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    Health & Fitness

    Sisters In Sobriety

    You know that sinking feeling when you wake up with a hangover and think: “I’m never doing this again”? We’ve all been there. But what happens when you follow through? Sonia Kahlon can tell you, because she did it! In this podcast, Sonia invites you into her world as she navigates the ups and downs of sobriety, explores stories of personal growth, and shares her journey of wellness and recovery. Get ready for some real, honest conversations about sobriety, addiction, and everything in between. Episodes will cover topics such as: reaching emotional sobriety, how to make the decision to get sober, adopting a more mindful lifestyle, socializing without alcohol, and much more. Whether you’re sober-curious, seeking inspiration and self-care through sobriety, or embracing the alcohol-free lifestyle already…Tune in for a weekly dose of vulnerability, support, and advice.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © Sisters In Sobriety

    • Apple Podcasts
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    Latest Episodes:
    Hope in the Hard With Christina Smallwood Oct 19, 2026
    Show notes

    Hardship does not pause when someone gets sober. In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia welcomes Christina Smallwood, author of Hope in the Hard: Action Steps for Navigating Hardships. Through honest questions and shared recovery experiences, Sonia explores how Christina navigated grief, infertility, adoption, parenting a child with special needs, and a relationship with alcohol that became increasingly difficult to ignore.

    What happens when drinking becomes a way to quiet grief and insecurity? How can someone look successful while struggling privately? And what makes hope different from toxic positivity? Their conversation explores people pleasing, alcohol as part of an identity, family expectations, and the fear that sobriety means losing the fun.

    Christina describes hope as an action, rather than a demand to feel positive. She shares the difference between taking a temporary alcohol break and committing to recovery, along with the roles therapy, sponsorship, faith, and honest community played in her experience. They also discuss self-awareness, making amends, and recognizing emotional patterns that repeat across relationships.

    Behind Christina’s public success is a deeply personal story: losing her father, facing infertility, and navigating her daughter’s surgery while alcohol became a source of escape. She reflects on returning to drinking after seven months alcohol-free, the private turning point that led her toward recovery, and the grace that helped her feel less alone.

    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

    SIS Links

    💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen
    📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email
    📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram

    Episode highlights

    01:00 — Meet Christina Smallwood
    03:00 — People pleasing and honest connection
    05:00 — The hardship that changed her life
    06:00 — Losing her father and finding faith
    07:00 — Hope versus toxic positivity
    08:00 — Taking recovery one step at a time
    10:00 — Alcohol, acceptance, and blackouts
    12:00 — Grief and the shift to daily drinking
    15:00 — Seeing a joyful sober life modeled
    16:00 — A seven-month alcohol break
    17:00 — Family expectations and moderation
    21:00 — Returning to drinking after surgery
    24:00 — A private turning point
    26:00 — Early sobriety and seeking support
    29:00 — Finding belonging in recovery meetings
    32:00 — Making amends and receiving grace
    36:00 — Hiding sobriety in social settings
    38:00 — Facing the insecurities beneath drinking
    40:00 — The weight of looking successful
    43:00 — Feeling less alone in the hard


    Medical Gaslighting: Why Women Struggle to Be Heard With Nikki V Oct 12, 2026
    Show notes

    On Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia and Kathleen support women in changing their relationship with alcohol and trusting themselves along the way. In this episode, Sonia talks with Nikki Sapiro Vinckier, an OB-GYN physician assistant, author of We Deserve More, and founder of Take Back Trust, about advocating for better women’s healthcare.

    What does medical gaslighting sound like? When does “that’s normal” leave a real concern unanswered? How can perimenopause, sobriety, and changing relationships complicate the way women understand their bodies? Sonia and Nikki explore pain, reproductive health, and the questions patients may hesitate to ask.

    Nikki explains how to prepare for an appointment, describe symptoms through their impact on daily life, and ask for a clear next step. The conversation covers perimenopause and menopause, trauma-informed care, LGBTQ+ inclusion, weight stigma, and rebuilding trust in a changing body.

    The conversation becomes personal when Sonia shares the fear and isolation of receiving an HPV result by mail. Their exchange explores sexual-health stigma, gaps in communication, and why questions about prevention and follow-up deserve space in the exam room.

