This Naked Mind Podcast

Loosening up for sex or social situations without alcohol may seem impossible - Especially as a college student. But, is alcohol really helping you perform better? In this week’s reader question Annie discusses college culture and how it’s possible to challenge your deep-rooted expectations for having a good time. Find out how by tuning in. Are you ready for a deep dive into truly lasting change?...

As a Mrs. America contestant, Jamie prides herself in using her national platform to create alcohol use disorder awareness - a topic that is very near and dear to her. Tune in to hear her story of how she went from using alcohol to combat her postpartum depression to a life rooted in family, health and self. Jamie’s contagious ambition will have you reconsidering how to set new expectations in you...

Alcohol is a super complex substance. We have all been told it’s a depressant, but it is also a stimulant which can provide moments of relaxation, relief and happiness. Are the highs and lows of alcohol worth the price? Tune in to hear Annie explain the journey your blood alcohol level takes when you consume your first drink, and why it can have diminishing returns leaving you with many more momen...

As a child in foster care, Stacey found herself struggling to lead two different lives. As she got older, a debilitating anxiety took hold and alcohol seemed to help her through it. But she quickly found herself off course and feeling insignificant. Find out how Stacey’s curiosity and small moments of success opened doors that led her to a freedom she now feels inside and out. Hi, it's Annie Grace...

Annie breaks down a complex reader question with an easy-to-digest story. Find out why bison hunting and gathering raspberries can explain why your brain makes you think you want a drink even when you actually don’t want one. Start combating this instinct with new knowledge today! Let me ask you a question. What is better than change? Lasting change, of course. If you've had trouble making change...

It was normal for Elizabeth Vargas to deal with the pressures of her high-profile career in television with drinks after work. On top of that, she felt a need to numb her deep-rooted anxiety that clouded over her since childhood, but ultimately she began to feel the misery outweighing the magic that alcohol provided. As she continued to function at a very high level, with relapse seeming like a no...

On this month’s coaching episode, This Naked Mind Head Coach Scott Pinyard welcomes TNM coach, Lorna Wilson. Lorna specializes in people using alcohol over 60 who want to change their habits. Sometimes this switch can be difficult and Lorna explains why by sharing her own story:  Nearing retirement doesn’t mean all stress from life magically disappears and Lorna found her relief in a bottle of win...

Alcohol was Amy’s partner in stress relief until she realized managing it was so much easier with a non-alcoholic beverage in hand. Find out how Amy is now advocating for NA varieties in her local hospitality venues and driving the momentum for change as a consumer. Did you miss This Naked Mind Live? Do you maybe have a little bit of FOMO? Don't worry. I've got you covered. In fact, I had the enti...

Believe it or not, it is fairly common for people who have found freedom from alcohol to miss getting hangovers. But what part of the debilitating morning after is actually being missed? In this week’s reader question, Annie disassembles the inquiry to help you keep the good parts of a hangover without sacrificing your health in the process. Hey, it’s Annie Grace. I want to tell you about the most...

For Brandon Be Happy, life was filled with endless partying and alcohol. But with a shining talent and personality it would take a lot to knock him down.  Even in his darkest moments, Brandon finds a way to channel his storytelling to help inspire others. Listen in for the most contagious laugh you’ll ever hear, and a truly uplifting story of recovery. Annie and Brandon met earlier this year durin...

Your body can go through many changes after giving up alcohol but in this week’s reader question our reader is much further in her AF journey and is still feeling unhappy with her body’s response. Annie shares her own personal experience with body thoughts and how there may be something deeper that needs to be addressed when it comes to our expectations and reality. Hi, it's Annie Grace. I wanted...

Mark’s experience with drinking at an early age left him feeling like a superhero. But a life of continuous trauma and alcohol left him facing a new kind of villain. Though these set-backs continued through much of his life, Mark found freedom through listening to other people’s stories and in the rewiring brain work of This Naked Mind. Find out how he is now helping to serve the same community th...

