Is there such a thing as a normal drinker? Are there rules about the quantity of alcohol you can consume and be considered “normal?” Where does the concept of normal drinkers even come from? What does the science say about it? And, what are the consequences when we use the label “normal drinkers?” Annie Grace shares her thoughts. Let me ask you a question. What is better than change? Lasting change, of course. If you've had trouble making change stick, either with alcohol or in any other area of...
Jul 10, 2021•15 min
Over the past month or so, we have seen our community grow in such an incredible way - whether you are new to This Naked Mind or have been here for a while, we just want to say thank you and let you know how grateful we are to play a role in your journey to find freedom from alcohol. Today, we’re re-releasing one of our most popular and favorite episodes to date with Wyatt and Mary. Annie Grace talks with college professor Wyatt (who has changed their name and pronouns since the podcast was reco...
Jul 09, 2021•1 hr 14 min
Today, Annie Grace answers a question from a reader who restricts food when drinking to avoid consuming too many calories, prioritizes alcohol over food, and wants to get back in control of both drinking and eating. But how? Do you start with food? Alcohol? Both? Annie shares her experience with this challenge and offers her thoughts on what to prioritize. Hi, it's Annie Grace. I wanted to interrupt this podcast, I guess the end of this podcast, to say that if you are totally serious about actua...
Jul 03, 2021•8 min
From the casual party scene in Miami where ladies drink free to drinking every weeknight with dinner and day drinking on the weekends, Jeanne found herself more and more surrounded by alcohol as she got older. The question was never if she and her friends were going to drink, it was what they were going to drink. And, she was repeatedly turning to alcohol to soothe the pain it was causing her. Listen as Jeanne shares her story with Annie Grace and they talk about how wine made from grapes become...
Jul 02, 2021•52 min
What do you say to family members about your choice to stop drinking when you fear they might not understand? What if you think the truth about alcohol will make them uncomfortable? How can you be honest with your family members and educate them without seeming preachy? Annie Grace shares her personal experience and what she learned on her own journey. I'm so excited you guys, because we are just about to start another live alcohol experiment. If you do not know about the alcohol experiment, you...
Jun 26, 2021•10 min
A college drinker whose alcohol consumption really ramped up in law school after she was diagnosed with anxiety and put on medication, Ruthie never imagined alcohol was contributing to her stress. Booze was supposed to quiet her mind, she thought. There were hangovers so bad she missed study groups. Weddings and other big events became excuses to over drink. After the traumatic births of her children and immersion in Mommy Wine Culture, Ruthie realized she wasn’t being the best mother she could ...
Jun 25, 2021•46 min
On this month’s coaching episode, This Naked Mind Head Coach Scott Pinyard welcomes This Naked Mind Senior Coach Rebecca Snider. Rebecca shares some of her story and the struggles that led her to work with people who focus on wellness but feel stuck with alcohol as well as mothers raising families. Then, she and Scott answer these three great questions: Four of my colleagues gave up alcohol for 30 days. It was easy for them. When I tried it, I only made it a few days and now I’m drinking more. W...
Jun 19, 2021•44 min
At first, Allie hated the taste of alcohol. In college, she would sneak club sodas at the bar, always hoping her friends wouldn’t catch her. And yet, she ultimately “fell victim” to the college lifestyle of tailgating and partying and sorority socials and by default acquired a taste for alcohol. After college, Allie moved to New York City to work for a tech start-up where she and her colleagues rang a gong and chugged a beer every time they made a sale. Between that and the Thursday happy hours ...
Jun 18, 2021•55 min
Did you stop drinking during the pandemic and now you're worried about being around alcohol in social situations again? As we start to “return to normal,” are you feeling anxious about being around alcohol? What can you do to prepare and how can you continue enjoying your alcohol free life? Annie Grace shares her thoughts. OK, honesty time. Let me ask you … Did the pandemic change your relationship with alcohol? Maybe you started drinking more than usual? Maybe you started using it as a way to c...
Jun 12, 2021•15 min
As a kid, Darren saw alcohol normalized by his father and frowned upon by his mother. By 13 years old, he was going to the pubs. In his later teens, he drank to get drunk. When a sales career where he could drink pints at lunch crossed his path, Darren leapt at it. Over the years, Darren’s drinking increased - he would give sales presentations to secure large contracts and not remember them the next day. After a breakdown in 2014, Darren stepped away from the job. But his drinking continued and ...
