It's Not About the Alcohol

🪩 HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! 💃  In this episode, Colleen pulls back the curtain on what overwhelm actually looks like from the inside — not as a failure, not as burnout drama, but as a nervous system hitting its limit after years of living in survival mode. What began as growth, ambition, and "doing what needed to be done" quietly turned into a chronic stress response that her body could no longer sustain. Colleen shares how stress doesn't disappear just because it's fueled by passion or positive goals, why rest alone didn't bring her back online, and how ignoring the need to complete the stress response kept her cycling between overdrive and collapse. She walks through the moment she realized overwhelm wasn't something to push through… it was an invitation. An invitation to slow down, restructure her life and business, challenge long-held beliefs about success, and create enough space for her nervous system to actually recover. What followed wasn't stagnation — it was clarity, momentum, and a deep sense of having reached her next level. This episode is for anyone who feels capable, driven, and committed… but secretly exhausted. And for anyone wondering if it's possible to work less reactively, feel more powerful, and still move forward in meaningful ways. 🔑 Key Takeaways • Why stress isn't a mindset problem — it's a physiological state • How positive growth can still keep you trapped in survival mode • The difference between resting and actually completing the stress response • Signs you've crossed from stress into overwhelm — before your body shuts you down • Why overwhelm is an invitation, not a failure • How creating space restores clarity, creativity, and capacity • What it really means to reach your "next level" without burning everything down This is a reminder that healing overwhelm doesn't require doing less forever — it requires doing things differently. And when you listen to your body instead of fighting it, breakthroughs happen faster than you think. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc    

You know what you need to do. So why can't you get yourself to do it? Because you've been waiting for motivation to show up—like it's some mysterious force that either finds you or it doesn't. But motivation isn't magic. It's dopamine. And dopamine follows rules. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly how dopamine works in your brain, why your current approach to drinking less is actually making it harder, and how to reverse-engineer your goals so that the actions you need to take feel rewarding instead of punishing. This isn't about willpower. It's about becoming someone who genuinely wants to do the things that lead to drinking less—because you've trained your brain to find them pleasurable. In this episode, I cover: → The two reasons dopamine fires—and how to use both to your advantage → The difference between intrinsic motivation (sustainable) and shame-based motivation (not) → Why overwhelm is the primary obstacle to change—and what it's really telling you → How to break one "habit" into the hundred smaller habits it actually contains → The delay don't deny strategy—and why it backfires if you're doing it wrong → Six specific examples of thoughts and behaviors that leverage dopamine around drinking → Why the goal isn't to drink less—it's to enjoy the upstream actions that cause you to drink less → How to use your body as a bullshit detector for your own thinking → The compound interest of small changes and how momentum builds over time   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

In this episode, Colleen breaks down a moment almost every woman in this work has experienced: when your body makes a decision before your conscious mind even knows what happened. A glass of wine ordered on autopilot. No craving. No plan. Just habit taking the wheel. Using a real travel story, she explains why this isn't a moral failure, a hidden self-saboteur, or proof you "can't be trusted." It's a nervous system under pressure doing exactly what it was trained to do. When overwhelm rises and capacity drops, habits step in to conserve energy — fast. She'll walk you through how dopamine wires behavior, why old reward pathways stay available even after years of awareness, and how hindsight is where real learning happens. Instead of shame, she shows you how to process these moments with curiosity, translate impulsive behavior into emotional data, and use it as a signal for what you actually need: relief, space, safety, freedom. This episode reframes "slips" as feedback — not failure — and teaches you how to respond in a way that builds trust with yourself instead of breaking it. 🔑 Key Takeaways • Why habits take over when you're overwhelmed — even without conscious desire • How dopamine pins powerful emotional memories and reactivates them under stress • Why impulse doesn't mean weakness — it means capacity was exceeded • The difference between wanting a drink and wanting relief • How to process behavior after the fact so your nervous system can actually learn • Why shame reinforces old patterns — and curiosity dissolves them • How emotional sobriety turns hindsight into forward momentum This is a reminder that growth doesn't happen by avoiding mistakes — it happens by knowing how to metabolize them. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

