I Drank With My Kids in the Car. This Is How I Got Sober
“I hadn’t lost my job. I still had the house, the truck, the wife, the kids… but I was falling apart.”
There’s a belief that change only comes after everything is in shambles — that you have to hit rock bottom before you reach for help. But that belief keeps far too many people in the cycle. Today’s story, from a guest on the Sober Strong podcast, is proof that sobriety doesn’t have to wait for disaster.
This is about choosing to stop before your “yet” happens.
🎧 Watch the full episode of Steve’s story on YouTube:
The Lie of the “Functioning” Alcoholic
“I looked like I had it all together. But I was destroying everything quietly.”
He was a manager at a factory, responsible for 45 employees and multi-million-dollar projects. A husband. A father of two. Living in the countryside with a new truck in the driveway. But under the surface, his life was unraveling.
He had a bottle hidden in the truck. He drank on the way to work. He dry-heaved every morning before his shift. He lied to his wife, to his colleagues, to himself.
“I had different versions of myself for every environment. At work. At home. Online. With friends. The stress of keeping all those lies alive was crushing.”
And still, he didn’t believe he had a problem. Why? Because nothing bad had happened — yet.
The Power of “Yet”: A Dangerous Delay
Many people stay in denial because they haven’t hit the stereotypical milestones of rock bottom.
No DUI — yet
No job loss — yet
No divorce — yet
No public collapse — yet
He told a story that still haunts him. Driving with his kids in the backseat. They fell asleep, and that was his green light to drink. The road blurred. The lines twisted. He had to pull over and nap it off on the side of the highway, children still asleep behind him.
“That could’ve been the day. That could’ve been the crash. But I still didn’t get caught. So I kept going.”
The “yet” is what keeps people drinking — the false idea that nothing's wrong until something explodes.
The Wake-Up Call No One Saw Coming
Change didn’t come with flashing lights or a hospital visit. It came in the form of a credit card bill.
His wife finally opened a statement: nearly $900 spent on liquor in a single month.
“She asked me, ‘Are you buying booze for your friend?’ I could’ve lied. But something in me broke open.”
Instead of dodging the truth again, he owned it. All of it.
He admitted to drinking in the truck. Hiding alcohol. Lying. Living separate lives. And that night, drunk as he was, he made a decision:
No more lies. No more hiding. No more “yet.”
Building a New Life: From Hiding to Healing
He called in to work and told HR the truth. He attended his first AA meeting. He talked to his parents, his in-laws, and his boss. He created accountability, whether or not he knew how to use it.
But it wasn’t just AA that saved him.
Finding a Different Recovery Path
The structure of traditional AA felt limiting at times. So he explored other options:
These alternatives helped him move from simply being sober to feeling truly supported.
Sobriety Restructures Everything
Staying sober wasn’t just about not drinking. It led to a full internal and external remodel.
He got divorced. The relationship couldn’t grow as he evolved.
He left his job. Even sober, the job made him miserable
He went back to school at 43. Determined to build a life that matched who he was becoming.
He simplified everything. Turned his truck into a mobile home and traveled, alone with his thoughts and goals.
“I had always done what others thought was right for me. Now, I was doing what felt right to me.”
He stopped running from fear. Instead, he made fear his compass.
Parenting After Addiction
Sobriety also forced him to face the hardest truth: the impact on his children.
“They were young enough they don’t remember drunk daddy. I’m thankful for that.”
Though he now lives far from them, he’s built his parenting on openness and honesty. He shows up — even across the miles — to be a better version of himself.
Because recovery isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.
Redefining Recovery for Real Life
Not everyone finds home in AA. Not everyone needs to wait for disaster. His recovery flourished when he found communities that allowed him to be himself.
That’s why he now co-hosts Through the Glass Recovery, a podcast and community designed to give people space to speak about:
Loneliness
Emotional resilience
Parenting in sobriety
Grief and identity after addiction
“Our meetings aren’t about fitting into a mold. They’re about being real, and being supported.”
Don’t Wait for Your “Yet”
If you’re wondering whether you have a drinking problem because you haven’t lost everything, that’s the wrong question.
The right question is: What are you losing while you’re still functioning?
Your peace?
Your self-respect?
Your energy?
Your honesty?
You don’t need a rock bottom. You just need a moment of clarity.
Ready for Your Reset from Alcohol?
If this story resonated, don’t wait for another rock bottom. Get help, get honest, and get moving.
👉Qutting Alcohol? 1:1 Sober Coaching. https://shop.beacons.ai/soberstrong/sobercoaching
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