Ponderings on sobriety, ADHD, anxiety & wellbeing
Learnings, podcasts, stories, hacks and useful info for you to tap into!
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What is a year of your life worth?
So many of us get caught up in the shoulds and what other people think, caught up in all these weeds of expectations. (I am certainly not immune to this btw). The perfection game - one which will we'll never win.
Then we drink to tolerate the intolerable. Lives that are not our own. Lives that are lived for the approval of others.
We drink to tolerate this disconnect between who we really are and why we're not being that person, stuck in jobs we hate, hanging out with people we really don't like that much, and maybe even in unhappy relationships.
It’s time to stop wasting your life.
Are you letting other people’s opinions hold you back?
Often clients tell me that one of the biggest hurdles for them when they're changing their drinking habits is other people. And I totally get it. It used to terrify me too.
Would they think I was boring? That I had a problem with alcohol? (which I did). Would they still want to be friends with me? Would I belong anymore? Would people still invite me? Would they think I was a weirdo? (guilty 😂). Would they pressure and guilt me? Would I be letting people down because I wasn't showing up as 'the entertainment'?
What others thought of me was more important than what I thought of myself. And it holds you back in your alcohol-free journey.
Why 'progress not perfection' works to support lasting change
One thing I see amongst almost all my clients is that they're extremely hard on themselves; they're perfectionists and their inner critic game is really strong. I very much identify with this too.
They want to achieve allllll the things - stopping drinking (or taking a break), getting fit, overhauling their diet, maybe stopping smoking if that's in the mix, being more organised or productive, improving their relationships, stop working as much - and quite possibly a whole raft of other things.
But, if we want to set ourselves up for success, lets learn from what psychology and behavioural science tells us does work in making changes. A mindset of ‘progress not perfection’ is critical in making and sustaining the changes we want.
I’m sober, so why do I feel sad?
So you’ve given up alcohol but yet you’re feeling sadness or grief? Don’t worry, it’s normal. Here’s why.
Team DSC podcast: addiction, ADHD and acceptance
Faye talks to Roland and Evie of Team DSC on the Disability Done Different podcast about her late diagnosis of ADHD at 48, and what she’s learnt since:
🧠 the overlap with addiction in terms of shame and stigma
🧠 why so many people with ADHD experience addiction of some kind
🧠 why the language we use about things that impact us is so laden and complex
🧠 why late diagnosis can be a tricky one to get your head around
Dry But Wet podcast: Sober Socialising with Faye Lawrence
🎙️"There has to be room for fun and playfulness in sobriety".
Thank you to the wonderful Amy from Dry But Wet for having me on her poddy to chat about my journey from party girl, to out-of-control boozer, through rehab and out the other side and founding Untoxicated, and how to make friends when alcohol isn’t in the mix.
How to talk to Family and Friends about Changing your Drinking Habits
If you’ve made the choice to change the way you drink, or give up alcohol completely, you may struggle with how to navigate certain social situations. These go-to responses will help you feel confident in your decision and have some ideas for what to say when asked why you’re not drinking.
What I’ve learned from 5 years sober.
Here’s what I’ve learnt from 5 years sobriety. Some of the highlights of what I've learned along the way - on recovery, people pleasing and how to stay sober.
10 top tips to surviving a family Christmas alcohol-free
Top ten tips for staying sober at a family Christmas!
How do I know if I have a drinking ‘problem’?
Ever wondered whether you might be an alcoholic or whether you have a drinking problem? Read on to find out more.
Sober Dating and Sober Sex - The Sober Awkward Podcast
It's here! The episode all the single sober souls have been waiting for. Sober Dating! Seeing as Vic and Lucy know nothing about sober dating they have invited on an expert. Faye is the founder of Untoxicated, is a grey area drinking coach and an all-round professional party pooper. She has been on and off the sober dating scene since she gave up booze 4 years ago. Today they discuss everything from their drunken dating pasts, vulnerable sober sex and all the squishy stuff in-between. In this cheeky episode you'll get to find out what it's really like showing up to a date as you, no mask, no crutches. Together Vic and Faye discover that sober dating is about maturity, boundaries, and practice. It really is a case of feeling the awkward and doing it anyway!
How I Quit Alcohol podcast
How I Quit alcohol podcast. Faye and Danni talk cPTSD, alcoholism, socialising without alcohol and trauma.