It's Not About the Alcohol

How do you feel about yourself when you wake up and realize you did it again?

If you get hangxiety and shameovers after drinking, it’s not your relationship with alcohol that needs to change. It’s your relationship with yourself. 

The performance-based, perfectionistic mindset that fuels your success in other areas of your life also drives you into a cycle of self-sabotage.

Because when you beat yourself up for making a mistake, you shut off access to the part of the brain that learns from mistakes. 

The solution to alcohol use disorder is a feeling…a feeling of confidence in your ability to learn. On today’s episode, you’ll learn:

• The exact mechanism that causes you to overdrink

• A step-by-step process to break the cycle of shame next time you wake up hungover

• Why the road to recovery must be paved with love, self-compassion and curiosity

What daily updates from me? Find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer  

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), click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

Have you considered that the inability to self-correct your drinking habits could be a sign of trauma?

Most high achieving professional women associate the word "trauma" with violence, sexual assault or emotional abuse and neglect, and assume they don’t qualify because nothing “that bad” has ever happened to them.

Instead, they attribute their bad habits to a lack of discipline or motivation and try to shame themselves into “snapping out of it.”

But you can’t snap out of trauma–and shaming yourself causes more trauma. You must work with your nervous system to restore a sense of safety in your body– going slow and being patient with yourself. Because the root cause of alcohol use disorder is shame. Which means the solution is learning how to feel confident in your resilience.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What trauma is (and what it isn’t)

• How to recognize the symptoms of trauma in your own life

• The difference between a stress response and trauma response

• A simple technique to stimulate your vagus nerve and reset your nervous system to a parasympathetic state so that you can re-engage with your life feeling powerful and in control.

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer  

If you’re ready to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking,  click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

Are you stuck in a job that doesn’t fulfill you–but the thought of making a big career change feels impossible?

When your career isn’t meeting your needs, it’s easier to blame dissatisfaction and burnout on your own mental health issues.  Because you’ve invested so much time and energy to get where you are. Why can’t you just be happy with what you have?

But feeling trapped and uninspired blocks the energy you need to make a meaningful career shift without losing everything you’ve worked for. 

I’m talking to Brooke Schnittman, host of SuccessFULL with ADHD podcast about our parallel decisions to exchange traditional teaching jobs for the scary and unknown world of coaching. We talk about how we broke free from the golden handcuffs, leveraged our unique strengths and built careers that truly light us up. 

You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how to respond to your own ever-evolving needs with an open-mind so that you have the courage (and cojones) to invest in your own dreams.

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer  

If you’re ready to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking,  click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

Find Brooke on social media @coachingwithBrooke and her 3C Activation for Coaches at https://www.coachingwithbrooke.com/3c-for-coaches

Brooke Schnittman, MA, PCC, BCC, is a dedicated ADHD and executive coach for neurodivergent individuals of all ages. Diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and part of an ADHD family of 5, Brooke deeply understands the struggles of frustration and overwhelm. After a 15-year career in special education in the #1 school district in the US, she founded Coaching With Brooke (CWB) in 2018, helping over a million people daily through her 3C Activation™ program. An award-winning coach and best-selling author, Brooke hosts the SuccessFULL With ADHD podcast, which won the #1 2023 Listener’s Choice Award. She has spoken alongside top health and wellness experts and has been featured in major publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur to help ADHDers "Activate Their ADHD Potential."

How do your beliefs about money impact your sense of personal power?

When your life appears to be limited by finances, it’s easy to blame your discomfort on your partner or chosen career instead of taking full responsibility for the choices you’ve made.

Even “successful” women are often victims of the patriarchal mindset that tells us we aren’t capable of financial independence. We exchange our time and energy for low wages in careers with no potential for wealth. And stay in marriages we no longer want to be in because we can’t afford to leave. 

And then wonder why we drink too much, spend money on stuff we don’t need and eat until we’re bloated. While searching the Internet for reasons to explain why we have no mojo.  

Liberation requires you to admit you’ve made your own bed and give yourself permission to get out of it. The hardest thing I’ve ever done was to make the decision to trade an unfulfilling sense of security for the life I really wanted. 

My guest today is Julie Danielson,  a life coach, wife for the second time, and mom who empowers women to grow self-awareness, build their confidence, live authentically and unapologetically true to themselves. She is the creator of the The Get Over Divorce Collective, a healing program for women to get healed and whole after divorce, and host of the Get Over Divorce podcast. She is passionate about helping women create a life they love after divorce.

You’ll walk away from this episode with a clear understanding of where you lost your power and how to get it back. 

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer  

If you’re ready to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking,  click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

Connect with Julie at https://www.getoverdivorce.com/breakthrough

Does the number on your scale have the power to make or break your day?

Most people think weighing themselves on a daily basis is the best way to hold themselves accountable and achieve their weight loss goals. 

But checking your weight everyday is akin to holding yourself hostage. When the number doesn’t match your expectations, disappointment and self-criticism lead to all types of self-sabotage. Because what’s the point of trying so hard if nothing works?

The first thing you need to lose is the belief that you can’t feel confident until or unless your body fits the mold. 

My guest today is Max Lowery, a behavioral change expert and host of the Never Diet Again podcast. He’s here to dispel the myth that weight loss is a physical challenge and explain how emotional and psychological factors manifest externally. Because it’s feeling good that causes you to look good…not vice versa.

