In this heartwarming episode of Bite-Sized Balance, I sit down with my remarkable guest and past client, Chantal. Chantal recounts her transformative journey from decades of addiction to true freedom from alcohol. Chantal candidly shares her experience with the medication Antabuse and the pivotal role it played in her recovery. 

The conversation takes a beautiful turn as Chantal unveils her unique practice of specific gratitude, demonstrating how it has reignited joy in her life. By focusing on the little things, she has discovered the immense power of gratitude in her journey toward lasting freedom from drinking. This episode is an inspiring testament to the profound impact of finding joy in the simplicity of everyday moments.

We talk about:

• Naltrexone v. Antabuse as aids in sobriety
• Gratitude as part of your sobriety toolkit
• Finding the joy when your life looks “good on paper” but something is missing
• The unexpected gifts of sobriety 

Links...

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Susan Hodgson is an Irish ex-pat coach helping women navigate new territory with their drinking amidst the challenges of living abroad and trying to find that elusive feeling of “home”. She lives near Paris with her French husband and three kids who enjoy correcting her grammar and complaining about holidays back to the Donegal rain.

Susan shares her story of becoming alcohol-free, and Susan and I discuss:

• the common misconceptions of expat life,
• why it can make drinking less more challenging for women,
• the difference between what you do and who you are,
• Mommy wine culture abroad,
• learning to feel emotions instead of numbing them, 
• the concept of “home” and how to find it anywhere,
• and discovering yourself in midlife.

This is a lovely conversation with an even lovelier human. Enjoy!

More about Susan:
www.sharpsensecoaching.com
@sharp.sense.coaching on Instagram

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Amy and Matt Edwards are the hosts of the Alcohol-Free Marriage Podcast. Amy is also a certified coach who helps high-achieving women get out of the shame and blame cycle when it comes to their relationship with alcohol.

They join me today to share their story of quitting drinking as former craft beer enthusiasts and starting the podcast – the ups, the downs, and some of the joyful surprises of leaving alcohol behind together.

Tune in to find out how they got to the decision to take a mindful break from alcohol, who stopped first, who was the “ringleader” when it came to their drinking, what was hardest about quitting for each of them, whether moderation worked for either of them and what advice Matt and Amy would give an alcohol-free person whose spouse is still drinking.

This is a really entertaining conversation with a fun and upbeat duo!

Alcohol-Free Marriage Podcast info:

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If you recently saw the revised drinking guidelines in Canada and gasped, you’re not alone. Most Canadians are drinking more than two drinks a week, the new low-risk maximum.

Ann Dowsett Johnston is an award-winning journalist and the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, a book named one of the top 10 of the year by the Washington Post. Ann is also now a psychotherapist, and my friend, mentor and writing coach.  

Ann joins me for a discussion about the alcohol consumption guidelines in Canada released by the Centre on Substance Use and Addiction in January, which replace the 2011 Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines. The new guidelines present a continuum of health risks associated with different levels of alcohol consumption, including the risks of breast and colon cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Ann and I discuss what now constitutes low-risk, moderate, and...

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Fellow This Naked Mind coach and friend Christy Osborne joins me to celebrate my five-year anniversary of quitting drinking. 

I share my alcohol story, including my “last straw(s)” and talk about everything that has changed for me (big and small!) since I had my last drink.

Christy and I discuss some of the surprise gifts of going alcohol-free, how we parent and role model around the topic of drinking, and we both share a drinking story that used to bring us shame but now just makes us proud to be non-drinkers. 

I reflect on empty nesting and how different the last few months would likely have looked if I hadn’t stopped drinking.

Christy and I discuss the evolution of the sober curious movement and the normalization of the conversation around sobriety as nothing more than a positive wellness choice.

Questioning your drinking? Start here (for free): ...

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Racquel Reid is a certified This Naked Mind coach with a unique story of recovery. In this episode, Racquel shares her drinking story and explains why her life got smaller 11 years ago when she first stopped drinking, and how after years of feeling “abnormal” and hiding away from the world, she rediscovered her power and magic and has built a life beyond what she could have imagined.

Both in the “zigs and zags” of menopause, Racquel and I discuss how happy we are to be alcohol-free at this stage of our hormonal lives and how we have both discovered confidence and clarity in menopause.

Racquel shares her next big leap: taking her coaching business on the road as she explores South America and Eastern Asia on her own.

As a coach, Racquel works primarily with women who have already stopped drinking but are feeling disempowered and less than magical about their own lives.

More about Racquel: ...

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Rachael Layton is a certified This Naked Mind coach from Brisbane, Australia, who is now happily alcohol-free, after years of working as a corporate communications specialist while raising a family and feeling in control of all areas of her life, except for the way she drank.

In this episode, Rachel shares her drinking story and explains why perimenopause made her rethink her drinking. Rachel and I discuss why hitting rock bottom and/or identifying as an “alcoholic” are not prerequisites to leaving alcohol behind, and what Rachel learned after her first attempt to stop drinking that allowed her to achieve full freedom from alcohol the second time around.

Rachel now works with women in midlife who are successful, driven, and who seemingly have their lives together, but are concerned about the amount they are drinking.

More about Rachel: www.inspiredtochange.com.au

Instagram:  ...

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A self-declared ex “Boozy Tragic”, Amy Armstrong is on a mission to normalize alcohol-free drinking experiences in Australia. She’s dedicated her second career to removing the stigma around not drinking and creating the best possible experiences for people by curating the best-quality non-alcoholic wines, beers, pre-mixed drinks, and alcohol alternatives through her online reviews and tasting parties.

Alcohol-free for over two years, Amy shares her drinking story and the personal growth she has experienced since breaking free of it.

No need to be alcohol-free to enjoy this podcast and Amy’s recommendations -- most of her followers are sober-curious, not sober!

More about Amy: https://www.drybutwet.com.au/
Follow Amy on Instagram @dry_but_wet

Better Rhodes (Canada): https://betterrhodes.ca/

Questioning your drinking? Start here (free): www.wendymccallum.com/myths

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Christy is a Certified “This Naked Mind” Coach helping moms in their 30s and 40s examine their relationship with alcohol. Christy grew up in Los Angeles but relocated to London in 2008 after completing law school and passing the California Bar Exam. Upon relocating to the United Kingdom, Christy started a hugely popular website to help other ex-pat women navigate the transition across the pond.

Always a social drinker, Christy found the stress of being a working mom caused her drinking to increase. In 2018 she lost her mother and her drinking increased again. Although everything looked fine on the surface, Christy knew she had to regain control of her life, for herself and for her family.

In today’s episode, Christy and I discuss Christy’s path to freedom from alcohol, why “rock bottoms” aren’t necessary and how waiting for them can keep women stuck, how to deal with social expectations...

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Ellie Crowe is a Certified This Naked Mind Coach, Gray Area Drinking Coach, and co-host of the Present & Sober podcast. Ellie helps overwhelmed and sleep-deprived moms parent peacefully and happily, without needing alcohol to escape at the end of the day. She lives with her husband, three young kids, and three hounds in a very old pub in Cambridge, England. She’s a passionate yogi, Wim Hof-fer, and gymnast (back in training!).

In today’s episode, Ellie and I discuss Ellie’s path to freedom from alcohol, PMDD, early ovarian failure, perimenopause and the role of hormones in Ellie’s alcohol story, how somatic work like cold therapy can help increase your stress tolerance, tools for regulating your nervous system, the trouble with moderation, and the peace that comes with freedom from alcohol.

This is a light and engaging conversation you won’t want to miss!

Ellie’s Website: ...