Podcast
I Love Being Sober
Hosted by Tim Westbrook · EN
Hello my friends, and welcome back to yet another episode of I Love Being Sober brought to you by Camelback Recovery - a proud partner to the most effective way to achieve long term recovery without the pain and suffering and high cost of multiple stints in detox, rehabs, and sober living homes. My name is Tim Westbrook and I am the CEO and Founder of Camelback Recovery here in the always sunny and always sober Scottsdale, Arizona where my team and I over the course of many years have helped thousands of people on their path to long term recovery.
I started this show because there is so much misinformation about addiction treatment, mental illness, and addiction recovery in general. There is much more to recovery than just going to inpatient treatment, seeing a therapist, and going to 12 step meetings. Those things are important and AA saved my life. However, to find long term recovery and live happy, joyous and free, there is a lot more to it than just stopping the drinking, stopping the drugs, or stopping any addictive behavior. Sobriety and recovery can and should be fun. That's not to say that the recovery process is going to be easy and it's not to say that there won't be difficult times ahead. However, to live the life that you deserve and for it to be exciting and fun you need new lifestyle habits. New healthy lifestyle habits that promote your mental, spiritual, and physical health. That my friends will lead you to living a KICK ASS SOBER LIFE!
Visit CamelbackRecovery.com to learn more about recovery coaching, sober living, and your next step to freedom and happiness.
37episodes
Episodes
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How Emerging Adults Can Achieve Healing
Yesterday01:11:58Tap to summarizeWhat actually keeps women from walking through the door of a treatment center — and what keeps them from staying once they're in? Tim Westbrook sits down with Dr. Whitney Howzell, a licensed clinical social worker, US Army veteran, certified sexual therapist, and Vice President of Inpatient Operations at Meadows Behavioral Healthcare, for one of the most honest conversations about recovery this podcast has ever had. Dr. Howzell breaks down why shame is gendered and shows up completely differently for women than for men, why emerging adults struggle to engage in treatment even when the consequences are right in front of them, and why the prefrontal cortex matters more than most treatment programs acknowledge. She talks candidly about digital culture, dopamine, and how recovery has to evolve to meet a generation that was born into the internet age. The conversation goes deep on intimacy — not the physical kind, but the kind most people in recovery have never learned: eye contact, vulnerability, what it means to let someone actually see you. Dr. Howzell also discusses her work treating sexual trauma, sexual compulsive behavior, and the new Willow Healing Center at Meadows Behavioral Healthcare, a combined women's program that integrates eating disorder treatment with intimacy disorder treatment after clinicians discovered the two were almost always co-occurring. This episode is for anyone in recovery, anyone who loves someone in recovery, or any clinician who wants to understand why the one-size-fits-all treatment model keeps failing the people who need it most. Recorded live at Camelback Recovery in Scottsdale, Arizona with a live audience of clients and staff.
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Achieving Wholeness And Lasting Recovery
1w ago00:50:34Tap to summarizeWhat if the part of you that wants to drink, use, or self-sabotage isn't the enemy — it's just trying to protect you the only way it knows how? In this episode of I Love Being Sober, recorded live at Camelback Recovery's outpatient center in Scottsdale, Arizona, host Tim Westbrook sits down with licensed professional counselor and IFS therapist Kristy Crabtree for a deep conversation on trauma, healing, and what it actually means to recover from the inside out. Kristy breaks down Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy in plain language — explaining why we all have protective "parts," why no part is bad (even the addictive ones), and how to work with your inner world instead of fighting it. In this episode, you'll learn: What IFS therapy is and why it works for addiction and trauma The difference between a "manager" and a "firefighter" — and which one is driving your behavior Why your addictive urge has a positive intention (and how to redirect it) How trauma gets stored in the body and blocks spiritual growth A simple breathwork technique to regulate your nervous system right now How to begin healing the inner child without becoming overwhelmed Kristy Crabtree is the founder of Inner Light Counseling in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area and Sacred Revolution, a consciousness expansion practice. She is the author of Sacred Revolution and Reclaiming Eden, and host of the Transcendence Talks podcast.
