Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen

Reimagining Recovery (Holly Whitaker): ADDICTION

Dec 4, 2023

Holly Whitaker, author of Quit Like a Woman, discusses the societal acceptance of alcohol and the lack of meaningful conversations surrounding alcohol use. The podcast explores addiction, challenges recovery culture, and emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to recovery. The dangers of alcohol addiction and the need for alternative approaches are also discussed.

57:39

Episode guests

Holly Whitaker

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Highlights

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Alcohol should be questioned for its benefits instead of focusing solely on personal labels like 'alcoholic'.

The societal acceptance and marketing of alcohol hinder meaningful conversations and informed consent around its use.

Deep dives

The Problem with Asking the Wrong Question

Holly Whittaker discusses her realization that she had been asking the wrong question about her drinking career. Instead of asking whether she was an alcoholic, she began questioning the benefits of alcohol and the lack of informed consent in our society's view of drinking.

The Concept of Alcoholism as a Personal Issue

01:22

Challenging the Cultural Myth Around Alcohol Consumption

01:35

Embracing self-acceptance and service in overcoming struggle

01:03

Introduction

2min

Challenging Recovery Culture and the Normalization of Alcohol

20min

The Dangers of Alcohol Addiction

5min

Recovery, Addiction, and the Need for Alternative Approaches

19min

The Importance of a Holistic Approach to Recovery

2min

Exploring Alcohol Addiction and Rehabilitation

5min

“For years, I was asking myself whether or not I was an alcoholic versus really asking myself whether or not alcohol was actually providing any benefit to me. And for me, it was just like, This realization when I stopped drinking that I had been asking the wrong question for my whole drinking career and like, why are we not asking the question? We're just like, we're drinking, it's compulsory in our society. It's exceptional if you don't drink. And then it's also this very addictive drug that's marketed to us in a way that totally overrides our ability to like make rational choices around it. It's like the most socially accepted drug that you can use and like, we just don't have meaningful conversations or informed consent or any, you know, so for me, a huge part of me quitting drinking, which I did in 2013, it was this realization of Intellectually understanding I had been asking the wrong question which for me was a huge empowerment and part of the reason I was able to quit.”

So says Holly Whitaker, author of the New York Times bestselling Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol. I had heard about Holly long before I met her, primarily because she was disrupting recovery culture and many people did not like this. But the more I learned about her, the more I spoke to her, the more I witnessed her impact on culture, the more I was completely taken by both her brilliance and her willingness to say the things. Be warned: If you read her book, you’ll never think about alcohol again. In its pages, she recontextualizes the way we’ve been trained to normalize booze—and also the way the current recovery scene is shaped for the consciousness, and egos, of men. She’s created companies in the vein of a feminine-centered recovery, and it feels like she’s just getting started in the way we talk about addictive substances—and addiction. Those who struggle will find a lot of relief in her words, and I understand why.

MORE FROM HOLLY WHITAKER:

Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol

Holly’s Newsletter

Holly’s Website

Holly’s Podcast

Follow Holly on Instagram

Further Listening on Pulling the Thread:

ADDICTION: Anna Lembke, M.D., “Navigating an Addictive Culture”

TRAUMA: Gabor Maté, M.D., “When Stress Becomes Illness”

BINGE EATING DISORDER: Susan Burton, “Whose Pain Counts?”

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