artofrecoveryfoundation.org/
🔗 Lymbic: https://www.lymbic.org/
🔗 Not All There Podcast: https://notalltherepod.com/

Crisis Resources:

🆘 National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – Free, confidential, 24/7
🆘 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
🆘 AA: https://www.aa.org/
🆘 SMART Recovery: https://www.smartrecovery.org/
🆘 Local mental health clinic or doctor

Part ⑪ The Larger Vision

What Chad's Work Represents

Chad Johnson isn't unique in being sober for 11+ years. But he's exceptional in how openly he shares his journey—not just the victories, but the nervous breakdown in year 5, the ongoing struggles with his trauma wiring, the daily commitment he still makes.

He's not selling a fantasy of "fixed recovery." He's modeling realistic, sustainable recovery: work, commitment, community, service, and genuine presence.

The Paradigm Shift

From "How do I stop using?" to "How do I build a life worth living?"

From "One day at a time" (survival mode) to "One day at a time with purpose" (thriving mode)

From "I need help" (vulnerability as need) to "I can help others" (vulnerability as strength)

Part ⑫ Final Words

Chad's Message to the Community:

(While not directly quoted, Chad's consistent message throughout is:)

"Show up. Be available. Start small. Be honest about who you are. Connect with people. Help others. That's the path. Not the only path. But a path that works."

Ken Markowitz's Framing:

"Recovery isn't about perfection. It's about showing up, staying connected, and living with gratitude one day at a time."

✨ Conclusion

The January 20, 2026 NYSLN session with Chad Johnson was a masterclass in practical recovery wisdom. Participants left with:

✨ Understanding: Why service is the mechanism of lasting recovery
✨ Frameworks: The three stages of recovery and how to move between them
✨ Practices: Daily rituals, scaling methods, small gesture frameworks
✨ Community: Connection to NYSLN and the broader SLN network
✨ Hope: Proof that transformation is possible, one day at a time
✨ Purpose: Clear pathways to meaningful service

By the end of the session, it was clear: recovery isn't something you achieve and then stop working on. It's a way of living—present, connected, purposeful, and dedicated to helping others find their own way.

Building Connection. Empowering Lives. Restoring Hope.

New York Sober Living Network

🔗 https://soberlivingnetwork.org
📧 [email protected]
👥 https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Sober Living Network – Global Community

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 Connect through website
🔗 Registration: https://SoberLivingNetwork.org

Event Documentation Date: January 20, 2026

Materials Created: eBook (Full Educational Resource) + Event Summary (Quick Overview) + Extended Event Summary (Comprehensive Documentation)

Access: All materials available free to NYSLN community members and registered participants

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 [email protected]
👥 Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Download PDF

Download SLN Recovery Workbook V2

NYSLN eBook: Jason Arsenault, CARC "Supporting Recovery Transitions with Compassion, Connection, and Accountability"

New York Living Network | Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

Bridging the Gap: Professional Recovery Support for Safer Transitions & Lasting Sobriety — NYSLN eBook

📑 Table of Contents

About This eBook
Meet Jason Arsenault
The Treatment-to-Home Gap
Professional Interventions — What Families Need to Know
Safe & Sober Transport — More Than Just a Ride
Case Management — The Connective Tissue
Recovery Coaching — Bridging Clinical and Real Life
Companionship & Monitoring
What Families Get Wrong — And How to Get It Right
Emerging Threats: THC, Kratom & Adolescent Mental Health
Building Your Recovery Ecosystem
Reflection & Integration
Resources & Next Steps
References

📌 1. About This eBook

This eBook is based on the keynote presentation delivered by Jason Arsenault, CARC to the New York chapter of the Sober Living Network on February 3, 2026. Jason brought over a decade of hands-on experience in recovery coaching, intervention, care coordination, and treatment placement — combined with his own lived experience of long-term recovery — to illuminate one of the most overlooked crises in addiction treatment.

The Core Teaching: "The space between clinical care and daily life is the most vulnerable part of an individual's recovery journey. Families often don't know how to support their loved ones. Structure decreases, accountability loosens, and real recovery starts when you get home."

This guide unpacks the six professional, non-clinical services that bridge that dangerous gap — with real stories, research-backed data, practical tools, and honest guidance for families navigating the most fragile phase of their loved one's recovery.

🎓 2. Meet Jason Arsenault, CARC

🎓

Jason Arsenault, CARC

Certified Addiction Recovery Coach | Founder, Pure Life Wellness & Recovery

Current Role: Evolution Strategy & Business Development Consultant, Sober Escorts Inc.

Jason's path to recovery work began in an unlikely place — the fashion world. For years, he worked as a stylist for celebrities and socialites. After entering recovery at Mountainside Treatment Center in the Berkshires, he pivoted his career entirely, driven by a desire to align his work with his healing journey.

Over the past decade, Jason has held roles in alumni support, discharge planning, recovery coaching, and building recovery coaching teams across the United States. He's worked alongside treatment centers, sober livings, individual therapists, psychiatrists, and full treatment teams to support individuals in long-term recovery.

Now living in Costa Rica's rainforest — where monkeys, sloths, toucans, and macaws are his neighbors — Jason works nationally and internationally, partnering with Sober Escorts Inc. (founded 22 years ago by Rick Parrish) to strengthen continuity of care across the entire recovery ecosystem.

Nature & Spirituality: "Nature is such a big part of my recovery. I got sober at Mountainside, up in the Berkshires. The trees in the rainforest are hundreds of years old — you touch them and you feel this amazing energy. I'm a tree hugger, and I'll admit it."

"We lose trust in buckets, and we regain it back in droplets. Families have this misconception that once their loved ones get home from treatment, they're fixed. Real recovery starts when you get home."

— Jason Arsenault, CARC

⚠️ 3. The Treatment-to-Home Gap

When someone completes residential treatment or leaves a sober living environment, they face what Jason describes as the most vulnerable part of the recovery journey — the transition back to daily life. Structure decreases. Accountability loosens. The 24-hour support network disappears. And families, despite their best intentions, often don't know how to fill the void.

📊 Analogy: The Safety Net with a Hole in the Middle

Think of treatment as a tightly woven safety net — therapists, psychiatrists, peer support, structured schedules, monitored meals, and 24-hour oversight. When discharge happens, it's as if someone cuts a person-sized hole in the center of that net. The edges are still there (outpatient appointments, family), but the continuous support that prevented free-fall is gone.

Non-clinical recovery services — coaching, case management, companionship, monitoring — are designed to weave new threads across that gap, creating a bridge between clinical structure and independent life.

Key Principle: The transition home is not the end of treatment — it's the beginning of recovery.

37–56%

relapse rate within the first year after residential treatment discharge [1]

55–90%

adolescent relapse rate in the first year post-treatment [2]

~5 Years

of sustained remission before relapse risk drops below general population levels [3]

63%

reduction in substance use relapse with structured recovery housing support [3]

Jason emphasized the specific transitions where vulnerability peaks:

Returning home after residential treatment — where daily triggers, old routines, and relationship patterns re-emerge
Young adults going back to college — where peer pressure, social drinking culture, and academic stress collide
Rebuilding trust with families and employers — where expectations are often unrealistic on both sides
Practicing accountability when no one is watching — the ultimate test of recovery resilience

💡 Jason's Personal Insight

"I know for myself, I generally presented pretty well during my addiction. I made sure I got myself together enough to go to therapy. But everything behind me was falling. If you saw the state of my apartment, the way I was living, you would know that there was something wrong."

This is precisely why on-the-ground coaching and case management are so critical — they reveal what happens between clinical hours, offering a bird's-eye view that therapists alone can't see.

🔔 4. Professional Interventions — What Families Need to Know

An intervention is a structured, professionally facilitated conversation where family members and loved ones address someone's substance use disorder or mental health crisis — and present a clear path to treatment. Jason broke this down into several critical components.

Who Sober Escorts Serves

Primary mental health clients (depression, anxiety, bipolar, psychosis)
Substance use disorder clients (alcohol, opioids, stimulants, THC, Kratom)
Co-occurring disorders (mental health + substance use together)
Both adults and adolescents

Two Interventionists Per Case

All Sober Escorts interventions deploy two interventionists on every case — providing different perspectives on the family dynamic and how the loved one is presenting. This approach improves safety, allows for real-time debriefing, and ensures balanced facilitation.

Intervention Styles

🤝 The Invitational Intervention (Preferred)

Family members invite the loved one to a family meeting to discuss their substance use or mental health. This is the preferred approach because it preserves the loved one's autonomy and agency — they choose to attend, which reduces resistance.

Process: Family education → letter-writing (mostly positive, with honest impact statements) → structured meeting → 1-2 treatment options presented → boundary-setting.

Success rate: ~95% — though "success" doesn't always mean going to treatment the same day. Sometimes individuals return to treatment days or weeks later, especially when firm boundaries are maintained.

Best for: Alcohol use disorder, THC, benzodiazepines, process addictions (shopping, porn, sex addiction, gambling)

⚡ The Johnson Model (Surprise/Confrontational)

Reserved for high-risk situations where the loved one is a danger to themselves or others, is treatment-resistant, or is in active psychosis. Family doesn't believe they would attend a meeting voluntarily.

Best for: Amphetamines, cocaine, stimulants (which often involve paranoia and psychosis), and situations involving heavy, daily use

Key safety protocols: Always ask if there are weapons in the home. Ensure no children are present during the intervention. Firmer boundaries are set (financial cutoffs, housing requirements).

📊 Analogy: The Family Meeting vs. The Fire Alarm

An invitational intervention is like scheduling a family meeting at the kitchen table — calm, structured, and with everyone prepared. A Johnson Model intervention is like pulling a fire alarm: the situation is urgent, there's real danger, and immediate action is needed. Both have their place, and choosing the wrong one can make things worse.

Key Principle: "We always prefer the invitational model because we want the client to have agency. When you invite them, they feel that their loved ones really care."

The CIP Credential — Gold Standard for Interventionists

Jason highlighted that the Certified Intervention Professional (CIP) is the highest credential in the field — yet there are only about 150 CIP-credentialed interventionists in the entire United States. The CIP is administered by the Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB) and recognized globally through IC&RC (International Credentialling & Reciprocity Consortium) [4][5].

📋 CIP Requirements

150 hours of education — including intervention theory, family systems, motivational interviewing, crisis intervention, behavioral health ethics, cultural competency, and process addictions [6]
100 hours of supervised work experience — across all four intervention domains [6]
10 documented interventions — 5 observed (second chair) + 5 facilitated [6]
2-3 years of full-time work experience (depending on education level) [6]
Specialty education — veterans, LGBTQI populations, MAT, mental health first aid, spirituality training

Jason's recommendation: "If you are referring families to interventionists, look for the CIP designation. It's the highest credential, and it represents real competency and ethical standards."

What Happens After the Intervention

When a loved one agrees to treatment, the team shifts into action:

Helping them pack and prepare — wrapping up bills, setting auto-pay, handling family logistics
Sharing lived experience to reduce shame and fear ("I was intervened on too")
Coordinating immediate safe transport to the treatment facility
If they don't agree immediately — staying on with families, maintaining boundaries, and re-approaching when readiness emerges

"Recovery is not linear. There are many ups and flows. Some individuals choose not to go directly to treatment. That doesn't mean the intervention was unsuccessful. Many times, if healthy boundaries are set, the loved one will choose to go at a later time."

— Jason Arsenault

🤔 Reflection: Interventions

Has your family considered a professional intervention? What style would feel most appropriate?
What boundaries would your family need to set — and sustain — if a loved one initially refuses treatment?
Do you know whether the interventionist you're considering holds a CIP credential?

✈️ 5. Safe & Sober Transport — More Than Just a Ride

Transport to and from treatment may sound logistically simple, but it's often one of the highest-risk moments in the recovery journey. Jason shared why families should consider professional transport instead of doing it themselves.

Why Professional Transport Matters

📊 Analogy: The Pilot and the Passenger

When a family member drives their loved one to treatment, the dynamic is like asking a passenger to also fly the plane. They're emotionally invested, vulnerable to manipulation, and unprepared for crises. A professional transport specialist is the pilot — calm, trained, emotionally present but not enmeshed, and able to handle turbulence.

Key Principle: "Hindsight is 20-20. When we stopped for coffee, I had the idea of running. A professional transport companion removes that option while maintaining trust." — Jason's personal story

Jason's personal experience: When he went to treatment, his partner drove him. The entire ride, Jason tried to convince his partner he didn't need to go. At coffee stops, he considered running — but they were in the Berkshires with no cell service. The treatment center had strongly offered professional transport, but Jason refused. "Hindsight is 20-20."

Transport Scenarios

Home to treatment — by car or flight, nationally and internationally
Treatment to home — especially from destination treatment centers (California, Florida, Antigua)
Court and appointment transport — for clients without vehicles or in high-acuity situations
Emergency psychiatric situations — including clients in psychosis who need careful de-escalation

What the Transport Professional Does

Credential management — carrying passports, driver's licenses, medications, credit cards for safety
Airport navigation — TSA, luggage compliance, no-liquids checks, anxiety management
Emotional support & de-escalation — music, grounding techniques, calm presence
Coordination with treatment providers — real-time updates before, during, and after transport
Advance coordination with airline staff — notifying flight attendants not to offer alcohol

💡 Real Story: 42 Years Without a Sober Flight

Jason transported a 59-year-old woman from San Diego to Costa Rica for treatment. Upon landing, she told him: "This is the first time I've been in the airport since I was 17 years old where I didn't have a drink." Simply having a sober companion beside her — someone who understood her anxiety — made the difference between relapse and safe arrival.

When Transport Gets Intense — A Real Case

Jason shared one of his most challenging transport experiences. He was tasked with transporting a 58-year-old woman from a psychiatric ward in San José, Costa Rica to treatment in California. She was in active psychosis.

He signed her out of the psychiatric ward, went to her Airbnb, and found conditions "he'd never seen before"
He packed her belongings, checked for substances and paraphernalia, and cleaned the space — all while ensuring she didn't leave
He carried her passport, medications, and credit cards as safety protocol
On the flight, she became agitated — he used music and de-escalation techniques, and had pre-alerted the flight crew
After handing her off to a second companion, she became combative in the car — climbing over seats, trying to jump out
Within 8 minutes, Sober Escorts dispatched Jason (who was about to fly home) with a rental car to meet them at the next rest area

"There's a lot of supervision and a lot of people behind the scenes helping along this transition. It's intense to be with someone in psychosis for a couple of days. It drains you. So having someone to call — even just to decompress — is essential. I'm in my own recovery. I need to reach out to others."

— Jason Arsenault

22 Years

Sober Escorts has been providing professional recovery transport

2,500+

contractors available nationwide and internationally

📋 6. Case Management — The Connective Tissue

Case management is what keeps everyone in a client's recovery ecosystem on the same page. Jason described it as the most integral part of discharge planning — and ongoing recovery support.

📊 Analogy: The Village Coordinator

"Recovery takes a village" is a common saying, but villages need coordination. Think of a case manager as the village coordinator — the person who ensures the therapist knows what the psychiatrist is doing, the family knows what the sober living is observing, and the coach's insights reach the treatment team. Without this coordinator, the village is just a collection of well-intentioned strangers.

Key Principle: Non-clinical case management wraps all providers into one coordinated network — preventing gaps, duplication, and information splitting.

What Case Managers Do

Weekly collaboration with all treatment providers — therapists, psychiatrists, sober livings, coaches, sponsors
Family communication — keeping loved ones updated on progress and areas of opportunity
Court and trust compliance — ensuring clients meet legal or financial requirements
Medication monitoring — observing clients taking psychiatric meds, anti-craving medications (Antabuse, Naltrexone)
Drug and alcohol monitoring — adding accountability layers for higher-acuity clients
Ensuring clinical engagement — confirming attendance at therapy, psychiatry, and support groups

The "Splitting" Problem

One of the most important functions of case management is preventing "splitting" — when clients tell their family one thing and their therapist another. This is not intentionally malicious; it's a survival pattern rooted in shame, fear, and the desire to maintain autonomy. But it creates dangerous blind spots in care.

💡 How Case Management Prevents Splitting

When a case manager facilitates weekly check-ins with all providers, information is cross-referenced naturally. If a client tells their mom they're attending therapy three times a week but the therapist reports one session, the discrepancy is caught early — without confrontation, and with compassion. This keeps everyone honest and the client safe.

🏋️ 7. Recovery Coaching — Bridging Clinical and Real Life

Recovery coaching is what Jason considers the key missing component in the continuum of care. It fills the space between clinical hours — when life actually happens.

What a Recovery Coach Is

A recovery coach is generally someone in long-term recovery who holds a certification to work with both primary mental health and substance use disorder clients. Their role is to be:

A mentor — sharing wisdom from lived experience
An ally — walking alongside the client, not above them
A cheerleader — celebrating milestones and progress
An advocate — connecting clients with resources and community

Coaching ranges from 1 hour per week to several hours, depending on client acuity and needs.

The Seven Dimensions of Wellness

Jason emphasized that recovery coaching isn't just about sobriety — it's about building a holistic wellness approach that addresses all dimensions of life:

🧠 Mental Health

🙏 Spirituality

💪 Physical Activity

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Dynamics

🤝 Social Connection

💼 Occupational

🌿 Environmental

Jason shared his own example: "For me, spirituality isn't church — it's nature. That's why I moved to Costa Rica. Movement is so important, especially for clients with depression or anxiety — getting those endorphins going."

What Coaches Do on the Ground

Introduce clients to local AA, NA, Refuge Recovery, SMART Recovery meetings
Help build daily routines (gym, yoga, bike rides, healthy meals)
Navigate family dynamics and trust-rebuilding
Coordinate with case managers to share a bird's-eye view of progress
Provide insight that goes beyond clinical hours — "Not just going to AA and taking medication, but are they showing up as a more engaged parent? Are they more patient?"

📊 Analogy: The Discharge Paper vs. Real Life

When someone leaves treatment, they get a discharge paper: go to therapy, see your psychiatrist, attend meetings, get a sponsor, take medication, stay sober. That paper has 8-10 action items. Now imagine giving that list to someone who just spent 30-90 days in a structured environment with every hour planned for them. It's like handing someone a blueprint for a house and saying "build it" — with no tools, no crew, and no foundation.

Key Principle: A recovery coach is the construction foreman — turning the blueprint into an actual life, one brick at a time.

🤔 Reflection: Recovery Coaching

Which of the seven dimensions of wellness do you (or your loved one) most neglect?
What does "accountability when no one is watching" look like in your daily life?
Who in your life provides the bird's-eye view of your real progress — not just your clinical progress?

🛡️ 8. Companionship & Monitoring

Sober companions represent the most intensive level of non-clinical support — providing anywhere from 2-3 hours per day to full 24-hour live-in support. Most companions are also interventionists, many have lived experience of recovery, and some hold clinical licenses or nursing certifications.

When Companionship Is Needed

Waiting for a bed — when a client is waiting to enter treatment but is still actively using, a companion ensures safety until admission
Post-treatment reintegration — for clients with a history of return to use or non-compliance with medication
Daily living support — preparing food, getting to appointments, medication management, attending meetings
Long-term support — Sober Escorts has supported one client with autism for 4 years with rotating companions providing 24-hour care

Monitoring & Accountability Layers

Depending on acuity, monitoring can include:

Observed medication management (psychiatric meds, anti-craving medications)
Drug and alcohol testing
Coordination with court requirements, trusts, and family agreements
Daily reporting to case managers and treatment teams

💡 Reinforcing Structure After Treatment

Jason described companionship as "reinforcing program structure that comes with a residential treatment program." When 24-hour care ends at discharge, companions step in to maintain structure and accountability during the most critical transition period — gradually stepping down as the client builds independent resilience.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 9. What Families Get Wrong — And How to Get It Right

The Q&A section of this keynote produced some of the most powerful and practical content. When asked "What's the first thing families tend to get wrong?" — Jason didn't hesitate.

❌ Mistake #1: Unrealistic Expectations

"Families expect their loved ones to come back fixed." Treatment is not a repair shop. It's a starting point. Jason shared that he still works on his relationship with his mother 12 years into recovery. Families need to understand that real recovery begins at home, not in a treatment center.

❌ Mistake #2: Stigmatizing Language

The field is moving away from "addict" and "alcoholic" toward person-first language: "substance use disorder." Softening the stigma around the disease of addiction helps families approach their loved ones with compassion rather than judgment. The same applies to mental health — language shapes perception and behavior.

❌ Mistake #3: Not Doing Their Own Work

Families need their own individual therapy, family support groups, and education. "A lot of times, families lose themselves. I've seen mothers whose only purpose becomes keeping their son or daughter alive. That's important — but once the loved one starts recovering, the family still enmeshes themselves."

❌ Mistake #4: Treating Return to Use as Failure

Recidivism is a real and normal part of recovery. "Just because someone has had a return to use doesn't mean they've failed." Families need to respond with love, integrity, and compassion — while maintaining firm (not punitive) boundaries.

What Families Should Do Instead

✅ Family Action Steps

Choose treatment with robust family programs — look for 3+ day family intensives that educate on the disease, language, PAWS (post-acute withdrawal syndrome), and boundaries
Get your own therapist — not your child's therapist, not couples therapy (though those matter too), but someone focused on YOUR healing
Attend family support groups — Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, CRAFT-based programs
Keep Narcan at home — available free at most pharmacies, especially if opioids or fentanyl are involved
Understand PAWS — post-acute withdrawal syndrome can last months and causes mood swings, sleep disruption, and cognitive fog that look like "not trying"
Set boundaries with love — financial limits, housing conditions, and behavioral expectations that are firm but not cruel
Remember the droplets — trust rebuilds slowly. Don't expect everything at once.

