What happens when the thing you think is helping you cope is actually making everything worse? Dusty thought she had found the perfect solution to the stress of military life—wine with girlfriends during deployments, vodka to manage the constant moves, and alcohol to numb the loss of control that came with being a military spouse. Her drinking escalated from social occasions to daily solo consumption, and she began to realize she needed to learn how to stop using alcohol to cope with military li...
Jul 12, 2025•52 min•Ep. 818
How does finding purpose and direction after quitting alcohol help you work through life's most challenging moments? In this raw episode, Coach Soraya guides Heidi as she grapples with decades of regret, wondering who she might have become without alcohol numbing her anxiety during her 40-year flight attendant career and questioning the relationships she chose from a place of low self-esteem. Meanwhile, Coach Onowa works with Gina, who at 173 days alcohol-free is learning to navigate divorce, jo...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr 15 min
What if you feel sad about giving up wine, even when you know it’s time? That’s exactly how Kay felt when she realized that alcohol had taken over her life. After years of struggling with guilt, social pressure, and a growing dependence on wine to cope, Kay’s turning point came when she found the courage to confront her relationship with alcohol. In this episode, Kay shares her powerful journey of grief, self-doubt, and eventual healing. Through The Path and Annie's guidance, Kay discovered that...
Jul 05, 2025•34 min•Ep. 816
What happens when your biggest insecurities surface every time you enter a social situation? Rachel relies on drinking to overcome anxiety at networking events, transforming into her "bubbly self." Chris battles a cycle of progress and setbacks, especially when family visits trigger old patterns. Coach Bill helps them learn how to set healthy boundaries with alcohol while building authentic confidence that doesn't depend on liquid courage. In Rachel’s session: Addressing imposter syndrome and so...
Jul 01, 2025•55 min•Ep. 815
What if you could enjoy socializing without alcohol and actually feel more connected? Regina’s story is a powerful reminder that alcohol doesn’t have to be part of the equation. From her early days of using alcohol to fit in, to the realization that alcohol was no longer serving her, Regina shares how her relationship with alcohol shifted. Through challenges and growth, she learned how to enjoy socializing without alcohol and found deeper, more authentic connections. Join Regina and Coach Cole a...
Jun 28, 2025•47 min•Ep. 814
Why do some people thrive in AA while others feel like they're speaking a different language entirely? Phil's story illustrates the profound difference between shame-based recovery and compassionate inquiry. After cycling through AA for 15 years without lasting success, he found a new path when he learned how to explore drinking without judgment, treating each drinking episode as valuable data rather than personal failure. Coach Onowa guides Phil through his transformation from weekend binge dri...
Jun 24, 2025•44 min
Can losing everything actually help you come back to yourself? For Lisa, it did. In the middle of pandemic chaos, she realized that using The Alcohol Experiment to quit drinking wasn’t just about removing alcohol—it was about reclaiming her life. As she began to unearth long-buried truths and emotional wounds, she found clarity, courage, and a new path forward. In this episode, she shares how releasing alcohol helped her find the tools to rebuild from the inside out. In this episode Annie and Li...
Jun 21, 2025•59 min•Ep. 812
Are you struggling with how to stop using alcohol as a crutch when it’s all you’ve ever known for comfort, confidence, or escape? When alcohol becomes the go-to for numbing pain, soothing nerves, or simply making it through the day, letting it go can feel like losing a lifeline. Mark leaned on alcohol to suppress decades of emotional trauma and mask neurodivergent traits that made emotional expression difficult. Glenn turned to beer as a buffer against social anxiety and the constant pressure to...
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Why do I need wine every night now when I used to be able to control my drinking? Ronna faced this exact question during the pandemic when her occasional wine with dinner transformed into a nightly necessity for coping with grief and stress. As a musician and pastor's wife, she grew up in a family where alcohol was normalized, but a series of devastating losses—including her sister-in-law's suicide and her mother's death just ten days apart—pushed her daily drinking from social habit to survival...
Jun 14, 2025•45 min•Ep. 810
What if the hardest part of healing wasn't quitting drinking, but the guilt that lingers afterward? Sandra works with Coach Cole to explore how her inner critic distorts simple moments like skipping a swim into emotional spirals. Sue, coached by Zoe, shares how she was taught to bottle up her feelings as a child and how that habit still drives her urges to drink. Both women confront the deeper question of how to forgive yourself after quitting alcohol—not just to maintain your new path, but to c...
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 20 min
Is drinking again after a break something you've experienced and felt ashamed about? Angela's story proves that the stop-start cycle isn't a failure—it's part of the journey. After losing her brother and struggling with childhood trauma from abusive parents, Angela spent decades using alcohol to numb her pain. She tried to quit many times, even achieving six months of sobriety before returning to drinking. But her final attempt four years ago led to a complete life transformation. In this episod...
Jun 07, 2025•55 min•Ep. 808
What if reprogramming your brain after quitting drinking could transform your entire emotional experience? That’s what Fran and Carol are discovering in this powerful episode with Coach Lisa. Fran, the youngest of eight, grew up associating alcohol with love, celebration, and anxiety. Her emotional wiring around alcohol began in early childhood and has run the show for decades—until now. Carol, a longtime health coach, used alcohol to unwind and cope with anxiety and depression. After 13 weeks a...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 807
What would you do if your child told you that you loved alcohol more than them? For Kate, this devastating moment was just one of many wake-up calls in her journey with alcohol. Growing up in a home where emotions weren't openly expressed, Kate developed patterns of using alcohol to navigate social situations and ultimately to escape feeling uncomfortable emotions. As her tolerance increased, her drinking became more secretive, hidden from her family in elaborate ways that mirrored behaviors she...
