Using Alcohol to Treat Adult ADHD | Breaking Free at 50 | E800
What if the glass of wine you reach for every evening is actually treating something deeper than just stress?
Amy takes us through her journey from teenage experimentation to mommy wine culture, revealing how alcohol became her trusted companion through life's challenges. As a high-functioning professional juggling parenting, caregiving responsibilities, and undiagnosed issues, she found herself using alcohol to treat adult ADHD without even realizing it. It wasn't until her son developed addiction issues that Amy began questioning her own relationship with alcohol. Through family therapy, reading This Naked Mind, and completing The Alcohol Experiment, Amy discovered how alcohol was masking her authentic needs while creating more anxiety and depression. Now alcohol-free for four years, she shares how breaking this cycle led to profound personal growth and genuine joy.
In this episode, Annie and Amy discuss:
Growing up in a conservative "Leave It to Beaver" household
Teenage experimentation with alcohol as rebellion
Transitioning from weekend binge drinking to daily wine culture
How mommy wine culture normalized problematic drinking
Using alcohol to treat adult ADHD without realizing it
The connection between disordered eating and alcohol consumption
Parenting adopted children with unique challenges
How family therapy led to self-discovery
Breaking free from alcohol at age 51
Finding authentic joy and peace in midlife
And other topics…
Episode links:
Start reading This Naked Mind - https://thisnakedmind.com/book
Join The Alcohol Experiment - www.alcoholexperiment.com
Related Episodes:
EP 719: Naked Life Story – Katie W. - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-719-naked-life-story-katie-w/
EP 110: Reader Question – I stopped drinking alcohol but now I binge on Netflix and ice cream. What’s the deal? - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-110-reader-question-stopped-drinking-alcohol-now-binge-netflix-ice-cream-whats-deal/
EP 678: Reader’s Question – How to Stop Restricting Food while Drinking? - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-678-readers-question-how-to-stop-restricting-food-while-drinking/
Ready to take the next step on your journey?
Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!
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54:25
Introducing Negotiate Your Best Life Podcast with Rebecca Zung
Do you find yourself navigating and negotiating through tough times? The Negotiate Your Best Life Podcast with Rebecca Zung captures the stories of people who have navigated past external and internal challenges to finally live their best lives. I hope you check it out.
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2:50
Feeling Your Emotions Without Alcohol | Understanding the Urge to Drink | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | E799
What happens when you finally feel your emotions instead of trying to numb them with alcohol? In this episode, we hear two powerful coaching conversations. Coach Zoe talks with Jill, who is finding her way back to her spiritual side after years of working in a high-stress job where drinking was common. Coach Ruby works with Ambur, a former college athlete and mom of two young kids, who is now 120 days alcohol-free. Both women are learning how to feel their emotions instead of escaping them. They’re on the road to understanding the urge to drink as a sign that they were feeling disconnected from who they really are. These sessions show how self-kindness and body awareness can take the place of alcohol when it comes to handling tough emotions.
In Jill’s session with Coach Zoe:
Returning to neglected areas of life, like spirituality, after quitting.
Recognizing how career focus can inadvertently support drinking habits.
Learning to connect with and process bodily sensations and emotions.
Exploring meditation and somatic work as tools for emotional regulation.
Utilizing anchoring techniques to stay present during discomfort.
Understanding self-compassion as a key to emotional processing.
The significance of acknowledging and learning from past drinking experiences
and more…
In Ambur’s session with Coach Ruby:
Navigating early motherhood and perfectionism without alcohol
Celebrating 120 days alcohol-free and learning to feel again
Understanding the urge to drink as a desire to escape loneliness
Using meditation, exercise, and truth-telling as new tools
Processing emotions instead of labeling them as “bad”
Letting go of judgment and learning to sit with discomfort
Replacing sneaky drinking with honest communication
Exploring what a sustainable alcohol-free life looks like
and more…
Zoe Ewart is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach who brings her experience and understanding to help with the tricky parts of life’s big changes. Her coaching gives you an enjoyable, light-hearted, and safe environment to effortlessly take back control of alcohol so you can feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually. Zoe taught Pilates for 15 years. She has four adult children and more animals than the Ark ever had.
Learn more about Coach Zoe: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/
Ruby Williams is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach dedicated to helping people rethink their relationship with alcohol. With 19 years of experience in the wine industry, Ruby understands how alcohol can become a regular part of life, especially in social or stressful situations. After finding freedom in 2019, she was empowered to improve her health, lose weight, and achieve lifelong goals. Ruby uses thoughtful questioning to help clients shift their mindset and build a more balanced, fulfilling, and healthier relationship with alcohol.
Learn more about Coach Ruby: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/ruby-williams/
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1:01:16
Finding Joy Without the Bottle | Building an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle That Lasts |Lauren's Naked Life | E798
What if the anxiety you've lived with for years could disappear by changing just one habit?
