Sober Friends

Send us Fan Mail November is gratitude month in 12 step groups.  It can be easy to think about resentments and guilt over past actions, but it's so important to be grateful for all you have and all that's changed in life because you put down the bottle. John I and Steve C join the show to talk about their gratitude lists. Please help support the show by giving it a review and rating in A...

Send us Fan Mail hu·mil·i·ty /(h)yo͞oˈmilədē/ noun a modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness. "he needs the humility to accept that their way may be better" John I wanted this episode because he felt he was being a bit too pompous and arrogant in his new job, but in doing some self inventory, Steve C and Matt J also needed this one too.  In this podcast, we talk about...

Send us Fan Mail Getting sober doesn't mean you won't face challenges in your life.  Getting sober means you don't have to drink when you have these challenges. The challenges faced in this podcast, are admittedly Cadillac ones.  Both Steve C and Matt J were given career opportunities.  With both, it involved a lot more money and responsibility.  Just because someone gets more money...

Send us Fan Mail The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are the framework for how the groups work.  According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "The '12 Traditions' of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we A.A.'s believe, the best answers to that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, 'How can A.A. best function?' and, 'How can A.A. best st...

Send us Fan Mail The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are the framework for how the groups work.  According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "The '12 Traditions' of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we A.A.'s believe, the best answers to that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, 'How can A.A. best function?' and, 'How can A.A. best st...

Send us Fan Mail Kelly Giannuzzi is a mom of three boys who "seemed" to have it all together.  Great husband, beautiful house and amazing kids.  She was the the picture of the American Dream.  What you didn't see was that she was silently battling postpartum depression, crippled by anxiety and relied far too heavily on "mommy juice." In January 2021, she reached her bottom...

Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of our conversation with Tim G.  Like almost everything Tim has done, it's happened kicking and screaming.  That includes his outdoor meeting, painting and gardening.  But once he's done it, he felt better.  We all can identify. Please help support the show by giving it a review and rating in Apple Podcasts.  Find Recovery Links, access to social media and email a...

Send us Fan Mail John I, Steve C and I have talked about our friend in recovery Tim G from time to time on this show.  Tim has been resistant to come on, but we wore him down.  Lots of things in his program has worn Tim down and we talk about the long list of things Tim never wanted to do and then when he did them, how his program got better. In the first of two parts, Tim shares his story, how he...

Send us Fan Mail The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are the framework for how the groups work.  According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "The '12 Traditions' of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we A.A.'s believe, the best answers to that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, 'How can A.A. best function?' and, 'How can A.A. best st...

Send us Fan Mail The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are the framework for how the groups work.  According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "The '12 Traditions' of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we A.A.'s believe, the best answers to that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, 'How can A.A. best function?' and, 'How can A.A. best st...

Send us Fan Mail 12 Step groups have a tradition around their public relations policy, which is attraction rather than promotion.  But what does that exactly mean? John I steps in to have a discussion of this topic.  Does it mean you never talk about AA or other 12 step programs, even in front of someone clearly sick and suffering?  Should you never post about the program on social media?  Does th...

Send us Fan Mail The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are the framework for how the groups work.  According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "The '12 Traditions' of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we A.A.'s believe, the best answers to that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, 'How can A.A. best function?' and, 'How can A.A. best st...

Send us Fan Mail Tyler thought is was normal to get drunk growing up.  It was what everyone in town did at his age.  Then his parents got divorced and the drinking escalated.  But he already had a strong, spiritual faith and it ended up being his lifeline. Tyler is a childhood friend of my wife.  He heard about this podcast from her on Facebook and wanted to talk about his life in sobriety.  In th...

Send us Fan Mail The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are the framework for how the groups work.  According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, "The '12 Traditions' of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we A.A.'s believe, the best answers to that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, 'Ho can A.A. best function?' and, 'How can A.A. best sta...

Send us Fan Mail Nate Kelly is the host of the Sobriety Diaries Podcast on Instagram and wherever you get your podcasts.  He is also an alcoholic.  I was fascinated by his story in listening to his show and he was gracious enough to join us.  In this episode, Nate talks about his story, his experience with drinking, his alcoholic stroke in his 30's that was not enough to stop drinking, his re...

Send us Fan Mail When you are new to sobriety, you may think life is now just sitting in church basements.  Early on, you'll see a lot of church basements, but as you grow in your new sobriety, the opportunity to enjoy your life presents itself.  John I and Steve C join in to talk about the debt of gratitude they owe to their 12 step program and how life has become better. Support the show 📫...

Send us Fan Mail Many alcoholics have had to deal with the effects of isolation both in active addition and after.  Especially during COVID-19, when you have to social distance, it's easy to hide away and isolate from everyone in the name of good health.  It's easy to stay home and be comfortable isolating in general and make excuses to not go to meetings or call people in the program. ...

Send us Fan Mail It is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the moment.  Matt J had a storm come through his town of South Windsor, CT and it left him without power and without some siding.  It could have been worse as just feet from where he lives, trees were down damaging cars and homes.  Seeing his kids freaking out, Matt freaked out on the inside instead of calling people in the program o...

Send us Fan Mail Staying on the beam is about what we do everyday to ensure our sobriety.  It's about the little things to maintain our sanity and keep in touch with our higher power.  If left unchecked, little by little, cracks can show up until we get to the point of misery or a drink. Steve C and John I join the show to talk about how they stay on the beam. Join us on our website at https:...

Send us Fan Mail Matt J has been diving into the world of Sober Instagram and where some other social media sites are cesspools, <cough!> <cough!> <TWITTER!>, The sober society on Instagram seems to be something totally different.  It is a place where you can find positive and inspirational messages of sobriety.  Matt found Morgan at https://www.instagram.com/single.40.sober.surv...

Send us Fan Mail Mark Gantt is the husband of our previous guest, Brianne Davis.  Mark is best known for co-creating, writing, producing, and starring in Crackle’s groundbreaking, Streamy award-winning series, The Bannen Way.  He's also an alcoholic in recovery for the last 32 years.  In this episode, we discuss a short but storied drinking career that ended at the age of 19.  The help he rec...

Send us Fan Mail Part of working the steps in Alcoholics Anonymous is clearing away the wreckage of the past, clearing away the harms you've done to others and the mess you've made of your life because of your addiction.   Complacency can set in as life gets better with a recovery lifestyle and the threat of changes can cause anxiety.  Matt J is contemplating taking on new responsibiliti...

Send us Fan Mail Brianne Davis is an actress that you've seen in Lucifer, Dawson's Creek, True Blood, CSI Miami, The History Channel's Six and so much more.  But Brianne was harboring a secret;  she was a sex and love addict.  After 16 years of sobriety in Sex and Love Addiction Anonymous, she made the decision to break her anonymity and share her journey with a fictionalized accoun...

Send us Fan Mail The idea of Rock Bottom can be a misnomer and can be a hindrance to finding recovery.  It can be easy to compare someone else's bottom to your own and therefore decided I'm, "not that bad."  On this episode, Matt J, Steve C and John I talk about the concept of Rock Bottom and how everyone's bottom can be different. Support the show 📫 Get more honest conve...

Send us Fan Mail We conclude our pass through the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with Step 12:  Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. Step 12 is is a very broad step and can be looked to as the "Sponsorship Step," but it's so much more than that.  J...