043: "Do you have a story to tell?" Matthew McDonough, now 3 years sober and the host of The Passers-by Podcast, shares about his story of alcoholism and recovery.043: "Do you have a story to tell?" Matthew McDonough, now 3 years sober and the host of The Passers-by Podcast, shares about his story of alcoholism and recovery.
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Host Omar Pinto talks with Matthew McDonough about his progression into alcoholism, the decision to quit for his future child, and the role of sharing stories, community and a simple spiritual outlook in staying three years sober. The conversation also highlights online support options and practical tools for newcomers facing early recovery challenges.
49:54•8 Dec 2015
“Keep Coming Back”: Matthew McDonough on Alcoholism, Fatherhood and Finding the Good in Others
Episode Overview
- Sharing your story, whether in meetings, writing or podcasts, can help process feelings and strengthen the desire to change.
- Online recovery communities and virtual meetings offer real connection and accountability when you can’t or won’t go to in‑person meetings.
- Redefining a Higher Power as “the good in others daily” can make spirituality feel practical and grounded in everyday life.
- Focusing on how you react to people and situations, rather than trying to control them, helps avoid anger spirals that threaten sobriety.
- For newcomers, the simple act of showing up and “keep coming back” is presented as the most important suggestion in early recovery.
“Three words, the most important words, the last words in every meeting, keep coming back.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This candid conversation between host Omar Pinto and guest Matthew McDonough, three years sober and creator of The Passers-by Podcast, gives a very down‑to‑earth answer. The episode blends raw story with plenty of humour and practical recovery talk.
Matthew looks back on working in restaurants where a “free drink” at the end of a shift turned into working for alcohol, hauling 30-packs home on his bike, and chasing an ever-bigger high including a wild New Year’s Eve fuelled by booze, weed and acid in Chicago. He shares how that “epic night” was followed by a steep slide into isolation, reputation damage, and the painful realisation: “I started reading stories about kids who had had alcoholic parents.
And I decided that wasn’t for me.” You’ll hear how a simple invite from a sober friend — “just fucking do it” — got him through the meeting door, and why a cutting comment from a co-worker (“you’ll always be a drunk”) became fuel rather than a curse. Matthew explains his day‑to‑day sober life as a dad and partner, why his unborn child became a turning point, and how his Higher Power is “the good in others daily”.
His practical examples of choosing not to explode in traffic or over small slights show what living that belief looks like. Alongside Matthew’s story, Omar talks directly to newcomers through emails from early‑sober listeners like Caitlin and Brian, and highlights online accountability groups, meetings and story‑sharing as powerful tools when you can’t get to a room in person.
The tone stays friendly, honest and non‑judgemental, aimed at anyone who’s wondering if they “have a story to tell” and whether sobriety might give that story a better ending. If you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol or feeling stuck after a relapse, could “keep coming back” be the three words you need today?
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