Lauren never questioned the drinking culture she grew up with in the UK, where pubs were central to every social occasion. When the pandemic hit shortly after her move to Canada, she began noticing how alcohol had shifted from enjoyment to an unsatisfying habit. Through research and repeatedly listening to This Naked Mind, Lauren began building an alcohol-free lifestyle that lasts, taking extended breaks from drinking that revealed surprising benefits—including the complete disappearance of her anxiety. In this episode, she shares her journey of ups and downs, the importance of self-compassion after slip-ups, and how she's found more genuine joy and connection without alcohol at the center of her life.
In this episode, Annie and Lauren discuss:
From British pub culture to questioning alcohol's role
How the pandemic revealed problematic drinking patterns
The process of building an alcohol-free lifestyle that lasts
Why tracking "failures" can be counterproductive
The complete disappearance of anxiety after reducing alcohol
Discovering genuine joy without drinking
The surprising impact on hormone health and overall wellness
Finding alternatives to "chasing the high" after activities
Recognizing the link between alcohol and emotional stability
Creating new traditions beyond drinking culture
And other topics…
Episode links:
Related Episodes:
EP 445: Finding Joy with Catherine Gray - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-445-finding-joy-with-catherine-gray/
EP 448: What I Wish I Knew Before My First Drink – The Thief of Joy - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-448-what-i-wish-i-knew-before-my-first-drink-the-thief-of-joy/
EP 20: Reader Question – What do You do about Missing the “High” from Drinking? - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-20-reader-question-what-do-you-do-about-missing-the-high-from-drinking/
Ready to take the next step on your journey?
Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!
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51:40
Breaking The Negative Thought Spiral | Alcohol Freedom Freedom Coaching | E797
How do our thoughts influence our ability to create lasting change?
Overcoming automatic negative thoughts begins with understanding how they shape our behaviors and emotions. In this episode, Coach Sam helps Marion navigate triggers around holiday memories and past trauma, while Coach Mike guides Maria through breaking free from her lifelong pattern of negative self-talk. Both guests struggle with how their thoughts fuel their drinking behaviors—Marion with holiday-related trauma that previously led to heavy drinking, and Maria with the "failure" narrative that pulls her back into old patterns. Through these powerful coaching conversations, we witness how identifying and questioning habitual negative thinking creates the foundation for sustainable change.
In Marion's Session:
Processing trauma around Christmas and her father's death
Learning to feel proud of caring for her father during difficult times
Moving beyond the memory of a traumatic assault
Understanding how trauma memories can trigger drinking behaviors
Discovering that self-worth is inherent, not earned
The difference between intellectual understanding and embodied knowing
Overcoming automatic negative thoughts by seeing them as memories, not reality
Finding presence and contentment by not numbing emotions
Approaching painful memories with self-compassion
Recognizing that healing comes from wisdom, not just intellectual effort
and other topics…
In Maria's Session:
Identifying habitual negative thoughts like "I'm a failure" and "I'm not good enough"
Understanding how negative thinking fuels drinking behaviors
Learning the ACT technique for overcoming automatic negative thoughts
Questioning whether negative beliefs are actually true
Seeing how thoughts exist to protect us, not punish us
Breaking the cycle of negative thoughts → difficult emotions → unwanted behaviors
Moving from black-and-white thinking to nuanced perspectives
Recognizing that thoughts are "just strings of words" with meaning we assign
The power of neutralizing thoughts rather than forcing positivity
Developing mental resilience by questioning habitual thought patterns
and more…
Sam Goldfinch is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach, and the founder of Rebel Spirituality and the Rebel Spirituality podcast. He also co-hosts the Present & Sober podcast with Ellie Crowe. Having lived nine years alcohol-free, Sam will show you how to live your best life and uncover the truth of YOU before and beyond your conditioning.
Learn more about Coach Sam: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/sam-goldfinch/
Mike Shennan is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach. He was a long-time social drinker, and his drinking habits increased in his forties due to various life events. However, he has been alcohol-free since February 23, 2018. By sharing his personal experiences and using techniques from This Naked Mind, Mike supports clients who feel their drinking habits have grown as they age, helping them regain control and create a healthier relationship with alcohol.
Learn more about Coach Mike: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/mike-shennan/
Related Episodes:
EP 512: Reader Question - How do you get comfortable with your own mind? - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-512-reader-question-how-do-you-get-comfortable-with-your-own-mind/
EP 438: Reader Question – How do you survive the holidays without alcohol? - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-512-reader-question-how-do-you-get-comfortable-with-your-own-mind/
EP 616: Reader’s Question – Getting Past Emotional Drinking Triggers - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-616-readers-question-getting-past-emotional-drinking-triggers/
Ready to take the next step on your journey?
Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!
Bestselling author Annie Grace invites you to explore the role of alcohol in our lives and culture without rules, pain, or judgement. Ready to make a change? Join The Alcohol Experiment - a FREE 30-day challenge designed to deliver happiness, wellbeing and self-respect. Check out The Alcohol Experiment at alcoholexperiment.com
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