If you've been stuck in a job that's slowly draining you—and using wine to cope with the Sunday scaries—this episode is your permission slip to start thinking about what's next. Career coach Michelle Schafer has been through two major career reinventions herself, and she's spent the last decade helping people figure out what they actually want and build a plan to get there. But here's what makes this conversation different: we get into the real stuff. The limiting beliefs that keep you playing small. The shame that makes you hide your job loss from your own family. And the tactical, right-now advice on how to use AI to actually get hired—without getting screened out by the same technology. This episode is for you if: You're languishing in a job that's draining you but feel too stuck to move You've been numbing the career dissatisfaction with wine and wondering if there's another way You're curious about using AI in your job search but don't know where to start You've been applying to jobs and hearing nothing back You need a kick in the ass to stop overthinking and start taking action Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleschafercoaching/  Free offer #1: A free chapter from Michelle's book - sign up here: https://mschafercoaching.ca/cultivatingcareergrowth/  Free offer #2: Download the reflection tool Career Focus Framework here: https://mschafercoaching.ca/gain-clarity-and-confidence-in-your-job-search/  If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

Why do we buy gifts we can't afford for people who don't need them and over-schedule ourselves to the point where we only have the energy to drink and complain about how stressed we are? This episode is dedicated to your inner rebel—the part of you that wants to pour a drink, flip the bird, and Thelma-and-Louise yourself out of the insanity. Because she's not the problem. She's the part of you that knows something is wrong.  I'm also sharing how I've completely reinvented Christmas in my own family over the last 10+ years—no gifts, no stress, no obligation—and what I'm doing this year to create connection and joy.   🔑 Key Takeaways → The "waiting room" social experiment that reveals our true nature → Why the real culprit is your inner rule follower who can't tolerate going against the group → The evolution of my family's approach to Christmas gifts (and why my kids love it) → How to accept a gift without feeling obligated to reciprocate → How to audit your schedule, budget, and obligations—and have the courage to opt out   This episode is for you if: You're stressed and overwhelmed because "tis the season" You're on track to wake up broke and hungover in January You've been numbing your way through the holidays instead of enjoying them You're ready to stop following rules that weren't designed for your happiness Your inner rebel deserves more than another drink   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

