Is Alcohol Keeping You Stuck? The Questions Every Woman Who Drinks Should Ask - Jen Hirst
What does it really take to walk out of the “sober closet” and let go of the shame we carry around drinking?
In this episode of Stronger, Bolder, Wiser, I sit down with sobriety coach Jen Hirst to trace her journey from hidden, high-functioning drinking to lasting recovery, and to talk about the tools that actually work. Jen shares how her drinking escalated from teenage experimentation to using alcohol to numb heartbreak, anxiety and the weight of perfectionism, and how wedding stress pushed her to rock bottom. We talk about how alcohol fuels anxiety, how perimenopause and hormones shape our vulnerability, and the practical tools that ease cravings and stress, from breathwork, walking and affirmations to protein, blood-sugar stabilisation and her bedtime “protein pudding” trick for those 3am wake-ups.
The big ideasKey Takeaways
- 01Coming out of the “sober closet” and sharing her story is what finally dissolved Jen’s shame.
- 02Alcohol worsens anxiety, and perimenopause and shifting hormones make midlife women more vulnerable to it.
- 03Stabilising blood sugar, including a bedtime protein snack, can ease cravings and those 3am wake-ups.
- 04Moderation so often fails, and cross addiction is a warning sign to watch for in sobriety.
Jump straight inEpisode Chapters
- Getting Sober And Breaking Out Of The Sober Closet
- Using Alcohol To Self Medicate Heartbreak, Anxiety And Wedding Stress
- Hiding Drinking In Marriage And Early Failed Attempts To Get Sober
- Two DWIs, Hospitalisation And Detox
- Surrendering To Sobriety And Rebuilding After Rock Bottom
- How Alcohol Worsens Anxiety And How Perimenopause Affects Cravings
- Building An Early Sobriety Toolkit To Handle Cravings
- Overcoming Shame, Labels And Alcohol Culture
- How Sharing Your Sobriety Story Kills Shame
- Why Moderation Fails And How Alcohol Changes Brain Chemistry
- How Protein And Blood Sugar Balance Reduce Cravings
- Cross Addiction Warning Signs To Watch For
- Regulating Your Nervous System Without Alcohol
Tap a chapter to watch from that moment on YouTube
Meet your guestJen Hirst
Jen Hirst is a sobriety coach who has been alcohol-free since 24 April 2013.
After years of hidden, high-functioning drinking that escalated to job loss, two DWIs, hospitalisation and detox, she surrendered and rebuilt her life, then publicly “came out of the sober closet” on 7 September 2017.
- Website: jenhirst.com
Sarah Rusbatch is an accredited Health and Wellbeing Coach and one of Australia’s leading experts on grey area drinking. Her podcast, Stronger, Bolder, Wiser, is the go-to space for women who are questioning their relationship with alcohol, navigating life alcohol-free, or simply curious about what life could look like on the other side of the bottle.
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