On this weeks episode of One For The Road i am joined by Abigail Burrows, a professional flute player, admits that she’s never had a healthy relationship with alcohol and started drinking at a very young age. She was an exceptionally talented child and was offered a place at a specialist music school aged 8. She had a busy international performing career throughout her childhood but in her late teens, she was drinking very heavily to cope with burn-out and guilt, unable to play the flute anymore and dropping out of the Royal College of Music.

Later in life she returned to music and even managed to stop drinking for 5 ½ years. Celebrating this achievement with a glass of champagne, she believed her bad drinking habits had been due to being young and stupid, but after that drink, her life unravelled almost immediately, and it took her 10 years to get sober again. Her drinking took a particularly dark turn after her father died of alcoholism.

Abbie is now over 1 year sober and she’s never been happier. She owes her recovery to an amazing charity called Music Support who help people working in the music and live events industry.

https://www.instagram.com/abbieflutes

www.abigailburrows.com

Music Support is a registered charity that helps anyone who works in the UK music industry experiencing substance use, addiction and/or mental health challenges. Find out more about their work at www.musicsupport.org. The charity is hosting “Understanding Addiction and Embracing Recovery: The Classical Edition,” a webinar in partnership with the Royal Society of Musicians on Blue Monday, 20th January, from 6pm – 730pm. It will feature Abbie and Music Support Trustee and cellist, Rachael Lander (a previous guest on my podcast). This special session that will also include a workshop on the neuroscience of addiction and pathways to recovery is suitable for anyone who works in the UK music industry (and their family and friends). Find out more and register to join at https://www.rsmgb.org/whats-on/understanding-addiction-embracing-recovery

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year and welcome back to One For The Road. We are kicking off 2025 with Donna Francis who is an award-winning British Beauty Editor living in Florida with her family. Growing up in Islington, North London, Donna's happiest memories were at her family friends' pub, where she would celebrate new year's eve and birthdays. She wasn’t a heavy drinker in her teens or twenties, but continued the family tradition of making sure everyone’s 'glass was full’ - it was how she expressed her love. Drinking became a problem during perimenopause which hit during the pandemic. The stresses of family issues and freelance life encouraged Donna to drink more, even though she knew that couldn’t tolerate it. After experiencing too many intoxicated nights that finished with vomiting and blackouts she had enough. Donna is now 6 months sober and loves sharing her sober stories and advice to her community on social media.

https://www.instagram.com/thebeautyed/?hl=en

https://www.tiktok.com/@thebeautyed?lang=en

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/smiling-gives-you-wrinkles/id1725957283

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode is a Christmas special with the wonderful William Porter, author of Alcohol Explained 1 & 2. It’s full of tips and ideas of how to navigate the festive season if you’re trying to take it easy with the booze or you’ve already stopped drinking. If you thinking of doing Dry January and need extra support, you can head over to my website https://www.soberdave.co.uk/ where there are various different types of resources available to help you.

You can also look at Williams website here https://alcoholexplained.com/

Thanks for all your support throughout the year, and I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Dave

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this weeks epsiode of One For The Road i am joined by Will Gordon and below he shares his story.

Hey there, I'm Will, I grew up in the suburbs of Boston, youngest of four brothers in a pretty normal family. We were all athletic and fiercely competitive, which shaped a lot of who I am today. But beneath that seemingly perfect exterior, I was fighting a battle that started way too early.

At just 14, I found myself grappling with crippling anxiety and an overwhelming desire to fit in. That's when I first turned to alcohol. It became my crutch, my liquid courage that allowed me to express the person I wanted to be without the overthinking that came with being sober. Little did I know, this "solution" would nearly cost me everything.As the years went by, my drinking got worse and worse. I lost all my close friends, my job, and my life was spiraling out of control. It all came to a head when doctors gave me the ultimate wake-up call: I had just two weeks left to live.In what I can only describe as a miracle, I received a life-saving liver and kidney transplant. Followed by what felt like endless medical complications. When I woke up, I made a solemn vow to my wife and myself – alcohol would never again control my life.But here's the thing: just because my body got fixed doesn't mean my brain and soul were magically healed. The pull to drink is all-encompassing, and staying sober is a daily practice. That's why I've dedicated my life to sharing my story and helping others avoid the same pitfalls. Now that you've seen my episode, I enthusiastically encourage you to follow my brand new YouTube channel "TheWillpowerPodcast," I'm opening up about my ongoing journey. I share the mindfulness routines, healthy habits, and goal-setting strategies that help me maintain my sobriety every single day.