It’s a tough job market, so what do you do if an employer attempts to connect with you as a drinking buddy during an interview? In this week’s reader question, Annie keeps it super simple. Avoid the awkwardness and follow-up questions with this energetic, confident response. Your future employer will thank you for it! I'm so excited you guys, because we are just about to start another live alcohol...

For Eric, social drinking was at the center of his life. Whether he was hosting cultural meals or tailgating for football games, the menu included whatever booze fit the scene. This was Eric’s life for many years until he realized he wanted more. When Eric started searching for answers the discovery of This Naked Mind and a community of support helped him escape the guilt he felt from all his recu...

If boozy nights out are off the table does that mean that your drinking friends have to go with it? This is a question only you can answer, but Annie breaks it down in a framework that allows you to honor yourself and your beloved relationships. Let me ask you a question. What is better than change? Lasting change, of course. If you've had trouble making change stick, either with alcohol or in any...

Ryan O’Connell is an actor and writer of the hit Nexflix series, Special. He knows intense levels of pressure, stress, and anxiety. But after growing up with a mother who struggled with alcohol, he knew alcohol dependency was a path he wouldn’t follow in his own life. Alcohol addiction found Ryan as it finds many, through other avenues of dependency. When he quit his addiction to painkillers, his...

On this month’s coaching episode, This Naked Mind Head Coach Scott Pinyard welcomes This Naked Mind Senior Coach Mike Shennan. Mike shares how he watched his drinking increase during a time when he had a successful career, his role as a father started changing as his kids got older, and his mother passed away. Now free from alcohol, Mike coaches men in midlife whose experiences are similar to his....

Marilin repeatedly found alcohol when face-to-face with stress. It was her escape from college days of working and writing papers and later from her looming divorce. When new beginnings were met with gifts from loved ones that centered around alcohol, Marilin experienced her first wake-up call.  But life continued to meet new stressful challenges including a cancer diagnosis. This began her journe...

If you find yourself going down a shame spiral or feeling completely embarrassed about your drinking escapades of the past, this reader's question is for you. Annie walks through the three layers of emotion, which will help get those feelings “unstuck” from inside you. Once you’re on a path towards truly letting those debilitating emotions free, you can start to become the joyful, complete person...

For Charlotta alcohol was her place to hide. To hide from her emotions, to hide her drinking from those she loved and to hide from herself. She found solace from this lonely place after discovering that a good friend had given up drinking. Curiosity took over for Charlotta and through the discovery of This Naked Mind and The PATH she was able to stop hiding and instead join a non judgemental, comp...

So you’re facing a night out with friends and the nerves have taken over? Are you going to miss out? What if you don’t have as much fun? What if your friends think you're not as much fun? Will you be bored?” In this week's reader question, Annie tackles these internal thoughts and the external pressures of heading to the drinking scene alcohol-free. Visualize yourself placing that AF drink order c...

Angele's story starts out like many of ours where alcohol was in the house and easily accessible growing up. But her early-in-life encounter led her down a path of inward discovery where she attempted to explain why her emotional experience with alcohol was much different than her drinking friends. Annie and Angele discuss these emotions and the constant 'whisper' from within that helped Angele fi...

Today’s question comes from a reader who is no longer tempted to drink during the week or drink at home but still worries about how to navigate situations where alcohol is expected to be part of the overall experience. She is frequently wined and dined for work and isn’t sure how to handle events and turning down free drinks. Listen as Annie Grace shares her thoughts. Hey, it’s Annie Grace. I want...

Annie Grace connects with Gretchen Rubin this week for a deep dive into how our expectations - both internal and external - can influence the way we go about committing to making changes in our lives. Find out what the Four Tendencies are, how you can discover your tendency and why certain approaches may actually make us resistant to change. Finally, learn which tendency Annie is and why that allo...

Is there such a thing as a normal drinker? Are there rules about the quantity of alcohol you can consume and be considered “normal?” Where does the concept of normal drinkers even come from? What does the science say about it? And, what are the consequences when we use the label “normal drinkers?” Annie Grace shares her thoughts. Let me ask you a question. What is better than change? Lasting chang...