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Sober Friends

The Sober Friends Podcast: Two Guys Talking Recovery

Matt and Steve have been sober for over a decade each. They still don't have it all figured out.

This is a podcast about recovery - AA recovery specifically - but it's not your sponsor's recovery podcast. It's two friends talking through the stuff that actually matters:

What do you DO when you're not drinking? How do you handle control issues 15 years in? Why does calling someone in recovery feel so goddamn hard? What happens when you remove alcohol but don't replace it with anything? And seriously, do you miss drinking or do you just miss the relief?

Every week Matt and Steve work through these questions together - sometimes they have answers, sometimes they're figuring it out in real time, and sometimes they just need to talk it out like you do with a friend who gets it.

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Topics: Alcoholics Anonymous, 12-step recovery, sobriety, addiction, relapse, service work, early recovery, staying sober, and everything in between.

Matt and Steve work AA programs but speak only for themselves. This show isn't affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous.

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Sober Friends

E253: Acceptance Is Not Giving Up

November 25, 2025 • Episode 253

0:00 | 28:38

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What do you do when your body forces you to slow down — and your mind wants to fight it? In this week’s episode, Matt and Steve dive into the real-life struggle of acceptance after Matt was sidelined by Lyme disease. No gym, no long walks, barely enough energy to get through the grocery store. It felt like life was slipping by… and the only way forward was accepting what is.

Acceptance is one of the core tools of recovery. But it’s also one of the hardest. It can feel like surrender. It can feel like failure. It can feel like giving up. But as we talk about in this episode, acceptance isn’t quitting — it’s acknowledging reality so we can respond with honesty, humility, and sanity.

We explore:

How illness brought Matt face-to-face with limitations
Why rest can feel like punishment
The difference between being powerless and being helpless
Leveling pride to ask for help
How acceptance reduces frustration, anger, and burnout
Why control and perfectionism make acceptance so challenging
What the recovery program teaches us about letting go

If you struggle with slowing down, asking for help, or accepting the things you emotionally want to resist — this episode is for you.

We’d love to hear your story:

What does acceptance mean in your life?

Email us at matt@soberfriendspod.com or connect on soberfriendspod.substack.com

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