How I quit alcohol

In this episode I catch up with my friend Janine from Alberta, Canada.  Janine has been sober for almost 12 months at the time of recording, she gave up alcohol to reduce the symptoms of Hashimotos and Thyroid Eye Disease.  Along with healing the body Janine also took the deep dive into healing her mind body and spirit.    Janine and I talk about the importance of sitting with your feelings, askin...

In this episode I catch up with musician James Van Cooper, James is 25 years old (at the time of recording) and is 6 years sober.  We chat about his very intense relationship with alcohol which had become a daily drinking habit years before he quit drinking,  how his last big night saw him locked up and the not so rock n roll side of having his nan picking him up from there at 2am,  how he used al...

In this episode I chat with Michelle French from Kinglake who is early days in her sobriety.  We chat about her many attempts at giving up the booze.  -what made the difference this time.  - the importance of connection - feeling your feelings -PTSD after the Black Saturday bushfires.  - Survivors guilt.  - The importance of not neglecting your own feelings even when others are suffering.  - Leani...

What an honour it was to spend a couple of hours with Tom Carroll as he shared his story of his life through addiction.  Through childhood trauma, fitting in with his peers, looking up to older crew who were addicts and navigating the highs and lows of life on and off the pro surfing circuit.  It's been a massive journey for Tom who's addiction started with alcohol, then cocaine and even...

In this episode I talk to my mate and hot cold therapy coach Cathy Downing about the benefits of jumping in to a bath of icy cold water.  This is something I have been doing for a while and I find it so beneficial for my mental health and also my physical health.  Cathy has a passion for health and wellness with a background in nursing.  We talk about how pushing your physical boundaries makes you...

In this episode I chat with Ali from WA who is celebrating 12 months of sobriety.   for more resources go or to join the next HIQA challenge go to www.iquitalcohol.com.au Follow HIQA insta @howiquitalcohol  This podcast was brought to you by Monday Distillery  https://mondaydistillery.com/ Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwald www.ashgrunwald.com Music for Podcast intro and outro written...

In this episode I was so honoured to chat with Josh Cunningham, guitarist and song writer from Aussie band The Waifs.  Josh quit drinking at 28 years old and has been sober for 20 years.  We chatted about his relationship with alcohol and how realising early on that he would get "the can't stops" and after a few too many nights of not remembering the night before decided to give alc...

Back by popular demand, I welcome back founder of the Bamboo Yoga School,  yogi Mark Purser.   We chat about the tough choices we make along the way in sobriety, having the guts to say No to things.  How connecting to the person you want to be and taking baby steps towards becoming that person can help to keep you sober and most importantly sitting with your feelings.  Once again Mark gives us a c...

In this episode I chat with Haile Halloran founder of Paperbark Death Care.  We chat about changing the generational addiction that is passed down through our families.  Haile grew up in the AA rooms with her Mum, went to AA herself in her early 20s (but started again later), and then to support her daughter decided enough was enough and has been sober for over 12 months at the time of recording....

So many of us are driven to drink due to social anxiety, and often we don't even know we have it.  In today's mid week episode I caught up with therapist Ben Schiller to chat about it.  How to recognise it, where does it come from and what to do about it.   If you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.  ...

In this episode I chat with ex-boxer Steve Woollett who has been living sober for 14 years after an incident that changed his life.  Steve uses talking about the worst night of his life which he now sees as the best of night of his life as a driver to stay sober.  He talks about it whenever he can to keep it at the forefront of his mind but has found that through talking about his past, he enables...

In this episode I chat with 29 year old Patrick Kennedy on the day of his 1 year of sobriety milestone.  I loved this chat, for such a young guy Patrick has so much wisdom, which only comes from someone who has pulled themselves through the darkness.  We talk about asking for help when you just can't say the words, seeing yourself as you really are,  our shared hatred of small talk and how th...

In this episode I chat with Leonie from Sydney who is 10 years sober at the time of recording.   We chat about how she quit, grieving your relationship with alcohol and how using the mantra "I am so glad I don't have to drink anymore" was a life saving technique.  The documentary we mentioned, The Wisdom Of Trauma can be found out https://thewisdomoftrauma.com Music for Monday Disti...

