191: Ben - Sober Boozers Club

From Rock Bottom to Sober Boozers Club: Ben’s Story + The Truth About NA BeerIn this episode of Rock Bottom with Ryan, Ben from the UK’s Sober Boozers Club shares how he went from daily weed use as a teen to heavy drinking fueled by late-night TV shifts, cheap lager, cocaine, and MDMA, escalating after a traumatic marriage breakdown and a toxic relationship during COVID. After a final blowup that cost friendships, he quit drinking in January 2022 and white-knuckled early sobriety, briefly using weed in the first three months to avoid relapse. Ben explains how sober Instagram helped him find community, why not everyone in recovery becomes an extreme fitness person, and how alcohol-free beer became his ritual replacement and accountability tool. He addresses misconceptions about 0.5% ABV, discusses the growing NA beer industry, shares favorite NA picks, and offers advice: if you have a problem, stop lying about moderation and get better.00:00 First Weed Memory00:38 Sober Life Isn’t Perfect01:23 Podcast Intro02:00 Meet Ben’s Story03:14 From Weed to Booze05:13 Growing Up UK07:33 Family Dynamics09:40 First Drunk and First High12:39 Weed and Early Sobriety14:55 Drinking Escalates Fast17:32 Toxic Relationship Peak21:44 Last Night Drinking25:18 Rock Bottom Decision27:00 Friends Return and Healing30:06 White Knuckling and Instagram32:23 Finding Sober Instagram33:27 Sobriety Without Reinvention35:10 Origin of Sober Boozers39:48 NA Beer Rituals41:11 Misconceptions About 0.543:12 Industry Growth and Favorites46:32 Turning Passion Into Work48:02 Building Community Over Numbers50:14 Handling Backlash and Gatekeeping52:18 Authenticity and Content Style54:21 Rapid Fire Fun Questions56:23 Sobriety Advice and Wrap Up