I Have 12 Questions Podcast - Conversations About the Sober Life

A podcast about Trudging the Road to Happy Freaking Destiny! Interviews and random soliloquies where we laugh, cry, complain, explore, and learn. All are welcome, No exceptions. Including those who are not in recovery but perhaps know or love someone with addiction issues or just want to learn more. Along with experts and practitioners who help people work through addictions and behaviors they want to change. These conversations will span limitless topics and though will be through the lens of sobriety, are still universally human. Love, loss. grief, excitement, parenting, outside issues, purpose, God stuff, etc. In the words of the great Ted Lasso (by way of Walt Whitman), ”I want to be curious, not judgmental.” So, we’ll be talking to people who have found sobriety, recovery, perspective shifts regardless of their path. Radical acceptance and inclusivity of ourselves and everyone else. Happy trudging!

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Episodes

Friday Dec 08, 2023

Hey sober/sober curious/sober-ish/sober-adjacent family and our entire listener community!  I’m starting to feel like Steve Harvey on Celebrity Family Feud because I always say this, but man have we got a good one for you today! 
Dr. Robb Kelly has an incredible story regarding his struggles with alcohol and a wealth of knowledge and education as well about the inner chemistry behind addiction. 
He’s a renowned neuroscience coach with four practices spanning the globe, a musician, and a family man.  He has earned all the degrees and letters behind his name but the fact that he’s experienced it all firsthand makes it that much more valuable for those still trying to find a way out.  He uses his experiences to help others find their way to recovery and provides financial, housing and other forms of assistance to those who need it.  He’s also a fellow Texas which never hurts.
You can find his work and offerings at
https://therobbkellyfoundation.org/
https://robbkelly.com/
Instagram @drrobbkelly
#addictionrecovery #addiction #alcoholfree #alcoholism #sobriety  #recovery #neuroscience #biomarkers #addictiontreatment #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #coach #homelessness #therapy #habits #neuralpathways #drugaddiction #alcoholdependency #reprogramming #healing #trauma

Friday Nov 17, 2023

Hey sober family and our entire listener community! I’m over the moon about this episode’s guest. She’s a great friend, fellow woman in recovery and just an all-around badass. She recently got engaged to her person and is experiencing all the gifts, and challenges, of the program. She’s also a successful customer experience guru in her work life and fun with a capital F!
Her name is Alexis and we met years ago at our old Austin Women’s home group. I remember thinking this girl is serious about getting well and she sure was…and still is. She’s been through a lot of very hard things in sobriety and emerged from every one of them with her head held high and her crown on straight. She’s also just a super supportive person to those in her life and I love that about her. She is an absolute gem of a human and being in her presence just makes you feel good. Her episode will be available on Apple, Spotify, Google, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts! #recovery
#sobercurious #soberish #mentalhealth #lifecoach #sobriety #goals #selflove #mentalhealthawareness #health #fitness #mentalclarity #physicalhealth #longevity #harmreduction #alcoholicsanonymous #womeninrecovery #selfcare #therapyconsciousness #shame #healing 

Friday Nov 03, 2023

Hey sober family and our entire listener community!  Today we’re talking to Tony Thomas who owns Kilter Fitness and does a lot of other brainy things regarding fitness and how it touches all areas of life.  Tony is sober adjacent, and we always love getting perspectives outside of our little siloes. 
We met on a plane heading back from Amsterdam to Austin and talked for so long that I’m sure our neighbors were annoyed.  His passion for fitness and teaching others how to take care of their bodies fascinate and inspired me and, as it turns out, he’s got a story to share about how alcohol impacted his life as well.
You can find him on Instagram at kilter_fitness. He’s also connected to UT certifying folks and doing all kinds of innovative things in the fitness world.  Check him out for lots of great tips!
His episode will be available on Friday, November 3 and we hope you'll join us!
#recovery #sobercurious #soberish #mentalhealth #lifecoach #sobriety #goals #selflove #mentalhealthawareness #kinesiology #physicalfitness #personaltrainer #health #fitness #cpt #athlete #athletictraining #athleticconditioning #mentalclarity #focus #prehab #rehab #mobility #injuryprevention #physicalhealth #physicaltherapy #longevity