🛠️ Emergency Checklist for Families Facing Active Use

Assess immediate danger: Are they a harm to themselves or others? If yes, call emergency services immediately.
Don't tell them to stop cold turkey: Sudden cessation from benzodiazepines or heavy daily alcohol use can cause seizures and medical emergencies.
Get Narcan: If opioids/fentanyl are involved, have Narcan accessible NOW.
Contact a professional interventionist: Look for CIP credential. For emergencies, Sober Escorts can mobilize within 72 hours.
Know your legal options: In Florida, the Marchman Act allows involuntary treatment holds for 72 hours for individuals who are a danger to themselves or others. Research your state's equivalent.
Document everything: Keep notes on substance use patterns, behaviors, and attempts to help. This information is critical for interventionists and treatment placement.

🤔 Reflection: Family Dynamics

Are your expectations for your loved one's recovery realistic, or are you expecting "fixed"?
When was the last time you invested in YOUR own healing — therapy, a support group, even just rest?
What boundaries have you set? Are you maintaining them consistently?

🚨 10. Emerging Threats: THC, Kratom & Adolescent Mental Health

When asked about the typical clientele seeking intervention services, Jason pivoted to a topic he's deeply concerned about — the rising wave of adolescent mental health crises and new substance threats.

🌿 THC — Not Your Parents' Marijuana

"The pot that I smoked — I'm 50 years old — when I was in my early 20s or teens, is much different than the THC products that are out there today." Today's THC products (concentrates, edibles, vapes) contain dramatically higher levels of delta-9-THC than flower cannabis from previous decades. This has been linked to increased rates of psychosis, paranoia, and emergency department visits — especially in adolescents and young adults.

💊 Kratom — "Gas Station Heroin"

Kratom is sold legally in fluorescent bottles at gas stations and bodegas across the United States. Parents often don't recognize it as dangerous — it looks like juice. But Jason is seeing increasing cases of adolescents presenting with paranoia, psychosis, and requiring detox from Kratom use.

Research supports this alarm: kratom produces both stimulant and opioid-related effects, and case reports document kratom-induced psychiatric decompensation, paranoid delusions, and psychosis — including in an 18-year-old consuming 10-50 capsules daily [7][8]. Poison center calls related to kratom increased tenfold between 2010 and 2015, with 3,484 cases and 23 deaths reported between 2014-2019 [7].

📱 Co-Occurring: Gaming, Social Media & Self-Harm

Jason noted a surge in co-occurring disorders combining substance use with gaming addiction, social media dependence, self-harm, and suicidal ideation in adolescents. "We're getting a lot more calls than we used to 5 years ago. And it's because access is so much easier. My cousin was buying THC off TikTok."

He contrasted this with his life in Costa Rica, where local children have no phones or tablets: "Everyone is outside playing and engaging and gardening. Technology has benefits, but like anything, it can be misused or abused."

10x

increase in kratom-related poison center calls between 2010-2015 [7]

3,484+

kratom-related cases reported to US poison centers (2014-2019) [7]

🌎 11. Building Your Recovery Ecosystem

Jason concluded his presentation by describing the complete picture — what he calls the Recovery Ecosystem. It's not any single service, but the coordinated whole.

📊 Analogy: The Recovery Orchestra

Think of recovery like an orchestra. The therapist is the lead violin. The psychiatrist manages the brass section. The coach is in the rhythm section, keeping daily beats consistent. The case manager is the conductor — ensuring everyone plays from the same score, at the same tempo. Without coordination, you don't get music — you get noise.

Key Principle: "Our work is to provide structure, compassion, accountability, and collaboration." — Jason Arsenault

🔔 Interventions

Getting loved ones safely into treatment through structured, compassionate family processes

✈️ Safe Transport

Door-to-door professional accompaniment — by car, plane, or internationally — with de-escalation training

📋 Case Management

Weekly coordination across all providers, preventing splitting and ensuring medication compliance

🏋️ Recovery Coaching

On-the-ground mentorship addressing all seven dimensions of wellness — not just sobriety

🛡️ Companionship

2-3 hours/day to 24/7 live-in support for high-acuity situations — reinforcing treatment structure

📊 Monitoring

Medication observation, drug/alcohol testing, court and trust compliance — layered accountability

"Substance use disorder is a coping skill — misuse is a coping skill for underlying mental health disorders. We're there to provide insight, accountability, structure, help clients rebuild trust within their ecosystem, and keep everyone on the same page."

— Jason Arsenault

Amaya, Sober Escorts CEO, puts it this way: "Send us your most complicated or complex case, and we'll really surprise you and do some amazing work with families."

🧬 12. Reflection & Integration

🤔 Final Reflection Questions

Where is the biggest gap in your (or your loved one's) current recovery support?
Which of the six service areas would make the most immediate difference?
Are you rebuilding trust in "droplets" — or expecting it all at once?
What does "practicing accountability when no one is watching" look like for you today?
How well-coordinated is the recovery "village" around you or your loved one?
If you're a family member: When was the last time you prioritized YOUR wellness?

📚 13. Resources & Next Steps

🌎 Connect with Jason & Sober Escorts

Jason Arsenault, CARC

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1 (646) 812-5661

Company: soberescorts.com

Location: Quepos, Costa Rica (serving nationally & internationally)

Social Media: Facebook | Instagram

Sober Escorts Inc. — Founded by Rick Parrish | CEO: Amaya | Lead Interventionist: Mike Lloyd | NAATP Member

🎬 Watch the Session Highlights

YouTube Short: Watch the Highlight Reel

Post Set A: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Post Set B (Reel): Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Additional Resources

CIP Certification: Pennsylvania Certification Board — CIP
Association of Intervention Specialists: AIS
NAATP: National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers
SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (free, 24/7, confidential)
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

Join the Sober Living Network Community

The Sober Living Network hosts free weekly keynotes connecting mental health professionals, individuals in recovery, and families with world-class experts. Our Tuesday "Zoom at Noon" sessions from the New York chapter — hosted by Dr. Ken Markowitz — bring practical, life-changing knowledge to your screen every week.

Register today and join a global, peer-led community that creates judgment-free spaces for understanding, resources, and genuine connection.

🔗 Register at SoberLivingNetwork.org

📖 References

[1] Brunette, M., et al. (2004-2017). Relapse rates following residential substance abuse treatment range from 37-56% within first year of discharge. Cited in: Barriers and facilitators to successful transition from long-term residential substance abuse treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. PMC5310811

[2] Recovery Research Institute / HelpTeensOK (2025). Adolescent relapse rates of 55-90% within the first year after treatment. helpteensok.org

[3] Vilsaint, C.L., et al. (2025). Recovery housing for substance use disorder. SUD relapse risk significantly ameliorated by long-term recovery support; 63% reduction in relapse with Oxford House participation; 5 years sustained remission before risk normalizes. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation. PMC11658391

[4] Pennsylvania Certification Board. (2025). Certified Intervention Professional (CIP). pacertboard.org

[5] Recovery Plus Journal. (2025). What is a CIP? IC&RC recognition and global credentialling standards. recoveryplusjournal.com

[6] Pennsylvania Certification Board. (2021). CIP Application Requirements — 150 hours education, 100 hours supervision, 10 documented interventions. PCB CIP Application PDF

[7] Kassem, S., et al. (2024). Kratom-induced psychiatric decompensation and paranoid delusions. Tenfold increase in poison center calls (2010-2015); 3,484 cases reported (2014-2019). Cureus. PMC10959423

[8] Case Report: Mr. B, 18-year-old male with kratom-induced psychosis consuming 10-50 capsules daily. (2025). The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders. psychiatrist.com

NYSLN Extended Event Summary: Chad Johnson's "Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery"

New York Sober Living Network | Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

A Recovery Session on Presence, Purpose, and the Transformative Power of Helping Others

📋 Complete Event Documentation

Part ① Event Overview & Context

Event Details:
🔸 Title: Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery
🔸 Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
🔸 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
🔸 Format: Live Zoom | Recovery Education & Discussion
🔸 Speaker: Chad Johnson, Sober Coach, Podcast Host, Recovery Advocate
🔸 Host: Dr. Ken Markowitz, NYSLN
🔸 Attendance: 40+ participants (Toronto, New York, Chicago, International)

Historic Significance:

This was NYSLN's continuation of their Tuesday lunchtime series connecting mental health professionals with individuals in recovery and their families. Chad's session focused on the practical, lived experience of maintaining recovery while serving others—a crucial bridge between early recovery (where the focus is on self) and mature recovery (where the focus expands outward).

Community Context:

New York Sober Living Network operates as part of a global peer-led recovery community:

🌍 Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
🌍 Additional Chapters: New York (established); Chicago (launched); Mumbai, India; Enugu, Nigeria
🌍 Mission: Create judgment-free spaces where individuals at every stage of sobriety can find understanding, resources, and peer connection
🌍 Format: Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST for NYSLN) + educational eBooks + companion workbooks + recovery resources

Part ② About Chad Johnson

Professional Background:

Chad Johnson is a Certified Sober Coach and recovery advocate with 11+ years of continuous sobriety. He operates across multiple platforms and organizations, each reflecting his commitment to breaking stigma and creating recovery-ready communities.

Credentials & Platforms:

🔹 Founder and Host of "Not All There Podcast" (peer-led recovery conversations)
🔹 Host of "Sober with Chad" (coaching and mentorship platform)
🔹 Founder of The Art of Recovery Foundation (advocating for addiction awareness and recovery)
🔹 Initiator and Host of SLN Chicago Chapter (building recovery community in the Midwest)
🔹 Certified Sober Coach (providing one-on-one and group coaching)
🔹 Professional recovery speaker and educator

Personal Journey:

Chad's credibility comes from lived experience, not theory:

💫 21 years of active addiction (alcohol and drugs) characterized by isolation and self-destruction
💫 Survivor of severe childhood abuse and multiple traumas (grew up in rural Oregon with an abusive father)
💫 Got sober and began recovery work, eventually achieving genuine sobriety around year 2-3
💫 Years 1-5: Marathon runner (literally running from his trauma); trained intensely, ran marathons, used running as a substitute for substance abuse
💫 Year 5: Body completely gave out; forced to stop running and face the accumulated trauma that surfaced
💫 Years 5-9: Prolonged nervous breakdown; had to face everything—all trauma, all shame, all pain; this period involved intensive therapy, peer support, and genuine emotional processing
💫 Year 9: Breakthrough in self-acceptance; realized he couldn't change the past, but he could accept who he was and build from there
💫 Years 9-11: Evolution into genuine recovery; began liking himself, becoming present for family, developing service work, helping others
💫 Present (11+ years sober): Married, father of two teenage sons (ages 13 and 15), actively coaching others, hosting podcasts, building community, still in therapy, still doing daily recovery practices

Why Chad's Approach Matters:

Chad bridges two critical worlds:

🌟 Traditional Recovery Models: He understands AA, NA, clinical therapy, evidence-based treatment, and the value of structure and community in recovery

🌟 Real-Life Complexity: He doesn't pretend recovery is linear or that you ever stop being a "recovering" person.

He still has struggles with his wiring, his intensity, his trauma responses. He's still doing the work after 11 years.

His unique value: He models what mature, sustainable recovery actually looks like—not perfect, but grounded, connected, purposeful, and committed to helping others find the same.

Part ③ Core Themes & Educational Content

Theme ① "Self-Acceptance is the Foundation" (Not Perfection)

The Problem:

Most people in recovery spend the first years in internal conflict. They've accepted intellectually that they're an alcoholic or addict, but they haven't accepted emotionally. Part of them is still fighting against reality, still believing they should be different, should be stronger, should have never gotten here.

This internal war is exhausting. It consumes mental and emotional energy that could be used for actual healing and growth.

Chad's Journey:

For years, Chad was sober but at war with himself. He was doing the external work (meetings, therapy, running marathons) but internally rejecting himself for what he was. Around year 9, something shifted.

"This is me. This is who I am. There's nothing I can do that's gonna change that. I can't fix it. I can't do anything to change the past. But I can accept it."

This moment—when acceptance shifted from intellectual to emotional—changed everything.

Why This Matters:

When you stop fighting against yourself, when you stop trying to be someone different, a huge relief emerges. No more arguing with reality. No more shame spirals. No more performing.

Chad describes it: "There was a huge relief in that. Like, oh, okay, this is me. I don't have to go around trying to figure out who I am. I don't have to listen to my own bullshit or bullshit others. This is the person that I am."

Workbook Integration:

For future workbook development, this theme would include:

📖 Daily acceptance practices (acknowledging reality without judgment)
📖 Journaling prompts around self-acceptance
📖 Distinguishing between "I can't change the past" and "I can change my response to it"
📖 Tracking the relief that comes from stopping the internal war

Theme ② "From Acceptance to Genuine Self-Esteem" (The Scaling Method)

The Problem:

Acceptance alone isn't enough. You can accept yourself and still hate yourself. You can accept that you're a recovering alcoholic and still feel worthless.

The next step is learning to genuinely like yourself. But most recovery programs leave you to figure this out on your own.

Chad's Solution:

Chad discovered what he calls the "scaling method"—starting ridiculously small and building from there.

"I decided that maybe it was time to start liking myself for who I was. And let's start with, like, an hour, okay? I can do that, and let's start with a day, and then a couple of days, and pretty soon, I was able to string together several months of liking myself, and my entire perspective on things changed."

This isn't positive thinking or affirmations. It's a neuroplasticity practice. By consistently choosing to like himself for small increments of time, Chad rewired his brain's relationship to himself.

The Cascade Effect:

When Chad began genuinely liking himself:

🌟 He became a better parent (more present, less reactive)
🌟 He became a better husband (more emotionally available)
🌟 He became a better friend (authentic instead of performing)
🌟 He stopped caring what people thought (freedom)
🌟 He became genuinely present for others

Why This Matters:

Self-esteem built on genuine self-acceptance is sustainable because it's not fragile. It's not based on external validation or achievements. It's based on knowing yourself and choosing to show up anyway.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Daily self-esteem building exercises (start with "I did one thing well today")
📖 Scaling practices (an hour of liking yourself, then a day, then a week)
📖 Tracking cascade effects (as your self-esteem improves, what changes in your relationships?)
📖 Practical exercises in meeting yourself with compassion

Theme ③ "Community is Non-Negotiable" (The Different Layers)

The Truth:

"You can't live a life of active recovery on your own. Doing it in shadows, secretly, without letting people know, defeats the entire purpose."

Why:

Chad's addiction was an "addiction of isolation." For 21 years, he couldn't face the world or himself. He needed to numb himself every day because the pain of existing was unbearable.

Recovery demands the opposite: radical connection, visibility, vulnerability, and community.

What Community Actually Provides:

When you're surrounded by people who understand you, who've lived similar experiences:

💚 The loneliness goes away (you're no longer isolated with your pain)
💚 You have hope (you see others making it work)
💚 You're seen for who you truly are (validation and acceptance)
💚 You realize you're not broken or alone
💚 You get perspective when problems feel enormous
💚 You get support when you're struggling
💚 You remember your "why" when you're losing motivation

The Different Layers:

Chad emphasizes that community exists at multiple levels:

🔵 Recovery-Specific Community: AA meetings, NA meetings, recovery groups, sponsorship relationships. People who speak the language and understand the struggle.

🔵 Like-Minded Community: Men's groups, peer coaching circles, recovery-focused gatherings. People doing similar work, often outside of 12-step structure.

🔵 Professional Community: Therapists, coaches, mentors. People trained to help you process and heal.

🔵 Broader Community: Family, friends, colleagues. People who care about you and support your recovery, even if they haven't experienced addiction.

🔵 Service Community: People you help and coach. This creates a feedback loop where giving strengthens your own recovery.

Why Multiple Layers Matter:

People who've lived through similar experiences offer irreplaceable camaraderie. You're seen, validated, understood.

But people with no frame of reference to addiction offer something equally valuable: they remind you how far you've come and reinforce your commitment never to return. They help you integrate back into mainstream society and prove to yourself that you can function and be present outside the recovery bubble.

Chad's Communities Include:

🔹 AA meetings and his AA crew
🔹 A men's group he started at his house
🔹 Recovery podcasts and online networks
🔹 Multiple therapists over the years
🔹 Family and friends who support his recovery
🔹 Mentees and coaching clients he serves

Workbook Integration:

📖 Mapping your community (identifying which layers you have and which you need)
📖 Community-building exercises (how to start a group, how to join one)
📖 Vulnerability practices (sharing with people in each layer)
📖 Tracking the impact of community on your recovery trajectory

Theme ④ "The Three Stages of Recovery" (Critical Distinctions)

The Language Problem:

Most people use "abstinence," "sobriety," and "recovery" interchangeably. This is a profound mistake because it conflates three very different states of being.

Abstinence: Just Stopping

Definition: Not using a substance or addictive behavior.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not drinking or using drugs
🔹 Not gambling, binge eating, compulsive sex, working obsessively
🔹 Physically not engaging in the behavior

What It Doesn't Include:
🔹 Internal transformation
🔹 Healing from trauma
🔹 Building healthy relationships
🔹 Developing self-worth
🔹 Creating meaning and purpose
🔹 Any emotional or spiritual component

The Reality: You can be abstinent and still be:
🔹 Angry and resentful
🔹 Depressed and hopeless
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 White-knuckling through each day
🔹 Ready to relapse at any moment
🔹 Miserable

Sobriety: Sustained Abstinence + Awareness

Definition: Not using AND understanding why you don't use, while actively working on yourself.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not using substances
🔹 Understanding your patterns and triggers
🔹 Attending meetings or therapy
🔹 Working on yourself (journaling, meditation, etc.)
🔹 Being honest about your struggles
🔹 Showing up, even when it's hard
🔹 Having structure and accountability

What It Might Still Be Missing:
🔹 Deep healing from trauma
🔹 Full integration of lessons into daily life
🔹 Authentic connection with others
🔹 Genuine purpose and meaning
🔹 Joy and peace

The Reality: You can be sober and still be:
🔹 Going through the motions
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 Avoiding the real deep work
🔹 White-knuckling through life
🔹 One failed support system away from relapse
🔹 Functional but not fulfilled

Recovery: The Full Transformation

Definition: Living a full, authentic life in alignment with your values, having healed from the wounds that drove your addiction.

What It Includes:
🔹 Abstinence from substances and harmful behaviors (obviously)
🔹 Genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🔹 Deep work on trauma and underlying issues (nervous breakdowns, if necessary)
🔹 Authentic relationships and genuine community
🔹 Purpose, meaning, and contribution to others
🔹 Helping others (service)
🔹 Joy, peace, and spiritual alignment
🔹 Living your values
🔹 Being genuinely present for yourself and others
🔹 Still growing and evolving

What It Looks Like:
🔹 You genuinely like yourself (flaws and all)
🔹 You're present with your family and friends (not just physically there)
🔹 You help people without expecting anything in return
🔹 You handle hard days without using
🔹 You sleep well knowing you lived well
🔹 You contribute to your community
🔹 You build others up
🔹 You remember your "why" every single day
🔹 You're still doing the work (therapy, practices, community)
🔹 You're still humble and learning

The Critical Insight:

Not everyone makes the journey from abstinence to sobriety to recovery. Many get stuck in sobriety—not using, but not truly living. They're stable but not transformed. And when one pillar of support fails (lost their sponsor, can't make meetings, lost their job, relationship ends), they relapse.

Recovery, true recovery, is more resilient because it's built on internal transformation, not external structure.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Self-assessment tool (which stage are you in?)
📖 Pathway to the next stage (what does it take to move from abstinence to sobriety, sobriety to recovery?)
📖 Identifying areas of your life where you're abstinent/sober/recovering
📖 Building resilience by moving toward recovery

Theme ⑤ "The Daily Ritual That Keeps You Grounded" (Neuroplasticity in Action)

The Practice:

Chad has a non-negotiable daily ritual. Every single morning, almost 12 years into sobriety, he does the same thing:

"I wake up each day, and I have to remind myself: Hey, Chad, you're a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Don't fuck it up today."

It sounds harsh. It sounds negative. But it's neither.

Why This Works:

This is a neuroplasticity practice. By repeatedly activating the same intention every morning, Chad is:

① Bringing himself into the present moment. His mind isn't in yesterday's regrets or tomorrow's anxieties. He's here, now, making a choice.

② Activating his "why." It's not just "I'm sober," it's "I have something I'm protecting." Kids. Wife. Work. Community. Purpose.

③ Preventing relapse amnesia. Research shows that over time, people forget why they got sober. They start thinking "Maybe I wasn't that bad." Or "Maybe I can handle just one drink." By reminding himself every morning of what he is, Chad immunizes himself.

④ Reserving willpower for everything else. The biggest decision of the day is made first thing: "I'm not using today." This frees mental energy for parenting, working, helping others.

⑤ Accepting reality without fighting it. He's not saying "Pray I don't relapse." He's saying "This is who I am. And today I'm choosing not to act on it."

The Acceptance Built In:

What's beautiful about this ritual is that it's not based on shame or self-punishment. It's based on complete acceptance.

Chad is saying: "I'm deeply traumatized. I'm wired in ways that make recovery work necessary. I'm still that wounded kid from Oregon. None of that has changed. And I'm choosing, every day, to show up anyway."

This is maturity. This is humility. This is the difference between someone who's been sober 12 years and someone who's just managed not to drink for 12 years.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Creating your own daily ritual (what reminder keeps you grounded?)
📖 Neuroplasticity practices (understanding how repetition rewires your brain)
📖 Morning intention-setting exercises
📖 Tracking the effects of daily rituals over weeks and months

Theme ⑥ "Listening as a Revolutionary Act" (The Prerequisite for Service)

The Insight:

"One of the most important things you can do for someone is just be available to listen to what they have to say. You may not even need to share anything with them. Just listening to them is enough for them to get the help that they need."

Why This Is Revolutionary:

In a world of:
🔹 Constant distraction (everyone's on their phone)
🔹 Performative advice-giving ("Here's what you should do")
🔹 Problem-solving without understanding ("Why don't you just...")
🔹 Judgment and criticism ("That was stupid")

Genuine listening has become genuinely radical. People are starved for it.

The Prerequisite:

But Chad knows something crucial: you can't listen to others if you're not listening to yourself.

"If I'm stuck in my own head, dealing with my own crap, I'm not available to do that."

This is why the daily ritual matters so much. By taking time each morning to ground yourself, you clear the mental clutter that would otherwise prevent genuine presence.

It's the airplane oxygen mask principle: put your own mask on first.

What Genuine Listening Looks Like:

🔹 Putting your phone away (actual presence)
🔹 Making eye contact (showing you're engaged)
🔹 Letting them finish without interrupting
🔹 Asking follow-up questions (showing you care)
🔹 Not trying to fix them (letting them own their experience)
🔹 Not sharing your story unless they ask (keeping the focus on them)
🔹 Simply witnessing and reflecting back what you hear
🔹 Following up the next day

What It Creates:

🔹 Safety ("It's safe for me to be vulnerable with this person")
🔹 Trust ("This person genuinely cares")
🔹 Feeling seen ("Someone understands me")
🔹 Validation ("My experience matters")
🔹 Reduced isolation ("I'm not alone")
🔹 Hope ("If someone can listen like this, maybe I can get help")

Workbook Integration:

📖 Active listening exercises
📖 Reflective listening practices
📖 Distinguishing between listening and advising
📖 Tracking the impact of genuine listening on your relationships

Theme ⑦ "The Power of Small Gestures" (Compound Effect of Kindness)

The Hierarchy of Service:

Service doesn't exist at one level. It exists on a spectrum:

Level ① Minor Gestures

🔹 Smile at someone on the street
🔹 Say hello
🔹 Hold a door
🔹 Make eye contact
🔹 Give a compliment

Level ② Personal Connection

🔹 Listen without judgment
🔹 Ask meaningful questions
🔹 Remember details
🔹 Follow up
🔹 Show genuine care

Level ③ Direct Support

🔹 Help someone solve a problem
🔹 Provide emotional support
🔹 Volunteer expertise
🔹 Spend time with someone
🔹 Be physically present

Level ④ Major Intervention

🔹 Help someone get to treatment
🔹 Mentor someone in recovery
🔹 Give significant time/resources
🔹 Change someone's trajectory
🔹 Potentially save someone's life

The Key Insight:

You don't need to be at Level ④ to matter. Even Level ① gestures compound into massive impact when you think about how many people's days you're touching.

The Personal Story: Making Your Bed

During the session, participant Leo Petrilli shared: "Making my bed, every morning."

This is a perfect example. Making your bed isn't a gesture to someone else. It's a gesture to yourself. But it's exactly the kind of small, consistent action that builds momentum.

When you make your bed:

✓ You start your day with an accomplishment
✓ You create order in your environment
✓ You're being responsible to yourself
✓ You're practicing self-care
✓ You're building self-esteem
✓ Before you even leave your room, you've done one good thing

The Gratitude Practice

Participant Barb Lang noted: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes. It doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

This is crucial for recovery. In early recovery, you're not ready for grand service. But you ARE ready for:
🔹 Making your bed
🔹 Brushing your teeth
🔹 Taking a shower
🔹 Going for a walk
🔹 Saying thank you
🔹 Smiling at someone

These small acts:
① Build momentum
② Create self-esteem
③ Prove to yourself you're capable
④ Set up a foundation for bigger actions

The Scaling Principle:

Chad's approach to self-esteem and service is built on scaling:

Day 1: I brushed my teeth and made my bed
Day 2: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, and went for a walk
Day 3: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, went for a walk, and said hello to my neighbor
Week 2: I've done all of the above plus I volunteered 2 hours
Month 1: I've built a routine, volunteered regularly, and helped someone through a crisis

The power? Each small win stacks on top of the previous ones. Before you know it, you're living a life of meaning and service.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Small gesture log (tracking Level ① and Level ② acts daily)
📖 Gratitude practice (noticing small things to be grateful for)
📖 Scaling exercises (how to build momentum from one small action to the next)
📖 Tracking the compound effect over weeks and months

Theme ⑧ "Vulnerability: The Strength Everyone Overlooks" (Gateway to Service)

The Core Question:

During the session, Carby asked: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's answer was unambiguous: "Yes."

And participant Leo Petrilli captured the emotional truth: "Tears are power."

What Vulnerability Actually Means:

Vulnerability isn't weakness. In recovery, vulnerability means:

🔓 Being willing to tell the truth
🔓 Admitting you don't have it all figured out
🔓 Sharing your struggles, not just your successes
🔓 Asking for help
🔓 Being emotionally present
🔓 Letting others see the real you

Vulnerability = Strength in Recovery:

Chad models this throughout his life:
🔹 He shares his crazy stories about his addiction
🔹 He talks about his trauma
🔹 He admits when he's struggling
🔹 He participates in therapy
🔹 He shares his failures alongside his successes
🔹 He asks for help from his wife, friends, and community

Why This Matters:

When people see you being vulnerable and still showing up, it gives them permission to do the same. Vulnerability creates connection. Connection creates recovery.

In a culture that often teaches—especially men—to hide emotions, recovery requires the opposite. When you can:
🔹 Cry
🔹 Express emotion
🔹 Show fear
🔹 Admit confusion
🔹 Ask for help

You're demonstrating the strength it takes to live an authentic life.

Vulnerability in Service:

When you serve others from a place of vulnerability, the service transforms:

💚 It's not superior or patronizing (you're not better than them)
💚 It's peer-to-peer, person-to-person
💚 It says: "I've been where you are. Here's how I'm moving forward"
💚 It gives them hope that change is possible
💚 It allows them to see the real you, not a performance
💚 It creates connection, not dependency

Workbook Integration:

📖 Vulnerability practices (safe places to practice being vulnerable)
📖 Distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate vulnerability
📖 Tracking how vulnerability deepens your relationships
📖 Practicing service from a place of vulnerability

Part ④ Practical Frameworks & Tools

The Daily Scaling Method for Self-Esteem

Chad's most practical contribution is his daily scaling method for building self-esteem:

Start Ridiculously Small

The first goals in recovery aren't "Get a job" or "Rebuild your marriage." They're:
🔹 Tie your shoes
🔹 Brush your teeth
🔹 Get dressed
🔹 Do laundry
🔹 Fold the laundry
🔹 Go for a walk

Why? Each action is evidence that you're not lazy, not broken, not incapable. You're capable of doing one thing. And then another. And then another.

Document Your Wins

Chad's approach:
"I can look back, like, oh, well, you know what? I walked my dog today. And I picked up the dog poop. I was an active person in public today. I was out in society, and I was doing something. I was being polite and responsible. And that's something that you can build on for the day."

The practice:
🔹 Keep track of what you accomplished
🔹 Celebrate small wins
🔹 Notice your presence and activity in the world
🔹 Build a positive narrative about yourself

Connect Positive Actions to Positive Feelings

Chad shares: "There's also, you know, I spoke to another person about their recovery a day, and that made me feel good. So that's something that I like feeling, so I'm gonna do that again."

The pattern:
① Do a positive action
② Notice how it feels
③ Identify the positive feeling
④ Repeat the action to experience the feeling again
⑤ Build a routine around actions that feel good

Meet People Where They Are

As a coach, Chad emphasizes that recovery isn't one-size-fits-all:

Early Recovery (First 30 Days):

🔹 Focus: Not using, showing up to meetings, basic self-care
🔹 Goal: Survive and stay connected

First Year:

🔹 Focus: Building routine, processing trauma, developing self-esteem
🔹 Goal: Get stable and start healing

Year 2-5:

🔹 Focus: Deep trauma work, relationship repair, building life
🔹 Goal: Create a sustainable recovery lifestyle

Year 5+:

🔹 Focus: Mastery, giving back, evolving spiritually
🔹 Goal: Live with purpose and serve others

Use Journaling and Expression

Chad uses journaling extensively:
"I've got notebooks everywhere. I'll be flipping through work ideas, and then I'm like, oh god, here's 5 pages of whatever I was going through that day. So I'll go back and read it. That's another nice way to reflect back on what you were feeling, what you were writing."

The benefits:
🔹 Gets thoughts out of your head
🔹 Allows reflection and pattern recognition
🔹 Provides evidence of growth over time
🔹 Engages a different part of your brain
🔹 Creates accountability

Relatable Connection (Especially with Kids)

Chad's example with his 13-year-old son:
"I just try to encourage him with little things, or say 'Oh, that's cool, good job.' Like, not being critical. Unless it needs to be, right? And meeting him, accepting him. Okay, today was just whatever. He doesn't like school. Alright, well, let's not make a big deal about it, okay? Let's find something positive that we can talk about or relatable."

This applies to self-esteem:
🔹 Find one thing you did well
🔹 Don't be overly critical
🔹 Find something positive to focus on
🔹 Meet yourself with acceptance and encouragement

Part ⑤ The Roadmap to Service

Option ① Existing Organizations

Local Services:

🔹 Food banks and soup kitchens
🔹 Donation and charity centers
🔹 Community centers
🔹 Religious organizations
🔹 Non-profits

Recovery-Specific:

🔹 12-step meetings (sponsorship, literature table, setup/cleanup)
🔹 Recovery houses
🔹 Treatment centers
🔹 Recovery coaching organizations
🔹 Peer support groups

Getting Started:

🔹 Search your area for volunteer opportunities
🔹 Call and ask: "I'm in recovery and looking to give back. How can I help?"
🔹 Start small—even 2 hours per month makes a difference

Option ② Community Projects

Community-Based Service:

🔹 Food drives (sorting cans, organizing donations)
🔹 Park cleanups
🔹 Beach cleanups
🔹 Community gardens
🔹 School volunteering
🔹 Youth sports coaching

Getting Started:

🔹 Go to events happening in your community
🔹 Volunteer with your kids (teaches them about service)
🔹 Notice what issues matter to you and find organizations working on them

Option ③ Start Your Own

Chad's Story:

"When I got sober, my kids were very young. I needed to be present for bedtime and my wife. So I started my own group meeting at my house. It's pretty easy to do, because there are a lot of like-minded people out there."

Ideas for Starting Your Own:

🔹 AA/NA home meeting
🔹 Book club focused on recovery
🔹 Men's or women's group
🔹 Peer support circle
🔹 Online community
🔹 Mentorship circle
🔹 Service project group

The Power of Starting Small:

🔹 Invite a few people over
🔹 Create a safe, welcoming space
🔹 Be consistent
🔹 Let it grow organically
🔹 Lead by example

Option ④ Direct Asking

Chad's Most Powerful Suggestion:

"If you just go around and ask, 'Hey, I am looking to be of service to other people. Is there anything that you guys need help with that I might be able to help you with?' And it'll stop people dead in their tracks. They'll think, and you'll get an answer. Either they can help you, where they work can help you, or they know someone that needs help and they can get you pointed in that direction."

Why This Works:

🔹 Most people are waiting for someone to ask
🔹 Your genuine desire to help is rare and valued
🔹 It opens doors you didn't know existed
🔹 It often leads to unexpected connections and opportunities

The Benefit of Service (No Matter Which Path)

No matter which path you choose, service does something that nothing else can:

🌟 Reinforces your sobriety (reminds you why you got sober)
🌟 Builds self-esteem (you're doing good)
🌟 Connects you to others
🌟 Creates meaning and purpose
🌟 Breaks the cycle of self-centeredness
🌟 Helps you sleep better knowing you helped someone
🌟 Keeps you humble and grounded
🌟 Models recovery for others

In a very real sense, service is the antidote to addiction. Addiction is about taking, using, consuming. Recovery is about giving, serving, contributing.

Part ⑥ Q&A Highlights & Community Engagement

Q① Clarifying Sobriety, Abstinence, and Recovery

Carby's Question: "Can you help me clarify the difference between Sobriety/Abstinence and Recovery?"

Chad's Response: Chad distinguished between the three stages clearly, emphasizing that not everyone moves through all three. Many people remain in sobriety indefinitely—not using, but not truly living. Recovery is the full transformation where you're genuinely liking yourself, present with others, and serving your community.

💡 Key Insight: Understanding these distinctions changes how you approach your recovery and helps you identify where you might be stuck.

Q② Vulnerability as the Mechanism of Lasting Change

Carby's Question: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's Response: Chad affirmed that vulnerability is absolutely central to lasting recovery and to the mechanism of service. When you serve from a place of genuine vulnerability, it creates peer-to-peer connection rather than a hierarchy of "helper" and "helped."

Leo Petrilli's Contribution: "Tears are power."

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability is strength. When you allow yourself to feel, to admit struggle, to ask for help, you unlock the capacity for genuine connection and authentic service.

Q③ How to Practice Vulnerability

Carby's Follow-up: "Follow up to that question.. How can I 'practice' Vulnerability"

Chad's Response: While not fully elaborated in the transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests starting small—sharing something real with one trusted person, being honest about struggles, asking for help, expressing emotion.

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability can be practiced incrementally, just like self-esteem. You don't need to share everything with everyone. Start with safe people in safe spaces.

Q④ Getting Started with Service

Carby's Question: "If I want to pursue the path of Service.. how do I get started?"

Chad's Response: Chad provided four concrete pathways (existing organizations, community projects, starting your own, direct asking), emphasizing that the best path is the one you actually take. Meeting people where they are is key—in early recovery, even volunteering 2 hours per month is meaningful.

💡 Key Insight: Service doesn't require perfection or grand gestures. It requires consistency and genuine desire to help.

Q⑤ Addressing Negative Influences

Carby's Question: "In respect to my previous life/habits, and especially my circle of (negative) influence (ie. 'friends', coworkers).. Do you recommend to distance myself to keep out of range of trouble or triggering environments?"

Follow-up Question: "When will i know it is the 'right' time to 'test the waters' and re-enter those environments and reconnect with those 'friends'..."

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured, Chad's approach suggests waiting until your recovery is solid enough to handle triggers, being strategic about re-entry, and maintaining boundaries with people/places that actively undermine your sobriety.)

💡 Key Insight: Recovery doesn't mean permanent isolation, but it does require strategic boundary management in early stages. Re-entry happens when your recovery is resilient, not when you think you're "fixed."

Q⑥ The Role of Spirituality and Belief

Carby's Question: "And in addition to community / service.. does my beliefs influence my recovery? For example, does God (religion aside) play a role?"

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured in transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests non-dogmatic spirituality. Whether you call it God, the universe, purpose, or community, having something larger than yourself to orient toward helps recovery significantly.)

💡 Key Insight: Spirituality matters, but it doesn't require a specific theology. What matters is having meaning and purpose beyond your own ego.

Q⑦ Community Recognition of Small Victories

Participant Leo Petrilli: "Making my bed, every morning."

Participant Barb Lang: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes, it doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

Ken Markowitz Response: "I agree! It's the small things that we often take for granted and should always be grateful for."

💡 Key Insight: The community affirmed that small actions, done consistently, are the foundation of recovery. Making your bed daily is as valid and important as major service work.

Q⑧ Session Closing

Participant Damien Reilly: "I have to jump. Thanks everyone! Thanks Chad! Thanks Ken!"

Multiple Participants: "Thanks so much Chad, and Ken!" and "Thanks all"

Part ⑦ Integration & Next Steps

For Participants:

① If you attended the live session:

🔸 Download the full eBook for deeper learning
🔸 Implement the daily ritual (your own version of "Don't fuck it up today")
🔸 Practice one Level ① gesture daily (smile, hello, thank you)
🔸 Identify which layers of community you have and which you need
🔸 Choose one service pathway to explore this month
🔸 Start journaling (small wins, feelings, reflections)

② If you're new to this work:

🔸 Read through the eBook first to understand the framework
🔸 Start with the daily ritual (adapt it to your own belief system)
🔸 Begin with Tool #1: Making your bed and doing basic self-care
🔸 Document your small wins
🔸 Build from there

③ If you want to deepen the practice:

🔸 Consider one-on-one coaching with Chad or another trained coach
🔸 Join a recovery community (AA, SMART, Lymbic, etc.)
🔸 Combine this work with therapy or counseling
🔸 Start a home group or meet-up in your area
🔸 Join NYSLN Tuesday sessions weekly (free, judgment-free community)

For Mental Health Professionals:

The NYSLN platform is a vital resource for:
🔹 Connecting with clients in recovery
🔹 Understanding peer-led support models
🔹 Referring clients to free community resources
🔹 Learning about cutting-edge recovery practices
🔹 Building collaborative relationships with recovery communities

Part ⑧ The Bigger Picture

Why This Matters Now

Recovery work has traditionally focused on "stopping the behavior" (abstinence) and cognitive processing (therapy). This helps millions. But many people still feel stuck, still struggle with meaning and purpose, still can't regulate their nervous systems without substances.

Chad's work—and NYSLN's platform—represents a paradigm shift: Healing requires meeting the person where they are across all dimensions simultaneously.

This means:
💫 Traditional therapy (still essential)
💫 Plus 12-Step or peer programs (still valuable)
💫 Plus practical self-esteem building (small gestures, daily rituals)
💫 Plus community across multiple layers (recovery-specific and broader)
💫 Plus service and meaning-making (gives purpose to recovery)

The Result:

People don't just stop using substances—they reclaim their lives. They:
🌟 Develop genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🌟 Build authentic community across multiple layers
🌟 Discover meaning and purpose through service
🌟 Regulate their nervous systems (can be present without numbing)
🌟 Sleep well knowing they lived well
🌟 Know they're not alone
🌟 Have hope that change is possible

Part ⑨ Accessibility & Inclusivity

NYSLN's commitment to accessibility:

Financial:

💰 Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST)
💰 Free eBooks and educational materials
💰 Free community access
💰 Sliding scale for direct coaching

Accessibility for Different Backgrounds:

🌈 No religious requirement
🌈 Non-dogmatic spirituality
🌈 No special preparation needed
🌈 Judgment-free (cameras on or off—your choice)
🌈 Welcomes skeptics and believers alike

For Healthcare Providers:

🏥 Mental health professionals welcome
🏥 NYSLN serves as a vital platform to connect with the community you serve
🏥 Integration with clinical recovery models (not replacement)

Part ⑩ Contact & Resources

Speaker:

Chad Johnson, Sober Coach & Recovery Advocate

🔗 Website: https://www.soberchad.com/
🔗 Email: (available through website)
🔗 Podcasts: "Not All There" & "Sober with Chad"
🔗 Services: Coaching (sliding scale), Speaking, Advocacy
🔗 Location: Chicago, IL (distance sessions available globally)

New York Sober Living Network:

🔗 Website: https://soberlivingnetwork.org
🔗 Linktr: https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
🔗 Email: [email protected]
🔗 Weekly: Tuesday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

Related Resources:

🔗 Art of Recovery Foundation: https://www.artofrecoveryfoundation.org/
🔗 Lymbic: https://www.lymbic.org/
🔗 Not All There Podcast: https://notalltherepod.com/

Crisis Resources:

🆘 National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – Free, confidential, 24/7
🆘 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
🆘 AA: https://www.aa.org/
🆘 SMART Recovery: https://www.smartrecovery.org/
🆘 Local mental health clinic or doctor

Part ⑪ The Larger Vision

What Chad's Work Represents

Chad Johnson isn't unique in being sober for 11+ years. But he's exceptional in how openly he shares his journey—not just the victories, but the nervous breakdown in year 5, the ongoing struggles with his trauma wiring, the daily commitment he still makes.

He's not selling a fantasy of "fixed recovery." He's modeling realistic, sustainable recovery: work, commitment, community, service, and genuine presence.

The Paradigm Shift

From "How do I stop using?" to "How do I build a life worth living?"

From "One day at a time" (survival mode) to "One day at a time with purpose" (thriving mode)

From "I need help" (vulnerability as need) to "I can help others" (vulnerability as strength)

Part ⑫ Final Words

Chad's Message to the Community:

(While not directly quoted, Chad's consistent message throughout is:)

"Show up. Be available. Start small. Be honest about who you are. Connect with people. Help others. That's the path. Not the only path. But a path that works."

Ken Markowitz's Framing:

"Recovery isn't about perfection. It's about showing up, staying connected, and living with gratitude one day at a time."

✨ Conclusion

The January 20, 2026 NYSLN session with Chad Johnson was a masterclass in practical recovery wisdom. Participants left with:

✨ Understanding: Why service is the mechanism of lasting recovery
✨ Frameworks: The three stages of recovery and how to move between them
✨ Practices: Daily rituals, scaling methods, small gesture frameworks
✨ Community: Connection to NYSLN and the broader SLN network
✨ Hope: Proof that transformation is possible, one day at a time
✨ Purpose: Clear pathways to meaningful service

By the end of the session, it was clear: recovery isn't something you achieve and then stop working on. It's a way of living—present, connected, purposeful, and dedicated to helping others find their own way.

Building Connection. Empowering Lives. Restoring Hope.

New York Sober Living Network

🔗 https://soberlivingnetwork.org
📧 [email protected]
👥 https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Sober Living Network – Global Community

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 Connect through website
🔗 Registration: https://SoberLivingNetwork.org

Event Documentation Date: January 20, 2026

Materials Created: eBook (Full Educational Resource) + Event Summary (Quick Overview) + Extended Event Summary (Comprehensive Documentation)

Access: All materials available free to NYSLN community members and registered participants

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 [email protected]
👥 Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Download PDF

Download SLN Recovery Workbook V2

TSLN eBook: Alex Garner "Why Sobriety Fails & What Actually Makes It Stick"

Toronto Sober Living Network | Friday, January 30, 2026 | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST

EMDR for Adults with ADHD – A Recovery Guide

Why Sobriety Fails – What Actually Makes It Stick

Speaker: Alex Garner, Certified Sober Life Coach · Host: Carby Sum, Toronto Chapter Lead

Toronto Sober Living Network · Session Date: January 30, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST

This guide is designed for educational purposes and should complement, not replace, professional mental health care or addiction treatment.

linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork · [email protected]

Register at SoberLivingNetwork.org · Join our Meetup

Connect with Alex: www.alexsgarner.com · sobercoachingllc · neurosober

NYSLN Extended Event Summary: Chad Johnson's "Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery"

New York Sober Living Network | Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

A Recovery Session on Presence, Purpose, and the Transformative Power of Helping Others

📋 Complete Event Documentation

Part ① Event Overview & Context

Event Details:
🔸 Title: Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery
🔸 Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
🔸 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
🔸 Format: Live Zoom | Recovery Education & Discussion
🔸 Speaker: Chad Johnson, Sober Coach, Podcast Host, Recovery Advocate
🔸 Host: Dr. Ken Markowitz, NYSLN
🔸 Attendance: 40+ participants (Toronto, New York, Chicago, International)

Historic Significance:

This was NYSLN's continuation of their Tuesday lunchtime series connecting mental health professionals with individuals in recovery and their families. Chad's session focused on the practical, lived experience of maintaining recovery while serving others—a crucial bridge between early recovery (where the focus is on self) and mature recovery (where the focus expands outward).

Community Context:

New York Sober Living Network operates as part of a global peer-led recovery community:

🌍 Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
🌍 Additional Chapters: New York (established); Chicago (launched); Mumbai, India; Enugu, Nigeria
🌍 Mission: Create judgment-free spaces where individuals at every stage of sobriety can find understanding, resources, and peer connection
🌍 Format: Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST for NYSLN) + educational eBooks + companion workbooks + recovery resources

Part ② About Chad Johnson

Professional Background:

Chad Johnson is a Certified Sober Coach and recovery advocate with 11+ years of continuous sobriety. He operates across multiple platforms and organizations, each reflecting his commitment to breaking stigma and creating recovery-ready communities.

Credentials & Platforms:

🔹 Founder and Host of "Not All There Podcast" (peer-led recovery conversations)
🔹 Host of "Sober with Chad" (coaching and mentorship platform)
🔹 Founder of The Art of Recovery Foundation (advocating for addiction awareness and recovery)
🔹 Initiator and Host of SLN Chicago Chapter (building recovery community in the Midwest)
🔹 Certified Sober Coach (providing one-on-one and group coaching)
🔹 Professional recovery speaker and educator

Personal Journey:

Chad's credibility comes from lived experience, not theory:

💫 21 years of active addiction (alcohol and drugs) characterized by isolation and self-destruction
💫 Survivor of severe childhood abuse and multiple traumas (grew up in rural Oregon with an abusive father)
💫 Got sober and began recovery work, eventually achieving genuine sobriety around year 2-3
💫 Years 1-5: Marathon runner (literally running from his trauma); trained intensely, ran marathons, used running as a substitute for substance abuse
💫 Year 5: Body completely gave out; forced to stop running and face the accumulated trauma that surfaced
💫 Years 5-9: Prolonged nervous breakdown; had to face everything—all trauma, all shame, all pain; this period involved intensive therapy, peer support, and genuine emotional processing
💫 Year 9: Breakthrough in self-acceptance; realized he couldn't change the past, but he could accept who he was and build from there
💫 Years 9-11: Evolution into genuine recovery; began liking himself, becoming present for family, developing service work, helping others
💫 Present (11+ years sober): Married, father of two teenage sons (ages 13 and 15), actively coaching others, hosting podcasts, building community, still in therapy, still doing daily recovery practices

Why Chad's Approach Matters:

Chad bridges two critical worlds:

🌟 Traditional Recovery Models: He understands AA, NA, clinical therapy, evidence-based treatment, and the value of structure and community in recovery

🌟 Real-Life Complexity: He doesn't pretend recovery is linear or that you ever stop being a "recovering" person.

He still has struggles with his wiring, his intensity, his trauma responses. He's still doing the work after 11 years.

His unique value: He models what mature, sustainable recovery actually looks like—not perfect, but grounded, connected, purposeful, and committed to helping others find the same.

Part ③ Core Themes & Educational Content

Theme ① "Self-Acceptance is the Foundation" (Not Perfection)

The Problem:

Most people in recovery spend the first years in internal conflict. They've accepted intellectually that they're an alcoholic or addict, but they haven't accepted emotionally. Part of them is still fighting against reality, still believing they should be different, should be stronger, should have never gotten here.

This internal war is exhausting. It consumes mental and emotional energy that could be used for actual healing and growth.

Chad's Journey:

For years, Chad was sober but at war with himself. He was doing the external work (meetings, therapy, running marathons) but internally rejecting himself for what he was. Around year 9, something shifted.

"This is me. This is who I am. There's nothing I can do that's gonna change that. I can't fix it. I can't do anything to change the past. But I can accept it."

This moment—when acceptance shifted from intellectual to emotional—changed everything.

Why This Matters:

When you stop fighting against yourself, when you stop trying to be someone different, a huge relief emerges. No more arguing with reality. No more shame spirals. No more performing.

Chad describes it: "There was a huge relief in that. Like, oh, okay, this is me. I don't have to go around trying to figure out who I am. I don't have to listen to my own bullshit or bullshit others. This is the person that I am."

Workbook Integration:

For future workbook development, this theme would include:

📖 Daily acceptance practices (acknowledging reality without judgment)
📖 Journaling prompts around self-acceptance
📖 Distinguishing between "I can't change the past" and "I can change my response to it"
📖 Tracking the relief that comes from stopping the internal war

Theme ② "From Acceptance to Genuine Self-Esteem" (The Scaling Method)

The Problem:

Acceptance alone isn't enough. You can accept yourself and still hate yourself. You can accept that you're a recovering alcoholic and still feel worthless.

The next step is learning to genuinely like yourself. But most recovery programs leave you to figure this out on your own.

Chad's Solution:

Chad discovered what he calls the "scaling method"—starting ridiculously small and building from there.

"I decided that maybe it was time to start liking myself for who I was. And let's start with, like, an hour, okay? I can do that, and let's start with a day, and then a couple of days, and pretty soon, I was able to string together several months of liking myself, and my entire perspective on things changed."

This isn't positive thinking or affirmations. It's a neuroplasticity practice. By consistently choosing to like himself for small increments of time, Chad rewired his brain's relationship to himself.

The Cascade Effect:

When Chad began genuinely liking himself:

🌟 He became a better parent (more present, less reactive)
🌟 He became a better husband (more emotionally available)
🌟 He became a better friend (authentic instead of performing)
🌟 He stopped caring what people thought (freedom)
🌟 He became genuinely present for others

Why This Matters:

Self-esteem built on genuine self-acceptance is sustainable because it's not fragile. It's not based on external validation or achievements. It's based on knowing yourself and choosing to show up anyway.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Daily self-esteem building exercises (start with "I did one thing well today")
📖 Scaling practices (an hour of liking yourself, then a day, then a week)
📖 Tracking cascade effects (as your self-esteem improves, what changes in your relationships?)
📖 Practical exercises in meeting yourself with compassion

Theme ③ "Community is Non-Negotiable" (The Different Layers)

The Truth:

"You can't live a life of active recovery on your own. Doing it in shadows, secretly, without letting people know, defeats the entire purpose."

Why:

Chad's addiction was an "addiction of isolation." For 21 years, he couldn't face the world or himself. He needed to numb himself every day because the pain of existing was unbearable.

Recovery demands the opposite: radical connection, visibility, vulnerability, and community.

What Community Actually Provides:

When you're surrounded by people who understand you, who've lived similar experiences:

💚 The loneliness goes away (you're no longer isolated with your pain)
💚 You have hope (you see others making it work)
💚 You're seen for who you truly are (validation and acceptance)
💚 You realize you're not broken or alone
💚 You get perspective when problems feel enormous
💚 You get support when you're struggling
💚 You remember your "why" when you're losing motivation

The Different Layers:

Chad emphasizes that community exists at multiple levels:

🔵 Recovery-Specific Community: AA meetings, NA meetings, recovery groups, sponsorship relationships. People who speak the language and understand the struggle.

🔵 Like-Minded Community: Men's groups, peer coaching circles, recovery-focused gatherings. People doing similar work, often outside of 12-step structure.

🔵 Professional Community: Therapists, coaches, mentors. People trained to help you process and heal.

🔵 Broader Community: Family, friends, colleagues. People who care about you and support your recovery, even if they haven't experienced addiction.

🔵 Service Community: People you help and coach. This creates a feedback loop where giving strengthens your own recovery.

Why Multiple Layers Matter:

People who've lived through similar experiences offer irreplaceable camaraderie. You're seen, validated, understood.

But people with no frame of reference to addiction offer something equally valuable: they remind you how far you've come and reinforce your commitment never to return. They help you integrate back into mainstream society and prove to yourself that you can function and be present outside the recovery bubble.

Chad's Communities Include:

🔹 AA meetings and his AA crew
🔹 A men's group he started at his house
🔹 Recovery podcasts and online networks
🔹 Multiple therapists over the years
🔹 Family and friends who support his recovery
🔹 Mentees and coaching clients he serves

Workbook Integration:

📖 Mapping your community (identifying which layers you have and which you need)
📖 Community-building exercises (how to start a group, how to join one)
📖 Vulnerability practices (sharing with people in each layer)
📖 Tracking the impact of community on your recovery trajectory

Theme ④ "The Three Stages of Recovery" (Critical Distinctions)

The Language Problem:

Most people use "abstinence," "sobriety," and "recovery" interchangeably. This is a profound mistake because it conflates three very different states of being.

Abstinence: Just Stopping

Definition: Not using a substance or addictive behavior.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not drinking or using drugs
🔹 Not gambling, binge eating, compulsive sex, working obsessively
🔹 Physically not engaging in the behavior

What It Doesn't Include:
🔹 Internal transformation
🔹 Healing from trauma
🔹 Building healthy relationships
🔹 Developing self-worth
🔹 Creating meaning and purpose
🔹 Any emotional or spiritual component

The Reality: You can be abstinent and still be:
🔹 Angry and resentful
🔹 Depressed and hopeless
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 White-knuckling through each day
🔹 Ready to relapse at any moment
🔹 Miserable

Sobriety: Sustained Abstinence + Awareness

Definition: Not using AND understanding why you don't use, while actively working on yourself.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not using substances
🔹 Understanding your patterns and triggers
🔹 Attending meetings or therapy
🔹 Working on yourself (journaling, meditation, etc.)
🔹 Being honest about your struggles
🔹 Showing up, even when it's hard
🔹 Having structure and accountability

What It Might Still Be Missing:
🔹 Deep healing from trauma
🔹 Full integration of lessons into daily life
🔹 Authentic connection with others
🔹 Genuine purpose and meaning
🔹 Joy and peace

The Reality: You can be sober and still be:
🔹 Going through the motions
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 Avoiding the real deep work
🔹 White-knuckling through life
🔹 One failed support system away from relapse
🔹 Functional but not fulfilled

Recovery: The Full Transformation

Definition: Living a full, authentic life in alignment with your values, having healed from the wounds that drove your addiction.

What It Includes:
🔹 Abstinence from substances and harmful behaviors (obviously)
🔹 Genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🔹 Deep work on trauma and underlying issues (nervous breakdowns, if necessary)
🔹 Authentic relationships and genuine community
🔹 Purpose, meaning, and contribution to others
🔹 Helping others (service)
🔹 Joy, peace, and spiritual alignment
🔹 Living your values
🔹 Being genuinely present for yourself and others
🔹 Still growing and evolving

What It Looks Like:
🔹 You genuinely like yourself (flaws and all)
🔹 You're present with your family and friends (not just physically there)
🔹 You help people without expecting anything in return
🔹 You handle hard days without using
🔹 You sleep well knowing you lived well
🔹 You contribute to your community
🔹 You build others up
🔹 You remember your "why" every single day
🔹 You're still doing the work (therapy, practices, community)
🔹 You're still humble and learning

The Critical Insight:

Not everyone makes the journey from abstinence to sobriety to recovery. Many get stuck in sobriety—not using, but not truly living. They're stable but not transformed. And when one pillar of support fails (lost their sponsor, can't make meetings, lost their job, relationship ends), they relapse.

Recovery, true recovery, is more resilient because it's built on internal transformation, not external structure.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Self-assessment tool (which stage are you in?)
📖 Pathway to the next stage (what does it take to move from abstinence to sobriety, sobriety to recovery?)
📖 Identifying areas of your life where you're abstinent/sober/recovering
📖 Building resilience by moving toward recovery

Theme ⑤ "The Daily Ritual That Keeps You Grounded" (Neuroplasticity in Action)

The Practice:

Chad has a non-negotiable daily ritual. Every single morning, almost 12 years into sobriety, he does the same thing:

"I wake up each day, and I have to remind myself: Hey, Chad, you're a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Don't fuck it up today."

It sounds harsh. It sounds negative. But it's neither.

Why This Works:

This is a neuroplasticity practice. By repeatedly activating the same intention every morning, Chad is:

① Bringing himself into the present moment. His mind isn't in yesterday's regrets or tomorrow's anxieties. He's here, now, making a choice.

② Activating his "why." It's not just "I'm sober," it's "I have something I'm protecting." Kids. Wife. Work. Community. Purpose.

③ Preventing relapse amnesia. Research shows that over time, people forget why they got sober. They start thinking "Maybe I wasn't that bad." Or "Maybe I can handle just one drink." By reminding himself every morning of what he is, Chad immunizes himself.

④ Reserving willpower for everything else. The biggest decision of the day is made first thing: "I'm not using today." This frees mental energy for parenting, working, helping others.

⑤ Accepting reality without fighting it. He's not saying "Pray I don't relapse." He's saying "This is who I am. And today I'm choosing not to act on it."

The Acceptance Built In:

What's beautiful about this ritual is that it's not based on shame or self-punishment. It's based on complete acceptance.

Chad is saying: "I'm deeply traumatized. I'm wired in ways that make recovery work necessary. I'm still that wounded kid from Oregon. None of that has changed. And I'm choosing, every day, to show up anyway."

This is maturity. This is humility. This is the difference between someone who's been sober 12 years and someone who's just managed not to drink for 12 years.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Creating your own daily ritual (what reminder keeps you grounded?)
📖 Neuroplasticity practices (understanding how repetition rewires your brain)
📖 Morning intention-setting exercises
📖 Tracking the effects of daily rituals over weeks and months

Theme ⑥ "Listening as a Revolutionary Act" (The Prerequisite for Service)

The Insight:

"One of the most important things you can do for someone is just be available to listen to what they have to say. You may not even need to share anything with them. Just listening to them is enough for them to get the help that they need."

Why This Is Revolutionary:

In a world of:
🔹 Constant distraction (everyone's on their phone)
🔹 Performative advice-giving ("Here's what you should do")
🔹 Problem-solving without understanding ("Why don't you just...")
🔹 Judgment and criticism ("That was stupid")

Genuine listening has become genuinely radical. People are starved for it.

The Prerequisite:

But Chad knows something crucial: you can't listen to others if you're not listening to yourself.

"If I'm stuck in my own head, dealing with my own crap, I'm not available to do that."

This is why the daily ritual matters so much. By taking time each morning to ground yourself, you clear the mental clutter that would otherwise prevent genuine presence.

It's the airplane oxygen mask principle: put your own mask on first.

What Genuine Listening Looks Like:

🔹 Putting your phone away (actual presence)
🔹 Making eye contact (showing you're engaged)
🔹 Letting them finish without interrupting
🔹 Asking follow-up questions (showing you care)
🔹 Not trying to fix them (letting them own their experience)
🔹 Not sharing your story unless they ask (keeping the focus on them)
🔹 Simply witnessing and reflecting back what you hear
🔹 Following up the next day

What It Creates:

🔹 Safety ("It's safe for me to be vulnerable with this person")
🔹 Trust ("This person genuinely cares")
🔹 Feeling seen ("Someone understands me")
🔹 Validation ("My experience matters")
🔹 Reduced isolation ("I'm not alone")
🔹 Hope ("If someone can listen like this, maybe I can get help")

Workbook Integration:

📖 Active listening exercises
📖 Reflective listening practices
📖 Distinguishing between listening and advising
📖 Tracking the impact of genuine listening on your relationships

Theme ⑦ "The Power of Small Gestures" (Compound Effect of Kindness)

The Hierarchy of Service:

Service doesn't exist at one level. It exists on a spectrum:

Level ① Minor Gestures

🔹 Smile at someone on the street
🔹 Say hello
🔹 Hold a door
🔹 Make eye contact
🔹 Give a compliment

Level ② Personal Connection

🔹 Listen without judgment
🔹 Ask meaningful questions
🔹 Remember details
🔹 Follow up
🔹 Show genuine care

Level ③ Direct Support

🔹 Help someone solve a problem
🔹 Provide emotional support
🔹 Volunteer expertise
🔹 Spend time with someone
🔹 Be physically present

Level ④ Major Intervention

🔹 Help someone get to treatment
🔹 Mentor someone in recovery
🔹 Give significant time/resources
🔹 Change someone's trajectory
🔹 Potentially save someone's life

The Key Insight:

You don't need to be at Level ④ to matter. Even Level ① gestures compound into massive impact when you think about how many people's days you're touching.

The Personal Story: Making Your Bed

During the session, participant Leo Petrilli shared: "Making my bed, every morning."

This is a perfect example. Making your bed isn't a gesture to someone else. It's a gesture to yourself. But it's exactly the kind of small, consistent action that builds momentum.

When you make your bed:

✓ You start your day with an accomplishment
✓ You create order in your environment
✓ You're being responsible to yourself
✓ You're practicing self-care
✓ You're building self-esteem
✓ Before you even leave your room, you've done one good thing

The Gratitude Practice

Participant Barb Lang noted: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes. It doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

This is crucial for recovery. In early recovery, you're not ready for grand service. But you ARE ready for:
🔹 Making your bed
🔹 Brushing your teeth
🔹 Taking a shower
🔹 Going for a walk
🔹 Saying thank you
🔹 Smiling at someone

These small acts:
① Build momentum
② Create self-esteem
③ Prove to yourself you're capable
④ Set up a foundation for bigger actions

The Scaling Principle:

Chad's approach to self-esteem and service is built on scaling:

Day 1: I brushed my teeth and made my bed
Day 2: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, and went for a walk
Day 3: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, went for a walk, and said hello to my neighbor
Week 2: I've done all of the above plus I volunteered 2 hours
Month 1: I've built a routine, volunteered regularly, and helped someone through a crisis

The power? Each small win stacks on top of the previous ones. Before you know it, you're living a life of meaning and service.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Small gesture log (tracking Level ① and Level ② acts daily)
📖 Gratitude practice (noticing small things to be grateful for)
📖 Scaling exercises (how to build momentum from one small action to the next)
📖 Tracking the compound effect over weeks and months

Theme ⑧ "Vulnerability: The Strength Everyone Overlooks" (Gateway to Service)

The Core Question:

During the session, Carby asked: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's answer was unambiguous: "Yes."

And participant Leo Petrilli captured the emotional truth: "Tears are power."

What Vulnerability Actually Means:

Vulnerability isn't weakness. In recovery, vulnerability means:

🔓 Being willing to tell the truth
🔓 Admitting you don't have it all figured out
🔓 Sharing your struggles, not just your successes
🔓 Asking for help
🔓 Being emotionally present
🔓 Letting others see the real you

Vulnerability = Strength in Recovery:

Chad models this throughout his life:
🔹 He shares his crazy stories about his addiction
🔹 He talks about his trauma
🔹 He admits when he's struggling
🔹 He participates in therapy
🔹 He shares his failures alongside his successes
🔹 He asks for help from his wife, friends, and community

Why This Matters:

When people see you being vulnerable and still showing up, it gives them permission to do the same. Vulnerability creates connection. Connection creates recovery.

In a culture that often teaches—especially men—to hide emotions, recovery requires the opposite. When you can:
🔹 Cry
🔹 Express emotion
🔹 Show fear
🔹 Admit confusion
🔹 Ask for help

You're demonstrating the strength it takes to live an authentic life.

Vulnerability in Service:

When you serve others from a place of vulnerability, the service transforms:

💚 It's not superior or patronizing (you're not better than them)
💚 It's peer-to-peer, person-to-person
💚 It says: "I've been where you are. Here's how I'm moving forward"
💚 It gives them hope that change is possible
💚 It allows them to see the real you, not a performance
💚 It creates connection, not dependency

Workbook Integration:

📖 Vulnerability practices (safe places to practice being vulnerable)
📖 Distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate vulnerability
📖 Tracking how vulnerability deepens your relationships
📖 Practicing service from a place of vulnerability

Part ④ Practical Frameworks & Tools

The Daily Scaling Method for Self-Esteem

Chad's most practical contribution is his daily scaling method for building self-esteem:

Start Ridiculously Small

The first goals in recovery aren't "Get a job" or "Rebuild your marriage." They're:
🔹 Tie your shoes
🔹 Brush your teeth
🔹 Get dressed
🔹 Do laundry
🔹 Fold the laundry
🔹 Go for a walk

Why? Each action is evidence that you're not lazy, not broken, not incapable. You're capable of doing one thing. And then another. And then another.

Document Your Wins

Chad's approach:
"I can look back, like, oh, well, you know what? I walked my dog today. And I picked up the dog poop. I was an active person in public today. I was out in society, and I was doing something. I was being polite and responsible. And that's something that you can build on for the day."

The practice:
🔹 Keep track of what you accomplished
🔹 Celebrate small wins
🔹 Notice your presence and activity in the world
🔹 Build a positive narrative about yourself

Connect Positive Actions to Positive Feelings

Chad shares: "There's also, you know, I spoke to another person about their recovery a day, and that made me feel good. So that's something that I like feeling, so I'm gonna do that again."

