Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: Happy Sunday you guys. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the capstone in. Oh, Mylanta. Can it stop being hot?
[00:00:18] Speaker B: I'm so hot right now. Yeah, I'm like literally melting. I had to like wipe my glasses off because half my face was on my glasses.
[00:00:24] Speaker A: No. It's the craziest thing. I feel like, okay, we are in September.
Like, what is happening?
[00:00:31] Speaker B: I know. And you know, I can only hope that maybe when October hits, which is like a week away, it'll get a little cooler, but I don't think it will.
[00:00:40] Speaker A: Well, to me, I don't think that you are really that affected by heat because.
[00:00:44] Speaker B: Who me?
[00:00:45] Speaker A: Yeah, because last Sunday when we had the Thai Fest, homegirl, you were doing some like days like moves with Big Al for like the entire, like the entire event. Like, and I can't believe Big alright could withstand the heat.
[00:00:59] Speaker B: I know.
[00:00:59] Speaker A: Throw down some moves too.
[00:01:01] Speaker B: I was impressed with Big Al. But you know, my all time dream job, aside from being on the radio show of course, is to just dance around all day to music. Like not to actually be like really even good at it, but just to like just dance around. Like, oh, you need to have a party to start. Well, I'll dance for you. I'll just start it, you know.
[00:01:20] Speaker A: Okay. So you could totally be in Times Square. Like you could be likened to like naked cowboys.
You could be like dancing with me.
[00:01:28] Speaker B: Dancing with me.
[00:01:28] Speaker A: Start like random dance parties in Times Square.
[00:01:31] Speaker B: That, that's literally my dream job. That's what I want to do. I could start in Tuscaloosa. Have you seen Michael Jackson in Tuscaloosa by the way?
[00:01:38] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:01:38] Speaker B: Have you seen him? Because he's near, I think, where you live.
[00:01:40] Speaker A: Yes. Because there was a flyer in a restaurant like one time and I was like, is this real?
[00:01:46] Speaker B: I haven't seen him in a while. I'm worried about him.
[00:01:48] Speaker A: I'll have to find the flyer. One time, my husband, when he was still a patrol officer with tpd, Michael Jackson was practicing in an abandoned parking lot and some drivers thought he was really dancing in street.
[00:02:03] Speaker B: Call the police.
[00:02:04] Speaker A: Yes. And so, but then the police were like, oh, he's cool. He's just in a parking lot.
So they all just stayed parked and like we're watching this performance.
[00:02:12] Speaker B: He's good.
[00:02:12] Speaker A: He really is.
[00:02:13] Speaker B: I've missed him. Maybe we should like check in. I don't know who to check in with but like, if you've seen Michael Jackson, Tuscaloosa Community, let Us know.
[00:02:21] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:02:21] Speaker B: It'll make us feel better.
[00:02:23] Speaker A: It really will. And based on that, you had a really great playlist at the Tie Dyed Fest as well. I felt like, you know, I haven't seen you since last Sunday, so I needed to make sure I remember that.
[00:02:33] Speaker B: Thank you for that. Thank you. I did put BTS on there a few times because I love them.
[00:02:37] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:02:37] Speaker B: So I had to put them on there.
[00:02:38] Speaker A: I thought it was perfect.
[00:02:39] Speaker B: But yeah, no, it was really fun. And we. Our last show is great. We had Jaime and Hillary from the crc and we're just celebrating Recovery Month this month. So we're super excited to have them on. We have some guests we'll bring on later in the show. Well, not later later. Like pretty soon, actually.
[00:02:53] Speaker A: Yeah, like, we have to take a break, but other than that. But no, I think, you know, with us just being able to celebrate Recovery Month and in a couple of other shows this month, I think is just really nice because gives us an opportunity to speak to our UA students and other campus professionals that we don't always get to see on the regular. So I don't know, I feel like we're kind of spoiled with this.
[00:03:16] Speaker B: We are. We're totally spoiled. We have a great position and great platform on campus. And if you guys are just listening in to our show, we talk about everything wellness related. But, you know, that's so many different aspects. It's not just the physical fitness side of things. It's not just nutrition. We're where we have our strengths, but it's the holistic approach that the division of Student Life and Dr. Perez, they've kind of put on the forefront of us to talk about, which can be financially, spiritually, socially, what else?
[00:03:46] Speaker A: I know I'm missing a bunch of them.
[00:03:47] Speaker B: Academics.
[00:03:47] Speaker A: Academics even has career in there. And so I think that it's good because I think that our thoughts about wellness and health can be very pigeonholed because sometimes you have students that. Or just community members in general that think, oh, I don't have a chronic condition, so I'm healthy.
[00:04:02] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:04:03] Speaker A: Or maybe they're thinking about fitness and they don't realize that there's what, five components?
