It's a question Vic and Hamish get emailed everyday - Help! I can't stop drinking what can I do? It's a plea that they actually find hard to answer because what works for one person - may not work for the next. So, today you will get the run down of everything, from a visit to the GP, therapy and AA to Rehab and Quit Lit. They will discuss what worked for them, how it all starts with you standing up for yourself and taking that first step into recovery - reaching out for support. This is an oppo...
Aug 13, 2023•49 min•Season 6Ep. 12
In this week's retrospective episode we pay our thanks and respect to Vic's sister. Louise Vanstone is one of the unsung heroes of the Sober Awkward Podcast. Not only did she play a part in inspiring Vic to follow in her footsteps but she also has more sober years than Vic, Hame and Lucy put together. AA changed her life and she continues to attend their meetings after over 22 years of sobriety. The lesson that she shares here is one that Lucy wishes she had heard 15 years ago. You can listen to...
Aug 09, 2023•6 min
It's the episode you've all been asking for....Alcohol and the menopause. Why does it make you feel like drinking? Will a glass of red help your symptoms? If I am sober will the menopause be easier? So many questions and only two uneducated buffoons to answer them! It's not a topic that Vic and Hame know much about so they had to learn on the go and bring in an expert - Dr Sally Hunt from the University of Newcastle explains why women feel the need to drown out the side effects of 'the change' a...
Aug 06, 2023•46 min•Season 6Ep. 11
In this week's retrospective episode we revisit Vic and Lucy's struggle to beat the moderation pixie. Many of us try and fail to moderate for years before eventually accepting that sobriety might be the best route for us. We have heard every trick in the book from drinking a water in between each alcoholic drink to only drinking on the weekends! Attempting moderation is often a losing battle. You might be surprised to hear that going totally sober is actually the easier way to live your life. Yo...
Aug 02, 2023•6 min
Hame isn't a dermatologist (shock, horror!) but he has theory about skin. Whatever effects a skincare product might promise to have on your wrinkles/ageing skin/your 'glow' - the best way to improve your skin is from the inside out. Changing what you put into your body (starting with alcohol of course) has noticeably faster and more effective improvements on your skin quality than any product on the market. Vic and Hame explore the changes they have noticed when looking back on their drinking ye...
Jul 30, 2023•36 min•Season 6Ep. 10
In this week's retrospective episode we take a look back at one of THE biggest concerns for the newly sober. How do you deal with this inevitable question. Lie? Prepare a few possible answers? Laugh it off? Or you might choose to use one of Vic's slightly extreme responses. Vic and Lucy compared notes for their different approaches in one of the first Sober Awkward episodes. You can listen to the full episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/sober-awkward/id1565657975?i=1000519587067 ...
Jul 26, 2023•6 min
It's the episode you've all been waiting for! Our chat with super star DJ Norman Cook AKA Fatboy Slim. We were privileged to be invited back stage before his gig in Brisbane to have a quick chat with Norman about life since going sober 14 years ago. We reminisce about The Big Beat Boutique, find out why bringing Fatboy Slim home after a gig triggered him to seek help and how it feels entertaining a massive crowd since giving up booze. We are so excited to share this with our Sober Awkward fans. ...
Jul 23, 2023•33 min•Season 6Ep. 9
In this week's retrospective episode we look at the moment that you have decided to go sober and are deciding who to tell, and equally importantly...when. For some telling your friends and family keeps you accountable whereas for others, the fear of their reaction can delay this conversation for months on end. Vic and Lucy had two very different experiences and approaches to this moment - here are their stories. You can listen back to the full episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/...
Jul 19, 2023•11 min
'Can I still tear up the dancefloor without alcohol?' That was Hame's first worry when he gave up booze. And he is not alone... The dance-floor is a very different place when you’re sober. Alcohol was a way to release your inhibitions. Without it you feel more aware, less sexy and considerably more awkward. Also dancing for hours is bloody tiring without alcohol. (Although that might just be because we are both parents now!) Dancing can go from something that you loved to a place of huge discomf...
Jul 16, 2023•47 min•Season 6Ep. 8
To continue our new weekly retrospective feature - we are heading back to the first ever episode of Sober Awkward. A lot of people try and fail drinking moderately for a long time before eventually becoming sober. 'Most people seem to be able to do it so why can't I?' is a question you may have asked yourself a few hundred times! Vic and Lucy share their experiences of battling with this question and discuss the effect that drinking had on their children. You can listen back to the full episode ...
