Journey to the Sunnyside | Mindful Drinking & Alcohol Health

After talking with Dr. Andrew Tatarsky on the podcast more than once, and continuing the conversation outside those episodes, I kept coming back to the same thought: harm reduction is still one of the most misunderstood ideas in this space. A lot of people hear the phrase and instantly assume it means lowering the bar or not really committing to change. That’s not what it means. In this episode, I...

In this episode, Mike puts a name to something that has come up again and again on the podcast: Internal Family Systems, or IFS. Drawing on ideas discussed by several therapists on the show, including Beej Christie Karpen, he breaks down why part of you reaches for relief, why shame keeps the cycle going, and how to start responding with more curiosity and less self-attack. This one gives you a si...

Beej Karpen is a mindfulness-based coach and IFS practitioner who helps people change their relationship with alcohol in a more compassionate way, without shame, labels, or all-or-nothing thinking. She created Mindful Drinking 101 in 2020, has led more than 35 groups, and has spent the past 12 years running the first Moderation Management Women’s meeting In this episode, we talk about what is real...

In this episode I talk about one idea from my conversation with Nir Eyal that I think is genuinely useful for anyone trying to drink less. He made a point about pain and signal that applies directly to what happens when a craving shows up — and it's a lot more practical than just white knuckling through it. A craving is real. It's uncomfortable. But it's not a command. This episode is about what t...

Nir Eyal is the bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable , and he has a new book out called Beyond Belief . What I liked about this conversation is that it gets at why so many people stay stuck, even when they already know what to do. We talk about what belief actually is, how it shapes what we notice and feel, how labels can quietly become identity, and why some forms of positive thinking...

Over the last few years I've had the chance to sit down with researchers who study drinking behavior from a lot of different angles — psychology, neuroscience, habit formation, public health. And the thing that keeps striking me is how often what the research actually shows doesn't match the way most of us think drinking works. Not slightly off. Sometimes completely backwards. In this episode I wa...

Welcome back to Journey to the Sunnyside. Today I’m joined by Merrilee Burke, a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 20 years of experience, specializing in alcohol moderation, trauma, and eating disorder recovery. Merrilee reached out because she’s been noticing a shift with clients lately in how they talk about sober curious and alcohol-free culture. Not some huge backlash, but enoug...

Last night, I found myself in a moment that felt familiar. Stress had been building, a disagreement pushed me further, and that quiet thought of a drink started turning into something I knew wouldn’t lead anywhere good. In this episode, I share what was happening in my mind, what helped me stop, and how one simple visualization changed the course of the night. I also break down the deeper lesson i...

Today I’m joined by Andrea Pain, Executive Director of Moderation Management, one of the longest-running organizations helping people rethink their relationship with alcohol without an all-or-nothing approach. Here at Sunnyside, that philosophy really resonates with what we see in our own community, and a lot of our members actually find support using both Sunnyside and Moderation Management. So t...

You’re drinking less. You feel like you’ve turned a corner. And then one night something happens… you have more than you planned, or the old routine sneaks back in. The next morning a thought appears: “I thought I was past this.” In this episode, Mike explains why that moment is actually a normal part of behavior change. Drawing from neuroscience and habit research, he breaks down why progress wit...

Today I’m talking with Jenny Williamson, Executive Director of Options Save Lives, one of the leading organizations focused on medication-based approaches to reducing alcohol use. We dive into how naltrexone actually works, why people often misunderstand the medication, and the important difference between cravings and habits when it comes to alcohol. Jenny also explains what the medication can —...

At some point, a lot of people assume their drinking is just part of their personality. In this episode, we unpack the myth of the “addictive personality,” explain how habits get automated in the brain, and explore why reinforced behavior can start to feel like identity. What if this isn’t who you are — but just what your brain learned? RELATED ARTICLES FROM THE SUNNYSIDE BLOG: When to Take Naltre...

You don’t identify as an alcoholic. You’re functioning. You’re successful. But something still feels off. In part two of my conversation with Jennifer Kautsch, founder of Sober Sis, we explore why the gray area can feel harder to leave than rock bottom. We talk about identity, why labels create resistance, how high-achieving women quietly manage drinking, and what sober-minded living actually mean...

