Saturday Feb 18, 2023

How to Stop Binge Drinking - our number one podcast!

I learned recently that only 10% of podcasters manage to publish more than 100 episodes so today I wanted to mark the fact that the Tribe Sober podcast is still going strong after 150 episodes!

Yes it’s hard work getting out a weekly episode but it’s also been such a pleasure connecting with some fabulous guests and of course getting feedback from listeners all over the world.

I’ve taken a deep dive into our podcast archives and highlighted the top ten most popular episodes

At number 10 we have 3 podcasts with 1,700 downloads!

10. The Happy Brain with Loretta Breuning

That was Dr Loretta Breuning – author the Happy Brain.
I always learn a lot from my guests and my conversation with Loretta led me to a personal lightbulb moment which actually changed the advice we give to our community.
It’s common to experience a low mood in early sobriety – a spell of anhedonia.
It certainly happened to me so I discussed this with Loretta
She taught me that we don’t have to just grit our teeth and get through this difficult patch – there is a way out!
A way to trigger our happy chemicals and banish those early sobriety blues
It’s fascinating stuff so do have a listen to the interview –
Tribe Sober podcast episode 55 on Apple podcasts or via this link

10. “Take a Break”

Another episode that came in at 10^th place with 1,700 listens was the episode called “Take a Break” – 3 Tribe Sober members talking about the benefits of taking a break from the booze.

We believe in Challenges here at Tribe Sober - every year we run 2 #Sober66 Challenges as well as our Dry January Fundraiser.
On this episode we hear from 3 ladies who did a 66 day Sober Spring - why did they sign up? what was it like? what tips do they have?
Have a listen to Claire, Helena and Pam and if you’re inspired you can go to tribesober.com and sign up for the next #Sober66 which starts on 20^th March
Find this episode on Apple podcasts Tribe Sober episode 75 or via this link

10. Rebranding Sobriety with Susan Christina

The third episode at number 10 is my interview with the fabulous Susan Christina from Hola Sober.

Susan Christina is on a mission to rebrand sobriety and make alcohol free living as attractive and glamorous as we thought drinking was
She’s an advocate for the modern recovery movement and wants women to take back their power!
Susan Christina publishes a gorgeous 100 page online magazine call Hola Sober, packed with features and inspiration – I’ll put the link in the shownotes https://linktr.ee/holasober
The episode with Susan Christina is called Rebranding Sobriety – episode 67 on Apple or via this link

8. Casey joins up the dots... between drinking and anxiety

Next up is an interview with Sobriety Coach Casey Mcguire Davidson with 1,800 downloads

Like me Casey was caught in the corporate workhard/playhard culture as well as the mommyjuice trend…using alcohol to cope with stress and anxiety and becoming more dependent over the years…
But somehow we both found our way out of that trap and now we are finding joy in helping people to do the same
We talked about the strong women we come across in our sober communities – and how many of us managed to hold it all together through the drinking years. Once we are liberated from the shackles of alcohol addiction there is no stopping us and we go on to achieve great things.
We agreed that yes Sobriety is definitely a Superpower!
Catch Casey on Tribe Sober podcast episode 66 on Apple or via this link

7. Is your Lizard Brain the Boss with Staci Danford

Coming in at number 7 is neuroscientist Staci Danford which also has had 1,800 listens

Staci is a neuroscientist who loves working with the sober community. In this episode she shares some really practical and useful information about our brain.

Staci explained how our primitive lizard brain will go on autopilot unless we intervene – she calls her Lizard Brain Earl and calls him out if he tries to hijack her behaviour!
She confirmed that our #Sober66 Challenge is long enough to create a new neural pathway to change our drinking patterns
She also said that the “secret sauce” of our Challenges is the community support
Our next #Sober66 Challenge starts on 20^th March so just go to tribesober.com and you’ll see the sign up box on the homepage

You can catch Staci’s episode on Apple podcasts, episode 57 or via this link

6. Why we need to ditch the drink in mid-life with Lori Massicot

Next up in our Top Ten is Lori Massicot, also with 1,800 listens.

Lori Massicot a midlife sobriety coach.
I discovered Lori when I found her podcast – it’s called “to 50 and beyond” – it’s a podcast aimed at women in mid-life where she highlights the beauty of aging and the freedom that comes along with alcohol free life.
I was 63 when I finally ditched the booze so as you can imagine we had a great conversation about how giving up alcohol is one of the best things we can do for ourselves as we get older.
Let’s remember that 20% of social drinkers WILL become dependent over the years
That’s exactly what happened to most of our Tribe members who are now busy supporting each other and changing their habits
So if you want to improve your health and increase your happiness just go to tribesober.com and hit join our tribe.
Catch Lori’s episode on Apple podcasts episode 72 or via this link