    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

    Nikki’s Links

    📸 Instagram
    📚 We Deserve More

    SIS Links

    💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen
    📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email
    📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram
    🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast
    📸 Kathleen’s Instagram

    Timestamped Highlights

    01:00 — Meet Nikki Sapiro Vinckier
    02:00 — An unexpected path into OB-GYN care
    04:00 — Why Nikki took her advocacy beyond the clinic
    06:00 — What medical gaslighting can sound like
    08:00 — Why speaking up can feel difficult
    12:00 — Prepare before entering the exam room
    13:00 — Describe symptoms and their daily impact
    15:00 — Responding when a concern is called “normal”
    18:00 — Perimenopause symptoms across daily life
    20:00 — Getting to know the body in sobriety
    22:00 — Bias and the history of women’s healthcare
    24:00 — Finding a clinician who takes concerns seriously
    28:00 — Perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause
    30:00 — Birth control and menopause assessment
    32:00 — Gaps in training and trauma-informed care
    33:00 — How healthcare fails LGBTQ+ patients
    36:00 — Asking for care preferences around weighing
    38:00 — The meaning behind Take Back Trust
    43:00 — Dating, HPV questions, and Sonia’s experience
    52:00 — We Deserve More and rebuilding self-trust


    Breaking the Nightly Wine Habit with Casey Davidson Oct 05, 2026
    Show notes

    What happens when a successful life includes a private struggle with alcohol? In this episode, Sonia speaks with Casey Davidson, founder of Hello Someday Coaching and host of the Hello Someday podcast, about high achievement, anxiety, and getting out of the drinking cycle.

    Why can drinking feel like the only way to switch off? What makes the evening “witching hour” so difficult? How can sober curiosity and gray area drinking open a conversation without labels? Sonia and Casey explore early sobriety, moderation, and the value of support from women who understand.

    Casey shares the practical pieces of her “sober bubble”: asking for help, changing routines, eating before the evening rush, and lowering expectations. She explains her 100-day coaching approach, discusses everyday rewards, and explores how boundaries and community create room for a more satisfying life.

    From college rugby and corporate pressure to motherhood and nightly red wine, Casey traces the moments that made drinking harder to ignore. She shares how a 100-day commitment grew into lasting sobriety—and how admitting she no longer wanted her corporate job helped lead her toward coaching.

    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

    Casey’s Links

    🌐 Hello Someday Coaching Website
    📸 Casey’s Instagram — @caseymdavidson

    SIS Links

    💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen
    📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email
    📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram
    🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast
    📸 Kathleen’s Instagram

    Timestamped highlights

    00:00 — Introducing Casey Davidson
    02:00 — People-pleasing and the gold-star girl
    04:00 — Rugby culture and problematic drinking
    07:00 — Mommy wine culture and climbing the ladder
    09:00 — Recognizing herself in quit lit
    11:00 — Reaching the point of needing change
    12:00 — Committing to 100 alcohol-free days
    15:00 — Extending the break to a year
    16:00 — Building a sober bubble
    19:00 — Preparing for the witching hour
    20:00 — Eating before the evening rush
    23:00 — Life after the red wine identity
    25:00 — Admitting her career no longer fit
    28:00 — Launching Hello Someday and defining coaching
    30:00 — Making room for bigger life changes
    33:00 — Casey’s perspective on moderation
    37:00 — Her approach to substituting substances
    42:00 — Questioning recovery labels
    45:00 — Sober curiosity and gray area drinking
    48:00 — Finding women who understand


    Sober but Still Angry? With Zach Brittle Sep 28, 2026
    Show notes

    What happens when the drinking stops but the anger stays? Sonia welcomes Zach Brittle, LMHC, Certified Gottman Therapist, Relational Life Therapist, and host of Marriage Therapy Radio.

    Why can resentment linger after quitting alcohol? How can someone take responsibility without taking all the blame? What happens when partners get sober at different times? Sonia and Zach explore recovery, relationship boundaries, and rebuilding trust beyond counting drinks or sober days.

    Zach explains his approach to the “wise adult,” pausing before reacting, and playing the movie forward. He describes how Relational Life Therapy connects self-esteem, boundaries, and intimacy, and why having communication tools differs from being ready to use them. Sonia also asks about the difference between celebrating recovery and becoming overconfident.

