Recovery Happy Hour

20/08/2024

Friends! I took a break from going on other people’s podcasts for a reeeeeeeally long time, and I’m ready to start doing those again. BUT if you want to reach me, please email me, don’t send a DM! recoveryhappyhour@gmail. You can also tag your fav recovery pods in the comments if you want to make things happen faster. Thank you! In the meantime, here’s a picture of me in a Pure Moods shirt with Eleanor Roosevelt. ✌🏼

25/07/2024

The real reason I’m hosting Saturday’s event at .af is for this little lady in 2016. (👆🏼swipe) I was doing the very best I could back then, but I was super afraid of what life would be like without alcohol. I love 2016 Tricia so hard. She would have been a lot less afraid of the hard stuff if she knew sobriety and joy could coexist in the same moment. I’m pumped for this new era of sober spaces, services, products, and convos. It is a ✨great✨ time to ditch alcohol.

See you this Saturday!
3pm- 5pm

📍101 S. Sherman St.
Richardson Core District

The event is 👉🏻 FREE! 🥂

22/07/2024

🎉 Let’s hang out this Saturday 7/27 🎉

I’m hosting an event with Beyond the Bar, my local alcohol-free bottle shop & tasting room just north of Dallas. The NA beverage industry has 🤯 exploded since I stopped drinking in 2016, and I’d love to share some of my favorite zero-proof spirits, bubbles, beers, and canned drinks with you! 🍻🥂🍹

Stop by and have a mocktail at the bar, find a new favorite, and stock up on your summer stash! 🛍️

I’ll be there from 3pm - 5pm and the event is ✨FREE✨. No ticketing, just show up!

📍101 S. Sherman St.
Richardson Core District

04/07/2024

Hi friends! Here is your reminder that you are stronger than you think you are. If you’re on the struggle bus with not drinking, you’re not alone. Holidays are a different flavor of hard and you’re allowed to get weird if it helps you stay sober. That means you are allowed to do things differently: stay the air-conditioning, or just be sad, or maybe happy, or be alone or hang with your roomie or dog or kids, or take naps, or whatever you need. I made a Spotify playlist with non traditional Freedom tunes if you want different music to make new memories with this year. (link in bio) Love y’all and you can totally do this. ❤️

30/04/2024

I’ve done the legwork and it’s true. 🤷‍♀️

24/01/2024

I can’t read this fast enough & I can’t share this fast enough. This book should be called Women with < insert your brand of mental health here >. If you don’t have ADHD, then I guarantee you’ve at least received messaging your entire life that you are: too much, too different, you should make yourself smaller, or try harder to fit in even though it feels physiologically impossible. Gradually that turns into “I am bad.” And undoing the shame of “I am bad” is the hardest work of recovery and learning how to cope. I’m sure many books push a similar message but this one particularly speaks to me. 🤯 The authors of “Women with ADHD” are Sari Solden & Michelle Frank.

15/01/2024

A pop up episode of RHH is now available for download anywhere you listen to your favorite pods. Let’s find out what some of your favorite interviewees are up to! Thanks for listening. ❤️

04/12/2023

Going back through all the RHH episodes to make audio edits is so fun— this episode is a doozy! I forgot how much we discussed stigma on episode 20. Vitale’s story covered Adderall addiction, perfectionism, body shame, disordered eating, and high functioning drinking habits. Definitely worth a re-listen!

29/11/2023

Aw, look at that ancient and adorable Clip Art logo! I’ve been re-listening to old Recovery Happy Hour episodes while updating audio and show note links. I forgot how awesome this episode is! There are so many killer topics in Episode 10 with : self worth, gray area drinking, learning your identity without booze, alcohol in the wellness world, infertility, being a business owner, self care, alcohol messaging, and making recovery your own. I’m re-learning so much! Have you gone back and listened to the older episodes? Do you have a favorite?

23/03/2023

Hi Friends! I’ll be at the Sans Bar pop up event in Dallas on 4/1. Please stop by and hug me! Tickets available through ‘s link in his bio or search for Sans Bar on Event Brite. Hope to see you there for a night full of zero proof fun.

19/11/2022

Husbandfriend brought home cool swag from a conference, including these flavored sugar cubes for cocktails & mocktails. I love the NA champagne options out there (not for everyone; we all have different triggers) and put one of the old fashioned sugar cubes in mine. 👩🏼‍🍳💋This is the time of year where I start stocking up on festive NA drinks to bring to parties. My local Total Wines has a massive NA section now. It’s so exciting! These are going on the grocery list. Happy early Thanksgiving. Remember, you don’t have to drink!

