Seth Perry started using drugs and alcohol as a teenager to feel acceptance, and later to manage the symptoms of bipolar disorder, but after his addiction spiralled into drug psychosis and damaged his relationships with friends and family, he got clean. Then, a chance meeting put him on the path to becoming a pastor, and now he helps recovering addicts developing their own spiritual practice. In this incredible discussion, Seth shares: How a lack of openness around emotions impacted his beliefs ...
Mar 30, 2021•59 min•Ep. 26
“When nothing is certain, anything is possible.” Dr. Jeremy Goldberg grew up in a household with an alcoholic mother and got a crash course in acceptance and personal responsibility. Now, he uses the lessons he learned through those struggles to help build a generation of better men. In this powerful conversation, he discusses: How men can lead with heart and wholeness How the meaning of being a man is evolving The lack of initiation rituals for men in western culture How his mother’s alcoholism...
Mar 02, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 25
Kevin Bellack had a great career and a loving family, but watched his drinking spiral out of control as he used it to manage job-related stress and keep his emotions at bay. After spending time stuck in the cycle of wanting to quit, he finally reached out to a therapist—a single step that changed his life. In this episode, Kevin shares: How sobriety has given him the opportunity to understand himself better and invest in himself more How much of his personal growth has come through acceptance wi...
Feb 16, 2021•52 min•Ep. 24
Growing up, Graeme found himself on the outside a lot, so he turned to alcohol and drugs to finally find a sense of belonging. Once he started to feel the pain of his actions and see the broken promises to himself stack up, he realized he had a problem. After living in rock bottom for four years, at 27 years old he found himself in an AA meeting and has stayed sober for the past 19 years. The message of hope he found in connecting with others who were sober How he managed himself in early, middl...
Feb 02, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 23
A decade ago, Josh Beharry tried taking his own life. Now he devotes his life to helping other men identify symptoms of depression or suicide and overcome the stigma of discussing them. In this episode, Josh tells us about: His journey of recovery from his suicide attempt, and why recovery isn’t always linear The prevalence of depression and suicide amongst men Tools he uses to manage his depression now How speaking up about mental health issues can save your life Since recovering from experienc...
Jan 19, 2021•40 min•Ep. 22
Six years ago Lou Redmond, by all accounts, had a pretty good life—a good job, an active social life, partying on the weekends, plenty of Seinfeld—but it wasn’t the life he wanted, so he set out to discover how he could build a life that was more aligned with who he was, and now he spreads his message of purpose, mindfulness, and self-confidence all over the country. In this episode, Lou joins us to discuss: His ‘hero’s journey’ from corporate ladder climber to life of purpose The difference bet...
Dec 29, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 21
A 23-year-old Alex Kaplan buried his father and then buried his grief in alcohol and cocaine. Now he uses his passion for filmmaking to share stories highlighting the human experience and spread the gospel of openness and vulnerability to people lacking connection and struggling with addiction. In this interview with Alex, we discuss: How his father’s passing led to his addiction to alcohol and cocaine Why he believes vulnerability is a superpower How he’s creating community through the power of...
Dec 08, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 20
When Chris Marshall was five years old, his dad was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and he was thrust into a role as ‘man of the house’, kicking off a multi-decade odyssey to figure out what ‘being a man’ really looked like, including using alcohol as a substitute for belonging. Now, he uses social media and live events to spread a message of sobriety and self-acceptance around North America. In this interview with Chris, we discuss: Early life trauma Becoming the ‘man of the house’ as a c...
Nov 24, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 19
On an unexpectedly (or expectedly) political episode of Brobriety, we discuss something everyone is already sick to death of hearing about: The U.S. election! Specifically, the right’s attack on Hunter Biden’s addiction, Biden and Trump’s sobriety, rugged individualism as a symptom of toxic masculinity, the strength of community, protecting your mental health from politics, and why everyone deserves a yearlong nap. Show Notes: Note: nothing in this podcast is intended to be a replacement for med...
