When Your Gut Feels Everything: The Hidden Link Between Sensitivity, Stress, and Drinking

Raising Highly Sensitive Children While Building Career, Community & Sobriety

In this intimate episode, Liz McBride shares her quiet and powerful journey of discovering her high sensitivity and how it has shaped her motherhood, sobriety, and career. She opens up about advocating for her highly sensitive son within the school system, and the very real moments of overwhelm that come with parenting while highly sensitive herself. Liz speaks honestly about times when overstimulation leads her to offer her son a screen so she can regulate her own nervous system—reminding us that self-compassion is an essential part of conscious parenting. Now over 10 years sober from opiates, Liz reflects on how numbing once helped her survive, but ultimately disconnected her from her intuition and inner clarity. With more than 20 years of experience in real estate, she shares how her early career was shaped by alcohol, and how stepping away to raise her young children brought both healing and fear-especially the fear of returning to an industry that once overwhelmed her. After taking intentional time to build solid coping skills and nervous system regulation, Liz eased back into real estate and began to thrive. She reveals how high sensitivity is not a liability in her work, but her greatest asset: her intuition, emotional awareness, and ability to sense what others are feeling allow her to anticipate outcomes, navigate negotiations with empathy, and advocate powerfully for her clients—without being numbed out. Liz also shares the practical tools that support her daily regulation, including using earplugs to reduce overstimulation, and why prioritizing her nervous system is non-negotiable. She knows that without harmony and regulation, everything begins to crumble—and she is no longer willing to work in a career that doesn’t honor her sensitivity. This conversation is a reminder that high sensitivity, when supported and respected, can be a profound professional and personal gift—and that Liz’s current success is only the beginning of what she’s capable of. Connect with Liz McBride here! [https://www.sevengables.com/realestate/agent/liz-mcbride/] Follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@thealcoholfreehsp⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thealcoholfreehsp/] If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who may benefit from hearing it, too. And if you're enjoying The Alcohol-Free HSP Podcast, it would be awesome if you could rate and review the podcast. This helps more people find these conversations around sensitivity and start their own wellness journey to living alcohol-free. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and feel free to share on social media and tag me. I'd love to hear your thoughts and connect with you deeper.

Sobriety, Neurodivergence & Self-Trust

In this powerful and intimate episode, I’m joined by IxtéOwul, a transpersonal spiritual guide, as she shares her deeply personal journey of high sensitivity, quitting alcohol during a spiritual awakening, and processing a recent autism diagnosis. This conversation is raw, honest, and alive. Ixté courageously shares what it’s been like to process her autism in real time, allowing space for tender, vulnerable moments as she reflects on identity, self-trust, and coming home to herself. Ixté opens up about how alcohol interfered with her spiritual gifts and her work as a guide-particularly in healing ancestral trauma. She recounts a profound spiritual experience in 2021 in which she encountered spiritual guides who asked her to offer alcohol and marijuana as an offering. In exchange, she received a powerful sense of empowerment and an expansion of her intuitive and healing gifts marking a pivotal turning point in her life. What began as a 100-day alcohol-free challenge ultimately became four years of sobriety and she hasn’t looked back. Ixté shares that what she was truly longing for was never alcohol, but connection, authenticity, and the freedom to be herself. As a Highly Sensitive Person with a low tolerance for overstimulation, she began to recognize how challenging social interactions had been and why letting alcohol go was essential for her nervous system, her clarity, and her soul. Ixté Owul now empowers Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) through a blend of metaphysical teachings, spiritual healing practices, and personal growth. Her work supports individuals in embracing their sensitivity as a strength, healing past wounds, and stepping into their full potential with clarity, confidence, and self-compassion. ✨ Explore Ixte’s offerings and services designed to support your awakening journey. Follow Ixté on Instagram here! [https://www.instagram.com/ixte_owul/] Connect with Ixté here! [https://www.ixteowul.com/] Follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠@thealcoholfreehsp⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thealcoholfreehsp/] If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who may benefit from hearing it, too. And if you're enjoying The Alcohol-Free HSP Podcast, it would be awesome if you could rate and review the podcast. This helps more people find these conversations around sensitivity and start their own wellness journey to living alcohol-free. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and feel free to share on social media and tag me. I'd love to hear your thoughts and connect with you deeper.

