The Sober Mom Life

My mom Susan is back on the show to talk about an extremely important topic - drinking and driving. In addition to being a therapist, Susan is an Intoxicated Driver Program Assessor, and in this role she has listened to people talk about the fallout of drinking and driving for over two decades.  The legal and safety repercussions of DUIs, DWIs, or OWIs can be intense. One of the scariest parts, in my opinion, is that very few of us actually understand the details of how quickly alcohol can affect our safety behind the wheel. So, today we’re going to shed light on the facts. You’ll learn what ‘blood alcohol level’ truly means, how safe (or unsafe) it is to drive below the legal intoxication limit of .08, and symptoms you’ll experience at different blood alcohol levels. Are you searching for a community to support you in your sobriety?Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week! We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s Real Sober Mom, Laura, grew up in a home with two struggling parents - her father with alcohol addiction and her mother with mental illness. The fractures in her homelife caused her to struggle socially at school, but once she tried alcohol she experienced a sense of relief. Her challenges didn’t feel so hard when she was drinking. At that point, alcohol quickly became enshrined in her life through her teens and twenties. As an adult, Laura fell into the profile for gray area drinking. When her daughters began to enter their teenage years, she began to worry. Did she want her daughters to have the same experience that she had as a child? The answer was no. It was time to make a change. Laura’s path to sobriety took many steps, with stops and starts. Finally, community support and education gave her what she needed to completely leave alcohol behind. Today, Laura shares how hypnosis helped her in her sobriety journey, the trauma she has had to face with a therapist now that she is sober, how her relationship with her husband has been affected by her lifestyle change, and the experiences she had on work trips as she was trying to get sober. Are you searching for a community to support you in your sobriety?Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week! We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My husband Russell is back on the show, and this time things are a little different - he’s 100 days sober! Today Russell will share why he decided to commit to one full year of sobriety. We’ll talk about the benefits of creating a goal, how he’s handled challenging social situations without drinking, and the physical, mental and emotional changes he’s experienced in the first 100 days of his sobriety. Plus, Russell gives his advice for the ever popular question - what to do if you want your partner to stop drinking. Check out Russell’s first appearance on the show here.Are you searching for a community to support you in your sobriety?Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week! We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Katie and I are here for another installment of SobieTEA, where we spill the tea about our favorite escape: Bravo and reality TV! This week we’re talking about Suzanne’s first impressions of Love Island, and the dizzyingly jampacked first episode of Season 18 of The Real Housewives of Orange County. Plus - Katie meets Jax on her LA trip, How Lindsay’s pregnancy will affect Summer House, and our opinions on The Situation’s book. Do you have topics you’d like us to cover on the next SobieTEA? Send Katie a note at @soberlivingct on Instagram! Are you searching for a community to support you in your sobriety?Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week! We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Susan Knower, my therapist mom, joins us today for an Ask Me Anything, therapist style! She is a licensed professional counselor with a substance abuse specialization and is here today to answer the most common questions you submitted on Instagram. We’ll talk about the challenge of convincing a loved one to stop drinking, if trauma can be healed without a professional therapist, how the ‘stages of change’ apply to alcohol, the role of a therapist in a person’s healing journey, our thoughts on rehab, and tips for redirecting your negative internal thoughts. The following books were mentioned in today’s episode: Codependent No More by Melody BeattieBuy Yourself the F*cking Lillies by Tara SchusterAre you searching for a community to support you in your sobriety?Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week! We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shannon always went overboard with alcohol, from the very first time she got drunk from her parents liquor cabinet when she was 15. She spaced out her drinking in her teens and twenties because she always knew she would drink all night once she got started. Once Shannon began having kids she became obsessed with having a clean, healthy, non-toxic life. She cooked entirely organic and was extremely careful about the chemicals in her home, but she gave alcohol a pass. She turned a blind eye to any information that said alcohol was bad for her health. When a breast cancer diagnosis turned Shannon’s life upside down in 2020, her alcohol consumption began to grow worse and she began extremely angry that she had developed cancer despite her deep commitment to a healthy lifestyle. The fact that she got cancer simply didn’t make sense to her. In the years following her fight with breast cancer, Shannon finally began to open her ears to the truth about what alcohol can do to the body, and she is so thankful that she started to listen. She kept drinking while she was learning about alcohol's effects, but eventually she knew too much. One year ago Shannon woke up and realized she was done. She is so proud of herself for now having a full year of sobriety under her belt! Are you searching for a community to support you in your sobriety?Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week! We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Audrey is back on the show today to celebrate Dry July and her own 2 year soberversary! She’ll tell the story of the last time she ever got drunk and how it kickstarted her path toward choosing sobriety. Plus, we’ll talk about the benefits you’ll receive from trying a Dry July, rising above the shame in early sobriety, the problematic trend of alcohol at children’s birthday parties, and the power of connection in sobriety. We want you to know - you don’t need anyone’s permission to get sober. You knowing is enough!Hear Audrey’s sobriety story here. Are you searching for a community to support you in your sobriety?Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week! We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kathryn has been a lifelong overachiever, but that didn’t stop her from being a heavy drinker. It did, however, mask her view of what alcohol was doing to her life. In 2019, Kathryn received her first hint of a wakeup call when she fell down a flight of stairs after a night of drinking. This injury resulted in an emergency surgery months later and has left her with permanent nerve damage. Kathryn absolved alcohol of blame for the fall and continued drinking. During the pandemic, struggling with the insecurities that arose from her injury, Kathryn turned to alcohol more than she ever had before. Her drinking became a source of strife between her and her boyfriend and was central to their breakup. In the aftermath she went on a booze filled trip that culminated in a massive hangover and anxiety attack. This time, she heeded the wakeup call and committed herself to sobriety and personal growth. This journey led her back to her boyfriend and she quickly became pregnant. A beautiful transition into parenthood made Kathryn think she could invite alcohol back into her life. She thought she’d now be able to moderate safely. This started a back and forth dance with drinking, until she could finally see the benefits of sobriety clear as day. Kathryn is now completely confident in her choice to stay sober. She feels like she can have just as much fun when she’s sober, and has no interest in ever going back! Are you searching for a community to support you in your sobriety?Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week! We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gill Tietz of Sober Powered is here to help me kick off Dry July with an Alcohol 101 lesson. From her perspective as a former biochemist, Gill drops some major bombs about alcohol’s effects that will forever change how you look at the substance. We’ll dive into what alcohol is, how it affects our bodies and brains, how alcohol consumption affects women's bodies differently, and alcohol withdrawal symptoms. If you’re struggling in your sobriety, let this episode enlighten you to all of the science-backed reasons why quitting is one of the best decisions you will ever make! Learn more about Gill on Instagram and check out her Dry July series on the Sober Powered Podcast. Are you searching for a community to support you in your sobriety?Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week! We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today my brother Jay is joining me for a conversation that he and I both know a lot about - grief and sobriety. Our society encourages us to be quiet about the complicated and overwhelming feelings of grief, but it needs to be talked about, so today we’re doing just that. Jay lost his best friend one month ago in a tragic accident, and today he’s here to share with us how he has been processing his traumatic loss, and how sobriety has played into his experience. Jay wants you to know that there is no substance that will take away the pain of loss. Grief can only be managed with time. If you’re struggling with grief and sobriety, check out my other episode on the topic here. Are you searching for a community to support you in your sobriety?Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week! We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.