[00:04:08] Speaker B: Yeah. And then thinking about, you know, yes, we all work out because we want to, you know, I'm doing air quotes, everyone. You can't see me. But air quotes look good. But there's so many more things involved with just our mental state stress reduction. And that's why we have this platform to get stuck to you guys, if you'll Listen, Absolutely.
[00:04:24] Speaker A: Because we bring the experts because there's a lot of like, ish on social
[00:04:29] Speaker B: media that's like, ish.
[00:04:30] Speaker A: Yeah, I should say ish because it's a blessing and a curse. You got some great stuff. You got some not so great stuff. So we're here to bring you the facts people. You should thank us. Yes, I can hear you. Thank you.
[00:04:40] Speaker B: You're welcome, Tuscaloosa.
[00:04:42] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. Okay, so it is that time that I always tell you we gotta take a break. Go grab something to drink, a snack, use the restroom, check on your pets, it's hot outside, drink water, hydrate all the things. But we have got some great guests today, but we're taking that break. So. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 cast stone.
[00:05:12] Speaker C: The capstone 90.7 fm wvua.
[00:05:27] Speaker A: Welcome back. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 to Capstone. And if you're just now joining us, we have just had our first break and we are talking about recovering month this afternoon. And also too, if you missed last week's show, I invite you to go to audioboom.com channel wvuafm where we have our shows on the Internet forever.
[00:05:53] Speaker B: We do forever and ever. And Eva and I'm just kidding.
[00:05:58] Speaker A: Sorry.
[00:05:59] Speaker B: Sorry, guys. It's Sunday anyway. But yes, we are continuing our discussion on recovery month and we do have two guests with us today. And I'm very excited to welcome Ben and Colin, two students at the University of Alabama.
[00:06:10] Speaker C: Hey, here with you. How's it going?
[00:06:12] Speaker B: Good to be here.
[00:06:12] Speaker C: Good, good.
[00:06:13] Speaker B: I'm glad y' all are here. So before we jump right in, talk about, like recovery and what that is and, you know, anything you guys can talk to us about. We'll start with Ben. Like, what year are you in school?
[00:06:25] Speaker C: Like, like you just said. My name's Ben Spellman. I'm a junior. And something that's a little bit different is, as you can see, I'm not your typical junior college age.
You know, being in recovery has allowed me the opportunity to come back to school as a 30 year old person. And I am a junior and my major is actually in addiction recovery.
[00:06:42] Speaker B: That's awesome. Yeah, I didn't realize we had that major because it's pretty new, right?
[00:06:46] Speaker C: It just started last fall.
[00:06:47] Speaker B: That's awesome. That's awesome. Well, glad you're here.
[00:06:50] Speaker A: Yeah. No, and like legit. I would have pegged you as like traditional college. Like, you look yeah, you look youthful.
[00:06:55] Speaker C: Oh, come on now.
[00:06:56] Speaker A: Yeah, but the facial hair. But we got a lot of dudes rocking the facial hair.
[00:07:04] Speaker B: Well, glad you're here, Colin.
[00:07:06] Speaker D: Yeah. So I'm Colin Ahmad. I'm a junior in finance from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I work down at the crc.
[00:07:14] Speaker B: Cool.
[00:07:14] Speaker D: I'm also a little bit older than most. I'm 23 as a junior.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: Don't even go there now.
[00:07:24] Speaker A: I have to ask though, just, you know, I hear Baton Rouge, and of course I was asking about this when we were off air, but what brings a Baton Rouge boy to Tuscaloosa?
[00:07:35] Speaker D: Believe it or not, actually, the CRC is kind of the whole reason I'm here.
[00:07:39] Speaker B: I was awesome.
[00:07:40] Speaker D: I was very early in recovery. I met Jaime, the director. He was on the show last week and he said, hey, you know, if you want to come, come back to school, then we've got this place. And so here I am.
[00:07:51] Speaker B: That's awesome. What are you studying here?
[00:07:53] Speaker D: Finance.
[00:07:53] Speaker B: Finance. Finance, that's right. Okay.
That's awesome. Yeah. Jaime, he's a cool dude. He is awesome. He is. And like him last week talking about like his expertise in the field of recovery. And then we had Hillary who was talking more alike about programming and stuff. I mean, Jaime, like, you can tell he loves what he does and he loves like you guys and he loves like being like papa bear and like checking it on everybody. Like, I love that about him.
[00:08:21] Speaker A: Yeah. And I'm sure you guys feel like there is that added value and sense of community with the sense that both Hillary and Jaime have had their own personal recovery journeys too. So I think that's amazing. I had mentioned on this show last week that I work with a lot of eating disorder clients and then sometimes they have had some concurrent or co occurring substance abuse issues. And so I feel like Yalls community is very near and dear to my heart. So I'm just geeking out today. Like, I've been geeking out this whole month about this.