5. My Relationship with Alcohol with Eusebius McKaiser

Holding down the number 5 spot with 1800 downloads is South African journalist and broadcaster Eusebius McKaiser
He signed up for our Dry January Fundraiser a few years ago and much to his surprise he’s maintained his sobriety.
We first met when I was on his radio show reading out my Goodbye to Alcohol Letter.
A goodbye letter is a cathartic and powerful ritual that can help us draw a line under our drinking years.
During our conversation Eusebius shared the benefits he is experiencing and explained how he has substituted different kinds of music for alcohol - to stimulate the right mood when he is writing.
You can it via this link or on Apple podcasts episode 29
Eusebius and I also recorded another Tribe Sober podcast episode together – called Busting Sobriety Myths – episode 77 on Apple podcasts or via this link

4. Why we get hangxiety with William Porter

At number 4 with 2000 downloads is another podcast about anxiety! – title was “Why we get Hangxiety and my guest was William Porter.
We talked about "hangxiety" and how it's caused by chemical changes in our brain - when it becomes over-sensitised
If you drink a bottle of wine every night then your brain will take the first glass as a signal that the rest of the bottle is coming!
That's why moderation is so difficult - and it's exhausting as we are thinking about it all the time
Dependency happens once we learn (consciously or subsconsciously) that another drink will quell the anxiety caused by the first
FAB is responsible for many people falling off the wagon as they think they can now have "just one" - which is not sustainable
William also explained that it's a complete myth that alcohol helps you sleep - the truth is that it ruins our sleep!
This conversation is on episode 50 on Apple podcasts or you can access it via this link

3. How I ditched the drink with Clare Pooley

At number 3 we have the fabulous Clare Pooley with 2,100 downloads
Clare is the author of “Sober Diaries” and a wonderful example of how your dreams can come true when you ditch the booze.
Her sober blog not only helped her to stay on track but it attracted a publishing deal which led to the sober diaries – she then went on to write two further novels.
Her childhood dream was to be an author and now she is!
CLAIRE's TOP TIP - she reconfigured her day - went to bed at 7pm (to avoid evening drinking) and got up at 5am feeling great!
As cooking the evening meal was a big temptation for her she cooked it in the morning and heated it up in the evening
Her blog - the obstacle course went viral and is essential reading in early sobriety – I’ll put the link in the shownotes
Clare's key message in her blog is to keep going however hard it gets - stopping and starting is the hardest way and means you are doing the hardest bit – over and over
The episode is number 39 in Apple podcasts or via this link

2. How I quit drinking and started a tribe with Janet Gourand

At number 2 is my story with 2,200 downloads
I talk about my long struggle with alcohol – how I nearly drowned by passing out in my bath at the age of 25 and carried on drinking
How I got breast cancer - and carried on drinking
How a "walking, talking blackout" made me (finally) ditch the drink
I talk about my quest for sobriety, my failure as an AA member and how I finally got sober.
I share my motivation for founding Tribe Sober and read out my Goodbye to Alcohol Letter.
This was the very first episode of the Tribe Sober podcast so is episode one in Apple podcasts – or via this link

People often find podcasts by googling key words so the fact that our most popular podcast was called

“How to Stop Binge Drinking” would indicate that a lot of people find themselves without an off switch once they start drinking.

I certainly fell in that category – a couple of glasses every evening and probably a binge once a week.

If you’ve ever wondered exactly how much you have to drink to constitute a binge you may be surprised to learn that:-

Binge drinking is defined as consuming 4 or more drinks on one occasion for women or 5 or more drinks on one occasion for men

Australian sobriety coach Kathryn Elliott was a binge drinker

1. How to Stop Binge Drinking with Kathryn Elliott

Kathryn would be in a cycle – go for it, recover, go for it, recover

She didn’t really see this as a “problem” even when she started having blackouts at 16 – some blackouts which involved driving
If you listen to last weeks Tribe Sober episode with Professor Nutt you can hear him explaining the science behind blackouts – and the fact that blackouts can actually lead to brain damage!
She could go for weeks without drinking and challenges like Dry January were easy for her but she would always see these dry periods as permission to binge before and afterwards!
As Kathryn looks back on those short periods of abstinence she realises they did nothing to help her understand her binge drinking habit
Women need to understand that binge drinking is particularly dangerous as it can take up to a month for our liver to recover from a heavy session.
We tend to think that once the hangover has gone we can start drinking again but that just piles more damage on top of the existing damage.
Episode 113 on Apple podcasts or access my conversation with Kathryn via this link

So that’s our top ten podcast episodes – thank you to our amazing guests and of course to our listeners!

- More Info
Subscription membership – you can join up HERE.
- To access our website, click HERE.
- If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com.
- If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com.
- to join our mailing list click HERE
Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program. If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today
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