The pattern:
① Do a positive action
② Notice how it feels
③ Identify the positive feeling
④ Repeat the action to experience the feeling again
⑤ Build a routine around actions that feel good

Meet People Where They Are

As a coach, Chad emphasizes that recovery isn't one-size-fits-all:

Early Recovery (First 30 Days):

🔹 Focus: Not using, showing up to meetings, basic self-care
🔹 Goal: Survive and stay connected

First Year:

🔹 Focus: Building routine, processing trauma, developing self-esteem
🔹 Goal: Get stable and start healing

Year 2-5:

🔹 Focus: Deep trauma work, relationship repair, building life
🔹 Goal: Create a sustainable recovery lifestyle

Year 5+:

🔹 Focus: Mastery, giving back, evolving spiritually
🔹 Goal: Live with purpose and serve others

Use Journaling and Expression

Chad uses journaling extensively:
"I've got notebooks everywhere. I'll be flipping through work ideas, and then I'm like, oh god, here's 5 pages of whatever I was going through that day. So I'll go back and read it. That's another nice way to reflect back on what you were feeling, what you were writing."

The benefits:
🔹 Gets thoughts out of your head
🔹 Allows reflection and pattern recognition
🔹 Provides evidence of growth over time
🔹 Engages a different part of your brain
🔹 Creates accountability

Relatable Connection (Especially with Kids)

Chad's example with his 13-year-old son:
"I just try to encourage him with little things, or say 'Oh, that's cool, good job.' Like, not being critical. Unless it needs to be, right? And meeting him, accepting him. Okay, today was just whatever. He doesn't like school. Alright, well, let's not make a big deal about it, okay? Let's find something positive that we can talk about or relatable."

This applies to self-esteem:
🔹 Find one thing you did well
🔹 Don't be overly critical
🔹 Find something positive to focus on
🔹 Meet yourself with acceptance and encouragement

Part ⑤ The Roadmap to Service

Option ① Existing Organizations

Local Services:

🔹 Food banks and soup kitchens
🔹 Donation and charity centers
🔹 Community centers
🔹 Religious organizations
🔹 Non-profits

Recovery-Specific:

🔹 12-step meetings (sponsorship, literature table, setup/cleanup)
🔹 Recovery houses
🔹 Treatment centers
🔹 Recovery coaching organizations
🔹 Peer support groups

Getting Started:

🔹 Search your area for volunteer opportunities
🔹 Call and ask: "I'm in recovery and looking to give back. How can I help?"
🔹 Start small—even 2 hours per month makes a difference

Option ② Community Projects

Community-Based Service:

🔹 Food drives (sorting cans, organizing donations)
🔹 Park cleanups
🔹 Beach cleanups
🔹 Community gardens
🔹 School volunteering
🔹 Youth sports coaching

Getting Started:

🔹 Go to events happening in your community
🔹 Volunteer with your kids (teaches them about service)
🔹 Notice what issues matter to you and find organizations working on them

Option ③ Start Your Own

Chad's Story:

"When I got sober, my kids were very young. I needed to be present for bedtime and my wife. So I started my own group meeting at my house. It's pretty easy to do, because there are a lot of like-minded people out there."

Ideas for Starting Your Own:

🔹 AA/NA home meeting
🔹 Book club focused on recovery
🔹 Men's or women's group
🔹 Peer support circle
🔹 Online community
🔹 Mentorship circle
🔹 Service project group

The Power of Starting Small:

🔹 Invite a few people over
🔹 Create a safe, welcoming space
🔹 Be consistent
🔹 Let it grow organically
🔹 Lead by example

Option ④ Direct Asking

Chad's Most Powerful Suggestion:

"If you just go around and ask, 'Hey, I am looking to be of service to other people. Is there anything that you guys need help with that I might be able to help you with?' And it'll stop people dead in their tracks. They'll think, and you'll get an answer. Either they can help you, where they work can help you, or they know someone that needs help and they can get you pointed in that direction."

Why This Works:

🔹 Most people are waiting for someone to ask
🔹 Your genuine desire to help is rare and valued
🔹 It opens doors you didn't know existed
🔹 It often leads to unexpected connections and opportunities

The Benefit of Service (No Matter Which Path)

No matter which path you choose, service does something that nothing else can:

🌟 Reinforces your sobriety (reminds you why you got sober)
🌟 Builds self-esteem (you're doing good)
🌟 Connects you to others
🌟 Creates meaning and purpose
🌟 Breaks the cycle of self-centeredness
🌟 Helps you sleep better knowing you helped someone
🌟 Keeps you humble and grounded
🌟 Models recovery for others

In a very real sense, service is the antidote to addiction. Addiction is about taking, using, consuming. Recovery is about giving, serving, contributing.

Part ⑥ Q&A Highlights & Community Engagement

Q① Clarifying Sobriety, Abstinence, and Recovery

Carby's Question: "Can you help me clarify the difference between Sobriety/Abstinence and Recovery?"

Chad's Response: Chad distinguished between the three stages clearly, emphasizing that not everyone moves through all three. Many people remain in sobriety indefinitely—not using, but not truly living. Recovery is the full transformation where you're genuinely liking yourself, present with others, and serving your community.

💡 Key Insight: Understanding these distinctions changes how you approach your recovery and helps you identify where you might be stuck.

Q② Vulnerability as the Mechanism of Lasting Change

Carby's Question: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's Response: Chad affirmed that vulnerability is absolutely central to lasting recovery and to the mechanism of service. When you serve from a place of genuine vulnerability, it creates peer-to-peer connection rather than a hierarchy of "helper" and "helped."

Leo Petrilli's Contribution: "Tears are power."

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability is strength. When you allow yourself to feel, to admit struggle, to ask for help, you unlock the capacity for genuine connection and authentic service.

Q③ How to Practice Vulnerability

Carby's Follow-up: "Follow up to that question.. How can I 'practice' Vulnerability"

Chad's Response: While not fully elaborated in the transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests starting small—sharing something real with one trusted person, being honest about struggles, asking for help, expressing emotion.

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability can be practiced incrementally, just like self-esteem. You don't need to share everything with everyone. Start with safe people in safe spaces.

Q④ Getting Started with Service

Carby's Question: "If I want to pursue the path of Service.. how do I get started?"

Chad's Response: Chad provided four concrete pathways (existing organizations, community projects, starting your own, direct asking), emphasizing that the best path is the one you actually take. Meeting people where they are is key—in early recovery, even volunteering 2 hours per month is meaningful.

💡 Key Insight: Service doesn't require perfection or grand gestures. It requires consistency and genuine desire to help.

Q⑤ Addressing Negative Influences

Carby's Question: "In respect to my previous life/habits, and especially my circle of (negative) influence (ie. 'friends', coworkers).. Do you recommend to distance myself to keep out of range of trouble or triggering environments?"

Follow-up Question: "When will i know it is the 'right' time to 'test the waters' and re-enter those environments and reconnect with those 'friends'..."

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured, Chad's approach suggests waiting until your recovery is solid enough to handle triggers, being strategic about re-entry, and maintaining boundaries with people/places that actively undermine your sobriety.)

💡 Key Insight: Recovery doesn't mean permanent isolation, but it does require strategic boundary management in early stages. Re-entry happens when your recovery is resilient, not when you think you're "fixed."

Q⑥ The Role of Spirituality and Belief

Carby's Question: "And in addition to community / service.. does my beliefs influence my recovery? For example, does God (religion aside) play a role?"

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured in transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests non-dogmatic spirituality. Whether you call it God, the universe, purpose, or community, having something larger than yourself to orient toward helps recovery significantly.)

💡 Key Insight: Spirituality matters, but it doesn't require a specific theology. What matters is having meaning and purpose beyond your own ego.

Q⑦ Community Recognition of Small Victories

Participant Leo Petrilli: "Making my bed, every morning."

Participant Barb Lang: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes, it doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

Ken Markowitz Response: "I agree! It's the small things that we often take for granted and should always be grateful for."

💡 Key Insight: The community affirmed that small actions, done consistently, are the foundation of recovery. Making your bed daily is as valid and important as major service work.

Q⑧ Session Closing

Participant Damien Reilly: "I have to jump. Thanks everyone! Thanks Chad! Thanks Ken!"

Multiple Participants: "Thanks so much Chad, and Ken!" and "Thanks all"

Part ⑦ Integration & Next Steps

For Participants:

① If you attended the live session:

🔸 Download the full eBook for deeper learning
🔸 Implement the daily ritual (your own version of "Don't fuck it up today")
🔸 Practice one Level ① gesture daily (smile, hello, thank you)
🔸 Identify which layers of community you have and which you need
🔸 Choose one service pathway to explore this month
🔸 Start journaling (small wins, feelings, reflections)

② If you're new to this work:

🔸 Read through the eBook first to understand the framework
🔸 Start with the daily ritual (adapt it to your own belief system)
🔸 Begin with Tool #1: Making your bed and doing basic self-care
🔸 Document your small wins
🔸 Build from there

③ If you want to deepen the practice:

🔸 Consider one-on-one coaching with Chad or another trained coach
🔸 Join a recovery community (AA, SMART, Lymbic, etc.)
🔸 Combine this work with therapy or counseling
🔸 Start a home group or meet-up in your area
🔸 Join NYSLN Tuesday sessions weekly (free, judgment-free community)

For Mental Health Professionals:

The NYSLN platform is a vital resource for:
🔹 Connecting with clients in recovery
🔹 Understanding peer-led support models
🔹 Referring clients to free community resources
🔹 Learning about cutting-edge recovery practices
🔹 Building collaborative relationships with recovery communities

Part ⑧ The Bigger Picture

Why This Matters Now

Recovery work has traditionally focused on "stopping the behavior" (abstinence) and cognitive processing (therapy). This helps millions. But many people still feel stuck, still struggle with meaning and purpose, still can't regulate their nervous systems without substances.

Chad's work—and NYSLN's platform—represents a paradigm shift: Healing requires meeting the person where they are across all dimensions simultaneously.

This means:
💫 Traditional therapy (still essential)
💫 Plus 12-Step or peer programs (still valuable)
💫 Plus practical self-esteem building (small gestures, daily rituals)
💫 Plus community across multiple layers (recovery-specific and broader)
💫 Plus service and meaning-making (gives purpose to recovery)

The Result:

People don't just stop using substances—they reclaim their lives. They:
🌟 Develop genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🌟 Build authentic community across multiple layers
🌟 Discover meaning and purpose through service
🌟 Regulate their nervous systems (can be present without numbing)
🌟 Sleep well knowing they lived well
🌟 Know they're not alone
🌟 Have hope that change is possible

Part ⑨ Accessibility & Inclusivity

NYSLN's commitment to accessibility:

Financial:

💰 Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST)
💰 Free eBooks and educational materials
💰 Free community access
💰 Sliding scale for direct coaching

Accessibility for Different Backgrounds:

🌈 No religious requirement
🌈 Non-dogmatic spirituality
🌈 No special preparation needed
🌈 Judgment-free (cameras on or off—your choice)
🌈 Welcomes skeptics and believers alike

For Healthcare Providers:

🏥 Mental health professionals welcome
🏥 NYSLN serves as a vital platform to connect with the community you serve
🏥 Integration with clinical recovery models (not replacement)

Part ⑩ Contact & Resources

Speaker:

Chad Johnson, Sober Coach & Recovery Advocate

🔗 Website: https://www.soberchad.com/
🔗 Email: (available through website)
🔗 Podcasts: "Not All There" & "Sober with Chad"
🔗 Services: Coaching (sliding scale), Speaking, Advocacy
🔗 Location: Chicago, IL (distance sessions available globally)

New York Sober Living Network:

🔗 Website: https://soberlivingnetwork.org
🔗 Linktr: https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
🔗 Email: [email protected]
🔗 Weekly: Tuesday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

Related Resources:

🔗 Art of Recovery Foundation: https://www.artofrecoveryfoundation.org/
🔗 Lymbic: https://www.lymbic.org/
🔗 Not All There Podcast: https://notalltherepod.com/

Crisis Resources:

🆘 National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – Free, confidential, 24/7
🆘 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
🆘 AA: https://www.aa.org/
🆘 SMART Recovery: https://www.smartrecovery.org/
🆘 Local mental health clinic or doctor

Part ⑪ The Larger Vision

What Chad's Work Represents

Chad Johnson isn't unique in being sober for 11+ years. But he's exceptional in how openly he shares his journey—not just the victories, but the nervous breakdown in year 5, the ongoing struggles with his trauma wiring, the daily commitment he still makes.

He's not selling a fantasy of "fixed recovery." He's modeling realistic, sustainable recovery: work, commitment, community, service, and genuine presence.

The Paradigm Shift

From "How do I stop using?" to "How do I build a life worth living?"

From "One day at a time" (survival mode) to "One day at a time with purpose" (thriving mode)

From "I need help" (vulnerability as need) to "I can help others" (vulnerability as strength)

Part ⑫ Final Words

Chad's Message to the Community:

(While not directly quoted, Chad's consistent message throughout is:)

"Show up. Be available. Start small. Be honest about who you are. Connect with people. Help others. That's the path. Not the only path. But a path that works."

Ken Markowitz's Framing:

"Recovery isn't about perfection. It's about showing up, staying connected, and living with gratitude one day at a time."

✨ Conclusion

The January 20, 2026 NYSLN session with Chad Johnson was a masterclass in practical recovery wisdom. Participants left with:

✨ Understanding: Why service is the mechanism of lasting recovery
✨ Frameworks: The three stages of recovery and how to move between them
✨ Practices: Daily rituals, scaling methods, small gesture frameworks
✨ Community: Connection to NYSLN and the broader SLN network
✨ Hope: Proof that transformation is possible, one day at a time
✨ Purpose: Clear pathways to meaningful service

By the end of the session, it was clear: recovery isn't something you achieve and then stop working on. It's a way of living—present, connected, purposeful, and dedicated to helping others find their own way.

Building Connection. Empowering Lives. Restoring Hope.

New York Sober Living Network

🔗 https://soberlivingnetwork.org
📧 [email protected]
👥 https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Sober Living Network – Global Community

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 Connect through website
🔗 Registration: https://SoberLivingNetwork.org

Event Documentation Date: January 20, 2026

Materials Created: eBook (Full Educational Resource) + Event Summary (Quick Overview) + Extended Event Summary (Comprehensive Documentation)

Access: All materials available free to NYSLN community members and registered participants

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 [email protected]
👥 Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Download PDF

Download SLN Recovery Workbook V2

NYSLN eBook: Tricia Youngs "Trauma, Recovery & Living in Your Own Skin"

New York Sober Living Network | Tuesday, January 27, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

NYSLN eBook - Trauma, Recovery & Living in Your Own Skin

NYSLN Extended Event Summary: Chad Johnson's "Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery"

New York Sober Living Network | Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

A Recovery Session on Presence, Purpose, and the Transformative Power of Helping Others

📋 Complete Event Documentation

Part ① Event Overview & Context

Event Details:
🔸 Title: Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery
🔸 Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
🔸 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
🔸 Format: Live Zoom | Recovery Education & Discussion
🔸 Speaker: Chad Johnson, Sober Coach, Podcast Host, Recovery Advocate
🔸 Host: Dr. Ken Markowitz, NYSLN
🔸 Attendance: 40+ participants (Toronto, New York, Chicago, International)

Historic Significance:

This was NYSLN's continuation of their Tuesday lunchtime series connecting mental health professionals with individuals in recovery and their families. Chad's session focused on the practical, lived experience of maintaining recovery while serving others—a crucial bridge between early recovery (where the focus is on self) and mature recovery (where the focus expands outward).

Community Context:

New York Sober Living Network operates as part of a global peer-led recovery community:

🌍 Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
🌍 Additional Chapters: New York (established); Chicago (launched); Mumbai, India; Enugu, Nigeria
🌍 Mission: Create judgment-free spaces where individuals at every stage of sobriety can find understanding, resources, and peer connection
🌍 Format: Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST for NYSLN) + educational eBooks + companion workbooks + recovery resources

Part ② About Chad Johnson

Professional Background:

Chad Johnson is a Certified Sober Coach and recovery advocate with 11+ years of continuous sobriety. He operates across multiple platforms and organizations, each reflecting his commitment to breaking stigma and creating recovery-ready communities.

Credentials & Platforms:

🔹 Founder and Host of "Not All There Podcast" (peer-led recovery conversations)
🔹 Host of "Sober with Chad" (coaching and mentorship platform)
🔹 Founder of The Art of Recovery Foundation (advocating for addiction awareness and recovery)
🔹 Initiator and Host of SLN Chicago Chapter (building recovery community in the Midwest)
🔹 Certified Sober Coach (providing one-on-one and group coaching)
🔹 Professional recovery speaker and educator

Personal Journey:

Chad's credibility comes from lived experience, not theory:

💫 21 years of active addiction (alcohol and drugs) characterized by isolation and self-destruction
💫 Survivor of severe childhood abuse and multiple traumas (grew up in rural Oregon with an abusive father)
💫 Got sober and began recovery work, eventually achieving genuine sobriety around year 2-3
💫 Years 1-5: Marathon runner (literally running from his trauma); trained intensely, ran marathons, used running as a substitute for substance abuse
💫 Year 5: Body completely gave out; forced to stop running and face the accumulated trauma that surfaced
💫 Years 5-9: Prolonged nervous breakdown; had to face everything—all trauma, all shame, all pain; this period involved intensive therapy, peer support, and genuine emotional processing
💫 Year 9: Breakthrough in self-acceptance; realized he couldn't change the past, but he could accept who he was and build from there
💫 Years 9-11: Evolution into genuine recovery; began liking himself, becoming present for family, developing service work, helping others
💫 Present (11+ years sober): Married, father of two teenage sons (ages 13 and 15), actively coaching others, hosting podcasts, building community, still in therapy, still doing daily recovery practices

Why Chad's Approach Matters:

Chad bridges two critical worlds:

🌟 Traditional Recovery Models: He understands AA, NA, clinical therapy, evidence-based treatment, and the value of structure and community in recovery

🌟 Real-Life Complexity: He doesn't pretend recovery is linear or that you ever stop being a "recovering" person.

He still has struggles with his wiring, his intensity, his trauma responses. He's still doing the work after 11 years.

His unique value: He models what mature, sustainable recovery actually looks like—not perfect, but grounded, connected, purposeful, and committed to helping others find the same.

Part ③ Core Themes & Educational Content

Theme ① "Self-Acceptance is the Foundation" (Not Perfection)

The Problem:

Most people in recovery spend the first years in internal conflict. They've accepted intellectually that they're an alcoholic or addict, but they haven't accepted emotionally. Part of them is still fighting against reality, still believing they should be different, should be stronger, should have never gotten here.

This internal war is exhausting. It consumes mental and emotional energy that could be used for actual healing and growth.

Chad's Journey:

For years, Chad was sober but at war with himself. He was doing the external work (meetings, therapy, running marathons) but internally rejecting himself for what he was. Around year 9, something shifted.

"This is me. This is who I am. There's nothing I can do that's gonna change that. I can't fix it. I can't do anything to change the past. But I can accept it."

This moment—when acceptance shifted from intellectual to emotional—changed everything.

Why This Matters:

When you stop fighting against yourself, when you stop trying to be someone different, a huge relief emerges. No more arguing with reality. No more shame spirals. No more performing.

Chad describes it: "There was a huge relief in that. Like, oh, okay, this is me. I don't have to go around trying to figure out who I am. I don't have to listen to my own bullshit or bullshit others. This is the person that I am."

Workbook Integration:

For future workbook development, this theme would include:

📖 Daily acceptance practices (acknowledging reality without judgment)
📖 Journaling prompts around self-acceptance
📖 Distinguishing between "I can't change the past" and "I can change my response to it"
📖 Tracking the relief that comes from stopping the internal war

Theme ② "From Acceptance to Genuine Self-Esteem" (The Scaling Method)

The Problem:

Acceptance alone isn't enough. You can accept yourself and still hate yourself. You can accept that you're a recovering alcoholic and still feel worthless.

The next step is learning to genuinely like yourself. But most recovery programs leave you to figure this out on your own.

Chad's Solution:

Chad discovered what he calls the "scaling method"—starting ridiculously small and building from there.

"I decided that maybe it was time to start liking myself for who I was. And let's start with, like, an hour, okay? I can do that, and let's start with a day, and then a couple of days, and pretty soon, I was able to string together several months of liking myself, and my entire perspective on things changed."

This isn't positive thinking or affirmations. It's a neuroplasticity practice. By consistently choosing to like himself for small increments of time, Chad rewired his brain's relationship to himself.

The Cascade Effect:

When Chad began genuinely liking himself:

🌟 He became a better parent (more present, less reactive)
🌟 He became a better husband (more emotionally available)
🌟 He became a better friend (authentic instead of performing)
🌟 He stopped caring what people thought (freedom)
🌟 He became genuinely present for others

Why This Matters:

Self-esteem built on genuine self-acceptance is sustainable because it's not fragile. It's not based on external validation or achievements. It's based on knowing yourself and choosing to show up anyway.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Daily self-esteem building exercises (start with "I did one thing well today")
📖 Scaling practices (an hour of liking yourself, then a day, then a week)
📖 Tracking cascade effects (as your self-esteem improves, what changes in your relationships?)
📖 Practical exercises in meeting yourself with compassion

Theme ③ "Community is Non-Negotiable" (The Different Layers)

The Truth:

"You can't live a life of active recovery on your own. Doing it in shadows, secretly, without letting people know, defeats the entire purpose."

Why:

Chad's addiction was an "addiction of isolation." For 21 years, he couldn't face the world or himself. He needed to numb himself every day because the pain of existing was unbearable.

Recovery demands the opposite: radical connection, visibility, vulnerability, and community.