Katie Herzog spent 15 years trying everything: AA, therapy, CBT, SMART Recovery, moderation management, swapping booze for weed. Nothing stuck. And in the back of her mind, she always knew she'd start drinking again. It was just a question of when. Then she found the Sinclair Method—a protocol where you take a medication called naltrexone, wait an hour, and drink. It sounds too simple. It sounds like cheating. But is it? Katie's been completely sober for three years. In this conversation, we dig into the science of how naltrexone rewires your brain, why the first three months don't look like much, and why realistic expectations might be the most important factor in whether this works for you. In this episode, we cover: → Katie's 15-year journey through AA, therapy, misdiagnosis, and desperation—and why the idea that abstinence is the only path kept her stuck for years → What the Sinclair Method actually is and how naltrexone blocks the endorphin rush that makes drinking feel good → The difference between "reward drinkers" and "relief drinkers"—and who TSM is best suited for → Why Katie's first attempt with naltrexone failed (and what she did differently the second time) → AND MUCH MUCH MORE. This episode is for you if: You've tried AA or other programs and they didn't stick The idea of "never drinking again" feels impossible You're curious about medication-assisted approaches but don't know where to start You're exhausted by the mental chatter—always thinking about drinking whether you're drinking or not You want to understand ALL the options, not just the abstinence-only path About the book: Drink Your Way Sober: A Science-Based Method to Break Free from Alcohol releases September 30th and is available on Amazon and at independent bookstores. Connect with Katie Herzog: Website: drinkyourwaysober.com Podcast: Blocked and Reported If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.  Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen speaks directly to the women who live and die by the checklist, the ones who can run circles around everyone else at work, keep ten plates spinning at home, and still collapse into bed wondering why they feel exhausted, behind, and overwhelmed. If you're a high-achiever who secretly depends on stress chemistry to function, this one is going to land. Colleen breaks down why the "box-checking brain" is so addicted to dopamine, adrenaline, and cortisol… and why that system eventually stops working. You'll hear how even the most capable women fall into the dopamine trap: chasing the almost done feeling, attaching worth to productivity, and burning themselves out while ignoring their actual needs. But instead of asking you to slow down, shrink your life, or pretend to be someone who "can't handle much," she shows you how to work at a higher level. A way of operating that protects your nervous system, restores clarity, and still lets you be a woman who gets things done.   🔑 Key Takeaways • Why high-achieving, Type-A women confuse adrenaline with capability • How the dopamine trap keeps you chasing productivity but never feeling satisfied • The difference between what your brain "wants" and what your body actually needs • Why a new job, new schedule, or new boss won't create lasting relief • The five steps to building an emotionally sober checklist that actually restores capacity • How values-based decisions rewire your motivation from the inside out • Why internal validation is the only sustainable path to feeling accomplished and at peace This episode is a reminder that you don't need to do less to feel better — you need to anchor yourself in who you're becoming. When you shift your checklist from achievement to alignment, you stop chasing worth and start embodying it. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen shares a real moment from her life a few weeks ago. The kind of moment everybody encounters but rarely names. On a Thursday flight, she felt calm, grounded, and uninterested in drinking at all. Forty-eight hours later, on the way out of New York, she couldn't wait for the flight attendant to serve her Chardonnay. Nothing "mysterious" happened in between. Her capacity changed. She unpacks how travel, lost work, accumulated stress, and zero real recovery time pushed her from a green-light nervous system into overwhelm — and how quickly old neural pathways stepped in to compensate. This isn't a story about self-control. It's a lesson in how the brain protects you when you've ignored your own needs for too long. You'll hear what drinking too much actually signals, why overwhelm is a physiological state (not a character flaw), and what changes when you stop treating your habits as moral failures and start treating them as data. Colleen also shares how she recalibrated afterward — not with rules, punishment, or vows, but with space, compassion, and a return to her actual needs.   🔑 Key Takeaways • Drinking "too much" is a symptom of depletion, not a sign you're broken • Stress is activating; overwhelm is the shutdown that happens when demands exceed capacity • Old habits reappear when you haven't left space to process emotions or care for yourself • You cannot think your way out of overwhelm — you have to restore capacity first • Nervous-system literacy is more useful than willpower when it comes to changing your drinking • Emotional sobriety isn't about perfection. It's about paying attention early enough to respond, not react   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

I recently hit a wall. Not the kind where you're tired—the kind where you wake up and genuinely don't care anymore. About your business. About your goals. About any of it. And here's what scared me: I saw it coming. I knew I was running on fumes. I just didn't stop. In this conversation, burnout expert Cait Donovan helps me understand why. And it's not what I expected. It's not about workload or boundaries or self-care Sundays. It's about shame. It's about not believing you deserve to have needs in the first place. And it's about rebuilding trust with your own body—starting with something as basic as peeing when you need to pee. In this episode, we cover: → Why shame is the first barrier to meeting your own needs (before finances, before time, before anything else) → Strategic disappointment: how to practice letting people down in small, safe ways so your nervous system learns you won't die → The difference between hyperindependence and strength—and why asking for help feels impossible → How foundational self-care builds emotional intelligence automatically → Why we mistake alignment with that feeling of having "a firecracker up my ass" and what alignment actually feels like (spoiler: it's a settling, not an urgency) This episode is for you if: You're exhausted but can't seem to stop You've ignored your body's signals for so long you don't know what they are anymore You feel guilty resting, asking for help, or disappointing people You've tried to "fix" your burnout by changing external circumstances and it didn't work You suspect the problem isn't your schedule—it's something deeper If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.  Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen unpacks one of the most common and misunderstood experiences women face in this work: the moment you look up, take inventory, and think, "My drinking hasn't changed." Instead of treating that as evidence of failure, she reframes it as a signal from your nervous system, a window into your thinking habits, and an invitation to expand your internal capacity. She breaks down why consistency with alcohol doesn't shift just because you're "doing the work," how perfectionism and overwhelm hijack your perception of progress, and why your drinking is an output of deeper emotional patterns—not the root problem to be fixed. From there, she offers a clear five-question framework that helps you reclaim agency, rebuild momentum, and reconnect to your power without relying on willpower, shame, or urgency.   🔑 Key Takeaways • Why "my drinking hasn't changed" is a nervous-system cue, not a character flaw • How setbacks function as essential data points in emotional sobriety • The three nervous-system states and how they influence your drinking decisions • Why you can't think your way out of overwhelm… and what to do instead • A 5-question coaching process to uncover your real blocks and build momentum • How to define your ideal drinking pattern in a way that feels empowering, not punitive • Why progress is built through iteration, capacity, and compassion—not perfection This will remind you that your drinking doesn't change when you finally "get it right." It changes when you expand your capacity, shift your thinking habits, and learn to make decisions from the calm, grounded version of you who knows exactly what she wants.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen shares a simple moment from her morning — a single unexpected email — that shows exactly how the nervous system can hijack your day before you even know what happened. What could've turned into urgency, frustration, and spiraling worst-case scenarios instead became a real-time example of emotional sobriety: noticing the startle, interrupting the stress response, and choosing from capacity instead of panic. She breaks down the subtle physiological chain reaction that happens long before overwhelm hits — the jolt, the mental spin, the internal "wall," the freeze — and shows how quickly your brain starts catastrophizing when your capacity is low. Colleen also explains why even tiny stressors feel massive when you're depleted, and how honoring your body's limits (instead of bulldozing through them) changes everything about how you show up. 🔑 Key Takeaways • The five stages of the trauma response and how to spot them as they unfold • Why capacity changes daily — and why ignoring that reality leads straight to overwhelm • How your brain hijacks your perspective when you're tired, stressed, or depleted • Why completing the stress response is non-negotiable if you want to stay effective • How to shift from "fix it now" urgency to grounded, strategic problem-solving • A simple litmus test to know whether something expands your capacity or drains it • How emotional sobriety turns small moments into opportunities to build resilience This is a reminder that your power isn't in outrunning stress — it's in noticing it sooner, responding with compassion, and restoring your capacity before you take action. That is what makes you truly unstoppable. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

