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Health & Fitness

It’s Not About the Alcohol

Would you like to reduce your alcohol consumption by about 80 percent? Become the version of you who can just “take it or leave it” so that you can enjoy drinking socially without relying on alcohol to manage your stress, anxiety, loneliness and boredom when you’re by yourself?

Most high achieving women assume over-drinking is caused by a lack of willpower–or worse, the incurable disease of “alcoholism.” So they beat themselves up and avoid asking for help because they feel ashamed and out of control.

Whether you’re a daily drinker who can’t break the habit, or you’re still going to sobriety meetings even though you don’t drink anymore, the real problem is that you don’t trust yourself.

Which means it’s not about the alcohol. It’s about your relationship with yourself.

Colleen Freeland is a a mindful drinking coach helping professional women learn how drinking less (or not at all) is actually a superpower, even when the idea of giving up the only thing that helps them quiet their mind feels impossible.

The solution to alcohol use disorder is a FEELING. If you felt comfortable in your own skin and at ease in your life, you would drink like someone who is comfortable and at ease!

Join me each week for holistic, evidence-based strategies to fix your dopamine deficit, regulate your nervous system, cure imposter syndrome, manage sugar cravings, improve your sleep and reclaim your mental health so you no longer have the urge to escape your own body.

Get happy, not sober. Because happy people don’t drink themselves into a stupor.

Latest Episodes:

EP297 What human design reveals about your drinking with Hope Pedraza Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

As middle aged women, we all know what it's like to be exhausted. Not the kind of exhausted where you need a nap—the kind where you've been running on fumes for so long you forgot what actual energy feels like.

You're already doing everything you can to eat well, exercise, get better sleep and cut back on the wine. You've probably got rows of supplements lined up on your counter like little soldiers. You do lots of research and see holistic practitioners because your health is important to you.

And it's not so much that something is wrong–it's that something isn't right.

Here's what you're missing: you can't expect your symptoms to improve if you haven't corrected the root cause–which is energetic. It's the patriarchal programming that makes you feel like your self-worth is tied to your productivity. It's the part of you that doesn't know how to relax because relaxing literally doesn't feel safe.

My guest today is Hope Pedraza. She's a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner who uses human design as a diagnostic tool—and before you roll your eyes, stay with me. She combines the labs, the data, the science, with your energetic blueprint to show you exactly where the disconnect is. How you're designed to operate versus how you're actually living.

In this episode, you'll learn:

→ What human design actually is (and the science behind it—yes, there's science)

→ The connection between your energy centers and specific organs—and how emotional patterns literally show up on your labs

→ Why it's physiologically impossible to change your habits when you're in survival mode

→ The two-step process to start repatterning your operating system

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

Connect with Hope Pedraza:

Podcast: Hopeful and Wholesome
Website: hopefulandwholesome.com
Instagram: @thehopepedraza

EP296 Minisode: How to cope with overwhelm so you don't NEED to drink so much Nov 29, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Colleen pulls the curtain back on overwhelm and names it for what it really is: a trauma response living in your nervous system, not a personal failing or lack of willpower. She walks through the five stages your body moves through when the demands on you exceed your capacity, and why trying to "push through" that wall only drives you deeper into shutdown.

Instead of treating overwhelm as something to beat, Colleen shows you how to use it as a litmus test that tells you exactly when to stop, step back, and tend to your nervous system first. You'll learn a simple five-minute reset practice you can use anytime you feel yourself hit the wall, so you can move forward from compassion instead of self-criticism.

🔑 Key Takeaways

Overwhelm isn't weakness or drama; it's a physiological trauma response in your nervous system
The five stages of the body's trauma response: startle, stress activation, hitting the wall, freeze, and shutdown
Why trying to "power through" overwhelm keeps you stuck and deepens shame, anxiety, and self-doubt
How chronic internal narratives (people pleasing, perfectionism, fear, guilt) quietly drain your capacity long before the "last straw"
A simple litmus test and five-minute pause practice to respond to overwhelm with compassion instead of pressure

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

EP295 Minisode: How to improve your motivation to stay sober in an evening Nov 27, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Colleen gets brutally honest about something most "high-functioning" women never admit out loud: what happens when your old motivation system collapses. Divorce, sobriety, and building a business forced her to drop the over-functioning, over-exercising version of herself and face a hard truth: she'd been using fitness to run on stress, shame, and hangovers.

She unpacks why, after quitting drinking, her drive completely disappeared, why post-acute withdrawal wasn't just about brain chemistry, and how dopamine is actually tied to the stories you tell yourself about reward and worth. From there, she walks through how she rebuilt movement from the inside out with tiny, sustainable habits that actually feel good instead of punitive.

