One of the most challenging aspects of living alcohol-free tends to be the idea of hitting the dating scene without the crutch of alcohol. Many of us haven’t gone on a date without drinking since we were in high school! This is a brand-new world and it can be scary to traverse. Today Annie Grace is joined by Michael Kaye of OKCupid to talk about dating without alcohol. They explore why people are interested in dating without drinking, who is looking at dating without alcohol, and why alcohol-fre...
Apr 01, 2023•17 min
The journeys we take through life and with our relationships with alcohol connect us. Erika joins us today to discuss the path life and alcohol have taken her. Erika initially swore off alcohol due to her mother’s drinking but that changed as her life became more demanding and she needed something to help her switch off and relax. Annie Grace and Erika get into some deep conversations dealing with how easy it is to fall into the habit of daily drinking, the journey to slowly stop drinking, the r...
Mar 31, 2023•49 min
Annie Grace answers real questions from real readers and listeners like you every week. Listen each week not just for advice but for the science, research, and knowledge that empower you to change how you feel about alcohol and ultimately change your relationship with it. This week Annie Grace dives into a topic that keeps many from exploring life with less alcohol in it - the fear that we can’t be happy after going alcohol-free. Find out what science and personal experience have to say about th...
Mar 25, 2023•8 min
Leila experienced tragedy early in life and the way her family responded to it left her searching for connection and belonging. It seemed like she found what she was looking for when she started drinking in college. It was a way to feel accepted and a part of things. As she progressed through her own spiritual journey and as a parent she found that alcohol didn't line up with her beliefs and values so she joined AA and didn't drink socially again but it came with a feeling of disappointment in h...
Mar 24, 2023•55 min
Real answers to the real questions that keep you from creating a permanent change in your relationship with alcohol. Each week Annie Grace answers questions from readers and listeners all over the world and shares the science and real-life experiences that can empower and encourage you to shift your mindset and find your freedom from alcohol. This week Annie Grace sheds light, compassion, and science on if we need to commit to never drinking alcohol again, why our bodies and minds have such a ha...
Mar 18, 2023•9 min
Shirley’s first experience with blackout drinking came during her teen years. It began a cycle that saw her drinking increase and decrease over the years but she never felt in control. When she finally realized she didn’t even enjoy drinking anymore she decided she needed to change her relationship with alcohol. Annie Grace and Shirley dive into some deep conversations about blackout drinking and filling in the missing pieces, how knowledge creates the most amazing mindset shifts and you realize...
Mar 17, 2023•26 min
There are so many questions that come up when you decide to change your relationship with alcohol. Finding answers that are well-researched, unbiased, and non-judgmental can be a struggle. Every week Annie Grace sets out to provide guidance for those on this journey with compassion and hope. This week join Annie to learn more about whether it is better to drink in moderation or not at all along with the keys to staying positive on your journey when others are trying to use shame, blame, and fear...
Mar 11, 2023•8 min
Annie Grace joins Colin Boyd on The Expert Edge podcast for a role reversal where Annie is the one being interviewed and sharing her Naked Life story. Colin and Annie share how Annie’s book influenced Colin (and the reaction others in his circle have had to him living alcohol-free), how to choose self-compassion over shame and blame, how to use the three layers of brief to shift destructive behaviors, and so much more! How To Talk To Your Kids About Alcohol Wouldn’t it be great if our children n...
Mar 10, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Sometimes it seems as if we’ve already answered every question possible when it comes to finding freedom from alcohol. But our readers are amazing and always manage to come back with new concerns from their own journeys. That’s why community and support are so important. It makes us realize that this journey might be individual and unique but it is easier when we share it with others! Today Annie Grace offers research and insight on how to stop cravings for alcohol, how to obtain the most accura...
Mar 04, 2023•7 min
Bill is joining us as a very special guest bravely sharing his painful and traumatic journey. Bill’s story begins in his infancy dealing with a mother who had postpartum depression. This evolved into a life of trauma that spanned every type of abuse possible, while also dealing with conflicting sexual identity, substance abuse, and more. Bill gets real and raw and does not hold back on why he was a traumatic drinker. He and Annie discuss the difference science and self-compassion can make on thi...