[00:08:51] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
So since we are talking about recovery month, so. And y' all can just kind of jump in whenever. But like, honestly, what are some misconceptions that people have about recovery?
[00:09:02] Speaker C: I think the biggest misconception that a lot of people have is that people in recovery need to be treated with baby gloves, kindergarten gloves, people need to walk on eggshells around them. And it's just I'd like to hear Colin's thoughts on this as well. That's just not the experience that I've had with it.
The experience that I'VE had is when I did the work that was required for me to get out of action, active addiction, and get into recovery.
I can go anywhere and do anything and be around anybody that anybody else can. And I think that's a huge misconception that a lot of people have, is that, as somebody is like, if you have somebody that's in recovery, it's like, no, we can't drink around that person.
What do I have to not say? I'm scared of what I'm gonna say. I don't want to offend them. And that's just not the case at all. We're just normal people like everybody else is that we just don't drink anymore.
[00:09:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:55] Speaker D: And I agree with Ben wholeheartedly. I mean, I didn't. I didn't recover or work as hard as, you know, someone does to get into recovery just so I would have to, you know, live this, like, sheltered life.
[00:10:06] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:10:07] Speaker D: It is true. I mean, you know, after working the steps and doing what we need to do, we can really go anywhere, do anything. I mean, I think I told you guys I work at the crc, but my second job, I work at a bar.
[00:10:23] Speaker B: That's so funny. That's, like, perfect. Like, oh, the irony.
[00:10:29] Speaker A: Well, you know, that's funny because, like, my next question would have been, what kind of triggers do you have to avoid with all of that?
So, yeah, and I think, Ben, you're actually the one that suggested that question to us for today's show.
[00:10:41] Speaker C: It is, and I'm gonna be completely transparent with this. Every time I hear that word, like, it just makes me cringe. And I hate hearing it, because the concept that something external around me can make me put chemicals in my body is an absurd thought for somebody like me.
I'm a firm believer that I drink and use because I have the disease of addiction, and it has nothing to do with the external world around me. Now, keep in mind, I mean, you know, classical conditioning, you know, if I hang out at a bar and drink for years and years, and all of a sudden I'm trying to get sober, if I go to a bar, I'm obviously going to want to drink.
However, there's a. There's this idea out there that if I can just identify all the things that make me want to drink and use, and if I can just avoid that stuff, then I won't have to drink or use.
But that's just not reality. Because the reality, in my experience, I want to hear Collins as well, is that before doing the work that it took to get sober.
Anything and everything was a quote unquote trigger.
And I have a little story behind that.
My first day of treatment, I went to a year long treatment facility. And the first day I got there, there was this.
There was a picture of blue Kool Aid that was sitting on the, on the table. Okay. And I saw that in the liquid, it looked just like a liquid, a form of a drug that I used to do. And poof, like I was right back into that. I want to get high. So this whole idea of I've got to avoid all this stuff, am I supposed to avoid the color blue for the rest of my life?
[00:12:17] Speaker B: Right. Yeah.
[00:12:18] Speaker C: It's absurd to think that that's, that's realistic.
So.
Yeah. What are your thoughts on that?
[00:12:25] Speaker D: Yeah, Ben, you know, again, I think you're right on the money.
When I back in active addiction, I was mostly, I guess what they call liquid alcoholic. I just like getting drunk and, you know, it doesn't really matter. People say like, oh, I drink for X, y or z reason. I'm having a bad day, I'm having a good day, I'm celebrating, I'm upset, whatever.
I mean, it didn't really matter. I just drink because I like to drink. So the one thing that like all of those things really have in common is that while, you know, having a good day or having a bad day or doing whatever thing that quote unquote made me want to drink, I was breathing.
So I think that the biggest trigger for me is in fact breathing. And once I stop doing that, then I won't, you know, need to worry about wanting to drink anymore. So I think the idea of avoiding certain triggers, I think it's just, it's absurd. I mean, I don't think it's possible or worth it.
[00:13:21] Speaker C: And that's, that's what recovery has given me, is an ability to not have to worry about what's going on around me. Because if I've did the work that I need to do and I continue to live in that way, then it doesn't matter what's going on around me. Right.
So, yeah.
[00:13:41] Speaker B: And I think going back to that first question about like the misconceptions, because my brother, he's the same boat and he works with a facility in a group that, you know, works with recovery. And it's the funniest thing because I remember when he first started going through, he was like, Whitney, literally, if I worried about what everybody else did around me, I would not, like, make it like it's Just me and my steps and what I need to do, and you just have to be okay with that. And it gives you. And I'm seeing it from a different side because I'm a family member, so. I remember when my family would walk on eggshells, like, oh, we can't have alcohol there. Like, call the. Like, are they having alcohol at Christmas? And I remember talking my brother, and he was like, it literally doesn't matter. That's not gonna change my situation. And I'm like. And getting that through to, like, family members, I know, is really hard because, like, I was a little bit different in that sense because I was like. I was like, all right, we're hitting this head on. Like, what do I need to do? Like, look it up. Like, this is what we're doing. And then my parents were a little different to where they were, like, okay, we have to do everything to, like, not bring these types of things in there, which I think their mindset was right, like, to make sure that, like, they were being careful.
