Addiction Unlimited Podcast

Sobriety gets you stable — emotional intelligence gets you unstoppable. If you’ve ever felt like you got sober… then life got louder, messier, and more emotionally demanding — this episode is your roadmap. I’m joined by my friend and emotional intelligence powerhouse, Noble Gibbens, to break down why EQ isn’t a nice-to-have in recovery — it’s the foundation of building a life you’re actually proud to live. Noble’s story is wild: military, high performer, “business cult,” decades of people-pleasing… and then a full-blown wake-up call that forced him to confront emotional immaturity head-on. What he learned rebuilt his marriage, rewired his relationships, reshaped his career, and transformed his entire identity. And listen — if you’re sober, even for a day, you know exactly why this matters.Alcohol numbed everything. Sobriety brings all of it back.EQ is how you handle it. This episode is loaded with tools, book recommendations, emotional vocabulary tips, and straight-up truth bombs to help you grow stronger, calmer, and more resilient in your day-to-day life. Plus, I created a full companion guide for you — every resource mentioned in this episode is inside it. Here are 3 Key Takeaways From This Episode:  1️⃣ Emotional Intelligence Is a Skill — Not a Personality Trait You weren’t born knowing how to navigate emotions. No one handed you a manual. EQ is learned, practiced, strengthened, and refined over time — and it becomes your competitive advantage in sobriety and in life. 2️⃣ Self-Awareness Is the First Step (and It’s Usually the Hardest) Most people think they’re self-aware… until they start naming their emotions, tracking their triggers, and seeing how much of their behavior is fueled by fear, people-pleasing, or old survival patterns. Awareness is the doorway to freedom. 3️⃣ Growth Requires Discomfort — But Discomfort Builds Power You can’t emotionally mature without running straight into the stuff you’ve been avoiding for years. But the moment you start doing the work, everything shifts — your relationships, your confidence, your boundaries, your entire sense of self. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Download the EQ Resource Guide: addictionunlimited.com/eq Book a Free Call with Angela: addictionunlimited.com/call Join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/addictionunlimited

The Hard Truth About Being “The Helper” (And Why It’s Keeping You Stuck) In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood patterns in relationships: codependency. If you’ve ever felt exhausted from being “the strong one,” guilty when you prioritize yourself, or frustrated when someone doesn’t take your advice, this conversation is for you. I break down how codependency masquerades as love but is actually a hidden form of control—and how the need to be needed keeps both you and the people you care about stuck. You’ll learn to recognize the subtle daily patterns that signal codependency, from checking your phone for someone else’s emotional weather to canceling your own plans when someone seems “off.” Then, I walk you through the practice of detachment with love—caring deeply while releasing your grip on outcomes. This isn’t about being cold or distant. It’s about trusting that others have their own path, their own lessons, and their own capacity to grow. I share practical steps like setting real boundaries (yes, you can not respond to every text), tolerating discomfort, and offering support without attachment. Finally, we dive into personal responsibility and emotional independence. You’ll discover how to build your own sense of meaning that doesn’t depend on being needed, practice self-compassion with the same kindness you give others, and reclaim the energy you’ve been pouring into everyone else’s lives. 🔗 Links Mentioned in This Episode 🎧 Related Episode: Why Your Inner Voice Is So Mean — And How It Affects Your Recovery 💬 Coaching with Angela: Book a Free Solution Call 👥 Community: Join us in the Facebook group

The Same Tool Used by Olympic Athletes & Top Performers to Change Your Life If you’ve ever wondered how elite athletes, top entrepreneurs, and high-performers create insane results… this is it. And no — it’s not woo, it’s not wishful thinking, and it’s not pretending life is perfect. It’s science. And when you learn to use it to rewire your subconscious, override old limiting beliefs, and shift the way you feel about your life… everything changes. Here’s the wild part: Science says 95% of your brain activity is unconscious. That means almost everything you do — your habits, reactions, decisions, fears, beliefs — is driven by the part of your mind you don’t even realize is in control. It’s running old programs.Old stories.Old beliefs you didn’t choose. So the question becomes: How do you work with your subconscious mind to rewrite those stories so you can get MORE of what you want in life… and LESS of what you don’t? This episode breaks the whole thing down for you. You’ll learn: 👉 The neuroscience behind why visualization works(And why your brain treats imagined events like real ones) 👉 How your Reticular Activating System filters your entire life(And how to reprogram it so it works for you) 👉 Why fear + anxiety are just negative visualizations(and how to interrupt that pattern instantly) 👉 A super-simple visualization process you can start todayNo crystals. No chanting. No drama. Just actual science you can use right now. If you’ve been stuck in the start–stop cycle… doubting yourself… or fighting the same old patterns over and over… This tool changes everything. Grab your headphones and let’s dive in, my friend — you’re going to love this one. 🔗 Links Mentioned Book a Call With Angela: https://addictionunlimited.com/call Join the Private Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/addictionunlimited Grab the Daily Plan Worksheet: https://addictionunlimited.com/plan

