56. ADHD & Alcohol: Why Your Brain Was Wired to Self-Medicate & How Sobriety Changes Everything

58. The Science of Alcohol & Your Brain: Why ADHD Brains Are Hit Hardest & How Sobriety Heals

Your brain starts repairing itself within 24 hours of your last drink. Not just feeling better. Actual neurological repair, visible on brain scans. This episode breaks down what alcohol does to your brain, what it does specifically to ADHD brains, and the full recovery timeline when you stop. I share the science backed data on how alcohol crosses the blood brain barrier within minutes of your first sip, triggers a borrowed dopamine surge, and shifts your hedonic set point so you need more and more just to feel normal. I also get into the ADHD specific research, why our brains are hit hardest, and why almost three years sober has been the single best decision I have ever made for my brain. In this episode: * How alcohol hijacks GABA, glutamate and dopamine from the first sip * ADHD brains have 30% lower baseline dopamine and ADHD drinkers show 67% less dopamine receptor availability * What heavy drinking does over time: brain lesions, hippocampus shrinkage, prefrontal cortex damage * Why the "one or two glasses is fine" narrative is being challenged by current neuroscience * The full brain recovery timeline from 24 hours to 7 years * Why nobody drinks to blackout by choice and why forgiveness matters more than willpower If this episode helped you, follow the show and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Reminder: Progress not perfection. You are not broken; you are becoming 🫶🏼 Donate to support the show: https://paypal.me/jasminelisciotto [https://paypal.me/jasminelisciotto] CONNECT WITH JASMINE 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial [https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial] 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz] 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial [https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial] ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto [https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto] Research and references: What alcohol does in the brain (GABA, glutamate, dopamine): https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/neuroscience-brain-addiction-and-recovery [https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/neuroscience-brain-addiction-and-recovery] ADHD and alcohol use disorder, shared prefrontal cortex and impulsivity: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33690916/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33690916/] Common neurobiology in AUD and ADHD: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9664160/ [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9664160/] ADHD 2 to 3x higher risk of alcohol problems: https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2017-08-16/is-there-a-link-between-adhd-and-alcoholism [https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2017-08-16/is-there-a-link-between-adhd-and-alcoholism] Sex differences in alcohol's effect on brain dopamine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11980350/ [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11980350/] 8+ drinks per week and brain lesions (April 2025, American Academy of Neurology): https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/PressRelease/5251 [https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/PressRelease/5251] Even light and moderate drinking linked to reduced cortical volume (Oct 2025): https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251004092919.htm [https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251004092919.htm] Alcohol and brain structure across the lifespan: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11421948/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11421948/] 7.3 months abstinence and cortical thickness recovery: https://www.sciencealert.com/7-3-months-without-alcohol-lets-brains-repair-damage-from-heavy-drinking-study-finds [https://www.sciencealert.com/7-3-months-without-alcohol-lets-brains-repair-damage-from-heavy-drinking-study-finds] BDNF (brain fertiliser) rises in early withdrawal and stays elevated: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10039723/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10039723/] BDNF and gray and white matter recovery in abstinence: https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4140861 [https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4140861] Recovery continues 5 to 7 years (NIAAA): https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/neuroscience-brain-addiction-and-recovery [https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/neuroscience-brain-addiction-and-recovery]

