The Sober New Yorker

Melissa McGovern
  • 4.9 (52)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

What really happens when you quit drinking? The Sober New Yorker is a sobriety podcast about alcohol addiction, quitting drinking, recovery, and the real lives people build without alcohol. Hosted by sober coach Melissa McGovern, each episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore what drinking actually looked like, when people began questioning their relationship with alcohol, what finally made them change, and what happened after they got sober. Connect with Melissa: https://thesobernewyorker.com

  1. 5d ago

    He Knew Alcohol Was Killing Him, But He Still Couldn’t Stop | Will's Sobriety Story

    What happens when you know alcohol is destroying your body, but you still can’t stop? Will Gordon’s drinking had already landed him in the hospital when doctors diagnosed him with alcoholic hepatitis and warned him that he needed to stop. He stayed sober for 125 days before relapsing—and from there, his addiction progressed quickly. Will began hiding vodka around his home and eventually reached the point of drinking nearly two liters every couple of days. His eyes turned yellow, his kidneys failed, and eventually his liver failed too. At just 33 years old, Will was on dialysis, hospice was involved, and his family was told he may only have weeks left to live. Then one doctor made a phone call that gave him another chance. Will shares the incredible series of events that followed: receiving a liver transplant, surviving septic shock and emergency bowel surgery, learning to walk again, continuing dialysis, and eventually receiving a kidney transplant. Today, Will is more than three years sober and has dedicated much of his life to helping others understand the reality of alcohol addiction and recovery. This is a story about alcohol addiction, relapse, liver failure, organ transplantation, sobriety, and what can happen when someone who had nearly given up on life gets another chance to live. Will on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewillpowerpodcast/

  2. Sep 23

    When Alcohol Addiction Hides Behind a “Functional” Life | Jason's Sober Story

    Jason spent years believing he was a functional drinker. He had a good job, made good money and took care of his kids—but behind the scenes, alcohol had progressed to waking up in the middle of the night and taking swigs of whiskey just to get back to sleep. In 2019, Jason quit drinking and remained alcohol-free for two and a half years. But while he had stopped drinking, his cocaine use increased, and he realized he was still holding onto the identity of being the “party guy.” Eventually, Jason returned to alcohol believing he could drink normally again. Instead, he found himself back in a cycle of drinking, cocaine use and repeated attempts to quit. In this episode, Jason and Melissa talk about alcohol addiction, cocaine, relapse, anxiety, fatherhood and the role identity can play in sobriety. Jason shares what changed when he stopped trying to simply remove alcohol from his life and became willing to change the person he believed he had to be. Connect with Jason on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasondlyman/

  3. Sep 17 ·  Bonus

    Why This Mom of Three Quit Drinking and Broke the Family Cycle

    After losing her father to alcohol-related complications, Megan was faced with a difficult question: would alcohol continue to be part of her family’s story, or would the cycle stop with her?She chose to quit drinking.In the first-ever in-studio episode of The Sober New Yorker, Melissa sits down with Megan in Manhattan as she approaches one year of sobriety. A labor and delivery nurse, wife, and mom of three, Megan shares how grief changed the way she looked at her own relationship with alcohol and ultimately led her toward an alcohol-free life.Megan opens up about quitting drinking, breaking generational patterns with alcohol, navigating motherhood in sobriety, and choosing to recover out loud.This conversation explores grief, alcohol, sober living, and what can happen when you decide you don’t need to hit rock bottom to make a change.For anyone questioning their drinking or wondering what life without alcohol could look like, Megan’s story is a reminder that you can choose a different path. Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megan_on_the_rocks/

  4. Sep 16

    10 Years Sober, Tawny Lara Opens Up About Social Media Addiction

    Tawny Lara has been sober for more than 10 years and was one of the early voices in the sober curious movement. But after building a career and personal brand online, she began questioning another complicated relationship in her life: social media. Tawny became known as the “sober sexpert,” writing openly about sobriety, sober dating, sex, and relationships while growing an audience on Instagram. Social media helped launch her writing career and eventually her book, Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze. But over time, Tawny says she began to lose herself in the online persona she had created. Eventually, she deleted Instagram from her phone. Today, she describes herself as approaching two years “sober from Instagram” and has spent that time reconnecting with who she is away from the algorithm. In this episode, Tawny and Melissa talk about social media addiction, sobriety, dopamine, doom scrolling, identity, online validation, and the pressure to constantly create content. They explore the similarities between changing your relationship with alcohol and becoming more intentional about your relationship with your phone and social media. Tawny also shares her journey quitting drinking, becoming one of the original sober influencers, navigating sober dating and relationships, and what more than a decade of sobriety has taught her about identity and personal growth. If you’ve ever questioned your relationship with alcohol, social media, your phone, or the constant need to be connected, this conversation is for you. Tawny Lara is the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze. Tawny's Website: https://www.tawnylara.com/

