Dawn on the South Coast. A father and his three-year-old collect eggs from the chicken coop, breath visible in the crisp air. Three years ago, Sam would’ve been nursing a hangover. Now, he’s embracing sober living in ways he didn’t know were possible.

“Alcohol is what I did every single weekend from 15 years old,” Sam says. “I’d drink and plan other stuff around that.”

For Sam, questioning whether he had a problem started at 16. The answer came much later.

When the Excuses Run Out

Weekend drinking turned into Wednesday-to-Sunday sessions. The pattern Sam recognises now was invisible to him then.

“There are so many different stages of denial. I’d think, ‘I don’t drink Monday to Friday’, then I don’t drink Monday to Thursday. Before you know it, you’re drinking from Wednesday to Sunday, often against your will.”

The internal bargaining became grimmer. “At least I haven’t lost my job yet, at least I haven’t lost my partner yet. You start clutching at straws to justify it.”

Sam tried cutting back throughout his twenties. Nothing worked. Until it did.

Choosing Sober Living in an Industry Built on Beers

The first month felt different, but getting sober wasn’t a clean break. Working construction meant constant temptation.

“It’s what we do. My crew work away a lot and every afternoon it’s beers, then you go to the pub,” Sam explains.

Telling people became its own challenge. “It took me a long time to really feel comfortable saying I’m not drinking.”

Four months in, Sam’s life shifted dramatically. His first son arrived. They moved to their new home. And the anxiety hit hard, especially when mates questioned why he’d stopped.

Sam began writing about it online—not for attention, but connection.

“I started sharing my experience straight away, but it took me a long time to share it with anyone I knew.”

Finding His People Through Sober Community

Eighteen months ago, Sam joined a 12-step fellowship. He’d been sceptical about support groups, unsure if they were for him.

“It’s the most mutually beneficial thing I’ve ever come across in my life.”

The sober community became everything. Not just for staying alcohol-free, but for living better.

Three years into his journey, Sam’s world looks unrecognisable. He meditates. He’s present with his two young sons. He’s stopped trying to control everything and started enjoying the chaos.

“I’m trying really hard to make sure my head and my feet are in the same place,” he says. “They haven’t always been.”

Fatherhood taught him to find joy in uncertainty. The unpredictability that once sent him reaching for a drink now feels like freedom.

Why Sober Living Changed Everything

Sam’s passionate about talking openly, particularly for young blokes wondering if they’ve got a problem with alcohol.

“I just want people to see that it works, and life can get better. My life is so much fuller.”

The community he found has become his anchor. “It’s a community I’ve never been lucky enough to be a part of, and I don’t want to lose it,” Sam says.

“These days, if I have anything I don’t want to talk to anyone about, there’s usually a sober person that springs to mind. It’s my kind of people and I’ve searched for that my whole life.”

Those morning egg collections with his son? They’re not just rituals. They’re proof that sober living offers a richness he never imagined.

Source: Fare