Matt Jerr, host of the Sober Friends Podcast is here to talk about his experience and strength on his sober journey. We dive into when he realized he was an alcoholic, why he decided to get sober, and what makes him an expert on sobriety and recovery. We also talk about why he considers himself a "high bottom drunk".
The Sober Friends Podcast is a weekly show where you can listen to inspiring and honest conversations about sobriety, recovery, and wellness. This podcast is for anyone who wants to learn more about living a sober and fulfilling life. I was on this podcast a few weeks ago, and now it's time to learn more about Matt.
[03:12] Matt had a lot of trauma in his upbringing. His parents divorced when he was three or four years old. Matt lived with his mom, and he grew up poor.
[04:32] A lot of people in his family had drinking problems. Matt began drinking when he was sixteen years old. It was hard to get alcohol, and he craved it all the time.
[05:05] He was an addict from early on.
[07:50] The moves he made with his mother created a trauma response in Matt.
[08:57] He went to college and almost got kicked out, until he turned his life around. He could focus on doing well.
[10:12] He began drinking like an alcoholic when he was 17 or 18, but he was in college and everyone drank.
[11:14] He drank a lot, and would get sick most nights. He questioned his drinking up until age 38.
[12:50] Matt realized that if he really wanted to stop drinking, everything in his life needed to change.
[13:29] Not drinking was one of the worst feelings in his life.
[14:45] His therapist asked him to go to a meeting, he reluctantly went, and finally felt at home. AA was much more fun than he thought it would be.
[16:27] He felt committed to do it forever. He's never relapsed.
[19:51] Recovery became his new addiction, and he didn't want to disappoint anyone else in the meetings.
[22:40] Matt doesn't feel like he's an expert on sobriety and recovery, but he does feel like he can bring a story. He can share what has helped him stay sober. He's also very vulnerable on his podcast.
[25:26] AA is a program to help people start living.
[28:29] We talk about vulnerability, intimacy, and learning how to connect.
[30:02] The "high bottom drunk" is different from a "low bottom drunk" that has to stop drinking or they'll die or lose their family or something really bad.
[31:25] Matt was "high bottom drunk". Being called an alcoholic was unacceptable and the worst thing that you could say to him. Knowing he was an alcoholic was the bottom that he knew he had to do something about.
[33:07] If you're a "high bottom drunk", go ahead and stop drinking. You don't have to wait until you hit rock bottom.
[35:52] The Sober Friends podcast. Matt had a previous podcast, and he listened to a podcast called Recovery. He thought he could bring something to the table. It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. It helps him, and it helps other people.
[37:32] If you want to start your own podcast, do it!
[39:55] Starting a podcast can also be another layer of accountability.
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