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How To Live At A Higher Standard
2w ago01:12:11Tap to summarizeIn this episode of I Love Being Sober, recorded live at Camelback Recovery's outpatient treatment center in Scottsdale, Arizona, host Tim Westbrook sits down with Michael Bernoff — founder of the Human Communications Institute, developer of Human Interaction Technology™, and author of Average Sucks. Michael has been alcohol-free since New Year's Eve 2016, not because he hit a rock bottom, but because he made a clear-eyed decision: there was nothing good about drinking, and he refused to be an influence that pulled anyone else toward it. This conversation goes deep into the psychology of language and identity in recovery. Michael breaks down why the words 'sober' and 'addict' can quietly keep people stuck, why 'learning to live differently' is a more powerful frame than 'getting sober,' and what it actually means to raise your average when you've been running on empty. The live audience at Camelback Recovery joins in with real questions — and Michael works through them in real time, demonstrating exactly the kind of powerful, in-the-moment coaching that has impacted hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Topics covered: the decision to stop drinking, language and identity in recovery, Human Interaction Technology, raising your average, the word 'addict' and why it may be working against you, learning to live differently, self-image, communication strategies, CORE Live event, and what it means to become an example for someone else. If you're in recovery or considering treatment in the Phoenix or Scottsdale area — or anywhere in the country — this episode will challenge the way you think about sobriety and give you practical tools you can use today. #ILoveBeingSober #CamelbackRecovery #MichaelBernoff #AverageSucks #SobrietyPodcast #RecoveryPhoenix #RecoveryScottsdale #ArizonaRecovery #LiveDifferently #HumanInteractionTechnology #AddictionRecovery #SoberLife #LanguageMatters #IdentityInRecovery #PersonalDevelopment #OutpatientTreatment #CORElive
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How Sex Addiction Should Be Treated
3w ago00:55:55Tap to summarizeWhat if the substance was never really the problem? In this episode of the I Love Being Sober Podcast, recorded live at Camelback Recovery Treatment Center in Phoenix, Arizona, host Tim Westbrook sits down with Dr. Marcus Earle, Clinical Director of Psychological Counseling Services (PCS) — one of the most respected behavioral health practices in the country. Dr. Earle has spent over 35 years treating individuals, couples, and families struggling with sexual addiction, trauma, OCD, compulsive behavior, and dual diagnosis mental health issues. The PCS Intensive Program has over 40 years of experience pioneering the week-long intensive therapy model, with a multidisciplinary care team of 25+ clinicians and individualized treatment plans designed to promote lasting growth and change. In this honest, eye-opening conversation, Tim and Dr. Earle explore: What sobriety really means in sex addiction recovery — and why it's far more nuanced than abstinence How unresolved trauma drives addiction, compulsive behavior, and relapse The connection between OCD, process addiction, and substance use disorder What dual diagnosis and mental health treatment looks like when you go beneath the surface Why so many people in addiction recovery are also carrying issues they've never named What long-term, thriving recovery actually looks like — not just white-knuckling it Whether you're in recovery from alcohol or drugs, struggling with a process addiction, dealing with trauma or mental health challenges, or loving someone who is — this episode will meet you where you are. Recorded live in front of clients at Camelback Recovery's Outpatient Treatment Center, this is the I Love Being Sober Podcast — real stories, real healing, real recovery. 🌐 Learn more about the PCS Intensive Treatment Program: www.pcsintensive.com 🌐 Camelback Recovery: www.camelbackrecovery.com #ILoveBeingSober #AddictionRecovery #SexAddiction #TraumaRecovery #OCD #DualDiagnosis #MentalHealth #SubstanceUseDisorder #SoberLife #RecoveryPodcast #PhoenixArizona #CamelbackRecovery #OutpatientTreatment #PCSIntensive #RealRecovery #SoberPodcast #HealingTrauma #ProcessAddiction #RecoveryIsPossible #OneDayAtATime
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Finding Your Own Inner Peace