You Might Be a Perfectionist (And It’s Stealing Your Peace) If you’re constantly overthinking, procrastinating, or beating yourself up for not doing “enough” — this episode is going to hit home. Because perfectionism isn’t about having high standards.It’s about control, fear, and anxiety — and it’s quietly running your life behind the scenes. In this episode, we’re exposing how perfectionism shows up in real life (even if you don’t think you’re a perfectionist), where it really comes from, and how to start breaking the cycle. If you’ve ever said: “I just want it to be good…” “I’ll start when I feel ready…” “I can’t screw this up…” …then this one’s for you. 🔥 What You’ll Learn: Why perfectionism is actually a coping mechanism for anxiety How it shows up as procrastination, irritability, people-pleasing, and control Why so many high-functioning sober people feel stuck — even years into recovery How to spot the perfectionist pattern before it steals your peace 6 powerful mindset and structure shifts to move forward without the shame spiral You’ll also hear a personal story from me that cracked this wide open — and gave me a whole new lens on my own fear and vulnerability. If this episode called you out in the best way, share it with a friend, and DM me on Instagram! 💥 Mentioned in this Episode: 🔥 Book a Free Call with Angela –> addictionunlimited.com/call 👉 The Daily Plan to Stay SoberYour daily structure to regulate anxiety, create momentum, and keep your head clear — one page, five minutes, every day. 🛍️ Cozy Earth — Early Black Friday Sale!Get up to 40% off sitewide + stack my code ANGELA at checkout.Shop now at CozyEarth.com  

You already know better.So why do you keep saying yes to what you’ll regret tomorrow? In this episode, Angela gets brutally honest about why you keep making decisions that don’t align with who you want to be — and how instant gratification is keeping you stuck in the cycle. This isn’t just about drinking.It’s about how you handle discomfort.Fear, frustration, boredom, anxiety — you’ve trained your brain to escape instead of lead. And that habit?It’s wrecking your confidence, your progress, and your peace. Inside this episode: How instant gratification fuels bad decisions (even sober ones) Why your “first thought” is often the wrong one — and what to do instead What real commitment looks like when you want to protect your peace The power of delayed gratification — and how it builds self-trust You don’t need more willpower.You need structure, discipline, and the courage to lead yourself differently. 🔗 Links List 📅 Book a Free Consultation Callhttps://addictionunlimited.com/call 💬 Join the Facebook Group (Sober Society)https://www.facebook.com/groups/addictionunlimited 📝 Download my Free Daily Planhttps://addictionunlimited.com/plan

If you’re thinking about drinking again — that’s the clearest sign you still can’t. Maybe you’ve been sober for a while… and you’re starting to wonder if you could handle drinking again.If that thought has crossed your mind — I want you to pause right here and hit play on this episode. We’re talking about the subtle signs that tell you everything you need to know about your relationship with alcohol — even now. In this episode, I’m sharing the addict traits that still show up in my life after almost 20 years sober — and how they confirm, without a doubt, that I’m not someone who can ever drink normally. We’ll talk about: The “more” mentality — when enough is never enough Overthinking and rumination (AKA emotional avoidance) Feeling “less than” no matter how much you accomplish Being extra in everyday ways (and what that really means) Why avoiding hard things in sobriety is just as dangerous as numbing them And we’ll bring it all back to the biggest red flag of all:Just how much mental energy you’re spending thinking about alcohol. You’ll hear the truth about the addict personality: how it still shows up in overthinking, overdoing, compulsive patterns, and that constant hunger for “more.” Because if you’re fantasizing, negotiating, or justifying a future where you might drink again… that’s not healing. That’s the addiction, whispering in a different voice. 🔗 Links List 📅 Book a Free Consultation Callhttps://addictionunlimited.com/call 💬 Join the Facebook Group (Sober Society)https://www.facebook.com/groups/addictionunlimited 📝 Download the Free Daily Planhttps://addictionunlimited.com/plan

A step-by-step plan to structure your day after quitting drinking. You didn’t just remove alcohol — you removed the thing that used to shape your day, distract your mind, and give you a false sense of control. So what now? If you’re stuck in the cycle of starting over…Or if you’ve been sober for a while but feel like you’re drifting through your days… This episode is for you. I’m walking you through my exact Daily Plan — the structure I use to stay sober, focused, and grounded in my sober power. You’ll learn:✨ What to do when you wake up✨ How to avoid the afternoon crash✨ Why structure creates peace✨ And the #1 mistake that keeps people in relapse loops This isn’t about willpower — it’s about ownership. 🎯 Your Next Step:Don’t just listen — download the free Daily Plan and start putting structure into action.This is where sobriety becomes your strategy. 🔗 Links Mentioned in This Episode 🎯 Download The Daily Plan (Free Tool):addictionunlimited.com/plan 💬 Join the Conversation in the Facebook Group:facebook.com/groups/addictionunlimited 📞 Book a Free Discovery Call with Angela:addictionunlimited.com/call

