Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories

Elisa drank alcohol for 30 years.What started as relief from childhood trauma slowly turned into alcohol addiction, DUIs, broken relationships, and a life she says she barely remembers.At eight years old, Elisa testified in court against someone in her own family. Growing up afraid and feeling like she didn’t belong, alcohol became the thing that finally quieted the fear.In this episode of the Sober Motivation Podcast, Elisa shares her recovery story—how childhood trauma shaped her addiction, why alcohol felt like the answer, her struggles with alcoholism, and the spiritual and emotional healing that helped her get sober.We also discuss recovery, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), EMDR therapy, relapse, grief, and what it means to build a life worth staying sober for.If you’re struggling with alcohol, questioning your drinking, or looking for hope in recovery, this episode is for you.Elisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisansaunders/Sober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manny grew up in New Orleans surrounded by alcohol, but after watching the damage drinking caused in his own family, he wanted nothing to do with it.That changed later in life.After marriage, business success, cocaine, alcohol, Hurricane Katrina, divorce, depression, day drinking, and eventually drinking four to five bottles of wine a day, Manny found himself isolated, physically broken, and barely able to walk. What started as social drinking became full-blown alcohol addiction.In this episode of the Sober Motivation Podcast, Manny shares his powerful story of addiction, rehab, relapse, recovery, forgiveness, and what it really takes to quit drinking and rebuild your life.We talk about high-functioning alcoholism, losing everything after Katrina, the fear of who you are without alcohol, relapse after years sober, repairing family relationships, and why sobriety has to become more than just not drinking.If you are questioning your drinking, trying to quit alcohol, sober curious, in early recovery, or coming back after a relapse, Manny’s story is a reminder that it is never too late to change.Sober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Todd looked like he had it all together. He had a good job, a family, a home, and no major public consequences from drinking. But inside, alcohol was taking up more space than he wanted to admit.In this episode of the Sober Motivation Podcast, Todd shares how weekend drinking, binge drinking, hangxiety, shame, and constantly thinking about the next drink made him question his relationship with alcohol. He talks about trying to moderate, why quitting felt extreme at first, and the moment his son asked if they needed an Uber home from a baseball game.That question changed everything.Todd opens up about what it was like to stop drinking as a dad, why life without alcohol did not become boring, and how sobriety helped him become calmer, more present, and more connected with his family.If you are sober curious, trying to quit drinking, questioning your alcohol use, or wondering if your drinking is “bad enough” to stop, this conversation will hit home.In this episode:Questioning your relationship with alcoholWeekend drinking and binge drinkingHangxiety and the shame cycleTrying to moderate drinkingSobriety as a parentQuitting drinking before rock bottomWhy alcohol steals time, energy, and connectionLearning how to have fun without alcoholTodd is the author of I Didn’t Believe It Either: One Dad’s Discovery That Everything Is Better Without Alcohol.Connect with Todd on IG: https://www.instagram.com/tkinney111/Sober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For years, JB thought he could manage his drinking.What started as binge drinking slowly turned into drinking every day, hiding alcohol, drinking on the way home, anxiety, shame, and feeling completely trapped inside the cycle.In this episode of the Sober Motivation Podcast, JB shares his full sobriety story — growing up in chaos, starting alcohol and cigarettes at a young age, struggling with addiction, daily drinking, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, and what finally pushed him to quit drinking alcohol for good.This is an honest conversation about alcohol addiction, recovery, sober living, mental health, anxiety, shame, fatherhood, and learning how to live life without alcohol.If you’re sober curious, struggling with daily drinking, trying to stop drinking alcohol, or looking for recovery motivation, this episode is for you.Topics covered: • daily drinking • alcohol addiction • sober motivation • quitting alcohol • sobriety journey • recovery community • anxiety and alcohol • shame and addiction • sober podcast • getting sober • alcohol recovery storyDownload the Sober Motivation app for daily meetings, community support, sober tracking, journaling, and connection with others living alcohol-free.JB on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloodworthey/Sober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke spent 14 years selling alcohol while it was slowly killing him. Three rounds of rehab. Hospital