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S1 Episode 1 Cheeze Talk Winning With Sobriety
70 Plays1 year ago
Today, I sat down with one of my favorite Twitter followers, @RecoverFromAddiction who is a Certified Addiction Counselor(alcohol, drugs, and other addictions), and discussed different stages in her life where she felt like making change, what her rick bottom was, what got her to where she is today. She's nothing short of an inspiration to many! Please make sure you subscribe to her YouTube channel. Lindsay, thanks again! I truly enjoyed the chat!
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Transcript
Introduction to Cheese Talk Podcast
00:00:01
Speaker
Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to Cheese Talk podcast. I'm your host, Brian Rego. In this show, I'll be talking Packers sports life with Lindsay Landry about life. But before I get to my guests, I'd like to give a huge shout out to Ohana Packers edition for giving me the opportunity to express my opinions. Also, there's a special giveaway. Once the Ohana Packers Twitter X account hits 523 followers,
00:00:31
Speaker
We are giving away a Jair Alexander autographed eight by 10 picture. And I did happen to check about 10 minutes ago and they're only at 328. So about 200 more followers. And you get a chance to win an autographed picture by one of the best cornerbacks in the national football league. And please like, and subscribe to my YouTube channel at cheese talk podcast.
00:00:55
Speaker
in YouTube.
Lindsay Landry's Story and Reflections
00:00:56
Speaker
So here we have Lindsay. She is, I'll give her a little introduction. She's in long-term recovery and she's a certified addiction counselor with alcohol, drugs, and other addictions. Welcome. Thanks for having me. Yeah, no problem. I appreciate it. Yep. So kind of curious. I've been following you on Twitter for a while and everything you post is awesome. It means a lot to see people out there trying to change, change
00:01:25
Speaker
people, you know, try to help people out and talk and help them with their issues. What's up? Thanks. Um, so I do have a few questions for you. This kind of that I came up with, um, one is how often do you sit back and ask yourself, why do you think you went through what you'd like, what you've experienced in the past? Yeah. Um, I have, um, I think that,
00:01:53
Speaker
You mean like in a way of like regretting it or wishing I could do it again? Um, more like, you know, you get to a point, like we're like at a stage, like late teens, early, early mid twenties. And it's like, you're like at a, like a rebellious, I mean, like you just, did you want to experience like everything once or did you just like self-control? Was it more like you had to have a certain feeling to think that you're having a good time?
00:02:22
Speaker
Oh, I get what you mean. Yeah. So, so what really, I look, I look back now and I think it was wanting to belong. And so that's why I picked up and drank. And so then it's almost like, it also gave me a feeling of.
00:02:40
Speaker
It's like being enough, but really what it was was just not caring, you know? Right. So I could just not have anxiety and, and not worry about everything and feel comfortable in my own skin. It wasn't real. It was from drugs and alcohol, but, but I felt a sense of belonging, whether it be with all those people doing it or just, just with drugs and alcohol. Yeah.
00:03:03
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, it's like you go into a, like a big crowd, a big bar downtown, you know, for me, I was in downtown Madison. So you go into it and it's a huge, obviously it's, we're always number one for drinking. There's like the top 20 drinking cities in the U S like Wisconsin had like seven or eight of like the top. It was just embarrassing, but whatever it always wants a part of that scene too. And it's just like, you just, once you go in there and you get to that buzz and like, you feel like you're a part of everybody else that you see around you, whether you know them or not.
00:03:34
Speaker
And you get to the point where you like, you put your guard down and you go up to them. And then that's when you look up, look at it and I was like, damn, like I put myself in this situation to where I could have been, you know, taken or I could have something, you know, something could have happened, you
Trust and Relationships During Recovery
00:03:50
Speaker
know? And it's just like, then you wake up the next morning, like what happened the night before, you know? And it's like, it's scary. And then having kids ultimately is like, Jesus, you know?
00:04:00
Speaker
like you just think about like when we were that age we thought it was fun but then our parents were like in the shoes they were in right now and it just makes it look like a total different perspective from our points now. It's scary. It is very scary. Did you lose like family friends due to addiction like through time and if you did now that you're back in recovery are you gaining those those friends and family back that you might have lost with everything?