You'll hear how she went from daily marathons and hot yoga to "slug on a log" mode, and then into a realistic, sustainable routine that supports bone density, strength, and future adventures… without relying on self-hate, perfectionism, or external validation to get her moving.

🔑 Key Takeaways

Why so many women lose their motivation after sobriety or big life changes (hint: your old rewards stop working, not your willpower)
How dopamine is tied to your internal narrative about reward, identity, and what "counts" as success
The difference between forcing yourself with willpower vs building habits that feel sustainable, kind, and matched to where you actually are
Why you're never just building "one habit" (like working out) but a whole stack of upstream habits that make follow-through possible
Red flags that your routine is fueled by shame and "shoulds" instead of genuine desire, and why that guarantees burnout instead of long-term change

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

EP294 How to quiet your spinning mind (without alcohol) Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

You've done the therapy. Read the books. Listened to the podcasts. You understand your trauma responses intellectually. But when you get triggered, your mind still spins out of control—and you can't make it stop.

Here's what you need to know: Your spinning mind isn't something to fix or control. It's communication from a wounded part of you that needs your attention.

In this episode, we're talking about:

Why trying to think your way out of emotional pain actually makes it worse
The difference between being triggered BY a part vs. BECOMING that part (blending vs. unblending)
Why your wounded inner child doesn't speak the language of logic—and what she actually needs from you
How to drop out of your spinning mind and into your body where the real healing happens
Why "I've done so much work, why am I still dealing with this?" is the wrong question
The practice that changes everything: showing up for your pain without trying to fix it

This is Internal Family Systems (IFS) meets emotional sobriety. This is how you stop abandoning yourself when your wounded parts show up asking for help.

🔑 Key Takeaway: Healing doesn't happen in your head. It happens in your nervous system when you learn to show up for your wounded parts with presence, patience, and unconditional love.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

EP293 Minisode: What it means when you feel like you HAVE to do something Nov 22, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Colleen shares a real-life story about her daughter's college move-in that reveals one of the most important skills in emotional sobriety: knowing the difference between a grounded choice and a nervous system hijack.

What started as a harmless whiff of pot in the entryway spiraled into panic, urgency, and the impulse to move apartments immediately. But the real issue wasn't the apartment — it was a stress response scanning for danger. Colleen breaks down how fear narrows your perspective, why your brain searches for confirming evidence when you feel unsafe, and how to recognize the moment you stop choosing and start reacting.

You'll learn how to evaluate your options from clarity instead of pressure, how to distinguish obligation from true desire, and how to pause long enough to reconnect to the version of you who can choose intentionally.

🔑 You'll Learn:

• The difference between real choice and a nervous-system-driven reaction • How fight, flight, and freeze disguise themselves as "logic" • Why urgency is a sign to pause, not act • How resentment forms when you choose from fear instead of truth • A simple way to widen your perspective and see more than one angle • How emotional sobriety helps you make decisions you'll be proud of later

This episode is a reminder that grounded choices feel like options — not obligations — and that clarity is something you create from the inside out.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

EP292 Minisode: How to connect with your Higher Self Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Colleen breaks down one of the most foundational teachings of emotional sobriety: your higher self isn't a future version of you — she's a frequency you can access right now.

Drawing from quantum physics, nervous system science, and the emotional practices at the core of this work, Colleen explains why clarity, intuition, creativity, and confidence aren't things you earn after healing enough trauma or doing everything "right." They emerge when you learn to quiet the noise of your subconscious programming, regulate your nervous system, and align your emotional state with the version of you who already knows what to do.

You'll learn how distorted thinking jams your internal signal, why stress blocks intuition, and what it actually takes to receive insight instead of chasing it. This minisode is a practical guide to becoming coherent — mentally, emotionally, and energetically — so you can stop fighting with your thoughts and finally tune into the wisdom already within you.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Your higher self is a frequency, not a destination • Why intuition emerges when your brain and body are coherent • How nervous system regulation opens access to insight • The three components of alignment: breath, emotion, and intention • Why affirmations fail when they're fueled by fear • How to replace subconscious loops with new emotional signals • What it means to "broadcast" a new identity energetically

This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn't come from trying harder — it comes from tuning in.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

EP291: Why you drink too much when you're alone (and what to do about it) Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

What if the reason you're still drinking too much when you're alone has nothing to do with willpower—and everything to do with how you think about being alone?

You've made so much progress. You're no longer drinking every day. You can go to social events and drink like a normal person without going overboard. You're doing the work, listening to podcasts, journaling, showing up for yourself.

But there's still that one context where you get tripped up. Sunday afternoons. Tuesday evenings when you're home alone. You pour one glass and somehow end up drinking the entire bottle.

And you're starting to wonder: Is something wrong with me? Why can't I figure this out? Will this ever change?

Here's the truth: Your drinking habit isn't one habit. It's a hundred habits. And most of them have nothing to do with alcohol.