4w ago01:09:13Tap to summarizeAt 18 years old, Elijah Kai put a loaded gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. It didn't fire. What followed was two decades of searching — therapy, religion, hustle, two marriages, a felony, and a life spent building a character convincing enough that nobody, including him, could see the pain underneath. In this episode of I Love Being Sober, we sit down with spiritual teacher, Divine Architect, and author Elijah Kai to talk about the moment everything changed — and the truth he discovered on the other side of suffering. Elijah breaks down why the traditional approaches to healing, recovery, and sobriety so often fall short, what recidivism really tells us about identity, and why the peace you've been chasing your entire life has been underneath you this whole time. If you're in recovery, fighting to stay sober, or simply trying to understand why you keep returning to old patterns — this episode will crack something open in you. In this episode, we cover: Why 20 years of therapy, religion, and hustle couldn't fix what wasn't broken The difference between thought and thinking — and why it matters in recovery What recidivism reveals about identity and the cycle of relapse How to remember who you were before the world got its hands on you The moment Elijah stopped trying to fix himself and found he was already whole Resources mentioned: Already Whole by Elijah Kai — available now elijahkai.com Belief Theory Institute
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A Patient's Story Of Recovery And Purpose
May 2600:50:13Tap to summarizeHannah Keller lost three siblings, battled addiction, and hit rock bottom before finding recovery at Camelback Recovery in Phoenix, Arizona. In this episode of I Love Being Sober, host Tim Westbrook sits down with Hannah to talk about what it really takes to rebuild your life from the ground up. Hannah was a patient at Camelback Recovery. Today, she's an employee helping others find healing. This conversation covers grief and loss in recovery, how motherhood became her turning point, the role of faith and spirituality in staying sober, what people misunderstand about addiction recovery, mental health and dual diagnosis treatment, and what it means to find your identity and purpose after addiction. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, this episode is proof that recovery is possible and that your story isn't over. Camelback Recovery is a Joint Commission accredited dual diagnosis and addiction treatment center in Phoenix, AZ offering inpatient, outpatient, sober living, TMS therapy, EMDR, medication-assisted treatment, and holistic therapies. Learn more at camelbackrecovery.com Follow Hannah: @hannahmkeller Follow Tim: @_timwestbrook Follow Camelback Recovery: @camelbackrecovery #addiction #recovery #mentalhealth #sobriety #traumarecovery #dualdiagnosis #addictiontreatment #soberlife #ilovebeingsober #phoenixarizona #camelbackrecovery #griefandloss #faithinrecovery #soberliving #TMStherapy #EMDR
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I've Got My Hands On A Miracle: Healing From A 35-Year Wound
May 1901:46:23Tap to summarizeTerry Murphy has been sober since May 23, 1991—nearly 35 years of continuous recovery. In this live episode of I Love Being Sober, recorded with the Camelback Recovery outpatient community in Phoenix, Arizona, Terry joins host Tim Westbrook to share the addiction that nearly killed him, the morning everything changed, and the life he has built since. Terry is a husband of 47 years, father of two, and grandfather of three. In long-term recovery, he has spent more than three decades serving in substance-use programs with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and the Arizona Department of Corrections. He was appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano to Arizona's substance abuse credentialing committee and founded Helping Hands for the Navajo Nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering millions of pounds of aid to tribal communities. In 2024, he became the primary author of the Twelve Step Companion Guide of Cocaine Anonymous—the first major addict-authored recovery text since 1982. He also ran his first marathon at 50 and has now completed five ultramarathons. In this episode, Terry discusses: The night in active addiction when he believed his family would be better off without him—and what stopped him Why he calls addiction "a grave I dug" and recovery a miracle he didn't earn Losing his job after entering rehab, and the opportunity nine months sober that changed everything The difficult amends he has made over three decades in recovery Working the 12 Steps repeatedly—and how each pass brings something new Running marathons and ultramarathons, and what endurance teaches about sobriety Co-authoring a new recovery guide and why it was long overdue What 35 years of sobriety has looked like in its most recent chapter A direct message to those in treatment—and anyone questioning whether recovery is worth it Whether you are new to sobriety, long into recovery, working the Steps, or supporting someone in addiction, Terry Murphy's story is a reminder of what long-term recovery can make possible.