As middle aged women, we all know what it's like to be exhausted. Not the kind of exhausted where you need a nap—the kind where you've been running on fumes for so long you forgot what actual energy feels like. You're already doing everything you can to eat well, exercise, get better sleep and cut back on the wine. You've probably got rows of supplements lined up on your counter like little soldiers. You do lots of research and see  holistic practitioners because your health is important to you. And it's not so much that something is wrong–it's that something isn't right. Here's what you're missing: you can't expect your symptoms to improve if you haven't corrected the root cause–which is energetic. It's the patriarchal programming that makes you feel like your self-worth is tied to your productivity. It's the part of you that doesn't know how to relax because relaxing literally doesn't feel safe. My guest today is Hope Pedraza. She's a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner who uses human design as a diagnostic tool—and before you roll your eyes, stay with me. She combines the labs, the data, the science, with your energetic blueprint to show you exactly where the disconnect is. How you're designed to operate versus how you're actually living.  In this episode, you'll learn: → What human design actually is (and the science behind it—yes, there's science) → The connection between your energy centers and specific organs—and how emotional patterns literally show up on your labs → Why it's physiologically impossible to change your habits when you're in survival mode → The two-step process to start repatterning your operating system   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc Connect with Hope Pedraza: Podcast: Hopeful and Wholesome Website: hopefulandwholesome.com Instagram: @thehopepedraza Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen pulls the curtain back on overwhelm and names it for what it really is: a trauma response living in your nervous system, not a personal failing or lack of willpower. She walks through the five stages your body moves through when the demands on you exceed your capacity, and why trying to "push through" that wall only drives you deeper into shutdown. Instead of treating overwhelm as something to beat, Colleen shows you how to use it as a litmus test that tells you exactly when to stop, step back, and tend to your nervous system first. You'll learn a simple five-minute reset practice you can use anytime you feel yourself hit the wall, so you can move forward from compassion instead of self-criticism.   🔑 Key Takeaways Overwhelm isn't weakness or drama; it's a physiological trauma response in your nervous system The five stages of the body's trauma response: startle, stress activation, hitting the wall, freeze, and shutdown Why trying to "power through" overwhelm keeps you stuck and deepens shame, anxiety, and self-doubt How chronic internal narratives (people pleasing, perfectionism, fear, guilt) quietly drain your capacity long before the "last straw" A simple litmus test and five-minute pause practice to respond to overwhelm with compassion instead of pressure If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