00:04:29
Speaker
Yes. So I always had my mom and my dad there luckily until it was the end. And when they were just totally done and we're like, you need to get help. We're not helping you anymore. And that was kind of, that was actually very helpful for me in that moment. And even though it felt like the most pain ever to have my parents say we're done with you, it was a wake up call. Yeah.
00:04:56
Speaker
But other than that, you know, I, I had friends from my childhood, but I had already lost touch with them because I was, I was hanging out with other people that were just using. And so I didn't really consider any of them real friends. So that's one thing when I got into recovery, when I went to treatment is like, I got to start all over, not nobody, you know, and then
00:05:18
Speaker
Yeah. I never, not really think about that before. Um, and then, yeah, so my parents, it took me, it took them a while to start trusting me again and to actually not see me as that person anymore. You know, a lot of damage. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I look back and it's like, I have like before, like I was, I drank, you have that, that small pack that I always considered like close with through like, you know, late.
00:05:45
Speaker
junior high in the high school and when we graduated we were all close knit and then some go to college some move away some whatever but to this day I that's pretty much who I like keep them not close contact with but like once you hook up with them like not hook up whatever but once like you text them or you know you call them or hey I'm gonna be in town you know it's just like
00:06:09
Speaker
things never changed from what they were before. As far as like all these years back in school and stuff, which makes it, you know, it makes you realize that, you know, who your true friends really are, you know? And ironically enough, like when I met my wife, I was working at a bar down by Camp Randall in Madison and she was working, our good mutual friend at the time was bar manager. So my wife lived up in Green Bay. I lived down in Madison.
00:06:39
Speaker
So my wife would come down for the weekends to work the beer garden. So through time, she saw me and everything, but her first reaction to me is like, who in the is that guy? I was just, I was, you know, I was there and I was drinking, you know, and, um, eventually, you know, I mean, that was 17, 18 years ago and we've been together ever since. So it's, it's to say that I met her at a spot where I was at my most vulnerable, but
00:07:08
Speaker
I was at the point in my life when I met her that I didn't want to be in a relationship with anybody. I was, you know, and, you know, it's just sometimes you realize that things are meant to happen the way they are. And I wouldn't change anything for, I mean, I'm a firm believer in things happen for a reason. And if I wouldn't have put myself in that situation, I wouldn't be where I'm at today. But it's sad, sad enough to say, you know, I had to go through,
00:07:36
Speaker
a lot of shit to get to get to where I'm at. But one good thing that came out of it was my wife and my kids. So yeah, that's I have a similar experience with, you know, I had a lot of consequences, a lot of jail trips, a prison stay, many psych wards and like that was not fun. No. And having a record now with charges on it, that's not fun. But
00:08:05
Speaker
through everything I was able to push through. And then sometimes I asked myself, I don't even know how I did it, but it was literally like one little step at a time, you know, and, and they all add up. And when I look back, it's like, it was like, it's a huge change. Um, but I think I wouldn't be, I want to say as smart as I am, but I have a lot of experiences. It's like taught me a lot about life and how to,
00:08:36
Speaker
push through, you know? Yeah. I mean, you as life as your biggest lesson learner, you know, and then like for, for us, like you talked, I talked to my kids and I tell them, you know, certain things and it's like, yeah, whatever dad is like, well, mom and dad, we've, we've been through it. We've seen it happen. Neither us, our friends, our family, you know, we it's, but sometimes you got to experience on your own to realize that, you know, mom and dad were right. You know,
00:09:03
Speaker
Yes. It's just sad to say, it's sad to see like your kids going, this being in that, you know, I have a 14 year old daughter, so you give me 15 in May. Oh boy. My mom had three boys and she's like, I would never, I would never want to have raised, I had three girls and two boys. So yeah. So it's, it's, it's, it can be challenging at times, but you know, you sit back at the end of the day and you realize that, you know,
00:09:31
Speaker
the kids and you gotta, you know, just it is what it is. You know, no one said it was going to be easy. So true. I didn't mean to cut you off. You're going to say something. No, I don't even remember what I was going to say. Okay. What was your rock
Moments of Change and Growth
00:09:50
Speaker
bottom? If you don't mind me asking. Oh yeah. No. My rock bottom was an accumulation of rock bottoms of just
00:10:01
Speaker
so many times, it's like I was just staying there and I wanted to come up, but it was like I hadn't been through enough emotional pain maybe. It was like a moment when I realized that I can't live a normal life and do drugs and alcohol. There's just no way. It was like a click in my head.