May 31, 2025•49 min•Ep. 806
What if your goal to stop drinking is actually making it harder to succeed? In this episode, Sara and Barb open up about their personal struggles with alcohol, shame, and self-doubt—and what happens when they shift focus from staying sober to finding peace. With the help of Coach Lily, Sara learns how to set emotional goals instead of sobriety goals, reframing her "alive goal" from white-knuckling abstinence to creating inner peace. She discovers that joy is a skill, not a personality trait, and...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 805
Learning how to turn your brain off without drinking can feel impossible when your mind is constantly racing. Jennifer, a self-described control freak, discovered this firsthand as she navigated years of using alcohol to quiet the mental chatter. What happens when that coping mechanism is removed? Join us as Jennifer shares her powerful journey of realizing alcohol wasn't her friend and how she ultimately found a more fulfilling and peaceful existence without it. In this episode, Cole and Jennif...
May 24, 2025•43 min•Ep. 804
Have you ever wondered if your attempts to unwind with alcohol are actually adding to your burdens? Coach Ruby Williams offers a powerful glimpse into the realities of seeking alcohol freedom through two personal coaching sessions. First, we meet Anne, a mom and professional learning to navigate stress and cravings using the tools provided by The Path. Then, we listen in as Ruby coaches Travis, who candidly discusses the pattern of drinking because of work stress in his high-pressure career and ...
May 23, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 803
Why do we keep drinking even when we know it’s hurting us? For Sammie, the answer lay beneath the surface—in the pain she hadn’t faced. Her story shows how unresolved trauma leads to drinking and how ignoring what hurts often feels safer than healing. Until it doesn’t. In this episode, she opens up about what it took to stop numbing and start living fully. In this raw and real conversation, Annie and Sammie unpack how unresolved trauma leads to drinking and what it means to finally feel your fee...
May 17, 2025•52 min•Ep. 802
Can you still feel powerful, connected, and sophisticated without alcohol? Haley sat down with Coach Pam to explore what creating a new identity after quitting drinking really looks like. In this candid conversation, they dive deep into the myths around wine and womanhood, the fears about fitting in, and the incredible strength that comes from choosing authenticity over alcohol. Listen as Haley and Coach Pam work to redefine Haley’s values of intelligence, nurturing, and power, independent of al...
May 16, 2025•54 min•Ep. 801
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 addict...
May 10, 2025•54 min•Ep. 804
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...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 799
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 ...
May 03, 2025•51 min•Ep. 798
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 previousl...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 797
Apr 26, 2025•50 min•Ep. 796
How do you process emotions after years of drinking when you've spent a lifetime disconnected from your feelings? In this powerful episode, Coach Ellie works with Gayle and Christie, who both struggle with alcohol fixation but from different angles. Gayle feels constantly consumed by thoughts about drinking or not drinking, finding that fixation creates anxiety, overwhelm, and triggers deep stories of not being good enough. Christie has spent decades suppressing emotions and using wine as a "tal...
Apr 25, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 795
How do you rebuild your identity when alcohol has been woven into every aspect of your personal and professional life? Growing up in a rural fishing community where “drinking was a pastime, to put it mildly,” Peggy couldn’t even remember her first drink. Her 28-year military career reinforced these patterns in predominantly male trades where working hard and playing hard revolved around alcohol. Finding the courage to stop drinking as a female veteran wasn’t straightforward, especially when seek...
Apr 19, 2025•53 min•Ep. 794
What if the biggest obstacle in your alcohol journey isn’t the alcohol itself, but what you believe about yourself? In this Alcohol Freedom Coaching session, Coach Ruby Williams guides Anna Maree and Marci through their unique challenges with drinking. Anna Maree reveals how despite reaching elite athletic status and building a thriving business, she’s haunted by the feeling that her accomplishments are never enough—a belief stemming from childhood experiences. Working with Coach Ruby, she explo...
Apr 18, 2025•59 min•Ep. 793
Is traditional AA the only way to find lasting change? Jenny experienced bullying, sexual abuse, and emotional neglect that left her seeking comfort in alcohol from an early age. Despite trying traditional treatment methods for decades and being told repeatedly that learning how to recover without 12-step programs was impossible, Jenny continued to struggle until discovering This Naked Mind and The Path. After 15 failed treatment attempts and countless hours of therapy, she finally found peace t...
Apr 12, 2025•41 min•Ep. 792
Is organic wine better for you, or is this just another marketing tactic keeping you tied to alcohol? Lois finds herself caught between wanting to make healthier choices and falling for the "better for you" wine aisle marketing. In this coaching session with Coach Cole, she explores the cognitive dissonance between knowing alcohol is harmful regardless of its organic status, while still being drawn to the perceived benefits of "healthier" wine options. Through mindful observation and intentional...
Apr 11, 2025•48 min•Ep. 791
Can you really learn how to stop daily drinking after decades of alcohol use? Pierre's 35-year "drinking career" began at age 9 when adults first gave him alcohol in the Alps, a region where drinking is deeply woven into the cultural fabric. Despite recognizing his daily three-beer habit as problematic in his twenties, it took decades and multiple attempts before he successfully broke free. After discovering Annie Grace's approach, Pierre developed a long-term strategy to stop daily drinking and...
Apr 05, 2025•39 min•Ep. 790
Is true connection possible without alcohol, and how can you redefine success after quitting drinking? Julie grapples with the instant relief alcohol provides versus the long-term regrets, caught between the desire for relaxation and the pressure to be productive. Coach Cole helps her uncover the underlying emotions driving her drinking and find genuine ways to transition from stress. Cherie, on the other hand, questions the false connection alcohol fosters with friends and society. Coach Pam he...
Apr 04, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 789
