In this episode we chat to Madeline Forrest, known as Happiest Sober!

Madeline gave up alcohol in November 2020 when she was 27 years old. She now, like us, sings about sobriety on her Instagram page and her Happiest Sober podcast, and this is a really joyful and insightful conversation.

Madeline had two alcoholic parents - her Mum gave up in her early 20s, but she talks to us about how her Dad relapsed when she was young. Alcohol was therefore always a pretty big topic of conversation in her house, as Madeline puts it - but she still drank herself when she was able to, before giving up for good just over two years ago.

Madeline talked to us from Toronto, so we also talked about how Canada has been making the alcohol-free headlines this week after Health Canada released new guidelines about drinking. We also have a really interesting conversation about the need for more education around alcohol, especially in schools.

If you'd like to know more about Madeline, you can follow her @happiestsober on Instagram - or to listen to her podcast, search for "Happiest Sober" in your podcast app!

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Of course, you can always get in touch with us (publicly or privately) on our socials - @alcoholfreepod on Instagram, or search for "Over The Influence" on Facebook.

We'd love to hear your story - please get in touch with us directly at [email protected] or go to our website, www.overtheinfluence.co.uk

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If you love OTI and you'd like to hear behind the curtain, subscribe to the OTI Premium Podcast now!

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For links to alcohol-related support services, please visit our website.

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All views expressed in this podcast are of the participants themselves, and not necessarily those of Over The Influence (OTI) Ltd. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. We are not medical professionals but normal people giving their own experiences of removing alcohol from their lives, and as such this podcast should not be considered professional advice. If you are dependent on alcohol, or think you may be, we strongly recommend that you seek professional medical advice.

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We found hashtags and sober social media accounts really helpful in our early days alcohol free, as following them can help to reinforce that you are not alone! These are some of the hashtags we've followed:

#alcoholfree #stopdrinking #healthandwellnessjourney #zeroalcohol #idontdrink #sobercurious #healthydrinking #alcoholfreelife #soberaf #alcoholfreeliving #sobermotivation #podcast #healthpodcast #noalcohol #nobooze #sober #sobercurious #soberlofe #soberliving #sobercommunity #afcommunity #soberwomen #sobermom #sobermomtribe #sobersisters #sobriety #soberuk #soberjourney #sobrietyrocks #overtheinfluence #oti