Ever caught yourself wondering, “Why is alcohol so hard to control for me?” In this episode Anna Donaghey urges you to challenge the story that the struggle is all your fault. Drawing from her experience as an alcohol mindset coach, author, and strategist, Anna examines why shame and blame are baked into how we talk about drinking and offers a totally different perspective.

Instead of focusing on willpower, Anna explores how social expectations, stress, and our culture’s obsession with alcohol shapes your relationship with drinking. She invites you to shift from self-judgement to compassionate curiosity, uncovering what alcohol actually does for you, and how to move forward with genuine agency (not force).

Listen now for fresh psychological insight, and actionable tools to gently reframe your habits and open new possibilities about rethinking the way you drink.

Here are the Highlights:

00:00 Welcome to The Big Drink Rethink Podcast

00:53 What if you're not the problem?

01:33 Our culture confuses responsibility with blame

02:23 The dominant narrative comes from Alcoholics Anonymous

05:41 Using alcohol to cope, switching off, easing anxiety, marking the end of the day doesn’t make you weak; it makes you human.

06:27 The real question isn’t “what’s wrong with me?” but “why is this the tool I’ve ended up relying on?”

07:01 Curiosity about what alcohol is doing for you shifts the conversation

07:23 The goal isn’t just to become a non-drinker, but someone who listens to themselves and designs a life they don’t want to escape from

08:23 Struggles with drinking aren’t your fault

09:50 Change begins with curiosity, and honesty

10:09 Rethinking drinking is about being awake in your own life.

Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!

Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/

If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About the host Anna:

Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.

Connect with Anna:

Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey

Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk