Falling Off The Bar Stool and Finding Clarity – Tom Rhodes

Comedian Tom Rhodes joins Forrest to talk addiction, drinking, mental health, creativity, and the long road from excess to clarity. They get into growing up around alcohol, the romanticized "drunk artist" myth, dangerous party years, loss, grief, and the moment Tom finally saw himself clearly and decided to change. It's raw, thoughtful, and funny — packed with real stories about alcohol, denial, creativity, regret, love, and learning how much more is possible when you stop numbing out. 🎧 If you've ever believed chaos was part of who you are, or wondered who you might be without it, this episode will hit deep and still make you laugh. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on addiction, recovery, mental health, and comedy. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & Meet Tom Rhodes 01:22 – Growing Up Around Drinking 02:30 – Wanting to Be "Cool" Like Your Heroes 03:47 – Moving to Amsterdam to Slow Down 05:15 – Loss, Grief & Drinking to Numb 06:41 – The Night Everything Changed 08:20 – Seeing Yourself Clearly 11:22 – Regret, Shame & Sensitivity 13:03 – Cringing at Who You Used to Be 15:22 – Social Media & Modern 'Assholishness' 18:49 – Dangerous Party Years 21:44 – What Felt Normal But Wasn't 23:29 – Love as a Catalyst for Change 28:22 – The Lie That It Helps Creativity 41:22 – One Song That Describes Addiction 45:10 – Why Clarity Is Its Own Drug 51:50 – Advice for Anyone Still Struggling 🎙️ Find Tom Rhodes : 🔗 Website: https://www.tomrhodes.net 📸 Instagram: @_tomrhodes https://www.instagram.com/_tomrhodes/ 👉 TikTok : @tomrhodescomedy https://www.tiktok.com/@tomrhodescomedy ▶️ YouTube: @kingofhaha https://www.youtube.com/user/kingofhaha