    10 Years Sober, Tawny Lara Opens Up About Social Media Addiction

  5. Sep 10

    How Drinking Alone Took Over Shaz’s Life — and How He Finally Quit

    Shaz knew his drinking was putting his marriage at risk. But instead of quitting alcohol, he found himself planning for what would happen when his marriage eventually fell apart. Growing up in Chicago as the son of Pakistani immigrants, alcohol became normalized early when his family went from running a tobacco shop to owning liquor stores. What began as social drinking eventually followed Shaz into marriage and fatherhood before turning into daily, secret drinking alone. In this episode of The Sober New Yorker, Shaz shares how alcohol addiction began affecting his wife, his children, and the life they had built together. He also talks about finding a sober community while he was still drinking—including joining meetings with his camera off and a White Claw beside him. Then, on Christmas night, something changed. Shaz finished a glass of wine, went to bed, and decided he didn’t want to drink anymore. What happened next changed the trajectory of his family. Follow Shaz: https://www.instagram.com/shazman07/ Join the Sober Motivation Community: https://sobermotivation.net/

    How Drinking Alone Took Over Shaz’s Life — and How He Finally Quit

  6. Sep 2

    From a Handle of Vodka a Day to 19 Years Sober | Chris Marshall

    Chris Marshall got his first DUI at 16, on only his second time drinking. By 23, he was drinking a handle of vodka a day, had failed out of college, and didn’t believe he would live to see 25. Today, Chris is 19 years sober. In this episode of The Sober New Yorker, Chris shares how his need to belong fueled his alcohol addiction, why multiple trips to treatment didn’t initially work, and what finally helped him get sober at 23. Chris also talks about what became possible after he quit drinking. He became a substance use counselor and eventually founded Sans Bar, one of the first alcohol-free bars in the U.S. His work has since helped launch more than 150 non-alcoholic bars, bottle shops, and pop-ups around the world. Chris’s story is about alcohol addiction, sobriety, recovery, and discovering that the connection he had been searching for through alcohol was possible without it. Follow Chris and Sans Bar: https://www.instagram.com/sans_bar/

  7. Aug 26

    Alcohol, Xanax and Blackouts: Rachel's Road to Sobriety

    Rachel Soto’s drinking had progressed to blackouts, a DUI, morning drinking, and a life that was becoming increasingly difficult to hold together. Alongside alcohol addiction, she was also struggling with Xanax and other prescription medication. Eventually, her husband was ready to leave, her relationships with her family were breaking down, and Rachel knew something had to change. In this episode of The Sober New Yorker, Rachel shares how she quit drinking and Xanax, navigated early sobriety, and began rebuilding her life through recovery, fitness, and wellness. Since getting sober in April 2024, she has lost more than 80 pounds and found a completely different way of living. Rachel also opens up about losing her mother to addiction, becoming a young mom, her DUI, Recovery Dharma, and why today she believes she has far too much to lose to ever go back. Follow Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/realtalkwithrachie/

  8. Aug 19

    She Wanted to Quit Drinking for 10 Years. What Finally Made Her Stop?

    Marissa Cherepanov knew for nearly a decade that she wanted to quit drinking. She took 30-day breaks, promised herself she would eventually stop, and kept waiting for the right time. As a working mom of four with a demanding career, her drinking became increasingly difficult to ignore. After COVID, the loss of her grandmother, growing responsibilities, and stress at home, Marissa reached a point where she felt like she needed alcohol just to feel normal. Then one conversation with her children changed everything. In this episode of The Sober New Yorker, Marissa shares the moment she pictured two completely different futures for her kids: one if she continued drinking and another if she stopped. That night, she told her husband she would never drink again. Marissa also opens up about her past, becoming a mother, building a successful career, changing her habits in early sobriety, and how quitting alcohol opened the door to opportunities she never imagined. More than three years later, Marissa’s life looks completely different, and it started with one decision she had been putting off for years. Follow Marissa: https://www.instagram.com/m_cherepanova_/

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4.9
out of 5
52 Ratings

About

What really happens when you quit drinking? The Sober New Yorker is a sobriety podcast about alcohol addiction, quitting drinking, recovery, and the real lives people build without alcohol. Hosted by sober coach Melissa McGovern, each episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore what drinking actually looked like, when people began questioning their relationship with alcohol, what finally made them change, and what happened after they got sober. Connect with Melissa: https://thesobernewyorker.com

Information

  • Creator
    Melissa McGovern
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Melissa McGovern
  • Show Website
    The Sober New Yorker

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