Sober Awkward

When you picture rehab, what comes to mind?

A gloomy old building with flickering lights and someone yelling down the corridor? Maybe a slightly dishevelled Hollywood celeb getting wheeled into group therapy?

Yeah… us too. We imagined something scary, shame-filled, and full of awkward meetings where you have to open up in front of strangers while sitting in a plastic chair.

But is it really like that? In this episode, we’re unpacking all the outdated ideas we had about rehab and exploring what options are actually out there for people struggling with Alcohol Use Disorder.

We’re joined by Dr Chris Davis, founder of Clean Slate Clinic, who’s here to tell us about a very different kind of recovery — one you can do from your own home, in your trackies, without a hint of shame. We talk about how modern rehab can be discreet, flexible, and tailored to real life, and why the traditional image of recovery might be stopping people from getting the help they need.

And yes, we do go slightly off track with a conversation about peacocks. Obviously.

If you’ve ever wondered what real rehab looks like and how it could look for you...Tune in, get comfy, and let's find out.

🎧 Show Notes

For more information on Clean Slate just head to www.cleanslateclinic.com

💛 Resources & Links

https://aa.org.au/contact-aa

https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/find-a-meeting/

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.

👉 Buy the book here

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes

👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community

Our private, supportive online space for sober folk

👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide

Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.

👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:

Instagram: @soberawkward

TikTok: @soberawkward

Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

🚨 Helplines & Support

🇦🇺 Australia

– Alcohol & Drug Foundation (ADF) – 1300 85 85 84

– Lifeline – 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)

– Hello Sunday Morning / Daybreak App – hellosundaymorning.org

🇬🇧 UK

– Drinkline (NHS) – 0300 123 1110

– Alcoholics Anonymous UK – www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When life gets overwhelming and your brain whispers “a cold beer would fix this,” is it really a craving… or just a memory from the old you?

This week, Vic dives headfirst into the wonderfully chaotic world of those bloody annoying cravings — or as she now calls them, ghostly flashbacks from her rosé-soaked past. In this bite size episode, Vic shares her own awkward evolution, from life and soul of the party to calm-ish, crime-drama-watching, Scrabble-playing sober warrior and reframes what cravings actually are.

Then, it’s time for the countdown:

A Top of the Pops–style list (minus the glitter and synth) of the Top Ten Best Ways to Deal With Alcohol Cravings.

From star-fishing on the floor to telling your cravings to politely piss off, this episode is packed with honest advice, sharp one-liners, and some very questionable references to injured swamp donkeys.

So pop on your headphones, put the kettle on, and remember: cravings aren’t commands. They’re just echoes of a past self and you don’t have to dance to that tune anymore.

Enjoy!

Sober Awkward Tools and Links

Join Cuppa – our alcohol-free community

A kind, no-pressure space to connect with others navigating sobriety

www.cuppa.community

Read Vic’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at booze, motherhood, and self-discovery

https://amzn.asia/d/fanNMha

Book a one-on-one session with Vic

Writing mentorship, sobriety support, or just a good old chat

https://www.soberawkward.com/store

Explore the full podcast archive

Catch up on all the messy, funny, honest episodes of Sober Awkward

https://open.spotify.com/show/4qXlSc9lDGStYLeYIjrWPH?si=ece6e75ae4f041f9

Follow us on Instagram

Behind-the-scenes chaos, awkward moments, and sober inspo

@soberawkward

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything. Whether you’ve been here since day one or this is your first toe-dip into the awkward, we’re so glad you found us.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Throwback Thursdays on Sober Awkward!

Every Thursday, we’re serving up a little slice of Sober Awkward history – a short, powerful clip from one of our most-loved past episodes.

Why? Because sometimes, the right words hit differently the second time around. Whether you’re new here or a long-time listener, these throwback moments are here to keep you company, remind you you’re not alone, and offer that little nudge of insight or encouragement just when you need it.

Think of it as a midweek check-in. Something bite-sized to walk with, laugh at, or quietly reflect on. And if the clip hits home? You can go back and listen to the full episode anytime – just follow the link in the show notes.

We know one episode a week isn’t always enough – so here’s your extra helping of honesty, humour, and a bit of awkwardness to get you through the week.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/1bi0msGYB08Gfg23Vlmbvo?si=riekaF2UQLacR3hO6wOTdw

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever poured yourself a drink while a tiny voice in your head whispered “Maybe I need help,” only to shrug, ignore it, and top up your glass anyway? Maybe you secretly want to quit or at least cut back, but you do not feel like a “proper alcoholic,” so you keep muddling along, unsure where to start. You are curious about life without booze, but the idea of asking for help feels awkward, confusing and a little bit terrifying. Who do you even tell? Where do you turn?

