Sisters In Sobriety

This episode features Randy Hall on Buddhist-inspired recovery, mindfulness, and why healing addiction often starts with self-compassion—not judgment.Randy Hall, is a Program Coordinator with the Addiction Prevention Coalition in Birmingham, Alabama, a person in long-term recovery, a Certified Peer Support Specialist, a SMART Recovery Facilitator, and the former President of the Recovery Dharma Global community. Randy is deeply committed to building peer support spaces and advocating for multiple pathways to recovery that meet people where they are.Throughout the conversation, Sonia, Kathleen, and Randy explore what happens when someone wants recovery but doesn’t quite fit into a single prescribed model. They dig into questions around craving, identity, trauma, relapse, self-judgment, and why curiosity can be a powerful starting point for change. The episode touches on mindfulness, Buddhist-inspired recovery, peer-led support, and evidence-based tools — all through the lens of real life rather than theory.Randy breaks down Buddhist principles in an accessible, grounded way, explaining how ideas like impermanence, compassion, and mindful awareness can be used day-to-day in recovery. He shares how practices like meditation, naming emotions, and interrupting judgment helped him learn to sit with discomfort instead of escaping it. Listeners will also hear how SMART Recovery’s rational, skills-based approach complemented these practices — showing how recovery doesn’t have to be either/or, but can be built from multiple supports working together.At the heart of the episode is Randy’s story — one marked by achievement, addiction, and a dramatic turning point. He shares how years of high-functioning substance use eventually led to a life-altering diagnosis of Guillain-Barré Syndrome that left him temporarily paralyzed. What followed wasn’t a neat or linear recovery, but a painful, human process that included relapse, fear, and ultimately a deep internal shift. Randy reflects on how real change didn’t come from punishment or fear, but from learning self-compassion, finding community, and allowing himself to be honest about his suffering. His story underscores how transformation often comes not from avoiding pain, but from finally meeting it with care and support.Episode Highlights00:01 — Randy shares how alcohol first felt like social “magic” — and how quickly it turned into something darker 00:03 — What high-functioning addiction really looks like behind the scenes 00:05 — Using substances to cope with professional pressure and internal conflict 00:06 — The shocking moment Randy’s body shut down during a kids’ soccer game 00:08 — Being paralyzed, hospitalized, and forced to confront mortality 00:10 — Why detox and physical recovery weren’t enough 00:12 — Returning home and relapsing despite everything he’d been through 00:15 — The quiet role of shame and self-loathing in addiction 00:17 — Hitting a point where change was no longer optional 00:18 — Feeling disconnected from recovery spaces that didn’t resonate 00:19 — Discovering Recovery Dharma and Buddhist-inspired recovery 00:21 — How mindfulness and rational tools can work together 00:23 — The Four Noble Truths explained in plain language 00:26 — Understanding craving as part of the human condition 00:28 — How mindfulness helps interrupt urges in real time 00:34 — The difference between awareness and judgment 00:38 — “Having tea with your demons” and learning to work with urges 00:44 — Riding urges like waves instead of fighting them 00:48 — Why community matters more than willpower 00:51 — Practical advice for anyone who feels stuck right nowRandy's Links https://recoverydharma.org/SIS Links💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia and Kathleen dive into the science of cravings, anxiety, and habit change—and explore what really keeps us stuck. They’re joined by Judson Brewer, MD, PhD (“Dr. Jud”), New York Times best-selling author, neuroscientist, addiction psychiatrist, and one of the world’s leading experts on mindfulness-based behavior change. As the Director of Research and Innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center, Dr. Jud has spent decades decoding how habits form in the brain and developing accessible tools that help people unwind anxiety, disrupt addictive loops, and build healthier patterns.Today, Sonia and Kathleen help listeners understand the mechanics of their own minds while Dr. Jud offers lived insight, science-backed strategies, and surprising clarity about why we repeat behaviors that don’t serve us—and how to finally change them.In the conversation, they unpack some of the biggest questions surrounding anxiety, cravings, and self-sabotage: Why does worry function like a habit? Why do some behaviors feel good in the moment but terrible later? How does the brain’s reward system trick us into repeating patterns we’ve outgrown? And what role does curiosity play in breaking addiction cycles—from alcohol to overeating to