visits. Drinking in the morning. On December 30, 2018, he had his last drink.In this follow-up, Luke walks Brad through what changed in the seven years since. The scene with his daughter screaming "Dad, don't go" as he drove away in tears. The AA foundation that carried him through year three. The therapist who leaned in and asked the one question nobody had ever asked him: what about you?You'll hear about: working in the liquor industry while drinking yourself to death; getting sober as a divorced dad; outgrowing AA without losing the gratitude; the daily self-care pillars that hold long-term sobriety together; what 7 years alcohol-free actually feels like.Connect with Luke on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dadonthemockSober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephanie never thought she had a serious drinking problem. She was successful, working in healthcare, maintaining relationships, and doing everything she could to keep life together on the outside. But behind closed doors, alcohol slowly became the way she coped with anxiety, depression, grief, loneliness, and major life changes.What started as gray area drinking eventually turned into hiding alcohol, drinking alone in parking lots, blackouts, hospital visits, rehab, and feeling completely trapped inside her own mind.In this episode, Stephanie shares her powerful sobriety story, including growing up around alcohol, trying to moderate her drinking, relapsing after rehab, and the heartbreaking moment her father stayed beside her through withdrawal without judgment. She also opens up about how sober community and connection finally helped her stop fighting alone.This conversation is for anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol, struggling to quit drinking, battling anxiety tied to alcohol use, or wondering if life without drinking can actually get better.In this episode:Gray area drinkingAlcohol addiction and recoveryAnxiety, depression, and alcoholRehab and relapseLearning how to cope without alcoholThe progression of drinking over timeSober community and connectionRebuilding life through sobrietyIf you’re trying to quit drinking or stay sober, this episode will remind you that recovery is possible — even when things feel hopeless.Stephanie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steph_kan_do_this/Sober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You don't need a rock bottom to quit drinking. No DUI. No lost job. No moment where everything blows up. For Paula, life looked great from the outside, a beautiful home in South Florida, two kids, a marriage built in the alcohol industry, and a career soaked in alcohol. Nothing was falling apart on the outside or so she thought. She made every soccer practice. She was the homeroom mom. But the hangovers were getting worse, the blackouts had started, and her kids were beginning to see two different versions of her.In this episode of the Sober Motivation Podcast, Paula shares what she calls the "miserable middle" of drinking. The place so many high-functioning drinkers get stuck. Nothing is bad enough to quit, but nothing feels right either. She talks about growing up with a normal relationship to alcohol, building her entire career around it, falling into the mommy wine culture trap, and how managing her drinking became more exhausting than the drinking itself.After 30 years of drinking and four years of being sober curious, it was her teenage daughter's words that finally broke through: "I can't take these two different people." That was Paula's day one. November 2, 2022.We cover:Quitting drinking without a rock bottomHigh-functioning alcoholism and the gray area drinkerMommy wine culture and how it sneaks up on youWhy managing your drinking is exhaustingAnxiety, hangxiety, and the cortisol crashHow alcohol affects your kids even when you think they don't noticeThe "miserable middle" between drinking and sobrietyWhat the first year of sobriety actually looks likeIf you've been sober curious, gray area drinking, questioning your relationship with alcohol, or wondering if your drinking is "bad enough" to quit — this episode is for you. You are not alone, and you don't have to wait for things to fall apart to choose something better.Sober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bri is almost one year sober. For the year before that she tried to quit drinking over and over, racking up day ones nobody knew about. Two months sober, then a slip. Two months again, another slip. From the outside she was the picture perfect mom. Accountant, wife, two little boys, a pool in the backyard. Behind closed doors it was shots from the freezer on Christmas, weekend blackouts at her own pool parties, and crying in the shower when everyone went home. Then on Easter she pulled her one year old son aside and told him he'd never see her drunk or hungover again. She hasn't had a drink since.In this episode Bri shares what gray area drinking looks like for a working mom; why her two month sobriety cycles kept breaking; the blackouts she hid from everyone; her first sober tax season; and what one year sober actually feels like. If you keep restarting, this one is for