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There’s no such thing as perfect sobriety.

In this episode, Matt and Steve explore why learning from mistakes is part of the process — not a failure. They talk about comparison in recovery, changing needs over time, and how wanting things to “click faster” can quietly work against us.

This is an honest conversation about patience, humility, and staying willing — even when you realize you’re still a present-day alcoholic doing the work one day at a time.

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What does “rock bottom” actually look like — and do you really have to hit it before you get sober? In this episode, Matt and Steve break down the biggest myth in recovery: that you need a dramatic collapse, a lost job, a destroyed marriage, or a trip to the ER to justify getting help.

We talk about how comparison keeps people stuck (“my story isn’t as bad as theirs”), why so many of us lie to ourselves about how bad things really are, and how easy it is to miss the quieter signs that alcohol is running your life. Matt shares how his bottom wasn’t a crisis but a moment of clarity, and Steve talks about the years he spent ignoring warning signs because he wasn’t “that bad.”

You’ll hear:

• Why comparing your drinking to others can keep you sick
• How subtle “off-ramp moments” can be the real bottom
• What it means when someone tells you, “You might have a problem”
• Why sobriety isn’t about subtracting alcohol — it’s about adding tools, people, and freedom
• The truth about mood regulation and why we drink when we’re “too happy” or “too sad”
• Why you never need a catastrophe to decide you’re done

If you’re sober-curious, questioning your drinking, or wondering if it’s “bad enough,” this episode will hit home. You don’t need to lose everything to get your life back.

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📫 Get more honest conversations about sobriety delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to The Sober Friends Dispatch, our weekly newsletter where we go beyond the podcast to share real strategies for alcohol-free living. Join our community by clicking here.

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What happens when the picture-perfect life hides a private hell? In this episode of the Sober Friends Podcast, Matt J sits down with Emily Redondo, author of Wife Mother Drunk: An Intergenerational Memoir of Loss and Love. Emily takes us inside her raw and unfiltered journey through addiction, motherhood, and the generational trauma that shaped her story.

From pumping and dumping breast milk in rehab to uncovering family secrets that spanned decades, Emily shares what it’s like to live two lives—one for the world and one in the shadows. We talk about the shame that keeps us silent, the lies we tell ourselves, and the courage it takes to break free.

If you’ve ever wondered what recovery looks like when everything feels impossible, this conversation will hit home. Emily’s story is messy, real, and full of hope.

Listen now for a brutally honest look at addiction, resilience, and why telling the truth might be the most radical act of all.

Click here for Emily's book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and from Emily's website.

Support the show

📫 Get more honest conversations about sobriety delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to The Sober Friends Dispatch, our weekly newsletter where we go beyond the podcast to share real strategies for alcohol-free living. Join our community by clicking here.