Angela Pugh Addiction Unlimited Podcast Episode 398 about emotional sobriety, character defects, ego in recovery, and personal growth after quitting alcohol.

Why character work never ends — and how to dismantle the ego patterns and excuses keeping you stuck.

You don’t do character work once and ride off into a peaceful sober sunset.

You don’t quit drinking and magically become the healthiest version of yourself.

This work never ends.

And if that sentence annoyed you a little — you’re exactly who this episode is for.

This episode is a wake-up call if you’ve been sober for weeks, months, or years—and life feels flat, repetitive, emotionally dull, like you’re just going through the motions.

No joy. No spark. No goals.

That’s a sign your emotional growth has stalled.

You’re not fired up about life. You’re avoiding discomfort instead of growing. And your excuses sound really reasonable… but they’re killing your progress.

This is where relapse starts—not always with alcohol, but with chaos, overspending, overeating, overworking, control, drama… anything to feel something.

That’s why this whole idea that “more time sober = more maturity” is garbage.

Character isn’t measured in time. It’s measured in effort and behavior.

And plenty of people have a lot of time sober but stop working on themselves – and they’ll get stuck just as quick as someone with 10 days sober.

Today, we dig into the real problem: it isn’t alcohol anymore. It’s ego, excuses, and emotional stagnation.

🎧 In this episode:

(3:00) Sobriety solves the alcohol problem—not the everything underneath it problem
(8:00) What ego really is and why a big ego + low self-esteem are the same thing
(16:00) The excuse system: how your mind lies to protect your comfort
(23:00) What emotional sobriety actually is (not a meme—real psychology)
(30:00) The path forward: emotional fitness tools that create real change

Sobriety is the foundation. Character is the house.

And character gets built by dismantling ego, eliminating excuses, and developing emotional sobriety—the ability to feel everything without being controlled by it.

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode

Book a Call with Angela → https://addictionunlimited.com/call
Join the Facebook Group → https://www.facebook.com/groups/addictionunlimited
Listen to this related episode: #396 – How to Take Action When You Don’t Feel Motivated → https://addictionunlimited.com/396

92. Lil Roberts on Creating a Fulfilling Life, Finding a Career That Lights You Up, and Focusing on Your Impact