Friday Oct 20, 2023

Hey sober family and our entire listener community!  We have another great conversation about sobriety or in this case sobriety-ish!  Like I said from the start, the flavor of this show is curiosity, open-mindedness, learning and sharing stories in hopes we can help ourselves and others.  On that note, I’d like to introduce you to Holly Krivo.  She's a woman of many talents including her Podcast called Soberish Uprising which you can check out on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  And you can find Holly on Instagram at @hollykrivo and @soberishuprising 
Holly offers her show/website/brand as a space where we share all versions of sobriety. She believes labeling sobriety as black and white is a limitation to those who know they want to do things differently and complete sobriety doesn’t work for them. In the sober·ish uprising they share sober·ish stories and the freedom that comes when we say no to booze.
Holly is a former heavy drinker who started a sober·ish journey in 2021 and her world has never been the same. She believes like in all things in life we have to choose a path that works for us and is dedicated to sharing her sober·ish story so that others can see it doesn't have to be a certain way. She is leading the charge to make sober·ish the new norm.  And to that I say cheers! (with my bubbly water of course).
#recovery #sobercurious #soberish #mentalhealth #lifecoach #sobriety #goals #selflove #mentalhealthawareness 

Friday Oct 06, 2023

Hey listeners!  Our guest on this episode is a close friend and someone I've seen "grow up in public" as we often say in the rooms.  Her transformation has been incredible to see and be a part of.  She inspires me on many levels and is also just a funny, interesting and talented woman.
Her name is Monica Fogelquist and a few cool things about her is that she's a Mariachi musician and has taught music to kids K-12 up through university level.  Her story is honest, touching and worth listening to. 
We both lost parents to cancer within the past year and were able to show up for one another through that process which is yet another gift of the program.  Real friendships on the good days of course, but especially during the darkest of days too.  They say the opposite of addiction is connection and let me tell you that sober women show up for each other.  
Excited for this conversation with Monica and we hope you'll join us!  Available 10/6/23 wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube as well.  Thanks as always for your support!
#addiction #recovery #sobriety #twelvestepprogram #alcoholicsanonymous #mariachi #therapy #grieving #grief #grievingsober #alcoholfree #sober #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #supportgroup
 
 
 

Friday Sep 22, 2023

Hey listeners!  I am excited to welcome and introduce our guest.  Her name is Dr. Evelyn Higgins.  Her work is absolutely fascinating to me!  She’s the Founder and CEO of Wired For Addiction®, She’s a recognized international expert in the epidemiology of addiction and other mental health complexities.  
As a Certified Addictionologist, Diplomate of the American College of Addictionology and Compulsive Disorders, and Diplomate of the American Board of Disability Analysts specializing in pain management, Dr. Higgins has had the honor of advising the U.S. Surgeon General, producing and hosting a Gracie Award winning nationally syndicated health and wellness terrestrial radio program, and serving as a 1996 Olympic Team Doctor and Olympic torch bearer.  
With 35 years in clinical practice, Dr. Higgins has designated over 16 years to Research and Development in the science of mental health and addiction recovery. A TEDx Speaker (her TEDx Talk can be foundhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XNk8tNsaco ), panelist at the 2022 International Society of Substance Use Professionals Annual Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the 2022 International Gambling Conference in Auckland, New Zealand, and a 2021 Nominee for Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Innovators in Healthcare, Dr. Higgins finds herself at the nexus of epigenetics, neuroscience, and mental health. 
You can find out more about her work and connect at  
https://www.wiredforaddiction.com/ and @wiredforaddiction on Instagram 
Her episode drops on September 22, 2023!
#addictionrecovery #addiction #alcoholfree #alcoholism #sobriety #recovery #neuroscience #biomarkers #addictiontreatment #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #criminaljusticereform 

Friday Sep 08, 2023

Hey sober family and our entire listener community!  We have a fantastic show, and I can’t wait to get into this one.  Our guest is Kevin Griffin.  Kevin is a Buddhist author, teacher, and leader in the mindful recovery movement.
I read one of his books while traveling a few years ago and have read it several more times since then.  I have notes in the margins, highlighting everywhere and paragraphs circled and dogeared to read when I’m feeling out of whack internally.  to It was expansive for me it’s called One Breath at a Time:  Buddhism and the Twelve Steps.  As well as Buddhism and the Twelve Steps Daily Reflections which offers teachings for every day of the year to support your recovery. Daily reflection is at the heart of both Buddhist practice and Twelve Step programs.  I will also say that regardless of your spiritual leanings, if you have any at all, these readings still apply. 
Kevin has authored many books, too many to list now, but I’ll include a link in the show notes if you care to peruse later.  https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/kevin-griffin/208785/
And you can find out more about Kevin and his work at:
https://www.kevingriffin.net/
 
#sobriety #recovery #podcast #mentalhealth #alcoholfree #buddhism #recoverydharma #alcoholicsanonymous #meditation 