Mar 03, 2023•1 hr 3 min
We see so many questions come in all of the time at This Naked Mind and they all have a common theme to them - why do I keep going back to drinking? Annie Grace dives into three questions that all relate to why we see ourselves drinking again. Annie offers answers on how and why we get stuck in a cycle of Day 1’s and multiple attempts to stop drinking, she explains the way our fears over physical withdrawal symptoms (or our experiences with them) can lead us to drink again, and also touches on t...
Feb 25, 2023•8 min
Rachel’s early experiences with alcohol led to a lifelong feeling of shame and guilt around her drinking. Yet she kept drinking even though it always felt like she was just one step away from hitting rock bottom. It took the stress of navigating the pandemic and the worry over her ever-increasing blackouts for Rachel to decide she needed to change her drinking habits. Rachel and Annie Grace discuss why they would never have read a book about stopping drinking but learning how to control alcohol ...
Feb 24, 2023•50 min
Often the hardest part of our journey, when we go alcohol-free, isn’t really our own path, it’s the journey others go on with us. Dealing with change is hard and that is also true for loved ones who we have always indulged before. And often that shows us pressure to drink from a loved one. Annie answers why we feel pressure to drink, and why it really isn’t about us and gives valuable advice on how to gracefully handle the situation while respecting your personal boundaries. THE ALCOHOL EXPERIME...
Feb 18, 2023•8 min
Today, Jessica joins Annie Grace for a special Naked Life episode. Jessica didn’t initially find freedom from alcohol through This Naked Mind. When Jessica found herself battling alcoholic liver disease at 34 years old, she followed the only path she knew and sought out treatment facilities and 12 step programs to find control over alcohol. Fate stepped in when Jessica and Annie Grace crossed paths on Red Table Talk. For the first time Jessica realized there were 12 step alternatives and that sh...
Feb 17, 2023•40 min
When it comes to deciding to live alcohol-free, many of us are convinced there are certain rules we need to follow and things we need to do. We get caught up in the shoulds and they can hold us back from freedom. Annie Grace dives into some hot topics including whether we need to count days and why she never found any benefits to counting days herself. She also shares what she thinks about being labeled as an alcoholic. THE ALCOHOL EXPERIMENT Have you tried The Alcohol Experiment? Okay, if not, ...
Feb 11, 2023•10 min
For Kyle, drinking was always something he did together. Together with friends, together with family, and finally together with his wife. Through the ups and downs of relationships, establishing and maintaining careers, and then adjusting to the demands of parenting alcohol seemed to be the glue that held him together. Until it stopped doing that, Kyle and Annie Grace discuss what led Kyle and his wife to stop drinking together, the tools they used to empower themselves on this journey, all the ...
Feb 10, 2023•48 min
The vast majority of us find that we’ve been using alcohol to numb emotional pain. In this very special podcast episode, Annie Grace takes us through an actual live coaching session where she helps a PATH member to understand how to navigate the journey of beginning to heal from using alcohol to numb emotional pain. Annie shares why we should celebrate becoming aware of our feelings, the power behind realizing our problems were always there, and the importance of managing expectations. THE PATH:...
Feb 04, 2023•14 min
Alcohol was such a small part of Suzanne’s personal life for so long. Throughout her teens, 20’s and even her 30s Suzanne had so many other priorities and challenges in her life that alcohol just didn’t factor in. In her 40’s something shifted and she found herself trading bulimia for alcohol addiction. Listen in as Suzanne and Annie discuss how avoidance and hiding from emotions can lead us to an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, how alcohol can quickly go from being insignificant to an issu...
Feb 03, 2023•32 min
Dealing with stage anxiety, or anxiety in general, can seem daunting when you go alcohol-free. So many of us relied on liquid courage to get us through any sort of anxiety that came up in our lives. Annie Grace shares insight on why we have trouble dealing with issues on our own, the power of coaching, and two tips that helped her in dealing with stage anxiety. THE PATH: FREEDOM ACCELERATED I am so excited to announce our newly recalibrated signature program - The PATH: Freedom Accelerated. This...
Jan 28, 2023•12 min
Ben’s relationship with alcohol was complicated from the beginning. He dropped out of college due to his drinking which led to a career with the United States Air Force. His military career meant he kept a handle on his drinking but after retiring and losing his dad due to alcohol and cancer, the rails came off. Listen as Ben tells Annie not once but numerous times why he says “I almost died from alcohol poisoning”, what his experience with delirium tremors was like, how This Naked Mind helped h...
