Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories

What is alcohol really costing you?In this episode of the Sober Motivation Podcast, Mike shares how alcohol slowly became part of his daily life without obvious warning signs. He kept his job, raised a family, and looked successful on the outside—but after quitting drinking, he realized alcohol had quietly taken far more from him than he ever imagined.We talk about growing up as a preacher’s kid, chasing acceptance, becoming a functioning daily drinker, and why you don’t have to hit rock bottom to question your relationship with alcohol. Mike also opens up about the moment he finally stopped drinking, what surprised him most about sobriety, and why being fully present with his family is worth more than any drink.If you’ve ever wondered whether alcohol is holding you back, if you’re exploring sobriety, or if you’re trying to quit drinking, this conversation is for you.In this episode:Why functioning drinking can be hard to recognizeThe hidden cost of alcoholWhy people drink beyond just having funGray area drinking and daily alcohol useWhat changes after quitting alcoholLiving fully present in sobrietyWhether you’re sober, sober curious, in early recovery, or supporting someone with an alcohol problem, we hope this episode reminds you that you don’t have to lose everything before choosing a different path.Mike On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikekinnebrew/

At 28 years old, Mailinn was preparing to die.She was drinking up to 4 liters of vodka a day, vomiting blood daily, and losing the ability to walk. Doctors had run out of answers. Her family was bracing for the worst.Then her body shut down.In 2020, Mailinn was placed into a coma with multi-organ failure and given little chance of survival. What happened next would completely change the course of her life.Today, Mailinn is six years sober.In this episode of Sober Motivation, Mailinn shares her powerful recovery story, from early drinking and alcohol addiction to waking up from a coma, learning to walk again, and discovering a life she never thought was possible.Whether you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol, struggling with addiction, or supporting someone in recovery, this conversation is a powerful reminder that no one is ever too far gone.In this episode:• Starting to drink at 12 years old • The early warning signs of alcoholism • Drinking up to 4 liters of vodka a day • Hiding alcohol use from family and friends • Vomiting blood and severe health complications • Multi-organ failure and a medically induced coma • Learning to walk again • Life after alcohol • Recovery, gratitude, and finding purposeRecovery is possible. Mailinn’s story is proof.Mailinn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soyli91/

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/

“I genuinely thought I was a hopeless alcoholic addict with no chance of return.”That’s where Gio found himself.After years of success as a hockey player—including a Division I scholarship and a professional career—addiction slowly took over. What started as drinking and partying became something much darker, leading Gio to a gas station parking lot where he finally called his dad and admitted:“I can’t stop using.”In this episode, Gio shares his journey through hockey culture, addiction, opiates, losing his identity after hockey, multiple treatment stays, relapse, and how he found hope after believing he was too far gone.If you’ve ever wondered whether recovery is possible, or felt like you’ve gone too far to change, this episode is for you.Gio on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gflamminio/

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.

He had a loving family, a private school education, great friends, and every opportunity in front of him. Yet by age 33, Gary was drinking in 7 a.m. bars in Spain, waking up in hostels with no money, and wondering how his life had fallen apart.In this episode of Sober Motivation, Gary Mairs shares how alcohol slowly took over despite what many would consider the perfect childhood. From teenage binge drinking in England to years of anxiety, financial chaos, broken relationships, and undiagnosed ADHD, Gary opens up about the reality of alcohol addiction and the moment he finally decided enough was enough.In this episode:• Growing up in England and early binge drinking culture • When alcohol started feeling different • Living with undiagnosed ADHD • Alcohol addiction and self-medication • University drinking and drug use • Financial struggles caused by alcohol • Moving to Spain and taking the problem with him • Drinking at 7 a.m. bars • The emotional rock bottom that changed everything • Finding recovery through AA and daily habits • Rebuilding confidence, purpose, and self-respect • Why sobriety became the foundation for everything elseIf you’re struggling with alcohol, questioning your relationship with drinking, or searching for hope in recovery, this conversation is a powerful reminder that change is possible.Download the Sober Motivation App: www.sobermotivation.comGary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobernsound/