
Stop Drinking Podcast by Soberclear
The Stop Drinking Podcast by Soberclear is here to help you stop drinking alcohol and achieve the life of your dreams. We want to support people getting sober so they can get on with their life without feeling miserable. If you want to learn more about stop drinking coaching, head over to https://www.soberclear.com/
Stop Drinking Podcast by Soberclear
How He Quit Alcohol For 6 Months Without AA or Willpower
In today's episode, we're learning how Gordon stopped drinking alcohol without AA or willpower. He shares his story in this podcast! There is definitely some stop drinking motivation in this episode!
Want results like Gordon? Make sure to click to book a Roadmap call by clicking the link below!
β‘οΈ Book a call here: https://soberclear.com/bookcall-ytd
We can see if the program makes sense for you.
π In this interview we discuss:
What Gordon's life was like before the Soberclear program
What Gordon's drinking was like
What Gordon had tried to do in the past before the Soberclear program
Why Gordon decided to join Soberclear
How was Soberclear different to other programs?
What Gordon's life looks like now (business, family life, health, spirituality)
Advice Gordon would give to others
π₯ Want to learn how to control alcohol quickly? Watch a short explainer video that explains how our new, FIRST PRINCIPLES THINKING method has worked for 400+ clients ππΌ: https://www.soberclear.com/new-2/
π₯ 100% FREE SHORT MOVIE: How To Make Controlling Alcohol πΊ Feel Like A Flick Of A Switch In Your Brain: https://www.soberclear.com/dark-control-now/
Welcome to the Stop Drinking Podcast, where we help you make stopping drinking a simple, logical and easy decision. We help you with tips, tools and strategies to start living your best life when alcohol-free. If you want to learn more about stop drinking coaching, then head over to wwwsoberclearcom.
Speaker 2:All right, guys, today we've got Gordon joining us, so Gordon hasn't drank for six months. He's one of my clients, the members of the Sober Clear program. He's kindly agreed to come on today to share his story, to inspire you guys, give you some motivation. He's over in Washington state. He's a building contractor, a husband and a father of two amazing daughters and I think you guys are going to love this. So welcome Gordon. Thank you so much for coming on here today.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thank you, Leon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's good to have you. So, yeah, let's start at the beginning. So what we'll do is we'll talk about what things were like, then we'll talk about the turning point and when you were like enough is enough, we'll talk about the transformation and then we'll talk about what life is like now, and then you can then share any advice you want for everybody. So, yeah, should you want for everybody. So, yeah, should we start at the beginning? Sure, perfect. So yeah, just go for gordon, like what was drinking like before you decided to change.
Speaker 3:So I drank for a long time, started, uh, you know, as teenager, young adult, um, thinking it was the uh, the cool thing to do, the right thing to do, and everybody did it, or most people did it, and just kind of went through my life.
Speaker 3:You know, I had a good job, went to school, had a good job, raised a family, but the alcohol just got in the way of some things and I managed to function and, you know, carry on with everything and, as time went on, wasn't enjoying it as much and was thinking, ah, you know, it's not the right, not the right thing, I just don't feel good, I do stupid things.
Speaker 3:And, um, I thought, well, so I started on kind of a quest to stop drinking or cut down drinking, and, um, it, uh, I would stop for a while, start back up, stop for a while, start back up, maybe a few days, maybe I'd take sometimes a month off, but it was always kind of go back to it and thinking that I was missing something when I wasn't drinking. And so I'd already, kind of the last couple previous years, kind of, I think, deep down, wanted to stop drinking. And so I was looking at different. I'm into some health pods and I was looking up I am interested in health and whatnot and I was looking up you know different things and Leon's podcast came up and it just kind of it just kind of hit home and I thought maybe this, it sounds different and maybe this could be you know for me, and I decided to give him a call and give it a shot and have him look back. It's been great. Everything's gotten better.
Speaker 2:We'll get to there. Let's just we'll get to that bit. But so when you were drinking, was there like a point where you realized that's it, I need to change. Can you remember?
Speaker 3:In the last couple of years. Yes, the relationships with my daughters and my wife, some clients at work just wasn't as good as it could be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I remember when we spoke, that was the number one thing for you was you wanted to be better and be more present and be there in your relationships.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:And when you were drinking. How much were you drinking? How often was it like what?
Speaker 3:so when you were drinking, like, how much were you drinking? How often was it so in the last couple years? It was, um, almost daily, um, except unless I was, you know, saying, okay, I'm not going to drink for a month. And so every six to eight months I would take a month off and just not drink for a month and, um, uh, maybe a couple years ago, drank more than that. Um, I was a beer drinker and, uh, would you know, start in the the evening and go to the garage or do, uh, you know go. I was always home and um, and then I'd kind of I'd do stuff, but I would just think I needed something to drink to, uh, to to do the stuff so I think so for you.
Speaker 2:It had been in your head for a long time about stopping, but then the the final two years, that's where it was like you think good't good.
Speaker 3:That is correct, yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and what's interesting is I've got a question for you. So when you'd stop for a month and then go back to it, would it be like a rebound where you'd end up drinking more?
Speaker 3:Sometimes, yeah, sometimes, and it necessarily wasn't more. But when I went back to drinking I wasn't getting the same enjoyment out of it as I was when I was younger. Yeah, there might have been some enjoyment younger, or I thought it was enjoyment, and in the last couple of years I could even, you know, not drink that much, but even just have a little, and it would change me, and not for the better.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, a hundred percent, so perfect. So you'd wanted to change, and then you've. You've been listening to podcasts and you found my podcast, and then you were like, ah, this could be different. So what happened then?
Speaker 3:I decided to call Um. I must say it was one of those things I like. It sounds a little too good to be true, but um, I thought you know what? Um? I kind of like the style of it. I'm not forced to do it, I chose to do it myself and I liked Leon. I liked when we first met, not dwelling on the past, what you did before when you were drinking. I liked the fresh start where you just change your thought of drinking. You know your outlook of it and it worked. It works.
Speaker 2:So I think maybe it's fair to say you resonated with the message. You were like that kind of makes sense, before we even spoke.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2:So you liked the message. So what was maybe like a fear or hesitation that you had before reaching out?
Speaker 3:I think the main hesitation was thinking that I was going to miss out on something. I was going to miss something. Thought the drinking brought about something that you know it had to be there for to have fun.
Speaker 2:So for you, it wasn't, it wasn't something to do with, it was an internal thing, right? It wasn't like yeah, it was like how am I going to be able to live a life without alcohol?
Speaker 3:For sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I thought well everybody does it.
Speaker 3:You know, what am I going to do when I go to a party and what am I going to do when I go do this thing? And um, yeah, it was kind of and it was just in my own head thinking, you know that I'm smiling.
Speaker 2:I'm smiling to myself because it's the exact same for me. It's the exact same for everybody, right? We've all got the a very similar thing, where it's like how am I going to do anything without this drink that's been there for so long? And then one of the problems is you'll go a month without drinking because you kept doing a month with willpower. And when you're using willpower, you want to drink more. So you feel like those months because you're just like not drinking, not drinking, want it more, want it more. So then you start thinking, well, if I do this for six months, you're gonna suck absolutely no.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so it's um it and it's just progressively better month by month. Um, it's my view of alcohol. My, my whole view of alcohol has changed in the six months whole view of alcohol has changed in the six months.
Speaker 2:Let's go, man, let's go awesome. So then, okay. So then we. So you decided let's give it a shot with leon, let's try this. You work through the modules uh, the first part of the program. What happened then?
Speaker 3:uh, work through the modules. Um, as I was working through the modules, all the information, little lights would go off and like, hey, you know, that was me, or wow, that makes total sense. And so all those little things and it kind of you know, kept me going and all those little lights that went off. And all those little lights that went off, I was continuing to just feel better, more healthy as time went on. The chat group I've never been one to be a real in chat groups or anything. I'm not a great public speaker or anything. And the chat groups are great, it's great.
Speaker 2:That's awesome, man. So the light bulbs were going off and then you never look back Like it's awesome.
Speaker 3:So what surprised you most about the process?
Speaker 2:How easy it's become. Nobody, no one, believes me.
