It's Not About the Alcohol – Details, episodes & analysis

How do your beliefs about money impact your sense of personal power?

When your life appears to be limited by finances, it’s easy to blame your discomfort on your partner or chosen career instead of taking full responsibility for the choices you’ve made.

Even “successful” women are often victims of the patriarchal mindset that tells us we aren’t capable of financial independence. We exchange our time and energy for low wages in careers with no potential for wealth. And stay in marriages we no longer want to be in because we can’t afford to leave. 

And then wonder why we drink too much, spend money on stuff we don’t need and eat until we’re bloated. While searching the Internet for reasons to explain why we have no mojo.  

Liberation requires you to admit you’ve made your own bed and give yourself permission to get out of it. The hardest thing I’ve ever done was to make the decision to trade an unfulfilling sense of security for the life I really wanted. 

My guest today is Julie Danielson,  a life coach, wife for the second time, and mom who empowers women to grow self-awareness, build their confidence, live authentically and unapologetically true to themselves. She is the creator of the The Get Over Divorce Collective, a healing program for women to get healed and whole after divorce, and host of the Get Over Divorce podcast. She is passionate about helping women create a life they love after divorce.

You’ll walk away from this episode with a clear understanding of where you lost your power and how to get it back. 

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer  

If you’re ready to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking,  click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

Connect with Julie at https://www.getoverdivorce.com/breakthrough

Does the number on your scale have the power to make or break your day?

Most people think weighing themselves on a daily basis is the best way to hold themselves accountable and achieve their weight loss goals. 

But checking your weight everyday is akin to holding yourself hostage. When the number doesn’t match your expectations, disappointment and self-criticism lead to all types of self-sabotage. Because what’s the point of trying so hard if nothing works?

The first thing you need to lose is the belief that you can’t feel confident until or unless your body fits the mold. 

My guest today is Max Lowery, a behavioral change expert and host of the Never Diet Again podcast. He’s here to dispel the myth that weight loss is a physical challenge and explain how emotional and psychological factors manifest externally. Because it’s feeling good that causes you to look good…not vice versa.

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer 

If you’re ready to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking,  click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

Max Lowery is a Weight Loss Coach and Behavioral Change Expert, dedicated to helping busy women over 40 achieve sustainable weight loss without extreme diets or punishing exercise routines. As the creator of the LIVE 360 program and the Never Diet Again Method, Max focuses on uncovering the root causes behind weight struggles, including emotional eating, negative self-talk, identity, and limiting beliefs. With 10 years of experience and a deep understanding of the psychological aspects of weight loss, Max provides a clear, step-by-step approach that helps clients shift their mindset, rebuild self-worth, and develop lasting habits. His philosophy rejects conventional diet culture, emphasizing moderation, mindfulness, and balance. Max’s work empowers clients to lose weight while enjoying the foods they love and creating a lifestyle they can sustain for the long term.

Find Max on social media @max.lowery and listen to his podcast Never Diet Again.

Is anxiety one of the main reasons why you crave alcohol? Because drinking is the simplest way to shut down your mind?

The problem for most high achieving women is they assume anxiety and productivity go hand in hand. So even after alcohol becomes an official problem, the idea of giving it up feels impossible. 

But before you beat yourself up for not having an off-switch when you drink, you might notice that you probably don’t have an off-switch for anything. 

Running at full speed chasing an out-of-control brain is exhausting. And treating the symptoms of anxiety might keep you going longer, but eventually leads to burnout.

In this episode, I’ll explain how the cure for anxiety begins with understanding the cause. And despite all the worry and concern and rumination…it’s not what you think.

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer 

Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN I can help you reduce your drinking by 80 percent. You don't have to quit. You just need to learn how to manage your anxiety. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

Shame is a big motivator for high-functioning drinkers and perfectionists. Feeling like you have to prove yourself, or earn the right to relax, comes from the belief that you are not worthy as you are. You have to DO better to BE good enough.

When you stop drinking, a large chunk of shame goes away. Because you no longer have anything to hide. But the “problem” with having less shame is that your motivation to perform goes away too. 

Post acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) affects 95 percent of us in early sobriety. Depression may feel like a shock when you’re used to living with chronic anxiety. You may find it difficult to do basic tasks that you had no trouble with before--even when you were hungover.

After a lifetime of checking boxes–caring less about your body and more about the optics–recovery is an invitation to cultivate real motivation. It’s scary as hell to let go of idealistic expectations, but if you trust the process, you’ll discover what really makes you happy. 