In this episode I catch up with Andy Quin, co-founder of Etch Sparkling.  Andy has been sober for some time now and she actually gave up drinking to support her husband Jason who was having some serious issues with alcohol.  Even though Jason tried multiple times to stop, Andy remained compassionate and loving towards him even when she felt let down and afraid.  This is a great episode for anyone...

In this episode I catch up with Lucy Quick from Thrivalist.   We talk about how Lucy like so many of us "didn't have an off switch",  she would binge and have huge blackouts.  During these blackouts Lucy would become completely wild and "uncontrollable" making poor decisions and waking up with shame and regret.   After hitting rock bottom, depressed, drinking a bottle and...

In this episode I chat with Mark Purser, yoga and meditation teacher and owner of Bamboo Yoga in Byron Bay.   We chat about his journey with alcohol and how he managed to pull himself out of a really dark place through yoga and mediation.  We talk about the importance of a mindfulness practice in sobriety,  connecting back to your true self and all those beautiful people in yoga studios in Byron B...

In this episode I chat with Miles Bingham aka @thesobertrekker about his 7 years of sobriety. We chat about his struggle with his mental health, how having solid boundaries helps to keep you authentic, how being in nature is the antidote to stress and anxiety and how we are all just chasing serenity through oblivion.   Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwald www.ashgrunwald.com Music for P...

In this episode I chat with my hubby Ash Grunwald about his recent shows at Bluesfest and how it felt to be playing those as a sober person.  We also chat about the power of manifestation and taking steps towards your fullest potential.   Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwald www.ashgrunwald.com Music for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidy for more reso...

In this episode I catch up with Nat Batalia, founder of the Mindful Mocktail.   Nat and I chat about the how the adjustment from life pre-kids to motherhood didn't come naturally,  and how guilt from those feelings caused her drinking to start to spiral out of control.  Nat was hiding her drinking from her husband and feeling so much shame and guilt which perpetuated the drinking even more.  ...

Parenting can be pretty stressful, especially around the witching hour when you are trying to get it all done and the kids are driving you a bit nutty.  What to do when we no longer have the go to of alcohol to escape the mundane or stressful moments of parenting?  This question was put to me by someone on instagram this week so I got together with one of the HIQA graduates and mum of two, Kate Mo...

In this episode I catch up with Michelle from Brisbane who is a graduate from our October 21 3 months sober challenge and a participant in the HIQA Graduates group. Now 6 months down the track Shell is going strong and not planning on going back to drinking any time soon.   We talk about her journey with alcohol and how the journey has been for her so far.   For more resources or to find out to re...

I had a midweek catch up with Victoria Vanstone blogger and podcaster aka Drunk Mummy Sober Mummy to chat about the new sober platform, Cuppa that  she has co-created with Lucy Good.   Cuppa is a free online platform where the sober community and sober curious community can connect and support one and other.  Create events, share stories, organise catch ups, maybe set yourself up on a sober date,...

In this episode I chat with personal trainer, mindset, strength and conditioning coach, endurance athlete and Guinness world record holder Jamie Milne.  We chat about his relationship with alcohol which would see him having binges that would go for days sometimes even weeks.  Mindset and his greatest weakness has now become his super power.   Almost three years sober at the time of recording Jamie...

In this episode I catch up with our pal and amazing musician Jaimi Faulkner.   It was great to catch up with this guy,  last time we caught up in the flesh we were SMASHED in Italy after a chance meeting on a train on our way to Pisa.  Jaimi like many of us started drinking in his teens and as he immersed himself in the Melbourne music scene his alcohol intake increased gradually over time,  fast...

In this episode Ash Grunwald and I chat about his temporary lapse in focus and how going back to basics with this daily practice like journalling and mindfulness help him feel at peace in his inner world no matter is going on in the external world,  how the easiest way to reduce suffering during sobriety is through 100% commitment,  how to keep your self there and the importance of an optimistic m...