Nov 11, 2020•49 min•Ep. 18
Who are we? What is a man? Why did we spend decades of our lives addicted to alcohol and drugs? Is masculinity inherently toxic? All these questions will be answered and MORE in the first episode of Brobriety, your new favorite podcast tackling sobriety and mental health for men, women, and the men and women who love them. Also: rat facts! Show Notes: Note: nothing in this podcast is intended to be a replacement for medical or professional advice. If you, or someone you care about, is suffering ...
Oct 27, 2020•53 min•Ep. 17
Yo, it's a new podcast about sobriety and masculinity, by the guys for the guys (and anyone who knows a guy) tackling substance abuse, relationships, mental health, trauma, and what it really means to be a man in the modern era. New episodes coming soon!
Oct 23, 2020•44 sec•Ep. 16
Everyone has their own journey to sobriety—for some people, it's waking up one day and asking yourself 'why do I need to drink?' For others, it's a car crash and criminal charges. In this meeting of the Club Soda Club, Scott and Derek share what got them to sober up, the many failed attempts before that, finding gratitude for their darkest moments, and how this pandemic is fucking with our mental health. Also: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTT! Recommendations: Uli's Restaurant in White Rock, B.C. The Lonely...
May 30, 2020•52 min•Ep. 15
Another week in isolation, and the club is feeling nostalgic. Scott talks about how his routine remains largely interrupted, Derek shares how he drove halfway across the country to visit his dying grandfather, and they both share their stories of the first time they remember getting drunk, how it made them feel, and the enduring lessons they learned from those early days of drinking. Also: teenage self-loathing, sober strip club visits, sober home brewing, and serving as sober role models for th...
May 13, 2020•46 min•Ep. 14
What is there left to do when every possible distraction from yourself has been stripped away? After an extended hiatus, Scott and Derek are back to discuss, in great detail, about how they’re managing being stuck at home just like everyone else. How sobriety set us up to cope with a pandemic, the dark side of socially isolated drinking, the long term effects of drinking to cope, why we need to start seeing alcohol abuse as a public health crisis, and how this situation has made everyone a littl...
Apr 29, 2020•56 min•Ep. 13
Valentine's Day is around the corner and love is in the air, so we welcome new official cohost Big Kate of The Soberkates, take the opportunity to look at alcohol as a substitute for intimacy, how drinking impacted our own romantic histories, the vast difference between how men and women process drunken hookups, the grey area of drunk consent, codependency, sex and vulnerability, sober dating and the benefits of dating someone who is also sober, Derek and Kate talk about THEIR relationship, over...
Feb 11, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 12
Just in time for your new year's resolutions, we're joined by the amazing Big Kate of Philadelphia's The Soberkates to discuss her journey to sobriety, the 'pink cloud' of early sobriety, realistic strategies for maintaining sobriety long term, the self-improvement journey that often accompanies sobriety, why it's not easy to become a yoga teacher, sober influencer culture, addiction transference, everyone needs therapy, when self-improvement becomes compulsive, and how to take your Dry January ...
Jan 16, 2020•45 min•Ep. 11
‘Wine mom’ culture is suddenly everywhere—but is it a healthy outlet for socially isolated mothers, or a cynical marketing ploy by alcohol advertisers? We’re joined by newly sober new mom Julie Robertson to discuss the inherent sexism in wine mom critiques, drinking habits for new moms and dads, the community role in raising children, healthy outlets for parenting stress, why problematic drinking is on the rise with women, alcohol as part of ‘wellness’ culture, gender roles in parenting, and a w...
Nov 14, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 10
Into every sober person's life, a few drunk people must fall. In this episode, the Club Soda Gang (including Jess!) discuss the joys of driving home early, the Irish Goodbye, withholding judgment on those who continue to drink, tips for extricating yourself from drunk people, and more. Also: bacteria pancakes, Star Wars (because Scott), and Jess shares a VERY long-winded story about a haircut. Recommendations: The Avett Brothers - Closer Than Together Making your own kombucha I Met The Woman of ...
