When we quit drinking, emotions we’ve spent years numbing suddenly come bubbling (or roaring) to the surface - and few feel as uncomfortable or overwhelming as anger. For many of us, it’s an emotion we were never taught to handle, let alone express in a healthy way. In this honest roundtable conversation, we explore what anger really is, why it shows up, and how to deal with anger without landing in fear, shame, or regret.

In this episode, Julie and Steve are joined by Lester Vaskin and Mike Coyne, who share their personal experiences and insights from recovery, relationships, and real life. Together, they unpack the hidden layers beneath anger - fear, disappointment, and unmet expectations - and discuss how learning to sit with and respond to anger can become one of the most powerful tools for growth in sobriety.

In This Episode:

• Why anger feels so overwhelming in early sobriety
• How childhood conditioning shapes the way we express (or suppress) anger
• Understanding anger as a secondary emotion
• The difference between reacting and responding
• How the “pause” - or “meta moment” - helps your rational brain catch up
• Using anger as a motivator for positive change
• When anger masks fear, sadness, or hurt
• Why avoiding anger keeps us stuck - and how feeling it sets us free
• Realistic tools (that you'll actually use) for handling anger in healthy ways

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