Dating after giving up alcohol is a whole new world – one that needs you to show up with honesty, self-awareness, and a little bit (or a lot!) of courage. How do you meet people without the bar scene? What if you feel awkward or anxious? And how do you navigate intimacy without dulling the nerves?
In this week’s episode of Through the Glass Recovery Podcast, Julie, Steve, Amber, and Matt open up about the messy, hilarious, and very human experience of dating sober. From rediscovering emotional and physical intimacy to recognizing red flags, this brutally honest conversation reminds us that healthy relationships start with the relationship we have with ourselves.
Whether you’re newly sober, sober curious, or just working on showing up more authentically in your connections, this episode will leave you feeling seen, hopeful, and inspired to keep growing.
In this episode:
- How to tell if your sobriety is solid enough to start dating
- Navigating dating apps and the questions about drinking alcohol
- Red flags to look for that could threaten your sobriety
- How sober dating reveals your emotional triggers and teaches you to listen to your gut, not your anxiety
- What it means to feel safe with someone emotionally, and how honest communication changes every part of a relationship
- Why sex without alcohol can be awkward at first – and ultimately more connected, present, and real
- Taking responsibility for your patterns and growth instead of blaming past partners
- How heartbreak can lead to growth, and why meaningful relationships start with showing up for yourself first
- Releasing the fear of being alone
Want more honest talk about dating when you’re sober? Check out episode 22:
Matt Shambo, is a 40 year old father of two from Burnt Hills, New York. He celebrated 1,000 days sober this past Saturday November 1st. Matt always believed he would get sober but at the same time feared it may never come. He spent five and half years stuck in the up and down battle with alcoholism before finding a better way. He wants to thank you everyone for sticking with him through all this.
Matt was first introduced to Julie and Steve through Instagram when he was about three months sober. He first joined Through the Glass as a guest on the season 2 premiere, since then he has been on nine times over the last two seasons. Over those two years he’s been able to share his experiences in recovery about topics including: alcohol cravings, vulnerability, sobriety being worth it, spirituality and more. Each episode has been challenging and rewarding in its own way.
Matthew would like to personally thank Julie and Steve for allowing him to share with them and the Through The Glass Recovery Podcast family his recovery journey. They have played a major role in his recovery and many others. They’ve provided the recovery world a unique look every week into guest’s personal experience with getting sober.
Instagram: shamman780
I’m Amber and I will be celebrating 4 yrs sober at the end of 2025. I now call Western CO my home after packing up my life on the East Coast and driving 2,000 miles to relocate last September. I currently work as a Universal Banker at a credit union here in my community.
Growing up as an only child in a toxic family dynamic with alcoholism and undiagnosed mental health disorders running the show, I developed complex trauma that I wouldn’t be aware of until the day I took my last drink and began to uncover the lies that alcohol had me believing for so long. I lacked self love and self worth and believed I was just not built for the kind of life that I desired.
Sobriety has allowed me to see an alternative path in life and recovery has provided the tools that enable me to walk that path. Today I can say that I truly love the girl who looks back at me in the mirror, and I see evidence with every hard step I take forward, that not only am I built for the life I desire, I’m worthy of it. I openly share my story and my sobriety in the hopes that someone like me sees that thriving IS possible and living a life free from alcohol is fun, beautiful and so full.
Check out all the resources Through the Glass Recovery offers:
- Full podcast episode library
- Free Zoom virtual support group
- Affordable one-on-one recovery coaching
- Julie’s blog for alcohol-free living
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