The Sober Mom Life

Alcohol wasn’t present in Courtney’s childhood, so when she was offered champagne by friends at a holiday when she was fifteen, she had no knowledge of how it would affect her. She only knew that it was ‘forbidden’, and what 15 year old wouldn’t want to try a forbidden thing? The cozy sense of warmth that overcame her was so appealing. After that day, alcohol easily slipped into her life.  Co...

For women with a history of disordered eating, the first months of sobriety can often include an unwanted surge of challenging experiences around food. Registered Therapist and eating disorder specialist Liza Feilner joins Suzanne and Susan today to help us navigate this tricky issue. Liza has over two decades of experience supporting women with eating disorders, and she has also been sober s...

Maria is back on the pod! When she was last here she was six months sober, and today she’ll tell us about the changes, challenges, and wins she’s had in her sobriety journey in the past year. You’ll hear why Maria no longer counts days, the normalcy she now feels regarding her sobriety, and the immense benefit that sober community has had in her life as she’s navigated through challenging times, s...

Katie is nearing the end of her maternity leave and she has caught up on SO much TV while in the newborn bubble. So, we’re back to dive into all of the great Bravo that’s been on in the last few months!  Today, we’ll recap the great last season of Traitors, Southern Charm’s long awaited return, and how the new younger cast on Summer House has really changed the energy of the show.  Plus...

Mom and I just got back from the latest Sober Mom Life retreat in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it was absolutely fantastic! This retreat was such a breath of fresh air and really solidified my feelings that we’re building an amazing community of caring, non-judgmental sober women.  You’ll hear all about the event, from the meals to the sessions to the bonding and everything in between. Plus, you’...

Sarah believed a myth: Alcohol Makes Things Special. She believed that alcohol was a special ingredient to make things fun ever since middle school when she took her first drink at a slumber party. This belief followed her through college and into adulthood, and because she didn’t experience intense hangovers or blackouts, she never gave the belief a second thought.  Once Sarah started having...

Real Sober Mom Kim is three months sober! Today, she’s giving us a peek into this extremely important phase of sobriety.  Kim experienced postpartum anxiety with her second child. During her recovery, her therapist recommended that a glass of wine a night was no big deal if it helped her wind down, and Kim’s daily drinking began. Despite the fact that Kim was able to moderate, her life b...

Our resident scientist, Gill Tietz of SoberPowered, is back on the pod to help us understand the recent US Surgeon General’s report on the link between cancer and alcohol consumption. This link is something that we in the sobriety space have known for a long time, but it is the first time that the government has publicly announced the connection.  We’ll talk about how this report might change...

As a fitness professional, Hollie Nicholson always kept alcohol out of her weekdays, but those weekends of drinking still took their toll until, in 2019, she started asking questions. Despite embodying health in many aspects of her life, Hollie faced a personal challenge with alcohol—and one day, she decided she had enough. Every weekend, amidst living a life filled with healthy habits, alcohol wa...

Alcohol was an ever present part of Samantha’s childhood, so when she started drinking at fifteen she thought nothing of it. Her parents would allow her and her friends to drink at the house to avoid drunk driving. It all felt completely normal.  Samantha’s drinking eventually took the form of weekend binge drinking. She met her husband at 20, and can look back and see all of the added drama...

Today’s episode is all about social anxiety in sobriety - that anxiety you get before, during or after an interaction that can just be so hard to handle. Anxiety can be so overwhelming, but there’s good news! It is very treatable and you can find relief.  My guest today is Courtney - a good friend, a Sober Mom Life Cafe member, and a therapist! She knows all about this social anxiety, both as...

Today’s Real Sober Mom, Laura, has given alcohol many ‘jobs’ throughout her life. Growing up with a mom in recovery, she was familiar with the fact that alcohol could be damaging, but she wasn’t clear on the 'how' or 'why'. In fact, as she invited alcohol into her own life, she believed it was helping her. As a teen, it helped her fit in. In college, it helped her feel independent. After a devasta...

It’s a big day - I’ve now been sober for five years! To celebrate this milestone, we’re turning the tables. I’m in the hot seat and my mom is interviewing me!  You’ll hear about my past with alcohol, how I found my path in sobriety, why I took my personal sobriety journey public, my vision for where I want to take this platform in the future, and the things I’ve been most grateful for during...

