Show Notes
I talk to Rich Shydner, a standup comic who once performed on acid, had a roast beef sandwich thrown at him on stage by his tripping girlfriend, and thought “I am one with the bugs” while sitting in a stream covered in mosquitoes. So yeah, he’s done some things. He’s also been sober since 1985, which is longer than some of you have been alive, and he's doing great! Rich was part of the original sober comedy crew in LA — the guys who proved you could do the road without a drink. He also has very strong opinions about microdosing, which boil down to: “If I could microdose, I wouldn’t be in the shape I’m in.” Same, Rich, same.
More from Drunk-ish - A Sobriety Podcast
In this second episode with Mia Idrissi, we talk about how fun it is to have feelings now. You know—like sadness, shame, and rage, but without the vodka chaser. Mia drops gems about dating while sober (it’s hard, no notes), learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions, and how grief just kind of shows up like an uninvited guest with dirty shoes. We also talk about how sometimes sobriety isn’t all sunshine and vision boards. Sometimes it’s just surviving another Tuesday without losing your sh*t.
Mia Idrissi joins Drunk-ish to share the kind of story you don’t hear every day—raw, hilarious, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive. With 32 years of sobriety under her belt (her third time getting sober), Mia talks candidly about growing up in a party-heavy home, sneaking cigarettes at age six, and getting drunk for the first time at five. She opens up about the trauma of losing her brother to suicide at 16, her own spiral into addiction, working alongside the Green River Killer, and the near-miss that pushed her toward recovery.
In a first of its kind episode, I talk directly to the listeners about (what I consider) the myth of moderation. Maybe I should have titled this episode the myth of moderation so you know what you're getting into but I didn't. So that no one feels tricked, I am going to discuss my own experience with trying to moderate, some other people's experiences, the thoughts out there on whether it is achievable and I will end with a longer bit on the origin of Moderation Management which was touched upon on yesterday's episode with Suzanne Warye.