Ep. 148: How To Examine Your Relationship with Alcohol

“Maybe you should reevaluate your relationship with alcohol”. That’s what my mother said to me when I was 23 after I told her I had spent a very long night on my bathroom floor throwing up bile. She might have said it again when I was 25 and jumped off the stage at my sister’s wedding, tripped and slid across the dance floor on my knees in my maid of honor dress. And possibly for a third time when I shared that I had thrown up (on myself) in a taxi on a business trip at the age of 29. Oh, and a business colleague of mine was also in the cab..at 8am...on a Wednesday. Mom was right. I definitely needed to examine my relationship with alcohol. But at the time there wasn't a framework to do that if your relationship with alcohol was problematic but you didn’t identify as an “alcoholic” and had no interest in abstinence-based 12-step programs. Luckily, the world has changed a lot in the last 20 years. Amanda E. White, a licensed therapist and the creator of the popular Instagram account @therapyforwomen, is a big part of that change. Amanda developed a resource called Not Drinking Tonight: The Workbook to help therapists, coaches and individuals examine one’s relationship with alcohol by pivoting away from the question “Am I an alcoholic?” and instead consider “Would my life be better without alcohol?” I’m a big fan of Amanda’s work and have interviewed her twice before on The Hello Someday Podcast. In episode #91 we talked about her first book, Not Drinking Tonight: A Guide to Creating a Sober Life You Love, and tools to heal your relationship with alcohol, boundaries, self care, self compassion, and so much more. And in episode 130, we talked about therapy for women and why women seek out therapy for support, the most important factors in determining positive outcomes for therapy, red flags to watch for if a therapist isn't the right fit for you, and why women often are not taught the foundational skills, they need to process difficult emotions. Amanda is here to share how to examine your relationship with alcohol and decide if it’s working for you or if you’re ready to take a break from drinking. For full show notes and to access resources mentioned in this episode, head over to www.hellosomedaycoaching.com/148 Ready to drink less + live more? If you’re ready to change your relationship with alcohol join The Sobriety Starter Kit. It's my signature sober coaching course for busy women to help you drink less + live more. To enroll go to www.sobrietystarterkit.com. Grab the Free 30-Day Guide To Quitting Drinking, 30 Tips For Your First Month Alcohol-Free Connect with Casey McGuire Davidson To find out more about Casey and her coaching programs, head over to her website, www.hellosomedaycoaching.com