    From asking for help during the pandemic to confronting longstanding resentment, Zach shares the experiences behind his recovery. An unforgettable Christmas tree stand, a frustrating gas-station queue, and his and Rebecca’s different paths to sobriety reveal how change has reshaped their marriage and parenting.

    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

    Zach’s Links

    Website

    Instagram

    Marriage Therapy Radio

    SIS Links

    💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen
    📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email
    📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram
    🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast
    📸 Kathleen’s Instagram

    Episode Highlights

    00:00 — Introducing Zach Brittle
    02:00 — Recovery beyond alcohol
    04:00 — Recognizing personal relapse risks
    08:00 — Drinking escalates during COVID
    10:00 — Asking for a sponsor’s help
    13:00 — Taking inventory of resentment
    15:00 — Owning his anger without alcohol
    18:00 — Responsibility versus self-blame
    20:00 — Anger in the gas-station queue
    22:00 — The pause that creates choice
    25:00 — Playing the movie forward
    27:00 — Recovery becomes a new way of living
    29:00 — A milestone tests his sobriety
    33:00 — Why tools alone aren’t enough
    35:00 — Self-esteem, boundaries, and intimacy
    40:00 — Partners on different recovery paths
    46:00 — Setting relationship boundaries
    47:00 — Alcohol’s impact beyond drink counts
    49:00 — Connection, fun, and life after drinking
    56:00 — Modeling recovery for adult children


    Bad Marriage Advice and Better Ways to Connect with Monica Tanner Sep 21, 2026
    Show notes

    On Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia welcomes relationship coach, author, and podcast host Monica Tanner to explore conflict, emotional safety, and intimacy when alcohol is no longer the escape hatch. Together, they explore how to ask for support, navigate difficult conversations, and reconnect through change.

    Does “never go to bed angry” actually help? When does communication become criticism? What happens when drinking or scrolling becomes a way to disappear during conflict? Sonia and Monica explore resentment, sober relationships, and talking about sex without turning the conversation into a performance.

    Monica introduces relational life therapy concepts, including protective childhood patterns, the emotional “whoosh,” and choosing a response with greater awareness. She shares examples of clear requests, healthy boundaries, side-by-side intimacy conversations, and small routines that create space for connection.

    Monica also shares how her parents’ divorce shaped her interest in relationships, why late-night arguments brought up fears of abandonment, and how a simple request for reassurance changed those moments in her marriage. Her son’s approaching wedding became the inspiration for her book.

    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

    Monica’s Links

    🌐 Monica Tanner’s Website
    🎙️ Secrets of Happily Ever After Podcast
    📖 Bad Marriage Advice

    SIS Links

    💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen
    📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email
    📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram
    🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast
    📸 Kathleen’s Instagram

    Timestamped Highlights

    01:00 — Meet relationship coach Monica Tanner.
    02:00 — The divorce that reshaped her idea of marriage.
    04:00 — Rethinking “never go to bed angry.”
    06:00 — Asking for reassurance before taking a break.
    08:00 — Relationship maintenance before a crisis.
    11:00 — Why conflict can block familiar communication skills.
    14:00 — Recognizing protective patterns and boundaries.
    16:00 — Teaching a partner how to love you well.
    18:00 — Small requests before resentment builds.
    20:00 — Asking for listening instead of solutions.
    23:00 — Making requests without criticism.
    25:00 — Withdrawal, fawning, and old survival strategies.
    26:00 — Sonia on alcohol, conflict, and getting sober.
    28:00 — Withdrawing in plain sight.
    30:00 — Pausing during the emotional “whoosh.”
    34:00 — Making space for conversations about sex.
    38:00 — Exploring a broader definition of intimacy.
    41:00 — When deeper relationship problems need help first.
    45:00 — Monica’s routines for regular connection.
    46:00 — Couples work, intensives, and closing reflections.


    Good Enough Daughtering With Dr. Allison Alford Sep 14, 2026
    Show notes

    In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia explores the invisible work adult daughters perform to keep families connected. With communication scholar, Baylor professor and Good Daughtering author Dr. Allison M. Alford. Dr. Alford helps women recognize how family roles can shape self-worth, perfectionism, resentment and coping.

    Why are daughters so often expected to organize, anticipate needs and smooth over conflict? How do culture, birth order and family expectations influence daughtering? And why can a son receive enormous praise for a small gesture while a daughter feels she is always falling short?

