SHAIR 89: "Sober is the New Cool" with Carly Benson, Miracles Are Brewing.SHAIR 89: "Sober is the New Cool" with Carly Benson, Miracles Are Brewing.
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Carly Benson talks with host Omar Pinto about her years of cocaine-fuelled partying, the prayer that ended it, and how faith, writing and daily routines support her alcohol‑free life. The conversation highlights practical tools, honest struggles and the idea that "sober is the new cool."
1:24:10•25 Oct 2016
“Sober Is the New Cool”: Carly Benson on Faith, Cocaine and Starting Again
Episode Overview
- Quitting alcohol and cocaine began with a simple, desperate prayer asking for a miracle and admitting the need for help.
- Early sobriety was supported by church, daily spiritual practice, exercise, yoga and stepping back from the party scene.
- Writing about her last night using and sharing it publicly became powerful therapy and accountability through “Miracles Are Brewing”.
- Challenging the inner "beast" voice and playing the tape forward helped her handle cravings and thoughts of "just one".
- Focusing on “just for today” and repeatedly remembering why she started made long-term sobriety feel achievable.
“It’s really important to remember why you started and to remember that it’s a lifestyle. It is a complete lifestyle change.”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head‑on against addiction? This conversation with recovery coach and writer Carly Benson shows how a "party girl" identity can flip into a faith‑centred, alcohol‑free life that actually feels cooler than the club scene ever did. Host Omar Pinto chats with Carly about a decade spent chasing cocaine, ecstasy and blackout nights, all while holding down work and looking "high functioning" on the outside.
She talks honestly about panic attacks at her desk, terrifying comedowns and the morning she ended up hallucinating, shaking and begging on her bedroom floor for a way out. As she puts it, "I literally dropped to my knees... I need a miracle. I don't want to live this way anymore." From that prayer came full abstinence from alcohol and cocaine, a growing Christian faith, and her project “Miracles Are Brewing”.
Carly explains how blogging about sobriety and personal growth started as homework from a creative writing class and turned into a huge part of her recovery, giving her accountability and a way to answer the question she kept hearing: "How did you change your life?" You’ll hear how she built a new routine around morning quiet time, the Bible, prayer, yoga, hard workouts and community.
She shares how she handled feeling out of place at her first 12‑step meeting, why she gravitated towards church instead, and how she learned to challenge that inner "beast" voice that whispers, "just one won’t hurt". This one’s ideal if you’re sober‑curious, wrestling with cocaine, or young in recovery and worried life will be boring without booze.
Carly’s message is simple and memorable: “Remember why you started… and you just have to do it for today.” Could "sober is the new cool" be the motto you’ve been waiting for?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.