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If you’ve ever done an alcohol free challenge for 30, 60 or 90 days, maybe even a year, only to fall back into old habits when you started drinking again— this episode is for you. In today’s deep dive, Colleen Freeland explains why behavior-based sobriety models (like Sober Sis, Annie Grace, and Casey Davidson’s approaches) can actually keep you trapped in the very drinking cycle you’re trying to escape.

You’ll learn why the real issue isn’t alcohol — it’s the perfectionistic, all-or-nothing mindset these programs reinforce. Colleen unpacks the neuroscience of habit change and explains why shame, identity labels, and emotional avoidance block your brain’s ability to rewire for good.

She’ll walk you through the Default Mode Network, Reticular Activating System, and the Habenula — three key parts of the brain where habits live — and show you how to reprogram your subconscious mind through identity-based change and emotional safety.

🔍 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why sobriety programs are a psychological “bait and switch”

• The difference between behavior change vs. identity change

• How all-or-nothing thinking fuels binge cycles

• What it really means to build trust with yourself

• Why you need to stop counting sober days

• How to redefine success in a context that has nothing to do with alcohol

 

Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL if you’re ready to fully commit to your personal growth and do the work to get emotionally sober. Side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking.

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—Do you want coaching from Colleen on a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question. Your name will not be mentioned on air!