The Sober Mom Life

Colleen had what seemed like a ‘perfect’ childhood - with a sober mom and a dad who rarely drank. Such an idyllic upbringing, however, didn’t guarantee smooth sailing for her. High expectations and perfectionism had begun to weigh on her by the time she left for college, and her newfound college freedom quickly led her to a life of heavy partying.  Colleen’s new lifestyle was rife with alcohol and other substances, and it resulted in some challenging experiences. First, she was kicked out of her dorms, and then she was kicked out of her college entirely. As she moved into adulthood, she knew that her drug use was problematic, but despite attempts to begin a new chapter, substances stayed in her life. After marriage, her drug challenges became so clear that she ended up in rehab.  It’s now been 10 years since Colleen has touched drugs, but she saw no reason at the time to give up alcohol. As a person with a high tolerance and no hangovers, drinking didn’t seem as though it was negatively affecting her life. Plus, she’d found it easy to quit during pregnancy or during times when she was working toward major fitness goals.  However, it eventually became clear that while alcohol didn’t feel like it had negative effects on her physically, it did have negative effects on her choices. After a series of destructive decisions put her marriage in jeopardy, Colleen started to question if alcohol actually was a problem. It was then that she found The Sober Mom Life podcast and community!  Colleen is now 90 days sober and she’s become deeply committed to doing the hard work through therapy. For Colleen, it feels good to say ‘forever’. She is never going back!    Enrollment for the next Sober Mom Retreat is now live, and you’re invited! We’ll be gathering at the Mountain Shadows Resort in Arizona from Feb 27-Mar 2, 2025. If you’re looking for community and self care in sobriety, this retreat is for you! Book your spot here.  Are you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe!  For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free!  We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting.  Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie and I are here for another installment of SobrieTEA, where we spill the tea about our favorite escape: Bravo and Reality TV! And oh boy, is there a lot to talk about in this installment.  We’ll jump right into our thoughts about the amazing new season of Southern Charm, including JT’s ill conceived gift, Shep’s moderation game, and Whitney’s odd role on the show.  Then we’ll tackle The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with thoughts about Dorit’s new F-it energy, Kathy and Kyle’s emotionally toxic family, and Jennifer Tilly’s debut.  And finally, we’ll get to the cream of the crop, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake! We’ll breakdown Meredith’s incredible Bat Mitzvah episode, Angie’s ‘high body count hair’ comment, how well Bronwyn is fitting into the show, and Mary and her son’s meaningful connection over his addiction. Plus: Katie’s review of Sonja Morgan’s live cabaret show, how Potomac dredged up Suzanne’s religious trauma, the evolution of alcohol on reality shows, the home stretch of Katie’s pregnancy, and the end of an era on Vanderpump!  Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For $40/month, you get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free!  We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting.  My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/ Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a meta moment - The Sober Mom Life podcast’s editor, Laura Wiese, is on the show. Today, the woman behind the curtain who shines up the podcast is here to tell her own sobriety story, with the centerpiece being that she herself was raised by a sober mom.  Laura will share how having a very vocal sober mom gave her clear guardrails once alcohol came into her life, why she has always felt a strong correlation between safety and sobriety, and the challenges she’s had navigating the social contract that so many of us feel around drinking.  You can learn more about Laura at her website!  Enrollment for the next Sober Mom Retreat is now live, and you’re invited! We’ll be gathering at the Mountain Shadows Resort in Arizona from Feb 27-Mar 2, 2025. If you’re looking for community and self care in sobriety, this retreat is for you! Book your spot here.  Are you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe!  For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free!  We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting.  Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alcohol was a normalized part of Renee’s early life. Going back and forth between her mom’s and dad’s homes, she was regularly around drinking in ways that never felt dangerous at the time. So, it seemed natural to start drinking in her teens.  As an adult, alcohol continued its regular place in her life, but she slowly began to experience its dark side. Her husband’s drinking had gotten out of control. After two hospitalizations for acute pancreatitis, her husband’s doctor was clear: he had to quit drinking for his health. While he wasn’t happy about the news, he did get sober. He’s now been so for nine years.  From there, Renee’s drinking felt well contained, but she still saw beer as a reward at the end of the day. After her father’s death in 2022, which was hastened by a lifetime of heavy drinking, her own drinking began to ramp up until she was often drinking a 12-pack a night. The escalation felt worrisome and her peace of mind and body were suffering. It took a bit of time, but something began to click: she was ready to quit.  Renee committed herself to a big perspective shift. She was no longer going to see alcohol as a ‘reward’. Instead, she learned about rock bottoms and interventions in order to help her visualize the rock bottom that she was trying to avoid for herself.  Renee feels so much more calm and inner peace in sobriety! Within six months she was able to get off of her anxiety meds. She now commits herself to sharing her story in hopes that it helps others find the courage to quit.  Enrollment for the next Sober Mom Retreat is now live, and you’re invited! We’ll be gathering at the Mountain Shadows Resort in Arizona from Feb 27-Mar 2, 2025. If you’re looking for community and self care in sobriety, this retreat is for you! Book your spot here.  Are you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe!  For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free!  We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting.  Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices