Unbottled
After 38 years of sobriety and 5 years of podcasting, I finally had the good sense to put the two together. Unbottled is where we crack open all things sobriety—without the shame, the whispering, or the “I’m fine” face we all perfected in the 90s.
This is a space for honest conversations, practical tools, laugh-so-you-don’t-cry stories, and the kind of truth that only comes after decades of doing the work and living to tell about it. Whether you’re sober-curious, long-time sober, or somewhere in the messy middle, we’re going to talk about the habits, people, boundaries, victories, and ridiculous moments that shape a sober life.
Think of Unbolted as the place where we unhook the armor, loosen the bolts, and talk real sobriety—candid, witty, a little sassy, and full of hope because life gets a whole lot lighter when you stop tightening everything down and start opening up.
Episodes
44 episodes
AA Promises For Newcomers
In this episode of Unbottled, we break down the AA Promises in plain language—and talk about what they do and do not guarantee when you’re new to sobriety.The Promises aren’t about getting a perfect life. They’re about some...
Sobriety Gives Me The Strength To Stay Present
Big life hits me hard, and 38 years sober still doesn’t give me a force field. Sobriety gives me something better: the ability to stay present, feel everything, and get through a medical crisis without making it worse with alcohol. • s...
A Hospital Room Reminder That Recovery Still Works
I’m recording from my hospital room after a scary cardiac episode, and I’m leaning hard on the same recovery tools that got me through early sobriety. Sobriety doesn’t prevent life from getting frightening, but it keeps me from drinking over it...
When Sobriety Feels Normal, What Keeps You Honest
After decades of sobriety, the hardest questions aren’t always about drinking, they’re about staying awake in your own life. I’m Marcy, 38 years sober, and I’m saying the quiet part out loud: do I still need AA the way I did when I was newly so...
Wherever You Go There You Are Sober
Thirty-eight years sober should mean I have life all figured out, right? I don’t. What I do have is a clearer view of what sobriety really is after the early glow wears off: you quit drinking and you’re still you. Your fears, your relationships...
How Step 12 Turns Sobriety Into A Life
We reach Step 12 and talk about how recovery becomes a way of living, not a summer project you complete and file away. We break down spiritual awakening, carrying the message, and practicing principles in all our affairs, with a clear-eyed look...
AA Step 11 Made Simple For Real Life
Step 11 asks me to get quiet, create space from my loud thinking, and build a daily practice of prayer and meditation that actually works in real life. I talk through “God as we understood him,” how to stop chasing control, and a simple two-min...
Step 10 Recovery Maintenance
We talk about AA Step 10 as recovery maintenance that helps us stop creating new wreckage while we live sober day to day. We focus on awareness over perfection, including how to admit wrongs promptly without turning inventory into self-criticis...
Step Nine Without The Shame
I walk through AA Step 9 and why making amends is about responsibility and repair, not shame, forced forgiveness, or dumping guilt onto someone else. I share simple, practical ways to do direct amends safely, including when not to make contact ...
How To Make A Step Eight List Without Shame
We break down AA Step Eight into something you can actually do: write the list, name the harm, and build willingness without drowning in shame. We talk about impact, boundaries, safety, and why you don’t rush into Step Nine just to get quick re...
Step Seven And The Real Work Of Humility
The sneakiest version of control is the one that looks like growth: asking for help, then handing over a rulebook on how to help you. I’m digging into AA Step 7, “humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings,” and why it’s not a spiritual formal...
Step Six Readiness
We walk through Step Six and get honest about why “defects of character” aren’t proof we’re broken but proof we learned how to survive. We trade perfection for willingness and use simple questions to start letting go of the patterns that quietl...
How To Handle Friends And Family After You Quit Drinking
I'm on vacation this week, so I'm bringing back one of my favorite episodes. If you missed it the first time—or if you need the reminder—this one's worth another listen.In this episode, we talk about one of the biggest surprises in sobri...
Relapse Does Not Erase Your Sober Time!
I'm taking a little time away to refill my cup on vacation, so this week I'm sharing one of my favorite repeat episodes. Whether it's your first time hearing it or you're listening again, I hope it meets you exactly where you are.In this...
AA Step Five And The Courage To Tell The Truth
We talk through AA Step Five and why telling the truth to God, ourselves, and another person can feel terrifying while also being the most freeing move we make in sobriety. We connect the work of Step Four to the relief of Step Five, and we sha...
Step Four Without The Shame
We break down AA Step Four and replace the dread with a simple truth: an inventory is information, not condemnation. We walk through resentments, fears, and patterns so we can stop chasing relief and start building real freedom in sobriety.&nbs...
Step Three Surrender
The moment AA Step Three comes up, I can feel the tension rise, and I get it. “Turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him” can sound like a religious demand, a loss of autonomy, or a deal-breaker if you’ve been hur...
Finding Hope In Step Two Without Religion
Step Two stops being a scary sentence when we treat it like a doorway to hope instead of a test of religion. I break down what “higher power” and “restore us to sanity” really mean, and why willingness is enough to start. • why Step Tw...
Step One — The Step Nobody Wants But Everybody Needs
We kick off our summer 12-step series with Step One and tell the truth about why “powerless” feels so offensive. We reframe it as relief and strategy, name what unmanageability can look like in real life, and offer questions to help you decide ...
How The AA Promises Build Real Freedom In Sobriety
I break down the AA promises in plain English and talk about why they can sound impossible when you are new and hurting. I share how they unfold over time through honesty, support, and real life, not perfection. • the AA promises c...
A Plain-English Guide To The AA 12 Steps
We break the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps down into plain English so they feel like a path instead of a threat. We trade perfection for honesty and explain how step work supports long-term sobriety by treating the thinking and pain under the d...
How Relapse Really Starts Long Before The Drink
Relapse is the topic most people in recovery whisper about, even though it’s one of the most common turning points in sobriety. I’m Marcy, and I’m going to say the quiet part out loud: relapse is usually not a random moment of chaos. It often s...
The AA Big Book
We kick off our AA series by taking the fear out of the Big Book and talking about why it still helps people get sober and stay sober nearly 90 years after it was first published. We share how to approach the language, the stories, and the proc...
90 Meetings In 90 Days;
We start a new AA-focused chapter of Unbottled and get real about why “90 meetings in 90 days” keeps showing up in early sobriety. I share how daily meetings helped me survive the trigger-heavy first months, build a routine, and stay sober one ...