    Dr. Alford defines daughtering as the mental, emotional, logistical and identity work daughters do for their families. She explains how to make that labor visible, establish boundaries without turning them into ultimatums, distinguish venting from rumination and replace impossible A+ expectations with a sustainable B+ standard.

    She also shares how her own family relationships changed when she stopped building connection around complaints and enlisted her husband, children and sister in creating new conversation patterns. Her message is simple: every woman is already a good-enough daughter and has agency in deciding how that role will fit into her life.

    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

    Dr. Alford’s Links

    🌐 Daughtering 101 Website
    📕 Good Daughtering
    📸 Instagram

    SIS Links

    💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen
    📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email
    📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram
    🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast
    📸 Kathleen’s Instagram

    Timestamped Highlights

    01:00 — Dr. Allison Alford introduces her work on daughtering
    05:00 — Defining the overlooked cost of being a good daughter
    07:00 — Why women’s caring roles are so often called mothering
    10:00 — Honoring daughterhood as a distinct part of identity
    12:00 — Choosing how fully to show up in family roles
    14:00 — Daughters as the behind-the-scenes family CEOs
    16:00 — How daughter conditioning develops from childhood
    18:00 — Why sons receive praise for exceeding lower expectations
    22:00 — Culture, geography and privilege shape daughtering
    24:00 — The unspoken rules daughters are expected to follow
    27:00 — How impossible standards create a fog of failure
    30:00 — Creating a personal B+ daughter rubric
    32:00 — The relationship between resentment and self-abandonment
    34:00 — Boundaries as fences around emotional and physical space
    36:00 — Recognizing when family venting becomes rumination
    38:00 — Communicating a boundary once—and following through
    40:00 — Making invisible daughtering labor visible
    43:00 — Building a Plan B for healthier family conversations
    46:00 — Eldest and only daughters face distinct pressures
    50:00 — Every daughter gets to decide what “good enough” means


    Writing a Joyful Recovery Story with Kerri Maher Sep 07, 2026
    Show notes

    In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia explores the connection between sobriety, creativity, and reinvention with Kerri Maher, the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller and The Kennedy Debutante. Kerri discusses her four years of sobriety and her deeply personal new novel, Summer of Love, set in California and centered on addiction, family, recovery, and hope.

    What happens when someone’s drinking does not produce a cinematic rock bottom, but no longer feels sustainable? How can people find recovery support outside traditional 12-step programs? Sonia and Kerri discuss sober identity, online community, emotional sobriety, belonging, and the many different paths people can take toward changing their relationship with alcohol.

    Kerri explains how The Luckiest Club helped her find her people, why sobriety and writing are both daily practices, and how greater clarity changed her creative and professional decisions. She also shares how The Artist’s Way, morning pages, artist dates, and an “adjacent art” with no pressure attached helped her develop Summer of Love.

    Kerri’s story reveals a quieter, joyful vision of recovery: clear mornings, renewed confidence, richer emotions, and the freedom to experience places such as Napa beyond their drinking culture. She also reflects on generational addiction, “good girl” identity, sober travel, and writing a novel that allows recovery to be hopeful rather than punishing.

    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

    Kerri’s Links

    📚 Summer of Love
    📸 Instagram: @kerrimaherwriter

    SIS Links

    💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen
    📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email
    📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram
    🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast
    📸 Kathleen’s Instagram

    Timestamped Highlights

    01:00 — Kerri introduces her sobriety and Summer of Love
    04:00 — The small moments that made Kerri question her drinking
    05:00 — An early 15-to-18-month period without alcohol
    08:00 — How The Luckiest Club began and became Kerri’s community
    10:00 — Finding accessible support during the sandwich-generation years
    14:00 — Is recovery’s “special sauce” the program or the community?
    17:00 — Emotional sobriety, anger management, and continued inner work
    19:00 — Writing and sobriety as practices built through repetition
    21:00 — How alcohol created subtle brain fog without stopping productivity
    26:00 — The personal origins of Summer of Love
    28:00 — Morning pages bring the book’s characters and plot together
    31:00 — Watercolor play as relaxing, pressure-free creativity
    33:00 — Writing about recovery as joyful rather than punishing
    35:00 — Clear mornings and dependable presence as everyday sober joy
    43:00 — Exploring generational patterns of addiction
    46:00 — Looking beyond wine culture in Napa Valley
    49:00 — Rediscovering California through food, landscape, and connection
    53:00 — Sober travel and experiencing mornings without a hangover
    54:00 — Kerri’s message to sober and sober-curious readers
    55:00 — Closing the conversation


    Mystical Mocktails: Drinking With Intention With Julia Hadas Aug 31, 2026
    Show notes

    On this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia explores how alcohol-free drinks can become meaningful rituals rather than consolation prizes with bestselling author and mixologist Julia Halina Hadas, whose book Mystical Mocktails combines zero-proof recipes with intention, connection and everyday magic.