And it took a while for our family to get into the right steps of it, but now everyone's cool. It's like. It's like freedom. It's like, don't worry about anything else. It's your own freedom from everything else.
[00:14:58] Speaker D: And my family was the same exact way they.
They. You know, at first, it was very, like, walking on eggshells. They're the same thing. Their heart's in the right place, but it's not really necessary.
[00:15:07] Speaker B: You know, it's such a learning curve. I think that's why there's a. Like, there's meetings out there for people that, like, need that support that are not necessarily in recovery. But we can talk more about that in a little bit, but we're gonna take a break.
So in the words of Sheena, grab some water, a drink, maybe propel or something.
And we're gonna take a quick break here, listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone.
Hey, this is Andrew.
[00:15:40] Speaker A: This is David.
[00:15:41] Speaker B: We're the revivalist.
[00:15:42] Speaker D: You're listening to 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:15:49] Speaker B: Welcome back to Fit to Be Thai with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. We are having an awesome show this Sunday afternoon. It's a little hot, but we're inside the air conditioning, and hopefully your air conditioning is working in your car. But we have been talking with our guests Ben and Carson, who are students at the University of Alabama and just been diving into recovery and addiction and what that looks like especially for a student. But, Ben, you were talking during the break, some places that you've worked around in different facilities and kind of some things that y' all would talk about when it comes to, like, misconceptions and triggers and all that good stuff. But, like, repeat what you were telling us earlier during the break.
[00:16:29] Speaker C: So, you know, we were talking about the idea that addicts use because of external things around them.
I've worked at a. At an inpatient treatment facility up in Birmingham. And part of what I would do, I would be a lecturer two or three times a week, and I would lecture to the guys. And one of the things I would like to do to prove this point would be I would kind of poll the group and ask them how many of you got high when you were having a great day? Everybody's hand goes up. What about when you were having a terrible day? Everybody's hand goes up, goes up. What about when you had a bunch of money? Everybody's hand goes up. What about when you had no money? Everybody's hand goes up. What about a wife hands? No wife hands. At a house? All hands. When you were homeless? All the hands. So we just effectively established that we don't get high because of external circumstances. They don't matter a thing to us. And, you know, it's my fiance, right? When we started dating, we were talking about this, and she was like, I think I might be an alcoholic. I said, well, why do you think that? She was like, well, I used to drink, like, all the time because of this, the situation I had going on, and, like, I'll be drunk every day by noon. And I was like, okay, well, once that situation was taken care of, what'd you do? She said, well, I quit. So let me explain the difference to you. So you were drinking because of this external circumstance, and when that external circumstance was removed, you quit. Now, me, when I'm drinking over an external circumstance, you remove that external circumstance. Now, I drink to celebrate the not having that external circumstance. So the external circumstances don't mean it.
[00:18:02] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:18:02] Speaker C: I think that's something that's important to look at when we're talking about addiction and alcoholism.
[00:18:06] Speaker B: And I think that's. I think that's really good for our listeners, especially just to educate, because that's really what our show does. It just educates people. And then it. And hopefully, if you're out there listening to us and you hear something, you're like, maybe I need to do a little self evaluation. Maybe I need to, you know, go Just check out a meeting. Maybe this does apply to me.
Could y' all talk a little bit about recovery as a student or even as a non student or. I don't know. Maybe it's different, maybe it's not. I don't know.
[00:18:35] Speaker A: Yeah, it's like, what does that life look like? Yeah.
[00:18:38] Speaker D: Yeah. So I was. I was pretty nervous to come back to school after I, you know, I found recovery.
[00:18:43] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:44] Speaker D: Because the colleges aren't necessarily the most recovery friendly atmospheres, or at least they don't appear that way. However, that certainly doesn't have to be the case, especially not here at ua. You know, we've got the, the crc.
It's right over by the. By the law school. And it's. Yeah, it's there to, you know, provide support for students in long term recovery.
But it really is so much more than that. I mean, it's a community. I've made, you know, a bunch of friends there.
I hang out there not because I have to, but because I want to, because I like it.
[00:19:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:19:21] Speaker D: And you know, we have meetings on campus.
There's a student organization called Rhodes that puts on a recovery night every Thursday. And then some people from the CRC started a meeting they call typ they do twice a night. And so it's really just trying to, I guess, bring together like the people I see on the weekends and the people I hang out with, you know, in school.
