What that drink cost me

On this season finale of What That Drink Cost Me, I’m sharing the five lessons I’ve learned from reinventing my life. These are the things that kept coming up over and over for me and with my clients. I’m taking the summer off from this podcast so I can focus on my travels and get some rest. In the interim, you can follow me on Instagram at magicaltadrigal. You can also book a call with me to disc...

Ok, you’ve done it. You’ve made this big life change. And now, you’re overcome with a sense of loneliness. A feeling that you weren’t expecting. One that is making you wonder if you made the right decision. In this episode, I tackle what to do when those feelings of loneliness hit. You don’t have to get on the next plane back home or beg your boss to take you back. Instead, you can find community...

Ok, you’ve finally done it. You’ve made the big leap that you’ve been dreaming about for months or even years. And… now what? What comes next after you take that big brave step? In this episode, I unpack what comes next after you make the leap. I unpack the questions you probably have and the emotions. And I give you practical advice that you can use in the moment. So if you’ve been stuck, this ep...

Too often, we find ourselves waiting for a catastrophe to happen before we make a change. We get fired. We get a DUI. Our spouse serves us with divorce papers. But what if we didn’t wait until we hit rock bottom? What if we just decided to look for subtler signs that it is time to make a change? In this week’s episode, I unpack what happens when we decide to not wait for permission to change our l...

You finally did the thing you’ve been putting off. You told friends and family that you’re queer. And… now what? What do you do after the coming out? In this episode, I help you sort through the emotions you might be feeling in the immediate aftermath of coming out. And I give you some actionable, practical steps that you can use in your new life as a queer person. If you’ve recently come out, got...

Making a major life change can feel terrifying because it often feels like starting over from scratch. Leaving a career. Getting sober. Moving to a new city. Starting over after divorce. It’s easy to look at your life and think: “I’ve wasted too much time.” “I’m too far behind” “Everyone else already has it figured out.” But what if you’re not actually starting over? In this episode, I’m talking a...

Feeling stuck in your life but afraid to make a change? In this episode, we’re talking about the hidden cost of staying the same - and why avoiding change might be costing you more than you realize. You’ll learn: ​why staying in the same job, relationship, or environment isn’t as “safe” as it feels ​The emotional and long term cost of avoiding change ​How to start thinking differently about risk a...

We’ve all had this thought: if I just change this one thing, everything in my life will finally fall into place. A new job. A new city. Getting sober. Starting over. And while those changes can improve parts of your life, they don’t fix everything—and they’re not supposed to. In this episode, I’m breaking down why big life changes often expose deeper issues instead of solving them, and why that’s...

Feeling stuck in your life? Whether it’s your job, a relationship, where you live, or even your drinking habits—what if you’re not actually stuck at all? In this episode, I’m breaking down the real reason so many of us feel stuck: we’re avoiding making a decision. I talk about why decision-making feels so hard, how overthinking keeps us in place, and the hidden cost of staying exactly where we are...

If you’re a sober gay man and dating feels harder than it used to, you’re not alone—and you’re not doing anything wrong. In this episode of What That Drink Cost Me, I break down the 3 biggest dating mistakes sober gay men make—and why these patterns can leave you feeling stuck, disconnected, or ready to give up on dating altogether. We’ll talk about: ​ Why avoiding dating after getting sober keeps...

Dating is supposed to get easier when you get sober… right? So why does it suddenly feel more awkward, more uncomfortable—and honestly, harder than ever? In this episode, I’m breaking down why dating in sobriety can feel so challenging at first—and why that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. Because the truth is, alcohol was doing more for your dating life than you probably realized. When y...

You probably thought you were good at dating. So when you get sober, you think you have to figure it all out. But in this episode, I push back on that idea that you were good at dating. Instead, I suggest that perhaps you were just letting the alcohol mask your abilities. I unpack the ways in which alcohol makes us think we are good at dating and what happens when we can no longer rely on it. Want...