Oct 31, 2019•50 min•Ep. 9
Alcohol contributes to many things, but we can conclusively say that 'professionalism' is not one of them. So why is drinking so entrenched in North American work culture? On a Jess-less episode, Scott and Derek discuss alcohol abuse in the workplace, drunken office party mishaps, whether sobriety is a career-limiting move, drinking for work travel, how workplaces can accommodate healthier lifestyle choices, drinking isn't as fun as you remember (unless you remember it isn't fun). Recommendation...
Sep 26, 2019•52 min•Ep. 8
As three different people at varying stages of our sober journeys, we share our successes, our struggles, what makes someone an 'alcoholic', how we identify ourselves, our shifting addictions, our favorite non-alcoholic drinks, and where we see ourselves going next. Recommendations: Scott’s a dork (For those of you who missed the reference, which I assume is everyone) VanSober The StopDrinking SubReddit TikTok: Occasionally Entertaining Chill Gaming With Jess Note: nothing in this podcast is int...
Sep 05, 2019•51 min•Ep. 7
It’s wedding szn, baby! Weddings are a fact of life for...basically everyone, and yet they can be especially daunting for the newly sober. Scott rejoins us this week to discuss our worst drunk wedding experiences, how we’ve navigated weddings without alcohol, dancing like no one is watching, could an all-sober wedding be in the cards for one of our hosts, and more! Note: nothing in this podcast is intended to be a replacement for medical or professional advice. If you, or someone you care about,...
Aug 22, 2019•55 min•Ep. 6
When it comes to the people around you profoundly impacted by alcoholism and addiction, none ranks higher than family. Derek contrasts his experience as a child in a house where alcohol was always present with his experience as a drunk and then sober parent. Jess opens up about the family she grew up in, why she emancipated herself when she was 17, and how she's been able to pull herself up to where she is today. Also: is kombucha alcoholic? Codependency, family trauma, boundary-setting, video g...
Aug 01, 2019•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 5
Romantic relationships are a complex thing to navigate at the best of times—so how are we doing it sober? We look at how we're showing up differently in our relationships since sobering up, kombucha as a romantic gesture, the many roles that alcohol plays in relationships, tips for dating a drinker if you're sober, the benefits of dating a fellow sober person, how sobering up helps build authentic relationships, and how alcohol either directly or indirectly contributed to our previous relationsh...
Jul 18, 2019•50 min•Ep. 4
Note: nothing in this podcast is intended to be a replacement for medical or professional advice. If you, or someone you care about, is suffering from addiction or substance abuse, visit one of the confidential, non-judgmental resources below: The Recovery Village Hotline Health Canada Substance Use Resources The Alcohol Addiction Center Resource Page Recommended: The Art of Noticing (book): https://www.amazon.ca/Art-Noticing-Creativity-Inspiration-Discover/dp/0525521240 Big Lebowski bar in Port...
Jul 03, 2019•37 min•Ep. 3
What impact has sobriety had on our physical health? In short: it exists, now! Scott, Derek, and Jess discuss sobriety-related weight loss, drunk food for sober people, elevator mishaps, sober running, when alcohol culture and running culture collide and wellness apps. Note: nothing in this podcast is intended to be a replacement for medical or professional advice. If you, or someone you care about, is suffering from addiction or substance abuse, visit one of the confidential, non-judgmental res...
Jul 03, 2019•42 min•Ep. 2
In the inaugural meeting of the Club Soda Club, club members Jessica Couture, Derek Bolen, and Scott (indeterminate last name) share what led them to cut alcohol out of their lives. Also: anxiety hangovers, actual hangovers, the social stigma of abstaining from alcohol, healthy hobbies, therapy, and fitness. Note: nothing in this podcast is intended to be a replacement for medical or professional advice. If you, or someone you care about, is suffering from addiction or substance abuse, visit one...
Jul 03, 2019•47 min•Ep. 1
