This episode is for the families. The moms paying their addicted son's phone bill because they're scared of what happens if they stop. The wife who doesn't know how many more chances she has left. The sister who's tired, and feels guilty for admitting it. We answered 10 real questions from people living alongside addiction, not people using, but the people who love them. And we got honest about something we don't usually say out loud: we don't always know the right answer. We've talked about boundaries and ultimatums for years on this show, and in this episode, we admit that some of us wouldn't actually follow that advice ourselves if it were our own kid. This one includes one of the most personal stories we've ever shared on this podcast. If any of this hit home, you're not alone. Send us your question, we might answer it on a future episode. If you want to quit drinking, hit us up. We'll do it with you!

Is addiction a disease, or is it just a series of bad choices? We brought Shane Ramer from The Sober Guy Podcast on to hash this out, and we didn't all agree, not even close. Some of us think calling it a disease gives people an excuse to keep using. Shane makes the case that there's real nuance here, tied to mental illness and compulsion. And one of the most interesting moments of the whole episode: Shane doesn't call himself an alcoholic anymore, and it completely changes how the conversation goes. We also get into something we don't talk about enough, the exact moment Shane decided to change his life, which involves one of us driving right past him on the side of the road when he had nothing left. Check out Shane's show, The Sober Guy Podcast, available everywhere you listen! If you want to quit drinking, hit us up. We'll do it with you!

How does someone actually get sober and stay sober for the first 30 days? We built the answer live, step by step, with zero prep, and we didn't even agree on the order at first. This is the exact blueprint: clearing the alcohol out of your house, who to tell and why it matters, building an hour-by-hour routine (especially for weekends), getting to meetings, and the one thing that has to come last if you want any of it to stick. We also get into the hardest parts of those first two weeks, the withdrawals, the loneliness, the overwhelming urge to fix your entire life all at once, and what actually helped us get through it. If you want to quit drinking, hit us up. We'll do it with you!

A lot of people say "I don't drink liquor anymore, I just drink beer", like switching what's in the cup means the problem is solved. We get into whether that's actually true, or just a more socially acceptable way to keep drinking. We talk through our own patterns, who blacked out on what, who went full "adventure mode" on liquor, who just got sick and gave up, and land on the real answer: it was never about what we were drinking. It was about why. We also settle an old myth once and for all: does "beer before liquor, never sicker" actually hold up? If you want to quit drinking, hit us up. We'll do it with you.

My mom didn't know what she was looking at, until it was almost too late. Looking back, she can point to exactly what she missed: the friend group that changed, the hobbies that disappeared, the behavior she chalked up to "just being a teenager." None of it looked like drugs. Until it was. For the first time, my mom sits down with me and the guys to walk through every sign she saw (and the ones she didn't), what she'd do differently, and what she wants every parent watching to actually look out for, before you're standing in a parking lot finding out the way we did. If you're a parent and something feels off with your kid, this one's for you. If you want to quit drinking, hit us up. We'll do it with you! #soberboyz #addictionrecovery #parentingtips #addictionrecovery #familyrecovery #soberlife #cleanculture #soberpodcast #parentsofaddicts #podcast #alcohol #alcoholism #sobriety

They tell you sobriety has to come first in recovery. But first before your marriage? Before your kids? Before everything else? We get into what that actually looks like in real life, including a moment where Corey had to tell his son "we're not doing baseball tonight" because of his own commitments, and what that kind of sacrifice really means long-term. We also get honest about the flip side: what happens when "prioritizing recovery" turns into an excuse, an ego trip, or a way to avoid the rest of your life. Yes, you can get addicted to recovery itself, and we've all done it. If you want to quit drinking, hit us up. We'll do it with you!

15 questions. Zero prep. Real people from every stage of recovery. We didn't see a single one of these before hitting record, so you're getting our honest, unfiltered, first-reaction answers to everything from "when does sobriety actually start feeling good" to "how do I forgive myself for the parent I used to be." We also may have called a friend live on the show to stage a very real, very unplanned intervention about his hunting habit. You'll understand when you get there. If you've ever wondered any of this yourself, there's a good chance we answer it in this one. If you want to quit drinking, hit us up. We'll do it with you.

Is addiction something you're born with, or something that happens to you? We didn't agree on this one, and we didn't try to fake it. Some of us think genetics load the gun, others think it's almost entirely environmental. We get into real family history, what the research actually says about genetic markers (spoiler: there isn't a single "addiction gene"), and whether trauma matters more than DNA. We also get into something every parent in recovery thinks about: if you struggled with addiction, is your kid more likely to? And what do you actually do about it if you think they are? This one also gets into a debate around whether addiction should even be classified as a mental health disorder, and not everyone in the room agrees on that either. If you want to quit drinking, hit us up. We'll do it with you!

Zac Clark went from a heroin addiction to national television, and 15 years later, he's the founder of Release Recovery, helping others do what he did. We get into his whole story: growing up with insecurities he covered up through sports, a brain tumor at 24 that introduced him to opioids, and a rock bottom that involved stealing his dad's checkbook and getting arrested, until a bank teller chose kindness over calling the cops and changed the entire trajectory of his life. We also get into something that might surprise you: despite everything he went through with heroin, Zac says alcohol is actually the drug he fears most, and he makes a compelling case for why. This episode also covers what it's like staying sober in the public eye after appearing on The Bachelorette, what part of addiction never fully goes away even after 15 years, and what he'd tell someone who thinks they're "not bad enough" to need help. Check out Zac's podcast, The Zac Clark Show. If you want to quit drinking, hit us up. We'll do it with you!

"I'm sober. Now what?" We asked each other that question, rapid-fire, no prep. If you've already put the drink down and have no idea what comes next, this episode is for you. We get into what the first real steps look like, how to fill the time alcohol used to consume, why you're going to be bored (and why that's actually a good sign), why you'll probably lose some friends, and the uncomfortable truth that getting sober doesn't make your problems disappear, sometimes it makes them bigger, because you're finally paying attention to them. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Thursday. If you want to quit drinking, hit us up. We'll do it with you!