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b'Jason Groce stops by to talk about sobriety, dual diagnosis, and the recovery support group LifeRing. For 10 years, Jason was an on again off again alcoholic. He would stay sober for periods of time or attempt to moderate. Eventually, stressors would pile up and he would start drinking. He tried support groups but didn\\u2019t find them helpful. 3 and a half years ago, a social worker asked him what he was going to do differently. It wasn\\u2019t his first time to the hospital, but he was committed to making it his last. He agreed that he needed to find a community to stay sober.\\n\\nLifeRing got Jason\\u2019s attention. He attended a meeting, and the format worked for him. The philosophy of secularism and personal empowerment spoke to Jason. He\\u2019d always struggled with the spiritual components of other programs, and the emphasis on powerlessness and surrender. Most of all, he liked the more conversational structure of the meeting. Each meeting, participants are invited to share about their last week. It can be directly related to sobriety, but it doesn\\u2019t have to be. Crosstalk is encouraged. People interrupt to ask questions, offer support, or share similar experiences.\\nTwo concepts undergird LifeRing\\u2019s philosophy: the 3 S\\u2019s and the addict self \\u2013 sober self-conflict. The 3 S\\u2019s are sobriety, secularity, and self-help. Sobriety because LifeRing is an abstinence-based program. Secularity because LifeRing promotes models of recovery generated by human effort. And self-help because LifeRing believes that each individual\\u2019s journey to sobriety is their own, and the role of the group is to reinforce each individual\\u2019s motivation and efforts. The conflict between the Addict Self and the Sober Self represents LifeRing\\u2019s belief about the nature of addiction recovery. The process of recovery involves strengthening and reinforcing the sober self. The addict self will always be there, but we can do everything in our power to amplify our desire to live a fulfilled, sober life.\\nIn this episode we also talk about:\\n\\nThe intervention that led to Jason\\u2019s recovery\\n\\nAtheism and recovery\\n\\nWhy LifeRing\\u2019s meeting format and absence of an organized doctrine are important to Jason\\n\\nThe differences between LifeRing, 12-step programs, and other peer support groups\\n\\n\\n\\nSupport this podcast at \\u2014 https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'