Friday Aug 25, 2023

Hey listeners!  I am excited to welcome and introduce our guest.  His name is Paul Larsen – He’s the Author of "Find Your VOICE as a Leader" and Founder of the Find your VOICE Coaching Institute where he coaches professionals to break free from the limiting beliefs of Imposter Syndrome and shift from the mindset of a manager to a leader mindset.  He has served many companies and people among them SAP, Twitter, Wal-Mart and Kaiser Permanente.  And of course, he's sober...for over 32 years in fact.  So, we've got a lot to learn from this guest!
You can find out more about Paul and his work at paulnlarsen.com 

Friday Aug 11, 2023

Hey sober family and our entire listener community!  We have a fantastic show, and I can’t wait to get into this one. 
Our guest is Lee Adkins.  We’ve known each other since grade school days.  He’s a trusted friend, mentor and person living an alcohol-free lifestyle.  As well as a dad, successful real estate professional and owner of Amplified Solutions, podcaster, musician, runner, woodworker among other things.
You can connect with and find out more about Lee at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeadkins/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lee_adkins/
Company website: https://amplifiedsolutions.com/
#sobriety #recovery #musician #realestatecoaching #realestatecoaching #sober #alcoholfree #podcast #podcastinterview #mindfulness #addiction #positivechange

Friday Jul 28, 2023

Hey sober family and our entire listener community!  We have a great show lined up and I’m SO excited to share it with you. Our guests are Will and Margarita.  We run in similar secular recovery circles, and I’ve been so inspired by their recovery stories, the programs they work, the people they help and their love story.  This one is a total feel-good conversation and a testament to how recovery touches every area of life from self-worth to parenting tour love lives.    
You can connect with Will via:
@wcranor on Instagram
https://www.the-fitness-sherpa.com/

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About Your Host 

Amanda Patton

As long as I can remember I've been a restless spirit - even as a child.  I had so many questions and observations that seemed odd to most people.  And I recall feeling alone even when surrounded by people.  Living in my head where I could make things make sense, or so I thought.  This "ism" has pulled me up to some incredible vistas and allowed for my survival.  It has also dragged me down some very destructive roads.

I am enthusiastic about emotional expansion.  I've had to do (am still doing) my own healing and recovery from all kinds of people, places, things and ideas.  With the help of many, many people, mostly women, and my incredible family, I've been building on a new perspective over the past decade or so.  It has changed everything and I am compelled to share it in hopes it will help someone else.  For years I've stayed logical, practical, in my head space to pay the bills and protect my independence and my heart.  To my detriment as it turns out.  Now, I'm living out of my heart space.  That low hum of anxiety and grayness I've experienced is a result of not being aligned with my passion. 

I'm stepping back into the light after literally 3+ years in hermit mode.  Pushing away relationships, noise, activity and anything else that got between me, my spirituality and healing.  I needed to sit with all the pain and did not want to.  It was a lonely time and also really hard, but absolutely critical in my ascension and I see that now. Colors are brighter, divine timing is my guide, surrender is a blessing rather than a punishment and the things that used to define me are falling away to make way for freedom.  The kind that happens in our inner worlds.

Losing my Pop to cancer in September of 2022 was the final piece of that season and it broke me open and woke me up in ways I'll never be able to fully express or understand.  I'm ready now to heed my intuition and pursue what matters to me.  This podcast is the first step. 

I really hope you'll come along.  There is a community of people waiting to receive you just the way you are right now.  

 

You are the sky. Everything else – it's just the weather. ~ Pema Chödrön

 

The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door. ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estés

 

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” ~ Fred Rogers

 

“I believe in recovery, and as a role model I have the responsibility to let young people know that you can make a mistake and come back from it.” ~ Ann Richards

 

“Stand up straight and realize who you are. That you tower over your circumstances. You are a child of God. Stand up straight.” ~ Maya Angelou

 

"Pain is the fuel of revolution." ~ Glennon Doyle

 

“My identity shifted when I got into recovery. That’s who I am now, and it actually gives me greater pleasure to have that identity than to be a musician or anything else, because it keeps me in a manageable size.” ~ Eric Clapton

 

“When I dare to be powerful — to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” ~ Audre Lorde

 

"When you put love out in the world it travels, and it can touch people and reach people in ways that we never even expected." ~ Laverne Cox

 

“If you’re not in the arena also getting your ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback.” ~ Brene Brown

 

 "To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek." ~ Alcoholics Anonymous

A Few of My Favorite Do Gooders to Support!

 

Jeremiah Program

 

Austin Animal Center (AAC)

 

 

 

 

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