00:10:29
Speaker
crazy. And then I got help, but I did relapse after that. But the thing is like me finally, like wanting to reach for help, my, that rock bottom, that was when I thought, when I realized this is going nowhere. Like I don't, it's not worth it anymore. Like it hadn't been for a while, but now it's finally in enough pain that I said to myself, all right, let's, we gotta just do it. There's, that's the only option now. Yeah. In my head. Yeah. I, uh,
00:10:58
Speaker
Yeah, that's huge. I got to the point. I know like, so I'll be three years, November 1st. And I live in like, in, it's kind of hard to, it's like a cul-de-sac inside of a cul-de-sac type neighborhood. But like for Halloween, we went out with our kids and neighbors behind us had like an adult beverage stand out. And I just remember I had one confidence just like,
00:11:24
Speaker
You know, you know, since that night I hadn't, you know, I only had one drink, but I just said, I'm just going to do my best because that's when I started being on all the medics, you know, for my injury. And, uh, yes, I've been, I've been clean ever since. So it's, it's definitely, you feel a bit, you feel a bit every day knowing that you're accomplishing things and you're setting a better example of, for me setting a better example for my kids. Yeah. And I can, I can.
00:11:49
Speaker
not put myself and my kids in a situation to where dad's been drinking, dad's got to drive and they just don't need that.
Parenting and Personal Development
00:12:00
Speaker
You got to be an example for your kids. And seeing other people that you communicate with every day, whether it be on
00:12:09
Speaker
I mean, texting or social media, I think helps kind of keep that even though it's like, I don't know you from seeing you on Twitter or whatever. So still, I think it keeps a drive in people to keep doing good, you know. Yeah, it helps me for sure. And there's a sense of accountability for myself there. Yeah. You know, how much how much does having you said you have a boy, you have a boy, right?
00:12:37
Speaker
Yeah, he's seven. How much is having him help you with your everyday getting through things? Um, probably the most helpful thing, probably the biggest motivator is him. Um, obviously I do everything for, you know, I do it for myself because I know that I know now that I matter enough to, to want to do the right thing and want to keep pushing, but he really, um,
00:13:06
Speaker
you know, that unconditional love like I have for him, just, yeah, it's just, you know, it's, it's like hard to describe. It just, it's everything to me, you know? Yeah. It's just hard. I know I posted, I think I posted on Facebook. Um, we, last night my wife and I signed up my 14 year old for, for driver's ed. Oh my God.
