Boundaries can't be negotiated until they are identified. That's the primary purpose of emotions! To alert us when someone or something is violating our space or taking advantage of us.

Unfortunately, we've been socially conditioned to suppress those pesky feelings in favor of being "nice." So we eat resentment for breakfast to avoid having to say "no." 

Untangling our feelings and thoughts requires us to figure out what our thoughts mean. When should we listen to them? How do we know if we're being too sensitive--or if someone else is being an asshole?

I share the evolution of my own emotional intelligence in a bathroom boundary debacle between me and my husband. He loves a good smooch first thing in the morning. Am I just a b!tch denying my man of a little physical affection? Find out...

Find resources and freebies mentioned on the show: recoverwithcolleen.com/freebies

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The thing we get wrong about coping skills is that we think they allow us to be more productive. Whoever can put up with the most sh!t and still smile wins, right?

Coping skills aren't for managing life. They are for managing your body. They are tools for self-care. There's a big difference between stress and stressors, and most of us think it's the external stuff that's making us crazy.

In this episode, I will teach you the primary coping skill that allows you to regulate your nervous system so that you can build a self-care tool box that works for you. Plus, I share my four favorite strategies that helped me survive early sobriety. 

Find resources and freebies mentioned on the show: recoverwithcolleen.com/freebies

Register for 10 Days to Spontaneous Sobriety.

Click here to join my private Facebook group Recover with Colleen

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In this episode, I fact-check the lies that perpetuate drinking so that you can stop blaming yourself for having a broken "off" switch. Alcohol use disorder is an honest mistake.

• Alcohol does NOT make you happy. It inhibits pleasure in everyday life.
• Alcohol does NOT help you sleep. It blocks REM sleep which is why you feel exhausted even if you're in bed 8 hours.
• Tolerance is NOT a sign of a high-functioning liver. It's a sign your brain chemistry is off.
• Drinking does NOT reduce stress. A tell-tale sign of addiction is when drinking doesn't feel good so much as not drinking feels bad. 
• There's nothing wrong with you. Anyone can get addicted to alcohol. Because alcohol is an addictive drug. 
• Calling yourself an alcoholic after you quit drinking protects the billion dollar alcohol industry from liability.

Find resources and freebies mentioned on the show: recoverwithcolleen.com/freebies

Register for 10 Days to Spontaneous Sobriety.

Click here to join my private Facebook group Recover with Colleen

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In the past, the mindset of "taking a break" set me up for failure. As an all or nothing, go-big-or-stay-home person, the best approach for me was to jump into sobriety with both feet. 

In this episode, I share how I got through detox and what happened when the pink bubble (Nature's nod to our efforts) popped.

Alcohol use disorder is an honest mistake. We're not given the information we need to actually "drink responsibility." Addiction can happen to anyone. The good news is that separating fact from fiction will get you excited to stick with sobriety. You won't struggle with cravings for alcohol anymore that you need willpower to avoid stepping in dog sh!t. 

Find the Survival Guide for First 10 Days of Sobriety at recoverwithcolleen.com/freebies

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This is my story...

What my life was like as a drinker, and how I went from drinking a bottle of wine (as a warm up lap) to quitting cold turkey.

My decent into addiction, from being a normal drinker who could take it or leave it to a heavy daily drinker, including the gradual shifts in my thinking, motives for drinking and when I started hiding it. 

What was different on my day one that allowed me to experience sobriety as a relief and move into life as a non-drinker without looking back. 

Find resources and freebies mentioned on the show: recoverwithcolleen.com/freebies

Register for 10 Days to Spontaneous Sobriety.

Click here to join my private Facebook group Recover with Colleen

Follow me on Instagram Recover with Colleen