In this episode, Colleen gets brutally honest about something most "high-functioning" women never admit out loud: what happens when your old motivation system collapses. Divorce, sobriety, and building a business forced her to drop the over-functioning, over-exercising version of herself and face a hard truth: she'd been using fitness to run on stress, shame, and hangovers. She unpacks why, after quitting drinking, her drive completely disappeared, why post-acute withdrawal wasn't just about brain chemistry, and how dopamine is actually tied to the stories you tell yourself about reward and worth. From there, she walks through how she rebuilt movement from the inside out with tiny, sustainable habits that actually feel good instead of punitive. You'll hear how she went from daily marathons and hot yoga to "slug on a log" mode, and then into a realistic, sustainable routine that supports bone density, strength, and future adventures… without relying on self-hate, perfectionism, or external validation to get her moving. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why so many women lose their motivation after sobriety or big life changes (hint: your old rewards stop working, not your willpower) How dopamine is tied to your internal narrative about reward, identity, and what "counts" as success The difference between forcing yourself with willpower vs building habits that feel sustainable, kind, and matched to where you actually are Why you're never just building "one habit" (like working out) but a whole stack of upstream habits that make follow-through possible Red flags that your routine is fueled by shame and "shoulds" instead of genuine desire, and why that guarantees burnout instead of long-term change   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

You've done the therapy. Read the books. Listened to the podcasts. You understand your trauma responses intellectually. But when you get triggered, your mind still spins out of control—and you can't make it stop. Here's what you need to know: Your spinning mind isn't something to fix or control. It's communication from a wounded part of you that needs your attention.   In this episode, we're talking about: Why trying to think your way out of emotional pain actually makes it worse The difference between being triggered BY a part vs. BECOMING that part (blending vs. unblending) Why your wounded inner child doesn't speak the language of logic—and what she actually needs from you How to drop out of your spinning mind and into your body where the real healing happens Why "I've done so much work, why am I still dealing with this?" is the wrong question The practice that changes everything: showing up for your pain without trying to fix it   This is Internal Family Systems (IFS) meets emotional sobriety. This is how you stop abandoning yourself when your wounded parts show up asking for help.   🔑 Key Takeaway:  Healing doesn't happen in your head. It happens in your nervous system when you learn to show up for your wounded parts with presence, patience, and unconditional love. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

In this episode, Colleen shares a real-life story about her daughter's college move-in that reveals one of the most important skills in emotional sobriety: knowing the difference between a grounded choice and a nervous system hijack. What started as a harmless whiff of pot in the entryway spiraled into panic, urgency, and the impulse to move apartments immediately. But the real issue wasn't the apartment — it was a stress response scanning for danger. Colleen breaks down how fear narrows your perspective, why your brain searches for confirming evidence when you feel unsafe, and how to recognize the moment you stop choosing and start reacting. You'll learn how to evaluate your options from clarity instead of pressure, how to distinguish obligation from true desire, and how to pause long enough to reconnect to the version of you who can choose intentionally. 🔑 You'll Learn: • The difference between real choice and a nervous-system-driven reaction • How fight, flight, and freeze disguise themselves as "logic" • Why urgency is a sign to pause, not act • How resentment forms when you choose from fear instead of truth • A simple way to widen your perspective and see more than one angle • How emotional sobriety helps you make decisions you'll be proud of later This episode is a reminder that grounded choices feel like options — not obligations — and that clarity is something you create from the inside out. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen breaks down one of the most foundational teachings of emotional sobriety: your higher self isn't a future version of you — she's a frequency you can access right now. Drawing from quantum physics, nervous system science, and the emotional practices at the core of this work, Colleen explains why clarity, intuition, creativity, and confidence aren't things you earn after healing enough trauma or doing everything "right." They emerge when you learn to quiet the noise of your subconscious programming, regulate your nervous system, and align your emotional state with the version of you who already knows what to do. You'll learn how distorted thinking jams your internal signal, why stress blocks intuition, and what it actually takes to receive insight instead of chasing it. This minisode is a practical guide to becoming coherent — mentally, emotionally, and energetically — so you can stop fighting with your thoughts and finally tune into the wisdom already within you.   🔑 Key Takeaways • Your higher self is a frequency, not a destination • Why intuition emerges when your brain and body are coherent • How nervous system regulation opens access to insight • The three components of alignment: breath, emotion, and intention • Why affirmations fail when they're fueled by fear • How to replace subconscious loops with new emotional signals • What it means to "broadcast" a new identity energetically This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn't come from trying harder — it comes from tuning in. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