What Community Actually Provides:

When you're surrounded by people who understand you, who've lived similar experiences:

💚 The loneliness goes away (you're no longer isolated with your pain)
💚 You have hope (you see others making it work)
💚 You're seen for who you truly are (validation and acceptance)
💚 You realize you're not broken or alone
💚 You get perspective when problems feel enormous
💚 You get support when you're struggling
💚 You remember your "why" when you're losing motivation

The Different Layers:

Chad emphasizes that community exists at multiple levels:

🔵 Recovery-Specific Community: AA meetings, NA meetings, recovery groups, sponsorship relationships. People who speak the language and understand the struggle.

🔵 Like-Minded Community: Men's groups, peer coaching circles, recovery-focused gatherings. People doing similar work, often outside of 12-step structure.

🔵 Professional Community: Therapists, coaches, mentors. People trained to help you process and heal.

🔵 Broader Community: Family, friends, colleagues. People who care about you and support your recovery, even if they haven't experienced addiction.

🔵 Service Community: People you help and coach. This creates a feedback loop where giving strengthens your own recovery.

Why Multiple Layers Matter:

People who've lived through similar experiences offer irreplaceable camaraderie. You're seen, validated, understood.

But people with no frame of reference to addiction offer something equally valuable: they remind you how far you've come and reinforce your commitment never to return. They help you integrate back into mainstream society and prove to yourself that you can function and be present outside the recovery bubble.

Chad's Communities Include:

🔹 AA meetings and his AA crew
🔹 A men's group he started at his house
🔹 Recovery podcasts and online networks
🔹 Multiple therapists over the years
🔹 Family and friends who support his recovery
🔹 Mentees and coaching clients he serves

Workbook Integration:

📖 Mapping your community (identifying which layers you have and which you need)
📖 Community-building exercises (how to start a group, how to join one)
📖 Vulnerability practices (sharing with people in each layer)
📖 Tracking the impact of community on your recovery trajectory

Theme ④ "The Three Stages of Recovery" (Critical Distinctions)

The Language Problem:

Most people use "abstinence," "sobriety," and "recovery" interchangeably. This is a profound mistake because it conflates three very different states of being.

Abstinence: Just Stopping

Definition: Not using a substance or addictive behavior.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not drinking or using drugs
🔹 Not gambling, binge eating, compulsive sex, working obsessively
🔹 Physically not engaging in the behavior

What It Doesn't Include:
🔹 Internal transformation
🔹 Healing from trauma
🔹 Building healthy relationships
🔹 Developing self-worth
🔹 Creating meaning and purpose
🔹 Any emotional or spiritual component

The Reality: You can be abstinent and still be:
🔹 Angry and resentful
🔹 Depressed and hopeless
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 White-knuckling through each day
🔹 Ready to relapse at any moment
🔹 Miserable

Sobriety: Sustained Abstinence + Awareness

Definition: Not using AND understanding why you don't use, while actively working on yourself.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not using substances
🔹 Understanding your patterns and triggers
🔹 Attending meetings or therapy
🔹 Working on yourself (journaling, meditation, etc.)
🔹 Being honest about your struggles
🔹 Showing up, even when it's hard
🔹 Having structure and accountability

What It Might Still Be Missing:
🔹 Deep healing from trauma
🔹 Full integration of lessons into daily life
🔹 Authentic connection with others
🔹 Genuine purpose and meaning
🔹 Joy and peace

The Reality: You can be sober and still be:
🔹 Going through the motions
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 Avoiding the real deep work
🔹 White-knuckling through life
🔹 One failed support system away from relapse
🔹 Functional but not fulfilled

Recovery: The Full Transformation

Definition: Living a full, authentic life in alignment with your values, having healed from the wounds that drove your addiction.

What It Includes:
🔹 Abstinence from substances and harmful behaviors (obviously)
🔹 Genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🔹 Deep work on trauma and underlying issues (nervous breakdowns, if necessary)
🔹 Authentic relationships and genuine community
🔹 Purpose, meaning, and contribution to others
🔹 Helping others (service)
🔹 Joy, peace, and spiritual alignment
🔹 Living your values
🔹 Being genuinely present for yourself and others
🔹 Still growing and evolving

What It Looks Like:
🔹 You genuinely like yourself (flaws and all)
🔹 You're present with your family and friends (not just physically there)
🔹 You help people without expecting anything in return
🔹 You handle hard days without using
🔹 You sleep well knowing you lived well
🔹 You contribute to your community
🔹 You build others up
🔹 You remember your "why" every single day
🔹 You're still doing the work (therapy, practices, community)
🔹 You're still humble and learning

The Critical Insight:

Not everyone makes the journey from abstinence to sobriety to recovery. Many get stuck in sobriety—not using, but not truly living. They're stable but not transformed. And when one pillar of support fails (lost their sponsor, can't make meetings, lost their job, relationship ends), they relapse.

Recovery, true recovery, is more resilient because it's built on internal transformation, not external structure.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Self-assessment tool (which stage are you in?)
📖 Pathway to the next stage (what does it take to move from abstinence to sobriety, sobriety to recovery?)
📖 Identifying areas of your life where you're abstinent/sober/recovering
📖 Building resilience by moving toward recovery

Theme ⑤ "The Daily Ritual That Keeps You Grounded" (Neuroplasticity in Action)

The Practice:

Chad has a non-negotiable daily ritual. Every single morning, almost 12 years into sobriety, he does the same thing:

"I wake up each day, and I have to remind myself: Hey, Chad, you're a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Don't fuck it up today."

It sounds harsh. It sounds negative. But it's neither.

Why This Works:

This is a neuroplasticity practice. By repeatedly activating the same intention every morning, Chad is:

① Bringing himself into the present moment. His mind isn't in yesterday's regrets or tomorrow's anxieties. He's here, now, making a choice.

② Activating his "why." It's not just "I'm sober," it's "I have something I'm protecting." Kids. Wife. Work. Community. Purpose.

③ Preventing relapse amnesia. Research shows that over time, people forget why they got sober. They start thinking "Maybe I wasn't that bad." Or "Maybe I can handle just one drink." By reminding himself every morning of what he is, Chad immunizes himself.

④ Reserving willpower for everything else. The biggest decision of the day is made first thing: "I'm not using today." This frees mental energy for parenting, working, helping others.

⑤ Accepting reality without fighting it. He's not saying "Pray I don't relapse." He's saying "This is who I am. And today I'm choosing not to act on it."

The Acceptance Built In:

What's beautiful about this ritual is that it's not based on shame or self-punishment. It's based on complete acceptance.

Chad is saying: "I'm deeply traumatized. I'm wired in ways that make recovery work necessary. I'm still that wounded kid from Oregon. None of that has changed. And I'm choosing, every day, to show up anyway."

This is maturity. This is humility. This is the difference between someone who's been sober 12 years and someone who's just managed not to drink for 12 years.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Creating your own daily ritual (what reminder keeps you grounded?)
📖 Neuroplasticity practices (understanding how repetition rewires your brain)
📖 Morning intention-setting exercises
📖 Tracking the effects of daily rituals over weeks and months

Theme ⑥ "Listening as a Revolutionary Act" (The Prerequisite for Service)

The Insight:

"One of the most important things you can do for someone is just be available to listen to what they have to say. You may not even need to share anything with them. Just listening to them is enough for them to get the help that they need."

Why This Is Revolutionary:

In a world of:
🔹 Constant distraction (everyone's on their phone)
🔹 Performative advice-giving ("Here's what you should do")
🔹 Problem-solving without understanding ("Why don't you just...")
🔹 Judgment and criticism ("That was stupid")

Genuine listening has become genuinely radical. People are starved for it.

The Prerequisite:

But Chad knows something crucial: you can't listen to others if you're not listening to yourself.

"If I'm stuck in my own head, dealing with my own crap, I'm not available to do that."

This is why the daily ritual matters so much. By taking time each morning to ground yourself, you clear the mental clutter that would otherwise prevent genuine presence.

It's the airplane oxygen mask principle: put your own mask on first.

What Genuine Listening Looks Like:

🔹 Putting your phone away (actual presence)
🔹 Making eye contact (showing you're engaged)
🔹 Letting them finish without interrupting
🔹 Asking follow-up questions (showing you care)
🔹 Not trying to fix them (letting them own their experience)
🔹 Not sharing your story unless they ask (keeping the focus on them)
🔹 Simply witnessing and reflecting back what you hear
🔹 Following up the next day

What It Creates:

🔹 Safety ("It's safe for me to be vulnerable with this person")
🔹 Trust ("This person genuinely cares")
🔹 Feeling seen ("Someone understands me")
🔹 Validation ("My experience matters")
🔹 Reduced isolation ("I'm not alone")
🔹 Hope ("If someone can listen like this, maybe I can get help")

Workbook Integration:

📖 Active listening exercises
📖 Reflective listening practices
📖 Distinguishing between listening and advising
📖 Tracking the impact of genuine listening on your relationships

Theme ⑦ "The Power of Small Gestures" (Compound Effect of Kindness)

The Hierarchy of Service:

Service doesn't exist at one level. It exists on a spectrum:

Level ① Minor Gestures

🔹 Smile at someone on the street
🔹 Say hello
🔹 Hold a door
🔹 Make eye contact
🔹 Give a compliment

Level ② Personal Connection

🔹 Listen without judgment
🔹 Ask meaningful questions
🔹 Remember details
🔹 Follow up
🔹 Show genuine care

Level ③ Direct Support

🔹 Help someone solve a problem
🔹 Provide emotional support
🔹 Volunteer expertise
🔹 Spend time with someone
🔹 Be physically present

Level ④ Major Intervention

🔹 Help someone get to treatment
🔹 Mentor someone in recovery
🔹 Give significant time/resources
🔹 Change someone's trajectory
🔹 Potentially save someone's life

The Key Insight:

You don't need to be at Level ④ to matter. Even Level ① gestures compound into massive impact when you think about how many people's days you're touching.

The Personal Story: Making Your Bed

During the session, participant Leo Petrilli shared: "Making my bed, every morning."

This is a perfect example. Making your bed isn't a gesture to someone else. It's a gesture to yourself. But it's exactly the kind of small, consistent action that builds momentum.

When you make your bed:

✓ You start your day with an accomplishment
✓ You create order in your environment
✓ You're being responsible to yourself
✓ You're practicing self-care
✓ You're building self-esteem
✓ Before you even leave your room, you've done one good thing

The Gratitude Practice

Participant Barb Lang noted: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes. It doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

This is crucial for recovery. In early recovery, you're not ready for grand service. But you ARE ready for:
🔹 Making your bed
🔹 Brushing your teeth
🔹 Taking a shower
🔹 Going for a walk
🔹 Saying thank you
🔹 Smiling at someone

These small acts:
① Build momentum
② Create self-esteem
③ Prove to yourself you're capable
④ Set up a foundation for bigger actions

The Scaling Principle:

Chad's approach to self-esteem and service is built on scaling:

Day 1: I brushed my teeth and made my bed
Day 2: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, and went for a walk
Day 3: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, went for a walk, and said hello to my neighbor
Week 2: I've done all of the above plus I volunteered 2 hours
Month 1: I've built a routine, volunteered regularly, and helped someone through a crisis

The power? Each small win stacks on top of the previous ones. Before you know it, you're living a life of meaning and service.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Small gesture log (tracking Level ① and Level ② acts daily)
📖 Gratitude practice (noticing small things to be grateful for)
📖 Scaling exercises (how to build momentum from one small action to the next)
📖 Tracking the compound effect over weeks and months

Theme ⑧ "Vulnerability: The Strength Everyone Overlooks" (Gateway to Service)

The Core Question:

During the session, Carby asked: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's answer was unambiguous: "Yes."

And participant Leo Petrilli captured the emotional truth: "Tears are power."

What Vulnerability Actually Means:

Vulnerability isn't weakness. In recovery, vulnerability means:

🔓 Being willing to tell the truth
🔓 Admitting you don't have it all figured out
🔓 Sharing your struggles, not just your successes
🔓 Asking for help
🔓 Being emotionally present
🔓 Letting others see the real you

Vulnerability = Strength in Recovery:

Chad models this throughout his life:
🔹 He shares his crazy stories about his addiction
🔹 He talks about his trauma
🔹 He admits when he's struggling
🔹 He participates in therapy
🔹 He shares his failures alongside his successes
🔹 He asks for help from his wife, friends, and community

Why This Matters:

When people see you being vulnerable and still showing up, it gives them permission to do the same. Vulnerability creates connection. Connection creates recovery.

In a culture that often teaches—especially men—to hide emotions, recovery requires the opposite. When you can:
🔹 Cry
🔹 Express emotion
🔹 Show fear
🔹 Admit confusion
🔹 Ask for help

You're demonstrating the strength it takes to live an authentic life.

Vulnerability in Service:

When you serve others from a place of vulnerability, the service transforms:

💚 It's not superior or patronizing (you're not better than them)
💚 It's peer-to-peer, person-to-person
💚 It says: "I've been where you are. Here's how I'm moving forward"
💚 It gives them hope that change is possible
💚 It allows them to see the real you, not a performance
💚 It creates connection, not dependency

Workbook Integration:

📖 Vulnerability practices (safe places to practice being vulnerable)
📖 Distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate vulnerability
📖 Tracking how vulnerability deepens your relationships
📖 Practicing service from a place of vulnerability

Part ④ Practical Frameworks & Tools

The Daily Scaling Method for Self-Esteem

Chad's most practical contribution is his daily scaling method for building self-esteem:

Start Ridiculously Small

The first goals in recovery aren't "Get a job" or "Rebuild your marriage." They're:
🔹 Tie your shoes
🔹 Brush your teeth
🔹 Get dressed
🔹 Do laundry
🔹 Fold the laundry
🔹 Go for a walk

Why? Each action is evidence that you're not lazy, not broken, not incapable. You're capable of doing one thing. And then another. And then another.

Document Your Wins

Chad's approach:
"I can look back, like, oh, well, you know what? I walked my dog today. And I picked up the dog poop. I was an active person in public today. I was out in society, and I was doing something. I was being polite and responsible. And that's something that you can build on for the day."

The practice:
🔹 Keep track of what you accomplished
🔹 Celebrate small wins
🔹 Notice your presence and activity in the world
🔹 Build a positive narrative about yourself

Connect Positive Actions to Positive Feelings

Chad shares: "There's also, you know, I spoke to another person about their recovery a day, and that made me feel good. So that's something that I like feeling, so I'm gonna do that again."

The pattern:
① Do a positive action
② Notice how it feels
③ Identify the positive feeling
④ Repeat the action to experience the feeling again
⑤ Build a routine around actions that feel good

Meet People Where They Are

As a coach, Chad emphasizes that recovery isn't one-size-fits-all:

Early Recovery (First 30 Days):

🔹 Focus: Not using, showing up to meetings, basic self-care
🔹 Goal: Survive and stay connected

First Year:

🔹 Focus: Building routine, processing trauma, developing self-esteem
🔹 Goal: Get stable and start healing

Year 2-5:

🔹 Focus: Deep trauma work, relationship repair, building life
🔹 Goal: Create a sustainable recovery lifestyle

Year 5+:

🔹 Focus: Mastery, giving back, evolving spiritually
🔹 Goal: Live with purpose and serve others

Use Journaling and Expression

Chad uses journaling extensively:
"I've got notebooks everywhere. I'll be flipping through work ideas, and then I'm like, oh god, here's 5 pages of whatever I was going through that day. So I'll go back and read it. That's another nice way to reflect back on what you were feeling, what you were writing."

The benefits:
🔹 Gets thoughts out of your head
🔹 Allows reflection and pattern recognition
🔹 Provides evidence of growth over time
🔹 Engages a different part of your brain
🔹 Creates accountability

Relatable Connection (Especially with Kids)

Chad's example with his 13-year-old son:
"I just try to encourage him with little things, or say 'Oh, that's cool, good job.' Like, not being critical. Unless it needs to be, right? And meeting him, accepting him. Okay, today was just whatever. He doesn't like school. Alright, well, let's not make a big deal about it, okay? Let's find something positive that we can talk about or relatable."

This applies to self-esteem:
🔹 Find one thing you did well
🔹 Don't be overly critical
🔹 Find something positive to focus on
🔹 Meet yourself with acceptance and encouragement

Part ⑤ The Roadmap to Service

Option ① Existing Organizations

Local Services:

🔹 Food banks and soup kitchens
🔹 Donation and charity centers
🔹 Community centers
🔹 Religious organizations
🔹 Non-profits

Recovery-Specific:

🔹 12-step meetings (sponsorship, literature table, setup/cleanup)
🔹 Recovery houses
🔹 Treatment centers
🔹 Recovery coaching organizations
🔹 Peer support groups

Getting Started:

🔹 Search your area for volunteer opportunities
🔹 Call and ask: "I'm in recovery and looking to give back. How can I help?"
🔹 Start small—even 2 hours per month makes a difference

Option ② Community Projects

Community-Based Service:

🔹 Food drives (sorting cans, organizing donations)
🔹 Park cleanups
🔹 Beach cleanups
🔹 Community gardens
🔹 School volunteering
🔹 Youth sports coaching

Getting Started:

🔹 Go to events happening in your community
🔹 Volunteer with your kids (teaches them about service)
🔹 Notice what issues matter to you and find organizations working on them

Option ③ Start Your Own

Chad's Story:

"When I got sober, my kids were very young. I needed to be present for bedtime and my wife. So I started my own group meeting at my house. It's pretty easy to do, because there are a lot of like-minded people out there."

Ideas for Starting Your Own:

🔹 AA/NA home meeting
🔹 Book club focused on recovery
🔹 Men's or women's group
🔹 Peer support circle
🔹 Online community
🔹 Mentorship circle
🔹 Service project group

The Power of Starting Small:

🔹 Invite a few people over
🔹 Create a safe, welcoming space
🔹 Be consistent
🔹 Let it grow organically
🔹 Lead by example

Option ④ Direct Asking

Chad's Most Powerful Suggestion:

"If you just go around and ask, 'Hey, I am looking to be of service to other people. Is there anything that you guys need help with that I might be able to help you with?' And it'll stop people dead in their tracks. They'll think, and you'll get an answer. Either they can help you, where they work can help you, or they know someone that needs help and they can get you pointed in that direction."

Why This Works:

🔹 Most people are waiting for someone to ask
🔹 Your genuine desire to help is rare and valued
🔹 It opens doors you didn't know existed
🔹 It often leads to unexpected connections and opportunities

The Benefit of Service (No Matter Which Path)

No matter which path you choose, service does something that nothing else can:

🌟 Reinforces your sobriety (reminds you why you got sober)
🌟 Builds self-esteem (you're doing good)
🌟 Connects you to others
🌟 Creates meaning and purpose
🌟 Breaks the cycle of self-centeredness
🌟 Helps you sleep better knowing you helped someone
🌟 Keeps you humble and grounded
🌟 Models recovery for others

In a very real sense, service is the antidote to addiction. Addiction is about taking, using, consuming. Recovery is about giving, serving, contributing.

Part ⑥ Q&A Highlights & Community Engagement

Q① Clarifying Sobriety, Abstinence, and Recovery

Carby's Question: "Can you help me clarify the difference between Sobriety/Abstinence and Recovery?"

Chad's Response: Chad distinguished between the three stages clearly, emphasizing that not everyone moves through all three. Many people remain in sobriety indefinitely—not using, but not truly living. Recovery is the full transformation where you're genuinely liking yourself, present with others, and serving your community.

💡 Key Insight: Understanding these distinctions changes how you approach your recovery and helps you identify where you might be stuck.

Q② Vulnerability as the Mechanism of Lasting Change

Carby's Question: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's Response: Chad affirmed that vulnerability is absolutely central to lasting recovery and to the mechanism of service. When you serve from a place of genuine vulnerability, it creates peer-to-peer connection rather than a hierarchy of "helper" and "helped."

Leo Petrilli's Contribution: "Tears are power."

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability is strength. When you allow yourself to feel, to admit struggle, to ask for help, you unlock the capacity for genuine connection and authentic service.

Q③ How to Practice Vulnerability

Carby's Follow-up: "Follow up to that question.. How can I 'practice' Vulnerability"

Chad's Response: While not fully elaborated in the transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests starting small—sharing something real with one trusted person, being honest about struggles, asking for help, expressing emotion.

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability can be practiced incrementally, just like self-esteem. You don't need to share everything with everyone. Start with safe people in safe spaces.

Q④ Getting Started with Service

Carby's Question: "If I want to pursue the path of Service.. how do I get started?"

Chad's Response: Chad provided four concrete pathways (existing organizations, community projects, starting your own, direct asking), emphasizing that the best path is the one you actually take. Meeting people where they are is key—in early recovery, even volunteering 2 hours per month is meaningful.

💡 Key Insight: Service doesn't require perfection or grand gestures. It requires consistency and genuine desire to help.

Q⑤ Addressing Negative Influences

Carby's Question: "In respect to my previous life/habits, and especially my circle of (negative) influence (ie. 'friends', coworkers).. Do you recommend to distance myself to keep out of range of trouble or triggering environments?"

Follow-up Question: "When will i know it is the 'right' time to 'test the waters' and re-enter those environments and reconnect with those 'friends'..."

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured, Chad's approach suggests waiting until your recovery is solid enough to handle triggers, being strategic about re-entry, and maintaining boundaries with people/places that actively undermine your sobriety.)

💡 Key Insight: Recovery doesn't mean permanent isolation, but it does require strategic boundary management in early stages. Re-entry happens when your recovery is resilient, not when you think you're "fixed."

Q⑥ The Role of Spirituality and Belief

Carby's Question: "And in addition to community / service.. does my beliefs influence my recovery? For example, does God (religion aside) play a role?"

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured in transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests non-dogmatic spirituality. Whether you call it God, the universe, purpose, or community, having something larger than yourself to orient toward helps recovery significantly.)

💡 Key Insight: Spirituality matters, but it doesn't require a specific theology. What matters is having meaning and purpose beyond your own ego.

Q⑦ Community Recognition of Small Victories

Participant Leo Petrilli: "Making my bed, every morning."

Participant Barb Lang: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes, it doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

Ken Markowitz Response: "I agree! It's the small things that we often take for granted and should always be grateful for."

💡 Key Insight: The community affirmed that small actions, done consistently, are the foundation of recovery. Making your bed daily is as valid and important as major service work.

Q⑧ Session Closing

Participant Damien Reilly: "I have to jump. Thanks everyone! Thanks Chad! Thanks Ken!"

Multiple Participants: "Thanks so much Chad, and Ken!" and "Thanks all"

Part ⑦ Integration & Next Steps

For Participants:

① If you attended the live session:

🔸 Download the full eBook for deeper learning
🔸 Implement the daily ritual (your own version of "Don't fuck it up today")
🔸 Practice one Level ① gesture daily (smile, hello, thank you)
🔸 Identify which layers of community you have and which you need
🔸 Choose one service pathway to explore this month
🔸 Start journaling (small wins, feelings, reflections)

② If you're new to this work:

🔸 Read through the eBook first to understand the framework
🔸 Start with the daily ritual (adapt it to your own belief system)
🔸 Begin with Tool #1: Making your bed and doing basic self-care
🔸 Document your small wins
🔸 Build from there

③ If you want to deepen the practice:

🔸 Consider one-on-one coaching with Chad or another trained coach
🔸 Join a recovery community (AA, SMART, Lymbic, etc.)
🔸 Combine this work with therapy or counseling
🔸 Start a home group or meet-up in your area
🔸 Join NYSLN Tuesday sessions weekly (free, judgment-free community)

For Mental Health Professionals:

The NYSLN platform is a vital resource for:
🔹 Connecting with clients in recovery
🔹 Understanding peer-led support models
🔹 Referring clients to free community resources
🔹 Learning about cutting-edge recovery practices
🔹 Building collaborative relationships with recovery communities

Part ⑧ The Bigger Picture

Why This Matters Now

Recovery work has traditionally focused on "stopping the behavior" (abstinence) and cognitive processing (therapy). This helps millions. But many people still feel stuck, still struggle with meaning and purpose, still can't regulate their nervous systems without substances.

Chad's work—and NYSLN's platform—represents a paradigm shift: Healing requires meeting the person where they are across all dimensions simultaneously.

This means:
💫 Traditional therapy (still essential)
💫 Plus 12-Step or peer programs (still valuable)
💫 Plus practical self-esteem building (small gestures, daily rituals)
💫 Plus community across multiple layers (recovery-specific and broader)
💫 Plus service and meaning-making (gives purpose to recovery)

The Result:

People don't just stop using substances—they reclaim their lives. They:
🌟 Develop genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🌟 Build authentic community across multiple layers
🌟 Discover meaning and purpose through service
🌟 Regulate their nervous systems (can be present without numbing)
🌟 Sleep well knowing they lived well
🌟 Know they're not alone
🌟 Have hope that change is possible

Part ⑨ Accessibility & Inclusivity

NYSLN's commitment to accessibility:

Financial:

💰 Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST)
💰 Free eBooks and educational materials
💰 Free community access
💰 Sliding scale for direct coaching

Accessibility for Different Backgrounds:

🌈 No religious requirement
🌈 Non-dogmatic spirituality
🌈 No special preparation needed
🌈 Judgment-free (cameras on or off—your choice)
🌈 Welcomes skeptics and believers alike

For Healthcare Providers:

🏥 Mental health professionals welcome
🏥 NYSLN serves as a vital platform to connect with the community you serve
🏥 Integration with clinical recovery models (not replacement)

Part ⑩ Contact & Resources

Speaker:

Chad Johnson, Sober Coach & Recovery Advocate

🔗 Website: https://www.soberchad.com/
🔗 Email: (available through website)
🔗 Podcasts: "Not All There" & "Sober with Chad"
🔗 Services: Coaching (sliding scale), Speaking, Advocacy
🔗 Location: Chicago, IL (distance sessions available globally)

New York Sober Living Network:

🔗 Website: https://soberlivingnetwork.org
🔗 Linktr: https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
🔗 Email: [email protected]
🔗 Weekly: Tuesday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

Related Resources:

🔗 Art of Recovery Foundation: https://www.artofrecoveryfoundation.org/
🔗 Lymbic: https://www.lymbic.org/
🔗 Not All There Podcast: https://notalltherepod.com/

Crisis Resources:

🆘 National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – Free, confidential, 24/7
🆘 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
🆘 AA: https://www.aa.org/
🆘 SMART Recovery: https://www.smartrecovery.org/
🆘 Local mental health clinic or doctor

Part ⑪ The Larger Vision

What Chad's Work Represents

Chad Johnson isn't unique in being sober for 11+ years. But he's exceptional in how openly he shares his journey—not just the victories, but the nervous breakdown in year 5, the ongoing struggles with his trauma wiring, the daily commitment he still makes.

He's not selling a fantasy of "fixed recovery." He's modeling realistic, sustainable recovery: work, commitment, community, service, and genuine presence.

The Paradigm Shift

From "How do I stop using?" to "How do I build a life worth living?"

From "One day at a time" (survival mode) to "One day at a time with purpose" (thriving mode)

From "I need help" (vulnerability as need) to "I can help others" (vulnerability as strength)

Part ⑫ Final Words

Chad's Message to the Community:

(While not directly quoted, Chad's consistent message throughout is:)

"Show up. Be available. Start small. Be honest about who you are. Connect with people. Help others. That's the path. Not the only path. But a path that works."

Ken Markowitz's Framing:

"Recovery isn't about perfection. It's about showing up, staying connected, and living with gratitude one day at a time."

✨ Conclusion

The January 20, 2026 NYSLN session with Chad Johnson was a masterclass in practical recovery wisdom. Participants left with:

✨ Understanding: Why service is the mechanism of lasting recovery
✨ Frameworks: The three stages of recovery and how to move between them
✨ Practices: Daily rituals, scaling methods, small gesture frameworks
✨ Community: Connection to NYSLN and the broader SLN network
✨ Hope: Proof that transformation is possible, one day at a time
✨ Purpose: Clear pathways to meaningful service

By the end of the session, it was clear: recovery isn't something you achieve and then stop working on. It's a way of living—present, connected, purposeful, and dedicated to helping others find their own way.

Building Connection. Empowering Lives. Restoring Hope.

New York Sober Living Network

🔗 https://soberlivingnetwork.org
📧 [email protected]
👥 https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Sober Living Network – Global Community

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 Connect through website
🔗 Registration: https://SoberLivingNetwork.org

Event Documentation Date: January 20, 2026

Materials Created: eBook (Full Educational Resource) + Event Summary (Quick Overview) + Extended Event Summary (Comprehensive Documentation)

Access: All materials available free to NYSLN community members and registered participants

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 [email protected]
👥 Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Download PDF

Download SLN Recovery Workbook V2

TSLN eBook: Alexandra Canzonieri "EMDR for Adults with ADHD: Untangling Trauma from Neurodivergence"

Toronto Sober Living Network | Friday, January 23, 2026 | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST

EMDR for Adults with ADHD: A Recovery Guide

NYSLN Extended Event Summary: Chad Johnson's "Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery"

New York Sober Living Network | Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

A Recovery Session on Presence, Purpose, and the Transformative Power of Helping Others

📋 Complete Event Documentation

Part ① Event Overview & Context

Event Details:
🔸 Title: Being Available, Showing Up, and Service in Recovery
🔸 Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
🔸 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
🔸 Format: Live Zoom | Recovery Education & Discussion
🔸 Speaker: Chad Johnson, Sober Coach, Podcast Host, Recovery Advocate
🔸 Host: Dr. Ken Markowitz, NYSLN
🔸 Attendance: 40+ participants (Toronto, New York, Chicago, International)

Historic Significance:

This was NYSLN's continuation of their Tuesday lunchtime series connecting mental health professionals with individuals in recovery and their families. Chad's session focused on the practical, lived experience of maintaining recovery while serving others—a crucial bridge between early recovery (where the focus is on self) and mature recovery (where the focus expands outward).

Community Context:

New York Sober Living Network operates as part of a global peer-led recovery community:

🌍 Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
🌍 Additional Chapters: New York (established); Chicago (launched); Mumbai, India; Enugu, Nigeria
🌍 Mission: Create judgment-free spaces where individuals at every stage of sobriety can find understanding, resources, and peer connection
🌍 Format: Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST for NYSLN) + educational eBooks + companion workbooks + recovery resources

Part ② About Chad Johnson

Professional Background:

Chad Johnson is a Certified Sober Coach and recovery advocate with 11+ years of continuous sobriety. He operates across multiple platforms and organizations, each reflecting his commitment to breaking stigma and creating recovery-ready communities.

Credentials & Platforms:

🔹 Founder and Host of "Not All There Podcast" (peer-led recovery conversations)
🔹 Host of "Sober with Chad" (coaching and mentorship platform)
🔹 Founder of The Art of Recovery Foundation (advocating for addiction awareness and recovery)
🔹 Initiator and Host of SLN Chicago Chapter (building recovery community in the Midwest)
🔹 Certified Sober Coach (providing one-on-one and group coaching)
🔹 Professional recovery speaker and educator

Personal Journey:

Chad's credibility comes from lived experience, not theory:

💫 21 years of active addiction (alcohol and drugs) characterized by isolation and self-destruction
💫 Survivor of severe childhood abuse and multiple traumas (grew up in rural Oregon with an abusive father)
💫 Got sober and began recovery work, eventually achieving genuine sobriety around year 2-3
💫 Years 1-5: Marathon runner (literally running from his trauma); trained intensely, ran marathons, used running as a substitute for substance abuse
💫 Year 5: Body completely gave out; forced to stop running and face the accumulated trauma that surfaced
💫 Years 5-9: Prolonged nervous breakdown; had to face everything—all trauma, all shame, all pain; this period involved intensive therapy, peer support, and genuine emotional processing
💫 Year 9: Breakthrough in self-acceptance; realized he couldn't change the past, but he could accept who he was and build from there
💫 Years 9-11: Evolution into genuine recovery; began liking himself, becoming present for family, developing service work, helping others
💫 Present (11+ years sober): Married, father of two teenage sons (ages 13 and 15), actively coaching others, hosting podcasts, building community, still in therapy, still doing daily recovery practices

Why Chad's Approach Matters:

Chad bridges two critical worlds:

🌟 Traditional Recovery Models: He understands AA, NA, clinical therapy, evidence-based treatment, and the value of structure and community in recovery

🌟 Real-Life Complexity: He doesn't pretend recovery is linear or that you ever stop being a "recovering" person.

He still has struggles with his wiring, his intensity, his trauma responses. He's still doing the work after 11 years.

His unique value: He models what mature, sustainable recovery actually looks like—not perfect, but grounded, connected, purposeful, and committed to helping others find the same.

Part ③ Core Themes & Educational Content

Theme ① "Self-Acceptance is the Foundation" (Not Perfection)

The Problem:

Most people in recovery spend the first years in internal conflict. They've accepted intellectually that they're an alcoholic or addict, but they haven't accepted emotionally. Part of them is still fighting against reality, still believing they should be different, should be stronger, should have never gotten here.

This internal war is exhausting. It consumes mental and emotional energy that could be used for actual healing and growth.

Chad's Journey:

For years, Chad was sober but at war with himself. He was doing the external work (meetings, therapy, running marathons) but internally rejecting himself for what he was. Around year 9, something shifted.

"This is me. This is who I am. There's nothing I can do that's gonna change that. I can't fix it. I can't do anything to change the past. But I can accept it."

This moment—when acceptance shifted from intellectual to emotional—changed everything.

Why This Matters:

When you stop fighting against yourself, when you stop trying to be someone different, a huge relief emerges. No more arguing with reality. No more shame spirals. No more performing.

Chad describes it: "There was a huge relief in that. Like, oh, okay, this is me. I don't have to go around trying to figure out who I am. I don't have to listen to my own bullshit or bullshit others. This is the person that I am."

Workbook Integration:

For future workbook development, this theme would include:

📖 Daily acceptance practices (acknowledging reality without judgment)
📖 Journaling prompts around self-acceptance
📖 Distinguishing between "I can't change the past" and "I can change my response to it"
📖 Tracking the relief that comes from stopping the internal war

Theme ② "From Acceptance to Genuine Self-Esteem" (The Scaling Method)

The Problem:

Acceptance alone isn't enough. You can accept yourself and still hate yourself. You can accept that you're a recovering alcoholic and still feel worthless.

The next step is learning to genuinely like yourself. But most recovery programs leave you to figure this out on your own.

Chad's Solution:

Chad discovered what he calls the "scaling method"—starting ridiculously small and building from there.

"I decided that maybe it was time to start liking myself for who I was. And let's start with, like, an hour, okay? I can do that, and let's start with a day, and then a couple of days, and pretty soon, I was able to string together several months of liking myself, and my entire perspective on things changed."

This isn't positive thinking or affirmations. It's a neuroplasticity practice. By consistently choosing to like himself for small increments of time, Chad rewired his brain's relationship to himself.

The Cascade Effect:

When Chad began genuinely liking himself:

🌟 He became a better parent (more present, less reactive)
🌟 He became a better husband (more emotionally available)
🌟 He became a better friend (authentic instead of performing)
🌟 He stopped caring what people thought (freedom)
🌟 He became genuinely present for others

Why This Matters:

Self-esteem built on genuine self-acceptance is sustainable because it's not fragile. It's not based on external validation or achievements. It's based on knowing yourself and choosing to show up anyway.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Daily self-esteem building exercises (start with "I did one thing well today")
📖 Scaling practices (an hour of liking yourself, then a day, then a week)
📖 Tracking cascade effects (as your self-esteem improves, what changes in your relationships?)
📖 Practical exercises in meeting yourself with compassion

Theme ③ "Community is Non-Negotiable" (The Different Layers)

The Truth:

"You can't live a life of active recovery on your own. Doing it in shadows, secretly, without letting people know, defeats the entire purpose."

Why:

Chad's addiction was an "addiction of isolation." For 21 years, he couldn't face the world or himself. He needed to numb himself every day because the pain of existing was unbearable.

Recovery demands the opposite: radical connection, visibility, vulnerability, and community.

What Community Actually Provides:

When you're surrounded by people who understand you, who've lived similar experiences:

💚 The loneliness goes away (you're no longer isolated with your pain)
💚 You have hope (you see others making it work)
💚 You're seen for who you truly are (validation and acceptance)
💚 You realize you're not broken or alone
💚 You get perspective when problems feel enormous
💚 You get support when you're struggling
💚 You remember your "why" when you're losing motivation

The Different Layers:

Chad emphasizes that community exists at multiple levels:

🔵 Recovery-Specific Community: AA meetings, NA meetings, recovery groups, sponsorship relationships. People who speak the language and understand the struggle.

🔵 Like-Minded Community: Men's groups, peer coaching circles, recovery-focused gatherings. People doing similar work, often outside of 12-step structure.

🔵 Professional Community: Therapists, coaches, mentors. People trained to help you process and heal.

🔵 Broader Community: Family, friends, colleagues. People who care about you and support your recovery, even if they haven't experienced addiction.

🔵 Service Community: People you help and coach. This creates a feedback loop where giving strengthens your own recovery.

Why Multiple Layers Matter:

People who've lived through similar experiences offer irreplaceable camaraderie. You're seen, validated, understood.

But people with no frame of reference to addiction offer something equally valuable: they remind you how far you've come and reinforce your commitment never to return. They help you integrate back into mainstream society and prove to yourself that you can function and be present outside the recovery bubble.

Chad's Communities Include:

🔹 AA meetings and his AA crew
🔹 A men's group he started at his house
🔹 Recovery podcasts and online networks
🔹 Multiple therapists over the years
🔹 Family and friends who support his recovery
🔹 Mentees and coaching clients he serves

Workbook Integration:

📖 Mapping your community (identifying which layers you have and which you need)
📖 Community-building exercises (how to start a group, how to join one)
📖 Vulnerability practices (sharing with people in each layer)
📖 Tracking the impact of community on your recovery trajectory

Theme ④ "The Three Stages of Recovery" (Critical Distinctions)

The Language Problem:

Most people use "abstinence," "sobriety," and "recovery" interchangeably. This is a profound mistake because it conflates three very different states of being.

Abstinence: Just Stopping

Definition: Not using a substance or addictive behavior.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not drinking or using drugs
🔹 Not gambling, binge eating, compulsive sex, working obsessively
🔹 Physically not engaging in the behavior

What It Doesn't Include:
🔹 Internal transformation
🔹 Healing from trauma
🔹 Building healthy relationships
🔹 Developing self-worth
🔹 Creating meaning and purpose
🔹 Any emotional or spiritual component

The Reality: You can be abstinent and still be:
🔹 Angry and resentful
🔹 Depressed and hopeless
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 White-knuckling through each day
🔹 Ready to relapse at any moment
🔹 Miserable

Sobriety: Sustained Abstinence + Awareness

Definition: Not using AND understanding why you don't use, while actively working on yourself.

What It Includes:
🔹 Not using substances
🔹 Understanding your patterns and triggers
🔹 Attending meetings or therapy
🔹 Working on yourself (journaling, meditation, etc.)
🔹 Being honest about your struggles
🔹 Showing up, even when it's hard
🔹 Having structure and accountability

What It Might Still Be Missing:
🔹 Deep healing from trauma
🔹 Full integration of lessons into daily life
🔹 Authentic connection with others
🔹 Genuine purpose and meaning
🔹 Joy and peace

The Reality: You can be sober and still be:
🔹 Going through the motions
🔹 Isolated and lonely
🔹 Avoiding the real deep work
🔹 White-knuckling through life
🔹 One failed support system away from relapse
🔹 Functional but not fulfilled

Recovery: The Full Transformation

Definition: Living a full, authentic life in alignment with your values, having healed from the wounds that drove your addiction.

What It Includes:
🔹 Abstinence from substances and harmful behaviors (obviously)
🔹 Genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🔹 Deep work on trauma and underlying issues (nervous breakdowns, if necessary)
🔹 Authentic relationships and genuine community
🔹 Purpose, meaning, and contribution to others
🔹 Helping others (service)
🔹 Joy, peace, and spiritual alignment
🔹 Living your values
🔹 Being genuinely present for yourself and others
🔹 Still growing and evolving

What It Looks Like:
🔹 You genuinely like yourself (flaws and all)
🔹 You're present with your family and friends (not just physically there)
🔹 You help people without expecting anything in return
🔹 You handle hard days without using
🔹 You sleep well knowing you lived well
🔹 You contribute to your community
🔹 You build others up
🔹 You remember your "why" every single day
🔹 You're still doing the work (therapy, practices, community)
🔹 You're still humble and learning

The Critical Insight:

Not everyone makes the journey from abstinence to sobriety to recovery. Many get stuck in sobriety—not using, but not truly living. They're stable but not transformed. And when one pillar of support fails (lost their sponsor, can't make meetings, lost their job, relationship ends), they relapse.

Recovery, true recovery, is more resilient because it's built on internal transformation, not external structure.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Self-assessment tool (which stage are you in?)
📖 Pathway to the next stage (what does it take to move from abstinence to sobriety, sobriety to recovery?)
📖 Identifying areas of your life where you're abstinent/sober/recovering
📖 Building resilience by moving toward recovery

Theme ⑤ "The Daily Ritual That Keeps You Grounded" (Neuroplasticity in Action)

The Practice:

Chad has a non-negotiable daily ritual. Every single morning, almost 12 years into sobriety, he does the same thing:

"I wake up each day, and I have to remind myself: Hey, Chad, you're a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Don't fuck it up today."

It sounds harsh. It sounds negative. But it's neither.

Why This Works:

This is a neuroplasticity practice. By repeatedly activating the same intention every morning, Chad is:

① Bringing himself into the present moment. His mind isn't in yesterday's regrets or tomorrow's anxieties. He's here, now, making a choice.

② Activating his "why." It's not just "I'm sober," it's "I have something I'm protecting." Kids. Wife. Work. Community. Purpose.

③ Preventing relapse amnesia. Research shows that over time, people forget why they got sober. They start thinking "Maybe I wasn't that bad." Or "Maybe I can handle just one drink." By reminding himself every morning of what he is, Chad immunizes himself.

④ Reserving willpower for everything else. The biggest decision of the day is made first thing: "I'm not using today." This frees mental energy for parenting, working, helping others.

⑤ Accepting reality without fighting it. He's not saying "Pray I don't relapse." He's saying "This is who I am. And today I'm choosing not to act on it."

The Acceptance Built In:

What's beautiful about this ritual is that it's not based on shame or self-punishment. It's based on complete acceptance.

Chad is saying: "I'm deeply traumatized. I'm wired in ways that make recovery work necessary. I'm still that wounded kid from Oregon. None of that has changed. And I'm choosing, every day, to show up anyway."

This is maturity. This is humility. This is the difference between someone who's been sober 12 years and someone who's just managed not to drink for 12 years.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Creating your own daily ritual (what reminder keeps you grounded?)
📖 Neuroplasticity practices (understanding how repetition rewires your brain)
📖 Morning intention-setting exercises
📖 Tracking the effects of daily rituals over weeks and months

Theme ⑥ "Listening as a Revolutionary Act" (The Prerequisite for Service)

The Insight:

"One of the most important things you can do for someone is just be available to listen to what they have to say. You may not even need to share anything with them. Just listening to them is enough for them to get the help that they need."

Why This Is Revolutionary:

In a world of:
🔹 Constant distraction (everyone's on their phone)
🔹 Performative advice-giving ("Here's what you should do")
🔹 Problem-solving without understanding ("Why don't you just...")
🔹 Judgment and criticism ("That was stupid")

Genuine listening has become genuinely radical. People are starved for it.