If you feel so inclined, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on Instagram for daily inspiration, insights, and a reminder that you're never alone in this fight.

- YouTube: [The Willpower Podcast](https://www.youtube.com/@TheWillpowerPodcast)

- Instagram: [@thewillpowerpodcast](https://www.instagram.com/thewillpowerpodcast/)

Thank you @sobedave for letting me share my story. I am forever grateful.

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this weeks episode of One For The Road i am joined by Jo Preston Hart. Jo grew up in south east London , with her mum and younger sister. Her dad was an alcoholic . She started drinking in pubs when she was 15 and by the time she was 18 she was a regular binge drinker constantly drinking to black out. She drank heavily at weekends through her 30s and 40s and really struggled to shake off that party girl image . Aged 50 she went through a divorce and her drinking took a dark path and was drinking home alone and suffering with drinking injuries as result of this. She found the sober community on Instagram and joined sober Dave’s Dry January group and has not looked back . Despite a blip near her one year mark she is committed to a lifetime of sobriety and look forward to the future . Life isn’t perfect but it’s much better sober .

https://www.instagram.com/jo.prestonhart/

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this weeks episode of One For The Road i am joined by Melissa McGovern. She is a wife, Mother and most importantly a proud sober New Yorker. As a grey area drinker, who could never moderate, she found her drinking habits escalating after some deep personal losses. As the pandemic rolled on so did her drinking. At a routine doctors visit, her blood tests revealed some staggering results. She was advised to make “drastic behavioural changes” or be prescribed a slew of medications to combat her health issues. She chose to make those changes and completely turn her life around. Today she thrives as an alcohol free woman, coach and podcaster.

https://www.instagram.com/thesobernewyorker/

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sober-new-yorker/id1751183180

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this weeks episode of One For The Road i am joined by Todd Kinney who is an attorney who lives in Omaha, NE with his wife, four kids and three wiener dogs. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, golf, watching soccer and hanging out with his family (when they let him) and spending an unhealthy amount of time and money supporting the Iowa Hawkeyes. He quit drinking in 2019 and considers it the best thing he’s ever done for himself or his family.

My website:

https://www.toddkinney.com/

The Book:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=i+didn%27t+believe+it+either+book&crid=2299C4Q69JNMC&sprefix=i+didn%27t+believe+%2Caps%2C156&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_17

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/tkinney111/

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this weeks episode of One For The Road i am joined by Phil Briggs who is a 54 year old make-up artist living in London who stopped drinking alcohol in April 2024. Phil was born and raised in Liverpool during the 70s and 80s and moved to live amongst the bright lights of London when he was 21 years old. Phil, like many, discovered alcohol at a young age of 15 and it soon became part of all social life both in Liverpool and following the move to London. He remembers being frequently drunk from the age of 16 when he left school and began working for a large bank. Socialising with the Liverpool banking colleagues whilst at the same time regularly having nights out on Liverpool’s gay scene, alcohol featured heavily several times per week. This continued following the move to London with new banking colleagues and a busy London gay nightlife. Social drinking continued for many years and in his 30s, Phil found drinking wine with meals indoors became an additional regular time to imbibe. In 2012, Phil was hit with a series of life-changing events including job loss, divorce, financial difficulties and bereavement. While not directly responsible for these incidents, alcohol, which had previously been reserved for socialising and enjoying with a meal, became the go to coping mechanism for difficult life events. By the time the pandemic hit in 2020, Phil was already drinking every night in increasing amounts and being alone during the pandemic it escalated to whole new levels of drinking. When a very close friend of 30 years died of Covid, Phil found dealing with the grief without being able to see anyone else, cemented very heavy, nightly drinking in place. Phil knew something had to change and after months of procrastination decided on a three month break from alcohol which turned into a realisation that the only option for him was to stop completely. It hasn’t been a simple path, with extra health problems coming to the surface and dealing with living alone where most of the heavy drinking had taken place. But research on the subject and connection with others going through the same has enabled Phil to remain alcohol free. Phil now uses his make-up skills to help those with skin conditions which cause them a loss of confidence, to use specialist skin creams to cover the conditions. Now, more than six months alcohol free, he is beginning to notice subtle but vital changes in his life and for the first time in many years is very excited about the future and finding out what he is capable of.

Phil’s websites:

www.camouflageconsultations.com

www.philbriggsmakeup.com

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.