Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of divorce and loss of a loved one to cancer.

Have you ever wondered why life changes can make old habits suddenly feel louder? Jan never imagined retirement would lead her here. She had done everything “right”—worked hard, raised her kids, showed up for everyone else. Alcohol had always felt manageable. Until it didn’t. When retirement, relocation, and COVID collided, Jan found herself drinking more to fill the long afternoons and quiet evenings. Drinking more after retirement felt normal at first, even expected. What she didn’t expect was how disconnected, anxious, and unlike herself she began to feel. In this warm, honest conversation with Coach Cole, Jan shares how she began questioning not just her drinking, but the lifelong pattern of putting herself last. Through This Naked Mind and The Path, she learned that nothing was wrong with her—and that alcohol had simply become a stand-in for rest, relief, and emotional safety.

Coach Cole and Jan discuss:

Growing up in a dysfunctional home with two alcohol dependent parents and learning to shut down emotionally

Moving to Colorado during COVID and experiencing the perfect storm of retirement, isolation, and empty nest syndrome

Drinking more after retirement and how it escalated from afternoon drinking to morning drinking

The terrifying fall down the stairs that led to hospitalization and overwhelming shame

Why AA meetings didn't feel like the right fit and how finding Annie's book changed everything

Joining The Path in April 2024 and celebrating 20 months alcohol-free

Navigating divorce after 35 years of marriage and her sister's death from cancer—all without alcohol

Learning to put herself first after a lifetime of taking care of everyone else

Starting over at nearly 70 and believing the best is yet to come

And more topics…

Episode links:

nakedmindpath.com

Related Episodes:

Alcohol & Older Adults, What We Need To Know - Reader Question - E152 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-152-reader-question-alcohol-and-older-adults-2/

Alcohol Over 60 - Coaching Questions - E418 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-418-coaching-questions-with-scott-pinyard/

Alcohol Free at 83 - Barbara’s Naked Life - E307 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-307-naked-life-story-barbara/

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