Tanya J Part 2: When Grief Tests Your Sobriety

Tanya J Part 2: When Grief Tests Your Sobriety

Tanya J is back for Part Two, and I would strongly suggest listening to Part One first unless you enjoy walking into the emotional equivalent of a movie halfway through and asking, “Wait, why is everyone crying?” Tanya’s story goes from sober parties and family Thanksgiving to grief, trauma, motherhood, court, recovery, and the very rude discovery that life does not stop being life just because you quit drinking. We talk about staying sober when “all bets are off,” and why playing through the drink is not just a slogan — it’s survival.

The Fixer Finally Asked for Help

This week on Drunk-ish, I’m talking with my friend Tanya J, whose sobriety story does not begin with teenage keg stands or dramatic college beer pong. Her drinking took off later, wrapped up in marriage, wine with dinner, perfectionism, parenting, adoption stress, family chaos, and the deeply annoying belief that if you’re the “responsible one,” you must be fine. Tanya shares how fear, control, caretaking, and white wine all tangled together — and how rehab, recovery, sponsorship, and a very inconvenient amount of crying helped her start rebuilding her life. This is Part One, so yes, we are making you come back.

Sober Moms, Teenagers, and the Big Alcohol Talk

This week on Drunk-ish, I’m trying something a little different: a topic episode instead of one guest story. I’m joined by Casey McGuire Davidson and Sara Kaufman-Bradstreet to talk about getting sober after having kids, what our children remember — or thankfully don’t — and how we talk to teenagers about drinking, weed, driving, consent, and all the fun topics that make parenting feel like a hostage negotiation with snacks. We also get into mom wine culture, shame, sober sex, and why quitting drinking didn’t make us less fun — just less likely to fall asleep mid-sentence. Or mid-other things. You can find sober mentor and podcaster Sara Kaufman Bradstreet at @No_more_wasted_days and host of the Hello Someday podcast, Casey McGuire Davidson at HelloSomedayCoaching.com You can subscribe and follow us on YouTube  [https://www.youtube.com/@Drunk-ishPodcast]

From Bar Fights to 45 Years Sober

This week I’m talking with my Rob Hill, who has 45 years sober and somehow manages to make attempted childhood sibling murder, lesbian bar fights, therapy, motorcycles, and spiritual awakening feel like one very eventful coffee date. Rob takes us from feeling different as a kid, to drinking early, to getting sober, relapsing once, crawling back, and building a life she still loves showing up for. It’s funny, wild, moving, and also a pretty great reminder that recovery doesn’t have to look perfect to be real. Watch Drunk-ish on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@Drunk-ishPodcast] Please like and subscribe! And how about a review?

When Rehab Doesn't Fix Everything

This week I’m talking with Josh Welch, a criminal defense lawyer, husband, dad, and person in recovery who has been through it — rehabs, relapses, shame spirals, rebuilding, and the occasional very bad idea involving a tallboy immediately after treatment. You may also recognize him as a frequent guest on his wife's podcast, I've Had It. Josh talks about getting sober after years of addiction, how becoming a father changed what he was willing to fight for, why perfection in recovery can be a trap, and how shame can keep people sick and the radical concept of not beating yourself to death for being human.