This Naked Mind Podcast

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 feelings without fear. From parenting through grief to starting over at 49, Sammie’s story is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to break old cycles. In this episode, Annie and Sammie discuss: * Early alcohol exposure and teen drinking * Losing both parents in 19 days * Why drinking became her emotional escape * What grief looked like in real life * What made her stop for good * The power of The PATH and the community * Experiencing her first alcohol-free festivals * Using nursing experience to help others detox safely * Finding meaning in coaching and service * How unresolved trauma shows up in everyday choices * Why it’s never too late to change * And other topics… Episode links: Sammie’s Sober Heroes - https://www.sammiessoberheroes.com/ [https://www.sammiessoberheroes.com/]Start reading This Naked Mind - https://thisnakedmind.com/book [https://thisnakedmind.com/book]Join The Path - https://go.tnmprograms.com/the-path-from-this-naked-mind [https://go.tnmprograms.com/the-path-from-this-naked-mind]

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 alcohol. Coach Pam and Haley discuss: * How alcohol gets tied to sophistication and success * The role of media and TV in normalizing drinking culture * Creating a new identity after quitting drinking * Dealing with feelings of rejection and fear of standing out * Redefining self-care and genuine downtime * How wine culture influences professional women * Setting goals based on emotional empowerment * Why real confidence comes from authentic connection * The hidden cost of trying to “fit in” with drinking culture * Small mindset shifts that protect long-term goals * How Haley can reclaim her sense of self without wine * and more... Pam McRae is a Certified TNM Coach, Master Life Coach, and Gray Area Drinking Coach. Since rethinking her relationship with alcohol in 2017, she considers herself a non-drinker. Pam empowers others through her Freedom Connection group coaching, where people support each other in their alcohol journeys. She also uses her experience and knowledge to guide you through tough times such as grief. Learn more about Coach Pam: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/pam-mcrae/ [https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/pam-mcrae/]

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 addiction issues that Amy began questioning her own relationship with alcohol. Through family therapy, reading This Naked Mind, and completing The Alcohol Experiment, Amy discovered how alcohol was masking her authentic needs while creating more anxiety and depression. Now alcohol-free for four years, she shares how breaking this cycle led to profound personal growth and genuine joy. In this episode, Annie and Amy discuss: Growing up in a conservative "Leave It to Beaver" household Teenage experimentation with alcohol as rebellion Transitioning from weekend binge drinking to daily wine culture How mommy wine culture normalized problematic drinking Using alcohol to treat adult ADHD without realizing it The connection between disordered eating and alcohol consumption Parenting adopted children with unique challenges How family therapy led to self-discovery Breaking free from alcohol at age 51 Finding authentic joy and peace in midlife And other topics… Episode links: Start reading This Naked Mind - https://thisnakedmind.com/book [https://thisnakedmind.com/book] Join The Alcohol Experiment - www.alcoholexperiment.com [http://www.alcoholexperiment.com] Related Episodes: EP 719: Naked Life Story – Katie W. - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-719-naked-life-story-katie-w/ [https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-719-naked-life-story-katie-w/] EP 110: Reader Question – I stopped drinking alcohol but now I binge on Netflix and ice cream. What’s the deal? - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-110-reader-question-stopped-drinking-alcohol-now-binge-netflix-ice-cream-whats-deal/ [https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-110-reader-question-stopped-drinking-alcohol-now-binge-netflix-ice-cream-whats-deal/] EP 678: Reader’s Question – How to Stop Restricting Food while Drinking? - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-678-readers-question-how-to-stop-restricting-food-while-drinking/ [https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-678-readers-question-how-to-stop-restricting-food-while-drinking/] Ready to take the next step on your journey?  Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources [https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources] for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!

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’re on the road to understanding the urge to drink as a sign that they were feeling disconnected from who they really are. These sessions show how self-kindness and body awareness can take the place of alcohol when it comes to handling tough emotions. In Jill’s session with Coach Zoe: * Returning to neglected areas of life, like spirituality, after quitting. * Recognizing how career focus can inadvertently support drinking habits. * Learning to connect with and process bodily sensations and emotions. * Exploring meditation and somatic work as tools for emotional regulation. * Utilizing anchoring techniques to stay present during discomfort. * Understanding self-compassion as a key to emotional processing. * The significance of acknowledging and learning from past drinking experiences * and more… In Ambur’s session with Coach Ruby: * Navigating early motherhood and perfectionism without alcohol * Celebrating 120 days alcohol-free and learning to feel again * Understanding the urge to drink as a desire to escape loneliness * Using meditation, exercise, and truth-telling as new tools * Processing emotions instead of labeling them as “bad” * Letting go of judgment and learning to sit with discomfort * Replacing sneaky drinking with honest communication * Exploring what a sustainable alcohol-free life looks like * and more… Zoe Ewart is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach who brings her experience and understanding to help with the tricky parts of life’s big changes. Her coaching gives you an enjoyable, light-hearted, and safe environment to effortlessly take back control of alcohol so you can feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually. Zoe taught Pilates for 15 years. She has four adult children and more animals than the Ark ever had. Learn more about Coach Zoe: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/  [https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/] Ruby Williams is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach dedicated to helping people rethink their relationship with alcohol. With 19 years of experience in the wine industry, Ruby understands how alcohol can become a regular part of life, especially in social or stressful situations. After finding freedom in 2019, she was empowered to improve her health, lose weight, and achieve lifelong goals. Ruby uses thoughtful questioning to help clients shift their mindset and build a more balanced, fulfilling, and healthier relationship with alcohol. Learn more about Coach Ruby: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/ruby-williams/ [https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/ruby-williams/]

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 from drinking that revealed surprising benefits—including the complete disappearance of her anxiety. In this episode, she shares her journey of ups and downs, the importance of self-compassion after slip-ups, and how she's found more genuine joy and connection without alcohol at the center of her life. In this episode, Annie and Lauren discuss: From British pub culture to questioning alcohol's role How the pandemic revealed problematic drinking patterns The process of building an alcohol-free lifestyle that lasts Why tracking "failures" can be counterproductive The complete disappearance of anxiety after reducing alcohol Discovering genuine joy without drinking The surprising impact on hormone health and overall wellness Finding alternatives to "chasing the high" after activities Recognizing the link between alcohol and emotional stability Creating new traditions beyond drinking culture And other topics… Episode links: Related Episodes: EP 445: Finding Joy with Catherine Gray - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-445-finding-joy-with-catherine-gray/ [https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-445-finding-joy-with-catherine-gray/] EP 448: What I Wish I Knew Before My First Drink – The Thief of Joy - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-448-what-i-wish-i-knew-before-my-first-drink-the-thief-of-joy/ [https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-448-what-i-wish-i-knew-before-my-first-drink-the-thief-of-joy/] EP 20: Reader Question – What do You do about Missing the “High” from Drinking? - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-20-reader-question-what-do-you-do-about-missing-the-high-from-drinking/ [https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-20-reader-question-what-do-you-do-about-missing-the-high-from-drinking/] Ready to take the next step on your journey?  Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources [https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources] for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!