I Love Being Sober

In 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

What 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

At 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

Hannah 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

Terry 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.