Jan 27, 2023•46 min
Staying sober in the service industry can be a challenge. We get questions about it from readers and listeners all of the time. It’s so hard to work every day in a field where you are not only exposed to your triggers but also handling them and often being offered them. In this podcast, Annie Grace offers hope and valuable tips for those committed to staying sober in the service industry. HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT ALCOHOL Wouldn’t it be great if our children never had to go through the pain...
Jan 21, 2023•11 min
Toni wasn’t much of a drinker in her teens or twenties. In fact, it took a major lifestyle change - a divorce, shared custody, dating, and a career change - to change how she drank. Toni tried AA, Intensive Outpatient Rehab, moderation and so much more to control her drinking but never felt connected - until she discovered This Naked Mind and The Alcohol Experiment. Annie Grace and Toni discuss how daily drinking becomes normal, the irony of people being more interested in living caffeine free r...
Jan 20, 2023•32 min
One of the things we’ve all become more cognizant of lately are hormone disruptors. From the food we eat, to the cleaning products we use, and even the clothing we wear - we want to know the effect they have on our hormones. It’s only natural to also wonder what is the impact of alcohol on hormones? Annie Grace dives into the science and the effects of alcohol as a hormone disruptor. HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT ALCOHOL Wouldn’t it be great if our children never had to go through the pain and ...
Jan 14, 2023•13 min
Becoming a better version of me - that’s how Halima describes her journey finding freedom from alcohol. And what a journey it has been! From world travels, living abroad, losing loved ones and a business, moving back to the US, and falling in love, Halima has seen the highs and lows of life. And it seemed that alcohol was always a part of those. Annie and Halima discuss the challenges of living and drinking abroad, the freedom found in boundaries, the importance of connection, and the work invol...
Jan 13, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Our first year alcohol-free is full of so many challenges and adjustments. Most of us look for ways to make it easier. One method that gets so much attention is using medications or other drugs - prescription drugs, marijuana, and as one reader pointed out psychedelic drugs. Should we use psychedelic drugs to treat addiction? Annie Grace explores this topic - where the idea originated from, why it might appeal to some people, how hallucinogens affect us, and so much more! How To Talk To Your Kid...
Jan 07, 2023•18 min
Bo struggled with his drinking off and on starting with his first drink. He stopped drinking for periods of time using AA but there was always a disconnect which led him back to the booze. Annie Grace and Bo discuss things like how to quit drinking without AA, when to tell people more about how to stop drinking, why life moves slower and is more manageable when you’re alcohol-free, and learning to live with anxiety. How To Talk To Your Kids About Alcohol Wouldn’t it be great if our children neve...
Jan 06, 2023•52 min
Do you ever feel like people want to see you fail? We hear this idea come up often at This Naked Mind. Annie Grace explores what you can do to deal with people who want to see you fail and how using these tips not only changes your perspective but also allows you to better understand them and their fears! I am so excited to announce our newly recalibrated signature program - The PATH: Freedom Accelerated. This 90-day program is designed to make freedom from alcohol quicker, more accessible, and ...
Dec 31, 2022•6 min
For Jayne it seemed as if alcohol had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. In fact, it was so woven into the fabric of her being that she made a career out of it. As time went by, wine went from a passion to an obsession. The cause of and answer to her anxiety. Listen as Annie and Jayne discuss the challenges of working in the wine industry while experiencing the issues it can cause, the ups and downs of trying to moderate, what pushed Jayne into withdrawing from wine and a...
Dec 30, 2022•33 min
One of the common threads that ties so many of us together on this journey is a cycle of blame and shame. We falsely believe that by beating ourselves up enough it will force us to make a change. Listen as Annie and Scott share why the opposite of that is true and how to get over the fear of being kind to yourself. LIVE ALCOHOL EXPERIMENT 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 liter...
Dec 24, 2022•5 min
Janel didn’t consciously increase her drinking. The problem evolved over time and as life’s demands and struggles kept piling up. A divorce, the burden of parenting, and her career all seemed to contribute to a glass that was always full but a life that left so much missing. Listen as Janel and Annie discuss how her guilt around drinking led her to This Naked Mind, how she continues to learn and grow using the coping mechanisms she’s learned, and how she’s using her journey to help and equip her...
Dec 23, 2022•50 min