    What makes a mocktail feel complete? How can flavor, aroma, temperature and glassware change the experience? Julia explains why people often seek more than alcohol from a drink—and how a thoughtfully made alternative can offer beauty, pleasure and social connection without the buzz.

    The conversation covers practical building blocks such as citrus, sweeteners, tea, coconut water, herbs, spices and garnishes. Julia shares how mint can suggest renewal, maple and black tea can feel grounding, and rose can represent connection. She also explains how to prevent watery tea-based drinks, balance sweetness and acidity, order creatively at a bar and pair affirmations with the physical act of drinking.

    Julia also reflects on pregnancy, her husband’s sobriety and the importance of recognizing when alcohol-removed products feel triggering. She shares how creating her Rose of Remembrance recipe unexpectedly helped her process grief following her father’s death—showing how an intentional drink can hold memory, emotion and healing.

    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

    Julia’s Links

    Website: WitchCraft Cocktails
    Instagram: @witchcraftcocktail
    Book: Mystical Mocktails

    SIS Links

    💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen
    📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email
    📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram
    🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast
    📸 Kathleen’s Instagram

    Timestamped highlights

    01:00 — Meet bestselling author and mixologist Julia Halina Hadas
    02:00 — Making zero-proof drinks before nonalcoholic spirits were widely available
    04:00 — Seeking connection and a change in feeling through drinks
    06:00 — Bringing herbs and intention into mixology
    07:00 — Magic, spirituality and reclaiming personal power
    09:00 — Using maple and black tea to create a grounding drink
    11:00 — The Rose of Remembrance recipe and processing grief
    12:00 — Why yuzu can transform an alcohol-free drink
    14:00 — How garnishes and aroma elevate the experience
    17:00 — Mint, cucumber, strawberry, basil and rose as intentional ingredients
    20:00 — Preventing tea-based mocktails from becoming watery
    22:00 — Adding cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove
    25:00 — The color-changing magic of butterfly pea flower
    27:00 — Tea ceremonies, presence and the Jasmine Peace Potion
    30:00 — Making drink preparation part of a personal ritual
    32:00 — Why glassware can make an ordinary moment feel special
    35:00 — The cup as a symbol of what a person welcomes into their life
    39:00 — Pairing affirmations with the physical act of drinking
    47:00 — How to order a more interesting mocktail at a bar
    56:00 — Protecting sobriety when alcohol-removed drinks feel triggering


    The Midlife Body With Dr. Shawna Darou Aug 24, 2026
    Show notes

    Midlife can make a woman feel as though her body has suddenly changed the rules—but those changes are not a personal failure, and they are not “just aging.” In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia and Kathleen help unpack the relationship between perimenopause, metabolic health, alcohol, blood sugar, stress and movement with Dr. Shawna Darou, ND. A naturopathic doctor with more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Darou translates complex women’s health information into clear, practical steps for building strength and vitality through midlife and beyond.

    Why does alcohol suddenly hit harder in midlife? What do belly weight, brain fog, disrupted sleep, afternoon fatigue and persistent food noise reveal about insulin resistance? How can women use GLP-1 medications and continuous glucose monitors more responsibly—and why can excessive fasting or carbohydrate restriction backfire? The conversation also explores sugar cravings in early sobriety, chronic stress, menopause and the habits that support long-term metabolic health.

    Dr. Darou explains why menopause is a metabolic transition, not only an estrogen transition; how alcohol interrupts nighttime blood sugar regulation and fat oxidation; and why muscle acts as a “metabolic sink.” She shares a realistic starting point: prioritize protein, add daily movement, walk after meals and build strength gradually. Flexible consistency, proper recovery and movement that feels genuinely enjoyable matter more than perfection.