Alcohol was at the center of the world that Gillian grew up in, and the things she witnessed made her feel very unsafe. That lack of safety stayed with her into adulthood and ultimately became the main driver of her own drinking. Gillian’s first drink at 13 gave her a sense of cozy warm peace that she desperately craved, and from that moment she was hooked.  After over a decade of being the l...

Alcohol moved into Claire's life at a snail’s pace. She thought that beer tasted horrible as a teen, and her work responsibilities in college held her back from diving too deeply into the college party lifestyle. Yet, as an adult, alcohol seemed everywhere and it slowly found its way into her life.   Though she rarely overdid it, every once in a while she would spin out of control. As th...

I love taking a look back at the end of each year, so today I’ve compiled some of my favorite moments from this year’s episodes to share with you! Get ready to hear some standout moments from all of our fantastic guests in 2024. If you’d like to go deeper into any of these conversations, be sure to visit the full episodes! In this episode you'll hear from: 5:55 - Casey Davidson (Episode 129) 6:45...

Colleen had what seemed like a ‘perfect’ childhood - with a sober mom and a dad who rarely drank. Such an idyllic upbringing, however, didn’t guarantee smooth sailing for her. High expectations and perfectionism had begun to weigh on her by the time she left for college, and her newfound college freedom quickly led her to a life of heavy partying.  Colleen’s new lifestyle was rife with alcoho...

Katie and I are here for another installment of SobrieTEA, where we spill the tea about our favorite escape: Bravo and Reality TV! And oh boy, is there a lot to talk about in this installment.  We’ll jump right into our thoughts about the amazing new season of Southern Charm, including JT’s ill conceived gift, Shep’s moderation game, and Whitney’s odd role on the show.  Then we’ll tackle...

It’s a meta moment - The Sober Mom Life podcast’s editor, Laura Wiese, is on the show. Today, the woman behind the curtain who shines up the podcast is here to tell her own sobriety story, with the centerpiece being that she herself was raised by a sober mom.  Laura will share how having a very vocal sober mom gave her clear guardrails once alcohol came into her life, why she has always felt...

Alcohol was a normalized part of Renee’s early life. Going back and forth between her mom’s and dad’s homes, she was regularly around drinking in ways that never felt dangerous at the time. So, it seemed natural to start drinking in her teens.  As an adult, alcohol continued its regular place in her life, but she slowly began to experience its dark side. Her husband’s drinking had gotten out...

Cristina never gave a single thought to alcohol before her first drink during her junior year of highschool, but from the moment it entered her life, she welcomed the feeling it brought her. Alcohol became something to lean on as she entered college in order to make friends, feel ‘normal’, and block out her confusion regarding her sexuality. Later, as an occupational therapist, Cristina worked wit...

Audrey and I are here to help you answer the dreaded question: “Why aren’t you drinking?”  Right in time for the holidays, we’re supplying you with 50+ answers to this question. No matter who asks you or what your reasons are, you’ll walk away from this episode with clear options to confidently tackle this question.  Enrollment for the next Sober Mom Retreat is now live, and you’re...

Katie and I are here for another installment of SobrieTEA, where we spill the tea about our favorite escape: Bravo and Reality TV!  Today’s show is all about the Real Housewives! First, we’ll talk about the great (and too short!) season of Real Housewives of Orange County that just wrapped, the big storylines on Real Housewives of Salt Lake, why both The Real Housewives of Potomoc and The Rea...

I recently asked on Instagram “What is better sober?” and SO many of you said sex. So, light the candles ladies, because we’re going there. Hilary Phelps is back on the pod today for a chat all about the beauty of sober sex!  We’ll talk about the ways in which sobriety leads to intimacy, how greater self-awareness can lead to connection, how to approach sober sex and handle feelings of awkwar...

Exciting changes are coming to the Cafe and the podcast, starting November 1st!  Today, I’ll share with you why I’ll only be releasing new episodes on Mondays starting in November, and what that means for the Real Sober Moms series (Don’t worry! They’re not going away!).  Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 5+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private...