EPISODE · May 2, 2026 · 1H 31M
I Blacked Out Every Weekend for 15 Years & Thought That Was Normal | Simon’s Story
from After Hours with Jimmy Thistle
Send us Fan MailEpisode 71 - SimonIn this episode, Jimmy sits down with Simon, a 36-year-old Glaswegian stonemason and business owner who grew up in the drinking culture of the West of Scotland. Simon shares his honest journey from teenage blackouts and festival benders, to using alcohol as a stress coping mechanism when launching his own business — and how his wife Katie’s gentle nudge finally pushed him toward lasting sobriety. Now 10 months in and doing the inner work through therapy, Simon’s story is a powerful reminder that sobriety isn’t about white-knuckling it — it’s about understanding yourself.Simon is a stonemason living in Glasgow.For most of his adult life, he found himself drifting into moments where he’d imagine a sober life. He always wanted to get there, but never quite knew how. How would he fit in? How would he function without a drink?In 2020, he started his own business. That became the final straw that broke the camel’s back. His drinking had been creeping up for years, and things were starting to unravel. Work, relationships, life, all of it felt heavier.In July 2023, at the end of a music festival, he told his wife he’d had enough.Since then, he’s had periods of sobriety, some longer than others. But now, 8 months in, something feels different. Alongside therapy and a deeper understanding of himself, this time feels real.You can find Simon on Instrgram at:https://www.instagram.com/simon.is.sober?igsh=MThzNml6NjJ3N3Judw==Simon’s Just Giving Page:https://www.justgiving.com/page/katie-simon-arran?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=WA&fbclid=PAVERFWARixVhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaceN9IlkXqO6zmeAbDJlraesiRvBGZeXdBDA45sp5-SC65n0lD-tw2x2aHh3Q_aem_zA-QpmtZqZzd2eVvYm5G8AAndrew Huberman - Podcast Episodehttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/huberman-lab/id1545953110?i=1000744781362My 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/afterhourswithjimmytAlcohol Explained - William Porterhttps://a.co/d/0854fIb6This Naked Mind - Annie Gracehttps://a.co/d/0gy6mT9ZA Million Little Pieces - James Freyhttps://a.co/d/0jdcIjGbDonate:https://motiv8.im/donate/https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/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/afterhourswithjimmytAlcohol Explained - William Porterhttps://amzn.to/4uMmkyBThis Naked Mind - Annie Gracehttps://amzn.to/4eC6L6zA Million Little Pieces - James Freyhttps://amzn.to/44jOV3iDonate:https://motiv8.im/donate/https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What this episode covers
Send us Fan MailEpisode 71 - SimonIn this episode, Jimmy sits down with Simon, a 36-year-old Glaswegian stonemason and business owner who grew up in the drinking culture of the West of Scotland. Simon shares his honest journey from teenage blackouts and festival benders, to using alcohol as a stress coping mechanism when launching his own business — and how his wife Katie’s gentle nudge finally pushed him toward lasting sobriety. Now 10 months in and doing the inner work through therapy, Simon’s story is a powerful reminder that sobriety isn’t about white-knuckling it — it’s about understanding yourself.Simon is a stonemason living in Glasgow.For most of his adult life, he found himself drifting into moments where he’d imagine a sober life. He always wanted to get there, but never quite knew how. How would he fit in? How would he function without a drink?In 2020, he started his own business. That became the final straw that broke the camel’s back. His drinking had been creeping up for years, and things were starting to unravel. Work, relationships, life, all of it felt heavier.In July 2023, at the end of a music festival, he told his wife he’d had enough.Since then, he’s had periods of sobriety, some longer than others. But now, 8 months in, something feels different. Alongside therapy and a deeper understanding of himself, this time feels real.You can find Simon on Instrgram at:https://www.instagram.com/simon.is.sober?igsh=MThzNml6NjJ3N3Judw==Simon’s Just Giving Page:https://www.justgiving.com/page/katie-simon-arran?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=WA&fbclid=PAVERFWARixVhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaceN9IlkXqO6zmeAbDJlraesiRvBGZeXdBDA45sp5-SC65n0lD-tw2x2aHh3Q_aem_zA-QpmtZqZzd2eVvYm5G8AAndrew Huberman - Podcast Episodehttps://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/huberman-lab/id1545953110?i=1000744781362My 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/afterhourswithjimmytAlcohol Explained - William Porterhttps://a.co/d/0854fIb6This Naked Mind - Annie Gracehttps://a.co/d/0gy6mT9ZA Million Little Pieces - James Freyhttps://a.co/d/0jdcIjGbDonate:https://motiv8.im/donate/https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/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/afterhourswithjimmytAlcohol Explained - William Porterhttps://amzn.to/4uMmkyBThis Naked Mind - Annie Gracehttps://amzn.to/4eC6L6zA Million Little Pieces - James Freyhttps://amzn.to/44jOV3iDonate:https://motiv8.im/donate/https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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I Blacked Out Every Weekend for 15 Years & Thought That Was Normal | Simon’s Story
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