doom-scrolling? You'll hear how habit loops get encoded, why “willpower” is not the tool we've been taught to rely on, and how mindfulness becomes a practical—not mystical—interruption strategy.Dr. Jud also breaks down essential educational concepts, including reinforcement learning, negative and positive reward loops, the illusion of control in anxiety, the mechanics of disenchantment, and his three-step framework for unwinding addictive patterns. He explains how curiosity and kindness work neurologically to override craving cycles, why awareness alone can interrupt an unconscious behavior, and how updating the brain’s reward database makes change not only possible but inevitable. Along the way, listeners gain language, tools, and frameworks they can start applying immediately to their own sobriety and emotional regulation.Dr. Jud does a real-life demonstration of his method as Kathleen explores her own habit loop around stress- and boredom-eating. The conversation gets personal, relatable, and surprisingly funny as the trio walks through how discomfort, dopamine, self-soothing, and long-term values collide inside the brain. The episode closes with a reflective discussion on AI, mental health, and the future of behavior-change technology, highlighting what excites—and concerns—Dr. Jud in this rapidly shifting landscape.This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our Substack for extra tips, tricks, and resources.Episode Highlights[00:01:00] Sonia and Kathleen introduce Dr. Jud and his work on anxiety, addiction, and the brain.[00:02:00] Dr. Jud shares how his own anxiety and panic attacks led him into neuroscience and meditation.[00:03:30] The early research connecting anxiety, addiction, and habit loops.[00:05:00] How a breakup and “Full Catastrophe Living” started his lifelong meditation practice.[00:07:00] Childhood curiosity, chemistry, and why humans get stuck in repetitive patterns.[00:08:30] How shame and self-blame reinforce habit loops.[00:09:00] Plain-language explanation of reinforcement learning and the habit loop.[00:11:30] Anxiety as a learned behavior: the illusion of control through worry.[00:12:30] Clinical trial results showing mindfulness reduces anxiety by 67 percent.[00:14:00] Awareness vs. identification: shifting from “I am anxious” to “I’m noticing anxiety.”[00:15:00] Why we return to habits that hurt us, even when we know better.[00:17:00] Disenchantment and updating the brain’s reward system.[00:19:30] Why willpower fails: the neuroscience behind “stop it” not working.[00:20:00] Smoking cessation examples—patients realizing cigarettes taste terrible.[00:22:00] How paying attention changes overeating behaviors within 10–15 repetitions.[00:24:00] A patient’s breakthrough using morning reflection to break alcohol dependency.[00:26:00] How the same loop applies across addictions: food, alcohol, sex, gambling, digital habits.[00:28:00] Introducing the “pleasure plateau” and learning when a reward stops rewarding.[00:31:00] How curiosity interrupts craving cycles and builds distress tolerance.[00:33:30] Dr. Jud’s three-step method for behavior change.[00:37:00] What to say when someone insists “mindfulness doesn’t work for me.”[00:38:00] Live demo: Kathleen and Dr. Jud map her stress-eating habit loop.[00:44:00] The intersection of AI, reinforcement learning, and mental health.[00:47:00] Expanding access with AI-supported learning assistants in Going Beyond Anxiety.[00:49:00] The risks of relying on AI for companionship and therapy advice.[00:52:00] Where listeners struggling with addiction can start with Mindshift Recovery. Dr. Jud Linkswww.goingbeyondanxiety.comwww.drjud.comJudbrewer.substack.com SIS Links💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia and Kathleen explore one of the most universal yet misunderstood parts of human life: grief. They’re joined by Melanie Wilson—grief advocate, creative ritual designer, event curator, and founder of Life and Soul—who brings a deeply grounded and accessible perspective on navigating loss, building community, and supporting others with compassion.Sonia and Kathleen chat with Melanie about topics that sit at the core of grief work: Why is it so hard to talk about death? How do we show up for grieving friends without saying the wrong thing? What does real, ongoing support look like beyond the first week of casseroles? Why do people feel so alone when loss is universal? And what does it mean to create rituals—personal or communal—that help us stay connected to the people we’ve lost? These themes draw directly from Melanie’s work supporting grievers through community, storytelling, creativity, and continued bonds.You'll understand key concepts such as grief as a continuing relationship, collective grieving, grief allyship, the limits of numbing through alcohol, and why authentic presence is more powerful than perfect words. Melanie offers practical takeaways about holding space, asking better questions, supporting ritual-building, understanding grief “waves,” and