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Emotional Sobriety: The Next Step in Recovery

Emotional Sobriety: The Next Step in Recovery

By: Allen Berger & Thom Rutledge
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Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholic's Anonymous, wrote in 1952, "If we examine every disturbance we have, great or small, we will find at the root some unhealthy dependence and its consequent demand." Wilson suggested that if we could identify and continually surrender these unrealistic and unrecognizable demands, that we may then be able to accomplish what he imagined to be recovery's next frontier - something he called emotional sobriety. Flash forward 70 years, and join psychotherapists and best-selling authors Thom Rutledge and Dr. Allen Berger, who have taken up the mantle of exploring Bill Wilson's new frontier. Welcome to Emotional Sobriety.© 2021 Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • Are These Extravagant Promises? Inconceivable!
    Jul 3 2025

    Joe C. joins Patrick and Thom to chat about mutual aid versus self-help: how collectivism can feed our emotional sobriety. When we give ourselves to fellowship and sharing, we’re gaining something as much as we’re giving it away. The origin of AA itself can be attributed to this concept.

    Register for what’s sure to be lively: the 2025 International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous, which begins tomorrow on July 3rd and extends through July 6th:

    https://www.aa.org/international-convention

    Learn more about Joe C., Secular AA and Rebellion Dogs here: https://rebelliondogspublishing.com

    Follow us on social media.

    Podcast Twitter: @EmSobrietyPod

    Instagram: thomrutledge2

    Joe C. Twitter: @Rebellion_Dogs

    Friendly Circle Berlin Workshop Group meets every Monday @ 7:30pm (Berlin), 6:30pm (Ireland & UK), 1:30pm EST, 10:30am PST

    Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5505019905

    Allen’s book, 12 Essential Insights for Emotional Sobriety: https://www.amazon.com/12-Essential-Insights-Emotional-Sobriety/dp/1955415129/

    Join Allen & Thom at our Thursday night, 7pm PST Zoom meeting on Emotional Sobriety and the Steps (login information below):

    https://zoom.us/j/330149513

    Password: 375986

    For our ongoing workshop video series on Emotional Sobriety and the 12 Steps, visit our YouTube channel here:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEM2-kqLkfp3I4c0jy-X-g

    Also, please join our “Emotional Sobriety and Recovery” FB Group at the following link:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/120450976662519

    We’d love to stay in touch in between meetings.

    We appreciate feedback! Contact Patrick, our producer, at pndirective4@gmail.com for any questions or comments.

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • Right-Sized Expressions
    Jun 27 2025

    Joe Chisholm checks back in. We read a passage from his daily reflections book and he brings to our attention “Living Sober,” which was written more than 40 years after the AA Big Book was published. When those recovering were asked “what were the reasons you drank?,” they often said they used it to express their anger. Today we search for new mediums to express our emotions.

    As Allen likes to remind us, we’re stuck, not sick. In the space between a stimulus and a response we try to lean into the pause and listen to our second voice. Emotional sobriety lies therein.

    We can also do a brief check in with the audience about recent controversy over our political opinions.

    Learn more about Joe C., Secular AA and Rebellion Dogs here: https://rebelliondogspublishing.com

    Follow us on social media.

    Podcast Twitter: @EmSobrietyPod

    Instagram: thomrutledge2

    Joe C. Twitter: @Rebellion_Dogs

    Friendly Circle Berlin Workshop Group meets every Monday @ 7:30pm (Berlin), 6:30pm (Ireland & UK), 1:30pm EST, 10:30am PST

    Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5505019905

    Allen’s book, 12 Essential Insights for Emotional Sobriety: https://www.amazon.com/12-Essential-Insights-Emotional-Sobriety/dp/1955415129/

    Join Allen & Thom at our Thursday night, 7pm PST Zoom meeting on Emotional Sobriety and the Steps (login information below):

    https://zoom.us/j/330149513

    Password: 375986

    For our ongoing workshop video series on Emotional Sobriety and the 12 Steps, visit our YouTube channel here:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEM2-kqLkfp3I4c0jy-X-g

    Also, please join our “Emotional Sobriety and Recovery” FB Group at the following link:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/120450976662519

    We’d love to stay in touch in between meetings.

    We appreciate feedback! Contact Patrick, our producer, at pndirective4@gmail.com for any questions or comments.

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Letting Go Never Stops
    Jun 20 2025

    This week we talk about taking better lessons from our mistakes. In finding our emotional center of gravity, recognizing we’re sick rather than stuck, we try to trust the process instead of controlling the outcome.

    To participate in Thom’s Inner Child Workshop on Saturday, June 21st @ 10am CST, email him here:

    thomrutledgeauthor@gmail.com

    Learn more about Joe C., Secular AA and Rebellion Dogs here: https://rebelliondogspublishing.com

    Follow us on social media.

    Podcast Twitter: @EmSobrietyPod

    Instagram: thomrutledge2

    Joe C. Twitter: @Rebellion_Dogs

    Friendly Circle Berlin Workshop Group meets every Monday @ 7:30pm (Berlin), 6:30pm (Ireland & UK), 1:30pm EST, 10:30am PST

    Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5505019905

    Allen’s book, 12 Essential Insights for Emotional Sobriety: https://www.amazon.com/12-Essential-Insights-Emotional-Sobriety/dp/1955415129/

    Join Allen & Thom at our Thursday night, 7pm PST Zoom meeting on Emotional Sobriety and the Steps (login information below):

    https://zoom.us/j/330149513

    Password: 375986

    For our ongoing workshop video series on Emotional Sobriety and the 12 Steps, visit our YouTube channel here:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEM2-kqLkfp3I4c0jy-X-g

    Also, please join our “Emotional Sobriety and Recovery” FB Group at the following link:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/120450976662519

    We’d love to stay in touch in between meetings.

    We appreciate feedback! Contact Patrick, our producer, at pndirective4@gmail.com for any questions or comments.

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins

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