57. Business Ideas for ADHD Brains: How to Start, Stay Consistent & Stop Quitting When It Gets Boring

If you have ADHD and you have ever started a business, a side hustle, or a creative project, got incredibly excited, built the whole thing, and then suddenly hit a wall of boredom and wanted to start something completely new. This episode is for you. Because here is the truth nobody tells you. The building part is not the hard part. The strategy, the branding, the logo, the website, the Instagram page, the launch. That is the dopamine hit. That is the part your ADHD brain lives for. The hard part is what comes after. When the launch is done. When the excitement fades. When nothing is happening yet and the work feels repetitive and flat and boring. That is where most ADHD entrepreneurs quit. And that is exactly where this episode meets you. This week I am sharing the business ideas that genuinely work for ADHD brains. Not because they are easy. But because they tap into the things we are actually wired for. Hyperfocus. Creativity. Variety. High empathy. I talk about creative services, UGC content creation, coaching, digital products, courses, Canva templates, Etsy, events, community spaces, and more. I break down which ones you can start without a degree, which ones need some learning first, and why you do not need to go to university to build something real. This episode is not just a list of ideas. It is the conversation about what happens after the idea. I break down the ADHD boredom wall. The moment the dopamine rush of building fades and your brain starts scanning for the next exciting thing. I share the six month roadmap method I use to create future excitement around milestones that have not happened yet, so I can push through the flat days knowing what they are building towards. And I talk about why reframing a boring task is more powerful than abandoning it, because the boring work today is the foundation of the life you want in a few years time. I get really honest about my own journey running Wilde Creative Agency for nearly six years. From launching with rainbow monochrome branding, to five or six complete rebrandings, to burning out from taking on too many clients too cheaply, to learning the hard way that consistency is more important than creativity when you are building a brand. And why going back to a casual hotel job during a slow phase was one of the best decisions I ever made and why you should never let your ego stop you from doing the same. And there is a conversation in this episode that I think a lot of people need to hear. What it is like to be single right now and why I see this season of my life as the time to build. The first half of my life is for me. The next half will be for my family. And I do not need to apologise for that. What you start today will be your life in a few years time. You just have to get through the boring parts to get there. And I promise you, the other side of boring is everything you have been working towards. Business Ideas for ADHD Brains covered in this episode: 1. Creative services: social media, content, marketing, photography, videography 2. UGC: user generated content for brands 3. Coaching: Special field of interest 4. Digital products: interactive guides, mini courses, eBooks, templates 5. Courses: create and sell your own, or make them for others 6. Etsy: Canva and design templates to sell on or your own store 7. Events, retreats and community spaces: volunteer first, build from there Connect with Jasmine 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial [https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial] 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz] 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial [https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial] ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto [https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto] 💼 Wilde Creative Agency: https://www.instagram.com/wildecreativeagency [https://www.instagram.com/wildecreativeagency] Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

56. ADHD & Alcohol: Why Your Brain Was Wired to Self-Medicate & How Sobriety Changes Everything

Those of us who drank too much weren't doing it to party. We were doing it to feel normal. To quiet the chaos. To finally slow down a brain that never, ever stopped. If you ever used alcohol to cope, to numb, to feel something, to quiet the overwhelm, the rejection sensitivity, the spinning thoughts, this episode is for you. This is the episode I wish someone had made for me years ago. Because nobody was connecting the dots between ADHD and alcohol. Nobody was talking about why neurodivergent brains are so much more vulnerable to dependency. Nobody was explaining that it was never really about the drink, it was about regulation. In this episode I share my full story, from socially drinking at 15, to using alcohol to cope when my dad attempted to take his life, to the party years, to drinking alone after we lost him in 2016, to the 75 day challenges I kept completing and falling back from, to the morning I woke up at 35 and just stopped. Nearly a thousand days sober. Almost three years. And I am only just beginning. I also break down the science behind why ADHD brains are literally wired to self-medicate with alcohol, the dopamine connection, the masking, the shame spiral, the slide from coping to dependency and what actually becomes possible when you remove it. This is not about telling you to stop drinking. This is about giving you the awareness, the compassion, and the information you deserve to make that decision for yourself. And at the end I have something for you. My ADHD Sobriety Survival Kit. Eight chapters, a Notion Hub, nervous system reset tools, a dopamine menu, alcohol free social scripts and more. Built by an ADHD brain, for ADHD brains. And it is completely free. SHOW NOTES 🎁 FREE ADHD Sobriety Survival Kit 👉 https://jasminelisciotto.com.au/shop/adhd-sobriety-survival-kit [https://jasminelisciotto.com.au/shop/adhd-sobriety-survival-kit] Homework for today: 1️⃣ Write down three things alcohol was doing FOR you, not to you. Quieting, numbing, suppressing, masking, surviving. 2️⃣ If you are sober curious, write down the areas of your life where alcohol is affecting you negatively. Keep it somewhere safe. Things are about to change. Connect with Jasmine 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciotto [https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial] 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz] 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial [https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial] ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto [https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto] Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

55. Season Two Recap: Unmasked | The Guests, The Moments & The Season That Changed Everything

Season Two is a wrap. And I am not okay about it, in the best possible way. This episode is my love letter to the season that cracked everything open. Season Two, Unmasked, was supposed to be about removing the masks we wear. What it actually became was something so much bigger than that. It became a season about grief, sobriety, identity, trauma, creativity, healing, relationships, neurodivergence, and what it really means to stop hiding and start becoming. Every single guest that walked into this space this season held up a mirror. Some of them made me laugh. Some of them made me cry mid-recording. All of them reminded me that the work I'm doing, the work you're doing, matters. That sharing our stories is not just brave, it's necessary. That we are all, in our own way, in the process of becoming. In this episode I'm sharing some of my favourite moments from across the season, snippets from the conversations that stayed with me, the ones I keep coming back to, and the ones I think you need to hear if you missed them the first time. And I have an announcement. Season Three is coming. It's called Becoming. And it is going to be the most real, most aligned, most exciting thing I have ever created. I cannot wait to take you on this journey. But first, let's go back. Let's celebrate what we built together this season. Let's honour every single person who showed up and shared their truth. This one is for all of you. Thank you for being here. 🎙️ SEASON TWO GUEST EPISODES — LISTEN OR RELISTEN: 🎧 Ep 19 — Cindy https://open.spotify.com/episode/3C5GYVk8M8OCAjdL5nZuBl [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3C5GYVk8M8OCAjdL5nZuBl] 🎧 Ep 20 — Nick https://open.spotify.com/episode/7iEN7QTX2CldD6DtmFruGg [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7iEN7QTX2CldD6DtmFruGg] 🎧 Ep 22 — Rick https://open.spotify.com/episode/6scoNzp4qPR5CfAi8ePSsN [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6scoNzp4qPR5CfAi8ePSsN] 🎧 Ep 25 — Sabrina https://open.spotify.com/episode/44dMyKf50TKSisrHHMwjHC [https://open.spotify.com/episode/44dMyKf50TKSisrHHMwjHC] 🎧 Ep 26 — Anthony https://open.spotify.com/episode/2tgevKq7ZlXbEI7eEEopkC [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2tgevKq7ZlXbEI7eEEopkC] 🎧 Ep 28 — Cari https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tYIoKX5ZLmKM5Wte30VRI [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tYIoKX5ZLmKM5Wte30VRI] 🎧 Ep 29 — Viktoria https://open.spotify.com/episode/6QSg4ryOPTfeZIepqQleSE [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6QSg4ryOPTfeZIepqQleSE] 🎧 Ep 30 — Regina https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Lg5GLrqciKlsJDOkTbm0Q [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Lg5GLrqciKlsJDOkTbm0Q] 🎧 Ep 31 — Jesse https://open.spotify.com/episode/1jJBVcse7AYYIQs6umUFdS [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1jJBVcse7AYYIQs6umUFdS] 🎧 Ep 33 — Peter https://open.spotify.com/episode/7LOvO935uNuAiqTL2kMv1U [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7LOvO935uNuAiqTL2kMv1U] 🎧 Ep 34 — Larisa https://open.spotify.com/episode/469NASKx2qcXAQq94ava1i [https://open.spotify.com/episode/469NASKx2qcXAQq94ava1i] 🎧 Ep 35 — Dalia https://open.spotify.com/episode/1BSUvAwMctAfsmeshUkYL8 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1BSUvAwMctAfsmeshUkYL8] 🎧 Ep 36 — Naomi https://open.spotify.com/episode/2CUBGPv4EDbmPPNyGCWSuI [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2CUBGPv4EDbmPPNyGCWSuI] 🎧 Ep 37 — Sam https://open.spotify.com/episode/424jWqrpEkQqTOTc0I0MYH [https://open.spotify.com/episode/424jWqrpEkQqTOTc0I0MYH] 🎧 Ep 38 — Nika https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cGCO7GNQk70MhwWtAmCE0 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cGCO7GNQk70MhwWtAmCE0] 🎧 Ep 40 — Angie https://open.spotify.com/episode/1kdmisPpi5cqMEKsr4hHhq [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1kdmisPpi5cqMEKsr4hHhq] 🎧 Ep 41 — Janelle https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JqjC20grURJYnnPzPvAda [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JqjC20grURJYnnPzPvAda] 🎧 Ep 42 — Susan https://open.spotify.com/episode/6dQ5ZzrGlWS2BeHX0rrOmp [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6dQ5ZzrGlWS2BeHX0rrOmp] 🎧 Ep 43 — John https://open.spotify.com/episode/4T6sSW5wJVQlMqY5Scadj2 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4T6sSW5wJVQlMqY5Scadj2] 🎧 Ep 45 — Kyle https://open.spotify.com/episode/6yMGccAiYfTv2O2qcZRJHt [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6yMGccAiYfTv2O2qcZRJHt] 🎧 Ep 46 — Jacki https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Xqf7CYb4NYb0YO0dSvixt [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Xqf7CYb4NYb0YO0dSvixt] 🎧 Ep 47 — Jen https://open.spotify.com/episode/7KPg7FOTtCDNz765tvniJ6 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7KPg7FOTtCDNz765tvniJ6] 🎧 Ep 48 — Lena https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NJ5vnrFZGFuRPmbtzZ6bD [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NJ5vnrFZGFuRPmbtzZ6bD] 🎧 Ep 49 — Alyssa https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BzPJsH1dZIuODHEnsiz29 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BzPJsH1dZIuODHEnsiz29] 🎧 Ep 50 — Amanda https://open.spotify.com/episode/7AGDMfQ9OHkUux2Gp1hBaU [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7AGDMfQ9OHkUux2Gp1hBaU] 🎧 Ep 51 — Taylor https://open.spotify.com/episode/3w2bv2pFlLHwW1mxrD2j03 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3w2bv2pFlLHwW1mxrD2j03] 🎧 Ep 54 — Billy https://open.spotify.com/episode/0FffiL0DJu11Ehy6xdUReH [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0FffiL0DJu11Ehy6xdUReH] Connect with Jasmine 📸 Podcast Insta: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz] 📸 Personal Insta: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial [https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial] 🎵 Podcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz] 🎵 Personal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial [https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial] ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto [https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto] Thank you for being part of this season. You are not broken. You are not behind. You are becoming. Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

Special Update: Season 3 is Coming

Hey, hey, hey! If you're new here, welcome to the family. And if you've been here a while, this one's for you. Before we dive into Season Three, I just needed to stop for a second and get real with you. Because a lot has changed. Like, a lot. Everything I have been quietly building, the podcast, my personal brand, my agency Wilde Creative, has finally come together in a way I genuinely dreamed of. And I know how easy it is to be so deep in the process that you forget to look up and actually feel it. But I have felt every single step of this one. The big wins, the hard days, the loops I kept coming back to in my twenties, the healing, the losing my dad, the sobriety, all of it. And I wouldn't take back a single thing that brought me to exactly where I am today. This little in-between episode is me taking a breath, saying thank you, and giving you a glimpse of what's coming. Season Three is going to be something special. We are talking about building systems, creating a life that actually feels like yours, sobriety, mental health, neurodivergence, running a business with an ADHD brain, and just showing up, even on the hard days. There will be incredible guests, more solo episodes, and I am genuinely planning to show up more than once a week because why would I want it any other way? If you are neurodivergent, sober curious, in recovery, struggling with your mental health, trying to build something from scratch, or you just want to feel less alone, Season Three is for you. I am so excited to take you on this journey. Episode 55 drops next Monday and that is where it all begins. I cannot wait. 🔗 Connect with Jasmine 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial [https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial] 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz] 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial [https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminelisciottoofficial] ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto [https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto] Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here. Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.