You wake up with regret. You promise yourself tonight will be different. And somehow, by 5 pm, you’re negotiating again. In this episode, I sit down with Jennifer Kautsch, founder of Sober Sis, one of the largest communities in the country for women questioning their relationship with alcohol. We break down what she calls the detox to retox loop, the mental tug-of-war of gray area drinking, and wh...

Morning-you makes promises. Evening-you breaks them. There’s a biological reason for that. When stress rises and energy drops, the salience network starts prioritizing immediate relief over long-term goals. Learn how to shift which version of you is in charge — without fighting yourself. RELATED ARTICLES FROM THE SUNNYSIDE BLOG: When to Take Naltrexone: Timing for Daily and Targeted Use Setting Na...

Most alcohol advice feels contradictory. One drink a day is “moderate.” Two per week is “low risk.” Zero is “optimal.” So what actually happens inside your body at 1 drink, 2 drinks, 3–4 drinks, or 5+? In this episode, I break down the real biology — including what acetaldehyde is, why stacking nights compounds stress, and how dose and frequency affect sleep, hormones, inflammation, and recovery....

By the time you’re standing in the kitchen at 7 PM, your brain may have already decided. In today’s episode, we look at why the hardest part of drinking habits often happens before you ever pour a drink. Understanding that early window can help you step out of autopilot and back into real choice. It’s a small shift that makes a big difference. RELATED ARTICLES FROM THE SUNNYSIDE BLOG: When to Take...

What if the things you hide from yourself—even small traumas—are keeping you stuck on autopilot? In this conversation, performance intelligence expert Marcy Axelrod shares her journey from childhood stuttering to developing the "Show Up System™" used by thousands to break free from just going through the motions. A two-time TEDx speaker and former KPMG Consulting leader, Marcy explains why we're a...

In this episode, I break down the psychology behind what you watched yesterday. Not the game. Not the halftime show. The thing happening in the background that your brain registered without you realizing it. This isn't about whether drinking is good or bad. It's about understanding how perception gets created—and why that matters more than you think. Once you see this, you won't be able to watch c...

Knowing what to do usually isn’t the problem. Most people already know what would help them feel better, whether that’s drinking less, sleeping more, taking better care of themselves, or managing stress. And yet, they don’t. In this episode, I’m joined again by Arlina Allen to talk about why knowledge alone rarely leads to change and what’s actually getting in the way. We explore why habit strateg...

Today’s episode is about flexibility. And more specifically, what happens when the one-size-fits-all approach to alcohol stops working. My guest today is Arlina Allen. Arlina has been sober for over 30 years. She’s the author of The 12-Step Guide for Skeptics, host of the One Day at a Time Recovery Podcast, and she’s spent decades working with high-functioning professionals who want to change thei...

It often looks like other people can drink without thinking about it. One drink. No drama. No second-guessing. In this episode, we look at why that comparison is so convincing—and why it usually breaks down on closer inspection. From the way alcohol shifts attention to the information you never actually see when watching others drink, this conversation explores how comparison quietly turns every d...

In this episode, I sit down with Billy Grady, co-founder and CEO of Kava Haven, one of the fastest-growing alcohol alternatives in the country. We break down what kava actually is, how it’s been used for thousands of years, and why more people are turning to it as a way to relax, socialize, and mark the end of the day without alcohol. Billy shares how a personal health experiment turned into a bra...

I’ve talked to a lot of people who cut back on drinking, hit their goals, and still feel like something’s off. In this episode, I share why moderation can start to feel like something you manage instead of a real shift in how you live. I walk through what alcohol is often doing beneath the surface, why removing it isn’t always enough on its own, and how building what’s missing can make drinking na...

Many people feel exhausted but unable to truly rest. Sleep feels shallow, stress lingers, and the body stays on edge even when life looks “fine” on the outside. In this episode, functional wellness practitioner Zoa Conner, PhD brings a systems-based lens to what’s happening underneath that wired-but-tired state. Drawing on her background in physics, she explains how depletion, nervous system dysre...