This Naked Mind Podcast

Trigger Warning: This episode includes mention of pregnancy and child loss. What if finding fulfillment without alcohol was simpler than you think?  Cheryl first shared her alcohol-free journey in 2018, and today, five years later, she returns to talk about how living without alcohol continues to reshape her life. After years of using alcohol to cope with daily stress, Cheryl has learned how to tr...

What’s the secret to building genuine connections without alcohol? Delia and Chris both started their alcohol-free journeys in The Path with the common goal of connecting with others. For Delia, it was about fitting in and feeling accepted in social situations, while for Chris, it was overcoming deep emotional suppression and learning to trust others. In this episode, they share how they are learn...

What if alcohol wasn’t the solution to feeling at peace with yourself? For Isabella, alcohol became a way to mask self-doubt and emotional turbulence, especially when balancing a demanding legal career and complex family dynamics. But through the process of exploring her emotions and connecting with her inner self, Isabella found that the path to finding internal validation and peace doesn’t requi...

TW: This episode discusses sensitive topics related to alcohol use, addiction, and mental health. Are you searching for how to stop drinking without calling yourself an alcoholic? That’s the question Coaches Bill, Lisa, and Pam answer in this episode, as they courageously share their journeys of finding freedom from alcohol. Coach Bill explains how This Naked Mind helped him quit drinking without...

What happens when the thing you think is helping you cope is actually making everything worse?  Dusty thought she had found the perfect solution to the stress of military life—wine with girlfriends during deployments, vodka to manage the constant moves, and alcohol to numb the loss of control that came with being a military spouse. Her drinking escalated from social occasions to daily solo consump...

How does finding purpose and direction after quitting alcohol help you work through life's most challenging moments? In this raw episode, Coach Soraya guides Heidi as she grapples with decades of regret, wondering who she might have become without alcohol numbing her anxiety during her 40-year flight attendant career and questioning the relationships she chose from a place of low self-esteem. Mean...

What if you feel sad about giving up wine, even when you know it’s time? That’s exactly how Kay felt when she realized that alcohol had taken over her life. After years of struggling with guilt, social pressure, and a growing dependence on wine to cope, Kay’s turning point came when she found the courage to confront her relationship with alcohol. In this episode, Kay shares her powerful journey of...

What happens when your biggest insecurities surface every time you enter a social situation? Rachel relies on drinking to overcome anxiety at networking events, transforming into her "bubbly self." Chris battles a cycle of progress and setbacks, especially when family visits trigger old patterns. Coach Bill helps them learn how to set healthy boundaries with alcohol while building authentic confid...

What if you could enjoy socializing without alcohol and actually feel more connected? Regina’s story is a powerful reminder that alcohol doesn’t have to be part of the equation. From her early days of using alcohol to fit in, to the realization that alcohol was no longer serving her, Regina shares how her relationship with alcohol shifted. Through challenges and growth, she learned how to enjoy so...

Why do some people thrive in AA while others feel like they're speaking a different language entirely?  Phil's story illustrates the profound difference between shame-based recovery and compassionate inquiry. After cycling through AA for 15 years without lasting success, he found a new path when he learned how to explore drinking without judgment, treating each drinking episode as valuable data ra...

Can losing everything actually help you come back to yourself? For Lisa, it did. In the middle of pandemic chaos, she realized that using The Alcohol Experiment to quit drinking wasn’t just about removing alcohol—it was about reclaiming her life. As she began to unearth long-buried truths and emotional wounds, she found clarity, courage, and a new path forward. In this episode, she shares how rele...

Are you struggling with how to stop using alcohol as a crutch when it’s all you’ve ever known for comfort, confidence, or escape? When alcohol becomes the go-to for numbing pain, soothing nerves, or simply making it through the day, letting it go can feel like losing a lifeline. Mark leaned on alcohol to suppress decades of emotional trauma and mask neurodivergent traits that made emotional expres...

Why do I need wine every night now when I used to be able to control my drinking? Ronna faced this exact question during the pandemic when her occasional wine with dinner transformed into a nightly necessity for coping with grief and stress. As a musician and pastor's wife, she grew up in a family where alcohol was normalized, but a series of devastating losses—including her sister-in-law's suicid...