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer 

If you’re ready to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking,  click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

Max Lowery is a Weight Loss Coach and Behavioral Change Expert, dedicated to helping busy women over 40 achieve sustainable weight loss without extreme diets or punishing exercise routines. As the creator of the LIVE 360 program and the Never Diet Again Method, Max focuses on uncovering the root causes behind weight struggles, including emotional eating, negative self-talk, identity, and limiting beliefs. With 10 years of experience and a deep understanding of the psychological aspects of weight loss, Max provides a clear, step-by-step approach that helps clients shift their mindset, rebuild self-worth, and develop lasting habits. His philosophy rejects conventional diet culture, emphasizing moderation, mindfulness, and balance. Max’s work empowers clients to lose weight while enjoying the foods they love and creating a lifestyle they can sustain for the long term.

Find Max on social media @max.lowery and listen to his podcast Never Diet Again.

How often do you decide to have a single drink to take the edge off and end up getting completely wasted?

It sounds like a good idea because you’re craving an escape and feel like you deserve to cut yourself some slack! But then you wake up to reality…feeling anxious, foggy, behind the ball and wondering why you can’t stop once you start.

Today I’m sharing my personal experience with a recent urge to over-do it that felt overwhelming and seductive. I used a simple mindset shift to reconnect with the felt-sensations of relaxation and control. It only took a few minutes and it wasn’t even hard.

You’ll walk away from this episode with a step-by-step process for how to manage the impulse to keep drinking (while you’re drinking) without feeling like you’re missing out on fun.

If you’re ready to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking),  click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer 

Why is it that sometimes we can be hyper-focused and productive, yet at other times, the simplest tasks feel impossible? 

High-achievers tend to fall into the trap of believing that pushing beyond our limits is the shortcut to getting what we want. And then beat ourselves up for being lazy or weak when we’re actually just tired…because we’re human.

Lynne Edris is host of the ADHD Support Talk podcast. You’ll walk away from this episode with a clear understanding of how cycles of overworking and “tapping out” are caused by the ADHD brain’s need for constant stimulation. 

We’ll give you practical tools and strategies to recognize dysfunctional patterns and change your relationship with your brain so that you can build systems that help you thrive without all the chaos. 

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer 

And If you’re ready to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking), click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

Connect with Lynne Edris:

Website: www.coachingadvantages.com

Podcast: ADHD Support Talk 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynne_edris

Do you put on a brave face when you’re struggling– conducting business as usual while juggling a million things even though you know something is deeply wrong?

You may feel isolated, overwhelmed, nauseated, or even have panic attacks in the middle of the night. 

But pushing through the symptoms of mental and emotional distress leads to breakdown. When you hear yourself say “I can’t keep doing this,” you need to believe it.

My guest today is Andrea Rappaport, a stand up comedian and co-host of the “How Not to Suck at Divorce” podcast. She shares how ignoring the red flags in her relationship led to disabling anxiety and physical illness.

You’re going to be so inspired by her story of transformation and how she discovered that everything you want is on the other side of everything you’re afraid to face.

Find Andrea on social media @theandrearappaport and @hownottosuckatdivorce

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer 

If you’re ready to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking,  click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

How do you make sense of the fact that, even though you really do want to drink less, you keep making the same mistakes?

You know what you should do. But your brain is blocking your motivation with three sneaky obstacles:

• Using your past to predict your future, thinking ‘I’ve failed before, so why should this time be any different.'
• Believing you don’t have enough time, energy, or motivation to make a change right now--even though you have the time and energy to manage a drinking problem.
• You focus so much on the problem—feeling bad about how much you drink—that you can't see the solution.

In this episode, I’ll show you exactly how to get around the three mental obstacles keeping you stuck.

Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and IG @thehangoverwhisperer 

If you’re ready to get emotionally sober (side effects include an 80 percent reduction in alcohol consumption),  click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our conversation with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.

In this special bonus episode, Colleen interviews Susan Keller, author of the new book Mostly Sober: A Love Story and a Road Trip. Susan shares her personal journey of rethinking her relationship with alcohol, how she found her way into the mindful drinking movement, and why she wrote Mostly Sober, a groundbreaking novel for those who want to cut back on drinking without quitting entirely.

In this conversation, Colleen and Susan discuss:

• Susan's background in healthcare education and how it influenced her interest in alcohol moderation.

• The appeal of mindful drinking and how Susan’s approach differs from traditional "Quit Lit" stories of sobriety.

• The process of writing Mostly Sober, a blend of fiction, autobiography, and self-help for women who want to minimize their drinking but don't see complete sobriety as the answer.

• Why Susan believes in celebrating the small wins and how using simple tools like marking days without drinking helped her feel empowered.

• The emotional connection between childhood trauma, people-pleasing, and drinking habits, as explored through Susan’s protagonist, Annie Marks.

• How Susan found support and community through podcasts, online groups, and conversations with like-minded women, and why having a support system is so important for mindful drinkers.

• The importance of understanding that mindful drinking is about rethinking your relationship with alcohol, not just counting drinks or adhering to rigid rules.

Where to Buy Mostly Sober

You can find Mostly Sober: A Love Story and a Road Trip in various formats:

• BookBaby Store

• Susan’s website: SusanKeller.com

• Major retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million (coming soon).

Connect with Colleen: Come find me on TikTok @hangoverwhisperer and Instagram @thehangoverwhisperer.

If you're ready to get Mostly Sober and want support, guidance and accountability, click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of how to get the skills you need to transform your life.