05/09/2022

I had hip surgery 3 months ago and am almost finished with physical therapy! Not being able to exercise for the first half of 2022 did not help my mental health. Losing my independence was difficult and exercise has always been one of my best tools for recovery and anxiety. Now that crutches are a thing of the past and I’m building up my strength again, moving is what I most look forward to every day. I have a deeper sense of gratitude for my body. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Also, it’s Labor Day and you don’t have to drink today! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

28/08/2022

Hi friends. I want to offer a gentle reminder that no matter how many books you read, meetings you go to, podcasts you listen to, or yoga classes you sign up for… sometimes medication is what will help you feel better.

I was struggling for the last 6 months with my mental health, and felt like a shell of my former self. I used every tool in my toolbox, but what I ended up needing was to talk to a psychiatrist and reevaluate my medication. After we changed my meds, I felt better within a few weeks and more in control of my day to day life. Medication is a wonderful tool and I take it to feel healthy.

If able, please talk to a psychiatrist, not your GP. I was taking a prescription that my GP prescribed years ago and my life and brain have changed dramatically since then. A psychiatrist understood the nuances of what I was going through. Get a referral from your doctor or, if you don’t have insurance, look for telehealth appointments on GoodRX marketplace. If you have a therapist, ask them for resources. You can also Google your state’s mental health services to see what low cost programs are available. 💫

12/07/2022

I haven’t done an interview in a long time. And I typically don’t do them anymore, but Jess’ Decidedly Dry podcast picked up where Recovery Happy Hour left off… focusing on the good. She’s a great host and it’s a great listen. We talked about what I’ve been up to for the last year, why I quit doing public recovery stuff, plus a little more about my back story. I’ve had a hell of a year, y’all. 2022 has been one of my hardest and, combined with the news of an old friend passing away yesterday, it continues to be hard. But this is life. We get one of them and we have to choose how we are going to make the journey. I wouldn’t have been able to get through this if I was drinking. So today I am terribly sad and filled with grief, but terribly grateful that I have the strength to sit in that feeling. Go follow for more. Love to you all. ❤️

21/05/2022

Making all the drinks. Happy Friday 💕

16/04/2022

Awwwwww my recovery friend happened to be in the giant state of Texas yesterday. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve hung out and a lot has changed. I said “I learned that when I over-explain my feelings and narrate my recovery for the public, it’s a great distraction for me to avoid having to actually feel my feelings.” And that’s the work, y’all. It took me over 5 years of not drinking to figure this out. Just a heads up on why I’m not on here very much. I love you guys. Keep going. Sending you all a big hug if you need it. ❤️

23/01/2022

Nightcaps these days. 🍵🫖I’ve been having a bunch of arthritis flair ups lately and will try just about anything anti-inflammatory. I can’t imagine how much worse my joints would feel if I was still drinking, plus the misery of having to get through a hangover just to reach a baseline of bad joint pain. Lately I’ve felt extra grateful for my health and that my drinking didn’t do any long term damage. Not everyone is that lucky.

16/01/2022

We’re halfway through Dry January so it feels like a good time to do a check-in. Have questions about early sobriety or are you sober curious? Maybe you’ve given up after a quick spell of sobriety and need inspiration to get back on the horse. Bring your questions on Monday 1/17 at 5pm and I’ll answer them Live on Instagram. Feel free to share this invite with your friends & followers! If you can’t attend, I’ll save the video in my feed afterward. Happy Sunday friends. You don’t have to drink today. ❤️❤️❤️

04/01/2022

Black/ white thinking is one of my oldest thought patterns to try and unlearn. This isn’t a book about recovery from alcohol but recovery is universal despite the substance or habit. Please swipe to read through and ask yourself today, “What small accomplishment in my recovery can I celebrate?” And if its not that kind of day, ask yourself, “How much compassion can I give myself today for getting up and trying?” Self compassion is a harrrrrd practice, but oh so essential to learn. Are you guiding yourself with love or a whip?

28/12/2021

Same thing applies with the decision to quit drinking. Bookmark this! Repost from
•
Some of the best advice I ever got was when I was in my early twenties, from a woman who was in her sixties. She said:

“A woman who lives well is a woman who is brave enough to change her course when/if she realizes she is headed in a direction that she doesn’t want to go or doesn’t need to go.”

I’ve heeded this advice over and over again.

Sis, you don’t have to wait until the new year to course correct. Don’t worry about what “they” will think or say when you take a step back after realizing…this 👏🏽 ain’t 👏🏽 it 👏🏽.
Be courageous.
Backtrack if needed.
Change direction.
Choose differently.
Listen to the Holy Spirit.
Honor God & His Word.
Honor your family.
Honor your body.
Your mind.
Your heart.

You are so, so worth it. 💜

23/12/2021

Someone emailed or DM’d me this question recently but it’s one I get all the time. Paraphrased:

“I’m doing my recovery work but am having a really hard time today. Nothing seems to work. What else can I do to help feel better?”

Dear friends, this is the work. Learning how to sit with your uncomfortable feelings and accepting that you cannot always “fix” them is the work. The work is not defined by knowing how to feel only the warm fuzzies. That’s not recovery, that’s a temporary moment. Everything is temporary, especially your bad days. And accepting that without having to drink over it is the work.

We aren’t recovered when we’re having good days all the time. Sobriety doesn’t mean you’re going to feel happy 24/7. We’re recovered when we accept that life is hard and also wonderful and that we’re strong enough to be able to feel it all without running away.

Pictured: a tall boy of water at a concert. Many middle aged men turned into drunken hot messes that night while I left feeling hydrated and so happy that I made the decision to stop drinking 5 years ago. The work does pay off.

08/12/2021

Having a garbage day, and then coming home to a lovely delivery from Topo Chico on my porch… well it erased said garbage day. Thanks especially for the flowers . HERE IS YOUR REMINDER THAT FEELINGS ARE TEMPORARY. A drink will not make them go away, it will just make them show up tomorrow morning when you’re hungover. Breathe. It’ll pass, I promise you. ❤️

23/11/2021

I’ve been there y’all. I quit drinking right before Thanksgiving, and sober holidays are a challenge at first, BUT POSSIBLE! Check out these 3 episodes for holiday tips to help you get through this week.

20/10/2021

One of the questions I still receive most often is “what are your thoughts on NA beer and beverages?” Check out RHH Episode 42 for that info. It’s a great interview with the founder of and you’ll learn a little bit about the NA beer brewing process and what .5% alcohol content really means. Whether or not you choose to drink NA beer or wine is YOUR decision. You decide what’s best for your recovery, and that might look different now than it will look a year from now. It will certainly look different for different people. I personally enjoy NA beer, but I wasn’t a beer drinker. I can’t drink NA wine-- it’s still too weird. It’s not triggering but it feels like I’m drinking real wine and that’s too much of a mindf%!$ for me. The point is I had to make that decision for myself, not listen to what other people tell me what I should do. Especially not strangers on the internet.

10/10/2021

There is no problem, person, or circumstance that is terrible enough for me to drink over it ever again. Every morning that I wake up without being bathed in shame and regret, and don’t say hateful things to myself upon opening my eyes IS AWESOME.

05/10/2021

Work conference hack: when everyone at your group dinner orders drinks… order dessert. My churro donuts trumped any top shelf margarita 🤣

29/09/2021

One of my favorite singers!!! Register for this free virtual event on 10/12 or live stream it. https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2021/09/28/jason-isbell-to-speak-on-addiction-and-sobriety-with-the-vanderbilt-center-for-addiction-research-on-oct-12-at-noon/

Four-time Grammy Award-winning musician Jason Isbell will talk about the impact of COVID-19 on addiction and sobriety and the intersection of sobriety, addiction and music in the School of Medicine Basic Sciences' next Lab-to-Table Conversation on Tuesday, Oct. 12, at noon CT.

23/09/2021

On 9/21/21, my Manfriend became my Husbandfriend. We started dating when I was 11 months sober, so this man has only known the recovered version of Me. No drunk arguments. No black outs. No relationship sabotage. We use our tools, we talk about stuff, and after 4 years of dating, we’re still ooey-gooey crazy about each other. Eloping to the top of a mountain in Colorado was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. I wanted to share this with my RHH followers because none of this would have happened if I were still drinking.

❤️ Your recovery tools will help you in every area of your life, not just things relating to drinking. There are bits of my relationship that I’ve worked on using tools from AA meetings, books, church, therapy, social media… it all adds up and it will grow like a crack in the windshield. I wouldn’t have these tools unless I quit drinking.

❤️ The version of you that is brand new at quitting drinking will change over time. Another version of you is coming— not better or worse, just upgraded. You will say no to things now that you will say yes to later, and vice versa. On our first date, we went on and on about how we were never getting married again. People change.

❤️ “But what will I drink at my wedding” is one of the questions I still get asked alllllllll the time. The answer is simple: whatever you want that doesn’t have alcohol in it. For me it was and . And that’s the part of the day I remember the least!

Hope you’re all well. Big love to you.

Love, Tricia

09/09/2021

Traffic jams are part of life. Just look ahead and stay on the freeway. You have to go through it to get to it. ❤️

20/08/2021

Happy Friday y’all! What are you drinking?