replacing isolating narratives with compassionate ones. She also shares insights about how grief affects cognition, emotions, and relationships—grounded in her professional grief-ally framework and her work as a celebrant and community organizer.This episode also dives deep into Melanie’s personal story: the three consecutive years of profound loss that shaped her calling; the awkward moments of being “the death of the party”; creating New York grief mixers and art-centered memorial experiences; her five-year commemoration project for her father; and why people cry at her events even when they “didn’t expect to.” Sonia and Kathleen also reflect candidly on their own grief missteps, the complexities of supporting partners who are grieving, and the vulnerability of learning how to be a better ally over time.This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our Substack for extra tips, tricks, and resources.Episode Highlights (Time-Stamped)00:01 — Sonia and Kathleen introduce Melanie Wilson and her work at the intersection of grief, art, and community.00:02 — Melanie shares her earliest encounters with loss and how three consecutive years of death reshaped her path.00:04 — What it means to be a “griever creating community” and why people need connection outside their family.00:05 — Challenging the belief that “everyone grieves differently” and reframing grief as a collective experience.00:06 — How public, creative expressions of grief revealed new ways people can heal together.00:07 — Joining The Dinner Party and realizing the role of in-person community in grief support.00:09 — Launching her first New York City grief mixers and discovering that people want to talk about grief.00:10 — The origin story of being “the death of the party” and embracing authenticity in social spaces.00:11 — Reframing grief as a continued relationship rather than something to move on from.00:13 — Kathleen shares her own grief experience and discusses the discomfort of others avoiding the topic.00:15 — Why grievers feel burdened asking to talk about their person—and why invitations matter.00:16 — Challenging the cultural pressure to “find closure” or “move on.”00:17 — Overview of Death of the Party events and how art, performance, and community rituals support expression.00:21 — Grief, numbing, and the role of alcohol—why people seek escape and what healthier alternatives can offer.00:24 — Melanie’s reframing of rituals and the idea of creating new, personal traditions.00:26 — Examples of personal rituals: candles, gardening, art, shawls, favorite meals, and remembrance objects.00:29 — Balancing grief with joy, and how certain rituals bring comfort rather than sadness.00:30 — Music as both a trigger and a tool for connection in grief.00:33 — Why grief events become “brave spaces,” not “safe spaces,” and the value of emotional discomfort.00:34 — Melanie’s five-year commemoration ceremony for her father and reconnecting with his community.00:36 — What it means to be a grief ally and how to hold space without fixing.00:38 — Common mistakes people make when trying to comfort someone grieving—and language to avoid.00:40 — How storytelling helps grievers integrate loss and strengthen continued bonds.00:42 — Melanie’s advice for those afraid to face their grief: start small, stay intentional, and find community.00:44 — Closing reflections and gratitude for Melanie’s wisdom. SIS Links💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode of Sisters in Sobriety, we explore recovery and identity with Arlina Allen, who uses neuroscience principles to help people heal, regulate stress and rewrite their patterns. What happens when alcohol is no longer our coping strategy — and how do we rebuild our nervous system, our patterns, and our sense of self?With over 30 years of sobriety, Arlina has become a trusted voice in recovery, neuroscience, self-leadership, and sustainable change. She’s also the bestselling author of The 12-Step Guide for Skeptics and host of The One Day at a Time Recovery Podcast, ranked in the top 1% of all self-help shows.This episode explores questions many women face in recovery: What if 12-step programs didn’t feel like your path—can they still work for you? How does identity, trauma, or high-functioning behavior shape addiction? Can we pursue ambition and protect our emotional health? Sonia and Arlina unpack how language—sober curious, gray area drinking, substance use disorder—can both define us and limit us, and how neuroscience can help explain cravings, coping strategies, and our repeated patterns.You'll hear practical strategies grounded in neuroscience, mindfulness, emotional resilience, and stress regulation—core principles in Arlina’s coaching programs and workshops. She breaks down how the default mode network shapes identity, the difference between spirituality and religion in recovery, and how self-regulation tools, time audits, somatic practices, and boundaries help reduce burnout without losing ambition. Recovery isn’t about