Episode 233: Own Tech RisingEpisode 233: Own Tech Rising
Since Right Now
Jeff and Chris - Solo! Get old old School with us.
53:42•7 Dec 2022
Old-School Recovery Talk, Family Fears and Swapping Booze for the Gym
Episode Overview
- Family history and warnings about alcoholism often aren’t enough; many people still feel they have to "find out on their own."
- Shame about drunk behaviour and feeling "gross" can be a powerful motivator to seek sobriety.
- Early recovery often involves transferring addictive energy into things like intense exercise or consuming art for a dopamine boost.
- Alcohol doesn’t create racism or cruelty; it lowers inhibitions and lets existing attitudes come out more openly.
- The addiction treatment industry can be rife with unethical practices, making it vital to question who truly has the patient’s interests at heart.
“You can’t take a break from alcoholism, or sobriety really.”
Curious about how others manage their sobriety journey? Episode 233 of *Since Right Now* drops you into an old-school chat between Jeff and Chris as they go back to basics without their usual co-host, Matt. The pair rewind to the early days of the show and their own recovery, joking about breaks from podcasting while noting, “You can’t take a break from alcoholism, or sobriety really.” From there, the talk shifts to family history and genetics.
Chris shares how his girlfriend once took a five-year break from drinking via SMART Recovery, while Jeff reflects on raising sons in a family where alcoholism runs deep and wondering whether any warning can actually prevent someone from going down their own 15-year “drinking career”. They compare notes on those first sober months, swapping substances for the gym, endorphins and obsessive routines.
Chris describes going from late-night drugs and booze to “working out like two or three hours a day” and seriously considering becoming a personal trainer, while both laugh at how easily addiction can slide into healthier, but still extreme, habits. The conversation then widens out: shameful drunk behaviour, the way alcohol strips away filters, and a grim recent news story about a racist, alcohol-fuelled assault, which they refuse to excuse as “just being drunk”.
They also tackle the darker side of the treatment industry, reading about a centre owner who allegedly falsified urine tests to keep insurance money flowing, and contrast that with more humane telehealth approaches they’ve researched. There’s lighter stuff too—World Cup chat, non-alcoholic beer, family Thanksgivings, and a bit of raw political reaction the day after an election.
If you’re sober, sober-curious, or just wondering how people actually live with this stuff day to day, this loose, honest conversation might leave you asking your own questions about alcohol, recovery, and what truly changing your life would look like for you.
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