The Prerequisite:

But Chad knows something crucial: you can't listen to others if you're not listening to yourself.

"If I'm stuck in my own head, dealing with my own crap, I'm not available to do that."

This is why the daily ritual matters so much. By taking time each morning to ground yourself, you clear the mental clutter that would otherwise prevent genuine presence.

It's the airplane oxygen mask principle: put your own mask on first.

What Genuine Listening Looks Like:

🔹 Putting your phone away (actual presence)
🔹 Making eye contact (showing you're engaged)
🔹 Letting them finish without interrupting
🔹 Asking follow-up questions (showing you care)
🔹 Not trying to fix them (letting them own their experience)
🔹 Not sharing your story unless they ask (keeping the focus on them)
🔹 Simply witnessing and reflecting back what you hear
🔹 Following up the next day

What It Creates:

🔹 Safety ("It's safe for me to be vulnerable with this person")
🔹 Trust ("This person genuinely cares")
🔹 Feeling seen ("Someone understands me")
🔹 Validation ("My experience matters")
🔹 Reduced isolation ("I'm not alone")
🔹 Hope ("If someone can listen like this, maybe I can get help")

Workbook Integration:

📖 Active listening exercises
📖 Reflective listening practices
📖 Distinguishing between listening and advising
📖 Tracking the impact of genuine listening on your relationships

Theme ⑦ "The Power of Small Gestures" (Compound Effect of Kindness)

The Hierarchy of Service:

Service doesn't exist at one level. It exists on a spectrum:

Level ① Minor Gestures

🔹 Smile at someone on the street
🔹 Say hello
🔹 Hold a door
🔹 Make eye contact
🔹 Give a compliment

Level ② Personal Connection

🔹 Listen without judgment
🔹 Ask meaningful questions
🔹 Remember details
🔹 Follow up
🔹 Show genuine care

Level ③ Direct Support

🔹 Help someone solve a problem
🔹 Provide emotional support
🔹 Volunteer expertise
🔹 Spend time with someone
🔹 Be physically present

Level ④ Major Intervention

🔹 Help someone get to treatment
🔹 Mentor someone in recovery
🔹 Give significant time/resources
🔹 Change someone's trajectory
🔹 Potentially save someone's life

The Key Insight:

You don't need to be at Level ④ to matter. Even Level ① gestures compound into massive impact when you think about how many people's days you're touching.

The Personal Story: Making Your Bed

During the session, participant Leo Petrilli shared: "Making my bed, every morning."

This is a perfect example. Making your bed isn't a gesture to someone else. It's a gesture to yourself. But it's exactly the kind of small, consistent action that builds momentum.

When you make your bed:

✓ You start your day with an accomplishment
✓ You create order in your environment
✓ You're being responsible to yourself
✓ You're practicing self-care
✓ You're building self-esteem
✓ Before you even leave your room, you've done one good thing

The Gratitude Practice

Participant Barb Lang noted: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes. It doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

This is crucial for recovery. In early recovery, you're not ready for grand service. But you ARE ready for:
🔹 Making your bed
🔹 Brushing your teeth
🔹 Taking a shower
🔹 Going for a walk
🔹 Saying thank you
🔹 Smiling at someone

These small acts:
① Build momentum
② Create self-esteem
③ Prove to yourself you're capable
④ Set up a foundation for bigger actions

The Scaling Principle:

Chad's approach to self-esteem and service is built on scaling:

Day 1: I brushed my teeth and made my bed
Day 2: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, and went for a walk
Day 3: I brushed my teeth, made my bed, went for a walk, and said hello to my neighbor
Week 2: I've done all of the above plus I volunteered 2 hours
Month 1: I've built a routine, volunteered regularly, and helped someone through a crisis

The power? Each small win stacks on top of the previous ones. Before you know it, you're living a life of meaning and service.

Workbook Integration:

📖 Small gesture log (tracking Level ① and Level ② acts daily)
📖 Gratitude practice (noticing small things to be grateful for)
📖 Scaling exercises (how to build momentum from one small action to the next)
📖 Tracking the compound effect over weeks and months

Theme ⑧ "Vulnerability: The Strength Everyone Overlooks" (Gateway to Service)

The Core Question:

During the session, Carby asked: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's answer was unambiguous: "Yes."

And participant Leo Petrilli captured the emotional truth: "Tears are power."

What Vulnerability Actually Means:

Vulnerability isn't weakness. In recovery, vulnerability means:

🔓 Being willing to tell the truth
🔓 Admitting you don't have it all figured out
🔓 Sharing your struggles, not just your successes
🔓 Asking for help
🔓 Being emotionally present
🔓 Letting others see the real you

Vulnerability = Strength in Recovery:

Chad models this throughout his life:
🔹 He shares his crazy stories about his addiction
🔹 He talks about his trauma
🔹 He admits when he's struggling
🔹 He participates in therapy
🔹 He shares his failures alongside his successes
🔹 He asks for help from his wife, friends, and community

Why This Matters:

When people see you being vulnerable and still showing up, it gives them permission to do the same. Vulnerability creates connection. Connection creates recovery.

In a culture that often teaches—especially men—to hide emotions, recovery requires the opposite. When you can:
🔹 Cry
🔹 Express emotion
🔹 Show fear
🔹 Admit confusion
🔹 Ask for help

You're demonstrating the strength it takes to live an authentic life.

Vulnerability in Service:

When you serve others from a place of vulnerability, the service transforms:

💚 It's not superior or patronizing (you're not better than them)
💚 It's peer-to-peer, person-to-person
💚 It says: "I've been where you are. Here's how I'm moving forward"
💚 It gives them hope that change is possible
💚 It allows them to see the real you, not a performance
💚 It creates connection, not dependency

Workbook Integration:

📖 Vulnerability practices (safe places to practice being vulnerable)
📖 Distinguishing between appropriate and inappropriate vulnerability
📖 Tracking how vulnerability deepens your relationships
📖 Practicing service from a place of vulnerability

Part ④ Practical Frameworks & Tools

The Daily Scaling Method for Self-Esteem

Chad's most practical contribution is his daily scaling method for building self-esteem:

Start Ridiculously Small

The first goals in recovery aren't "Get a job" or "Rebuild your marriage." They're:
🔹 Tie your shoes
🔹 Brush your teeth
🔹 Get dressed
🔹 Do laundry
🔹 Fold the laundry
🔹 Go for a walk

Why? Each action is evidence that you're not lazy, not broken, not incapable. You're capable of doing one thing. And then another. And then another.

Document Your Wins

Chad's approach:
"I can look back, like, oh, well, you know what? I walked my dog today. And I picked up the dog poop. I was an active person in public today. I was out in society, and I was doing something. I was being polite and responsible. And that's something that you can build on for the day."

The practice:
🔹 Keep track of what you accomplished
🔹 Celebrate small wins
🔹 Notice your presence and activity in the world
🔹 Build a positive narrative about yourself

Connect Positive Actions to Positive Feelings

Chad shares: "There's also, you know, I spoke to another person about their recovery a day, and that made me feel good. So that's something that I like feeling, so I'm gonna do that again."

The pattern:
① Do a positive action
② Notice how it feels
③ Identify the positive feeling
④ Repeat the action to experience the feeling again
⑤ Build a routine around actions that feel good

Meet People Where They Are

As a coach, Chad emphasizes that recovery isn't one-size-fits-all:

Early Recovery (First 30 Days):

🔹 Focus: Not using, showing up to meetings, basic self-care
🔹 Goal: Survive and stay connected

First Year:

🔹 Focus: Building routine, processing trauma, developing self-esteem
🔹 Goal: Get stable and start healing

Year 2-5:

🔹 Focus: Deep trauma work, relationship repair, building life
🔹 Goal: Create a sustainable recovery lifestyle

Year 5+:

🔹 Focus: Mastery, giving back, evolving spiritually
🔹 Goal: Live with purpose and serve others

Use Journaling and Expression

Chad uses journaling extensively:
"I've got notebooks everywhere. I'll be flipping through work ideas, and then I'm like, oh god, here's 5 pages of whatever I was going through that day. So I'll go back and read it. That's another nice way to reflect back on what you were feeling, what you were writing."

The benefits:
🔹 Gets thoughts out of your head
🔹 Allows reflection and pattern recognition
🔹 Provides evidence of growth over time
🔹 Engages a different part of your brain
🔹 Creates accountability

Relatable Connection (Especially with Kids)

Chad's example with his 13-year-old son:
"I just try to encourage him with little things, or say 'Oh, that's cool, good job.' Like, not being critical. Unless it needs to be, right? And meeting him, accepting him. Okay, today was just whatever. He doesn't like school. Alright, well, let's not make a big deal about it, okay? Let's find something positive that we can talk about or relatable."

This applies to self-esteem:
🔹 Find one thing you did well
🔹 Don't be overly critical
🔹 Find something positive to focus on
🔹 Meet yourself with acceptance and encouragement

Part ⑤ The Roadmap to Service

Option ① Existing Organizations

Local Services:

🔹 Food banks and soup kitchens
🔹 Donation and charity centers
🔹 Community centers
🔹 Religious organizations
🔹 Non-profits

Recovery-Specific:

🔹 12-step meetings (sponsorship, literature table, setup/cleanup)
🔹 Recovery houses
🔹 Treatment centers
🔹 Recovery coaching organizations
🔹 Peer support groups

Getting Started:

🔹 Search your area for volunteer opportunities
🔹 Call and ask: "I'm in recovery and looking to give back. How can I help?"
🔹 Start small—even 2 hours per month makes a difference

Option ② Community Projects

Community-Based Service:

🔹 Food drives (sorting cans, organizing donations)
🔹 Park cleanups
🔹 Beach cleanups
🔹 Community gardens
🔹 School volunteering
🔹 Youth sports coaching

Getting Started:

🔹 Go to events happening in your community
🔹 Volunteer with your kids (teaches them about service)
🔹 Notice what issues matter to you and find organizations working on them

Option ③ Start Your Own

Chad's Story:

"When I got sober, my kids were very young. I needed to be present for bedtime and my wife. So I started my own group meeting at my house. It's pretty easy to do, because there are a lot of like-minded people out there."

Ideas for Starting Your Own:

🔹 AA/NA home meeting
🔹 Book club focused on recovery
🔹 Men's or women's group
🔹 Peer support circle
🔹 Online community
🔹 Mentorship circle
🔹 Service project group

The Power of Starting Small:

🔹 Invite a few people over
🔹 Create a safe, welcoming space
🔹 Be consistent
🔹 Let it grow organically
🔹 Lead by example

Option ④ Direct Asking

Chad's Most Powerful Suggestion:

"If you just go around and ask, 'Hey, I am looking to be of service to other people. Is there anything that you guys need help with that I might be able to help you with?' And it'll stop people dead in their tracks. They'll think, and you'll get an answer. Either they can help you, where they work can help you, or they know someone that needs help and they can get you pointed in that direction."

Why This Works:

🔹 Most people are waiting for someone to ask
🔹 Your genuine desire to help is rare and valued
🔹 It opens doors you didn't know existed
🔹 It often leads to unexpected connections and opportunities

The Benefit of Service (No Matter Which Path)

No matter which path you choose, service does something that nothing else can:

🌟 Reinforces your sobriety (reminds you why you got sober)
🌟 Builds self-esteem (you're doing good)
🌟 Connects you to others
🌟 Creates meaning and purpose
🌟 Breaks the cycle of self-centeredness
🌟 Helps you sleep better knowing you helped someone
🌟 Keeps you humble and grounded
🌟 Models recovery for others

In a very real sense, service is the antidote to addiction. Addiction is about taking, using, consuming. Recovery is about giving, serving, contributing.

Part ⑥ Q&A Highlights & Community Engagement

Q① Clarifying Sobriety, Abstinence, and Recovery

Carby's Question: "Can you help me clarify the difference between Sobriety/Abstinence and Recovery?"

Chad's Response: Chad distinguished between the three stages clearly, emphasizing that not everyone moves through all three. Many people remain in sobriety indefinitely—not using, but not truly living. Recovery is the full transformation where you're genuinely liking yourself, present with others, and serving your community.

💡 Key Insight: Understanding these distinctions changes how you approach your recovery and helps you identify where you might be stuck.

Q② Vulnerability as the Mechanism of Lasting Change

Carby's Question: "Is 'Vulnerability' a factor in lasting Recovery? And is this another way to put it, the working mechanism in respect to 'Giving Back' or 'Service'?"

Chad's Response: Chad affirmed that vulnerability is absolutely central to lasting recovery and to the mechanism of service. When you serve from a place of genuine vulnerability, it creates peer-to-peer connection rather than a hierarchy of "helper" and "helped."

Leo Petrilli's Contribution: "Tears are power."

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability is strength. When you allow yourself to feel, to admit struggle, to ask for help, you unlock the capacity for genuine connection and authentic service.

Q③ How to Practice Vulnerability

Carby's Follow-up: "Follow up to that question.. How can I 'practice' Vulnerability"

Chad's Response: While not fully elaborated in the transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests starting small—sharing something real with one trusted person, being honest about struggles, asking for help, expressing emotion.

💡 Key Insight: Vulnerability can be practiced incrementally, just like self-esteem. You don't need to share everything with everyone. Start with safe people in safe spaces.

Q④ Getting Started with Service

Carby's Question: "If I want to pursue the path of Service.. how do I get started?"

Chad's Response: Chad provided four concrete pathways (existing organizations, community projects, starting your own, direct asking), emphasizing that the best path is the one you actually take. Meeting people where they are is key—in early recovery, even volunteering 2 hours per month is meaningful.

💡 Key Insight: Service doesn't require perfection or grand gestures. It requires consistency and genuine desire to help.

Q⑤ Addressing Negative Influences

Carby's Question: "In respect to my previous life/habits, and especially my circle of (negative) influence (ie. 'friends', coworkers).. Do you recommend to distance myself to keep out of range of trouble or triggering environments?"

Follow-up Question: "When will i know it is the 'right' time to 'test the waters' and re-enter those environments and reconnect with those 'friends'..."

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured, Chad's approach suggests waiting until your recovery is solid enough to handle triggers, being strategic about re-entry, and maintaining boundaries with people/places that actively undermine your sobriety.)

💡 Key Insight: Recovery doesn't mean permanent isolation, but it does require strategic boundary management in early stages. Re-entry happens when your recovery is resilient, not when you think you're "fixed."

Q⑥ The Role of Spirituality and Belief

Carby's Question: "And in addition to community / service.. does my beliefs influence my recovery? For example, does God (religion aside) play a role?"

Chad's Response: (While not fully captured in transcript, Chad's overall approach suggests non-dogmatic spirituality. Whether you call it God, the universe, purpose, or community, having something larger than yourself to orient toward helps recovery significantly.)

💡 Key Insight: Spirituality matters, but it doesn't require a specific theology. What matters is having meaning and purpose beyond your own ego.

Q⑦ Community Recognition of Small Victories

Participant Leo Petrilli: "Making my bed, every morning."

Participant Barb Lang: "I think there is a lot of meaning in those smaller gratitudes, it doesn't always have to be the big stuff."

Ken Markowitz Response: "I agree! It's the small things that we often take for granted and should always be grateful for."

💡 Key Insight: The community affirmed that small actions, done consistently, are the foundation of recovery. Making your bed daily is as valid and important as major service work.

Q⑧ Session Closing

Participant Damien Reilly: "I have to jump. Thanks everyone! Thanks Chad! Thanks Ken!"

Multiple Participants: "Thanks so much Chad, and Ken!" and "Thanks all"

Part ⑦ Integration & Next Steps

For Participants:

① If you attended the live session:

🔸 Download the full eBook for deeper learning
🔸 Implement the daily ritual (your own version of "Don't fuck it up today")
🔸 Practice one Level ① gesture daily (smile, hello, thank you)
🔸 Identify which layers of community you have and which you need
🔸 Choose one service pathway to explore this month
🔸 Start journaling (small wins, feelings, reflections)

② If you're new to this work:

🔸 Read through the eBook first to understand the framework
🔸 Start with the daily ritual (adapt it to your own belief system)
🔸 Begin with Tool #1: Making your bed and doing basic self-care
🔸 Document your small wins
🔸 Build from there

③ If you want to deepen the practice:

🔸 Consider one-on-one coaching with Chad or another trained coach
🔸 Join a recovery community (AA, SMART, Lymbic, etc.)
🔸 Combine this work with therapy or counseling
🔸 Start a home group or meet-up in your area
🔸 Join NYSLN Tuesday sessions weekly (free, judgment-free community)

For Mental Health Professionals:

The NYSLN platform is a vital resource for:
🔹 Connecting with clients in recovery
🔹 Understanding peer-led support models
🔹 Referring clients to free community resources
🔹 Learning about cutting-edge recovery practices
🔹 Building collaborative relationships with recovery communities

Part ⑧ The Bigger Picture

Why This Matters Now

Recovery work has traditionally focused on "stopping the behavior" (abstinence) and cognitive processing (therapy). This helps millions. But many people still feel stuck, still struggle with meaning and purpose, still can't regulate their nervous systems without substances.

Chad's work—and NYSLN's platform—represents a paradigm shift: Healing requires meeting the person where they are across all dimensions simultaneously.

This means:
💫 Traditional therapy (still essential)
💫 Plus 12-Step or peer programs (still valuable)
💫 Plus practical self-esteem building (small gestures, daily rituals)
💫 Plus community across multiple layers (recovery-specific and broader)
💫 Plus service and meaning-making (gives purpose to recovery)

The Result:

People don't just stop using substances—they reclaim their lives. They:
🌟 Develop genuine self-acceptance and self-esteem
🌟 Build authentic community across multiple layers
🌟 Discover meaning and purpose through service
🌟 Regulate their nervous systems (can be present without numbing)
🌟 Sleep well knowing they lived well
🌟 Know they're not alone
🌟 Have hope that change is possible

Part ⑨ Accessibility & Inclusivity

NYSLN's commitment to accessibility:

Financial:

💰 Free weekly Zoom sessions (Tuesdays 12-1 PM EST)
💰 Free eBooks and educational materials
💰 Free community access
💰 Sliding scale for direct coaching

Accessibility for Different Backgrounds:

🌈 No religious requirement
🌈 Non-dogmatic spirituality
🌈 No special preparation needed
🌈 Judgment-free (cameras on or off—your choice)
🌈 Welcomes skeptics and believers alike

For Healthcare Providers:

🏥 Mental health professionals welcome
🏥 NYSLN serves as a vital platform to connect with the community you serve
🏥 Integration with clinical recovery models (not replacement)

Part ⑩ Contact & Resources

Speaker:

Chad Johnson, Sober Coach & Recovery Advocate

🔗 Website: https://www.soberchad.com/
🔗 Email: (available through website)
🔗 Podcasts: "Not All There" & "Sober with Chad"
🔗 Services: Coaching (sliding scale), Speaking, Advocacy
🔗 Location: Chicago, IL (distance sessions available globally)

New York Sober Living Network:

🔗 Website: https://soberlivingnetwork.org
🔗 Linktr: https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
🔗 Email: [email protected]
🔗 Weekly: Tuesday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

Related Resources:

🔗 Art of Recovery Foundation: https://www.artofrecoveryfoundation.org/
🔗 Lymbic: https://www.lymbic.org/
🔗 Not All There Podcast: https://notalltherepod.com/

Crisis Resources:

🆘 National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – Free, confidential, 24/7
🆘 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
🆘 AA: https://www.aa.org/
🆘 SMART Recovery: https://www.smartrecovery.org/
🆘 Local mental health clinic or doctor

Part ⑪ The Larger Vision

What Chad's Work Represents

Chad Johnson isn't unique in being sober for 11+ years. But he's exceptional in how openly he shares his journey—not just the victories, but the nervous breakdown in year 5, the ongoing struggles with his trauma wiring, the daily commitment he still makes.

He's not selling a fantasy of "fixed recovery." He's modeling realistic, sustainable recovery: work, commitment, community, service, and genuine presence.

The Paradigm Shift

From "How do I stop using?" to "How do I build a life worth living?"

From "One day at a time" (survival mode) to "One day at a time with purpose" (thriving mode)

From "I need help" (vulnerability as need) to "I can help others" (vulnerability as strength)

Part ⑫ Final Words

Chad's Message to the Community:

(While not directly quoted, Chad's consistent message throughout is:)

"Show up. Be available. Start small. Be honest about who you are. Connect with people. Help others. That's the path. Not the only path. But a path that works."

Ken Markowitz's Framing:

"Recovery isn't about perfection. It's about showing up, staying connected, and living with gratitude one day at a time."

✨ Conclusion

The January 20, 2026 NYSLN session with Chad Johnson was a masterclass in practical recovery wisdom. Participants left with:

✨ Understanding: Why service is the mechanism of lasting recovery
✨ Frameworks: The three stages of recovery and how to move between them
✨ Practices: Daily rituals, scaling methods, small gesture frameworks
✨ Community: Connection to NYSLN and the broader SLN network
✨ Hope: Proof that transformation is possible, one day at a time
✨ Purpose: Clear pathways to meaningful service

By the end of the session, it was clear: recovery isn't something you achieve and then stop working on. It's a way of living—present, connected, purposeful, and dedicated to helping others find their own way.

Building Connection. Empowering Lives. Restoring Hope.

New York Sober Living Network

🔗 https://soberlivingnetwork.org
📧 [email protected]
👥 https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

Sober Living Network – Global Community

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 Connect through website
🔗 Registration: https://SoberLivingNetwork.org

Event Documentation Date: January 20, 2026

Materials Created: eBook (Full Educational Resource) + Event Summary (Quick Overview) + Extended Event Summary (Comprehensive Documentation)

Access: All materials available free to NYSLN community members and registered participants

🔗 https://linktr.ee/soberlivingnetwork
📧 [email protected]
👥 Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/toronto-sober-living-network

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