⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode contains references to psychological and emotional abuse in a marriage.

The answer to "why I use alcohol to cope" is rarely what you expect. For Will, it’s buried in a need for control he's carried since a chaotic childhood. For Kathleen, it comes from decades of being the one everyone else leans on. Coaches Cole and Zoe help Will and Kathleen take steps towards freeing themselves from that weight.

Will discusses:

Decades of using alcohol to quiet a busy brain, and what happens after the first beer

Why knowing the pattern isn’t enough

The childhood fear of instability that shows up as a desperate need for answers and control

Coach Cole’s reframe: curious versus combat, connect versus control

A body scan moment where he notices tension in real time and releases it

The video game map metaphor — taking the next step without needing to see the whole path

Kathleen discusses:

Being introduced to alcohol at 16 as a social crutch when she moved to a new town

What her mother modeled, and how she replicated it without realizing it for decades

The hero child dynamic — being her father’s favorite and her mother’s confidant, and what that cost her

A 28-year emotionally abusive marriage, and how alcohol became her numbing agent

Learning to ask for what she needs directly, rather than hoping her husband picks it up

The unexpected parallel: she’s now modeling her mother’s behavior by going alcohol-free

…and more

Ready to take the next step?

Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!

Cole Harvey is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach. As a habit change and mindset coach, Cole helps men understand themselves, build better habits, and find meaning. Learn more about Coach Cole: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/

Zoe Ewart is a Certified Naked Mind Senior Coach who brings her experience and understanding to help with the tricky parts of life's big changes. Her coaching gives you an enjoyable, light-hearted, and safe environment to effortlessly take back control of alcohol so you can feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually. Learn more about Coach Zoe: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/zoe-ewart/

Episode links:

More on this episode - https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/why-i-use-alcohol-to-cope-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-925

Start your alcohol freedom journey: https://nakedmindpath.com

Related episodes:

Healing Through Self-Love: Cole’s Naked Life — E737 — https://thisnakedmind.com/healing-through-self-love-coles-naked-life-e737/

Healing Emotional Pain Without Alcohol - Reader’s Question - EP 706 – https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-706-readers-question-healing-emotional-pain-without-alcohol/

Reclaiming Your True Self: Alcohol Freedom Coaching — E770 — https://thisnakedmind.com/reclaiming-your-true-self-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e770/

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