THIS WEEK! Register and attend my FREE masterclass to learn the framework for my Accelerated Recovery Process©. Learn how to be emotionally sober so you can trust yourself-with or without a drink in your hand. Get a $100 credit for attending! Click here.

Want more information on The Next Chapter? Click here.

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Like this episode? Get new episodes and related content delivered to your inbox every Monday. Click here. 

Join my private Facebook group for free coaching with me and a tribe of people in recovery working on emotional sobriety. Recover with Colleen

Follow me on Instagram Recover with Colleen

If you need to stop drinking and want support, check out these two programs that will shift your mindset from "drinker" to "non-drinker" so you can declare your independence from alcohol. 

5-Hour Change Your Mind Masterclass--self-study

10 Days to Spontaneous Sobriety --includes group and 1:1 coaching

Tired of white-knuckling (or caving into) cravings for alcohol, comfort food and other self-defeating behaviors? Want to know what to do when you want something you shouldn't have?

In this episode, I’ll role-play the emotional sobriety framework that allows you to easily overcome urges without relying on willpower using my own recent temptation to open a bottle of wine.

Willpower is a limited resource–especially in the evening after a busy day. And even when it works, urges will keep coming back and get harder to ignore until you untangle the subconscious emotions from the surface level desires.

High quality self-care doesn’t feel like a fight or require self-denial. Just the opposite. There is nothing more freeing than learning how to manage your emotions so they are no longer managing you!

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THIS WEEK! Register and attend my FREE masterclass to learn the framework for my Accelerated Recovery Process©. Quickly restore your integrity, willpower and motivation to be emotionally sober. Get a $100 credit for attending! Click here.

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Like this episode? Get new episodes and related content delivered to your inbox every Monday. Click here. 

Find programs, free resources and contact me at recoverwithcolleen.com

Join my private Facebook group for free coaching with me and a tribe of people in recovery working on emotional sobriety. Recover with Colleen

Follow me on Instagram Recover with Colleen

Rita Black is a clinical hypnotherapist and leading expert in both the arenas of smoking cessation and weight loss. She is the author of the best selling From Fat to Thin Thinking:Unlock Your Mind for Permanent Weight Loss and the host of the Thin Thinking podcast.

Rita’s online hypnosis-based Shift Weight Mastery Process and Smokefree123 programs have helped thousands transform themselves into healthier and more powerful people.

Rita shares stories of how her clients have overcome their struggles with weight and smoking. This interview is a must-listen if you're interested in the power of the mind-body connection and how hypnosis can be used in combination with other techniques to reprogram your subconscious mind.

Get your free weight loss masterclass and light hypnosis session with Rita on April 26th @ 9am or 5 pm PST . How to Stop the 'Start Over Tomorrow' Weight Struggle Cycle and Start Releasing Weight for Good is a 75-minute masterclass will walk you through how to remove the subconscious weight barriers that keep you struggling.

https://shiftmonthlymasterymembership.mykajabi.com/a/2147508656/LZHV8xWb

Click here if you’re listening to this beyond the sign up date and want to check out Rita’s 30-day program. https://shiftmonthlymasterymembership.mykajabi.com/a/2147519808/LZHV8xWb

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Like this episode? Get new RWC episodes and related content delivered to your inbox every Monday. Click here. 

Join my private Facebook group for free coaching with me and a tribe of women working on emotional sobriety. Recover with Colleen

Follow me on Instagram Recover with Colleen

Interested in working with me? Check out these three programs that will shift your mindset from "drinker" to "non-drinker" so you can declare your independence from alcohol. 

12-Week Accelerated Recovery Process© -- immersive coaching

5-Hour Change Your Mind Masterclass--self-study

10 Days to Spontaneous Sobriety --includes group and 1:1 coaching

Alcohol temporarily spikes your dopamine. Which is why you think, "this feels good and I want more." But what goes up must come down. Consistent use (of anything addictive) depletes your dopamine reserves. So you feel worse, crave more and unwittingly progress into addiction.

When you quit drinking, you will be in a dopamine deficit for a while. This is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). Time and healthy habits will recalibrate your brain chemistry. However, there are ways that you can accelerate your recovery.

In this episode, get the 5 simple habits that are scientifically proven to correct your dopamine deficit. So that you can stop suffering and get on with your life.

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THIS WEEK! Register and attend my FREE masterclass to learn the framework for my Accelerated Recovery Process©. Quickly restore your integrity, willpower and motivation to be emotionally sober. Get a $100 credit for attending! Click here.

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Like this episode? Get new episodes and related content delivered to your inbox every Monday. Click here. 

Join my private Facebook group for free coaching with me and a tribe of people in recovery working on emotional sobriety. Recover with Colleen

Follow me on Instagram Recover with Colleen

If you need to stop drinking and want support, check out these two programs that will shift your mindset from "drinker" to "non-drinker" so you can declare your independence from alcohol. 

5-Hour Change Your Mind Masterclass--self-study

10 Days to Spontaneous Sobriety --includes group and 1:1 coaching

Community is the foundation of recovery. We don’t recover alone! But the ideas you’re exposed to in early sobriety have significant impact on your recovery. Labeling yourself as an "alcoholic" and committing to lifetime abstinence can increase your chance of relapse into alcohol use disorder.

Ask someone who has what you want how they got it is good advice. But if you’re human, what you want will evolve over time in response to what you need.

Giving yourself permission to change—not just how you drink but also how you think—allows you to grow into the person you are meant to become.

In this episode, I unpack the reasons I chose to opt out of the fear-based, one-size-fits-all approach to sobriety. And how I'm managing my recovery with emotional sobriety. Because my identity and my future are no longer defined by alcohol.

Want to learn more about The Next Chapter? Click here. 

Like this episode? Get new episodes and related content delivered to your inbox every Monday. Click here. 

Join my private Facebook group for free coaching with me and a tribe of women working on emotional sobriety. Recover with Colleen

Follow me on Instagram Recover with Colleen

If you need to stop drinking and want support, check out these two programs that will shift your mindset from "drinker" to "non-drinker" so you can declare your independence from alcohol. 

5-Hour Change Your Mind Masterclass--self-study

10 Days to Spontaneous Sobriety --includes group and 1:1 coaching

Whitney Durmick is author of Half Wild: A prayer for a generation of roaming malcontents. The book takes an uncompromising look at her self-destructive behavior as she lovingly untangles herself from the throes of anxiety, addiction and loneliness. 

Using excerpts from the book, Whitney and I unpack the emotional disconnect that has haunted her since childhood (me too!). Moving around a lot, Whitney became very adaptable--able to fit in wherever she was. But that skill left her feeling untethered as she molded her personality into the most-liked version. 

Little girls are not taught how to interpret the shame that occurs naturally in our developing bodies. So we grow up assuming that uncomfortable emotions mean something is wrong with us. 

Y'all--this is my first interview with a famous quit-lit author. I hope you enjoy this vulnerable, indepth conversation about what it means to be female and also what it means to recover.

Like this episode? Get new episodes and related content delivered to your inbox every Monday. Click here. 

Join my private Facebook group for free coaching with me and a tribe of women working on emotional sobriety. Recover with Colleen

Follow me on Instagram Recover with Colleen

If you need to stop drinking and want support, check out these two programs that will shift your mindset from "drinker" to "non-drinker" so you can declare your independence from alcohol. 

12-week masterclass on emotional sobriety. Click here for The Next Chapter.

5-Hour Change Your Mind Masterclass--self-study

10 Days to Spontaneous Sobriety --includes group and 1:1 coaching

Trigger warning: If you're happy identifying as a "sober" alcoholic, this episode is not for you.

Does promising to stay sober for the rest of your life conflict with your values? Are you an independent thinker who enjoys staying open to new ideas?

Todays episode is a practice run of my new webinar, Why women who identify as alcoholics and therefore "sober" can struggle in recovery.

There is strong evidence that labeling people as alcoholics and setting abstinence as a life-long requirement keep them from entering and staying in recovery.

I explain how to escape your preoccupation with alcohol–instead of defining yourself by it forever.

Want to learn more about The Next Chapter, my 12-week mastermind in emotional sobriety? Click here. 

Like this episode? Get new episodes and related content delivered to your inbox every Monday. Click here. 

Join my private Facebook group for free coaching with me and a tribe of women working on emotional sobriety. Recover with Colleen

Follow me on Instagram Recover with Colleen

If you need to stop drinking and want support, check out these two programs that will shift your mindset from "drinker" to "non-drinker" so you can declare your independence from alcohol. 

5-Hour Change Your Mind Masterclass--self-study

10 Days to Spontaneous Sobriety --includes group and 1:1 coaching