00:13:30
Speaker
It's like, this seems like yesterday I was putting her in her car seat and taking her home from the hospital. Next thing you know, it's like, boom, you know, it's like, but it's, you know, it's, yeah, it's crazy. It's just crazy how fast, like they say, you know, kids grow up fast, but they grow up fast, you know, and they get their, they get their clicks at school and they get their friends and they get their certain things. They say like my kids went through a stage and still doing, I think since I started, I didn't like not,
00:14:00
Speaker
so much like mock them but the the bra and the bro and it's like I'm your dad that's your mother we're not your bro we're not your bra we're not dude you're not this mom and dad you know sometimes they'll joke and call me by my first name it's like no but always is you have a lot to look forward to yeah um and you answered that question do you ever need do you have any uh
00:14:30
Speaker
Actually, when you're counseling clients, does it help you out with yourself as well, like walking them through certain certain situations or? It it helps me because I don't I don't ever want to be someone that I don't want to ever talk about something that I don't actually do, you know, and so meaning like just, you know, because obviously, like, I'm not going I don't tell them
00:14:59
Speaker
you know, what to do or anything, but I just, I just have to be authentic with them too, you know, and, and just let them know, like, I'm here for you. And, um, you know, it helps me stay accountable to them too, because they, they need help and I can help and, and I need to be on point, you know, if they can see that you've been through,
00:15:25
Speaker
maybe a certain glimpse of what they've been through. And then they see you being successful. It puts more confidence in them thinking or knowing that they can do the same thing. Cause there's somebody else that I consider a friend that can do the same thing that I'm achieve. You're trying to achieve. That's, that's, that's awesome. Like I will, I will share it with, with the ones that I feel like it's necessary or that will help. It'll benefit them. Right. I'm sure you can tell like when somebody comes in, whether,
00:15:57
Speaker
And they have the tools ahead of them to be successful. Or you can tell the ones that come in, maybe you can like smell alcohol in their breath, or you can just see this thing. Hey, I, you know, I, you're not going to maybe open up as much to them as you would to somebody else that, you know, is getting that way. Yeah, it's all, yeah, it's all dependent on.
00:16:18
Speaker
And if I think it's appropriate to, to even talk about, cause I'll talk about my journey, but not much more than I don't talk about my personal life or anything. Right. Absolutely. Um, do you, this is the other side of my podcast. Do you, do you like follow sports at all? No.
00:16:38
Speaker
It's a good answer. No, I didn't know. I didn't know. Cause I know you post a lot of things about, you know, the sobriety and everything, which is awesome. And I just didn't ever, I don't think I ever remember seeing anything sports. So that's why I figured out.
Path to Counseling and Final Thoughts
00:16:51
Speaker
Is there, um, how long did it take for you to go through schooling and stuff? There's like,
00:16:59
Speaker
Is that something that you obviously, was that part of your journey too? Is that something that you started like when you were still using or is that something that you started like after you became clean or on your journey? Good question. So what is so interesting that I just recently have remembered is that I was at my first treatment center for alcohol when I was 20 years old and I was taking college classes for the addiction
00:17:28
Speaker
counselor I Did not finish those classes and I did not go back to school till later on But I was always interested in being an addiction counselor, but I was in addiction It's just so wild how that works. And so that was like always my dream job for some reason even back then Like I wanted to do like write a book or like do something to help people, but I couldn't help myself. So it was so weird and
00:17:57
Speaker
When I went through treatment, after a year, they came to me, the owners, and they said, hey, you've been sober for a year. We've been doing everything. We see how you're holding yourself and
00:18:15
Speaker
in doing what being accountable. So would you want to come work here and live at the girl's house? And I was like, Yes, I was like a house mom. And I didn't have a license. I didn't have a car then. So I started because I had a DUI. And so I had all this money to pay back and everything. So I started straight from that point. And then I got experience in every single
00:18:41
Speaker
spot in a treatment center, like I did business office, I did insurance, I did BOBs, like verifications of insurance, I did admissions, I did billing and counseling.
00:18:59
Speaker
And then counseling. So that was the longest I did was the counseling. But I had I worked up from like literally, you know, because I was making like 50 bucks a week or something and then living there. And then they had to help me get my license. And I had a breathalyzer in my car. And I was like, I'll never, ever get to a point to where I'll be independent. But I did. You know, it's just it literally took what it took in time, but it
00:19:27
Speaker
It happened, you know, one step at a time. Like I said a lot, well, everything's, you know, it's meant to be, it's going to happen. You know, some things are just meant to be, I know for like me, I got a DUI when I was 22, you know, and downtown Madison, you know, we'll figure, and it was just a torrential downpour, you know, bar time, you know, you meet up with friends, you get a bite to eat before you part ways and
00:19:53
Speaker
I went down a one-way street the wrong way. And when I went, I almost hit a, I almost clipped a cop car. You know, I had two female officers and first are like, you know, can you, is there someone you can call to come pick you up in the corner of whatever Johnson and Broom Street? I'm like, yeah, make call mom, you know, three o'clock in the morning. Can you come pick me up in the court? She's like, why? I'm like, mom, pick me up.