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Overcoming Emotional Suppression
May 1201:04:28Tap to summarizeWhat if addiction is not a failure, but a signal? What if the cravings, anxiety, and emotional spirals you've been fighting are actually your body trying to tell you something? Tim Westbrook sits down with faith-led wellness guide, registered dental hygienist, and author Melissa-Sue Methven for a conversation on addiction recovery, emotional suppression, nervous system regulation, and the hidden language of the body. After losing her husband to suicide following a long struggle with mental health and addiction, Melissa-Sue began asking the deeper question — why. That single word led her into the work she now shares around the world: helping people reconnect to their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and move out of shame and into awareness. In this episode, you'll learn: Why addiction is best understood as a signal from the nervous system, not a moral failure How emotional suppression silently drives cravings, anxiety, and chronic illness Practical nervous system regulation tools you can use the moment a craving or panic wave hits How to create real internal safety — the precondition for any lasting recovery A live breathwork practice you can return to anytime How faith, surrender, and self-trust support healing without dogma What families of loved ones lost to addiction or suicide most need to hear Whether you're in early recovery, long-term sobriety, supporting someone you love, or simply curious about the mind-body connection in healing, this conversation offers a compassionate reframe and tools you can use today.
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Overcoming Failures In Your Recovery Program
May 501:04:37Tap to summarizeWhat if everything you've been told about addiction treatment is wrong? In this powerful episode of I Love Being Sober, recorded live at Camelback Recovery, host Tim Westbrook sits down with Jimmie Applegate — transformational consultant, treatment center owner, U.S. Air Force veteran, and author of Addicted to Failure: Why the Rehab System Doesn't Work and What Must Change — for a conversation that challenges everything the addiction treatment industry doesn't want you to hear. Jimmie pulls back the curtain on a $16 billion industry with a 60–90% failure rate, exposing why so many people relapse after completing rehab — even when they do everything right — and why the system keeps blaming the patient instead of fixing the model. Drawing on neuroscience, personal lived experience, and years of frontline treatment work, Jimmie makes the case that the 30-day treatment model is not just ineffective — it's incompatible with how the brain actually heals from addiction. In this episode, you'll hear: Why rehab keeps failing people — and who's really responsible The biggest myths about addiction still being taught in treatment today What neuroscience actually says about how long recovery takes What genuinely personalized, individualized care looks like How to reframe repeated relapse as a system failure — not a personal one The 10forAddiction movement making treatment accessible for everyone Whether you're in recovery, supporting a loved one, or working in behavioral health, this episode will challenge your assumptions, validate your experience, and leave you with a completely new lens on what healing really requires. 🎙️ Listen now. Share with someone who needs to hear it. 📖 Addicted to Failure is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 🔗 jimmieapplegate.com | beaconcharities.com | 10foraddiction.com
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How A Mental Reset Can Lead To Inner Peace
Apr 2801:05:49Tap to summarizeIn this powerful episode of I Love Being Sober, we dive into the reality of mental health, pressure, and personal transformation in today's fast-paced, social media-driven world - and how one mental reset can help deal with it all. Recorded live at Camelback Recovery, this conversation explores what happens when success on the outside doesn't match how you feel on the inside. We talk about the breaking point that forces change, the courage it takes to step away and focus on mental health, and what it really looks like to rebuild your life from the ground up. You'll hear insights on managing stress, navigating identity in the age of social media, and redefining what "mental strength" actually means. This episode also breaks down common misconceptions about treatment and highlights practical tools that can be used every day to create balance, clarity, and long-term growth. If you've ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, or like you're constantly pushing through without slowing down—this conversation is for you. What You'll Learn: The hidden mental health challenges behind success and social media How to recognize when it's time to step back and reset Tools for managing stress, pressure, and daily life The truth about treatment and personal growth How to build a more balanced, intentional life
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