you.Bri's Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@briinsobrietyBri on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brimarshallll/Sober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On New Year's Eve 2003, Martin Lockett ran a red light drunk and killed two women, and severely injured a third. They where all long-time members of Portland's recovery community, one 16 years sober, one 17. They were returning home from a clean and sober New Year's Eve party. Martin served 17 and a half years in prison. Today he's 22 years sober, a certified substance abuse counselor, and a national speaker who's devoted his life to preventing the tragedy he caused.In this raw, unforgettable episode, Martin takes us back to his first drink at 14, the identity struggles that drove him to alcohol as a shy Black kid in 1980s Portland, the night his own twin brother begged him to slow down, and the newspaper article four days after the crash that changed everything.You'll hear about: what it's like to learn who your victims were; the DUI stop three months before the fatal crash; the "alcoholic's brain" that still whispers at 22 years sober; and Martin's warning for anyone who thinks one more drive home is fine.Martin on Instagram: HereSober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You don’t have to lose everything to question your drinking.In this episode, I sit down with Ash Butterss to talk about the moment she realized something needed to change—and why you don’t need a traditional “rock bottom” to quit drinking.Ash shares her sobriety journey, from living a life that looked fine on the outside to realizing she wasn’t truly happy or showing up as her authentic self. We talk about sober curiosity, emotional growth, and what it really takes to build an alcohol-free life.This conversation dives into the reality of quitting alcohol, learning how to deal with emotions without drinking, and why comparison and expectations can keep people stuck.Ash also opens up about the early days of sobriety, navigating major life changes, and how sobriety helped her reconnect with who she truly is.If you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol, trying to stop drinking, or wondering if life could be better without it—this episode will resonate.Ash on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashbutterss/For support visit: https://www.sobermotivation.com/Sober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you've tried to quit drinking and keep relapsing, this episode is for you.Jason Wahler is known from Laguna Beach, The Hills, and Celebrity Rehab, but behind the cameras he was battling severe alcohol addiction for years. He went through 13 treatment centers, faced arrests, survived suicide attempt, and kept relapsing even when life looked successful from the outside. He also lived with OCD, which made the cycle of addiction even harder to break.In this raw and honest conversation, Jason shares what relapse actually feels like, and what finally helped him get sober and stay sober long term.This episode covers:How to quit drinking when you feel completely stuckWhy alcohol addiction is so hard to break, even with professional helpWhat relapse really looks like behind the scenesHow OCD and mental health affect addiction and recoveryWhat actually works for long-term sobriety after years of tryingWhether you're struggling with alcohol addiction, trying to get sober, or supporting someone who is, you'll find real answers here, not just the usual recovery talking points.You are not alone, and there is a way forward.Get More Support: HereCheck out the YouTube Channel: HereSupport the show: HereJason on Instagram: HereCheck out sobrsafe: HereSober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re trying to quit drinking or wondering if you have an alcohol problem, this story will hit home.Greg shares how a good childhood and successful career turned into alcohol addiction, denial, psych wards, and jail—and how he finally got sober.In this episode of the Sober Motivation Podcast, Brad sits down with Greg to talk about the reality of high-functioning alcoholism and how quickly things can escalate.On the outside, Greg had everything together. But underneath, he struggled with not feeling like he fit in—and alcohol became the solution.Over time, drinking went from social to something he relied on. Denial and ego kept him stuck, even as things got worse. After a series of personal losses, everything spiraled—leading to isolation, mental health struggles, and eventually being arrested and spending six months in jail.Even then, he didn’t believe alcohol was the problem.In this episode, we cover:High-functioning alcohol addiction and denialThe role of ego in drinking and recoveryMental health, psych wards, and rock bottom momentsWhat it takes to finally quit drinkingHow to rebuild your life in sobrietyIf you’re struggling with alcohol, questioning your drinking, or looking for real sobriety stories, this episode is for you.Check out this episodes Sponsor: https://sobrsafe.com/pages/sobrsureGreg on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregdownscoach/Sober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.