In this episode, I unpack the biggest fears that I hear from my clients about dating in sobriety. I talk through each one and offer suggestions and alternate ways of looking at them. If you’ve been having some of these same fears, this episode is for you. Sign up for my workshop on dating after sobriety: Dating after Sobriety https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dating-after-sobriety-tickets-1985274619830...

There’s a loneliness in sobriety that often doesn’t get talked about or is overlooked. In this episode. I’m unpacking what that loneliness is, how to combat it and share my own story of how I dealt with it. This episode is for you if you ever thought sobriety would magically make your social life easier or better. If this episode resonated with you and you’d like to speak with someone to help you...

Getting sober is supposed to fix everything… right? A lot of people believe that once they quit drinking, their confidence improves, dating gets easier, and relationships magically fall into place. But for many people - especially gay men - sobriety can actually expose deeper struggles around intimacy, vulnerability, and connection. In this episode, I talk about why sobriety doesn’t automatically...

In this episode, I unpack what sex in sobriety can look like along with talking about many of the fears we have about sex and intimacy in sobriety. I talk about my own journey with sex in sobriety and talk about the ways in which getting sober actually made my sex life better. Topics covered include setting better boundaries, having self confidence and what intimacy in sobriety actually looks like...

Are you wondering how to reconnect with your body after getting sober? In this episode, I share my own experience of getting fit in sobriety. I talk about how alcohol prevented me from creating a consistent work out routine, how getting sober taught me to trust my body and how too often we substitute an addiction to fitness for alcohol. This episode won’t help you develop a workout routine but it...

What happens when recovery spaces weren’t built with your brain or body in mind? In this episode, I explore sobriety through the lens of disability — sharing my lived experience with cerebral palsy and autism, and why building a recovery model that fits you is essential for long-term success. Listen to me on the way out podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/32FjWoUAchYbFPEUOQ5gU6?si=z5vI4QN0Qj...

If getting sober were just about willpower, most of us would already be there. In this episode, I talk about shame — the invisible weight that keeps so many people stuck in addiction. We unpack how shame differs from guilt, why it fuels secrecy and self-sabotage, and how it can turn sobriety into something to endure instead of something that brings relief. This episode is for anyone who feels stuc...

What does a sober coach actually do? In this episode, I break down what sober coaching (and what it isn’t), who I work with, and how I help clients navigate sobriety in a way that prioritizes autonomy, confidence, and real life - not rigid rules. We talk about identity loss after quitting drinking, redefining sobriety on your own terms , navigating social situations without alcohol, and why willpo...

Many people avoid recovery—or leave it entirely—because they’re terrified of messing up. In this episode, I unpack the idea that relapse automatically means failure and why recovery doesn’t look the same for everyone. We talk about rigid sobriety rules, day counts, shame, and how to build a recovery plan that actually works for you. If you’ve ever felt discouraged after slipping up or wondered whe...

One of the biggest fears people have about getting sober is the belief that fun disappears with alcohol. In this episode, I unpack that fear head-on. I talk about what life actually looks like after getting sober, especially in queer spaces where drinking and nightlife are deeply ingrained. From parties and clubs to Pride and social events, I share how sobriety didn’t end my fun—it changed it for...

In this episode of What That Drink Cost Me, I explore why making sobriety your number one priority is essential for long-term recovery. From work and family obligations to busyness and burnout, many people in early sobriety struggle to keep recovery at the center of their lives. I break down what happens when sobriety slips down the priority list, how relapse often begins, and practical ways to pr...

Dry January can be a powerful reset—but what happens when January ends? In this episode of What That Drink Cost Me, I explore why taking a month off from drinking isn’t enough if you suspect alcohol is a problem. I share my own experience with Dry January, why I went back to drinking on February 1, and what actually helps people stay sober long-term. If you’re sober curious, doing Dry January, or...

How much does drinking really cost? In this episode of What That Drink Cost Me, I talk openly about the financial consequences of alcohol—both direct and indirect. From bar tabs, late-night food, and transportation costs to lost ambition, career stagnation, and delayed retirement savings, I unpack how drinking impacted my finances in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time. I also share how sob...