If that sounds familiar, congratulations, you have already taken the first step just by thinking about it. Welcome to the wonderfully weird world of sobriety, where curiosity counts as progress and even the smallest whisper that something has to change matters.

This August on Sober Awkward we are exploring the messy, life changing transition from drinking to sober living. We are talking about the tools that can help, the places you can turn to for support and how to navigate those uncomfortable conversations with the people who matter.

Today’s episode is about that first scary leap — admitting out loud that booze is not working and telling someone you are ready to make a change. Vic shares the very un‑Instagrammable moment she finally said the words and Hamish, true to form, takes a detour through his exes before circling back to the point. Together they share how speaking it into the world can be the moment everything begins to shift.

🎧 Show Notes

For more information on Clean Slate just head to www.cleanslateclinic.com

💛 Resources & Links

https://aa.org.au/contact-aa

https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/find-a-meeting/

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.

👉 Buy the book here

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes

👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community

Our private, supportive online space for sober folk

👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide

Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.

👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:

Instagram: @soberawkward

TikTok: @soberawkward

Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to the second Sober Awkward Top Ten! episode where you will be joined by Hame and his top 10 hacks/short-cuts/secrets - whatever you want to call them! These are the 10 smallest changes that we have seen have the biggest effect on thousands of peoples sobriety.

Take them, steal them, copy them and let us know if they help you too!

It’s honest, it’s funny, and it might just make you feel a little bit more normal.

Perfect for a walk, a cuppa, or hiding in the pantry from your children.

Sober Awkward Tools and Links

Join Cuppa – our alcohol-free community

A kind, no-pressure space to connect with others navigating sobriety

www.cuppa.community

Read Vic’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at booze, motherhood, and self-discovery

https://amzn.asia/d/fanNMha

Book a one-on-one session with Vic

Writing mentorship, sobriety support, or just a good old chat

https://www.soberawkward.com/store

Explore the full podcast archive

Catch up on all the messy, funny, honest episodes of Sober Awkward

https://open.spotify.com/show/4qXlSc9lDGStYLeYIjrWPH?si=ece6e75ae4f041f9

Follow us on Instagram

Behind-the-scenes chaos, awkward moments, and sober inspo

@soberawkward

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything. Whether you’ve been here since day one or this is your first toe-dip into the awkward, we’re so glad you found us.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Throwback Thursdays on Sober Awkward!

Every Thursday, we’re serving up a little slice of Sober Awkward history – a short, powerful clip from one of our most-loved past episodes.

Why? Because sometimes, the right words hit differently the second time around. Whether you’re new here or a long-time listener, these throwback moments are here to keep you company, remind you you’re not alone, and offer that little nudge of insight or encouragement just when you need it.

Think of it as a midweek check-in. Something bite-sized to walk with, laugh at, or quietly reflect on. And if the clip hits home? You can go back and listen to the full episode anytime – just follow the link in the show notes.

We know one episode a week isn’t always enough – so here’s your extra helping of honesty, humour, and a bit of awkwardness to get you through the week.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/6hUGqJf71WP0DYdUcJvS96?si=15efd08aadbd454e

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does being sober make you an HSP, or are HSPs just more likely to drink in the first place? It’s the ultimate chicken-or-the-wine-glass scenario.

In this emotionally flammable episode, Vic and Hamish dive headfirst into the weird world of the Highly Sensitive Person – a personality trait that affects 15–20% of people and, as it turns out, possibly 100% of sober awkward podcast hosts.

Are you the kind of person who cries at Bluey, avoids loud pubs, or needs a lie down after a trip to IKEA? Do you feel the vibes of a room before you’ve even taken your coat off? Do toilet paper adverts make you weep? Then you mightjust be one of us.

Vic realises she’s been diagnosed with just about everything but scurvy, and Hamish confesses his secret talent for emotional sponge-mode. Together, they unpack what it means to feel everything, all the time, especially once the numbing power of booze is removed.

Expect:

– Tangents about crying in supermarkets

– The healing power of chocolate pretzels

– A touching tale of being lost in the Himalayas

– And a surprisingly heartwarming conclusion about how being sensitive might actually be your secret superpower

So, are we all just too sensitive, or finally learning how to feel?

And is sobriety turning us into HSPs… or just helping us discover we always were?

Plug in, get comfy, and let the awkward feelings commence.

🎧 Show Notes

For more information on Clean Slate just head to www.cleanslateclinic.com

💛 Resources & Links

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.

👉 Buy the book here

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes

👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/4qXlSc9lDGStYLeYIjrWPH?si=7eea2d3fd3ed4998

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community

Our private, supportive online space for sober folk

👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide

Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.

👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:

Instagram: @soberawkward

TikTok: @soberawkward

Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

🚨 Helplines & Support

🇦🇺 Australia

– Alcohol & Drug Foundation (ADF) – 1300 85 85 84

– Lifeline – 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)

– Hello Sunday Morning / Daybreak App – hellosundaymorning.org

🇬🇧 UK

– Drinkline (NHS) – 0300 123 1110

– Alcoholics Anonymous UK – www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the very first Sober Awkward Top Ten! In this short, sharp, slightly angry at the council episode, Vic shares ten gloriously unexpected things that happen when you give up the booze. From crying at dog food ads to waking up at 5am on purpose, these are the strange little perks, quirks, and emotional sucker punches that come with sober life.

It’s honest, it’s funny, and it might just make you feel a little bit more normal.

Perfect for a walk, a cuppa, or hiding in the pantry from your children.

Sober Awkward Tools and Links

Join Cuppa – our alcohol-free community

A kind, no-pressure space to connect with others navigating sobriety

www.cuppa.community

Read Vic’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at booze, motherhood, and self-discovery

https://amzn.asia/d/fanNMha

Book a one-on-one session with Vic

Writing mentorship, sobriety support, or just a good old chat

https://www.soberawkward.com/store

Explore the full podcast archive

Catch up on all the messy, funny, honest episodes of Sober Awkward

https://open.spotify.com/show/4qXlSc9lDGStYLeYIjrWPH?si=ece6e75ae4f041f9

Follow us on Instagram

Behind-the-scenes chaos, awkward moments, and sober inspo

@soberawkward

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything. Whether you’ve been here since day one or this is your first toe-dip into the awkward, we’re so glad you found us.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Throwback Thursdays on Sober Awkward!

Every Thursday, we’re serving up a little slice of Sober Awkward history – a short, powerful clip from one of our most-loved past episodes.

Why? Because sometimes, the right words hit differently the second time around. Whether you’re new here or a long-time listener, these throwback moments are here to keep you company, remind you you’re not alone, and offer that little nudge of insight or encouragement just when you need it.

Think of it as a midweek check-in. Something bite-sized to walk with, laugh at, or quietly reflect on. And if the clip hits home? You can go back and listen to the full episode anytime – just follow the link in the show notes.

We know one episode a week isn’t always enough – so here’s your extra helping of honesty, humour, and a bit of awkwardness to get you through the week.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/04aLvhY3H6udYHaixgX2cz?si=hGGDj-fmRIKqkA_Hk9eqwA

For more information on Clean Slate just head to www.cleanslateclinic.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast, Hame is joined by broadcaster, author, mum, podcaster, and all-round Aussie icon — Yumi Stynes.

Now nine years sober, Yumi shares the full arc of her relationship with alcohol: from growing up in Swan Hill and nervously sipping booze as a teen, to navigating grief after the loss of her dad, and working in the booze-fuelled world of music television during her time at Channel V.

We also touch on post-natal depression, shame as an unexpected motivator, the myth of “cool”, and some frankly hilarious (and horrifying) stories from the wild days of drinking. Oh, and yes, that kiss with Robbie Williams that changed the course of her life and career!

Yumi’s honesty and insight shine throughout this conversation, and she reminds us that the best drugs of all are free, legal, and available daily, and no, we’re not talking about pills, powders or pints.

Her decades-long career in the public eye has grown and evolved alongside her sobriety, and she credits her current creative energy to leaving alcohol behind.

Yumi is a dream guest, raw, wise, funny, and we hope you get as much from this episode as we did.

🎧 Show Notes

For more information on Clean Slate just head to www.cleanslateclinic.com

💛 Resources & Links

📸 Yumi's Instagram: @yumichild

📚 Her books are available here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Books-Yumi-Stynes/s?rh=n%3A4851626051%2Cp_27%3AYumi%2BStynes

🎤 Listen to her podcast 'Ladies, We Need to Talk'

😘 Watch THAT kiss with Robbie Williams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYXgeozYRX0

📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays

A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze.

👉 Buy the book here

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes

👉 www.soberawkward.com

🫖 Join The Cuppa Community

Our private, supportive online space for sober folk

👉 www.cuppa.community

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide

Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way.

👉 The Sober Awkward Guide

📱 Follow us for daily sober fun:

Instagram: @soberawkward

TikTok: @soberawkward

Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women

🚨 Helplines & Support

🇦🇺 Australia

– Alcohol & Drug Foundation (ADF) – 1300 85 85 84

– Lifeline – 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)

– Hello Sunday Morning / Daybreak App – hellosundaymorning.org

🇬🇧 UK

– Drinkline (NHS) – 0300 123 1110

– Alcoholics Anonymous UK – www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.