Jul 12, 2023•10 min
Tomorrow we celebrate Hame's 1 year soberversary. He has achieved what he set out to do but is this our last podcast together? Will he be heading straight back to the pub or will he (and the podcast) be continuing? Vic and Hame look back on the similarities and differences of their first year's sober. They share what they have enjoyed the most and shine a light on what they have found difficult. (Who knew you could still get hangover when you were sober?!) After almost six weeks away you can sen...
Jul 09, 2023•53 min•Season 6Ep. 7
To kickstart our new weekly retrospective feature in which we take a look back at a significant moment from a previous Sober Awkward episode - we are going all the way back to our first ever episode! For many of us, there is specific moment when you realise that drinking isn't for you anymore. Most of us ignore these for years. Until one day, something happens that makes them impossible to ignore any longer. Listen as Vic and Lucy share their memories of that precise moment. You can listen back ...
Jul 05, 2023•9 min
Sober, Single and on Tinder - with Lucy Good. For some sober folks, leaving the safe confines of your living room might be a challenge, socialising feels awkward at first and it's easier to stay in rather than venture out into the big wide world. Lucy is a classic case of someone who found her home comforting in early sobriety. But we are pleased to announce that the queen of the hermits, the matriarch of staying in has been getting herself back out there! Yes - Lucy has joined Tinder and has co...
Jul 02, 2023•55 min•Season 6Ep. 6
It's nearly July... so today Vic and Hamish want to find out the pros and cons of having a a break from booze. For some, this month will be the pivotal point that you start your road to recovery. It might represent years of over doing it coming to an end ….but for others, it might just be an excuse to prove you don’t have a drink problem and allow you to get blackout bladdered for the rest of the year. So, what are the benefits of giving up booze for 30 days? Can you use this time positively? Dn...
Jun 25, 2023•39 min•Season 6Ep. 5
If you Google any hotel today - you will probably be met with a photo of a cocktail bar, a swim up bar, or a chilled wine being served in the restaurant...and don't get us started on minibars! It seems almost impossible to book a hotel anywhere without being confronted by alcohol. Our society is so ingrained that holidays = drinking booze that this has become inevitable. But that doesn't mean you can no longer enjoy a hotel stay on holiday! During this week's episode Hame and Vic will share some...
Jun 18, 2023•39 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Vic's a classic case of a red flag ignorer. A binge drinker that disregarded every sign that she was over doing it. No matter how much they flapped, whipping her across the face, she somehow managed to push past, never having to address her over drinking. She failed at school, college, and Uni, blew a finger off with a firework, got in dangerous situations with men, was bloated, had anxiety, people worried about her... the list goes on. She simply could not see those big red warning signs! Us dr...
Jun 11, 2023•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 3
In this week's episode, Hame and Vic will answer some of the world's toughest questions. Like, why do kebabs taste so good when you are drunk (or even when you are sober for that matter!) Why do we eat like pigs when hungover? Is it ok to eat food that has booze in it? You might be thinking why are we talking about food in a sobriety episode? Well Hame and Vic have been busy researching and have found undeniable evidence (eat your heart out Huberman) that links food and booze. We have stumbled a...
Jun 04, 2023•47 min•Season 6Ep. 2
If we truly want to learn about what makes a substance addictive - we first need to educate ourselves on Dopamine. In this week's episode Hame and Vic will delve a little further than 'it is the happy hormone'! They will look at the role it plays in our drinking years, why we don't always feel amazing in the initial stages of sobriety and the importance of finding healthy dopamine substitutes in our sobriety. (Yes chocolate does give us a hit of dopamine but other options are available!) EPISODE...
May 28, 2023•55 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Being lonely and isolated is unfortunately a common feeling when going sober. People get scared of going out and facing the alcohol drenched world, so stay in watching TV, going to bed early and getting a little too cosy. (Guilty!) But, staying in too much after giving up the grog is a problem. It can lead to loss of friendships, anxiety, loneliness and relapse. Believe it or not, Vic gets very lonely during the week. She doesn't want to bother friends that are busy and working from home adds a ...
May 25, 2023•46 min•Season 5Ep. 21
The Drugs Episode - Trigger warning - This episode contains references to recreational drug use, overdose and the impact of drugs on sobriety. Attention whistle posseI It's time to get out your Fila trainers, pop on your hyper-colour t-shirts and strap on a bum bag because today Sober Awkward is heading back to a time when getting off your nut on drugs seemed pretty damn cool. (Well, until it causes serious mental health issues, anxiety and Psychosis. It was fun though. Wasn't it? ) On todays So...