    Dr. Darou also shares her unexpected evolution from engineer to naturopathic doctor—and from someone who did not identify as an athlete to a competitive runner who began racing at 50. Her story challenges narrow ideas about aging and shows how confidence, community and ambitious new goals can emerge later in life.

    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

    Timestamp Highlights

    01:00 — Meet Dr. Shawna Darou
    02:00 — From engineering to women’s health
    05:00 — The pandemic’s metabolic impact
    06:00 — Movement as a longevity lever
    07:00 — Becoming an athlete at 49
    09:00 — Why women over 40 need new possibilities
    13:00 — Metabolic health beyond weight
    15:00 — Early signs of metabolic dysfunction
    17:00 — How insulin resistance fuels cravings
    18:00 — Reversing dysfunction without diet culture
    20:00 — GLP-1 benefits and risks
    23:00 — Why midlife changes the rules
    26:00 — Using a continuous glucose monitor responsibly
    32:00 — Chronic stress and blood sugar
    35:00 — What alcohol does metabolically
    38:00 — Why alcohol hits harder in midlife
    39:00 — Sugar cravings in early recovery
    41:00 — The “yes with a boundary” approach
    47:00 — Protein and post-meal movement
    56:00 — Flexible consistency, intensity and recovery

    Dr. Darou’s Links

    Website — www.drshawnadarou.com
    Instagram — @drshawnadarou

    SIS Links

    💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen

    📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email

    📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram

    🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast

    📸 Kathleen’s Instagram


    Getting Sober, Coming Out, and Starting Over With Braunwyn Spinner Aug 17, 2026
    Show notes

    What happens when alcohol feels like the only way to become comfortable in your own skin? In this episode, Sonia is joined by Braunwyn Spinner, advocate, mother of seven, and former Real Housewives of Orange County cast member whose sobriety unfolded in public.

    How can someone go years without alcohol and still have a serious drinking problem? What changes when a social life—and a television career—is built around drinking? Braunwyn and Sonia explore relapse, alcohol withdrawal, AA and the 12 steps, sober socializing, queer recovery spaces, codependency, parenting, and the difference between avoiding alcohol and developing emotional sobriety. They also ask why getting sober can initially feel worse, how to identify the “fun limit,” and what it means to choose recovery when relationships and routines begin to change.

    Their conversation makes clear that alcohol dependence is not defined only by how often a person drinks, but by what happens after the first drink. They discuss why heavy withdrawal should never be attempted alone, how independent transportation and an exit plan can protect early sobriety, and why repeatedly stopping for a few days can mean reliving the hardest stage again and again. Recovery can include community, boundaries, therapy, medication, and learning to recognize the restless “wanting” beneath substitute compulsions.

    Braunwyn also shares the deeply personal story behind her first drink at 14, the moment in Miami that ended her drinking, and the sober producer who helped get her into an AA meeting when she planned to relapse. She opens up about realizing she was gay in sobriety, leaving a decades-long marriage, co-parenting, becoming more present with her children, surviving a mental health crisis, returning to television, and loosening the hold of beauty standards and the male gaze.

    This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

    Highlights

    00:01 – Braunwyn introduces herself in a new chapter as Braunwyn Spinner
    00:02 – Why her first drink made her feel comfortable in her skin
    00:04 – The difference between abstinence and working a recovery program
    00:05 – Why time between drinks does not rule out alcohol addiction
    00:07 – How reality television accelerated her drinking
    00:09 – The “God shot” that told her drinking had to end
    00:12 – Sonia’s final drink and the unexpected day sobriety began
    00:14 – What the first 30 days can feel like
    00:16 – The sober producer who helped save Braunwyn’s life
    00:19 – Finding comfort instead of judgment in AA
    00:21 – Sobriety, stillness, and realizing she was gay
    00:23 – Protecting early recovery with a private room, car, and exit plan
    00:24 – Recognizing the sober “fun limit”
    00:27 – Braunwyn’s first sober kiss with a woman
    00:29 – How sobriety exposed codependency and changed her marriage
    00:34 – Parenting with presence and making living amends
    00:36 – Why emotional health can feel worse before it gets better
    00:38 – Queer identity, religious trauma, and addiction risk
    00:42 – Recognizing substitute addictions and the feeling of “wanting”
    00:52 – Why giving sobriety six weeks can change everything

    Braunwyn's Links

    📸 Instagram

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