adding more to your life—it’s often about subtracting what drains you.Arlina also opens up about drinking at age 10, surviving trauma, navigating intimacy, marriage, envy, perfectionism, and burnout—and how the emotional work of sobriety continues even after 31 years.This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our Substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.Time-Stamped Highlights[00:02:10] Drinking at age 10 — “relief before I understood pain”[00:04:35] High-functioning but spiraling — identity vs. consequences[00:07:00] The 12 steps as tools, even for skeptics[00:09:30] Spirituality vs religious trauma — redefining a higher power[00:11:20] Why “alcoholic” doesn’t have to be a shame label[00:13:15] Sober curious, gray area drinkers & language[00:15:10] Can AA work if you’re not fully abstinent?[00:19:00] Neuroscience 101 — the default mode network explained[00:21:50] Cortisol, sleep, neuroplasticity & emotional regulation[00:24:30] Childhood wiring and belief systems[00:27:40] Perfectionism, intimacy, and emotional avoidance[00:29:30] Working the steps inside marriage[00:33:25] Character defects vs character assets—reframing[00:36:40] Burnout in recovery — sneaky signs[00:39:45] Resentment, envy & high-performing women[00:44:00] “If you spot it, you’ve got it” — mirror theory[00:47:00] Time audits, priorities & time drunkenness[00:50:10] The Kool-Aid metaphor — why morning practices matter[00:54:05] Cultivating joy & experimenting with hobbies[00:56:20] “Recovery is about recovering your whole self”Connect With Arlina🌐 www.soberlifeschool.com 📸 Instagram: @arlinaallen | @odaatpodcastSIS Links💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode dives into the hidden patterns that drive our behavior—the subconscious loops that keep us repeating choices we don’t even realize we’re making. Helping unpack it all is Bizzie Gold, tech founder, behavior futurist, and inventor of Brain Pattern Mapping, a groundbreaking system that predicts behavior and thought patterns with 98.3% accuracy. Through Break Method and her bestselling book Your Brain Is a Filthy Liar, Bizzie is redefining healing beyond coping—guiding people toward real personal agency. The discussion explores powerful questions: How do early experiences shape how we see the world? Why do we repeat cycles even when we know they’re hurting us? Is self-awareness enough—or is something deeper running the show? Bizzie breaks down perception, decision-making, emotional responses, trauma, addiction cycles, anxiety, and childhood conditioning. Sonia invites listeners to consider how distorted narratives, triggers, and brain patterns influence choices, relationships, substance use, and behavior—and how those patterns can actually be interrupted.You'll learn about subconscious programming, self-deception, childhood patterning, addictive cycles, and how the neurocognitive funnel predicts emotional and behavioral responses. Bizzie shares actionable insights on language architecture, pattern recognition, emotional regulation, brain mapping, and how neuroscience and data can create sustainable rewiring—not temporary fixes or codependent therapy patterns. It’s an eye-opening look at how behavior truly works—and how to start shifting out of survival mode.Later in the episode, Bizzie opens up about her own story—growing up as the young mediator in a chaotic home, living with panic attacks for a decade, and the spiritual moment at age 19 that changed her trajectory completely. Her journey moves from anxiety to agency, from curiosity to innovation—and from a napkin sketch to a powerful global behavior technology. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our Substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.⏱️ Time-Stamped Highlights[00:01:00] Introducing Break Method and how it began[00:02:20] Childhood environment and hyper-awareness[00:03:15] Anxiety and insomnia shaping her worldview[00:05:00] Fight Club and the spark behind self-deception research[00:07:45] The moment panic attacks ended at age 19[00:10:00] Controlled surrender vs. relying on willpower[00:12:30] Mapping faith and neuroscience together[00:14:00] The napkin moment: the birth of Break Method[00:17:20] Teaching thousands and tracking results[00:20:00] Efficacy rates and peer-reviewed research[00:21:45] Evolving Break into behavioral tech[00:22:10] What is a subconscious pattern?[00:23:00] Childhood cues and perception of safety[00:25:00] How reality becomes distorted[00:28:00] Addiction as downstream behavior[00:31:00] Seeing why someone uses—not just that they use[00:33:30] The prison experiment—transformation in two days[00:38:00] Uncovering abuse through behavior mapping[00:45:00] Language architecture and emotional loops[00:50:00] Why the brain prefers familiar pain[00:51:30] Where someone stuck in addiction should begin[00:54:00] Scaling the modality—training providers[00:55:00] The mission to bring this into schools SIS Links💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.