When it comes to alcohol, it’s easy to fall into myopia and focus on our own particular circumstances, but this episode reminds us that actually we’re all part of a much larger context – one that powerfully affects our thoughts and choices. Sobriety Coach Amy Willis shares with Host John Sheldon the four pillars that define and reinforce her approach to recovery: Radical Honesty, Mindset Change, Habit Change and Resiliency. Alcohol and our relationship to it  are viewed through the prism of deep-seated trauma and cultural conditioning that factor into everyone’s equation in some way.

With a special focus on women and the LGBTQ community, Amy’s practice is informed by her own lived experience – and the stats that indicate disproportionate issues with substance addiction among mothers and marginalized communities. She highlights complementary tools that augment the work, like tapping (known as EFT), meditation and habit change. And you’ll also learn about the major social and economic forces at play as well as glimmers of hope that sober curiosity is subjecting alcohol use to the same sort of scrutiny that over time created a wholesale change in our attitudes towards smoking. No more free passes for the alcohol industry’s relentless advertising and lobbying!

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“I’ve always had within me a call to support other people and through my own experiences and struggles and knowing that there were lots of other people out there who could use the support, I wanted to be that person.” (Amy)

“The mindset piece is just to acknowledge that so much of what we experience in our worlds and in our lives is based around what we think about things and believe to be true about ourselves, other people and the role alcohol plays in our lives.” (Amy)

“A recovery coach is a great place to go to figure out what you want from your life.” (John)

“It becomes really challenging, if not impossible, to create the change you’re looking for if you’re not yet at a place where you can be deeply honest with yourself.” (Amy)

“Without the truth there is no movement, so it’s not really optional.” (Amy)

“Beliefs and thoughts are tremendously powerful. They shape our experiences, how we move through the world, our actions, our behaviors.” (Amy)

“Taking time to train the brain like you might train your body at the gym can be really helpful.” (Amy)

“It’s important in the conversation to place the blame where it lies, which is on the substance and on the people who make and sell it to us as harmless and a solution to what they perceive our issues to be.” (Amy)

“Alcohol is the problem. It’s not the individual. It’s not our fault. Yes, we are people who make choices, of course, and are responsible. But we are playing with a loaded gun – not knowing it’s a loaded gun.”  (Amy)

“Women’s drinking has been on the rise for years and nobody seems to be paying attention to it, even though it seems to be a pretty critical issue for a lot of women.” (Amy)

“With all the messaging that we’ve been inundated with for the majority of our lives, it’s very easy to take (alcohol) on as a problem or something that you’re failing at. But we need to understand the larger context that we’re all operating in and the powerful forces and influences at play.” (Amy)

Amy C. Willis is a Sobriety & Mindset Coach who specializes in working with women and LGTBQ+ folks who are struggling with their drinking/their relationship to alcohol, teaching them how to #LosetheBooze, sustain sobriety and create a life they don’t want to escape from. Within her coaching practice, Amy focuses on creating change at the level of habit. Habits (any behaviors that have become automated) dictate 40-95% of human behavior so by becoming aware of our habits, disrupting them, and replacing them with new, healthier habits, we are able to create lasting, sustainable change. Amy also infuses mindset work and resilience building into her work. 

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If you’d like to support this podcast, please consider clicking here to become a patron. Your contribution of just $1, $3 or $5 a month goes a long way towards building this community!

To view this and other episodes of Beyond Belief Sobriety on YouTube, visit this link.

Show Notes Written by knwhelmick at Fiverr