In this episode, you'll discover:

🔥 Why you can control your drinking in some contexts but not others (and what that actually means about your progress)

🔥 The real reason "just staying busy" doesn't solve the problem when you're home alone

🔥 How to upgrade from shame to disappointment to curiosity—and why that progression is critical for lasting change

🔥 Why your language patterns are creating your reality ("I've always struggled when I'm alone" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy)

🔥 The one question your brain can't answer (hint: it's not "how do I stop drinking too much?")

🔥 What "abracadabra" teaches us about the power of expectation—and how to use it in your favor

🔥 How to create a vision for what you DO want instead of just wishing for the absence of unwanted behavior

🔥 Why seeing your slip-ups as "neutral data" instead of failure changes everything

🔥 The truth about being "halfway there"—and how to get all the way there without beating yourself up

Here's what you need to understand: Alcohol use disorder is the disease of perceived failure. You drank more than you think you should have, and you're seeing it as failure. But the work isn't to stop failing. The work is to change your perception of what failure even means.

When you're alone on a Sunday or Tuesday evening, you're not failing. You're learning. And there's a huge difference.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

EP290 Minisode: You need a vision for WHO you are becoming Nov 15, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Colleen walks us through a coaching moment that captures what emotional sobriety really means: shifting from self-criticism and control into vision and alignment.

When one client arrived overwhelmed and focused on what her partner wasn't doing, the breakthrough came when she identified who she wanted to be — positive and powerful. From there, everything changed.

Colleen unpacks how to train the brain to serve your vision instead of your fear, why alignment between mind and body is the true foundation of change, and how to stop letting your thoughts drain your energy.

You'll learn what it means to "stop, drop, and feel," and how this simple practice brings you back to your power when you're spiraling in stress or self-doubt.

🔑 Key Takeaways

How to use coaching to shift perspective from blame to personal power
Why your emotions are litmus tests for your mindset
The difference between primal (fear) and powerful (freedom) states
Practices to regulate your nervous system and realign your energy
How clarity of vision makes your brain your ally, not your enemy

This episode is a reminder that transformation doesn't start with action — it starts with who you decide to be.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

EP289 Minisode: Don't Let the Slip Become a Slide Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

In this deeply personal reflection, Colleen opens up about her own history with bulimia and the years she spent trying to control her body to manage her emotions. Inspired by Jennette McCurdy's memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died, she explores how disordered eating, drinking, and perfectionism all share the same root: unprocessed emotion and the desperate need to feel safe, seen, and in control.

Through her story — and Jennette's — Colleen reframes recovery as a compassionate, iterative process. True healing isn't about getting it right; it's about breaking the shame cycle that turns a slip into a slide.

She reminds us that slips are part of rewiring the brain, not proof of failure. Shame is what cements the pattern — compassion is what breaks it.

This episode invites listeners to soften around their own humanity, to stop waiting for perfection, and to practice self-acceptance as the foundation for lasting change.

🔑 Key Takeaways

Why perfectionism fuels relapse and self-sabotage
The "slip vs. slide" mindset and why it's essential for sustainable healing
How shame disguises itself as self-control
What emotional sobriety looks like beyond alcohol — in food, body, and identity
Why healing happens one processed emotion, one honest moment at a time

The goal isn't flawless behavior — it's emotional freedom.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

EP288 Understanding "Reentry Syndrome:" Why excessive drinking is a trauma response (and how to stop) Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

You know that feeling when you're thinking about drinking later and your stomach drops because you're already worried about overdoing it? Or when you come home from vacation and you're genuinely afraid you won't be able to stop with the daily drinking?

That's reentry syndrome. And it's not what you think it is.

Most people think if they could just be stronger, more disciplined, or finally "get it together," they wouldn't feel this way.

But what if I told you that reentry syndrome is a straight up trauma response? The reason you feel out of control is because you're overwhelmed?

In this episode, you'll discover:

🔥 The hidden reason you think about drinking even when you're not drinking (hint: it's not because you're obsessed with alcohol)

🔥 What your nervous system is really trying to tell you when anxiety about your drinking shows up on a random Thursday afternoon

🔥 The exact thought pattern that keeps you stuck in the "I can't stop" loop—and how to interrupt it

🔥 A powerful 5-minute exercise to rewrite the toxic beliefs that are running your life (you'll want to grab a pen for this one)

🔥 Why taking a break from drinking doesn't cure reentry syndrome (and what does)

🔥 Specific somatic practices you can use the moment anxiety hits to calm your nervous system and get out of the spiral

Here's the truth: Your drinking habits aren't the problem. They're the symptom. And once you understand what's really driving your behavior, you'll have the power to change it.

If you're tired of living in fear of yourself, this episode will show you a completely different way forward.

If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.

Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you're struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen's NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

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