Jun 11, 2021•49 min
On this month’s coaching episode, This Naked Mind Head Coach Scott Pinyard welcomes This Naked Mind Senior Coach Rob Wolman as his guest host. After a brief discussion about Rob’s specialized approach to shifting your mindset, they answer two great questions: How do people quit drinking among those who are continuing to drink? Can we talk about how many times I've tried to quit? How can I shake the feeling that trying this is just a waste of time? And, finally, Scott tosses his signature curveba...
Jun 05, 2021•50 min
Carol dabbled in drinking in her teens - with older siblings and friends in the woods after school and on weekends. She recalls being very controlled, never getting sick. All that changed in her 20s and 30s when she moved to Italy and became interested in wine as a tour guide. Carol used her profession as an excuse to drink more than needed. Eventually, she abstained from drinking during trips. But she made up for it in the weeks in between until she got sick and tired of feeling sick and tired....
Jun 04, 2021•48 min
A reader asks, “How can I stay sober as a stay-at-home mom with a spouse who works outside of the home? We don't have the option of childcare for several reasons. My family isn't nearby and my spouse helps as much as possible when he's home but I feel exhausted and selfish for wanting time to myself.” Annie Grace shares her thoughts about being selflessly selfish and deconstructing our beliefs about alcohol’s power to make us less miserable. So, if you asked me about the one thing that makes Thi...
May 29, 2021•11 min
Lisa’s 30-year drinking career began when she was around 17 years old. She was working in an office and going down to the local bar at lunchtime was part of the Australian culture, something she had to do to fit in. A people pleaser, Lisa always chose jobs that fed her need to make others happy. And, she used alcohol to cope with anything life threw at her. Despite nearly dying at one point and thinking she had learned her lesson and could moderate, Lisa continued drinking to excess. Her marriag...
May 28, 2021•56 min
On this coaching episode, This Naked Mind Head Coach Scott Pinyard welcomes This Naked Mind Senior Coach Pamela Price as his guest host. They talk a bit about how Pamela focuses her coaching work on yogis, yoga instructors, and yoga studio owners, and then they answer three questions from our This Naked Mind community: What type of yoga should I try? What can I do to quiet the monster in my mind? What are three or four things that made a difference for you in living alcohol free in those first c...
May 22, 2021•40 min
After moving from the United States to Mexico and back to the U.S. before she was 10 years old, Onowa lost her mother. Ultimately she ended up in different U.S. foster homes on the Mexican border. At 15 years old, Onowa would cross the border with school friends and do shots of tequila in the bars. Her one constant was school - she loved to learn and do well. External success drove Onowa, but after college she knew alcohol was starting to change who she was. Despite marriage, a home, a Master’s ...
May 21, 2021•54 min
Since our first podcast about what makes This Naked Mind different, Annie Grace has received some follow-up questions. Is This Naked Mind addiction treatment? Is it a rehab? Will it make me sober? Can it be part of my recovery? How can I use the three pillars of change to stop drinking alcohol? Today, Annie shares some very important distinctions about This Naked Mind - what it is and what it is not. Hey, it’s Annie Grace. I want to tell you about the most important book that I never wrote. I me...
May 15, 2021•12 min
On today’s episode, Annie Grace talks with This Naked Mind Coach Jim. Introduced to beer when he was about 10 years old, Jim remembers getting to have a few sips on holidays and special occasions. He used fake IDs in the late 60s and early 70s when driver's licenses were paper and changing your birth date was simple. Always a beer drinker, Jim started making wine and using it to quiet anxiety and help him sleep following his divorce. A pharmacist for more than 40 years, Jim recalls patients hand...
May 14, 2021•1 hr 3 min
On this month’s coaching episode, This Naked Mind Head Coach Scott Pinyard welcomes This Naked Mind Senior Coach Pam McRae as his guest host. After a brief discussion about Pam’s work specializing in helping people through grief and loss while staying alcohol free, they answer three great questions: If I am not an alcoholic, what am I? How can I explain my situation to people? How do you manage a partner who doesn't want to cut back on their alcohol consumption? With COVID I feel like I’ve lost ...
May 08, 2021•39 min
As a child in a family where alcoholism ran rampant, Lauren used to pour bottles of wine down the drain and break packs of cigarettes. There was emotional neglect in her home and by fourth grade she was experiencing anxiety and panic attacks. Lauren felt the pain, loneliness, and pressure to be perfect, all while keeping her family’s secret. Alcohol had been a turn off for Lauren, but in college she slowly fell into binge drinking. Despite her high GPA and marathon training, Lauren’s drinking wa...