They're all sort of recovery people. It's been great. I know. I just kind of word violented. I'm sorry.
[00:19:55] Speaker B: Like, as you're talking about it, because I go over and teach yoga with you guys. Like every so often I'll be over there. And it's always the coolest atmosphere because it's like y' all all get it, you know what I mean? Like, it's a thing and y' all all get it. And the terminology, the words, like, I mean, I know a little of the jargon. I know a little like the big Book, of course, you know, like I know some stuff, but it's just different. And you all have your own community. And that's what I love about the CRC is it's very supportive. I mean, there's people like running down the halls. Somebody's dog was there one day. I think it was. Was it Gerard's or is it your dog?
[00:20:29] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:20:29] Speaker B: I was like, there's a dog. Why can't I work over here? I mean, the rec's really fun. I'm not saying I don't love my Job. I love it. But I'm just saying like I, I love to go over to the CRC because it's you guys, you all get it because you have been through that. And so, you know, and it seems like a very supportive system there.
[00:20:46] Speaker A: One thing I would say because, you know, just all of what you were saying, Colin, it made me think of especially with the relationships in the sense of community with the crc. When we had Jaime last week, he had made the comment that the opposite of addiction is relationships.
And I guess I just like not ever heard it articulated that way. But I think really, truly in a sense that would be the case because you're now in this sense of connection
[00:21:12] Speaker B: with people and accountability.
[00:21:13] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:21:14] Speaker C: High base, big on accountability.
[00:21:16] Speaker D: Oh yeah. And also, I mean because when you're, when you're an active addiction, I mean it's such a, such a, like self centered disease and such a self centered thing that you know, the opposite of that moving away from that is sort of turning your, your attention on like those around you and how you can, how you can be of service and how you can be a part of something bigger.
[00:21:36] Speaker C: So it's literally turned my thought process from what am I getting out of this to what am I giving to it.
And a byproduct of that is healthy relationships. Right.
Because people like to be around good people.
[00:21:51] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:21:52] Speaker C: I spent so much of my life not being good people, you know, so. Yes.
[00:21:58] Speaker A: And Ben, what would you say to your experience of just being a student in recovery, so maybe even not just like a person who's in recovery, but do you feel like adding that word student is a factor at all or what kind of comes to your mind when you hear just that whole question asked?
[00:22:13] Speaker C: What immediately came to mind was part of the fellowship that I work and am a part of.
We talk about practicing these principles in all our affairs. So to me that would include like these principles. I'm talking about the principles of honesty, integrity, service, just being a good person, using those principles in all of my affairs. That includes my students affairs as well.
So to me it's just an extension of the rest of my life. This is just something else that I have to practice all of these different principles in.
[00:22:47] Speaker B: It's so funny because I'm like literally thinking about my brother when you guys say this because like when he'll like, he'll call me and he's like, because I'm an accountability partner for him and not in the, the recovery side of things because he's got his people he talks to. But like it's funny because he'll. It's like rubbed off on me now to where like I'll find people. I'm like, let me run this by you. Does this sound right? And he'll do that. And I'm like, yeah, no, that was totally right because it's dishonesty. Like if you're being dishonest, it can be the smallest little thing. Like, oh, I took that pin but that wasn't my pen. But it's being dishonest, so I need to make that right. It's like every little thing you do, you're just this self inventory that you're looking at.
And I mean like I've read through the book, it's awesome. Like I. And it's like if anybody's ever had a chance to read like an NA or AA book, like there's. It really hits home to anybody because it gives you. Even though you may not be, you know, an addict or need to go through recovery, like still those same things apply to everybody's life.
[00:23:48] Speaker C: Right?
[00:23:50] Speaker A: Well, you know, I think going along with that and when you guys answer this question, just know we'll take a break and revisit this. But you know, Colin, would you say that there are differences from when you first started your recovery journey to now being in more of a longer term recovery and you're experience as a student?
[00:24:08] Speaker D: Oh, absolutely, Sheena. I mean just the differences between, between early recovery and now that I've been in recovery for, for a while, I mean, it's a huge night and day difference. Early recovery isn't a whole lot of fun.
I'm not gonna lie. It's kind of a train wreck.
But if you just push through and you know, you get to, you work the steps, you get a little bit of time on your belt, it, I mean it really, it makes everything better. I mean, my life today is just a life that I couldn't have really ever dreamed of having.
It's everything I would have wanted and so much more.
And then being a student on top of that, I mean, really every day. So I was in school before this at a different university.
Didn't do so well. Didn't think I would ever be able to get into school to go back.
So every day, you know, just having the chance to even like be here is just, I mean, it's such a blessing and I'm thankful for it. And it's hard to have a whole lot of bad days.
I think if, you know, you just sort of remember that you know, every day is a gift. And I guess I know that's a cliche.
