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Welcome to the Catholic sobriety podcast mini-soad . These shorter episodes provide quick tips and information that you can refer back to when you need it most so you can achieve and maintain your desired level of sobriety . I am your sobriety coach and host of this podcast , kristi Walker . Let's get started . Hello friends , thank you once again for joining me . This is another mini-soad , and today we are going to delve into a topic that is very near and dear to my heart . I want to talk about five things that I would never do if I wanted to get sober Now . These are lessons that I actually learned through my journey to stop drinking , and I hope that there'll be a help to you too . So let's just jump in . Since this is a mini-soad , we don't have a lot of time to chit chat . So let's , let's go .

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So the first on the list is never isolate yourself . So , whether you are just looking to get curious about the role the alcohol plays in your life or you are really working to overcome an addiction , it is not a solitary journey and it is vital that you surround yourself with supportive people . So find those people who you can trust , who you can confide in , and maybe it's just one person and that's okay , but we want to have at least one person that we can talk to , that is going to love us through whatever we decide to do and support us on our journey to drink less or not at all . That can be family , that can be friends , that can be people in your faith community , it can be a coach . Just have somebody , because hiding in the shame and pretending it isn't happening isn't going to make anything better .

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Now the second thing is never neglect your spiritual health , and as Catholics , we believe that prayer and faith play crucial roles in our lives , especially during challenging times . Now , in my own experience , even when my faith wasn't the strongest , I really worked to lean into the Lord . You know when I could , or when , I guess I was so desperate that I really had no other choice , and I will tell you that when I turned my face to God . And , ladies , if we can do nothing else but turn our face to God and ask him for his help , that in itself is a prayer , even if you can't articulate it into words , and I promise you that God will pour into you and he will give you the strength and the courage that you need to take the steps necessary to get things back on track so that you can live in freedom . Christ died for us so that we would be free , and God desires us to be free . So turn your face to him , lean into the Lord , lean into your faith , make sure that you are regularly taking advantage of and receiving the sacraments , and I promise you those graces will strengthen you and equip you to meet your goals . Now .

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The third thing is never ignore the importance of self-care . Remember your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and taking care of your physical health is just as important as taking care of your spiritual health . So that means regular exercise , balanced diet , getting adequate sleep and eliminating things that may be harming our health . Now , in this episode , I'm not gonna go in to all the negative impacts that alcohol has on our bodies , but I encourage you to do your research , and there is some solid research out there and it may surprise you , but it's necessary to know because that will help give us more of a willingness to want to change .

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Now the fourth thing is never engage in negative self-talk . Ladies , I know that is easier said than done because it is so easy to beat ourselves up , but remember that God loves us unconditionally . And if you are having those negative thoughts or think that maybe God thinks a certain way of you and it is not loving , that is not God . God loves you and he desires your greatest good . So we need to learn to forgive ourselves because he forgives us .

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If you're still having trouble with that , go to the sacrament of reconciliation and let that free you and open you up to receiving God's grace . And remember that each day is a new opportunity for growth and healing . So if you falter , use that as a learning experience . Try not to beat yourself up about it . Say what can I do next time so that that doesn't happen again ?

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And finally , and this is most important , never lose hope , because overcoming our vices , putting down those distractions that keep us from God , it's a journey with ups and downs , and there are going to be moments when you feel like you're on top of the world and you're slaying it and you've got it all figured out , and then there are going to be moments where you're just like will I ever get this ? But let your faith remind you that God is with you and nothing is impossible . He is walking with you every single day , in every single moment . He loves you . You are his beloved daughter and he is with you , so don't ever feel alone .

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And now I just want to leave you with a bit of scripture to encourage you in the days ahead . It's from Joshua , chapter 1 , verse 9 , and it says have I not commanded you Be strong and courageous , do not be frightened and do not be dismayed , for the Lord , your God , is with you wherever you go . He's with you , ladies . Well , that wraps up today's episode of the Catholic Subriety Mini-Sode . Thank you so much for joining me and please be sure to subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss a thing . And remember I am here for you , I am praying for you . You are not alone .