Showing Compassion For The Past

In this episode of The Alcohol-Free HSP Podcast, I sit down with Monika Kasprzyk and we discuss the journey of living with high sensitivity and alcohol use. Monika shares her story and explains how when she looks back on her past, she has compassion for herself and the woman she was during her drinking days. Over 10 years alcohol-free, she also shares what it has been like watching the sober-curious movement gain momentum. We share similar excitement over choosing to break free from the cycle of alcohol use and honoring our needs as highly sensitive women and the demands as working mothers. Monika is a Recovery Coach, Mentor, and Meditation Practitioner, and has been alcohol-free for over 10 years. She helps women break free from societal expectations, set boundaries, and reconnect with who they truly are. As a highly sensitive person (HSP), she knows what it’s like to feel overwhelmed or out of place, and she's passionate about creating a safe space where women can grow, trust themselves, and build a life that feels right for them. Follow Monika on Instagram here! [https://www.instagram.com/blossom__into__more/] Curious if you are a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)? ⁠⁠Take the quiz here! ⁠⁠ [https://thealcoholfreehsp.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Copy-of-AM-I-HIGHLY-SENSITIVE-CHECKLIST.pdf] Follow along on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@thealcoholfreehsp⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thealcoholfreehsp/] ⁠ [https://www.skool.com/the-sanctuary-3021/about] If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who may benefit from hearing it, too. And if you're enjoying The Alcohol-Free HSP Podcast, it would be awesome if you could rate and review the podcast. This helps more people find these conversations around sensitivity and start their own wellness journey to living alcohol-free. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and feel free to share on social media and tag me. I'd love to hear your thoughts and connect with you deeper.

When Your Gut Feels Everything: The Hidden Link Between Sensitivity, Stress, and Drinking

In this episode, we dive into the hidden link between high sensitivity, stress, and alcohol — and why your gut plays such a huge role. I share my personal journey with gut health issues like leaky gut, candida overgrowth, histamine intolerance, and blood sugar imbalances, and how these challenges fueled my decision to quit drinking during perimenopause. We break down the gut-brain connection, how alcohol disrupts it, and why healing your gut is so essential for emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and intuitive clarity — especially for highly sensitive women. I also share practical strategies to support your gut, stabilize blood sugar, and feel grounded in your body again. This episode is for the highly sensitive people who are curious about their physical health symptoms, geek out over the science behind alcohol and gut-related issues, and are looking for the "why" behind their bloat, fatigue, and emotional imbalance. The Histamine Reset protocol I used: Dr. Becky Campbell [https://amzn.to/3Z1wPQY] Designs for Health Hista-Eaze [https://www.designsforhealth.com/u/gretchenbergantine/products/histaeze/#HIS120] Follow on Instagram ⁠⁠@thealcoholfreehsp⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thealcoholfreehsp/] ⁠Join The Sanctuary⁠ [https://www.skool.com/the-sanctuary-3021/about]- a FREE community for highly sensitive women ready to redefine strength, reclaim peace, quit drinking & live fully present without alcohol. All stages welcome. If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who may benefit from hearing it, too. And if you're enjoying The Alcohol-Free HSP Podcast, it would be awesome if you could rate and review the podcast. This helps more people find these conversations around sensitivity and start their own wellness journey to living alcohol-free. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and feel free to share on social media and tag me. I'd love to hear your thoughts and connect with you deeper.

Motherhood Woke Me Up: Sensitivity, Sobriety & a Defining Awakening

In this deeply honest episode, Gretchen chats with Leslie Medley about her initial resistance to labeling herself as a Highly Sensitive Person. However, after becoming a mother, she realized her sensitivity is a gift and started to prioritize her limits after going completely substance-free. She uses somatic healing and breathwork to become unshakeable despite the overstimulation that comes with parenting a toddler. It was when Leslie reconnected with her biological mother, who had been in recovery for many years, that she started to realize and understand the disease of alcoholism. Leslie also shares a deeply intimate moment with us about what she refers to as her "grand awakening/aha/throw me to my knees/this is it" moment, where she decided to break the generational cycle of substance abuse and abortion upon realizing she was pregnant. Leslie shares how she had an abortion scheduled, and God woke her up to stop the generational cycle of substance abuse and abortion. Thankfully, she never followed through with her abortion, and Leslie remains substance-free to this day. Leslie Medley is a guide for the modern woman awakening to her power. Through Himalayan Kundalini, somatic healing, and embodied leadership facilitation, she helps women remember who they are beneath the conditioning — so they can live, lead, and love from their truth. https://www.instagram.com/thelesliemedley/ www.thelesliemedley.com [https://www.thelesliemedley.com/click-me?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnzKctHmKie22P4vHGsg5T6Bx_gsCXY9uOZhk-SGwK3NTVVqCmvxkijLk5dtI_aem_HtHmrNhnhV45niLf9dBYQA] If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who may benefit from hearing it, too. And if you're enjoying The Alcohol-Free HSP Podcast, it would be awesome if you could rate and review the podcast. This helps more people find these conversations around sensitivity and start their own wellness journey to living alcohol-free. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and feel free to share on social media and tag me. I'd love to hear your thoughts and connect with you deeper. https://www.thelesliemedley.com/click-me?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnzKctHmKie22P4vHGsg5T6Bx_gsCXY9uOZhk-SGwK3NTVVqCmvxkijLk5dtI_aem_HtHmrNhnhV45niLf9dBYQA