[00:25:15] Speaker B: No, I don't think. Yeah, it sounds. I mean, I think it's. Yeah, cliche. Yeah, whatever. But I mean, I feel like. No, it's. That's true. Especially, like, depending on what road you were on and when the time happened and the mental decision of, like, well, crap, I need help like this. It's time. Sick of my life being the way it is right now. It's time to get out of this hell. I don't know if I can say that. Sorry, but I mean, hell, whatever.
You get it. But, yeah, our producer, like, she's like, I mean, but, you know, it's serious. And I think that that's why we have these shows and these platforms is just to like, tell people, like, yeah, there are resources out there. Like, you don't have to be living this life that you're living right now. Like, you can get help. We have two people right here that have. And Jaime and Hillary that have told us, you know, their stories and. And there's ways to get out and do it. So.
[00:26:02] Speaker A: Yeah, no, I just. I've loved the level of transparency in our conversation today because I know that that's something that our listeners appreciate. And of course, it is time for another break. I'm hoping that both of y' all are on board to stay with us another segment because we want to talk about connecting students to the resources that the CRC has to offer and if they're interested in checking that out and things for the community. But let me stop rambling, y'. All. It's time for another break. Run to the restroom, go to the kitchen. Do what you gotta do. Again, the pets.
[00:26:31] Speaker B: It's hot.
[00:26:32] Speaker A: You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney.
[00:26:42] Speaker C: Hey, I'm Paul Feinbaum. My favorite station in the world, 90.7 the capstone.
[00:26:56] Speaker A: 3, 2, 1.
Welcome back. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. If you are just joining us, we have been having some awesome conversation with Colin and Ben. I just felt really perky about that. Just really talking about their experiences with recovery. And, you know, before the break, Colin got to share kind of comparing what that experience has been like being a student in long term recovery compared to the beginning of recovery. I know, Colin, you mentioned that the beginning of recovery isn't always the prettiest situation.
It's just something you have to go through.
But, Ben, what would you add to that? Just when you think about just your story and where you were at the beginning of your recovery compared to now.
[00:27:44] Speaker C: Colin used the term train wreck. I would say train wreck, carrying a bunch of dumpsters that were on.
Right.
It's just a constant learning experience, you know, it really is. I lost the.
You know, through my active addiction, I really lost the ability to function as an adult, you know, and so being able.
It took a long time before I was able to come back.
Part of my story is, I mean, now that I'm here in school, this was not my first attempt. I've been here two times before, and both times, our beloved Jaime, in a not so gentle way, told me I needed to get it together and sent me off to treatment. And, you know, I still to this day thank him for that, because he was the first person that cared enough about me to tell me the uncomfortable truth, you know, and.
But after, on the back end of giving myself time to recover, coming back, like I said in the last segment, it's just another part of life. It's not anything dramatically different than anything else. I just have these certain things that I have to do in every area of my life, and this is just another one of them.
[00:28:58] Speaker A: Yeah, well, kind of switching gears a little bit when we think about Yalls involvement as students in the collegiate recovery community. I hate to use the word perks, so we'll say benefits. Like, what kind of benefits? As being part of that program.
What are those things that have been valuable to you as students? And I think, you know, I actually, before the show even recorded, I was saying something about registration earlier.
So I don't know if y' all see. Priority registration is like, oh, man, major perk. Are there other things that y' all have seen to be helpful just being a part of the program?
[00:29:32] Speaker C: I'll let you take that.
[00:29:36] Speaker D: Priority registration is definitely a big. A big perk.
So that's nice.
And another one is just there's, you know, professional staff that work there as well, and being able to, like, run things by them and talk to them about, you know, school classes that I may be taking kind of. It's just like another set of ears to run things by. That's really nice.
We also.
And we do things like we do dinners, we do lunches.
That's nice.
There's just a lot of little things. I'd say the biggest.
Yeah, you're right. Perk is not a great word.
But benefit from. From being at the CRC and around that community is. Is the professional staff that are there you know, just to help you get through school. It's great.
[00:30:30] Speaker A: That's awesome. That's awesome.
[00:30:32] Speaker C: Just in case there's the CRC's collegiate recovery community. In case we hadn't and address that. It just, just hit me. It just hit me that I don't think we've been talking non stop.
[00:30:43] Speaker B: I don't even know if last week, I guess Jaime or Hillary might have said it, but we're still used to be like, oh, crc. Like, duh.
[00:30:49] Speaker A: Yeah. People know what the CRC is.
[00:30:51] Speaker D: Hopefully the people in their cars haven't like gotten to wherever they're going by now.
[00:30:58] Speaker B: Where is this CRC these people are talking about?
[00:31:01] Speaker A: And it's like, siri, what is.
[00:31:03] Speaker B: Yeah, I bet it would find it though.
[00:31:05] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:31:06] Speaker C: Collegiate Recovery Community. But I mean, we also have larger scale functions. Like we have a sober tailgate and all the football games on the quad. And, you know, ironic.
[00:31:15] Speaker B: I need to stop by, actually.
[00:31:16] Speaker C: I keep remembering we have a ton of big bright yellow balloons going up from our tent. If you're standing on university with the President's mansion to your back looking at Denny chimes, we're just a little bit to the right of it right there. Right. If you get to all the. The Greek tailgates.
[00:31:33] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:31:34] Speaker C: Ironically, you've gone too far. We are right next to all that.
[00:31:37] Speaker B: And that's like, perfect place.
[00:31:38] Speaker C: It is.
I absolutely love it.
[00:31:41] Speaker D: It is. It's pretty good.
[00:31:42] Speaker A: What happens when you have people that just stumble upon like, do y'.
[00:31:45] Speaker C: All.
Yes.
[00:31:47] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh.
[00:31:50] Speaker D: Literal stumbling and you're like, oh, I. Yeah.
[00:31:54] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:31:57] Speaker C: Once they kind of look around and kind of figure out what's going on, they kind of look confused for a minute and just kind of wander off. But that definitely happens. And it is very entertaining to watch.
But yeah, anybody's welcome to come by and talk to us and find out about the resources available for students on campus. I know we also have.
The CRC is more, you know, geared towards students that have. That have been in recovery for a while. But we also have resources for students who think they might have a problem, want to learn information about it. The Impact program, they can come in and get. And they get involved with counseling and some other measures and stuff like that. And once they complete that Impact program, they'll move into the Forge program, which is kind of CRC lot, for lack of a better term.
They do stuff with crc.
They just don't get all the land on benefits. That's the way we're going with benefits.
But it's, you know, as full CRC members, we have. Yes.
We get a $500 scholarship per semester. We have 24. 7 access to the building over there, which also has a computer lab with free printing in it.
I know that's a big draw for students is free printing. Right.
[00:33:14] Speaker A: One of my clients was talking about that today, and I've seen yalls, like, little food pantry, y' all got the hook.
[00:33:20] Speaker C: Oh, yes.
[00:33:20] Speaker D: You have some snacks?
[00:33:21] Speaker C: We got some snacks.
We have a group of. We also have Wednesday lunch. We have a group of moms.
[00:33:26] Speaker B: Oh, wow.
[00:33:27] Speaker C: That come in once a month and just like, mother us to death. Bring us all sorts of good food,
[00:33:32] Speaker D: little goodie bags, meditation, great nap spot.
[00:33:38] Speaker B: Yes.
Do I have any salt lamps in there?
[00:33:41] Speaker D: Now we do. I'm pretty sure we have a salt lamp.
[00:33:43] Speaker B: I think last time I looked on it, but yeah. Okay, good. I was like, you need some, like, crystals and some salt lamps. Psycho hippie in there.
[00:33:51] Speaker C: We're located right over there. The South. South Lawn building, right next to the law school.
[00:33:56] Speaker D: Same building as the counseling center.
[00:33:57] Speaker C: Yes. And Women and Genders Resource Center.
[00:34:00] Speaker A: That's awesome.
[00:34:01] Speaker B: And that's a really good area because I know being at the rec center, I love that I'm off campus a little bit because I'm not in the mix of everything. Sometimes I miss out on what's going on. I really don't care. I live in my own little bubble anyway. So I'm like, whatever happens, it's fine. But I like that y' all are a little bit more outside of campus because I think that's a little bit. I don't know, you don't feel so, like, okay, this is such a campus related thing. It's kind of like. It's like your own little, like, club
[00:34:26] Speaker A: really, is your own student center because you know, so many students that will park over there and then, you know for sure.
[00:34:34] Speaker C: We would highly encourage anybody that wanted some information, think they might have a problem or something, just want to learn more.
Might run across our Colin here.
[00:34:44] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.
[00:34:45] Speaker C: Any of us would be more than happy to.
[00:34:48] Speaker B: Oh, really?
[00:34:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:34:49] Speaker B: What exactly do you do?
[00:34:50] Speaker D: Apparently so.
[00:34:52] Speaker B: Apparently this is what I do.
[00:34:54] Speaker D: So my primary job function is, you know, if someone does walk into the CRC and says, hey, I can't stop getting drunk, then my job is actually to sit down with them and talk to them about the program, introduce them around, show them the space and try to get them the help. All the help that I can.
[00:35:16] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:35:16] Speaker D: And then. And I also. My secondary function Is that snack pantry that you mentioned?
I go to Sam's club once every couple weeks and make sure it stays stocked.
[00:35:28] Speaker B: But yeah, do you, like, have a list, like, people like, hey, we want this?