May 14, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Today Vic and Hame delve into the more spiritual ways to heal from long term alcohol dependancy. Can new age methods help restore your mental and emotional health when in recovery? And do any of these practices actually work? Vic is not a believer in the woo woo side of life, so today Hame has some convincing to do. They begin by revealing some of the more awkward run-ins with the oneness and explain how Vic's science brain makes her a pessimist about anything slightly off the reality scale. She...
May 07, 2023•53 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Be it pens, badges, a glass of bubbly or a full blown house sit - Hame and Vic love a freebie! But what has that got to with sobriety, we hear you cry out?! Inspired by a recent complimentary trip they took to Melbourne where they were 'wined and dined' (so to speak), they realised just how hard it to say no to a freebie. Vic broke her sugar free challenge and the slightest mention of cheese cake whilst the inner-stings in Hame tried to barter with him that there are no down sides to free alcoho...
Apr 30, 2023•53 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Banning alcohol? It seems barely believable. But from 1920-1933 that is exactly what happened in America. But was it successful and would it work today? Would the world be a better place if alcohol never even existed? Have we now gone to a stage where we have gone too far down the path and any ban on alcohol would cause a riot? These are some of the important questions that Hame and Vic will tackle this episode. You will also hear their answers to the less important ones like why Vic has an irra...
Apr 23, 2023•44 min•Season 5Ep. 17
Many of us, including Vic and Hamish, have been injured on a night out. But, have you ever wandered the impact alcohol consumption has on paramedics and nurses? Vic never considered how blowing her finger off affected others, or that it was 100% preventable. Her pissed-up injuries were just part of her chaotic party lifestyle. Hamish didn't think twice when an Ambulance was called to scrape him off a toilet floor! But.. now they are both sober and have a little bit of guilt lurking in their loin...
Apr 16, 2023•43 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Today, Vic and Hamish cover the difficult topic of getting sober and living with a partner that still drinks. In this episode they investigate how sobriety affects relationships, the resentment created when a loved one won’t address a drinking habit and why just being sober could be your secret weapon. They have two very special guests joining them briefly in the studio to give their side of the story. Their partners, John and Liz. How do they feel about sobriety and did it make them question th...
Apr 09, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 15
With Easter just around the corner, many of you (well the Australians amongst you at least) might be thinking of heading off camping. Its a pastime that Hamish has always loved - and Vic continues to be bemused by! It also happens to be one of the boozier weekends away. Whether you are drinking to help you sleep in a cramped, steaming hot tent or simply to cover the taste of another over cooked BBQ - not a lot will keep a camper from their alcohol. So how can you continue to enjoy camping in you...
Apr 02, 2023•50 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Vic and Hamish get emails every week from people asking 'Is it ok to eat a bar of chocolate every night instead of drinking wine?' Well, today instead of guessing the answer, they have actually done a bit of Sober Awkward research to find out why sober people eat more sugary sweets, what it's doing to your body and is sugar ok in moderation? For some giving up drinking is about overcoming an addiction, for others it’s a lifestyle choice but either way, it’s all about health...mental and physical...
Mar 26, 2023•55 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Are you someone that values your sleep? Or are you a parent who day dreams about nights that you 'slept through' or had a 'lie in'?! Whichever you count yourself as - alcohol will be playing a role in affecting your sleep. No matter how much or how little you drink... In fact, not only will alcohol affect the quality of your sleep - it also plays an integral role to your sobriety and your avoidance of a relapse. If you ask 1000 newly sober people what benefits they have felt in the early days of...
Mar 19, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 12
It's Vic's special day! 5 years since she gave up the grog and it's taken her all that time to learn how to best celebrate sobriety milestones. Today Vic and Hamish discuss plans for their sober birthdays, talk way too much about turnips and uncover why 'going large' on your soberversary can leave you and your piggy back a little disappointed and ensure your soberversary goes off with less of a bang... and more of a quiet high five with someone that cares. Vic also reflects on the past 5 years a...
Mar 12, 2023•54 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Living out of home for the first time...No rules...Hardly any lectures...And a heap of borrowed cash? Sounds like the ingredients for a good time right?! Although for some the University years are when you discover what it truly is you want to do with your life. You work hard, get good grades and kickstart your careers from there. For Hame and Vic (amongst many others!) - this was not the case. These can be heavy drinking years. Years when drinking for a bit of 'fun' - soon turns into an uncontr...
Mar 05, 2023•54 min•Season 5Ep. 10
