Shaun Palmer’s Story: From Survival to Revival and Beyond

/in , /by

Shaun Palmer defeated alcohol when the odds were stacked against him. Alcohol provided the anaesthetic he was looking for at a young age to numb and escape from the trauma of growing up with domestic violence and a father with a sever alcoholic use disorder in the family home. He quickly moved out and immersed himself in his new career in the hospitality industry and then later in the fly-in-fly-out mining industry where he found drinking was entrenched and revered. Following a family tragedy, Shaun miraculously turned his life around. His sheer focus and dedication to becoming sober is compelling. Shaun’s story may have started with heartbreak, but it now certainly speaks of revival and joy of the life he has created. He provides direct insight into a male’s experience of transforming from a big drinker into an alcohol-free man in Australian culture. It certainly wasn’t all plain sailing and he intentionally altered where and how he socialised in order to succeed on his sober mission but any losses have clearly been overshadowed by all the gains. Please tune in for this wonderful and informative episode.

Shaun Palmer is the founder and coach of Revive Sobriety Coaching and can be found at: www.revivesobrietycoaching.com

Lisa Greenberg’s Perfectly Imperfect Sobriety Story

/in /by

Join us as we talk with the glorious perfectly imperfect Lisa Greenberg about her alcohol addiction and her path to sobriety and beyond.  As a highly sought-after speaker, fitness consultant, columnist and founder of SOBEROBICS, Lisa’s passion for inspiring, elevating and empowering women truly resonates. Her energy and enthusiasm for life is contagious. In this episode, Lisa is refreshingly honest and open about how dark her battle with alcohol got for her. We discuss the secrecy and dishonesty that often accompanies addiction including hiding bottles and lying to family and friends about the extent of her drinking; how Lisa believed that alcohol allowed her to be the party girl and that without it she “would have nothing else to add” and that “no one would want to talk to her” and how at rock bottom her self-loathing loomed so large that she chose to sleep on the concrete floor as she believed she no longer deserved her bed.  In recovery, Lisa learned to like the girl staring back at her in the mirror and embrace the fact that she no longer needs or wants to be the party girl. Her experience has propelled her into a life full of gratitude and service to others. This episode is essential listening for those of us who are seeking reminders as to why we are living or yearn to live an alcohol-free life and who are looking for some hope and inspiration to reach outwards, onwards and upwards.

All Things Intoxicated with Faye Lawrence

/in /by
In this episode we talk to Faye Lawrence. Faye is founder of Untoxicated (Australia’s largest alcohol free social community). Faye is a Master Grey Area Drinking Coach and is also a TEDx Speaker! Faye discusses all things untoxicated and talks about Faye’s journey, kids, losing and gaining friends, finding your inner child, self forgiveness, sober dating and more! Join us for some conversation, some laughs and some inspiration.

Teens & Alcohol with Paul Dillon

/in /by
In this episode we talk with Paul Dillon of Drugs and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA) all about teens and alcohol.  Paul has been working in the area of drug and alcohol education for over 30 years both nationally and internationally and is also the author of ‘Teenagers, Alcohol and Drugs’ and host of the sensational 5-part pod series for parents called Doing Drugs With Paul Dillon.  Paul is also a legend in Bella’s household! We discuss what parents can do to reduce the risks associated alcohol when it comes to their teens, how to create household rules around alcohol that their teens will be more inclined to follow, whether it is wise facilitate undertake drinking in the family setting and a whole lot more.  This is a ripper of an episode and one that we invite all parents and carers of teens and (up and coming teens) to put on their pods-to-listen-to-list!

Dr Chris Davis, Clean Slate Clinic

/in /by

Today Meg & Bella are incredibly lucky to be joined by Dr Chris Davis, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of The Clean Slate Clinic to discuss The Clinic’s innovative and highly acclaimed Telehealth program that supports Australians struggling with alcohol dependence to safely undergo alcohol detox from home.

 

Episode 9, Merry Christmas!

/in , /by

In this episode, in addition to a few belly laughs, we offer some tips to attempt to get through Christmas as unscathed as possible! From frocks, mocks and hammocks to embracing the imperfections of Christmas, from picking and choosing your own Christmas adventures to jumping off those social media accounts that do not serve you doing this period, choose what Christmas can offer you and not what you can offer Christmas (and that may be asking for some light relief like a family member getting caught in the Christmas tree… again…!).  Join us for a giggle.  Oh and merry Christmas everyone! Big hugs from Meg & Bella x

Episode 8, Alcohol & Sleep with Professor Michael Gradisar

/in /by

In today’s episode, we talk to sleep psychologist Professor Michael Gradisar from Wink Sleep all about alcohol & sleep.  Not only do people fear not being able to fall asleep when taking a break from alcohol but this fear can often be a reason for not staying the course. So we thought let’s get an expert on to answer our questions and learn some tips! We discuss how the first week of removing alcohol can resemble insomnia and how it can take a week or two to transition into a restorative sleep pattern. Michael explains how being forearmed with this knowledge minimises your fear of falling asleep by empowering you to know this is normal and that steps are available to make it easier, including cognitive behaviour therapy techniques, improvements to your sleep environment and bringing in your screen to help you doze off to a calming show (yes you heard that right!). We also discuss how drinking dreams actually help us remain alcohol free. We hope you enjoy this as much as we did!  Look out for Wink Sleep’s eBook, How to Ride the Wave: Sleep and Alcohol, How to Make it Easier when Making a Change which can be found at https://winksleep.online/ as well as links to daily videos discussing what you can expect in the early days of going alcohol free together with some tips to ride the wave.

Episode 6, Burnout – Mimmo’s Lived Experience

/in /by

In this episode, Bella talks to Miranda, a close high-school friend, about Mim’s  experience with burnout and her recovery from it.  Bella and Mim chat about the bizarre moment they each discovered that their lives had “imploded” at the very same moment. Mim discusses how her brain quite literally went into “safe mode” and she could no longer do basic things like send a text, how she recovered slowly but surely over 2-years and how one day she woke up and thought “I’m back!”.  Finally Bella and Mim reflect on how these life-implosion-moments can lead to a more purposeful and resonant life on the others side.

The Two Big Lists & Visualising Future You

/in /by

In this episode, Meg and Bella discuss two very important lists that identify the beliefs that we all develop over the course of our lives around alcohol and which creates a road map for the reframing process that will lead you to a new mindset around alcohol.  Meg and Bella then share the original content of a visualisation exercise that they independently did at the start of their own alcohol free journeys.  It’s vulnerable stuff today, yet empowering and hopeful.

Episode 3, Bella’s Story

/in /by

In this episode, Bella shares her personal story which lead to her becoming an alcohol free woman and a This Naked Mind Certified Coach.    Bella’s story addresses her experiences with alcohol in her legal career, in becoming a mum and step-mum and how she leapt into mummy wine culture with wild abandonment only to hit rock bottom and end up with a wake-up call in rehab.  Bella opens up about the 4 themes that have been ever present in her life involving confidence, finding her tribe, her voice and anxiety which she believes she drank alcohol to overcome but which she then had to deal with head-on in order to successfully become alcohol free.  Bella is the founder and counsellor and coach of Isabella Ferguson Counselling & Coaching.  She supports women in mid-life and parents and teenagers in relation to issues involving alcohol, life balance and diet culture.