[00:35:32] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah. We have a whiteboard.
[00:35:34] Speaker C: People write.
[00:35:35] Speaker A: Yeah. They're making their, like, special requests. Because I was asking Hillary about that.
[00:35:39] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, I think. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. That's cool, man.
Any Dunkaroos over there? Remember Dunkaroos?
[00:35:46] Speaker A: I do. I totally do.
[00:35:47] Speaker B: You may not.
[00:35:48] Speaker D: I think.
[00:35:51] Speaker A: Yes, yes, yes.
[00:35:52] Speaker B: Yeah, I remember those Dunkaroos. They were so good. They were. The icing.
I just ate the icing. That was the best part.
Well, I think you guys have shared, like, a lot of really good information with us today.
I think we're coming up on a break. Yeah, we are.
We're gonna take a quick little break.
[00:36:08] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:36:08] Speaker A: And then maybe they'll stick with us for our very last segment. Cause I'd love for y' all to even talk about, like, how can students learn about CRCS across the country? Or just, like, if they're thinking about going to college, if that's something that y' all feel like y' all can share. Like, hey, how do I do the Google and look into that?
But anyways. Okay, well, time for a break again.
Stick with us. You are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7, the capstone.
[00:36:36] Speaker C: So this is kritter from old crow medicine show in new orleans in 94.
[00:36:51] Speaker B: And we're back. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney. And we, of course, are having such a great show today. I think we should extend it, like, another hour if you guys would have us.
[00:37:02] Speaker A: If our guests are not like, oh,
[00:37:03] Speaker B: my gosh, I'm enjoying it. Yeah, like, when you get a good group of people and talk about stuff that you're passionate about, I mean, it's good stuff.
[00:37:11] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Well, so I know, you know, we've talked about just the benefits that you have had with being a member of the collegiate recovery community. Obviously, that keyword community, being there with the fellowship that you've been able to have, and then the other benefits just logistically that make it easy to make recovery a priority, like priority registration, like, making that schedule ideal so you can do what you need to do with everything. But, you know, if you have a student who's interested, maybe, you know, they're not a UA community member yet. How would somebody just find out about a school having a CRC or what Would that look like.
[00:37:52] Speaker D: So I was fortunate enough to actually meet Jaime while I was still in treatment.
He. It was kind of cool, honestly.
This stranger just showed up to rehab one day and said, hey, do you want to come to school in Alabama? And I said, yep. And he said, all right, let's go.
[00:38:10] Speaker B: I can literally take your time. Like, do you want to come to school in Alabama? Let's go.
[00:38:15] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:38:16] Speaker D: And with him, his biggest needs, like,
[00:38:17] Speaker A: I could just say, like, sticking you under his armpit and then, like, okay, let's go.
[00:38:23] Speaker D: Yeah. But, you know, of course, I was very fortunate to have that experience, But I think if you want to find out about CRCs across the country, you can. You can look online, and there are CRCs in a lot of places. Some places are a little bit bigger than others, have a little bit more students, a little bit more resources.
But, you know, they have. They have a database online.
I can't remember what it's called, but it's. Yeah, Yeah, I think it's the arhe website.
[00:38:51] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:38:52] Speaker B: So good thing we have the Internet, because I don't know what we do. I wouldn't know anything. I wouldn't find my way anywhere.
[00:38:59] Speaker A: And then we have all the technology where we can, like, talk to a device and say, like, hey, which schools have Siri? Yeah, exactly. So, you know, so there is that benefit, but, you know, we've only got a couple minutes left. Like, literally, like, two and a half. And so with that said, you know, Ben, Colin, do y' all have words of wisdom to someone who's being that support person for an individual in recovery?
[00:39:25] Speaker C: I think the one thing that I would love for. I had to tell this to my own family as well, is you have a loved one that's struggling with addiction. It is not your fault.
We're talking about a disease that we don't have any control over. And if this disease could be loved out of somebody, it would have been loved out of me years before it ever become a problem.
So that's the biggest words of wisdom that I can think of that I would want to tell family members or friends or spouses or siblings, whatever the case may be, that it is not your fault.
[00:40:05] Speaker D: Yeah, not at all.
[00:40:07] Speaker B: And I think that's a good way to end our show. And I think. I mean, it's been great.
[00:40:15] Speaker A: I agree, too. And again, Colin, Ben, it was such a pleasure. We've got to think of what you to get these guys back on. Like, I don't know, y'. All. Y', all, like, study up. On some different wellness topics.
[00:40:30] Speaker D: Such a blast. Thank you so much for having us.
[00:40:32] Speaker C: Privilege to be here. Thank you guys for having us.
[00:40:34] Speaker A: Yeah, well, you guys just thank you for spending your Sunday with us. We have had another great show with Fit to Be Tied and we will catch you next week.
