Paul Churchill was blacking out five to seven days a week when he was in his early 20s. Now he’s five years sober.
“I found that alcohol was leading me down a pathway that I didn’t want to go down. And I had to learn first hand of how to quit drinking and what addiction entails," said Churchill.
Today, Churchill lives in Bozeman and is dedicated to helping those struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse.
He hosts the podcast Recovery Elevator and has thousands of listeners from across the world.
But Recovery Elevator is more than just a podcast. It has its own private online community that connects sobriety-seeking individuals with others on the same journey. Recovery Elevator also hosts sober travel trips for those interested in traveling in a group for an alcohol-free vacation.
Churchill says having a strong community is critical for those fighting addiction.
“This is a collaborative healing effort. It takes everyone involved to move forward in life without alcohol, without drugs, without opiates,” he said.
To mark his five years of sobriety, Churchill also just published his first book titled, "Alcohol is Sh!t".
“The podcast, the book, is all about what I’ve learned on this journey about how to depart from alcohol,” Churchill said. “But what I’ve learned is that alcohol is kinda just the beginning. It’s all about going internal and looking about what perhaps alcohol was covering up.”
According to the Montana Department of Justice, one in every 10 residents of Gallatin County is dependent or actively abusing alcohol or drugs.
Fellowship Hall in Bozeman houses numerous programs aimed at preventing and treating different kinds of addiction.
“We have this permanent resource in the Gallatin Valley for people that are struggling with addiction,” said Emily Sather, a board member at Fellowship Hall.
“There’s always a place to go 365 days a year for anybody who might be needing that resource or might be feeling really isolated and feeling like they might want a life in recovery,” she added.
Fellowship Hall opens its doors to anybody interested in removing addiction from their life. There are 50 meetings that take place every week and around 900 visitors that stop by, all working towards a similar goal.
Members of the community and travelers passing through Bozeman are welcome to attend the meetings.
Fellowship Hall also offers support programs for family members and loved ones of those struggling with addiction.
“There is a sobriety community hundreds deep in Bozeman. Hundreds and hundreds of people have successfully departed from alcohol or other addictions,” said Churchill. “The Fellowship Hall is a hub where this healing can take place.”
Learn more about Fellowship Hall here. You can listen to Paul Churchill’s podcast via Apple and Android podcast apps, or on his website.
