After Hours with Jimmy Thistle

Send us a textAlicia Butler began drinking at 16, initially for confidence and belonging. What started as social drinking gradually became a way to switch off, manage stress, and escape her own thoughts. For years, alcohol felt like a relief, until it quietly became something she relied on more than she wanted to admit.After her mum died in 2011, Alicia tried repeatedly to cut back on drinking, knowing it was something her mum had hoped for her. Over the years, she set rules, took breaks, and attempted moderation. She once made it almost 90 days sober, but the emotional fallout felt overwhelming and she returned to drinking. Other attempts lasted weeks, sometimes only days. The pull of alcohol was strong, and there was always a reason to start again.By her late 40s, Alicia realised her drinking was no longer under control. She was regularly drinking more than a bottle of champagne a day, waking with shame, exhaustion, and regret. At events she looked forward to all year, she barely remembered what had happened, sometimes missing entire performances, and often behaving in ways that left her deeply embarrassed. Alcohol, combined with tiredness and strong emotions, created a dangerous volatility. At her lowest points, it pushed her into emotional states that scared her and those closest to her.At 48, tired of the mental and emotional toll, Alicia decided to try something different. After watching other women her age openly document their sobriety journeys online, she posted a raw, unfiltered day one video as a way of asking for accountability and help. What began as a quiet experiment quickly became a turning point.The early days of sobriety were emotional. Alicia cried openly, struggled with raw feelings, and had to learn how to sit with discomfort without numbing it. Over time, however, the benefits became undeniable. Her mood stabilised, her sleep improved, her memory sharpened, and she found she could handle stress without spiralling. She stopped taking antidepressants, became clearer about her goals, and discovered a level of mental strength she hadn’t known she had.Fitness had always been part of Alicia’s life, even when she was drinking, but sobriety allowed it to support her rather than compete with alcohol. Sharing her journey publicly, not wanting to let others down, and refusing to reset her daily counter helped her stay committed. Alcohol free drinks also became a lifeline. Once someone who drank only dry wines and champagne, Alicia now enjoys alcohol free gins and beers, finding they allow her to keep rituals without the fallout.Now over 150 days sober, Alicia shares honestly about midlife sobriety, habit change, and rebuilding self trust. Her work focuses on realism rather than perfection, and on the quiet freedom that comes from no longer negotiating with yourself every night. She didn’t quit drinking because she hit a single dramatic rock bottom. She quit because she was exhausted by what alcohol was taking from her time, money, energy, and peace of mind.Find Alicia on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/champagnetochangeDavid Nutt - Drink:https://amzn.eu/d/62xPsgTLouisa Evans - Becoming A Sober Rebel:https://amzn.eu/d/aSILJXtSupport the showMy Instagram is:https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmyAnd you can find all my other links at:https://linktr.ee/jimmythistleBuy me a coffee…https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt Donate: https://motiv8.im/donate/ https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/

Send us a textJimmy was a rock bottom kind of drunk, vodka for breakfast was the way he started his days at the end and mostly before he'd even opened his eyes. Alcohol was his friend, his best friend and he would shun, push away or even be downright horrible to anyone that tried to get in the way of him getting a drink.He didn't want to be like this but he need the alcohol at the end and it became his medicine but he knew he had to get sober or it would kill him. So in 2020 in the middle of COVID he got his final detox and did everything and anything to get sober and stay sober. That was 5+ years ago now and since then Jimmy has become a Peer Mentor for addiction at Motiv8 on the Isle of Man and is planning on starting Sober Coach training in 2026. He has a very successful podcast and got married to the love of his life in 2025. Life is good and he remains an advocate of sober lifestyles and helping people make a change in their life.Support the showMy Instagram is:https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmyAnd you can find all my other links at:https://linktr.ee/jimmythistleBuy me a coffee…https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt Donate: https://motiv8.im/donate/ https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/

Send us a textEven more amazing and incredible guests coming your way in 2026!From heartbreaking stories to triumphs and hope, you wont want to miss out! Get ready on New Year's Day 2026 for the first episode drop! Support the showMy Instagram is:https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmyAnd you can find all my other links at:https://linktr.ee/jimmythistleBuy me a coffee…https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt Donate: https://motiv8.im/donate/ https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/

Send us a textWill Gordon is an emergency liver and kidney transplant survivor who spent 15 years as a middle and high school teacher, shaping young minds while quietly battling a secret that almost ended him: alcohol addiction that left him with just two weeks to live at age 35. Hiding bottles and spiraling into isolation, he lost friends, his job, and nearly everything. Until a miracle transplant gave him a raw second chance.That rock bottom became a turning point, where he learned that recovery isn't a straight line or a highlight reel; it's about facing the hard truths, leaning on support when you're at your weakest, and rebuilding with honesty and patience, one day at a time.Today, Will hosts The Willpower Podcast; dropping raw, unfiltered episodes every Friday on YouTube, where guests like athletes, mentors, and fellow survivors share their real stories of grit, trauma, and finding strength in sobriety when life feels overwhelming. He's created a global sober-mentoring program that's supported over 100 people through their most challenging moments, speaks at schools and events about transforming vulnerabilities into quiet resilience, and offers one-on-one coaching with the straightforward empathy he's gained from his own journey. Catch the pod on: YouTube @TheWillpowerPodcast Instagram @thewillpowerpodcast TikTok @thewillpowerpod X @thewillpowerpod, or reach out with “SOBER” for sober mentorship. Will's story is a reminder that we're all in this together, and small steps forward can lead to something truly meaningful.My Instagram is:https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmyAnd you can find all my other links at:https://linktr.ee/jimmythistleBuy me a coffee…https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmytSupport the showMy Instagram is:https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmyAnd you can find all my other links at:https://linktr.ee/jimmythistleBuy me a coffee…https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt Donate: https://motiv8.im/donate/ https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/

Send us a textBeth began drinking as a teenager in the 1990s, using alcohol to ease the social anxiety she had felt for as long as she could remember. What started as a way to feel confident and connected quickly became a pattern that followed her into adulthood. After her mother died when she was 17, her drinking escalated, and by university she had become known as the party girl, hiding behind a confident exterior that masked deep insecurity.As the years went on, her relationship with alcohol shifted into what is often called grey-area drinking. She drank to manage loneliness, stress, and self-doubt, convincing herself it was normal. During lockdown, her drinking reached a point where she knew she needed to stop. Finding an online sober community changed everything, showing her that recovery could be built on honesty, connection, and shared experience rather than shame.A later diagnosis of ADHD helped her understand the impulsivity, emotional intensity, and constant search for stimulation that had fuelled her drinking. With this understanding came self-compassion and a new sense of purpose.Now over four years sober, Beth shares her story through her Click Sober platforms and volunteers within the sober community, helping women question their relationship with alcohol and find support. She is also the co-founder of The SOS Collective, a free online community for women.You can find Beth on instagram here:https://www.instagram.com/click_sober Beth’s Linktree:https://linktr.ee/clicksober?fbclid=PAdGRleAN4PVVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAafzlIxv_0A-hfL5li-FIKQF7kCeIb1kBQyfUCnXDTljlajPJTxSfEPfcSOjvw_aem_pe-oq35n271r5Fx4v_QooQDrinking a Love Story - Caroline Knapphttps://amzn.eu/d/55fBMhPMy Instagram is:https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmyAnd you can find all my other links at:https://linktr.ee/jimmythistleBuy me a coffee…https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmytSupport the showMy Instagram is:https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmyAnd you can find all my other links at:https://linktr.ee/jimmythistleBuy me a coffee…https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt Donate: https://motiv8.im/donate/ https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/