May 07, 2021•38 min
So, what makes This Naked Mind different? That’s what a journalist who knew nothing about This Naked Mind asked Annie Grace recently. On today’s episode, Annie answers that exact question and also shares her thoughts on three pillars for lasting change. I'm so excited you guys, because we are just about to start another LIVE Alcohol Experiment. If you do not know about the alcohol experiment, you need to literally drop everything right now and go to livealcoholexperiment.com. And here's the thin...
May 01, 2021•15 min
Caitlin was a Type A kid who got good grades, played sports, fit the mold, and checked all the boxes. She had her first drink on her 21st birthday with her parents and hated the taste of champagne. Fast forward to veterinary school which required a big move away from her partner and family, just three days after Caitlin’s mom passed away. Alcohol became a source of comfort and escape - from stress, reality, herself. Caitin’s drinking ramped up even more during her internship - where it’s “go, go...
Apr 30, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Is quitting drinking forever the only answer? Or, is it possible to just take a break for a little while? Are there rules for how long the break needs to be before you can return to drinking? How do you know if you need to quit drinking forever? Annie Grace shares her thoughts. I'm so excited you guys, because we are just about to start another LIVE Alcohol Experiment. If you do not know about the alcohol experiment, you need to literally drop everything right now and go to livealcoholexperiment...
Apr 24, 2021•14 min
Growing up, Brandi received mixed messages about alcohol. On one hand, she was told how evil it is and to stay away from it. On the other, she saw alcohol present at every holiday, celebration, and nice dinner. The battle of messages played out for years and Brandi avoided alcohol until she turned 21. Her birthday drinks awoke a sleeping dragon - Brandi learned quickly that alcohol did for her what food had done for many years, but in a socially acceptable and better way. Over the years, she fou...
Apr 23, 2021•47 min
Have you stopped drinking and maybe now feel a little bit afraid of alcohol? Like one day there will be a craving you just can’t ignore? Are you worried that the desire to drink will never go away? On today’s episode, Annie Grace talks about how to move past the fear of wanting to drink to understand why cravings show up. Are you ready for a deep dive into truly lasting change? If so, you might consider my Intensive Program. It’s a 9-week, self-led program that you can do in the complete comfort...
Apr 17, 2021•9 min
As a kid around drinking adults, Arlan was always worried about who would be able to help if there was an emergency. In her twenties, she spent a lot of time in the lesbian party scenes in San Diego and Los Angeles, never drinking unless someone else was buying. No matter how much she drank, Arlan was always the responsible one at the end of the night, putting people in cabs and not letting friends go home with the wrong person. But, drinking stopped being fun and Arlan started referring to alco...
Apr 16, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Can someone really quit drinking cold turkey? Just stop and not start again? Is it possible? Is it safe? First and foremost, if you are at all concerned that you might suffer withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, talk to a doctor first. In this episode, Annie Grace describes who falls into the group of people most likely to need medical assistance detoxing from alcohol, and she explains what happens during both the physical and mental aspects of quitting drinking. Did you miss This Naked M...
Apr 10, 2021•16 min
Matt is a married father of four whose passion for living alcohol free is truly contagious. He fully owns and transparently and shamelessly shares all aspects of his journey, including the work he has done and continues to do to repair his relationships with his wife and children. Today, Matt and Annie talk about how Matt stopped drinking, why he proudly uses the label alcoholic when referring to himself, and what he’s doing to help others reclaim their lives. Hi. Super exciting news. So The Alc...
Apr 09, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Two Annies today! Annie Grace talks with Annie who marked her one year This Naked Mind anniversary the week this episode was recorded. Looking back, Annie sees clearly a time when drinking occupied very little space in her head. But in the 15 plus years since becoming a mother, her relationship with alcohol changed dramatically. She found herself working very hard to make sure there was room for drinking every day even if it meant missing a child’s sports event, how reading This Naked Mind chang...
Apr 02, 2021•45 min
Today, a reader writes in to say they have been alcohol free for six months and are feeling tempted to have a drink - although they cannot deny how amazing they feel as a result of sleeping better and a clear mind and love how they look and feel, they don’t want to give up alcohol forever. Is moderation possible? What are the rules? Annie Grace shares her thoughts. Hi, it's Annie Grace. I wanted to interrupt this podcast, I guess the end of this podcast, to say that if you are totally serious ab...
Mar 27, 2021•16 min