Why character work never ends — and how to dismantle the ego patterns and excuses keeping you stuck. You don’t do character work once and ride off into a peaceful sober sunset. You don’t quit drinking and magically become the healthiest version of yourself. This work never ends. And if that sentence annoyed you a little — you’re exactly who this episode is for. This episode is a wake-up call if you’ve been sober for weeks, months, or years—and life feels flat, repetitive, emotionally dull, like you’re just going through the motions. No joy. No spark. No goals. That’s a sign your emotional growth has stalled. You’re not fired up about life. You’re avoiding discomfort instead of growing. And your excuses sound really reasonable… but they’re killing your progress. This is where relapse starts—not always with alcohol, but with chaos, overspending, overeating, overworking, control, drama… anything to feel something. That’s why this whole idea that “more time sober = more maturity” is garbage. Character isn’t measured in time. It’s measured in effort and behavior. And plenty of people have a lot of time sober but stop working on themselves – and they’ll get stuck just as quick as someone with 10 days sober. Today, we dig into the real problem: it isn’t alcohol anymore. It’s ego, excuses, and emotional stagnation. 🎧 In this episode: (3:00) Sobriety solves the alcohol problem—not the everything underneath it problem (8:00) What ego really is and why a big ego + low self-esteem are the same thing (16:00) The excuse system: how your mind lies to protect your comfort (23:00) What emotional sobriety actually is (not a meme—real psychology) (30:00) The path forward: emotional fitness tools that create real change Sobriety is the foundation. Character is the house. And character gets built by dismantling ego, eliminating excuses, and developing emotional sobriety—the ability to feel everything without being controlled by it.   🔗 Links mentioned in this episode Book a Call with Angela → https://addictionunlimited.com/call Join the Facebook Group → https://www.facebook.com/groups/addictionunlimited Listen to this related episode: #396 – How to Take Action When You Don’t Feel Motivated → https://addictionunlimited.com/396

If you’re tired of starting back at day one, this episode will show you how to rebuild habits that last — with structure, not willpower. You don’t need more motivation. You need a better system. This is one of the most downloaded episodes I’ve ever released — and for good reason. Because when life gets hard, we fall into old routines. We wait for motivation to magically reappear. And we keep starting over — again and again. In this episode, I’m walking you through the exact structure I use (and teach my clients) to create habits that actually stick. No fluff. No trendy hacks. Just real, brain-based strategies that work. You’ll learn: How habits form in your brain — and why they’re so hard to break What the habit loop actually is (cue → routine → reward) How to identify your weak spots and reinforce them Why reframing your goals makes all the difference Simple ways to change your environment to support your new life And if you want more on the motivation piece — go listen to the last episode: “How to Take Action When You Don’t Feel Motivated.” That link is in the show notes, too.   🔗 Links Mentioned in This Episode 💬 Sober Society MembershipYour private community for accountability, structure, and serious transformation.👉 addictionunlimited.com/membership 📣 Join the Free Facebook GroupConnect with other high-functioning sober humans on the same path.👉 facebook.com/groups/addictionunlimited 📅 Book a Free Clarity CallReady to get serious? Let’s talk about your goals and map out your next steps.👉 addictionunlimited.com/call 🎧 Episode 396 – How to Take Action When You Don’t Feel MotivatedIf you want more support with motivation, don’t miss this one.👉 addictionunlimited.com/396

How To Take Action When You Don’t Feel Motivated: 3 Structure Hacks That Actually Work Waiting to feel motivated before taking action? That’s the myth keeping you stuck. I used to think successful people had endless motivation — some secret energy source I didn’t have access to. I’d wait to feel ready before starting anything: the workout, the journaling, the business tasks. But here’s what I learned the hard way: motivation doesn’t create action. Action creates motivation. The truth? Motivation is just a mood. Movement is a decision. And if you want to build consistent habits and reach your goals, you need to stop using your feelings as your strategy. In this episode, I’m sharing why waiting for motivation keeps you stuck, the psychology behind emotional reasoning vs. executive function, and the three proven structure hacks I use to take action even when I don’t feel like it. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why motivation is a terrible strategy for consistent action and productivity How to stop emotional reasoning from sabotaging your goals The 90-Second Rule for overcoming resistance and building momentum How to create daily non-negotiables that anchor your routine Visual trigger techniques to make good habits easier to maintain Why discipline creates freedom (not restriction) How to separate feelings from actions and take control of your decisions Key takeaway: Structure gives your future self a fighting chance. When you stop waiting to feel ready and start moving anyway, everything changes.   🔗 Links Mentioned in This Episode: ✅ Get my Daily Plan (Free Download)Your one-page structure to stay grounded and consistent — even when your mind is spinning.👉 addictionunlimited.com/plan 🧠 Book a Free Coaching Call with AngelaIf you’re ready to stop trying to figure it out alone, let’s talk.👉 addictionunlimited.com/call 🛏️ Cozy EarthAngela’s favorite sheets and blanket for calming your nervous system and elevating your 5–9.👉 https://cozyearth.com/ + discount code ANGELA 🎧 Unlimited Life Starter Series3 Surprising Ways You’re Still Sabotaging Your Sobriety 👉 addictionunlimited.com/395