What if the reason you're still drinking too much when you're alone has nothing to do with willpower—and everything to do with how you think about being alone? You've made so much progress. You're no longer drinking every day. You can go to social events and drink like a normal person without going overboard. You're doing the work, listening to podcasts, journaling, showing up for yourself. But there's still that one context where you get tripped up. Sunday afternoons. Tuesday evenings when you're home alone. You pour one glass and somehow end up drinking the entire bottle. And you're starting to wonder: Is something wrong with me? Why can't I figure this out? Will this ever change? Here's the truth: Your drinking habit isn't one habit. It's a hundred habits. And most of them have nothing to do with alcohol. In this episode, you'll discover: 🔥 Why you can control your drinking in some contexts but not others (and what that actually means about your progress) 🔥 The real reason "just staying busy" doesn't solve the problem when you're home alone 🔥 How to upgrade from shame to disappointment to curiosity—and why that progression is critical for lasting change 🔥 Why your language patterns are creating your reality ("I've always struggled when I'm alone" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy) 🔥 The one question your brain can't answer (hint: it's not "how do I stop drinking too much?") 🔥 What "abracadabra" teaches us about the power of expectation—and how to use it in your favor 🔥 How to create a vision for what you DO want instead of just wishing for the absence of unwanted behavior 🔥 Why seeing your slip-ups as "neutral data" instead of failure changes everything 🔥 The truth about being "halfway there"—and how to get all the way there without beating yourself up Here's what you need to understand: Alcohol use disorder is the disease of perceived failure. You drank more than you think you should have, and you're seeing it as failure. But the work isn't to stop failing. The work is to change your perception of what failure even means. When you're alone on a Sunday or Tuesday evening, you're not failing. You're learning. And there's a huge difference. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

In this episode, Colleen walks us through a coaching moment that captures what emotional sobriety really means: shifting from self-criticism and control into vision and alignment. When one client arrived overwhelmed and focused on what her partner wasn't doing, the breakthrough came when she identified who she wanted to be — positive and powerful. From there, everything changed. Colleen unpacks how to train the brain to serve your vision instead of your fear, why alignment between mind and body is the true foundation of change, and how to stop letting your thoughts drain your energy. You'll learn what it means to "stop, drop, and feel," and how this simple practice brings you back to your power when you're spiraling in stress or self-doubt.   🔑 Key Takeaways How to use coaching to shift perspective from blame to personal power Why your emotions are litmus tests for your mindset The difference between primal (fear) and powerful (freedom) states Practices to regulate your nervous system and realign your energy How clarity of vision makes your brain your ally, not your enemy This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn't start with action — it starts with who you decide to be. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this deeply personal reflection, Colleen opens up about her own history with bulimia and the years she spent trying to control her body to manage her emotions. Inspired by Jennette McCurdy's memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died, she explores how disordered eating, drinking, and perfectionism all share the same root: unprocessed emotion and the desperate need to feel safe, seen, and in control. Through her story — and Jennette's — Colleen reframes recovery as a compassionate, iterative process. True healing isn't about getting it right; it's about breaking the shame cycle that turns a slip into a slide. She reminds us that slips are part of rewiring the brain, not proof of failure. Shame is what cements the pattern — compassion is what breaks it. This episode invites listeners to soften around their own humanity, to stop waiting for perfection, and to practice self-acceptance as the foundation for lasting change. 🔑 Key Takeaways Why perfectionism fuels relapse and self-sabotage The "slip vs. slide" mindset and why it's essential for sustainable healing How shame disguises itself as self-control What emotional sobriety looks like beyond alcohol — in food, body, and identity Why healing happens one processed emotion, one honest moment at a time The goal isn't flawless behavior — it's emotional freedom. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript