TSP 075: "Sober Courage" with Maggie Shores, from Liquid Courage to Sober Courage.TSP 075: "Sober Courage" with Maggie Shores, from Liquid Courage to Sober Courage.
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Maggie Shores shares her journey from fearful, blackout drinking to long-term sobriety as a mother, partner and founder of the Sober Courage blog. She talks openly about AA, higher power, online support and the practical tools that help her stay alcohol-free each day.
1:06:19•19 Jul 2016
From Liquid Courage to Sober Courage with Maggie Shores
Episode Overview
- Give AA a genuine chance by trying different meetings and talking to many people before deciding it is not for you.
- Stay connected daily with recovery friends, whether by phone or online, and build a network before crisis hits.
- Use simple routines like morning check-ins with a higher power and regular meetings to keep sobriety at the centre of life.
- Avoid high-risk situations early on, even changing where you shop or socialise if alcohol is too present.
- Be willing to work the steps again, including a fresh fourth step, when emotional bottoms appear in sobriety.
“Give AA a good chance… go to a bunch of meetings, meet a bunch of people, talk to a bunch of people. It really does work.”
What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? Maggie Shores’ honest account on The SHAIR Recovery Podcast is all about fear, relapse, courage and starting again. Hosted by Omar Pinto, this conversation is aimed squarely at anyone who feels stuck between knowing alcohol is a problem and actually doing something about it.
Maggie, founder of the blog “Sober Courage”, talks about growing up with an alcoholic mother, being terrified of becoming the same, and yet slowly sliding into heavy drinking in her late twenties. She shares the impact of a DUI, losing custody of her daughter, and still finding ways to justify drinking. Her rock bottom comes in a chilling blackout weekend: “I woke up on the kitchen floor… the date on the phone said Monday.
It was Friday.” From there, you’ll hear how a single moment of thinking about her daughter shifted her from wanting to drink herself to death to picking up the phone and asking for help. Maggie explains how meetings, sponsorship and what she calls “God shots” helped her rethink a higher power and let go of long-held resentment, especially toward her parents.
The chat also gets into life as a sober mum, being a couple in recovery, and why she and her husband still prioritise meetings years into sobriety. Maggie explains why she created Sober Courage to talk openly about addiction and to share very practical “how to get through today without drinking” tools, including using online support and even sponsoring someone via Skype.
Packed with real-life examples, gentle humour and straight-talking advice, this episode speaks to anyone wondering if AA, community and a spiritual approach could actually work for them. If you’re asking yourself whether you really need meetings, a sponsor or a phone list, could Maggie’s story be the nudge you need?
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