Life Biz and All That Jazz

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.

54. Fumbling Forward with billy frazier: Why Your Life Doesn't Have to Be Written in Permanent Marker

What if your life didn't have to be written in permanent marker What if everything you thought you had to have figured out — the five year plan, the career ladder, the perfectly mapped out future — could actually just be written in pencil? That's exactly where this conversation starts. And honestly? It doesn't stop there. This week I'm sitting down with Billy, author of Fumbling Forward, a book that is part memoir, part life manual, and completely real. Billy takes us through his journey from freelancing straight out of college, to navigating his first full time corporate role, to building a business, losing a business partner to embezzlement, and somewhere in the middle of all of it. Figuring out that life is a lot more like Mad Libs than any of us were ever taught. You fill in the blanks as you go. And that's not a failure. That's just life. This episode goes deep. We talk about what happens when your career becomes your entire identity — and the quiet, unsettling moment when it no longer fits. We talk about OCD and anxiety, being diagnosed as adults, and why both of us spent years pushing through life thinking the chaos in our heads was just normal. We talk about the reality gap — that painful space between the life you have and the life you think you should have — and the concept of living a values-based life instead of a goal-obsessed one. And yes, we talk about sobriety. Because it turns out Billy also stopped drinking around three years ago. What started as a hungover morning on his late dad's birthday turned into one of the most clarifying decisions of his life. We share what those first months really felt like, why the people who gave us the most grief about not drinking were often the ones who needed to look at their own relationship with alcohol, and how removing it changed everything — sleep, clarity, creativity, and that ability to find joy in the smallest things again. We also get into careers, AI, the rising cost of university education, why most people end up working in something completely different to what they studied, and whether college is even necessary anymore in a world where you can learn almost anything from YouTube. We talk about tiny experiments — the idea that you don't have to commit to the whole thing, you just have to take the smallest possible version of the step. Billy made 40 strangers press publish on their first ever article at a writing workshop. Not because it was perfect. Just to prove they could. There's something in this conversation for anyone who has ever felt like they're fumbling their way through life without a clear destination. Because maybe that's not a problem to fix. Maybe that's just what being human actually looks like. Connect with Billy 📖 Order Fumbling Forward: https://www.fumblingbook.com/ 🌐 Billy's website/socials: @fumblingbook (everywhere) @billyfrazr (personal) Connect with Jasmine 📸 Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz] 📸 Personal Instagram: 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] Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. You are not fumbling — you are becoming. Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.

53. Podcasthon: Lifeline Australia | Why Mental Health Conversations Can Save Lives | Carrying My Dad's Legacy Forward

⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains open and honest conversations about mental health and suicide. Please listen with care. Support resources are listed below. Some episodes you plan. Some episodes you feel called to make. This is one of those episodes. This week, I'm taking part in Podcasthon [https://podcasthon.org/], a global movement where thousands of podcasters from all over the world dedicate an episode to a charity that truly means something to them. When it came time to choose my charity, there was only ever one answer for me, Lifeline Australia [https://www.lifeline.org.au/]. And here's why. My dad used to volunteer with Lifeline. He showed up for their charity events, and he was even featured in their book, Glimmer of Hope. What I admired most about my dad was that even when he was fighting his own darkest battles, living with bipolar disorder, he always wanted to make sure that no one else had to feel alone. He believed in the power of listening and showing up for someone even when life felt impossibly heavy. We lost dad in 2016, losing him is one of the most painful things I have ever been through. But his story, his heart, and everything he stood for, that doesn't end with him. That continues here. In this podcast. In every conversation I have about mental health and suicide prevention. In every person who hears this episode and feels a little less alone because of it. That is his legacy. And I will never stop sharing it. In this episode I cover what Lifeline Australia actually does, because so many people don't know the full scope of their services. Yes, they have their 24/7 crisis support line — but they also offer text support, online chat, community programs like the Out of the Shadows Walk, and workplace suicide prevention training. If you've ever felt like you couldn't pick up the phone, the text and chat options exist exactly for that reason. You can reach out from your bed, from your couch, from wherever feels safe and someone will be there. I also talk about the permission to reach out even when you don't think your problem is "big enough." Whether you're overwhelmed, spiralling, or just need to vent to someone. Lifeline is there for all of it. No problem is too small. No problem is too big. You are never a burden. Beyond Lifeline, I get into the real practical stuff — the things that have genuinely helped me on my own mental health and sobriety journey. We talk about neuroplasticity and how the smallest daily habits compound into real, lasting change. We talk about the way you speak to yourself, and a simple reframing technique I use every single day. We talk about movement, morning routines, slowing down and resetting, not the perfect Instagram version, just the real accessible version that works for people with full lives. If today is a hard day, take it minute by minute. That is always enough. Lifeline Australia: Free, Confidential, 24/7 Crisis Support 📱 Call: 13 11 14 💬 Text: 0477131114 🌐 Website: www.lifeline.org.au [http://www.lifeline.org.au] Support Lifeline ❤️ Donate: www.lifeline.org.au/get-involved/donate [http://www.lifeline.org.au/get-involved/donate] 🎗️ Fundraise: www.lifeline.org.au/get-involved/fundraising [http://www.lifeline.org.au/get-involved/fundraising] 🙋 Volunteer: www.lifeline.org.au/get-involved/volunteer [http://www.lifeline.org.au/get-involved/volunteer] Podcasthon This episode is part of Podcasthon; a global event where thousands of podcasters dedicate an episode to a charity that matters to them. Head to their website to discover all the other incredible episodes from podcasters around the world. 🌐 www.podcasthon.org [http://www.podcasthon.org] Mentioned in This Episode - Sobriety Journey Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1O7nyIQfIjzR5zTzDB51Oz?si=ogSfJDgpTWe72Y3nKQ-rqw [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1O7nyIQfIjzR5zTzDB51Oz?si=ogSfJDgpTWe72Y3nKQ-rqw] Connect with Jasmine Insta https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial [https://www.instagram.com/jasminelisciottoofficial] Podcast Insta https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.instagram.com/lifebizandallthatjazz] TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz [https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebizandallthatjazz] YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto [https://www.youtube.com/@JasmineLisciotto] Loved this episode? Hit follow, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Every conversation has the power to change a life. Progress, not perfection. You are not broken, you are becoming.