00:20:17
Speaker
Next thing you know, I got back of a cop car, went police garage, took fields of priority. I was in a holding cell for like four or five hours and my parents came down and got me out and everything, but you're like, oh, I'm never ever going to do that again. And then you maybe have like half a beer or beer and you get that liquid courage and you get behind the, just stupid, you know? And it's just, and to like fast forward to three years ago, when I got hurt, I did,
00:20:48
Speaker
I've been home a considerable amount of time for my injury and my kids are in sports. So like my, I first started coaching my, um, he's a fifth grader now, but I was coaching him in basketball, which is a passion of mine. Um, kind of like you said, um, I was trying to find things to keep me out, get me out of the house for those, you know, three or four days a week. And, and then my.
00:21:14
Speaker
my fourth grader he's in he was in basketball so I was coaching him and then last summer my fifth grader didn't want to play soccer or didn't want to play football or didn't want to play basketball so he played and they played soccer and I grew up with my brother playing soccer and we traveled all around the US for him and I'm like well how I know enough about soccer I always tease soccer players because I played football when I was growing up I played football and soccer but I quit playing soccer like I don't know like elementary school to play football and
00:21:44
Speaker
So I know about soccer. So I look out, I'll teach her, you know, everything. And so then just doing stuff like that to get me out of the house and making myself damn, damn sure that I'm not going to, you know, you know, drink before I get behind the wheel, because just keep my mind, my mind off of it. It's it's huge, you know, and yeah. And then you see, do you see other people doing it? It's like, you know, it's like you almost. It's just like you almost want to like.
00:22:14
Speaker
Tom, are you sure that you want to get behind the wheel or it's like you, if it's something you don't really like, say, Oh, maybe they'll get a DUI and figure out for themselves, you know? And it's just for me, like I like found hobbies to like take pictures. I'm sure you've seen my photos on there. That's all from my, from my cell phone. So everyone's always asking me, what are your photos from? I was like, I just use my cell phone. I have like a, like a magnetic
00:22:43
Speaker
Um, on the back of my phone, then my, my windshield has a phone holder and she was my stylist to snap the picture when I'm driving and I get back home and I go through and I keep the good ones and get rid of the bad ones. But, um, yeah, I don't know. I just thought it'd be so cool to have you on today. And, and, and just, you know, cause I know there's people that I know that I follow and that follow me that, um, that I have lined up.
00:23:11
Speaker
Once I started this idea of doing a podcast,
00:23:15
Speaker
I wasn't really sure about it. And then I was on a few podcasts. And it's like, I mean, it keeps me busy. Yeah. It keeps my mind going. I'm a huge lover of sports. So the Green Bay Packers. I grew up in Madison. Now my wife is from the Green Bay area. So we moved up here after we got married. Huge Packer fan. Love him to death. I actually coached Matt the florist kid. He's the head coach of the Packers in basketball. Not this last year, but the year before. Super nice family.
00:23:45
Speaker
Um, but yeah, just my passions. I like to stick to them like, like photography and, and, uh, just getting out and enjoying the small things. But like I was saying, I do have a lot of followers that are, you know, I have one guy that he was, he messaged me about, you know, that he has a problem with drinking whiskey. And it's like, that's one thing I didn't really get into was like the hard hardcore. Like I was more like, well, I guess I was a little bit, but.
00:24:11
Speaker
Most of the nights where you drink so much beer, then you just black out when you start mixing the hard liquor. Yes.
00:24:16
Speaker
But I just want to thank you for taking the time out of your day. I know you said you've got a meeting coming up. I'll let you get ready for that. And hopefully down the road, we can chat again. And hopefully we're both living the silver life still. Yeah. And maybe you could put my podcast in there, my YouTube channel. It's Recover From Addiction.
00:24:41
Speaker
Okay, and my name. So yeah, I'll put you in the video description. Yeah, I'll look up everything about you and I'll post it on and I'll put myself as well. Cool. All right. All right. Thank you so much. You take care. You too. Bye.