I Started Drinking Alcohol at 12… It Took Me 30 Years to get sober - Antoine's Story
Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories
Brad McLeod
4.8 • 596 Ratings
🗓️ 5 February 2026
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Alcohol didn’t crash into Antoine’s life — it slowly became normal.
In this episode of the Sober Motivation Podcast, Antoine shares how drinking started at just 12 years old, was reinforced through culture, school, and social life, and quietly followed him for three decades. From boarding school overseas where alcohol was normalized, to college, hospitality, and years of “functioning” drinking, his story shows how easy it is to miss the warning signs when everyone around you is doing the same thing.
We talk about the pressure to fit in, living with ADHD, blackouts that were brushed off, and the moment in Apex, North Carolina that forced him to take a hard look at his relationship with alcohol. Antoine opens up about trying to cut back, why that didn’t work, and what finally made sobriety stick.
This episode is for anyone who’s questioning their drinking, feels stuck in the cycle, or wonders what life could look like without alcohol.
You don’t have to hit rock bottom to choose a different path.
One story at a time—you’re not alone.
--------------
Join the Sober Motivation Beta Platform FREE: https://sobermotivation.net/
Connect with Antoine on IG: https://www.instagram.com/asavageslife/
Sober Motivation Community: https://sobermotivation.mn.co/
Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.com
Support the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivation
Contact me anytime: brad@sobermotivation.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome back to season five of the Sober Motivation Podcast. |
| 0:03.4 | Join me, Brad, each week as my guests and I share incredible and powerful sobriety stories. |
| 0:08.6 | We're here to show sobriety as possible. |
| 0:11.4 | One story at a time. |
| 0:14.2 | Let's go. |
| 0:17.0 | On today's episode, we have Antoine. |
| 0:19.5 | And this is a powerful reminder that alcohol doesn't have to look chaotic on the outside to be costing you on the inside. |
| 0:25.6 | Antoine grew up with alcohol as a normal part of life, and over time it quietly took more and more. |
| 0:30.7 | We talk about the moments that shaped his drinking, the turning point that changed everything, |
| 0:34.7 | and what life looks like now on the other side. |
| 0:37.8 | And this is Antoine's story on the sober motivation podcast. |
| 0:41.6 | What is going on everybody? |
| 0:43.0 | We are all the way into February already of 2026. |
| 0:48.2 | For a long time, I've had a dream, a vision, maybe even a mission of creating a custom |
| 0:53.6 | sober motivation app, not only where |
| 0:56.0 | you can track your sober days, but also have a journal, have a daily commitment to your journey, |
| 1:02.7 | but also build an incredible community where we can get connected, have meetings in all of the |
| 1:08.7 | above. And one of the things I share about on the podcast a lot is start before you're ready. |
| 1:13.1 | Start your sober journey before you're ready. |
| 1:15.3 | Do the things that scare you most. |
| 1:18.4 | Don't get lost in the future about how things can go. |
| 1:23.1 | So we're starting before we're ready. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Brad McLeod, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Brad McLeod and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.