Season 7: We're Back, and Nobody's Drinking AnymoreSeason 7: We're Back, and Nobody's Drinking Anymore
Recovery in the Middle Ages - Two Middle-Aged Suburban Dads Talk About Recovering From Addiction to Drugs & Alcohol.
Mike and Nat reunite after a long break to talk about staying sober as middle-aged dads amid changing drinking trends, NA bottle shops and new forms of community like Freemasonry. They reflect on recovery identity, emotional triggers from alcohol-free drinks and the ongoing role of honesty and connection in their lives.
1:17:02•5 Sept 2026
Middle-Aged Dads, Mocktails and Masons: Sobriety in a Changing Culture
Episode Overview
- Alcohol-free wine and spirits can feel emotionally risky, even when they contain no alcohol, because they closely mimic old drinking experiences.
- Non-alcoholic beer may be more comfortable for some in recovery, while wine-like flavours can suddenly reactivate memories and cravings.
- Long-term sobriety often shifts identity away from being "the sober person" and toward family, work and hobbies, yet regular recovery touchpoints still help.
- Supportive communities—whether recovery groups or lodges—offer connection and shared values that can strengthen commitment to staying sober.
- Mental health treatment and psychiatric medications can be confusing and imperfect, highlighting the need for better communication and care.
“This is our thing, though. Complete and total honesty.”
Curious about how others manage their sobriety while life keeps throwing new challenges at them? This back-to-school return of *Recovery in the Middle Ages* catches Mike and Nat picking up the mics after a long break, still sober, still middle-aged, and still trying to make sense of modern recovery.
You’ll hear them laugh their way through dad jokes, golf outings at Topgolf, and the chaos of recording in a new room, but underneath the humour is something serious: how to keep recovery relevant when alcohol starts to feel less central to everyday life. Mike notes new Gallup data showing Americans are drinking less and wonders what that means for people who once built an entire identity around quitting. A big chunk of the chat circles around non-alcoholic drinks.
They visit a local NA bottle shop, sample non-alcoholic beer and wine, and realise that some substitutes—especially wine—can trigger old memories in an uncomfortable way. NA beer feels fine; NA wine feels like “awakening the kraken”. It’s a useful reminder that “safe” alternatives aren’t emotionally neutral for everyone. Nat also talks about becoming a Freemason and how the lodge’s brotherhood and emphasis on becoming a better person reminds him of the best parts of recovery groups.
Both men reflect on how community, honest conversation and regular check-ins still matter, even years into sobriety, especially when they’re surrounded by social drinking at work events, school happy hours and family gatherings. Mental health and medication pop up too, with candid takes on psychiatric drugs, psych wards and how messy care can be. Through it all, they keep coming back to humour, honesty and the simple act of showing up: “This is our thing, though.
Complete and total honesty.” If you’re juggling family life, ageing parents, social pressure and sobriety, this episode might leave you asking: what does your recovery look like now, and how are you keeping it real?
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