What if the hardest part of healing wasn't quitting drinking, but the guilt that lingers afterward? Sandra works with Coach Cole to explore how her inner critic distorts simple moments like skipping a swim into emotional spirals. Sue, coached by Zoe, shares how she was taught to bottle up her feelings as a child and how that habit still drives her urges to drink. Both women confront the deeper que...

Is drinking again after a break something you've experienced and felt ashamed about?  Angela's story proves that the stop-start cycle isn't a failure—it's part of the journey. After losing her brother and struggling with childhood trauma from abusive parents, Angela spent decades using alcohol to numb her pain. She tried to quit many times, even achieving six months of sobriety before returning to...

What if reprogramming your brain after quitting drinking could transform your entire emotional experience?  That’s what Fran and Carol are discovering in this powerful episode with Coach Lisa. Fran, the youngest of eight, grew up associating alcohol with love, celebration, and anxiety. Her emotional wiring around alcohol began in early childhood and has run the show for decades—until now. Carol, a...

What would you do if your child told you that you loved alcohol more than them?  For Kate, this devastating moment was just one of many wake-up calls in her journey with alcohol. Growing up in a home where emotions weren't openly expressed, Kate developed patterns of using alcohol to navigate social situations and ultimately to escape feeling uncomfortable emotions. As her tolerance increased, her...

What if your goal to stop drinking is actually making it harder to succeed? In this episode, Sara and Barb open up about their personal struggles with alcohol, shame, and self-doubt—and what happens when they shift focus from staying sober to finding peace. With the help of Coach Lily, Sara learns how to set emotional goals instead of sobriety goals, reframing her "alive goal" from white-knuckling...

Learning how to turn your brain off without drinking can feel impossible when your mind is constantly racing. Jennifer, a self-described control freak, discovered this firsthand as she navigated years of using alcohol to quiet the mental chatter. What happens when that coping mechanism is removed? Join us as Jennifer shares her powerful journey of realizing alcohol wasn't her friend and how she ul...

Have you ever wondered if your attempts to unwind with alcohol are actually adding to your burdens?  Coach Ruby Williams offers a powerful glimpse into the realities of seeking alcohol freedom through two personal coaching sessions. First, we meet Anne, a mom and professional learning to navigate stress and cravings using the tools provided by The Path. Then, we listen in as Ruby coaches Travis, w...

Why do we keep drinking even when we know it’s hurting us? For Sammie, the answer lay beneath the surface—in the pain she hadn’t faced. Her story shows how unresolved trauma leads to drinking and how ignoring what hurts often feels safer than healing. Until it doesn’t. In this episode, she opens up about what it took to stop numbing and start living fully. In this raw and real conversation, Annie...

Can you still feel powerful, connected, and sophisticated without alcohol? Haley sat down with Coach Pam to explore what creating a new identity after quitting drinking really looks like. In this candid conversation, they dive deep into the myths around wine and womanhood, the fears about fitting in, and the incredible strength that comes from choosing authenticity over alcohol. Listen as Haley an...

What if the glass of wine you reach for every evening is actually treating something deeper than just stress? Amy takes us through her journey from teenage experimentation to mommy wine culture, revealing how alcohol became her trusted companion through life's challenges. As a high-functioning professional juggling parenting, caregiving responsibilities, and undiagnosed issues, she found herself u...

What happens when you finally feel your emotions instead of trying to numb them with alcohol? In this episode, we hear two powerful coaching conversations. Coach Zoe talks with Jill, who is finding her way back to her spiritual side after years of working in a high-stress job where drinking was common. Coach Ruby works with Ambur, a former college athlete and mom of two young kids, who is now 120...

What if the anxiety you've lived with for years could disappear by changing just one habit? Lauren never questioned the drinking culture she grew up with in the UK, where pubs were central to every social occasion. When the pandemic hit shortly after her move to Canada, she began noticing how alcohol had shifted from enjoyment to an unsatisfying habit. Through research and repeatedly listening to...