Speaker 3:I know, I know and it's I't, but it it's a simple program. It really is a simple program and I love talking about it. I could talk, you know, I could talk a long time about different things that I've picked up, and it just makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 2:Awesome man. So let's talk about life now and how it's impacted you, your family, your health. You know work, so what changes have happened? Now Should we start with family, because that's the most important for you.
Speaker 3:Sure, my family has more trust in me, way more smoother on the home front. Kids have more trust in me. My wife has more trust in me, just a lot smoother. Take care of the little problems. You're more present in everything you do. Do you just kind of take care of business?
Speaker 2:yeah, heck, yeah. How about, uh, work and business?
Speaker 3:um, I'm a contractor. It can be stressful at times. The stressful times have become easier. I just deal with it better. The stressful times before would be a time where gosh need a couple beers and go get a couple beers and it might have helped for a few seconds and then it didn't help. And so, yeah, business has gotten better. More organized health. I consider myself kind of a adventure athlete, if you would. I like to ski lots of stuff outdoors mountain bikes, snowmobile, motorcycle ride.
Speaker 3:I do a lot of stuff and, um, I enjoy those things um more yeah, and then you went and got your christmas tree primal going out stealing it yeah, that's right, yep up in the hills and I've got a christmas tree on snowmobiles and that was with my family and just more uh, just more present in um in day-to-day family uh activities yeah, love it, love it, so you.
Speaker 2:So you're more active. Well, I think you're active before, but it sounds like you're. You're active now. What has health changed at all, like weight, mental clarity, anything like that?
Speaker 3:yeah, all the above. Um I've dropped weight. Um my cardiovascular is just, you know, probably the best has been in 40 years. Um just everything, everything about it. Um, you know, feels, feels, uh, feels better enjoy the things you know that I used to do I still did them, but didn't get the full enjoyment, and so, um, got back to doing some of those things and then, uh, taking it to a little higher level and you mentioned earlier, one of your reservations was uh, socializing without.
Speaker 2:How has that been?
Speaker 2:But people have been great, supportive and just a better person all around. Yeah, yeah, that's great. Let me ask you this what's the first thing you notice? Let's say we go through that adjustment period, right. The first week can be a bit lame, not feeling great Once that had finished, when you were waking up, when you felt good after the first week can be a bit lame, not feeling great once that had finished, when you were waking up, when you felt good after the first week, or however long it was. What was it like?
Speaker 3:describe like how you were feeling it just, it just felt great to wake up. Um, you know, uh, without in a fog, without that cloud over your head, sleep got better and just more ambition you wake up and ready, set go.
Speaker 2:Do you feel like there's anything that you can do now that you couldn't do before?
Speaker 3:No, uh, definitely some um some fitness goals that I have um that I'll know I'll accomplish here, coming up or, you know, look into with greater um, you know, insight and um, um, I think things will just business will run a little smoother, um, as in uh, just less stress, it's just a little bit more even keel. The business will run. And then family um getting back to doing um more things with my family. Um, I always did do things with my family, but there was times where there could be problems because of the drinking, and it's so nice not having those now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think what can happen is when you because if you've been playing around and stopping starting, stopping starting when you finally tell yourself I'm going to stop, and then you follow through and you stop you kind of start thinking, well, hang on, my health goals, my business goals, I can do it all. Now I've rebuilt that self-trust and that's massive, absolutely.
Speaker 3:You, you hit it, you know, you hit it right on there. You, you do think of things that you might want to accomplish in the future and you think, you know, yeah, I got a better shot now than I did before.
Speaker 2:Love it. So back earlier, when you said there were reservations there were, you know. There was the fear of stopping drinking. If you could go back to that version of you, what would you say to them now? I would say just do it.
Speaker 3:I would say, you know, just do it, keep an open mind. Keep an open mind and you know, join your program. If you're serious about it, join program and uh, and get on with it. It is truly um easier than I thought.
Speaker 2:The sober clear um program just totally changed my mindset on alcohol yeah, that's where we want to get to right, done, deal, like any other problem in your life, fix it, put it behind you and move on.
Speaker 3:For sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:It feels really good.
Speaker 1:Thanks for checking out the Stop Drinking Podcast by Sober Clear. If you want to learn more about how we work with people to help them stop drinking effortlessly, then make sure to visit wwwsoberclearcom.