Colleen Freeland Kachmann public
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Would you like to permanently reduce your alcohol consumption by 80 percent so you don’t have to quit? Most high achieving professional women assume overdrinking 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 probl ...
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Have you considered that the inability to self-correct your drinking habits could be a sign of trauma? Most high achieving professional women associate the word "trauma" with violence, sexual assault or emotional abuse and neglect, and assume they don’t qualify because nothing “that bad” has ever happened to them. Instead, they attribute their bad …
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Are you stuck in a job that doesn’t fulfill you–but the thought of making a big career change feels impossible? When your career isn’t meeting your needs, it’s easier to blame dissatisfaction and burnout on your own mental health issues. Because you’ve invested so much time and energy to get where you are. Why can’t you just be happy with what you …
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How do your beliefs about money impact your sense of personal power? When your life appears to be limited by finances, it’s easy to blame your discomfort on your partner or chosen career instead of taking full responsibility for the choices you’ve made. Even “successful” women are often victims of the patriarchal mindset that tells us we aren’t cap…
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Does the number on your scale have the power to make or break your day? Most people think weighing themselves on a daily basis is the best way to hold themselves accountable and achieve their weight loss goals. But checking your weight everyday is akin to holding yourself hostage. When the number doesn’t match your expectations, disappointment and …
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How often do you decide to have a single drink to take the edge off and end up getting completely wasted? It sounds like a good idea because you’re craving an escape and feel like you deserve to cut yourself some slack! But then you wake up to reality…feeling anxious, foggy, behind the ball and wondering why you can’t stop once you start. Today I’m…
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Why is it that sometimes we can be hyper-focused and productive, yet at other times, the simplest tasks feel impossible? High-achievers tend to fall into the trap of believing that pushing beyond our limits is the shortcut to getting what we want. And then beat ourselves up for being lazy or weak when we’re actually just tired…because we’re human. …
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Do you put on a brave face when you’re struggling– conducting business as usual while juggling a million things even though you know something is deeply wrong? You may feel isolated, overwhelmed, nauseated, or even have panic attacks in the middle of the night. But pushing through the symptoms of mental and emotional distress leads to breakdown. Wh…
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How do you make sense of the fact that, even though you really do want to drink less, you keep making the same mistakes? You know what you should do. But your brain is blocking your motivation with three sneaky obstacles: Using your past to predict your future, thinking ‘I’ve failed before, so why should this time be any different.' Believing you d…
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In this special bonus episode, Colleen interviews Susan Keller, author of the new book Mostly Sober: A Love Story and a Road Trip. Susan shares her personal journey of rethinking her relationship with alcohol, how she found her way into the mindful drinking movement, and why she wrote Mostly Sober, a groundbreaking novel for those who want to cut b…
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Are you tired of feeling trapped in a cycle of emotional eating and self-criticism? Many high-achieving women believe that if they just had more willpower or stuck to stricter diets, they'd finally overcome their struggles with food and body image. But this relentless pursuit of perfection leaves you exhausted, overwhelmed, and disconnected from yo…
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What happens when you’re trying to “not drink” but your brain keeps pestering you to “just have one?” Most of us put up a fight, trying to override intrusive thoughts with willpower and distractions. But even if we’re successful, it’s exhausting. Which is why staying sober feels so hard and drinking feels like a relief. You have to learn how to res…
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Has your relationship with your partner become a significant source of stress? When you’re unable to connect with the person who is supposed to be your safe place, the fight or flight response in your nervous system hijacks your brain. Which causes you to exhaust your mental and emotional resources trying to figure out how to fix the problem. Becau…
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Is anxiety one of the main reasons why you crave alcohol? Because drinking is the simplest way to shut down your mind? The problem for most high achieving women is they assume anxiety and productivity go hand in hand. So even after alcohol becomes an official problem, the idea of giving it up feels impossible. But before you beat yourself up for no…
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How do you respond when you hear yourself say, “I can’t keep doing this?” Most of us crack the whip and keep doing it. We beat ourselves up for being weak or undisciplined. And suppress the growing anxiety and overwhelm that’s telling us something is wrong. The harder we try, the more exhausted we get. The excitement and motivation that gave us the…
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Does your brain call bullshit on positive affirmations? Today’s topic was inspired by a client who is struggling with negative self-talk. Whenever she tries to tell herself, “I love you, I trust you, and I believe in you,” the voice in her head screams, “No you don’t!” As a hard working mother and full time professional, she runs her ass off seven …
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How do you respond when you’re feeling overwhelmed and worried about everything happening in your life? Most high-achievers think that success comes from the ability to perform under pressure. And while that’s true, the mistake that leads to burnout is thinking you can’t feel better until you get everything done (well), and everyone around you agre…
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If you’re wondering whether or not it’s really possible to become someone who has no desire to overdrink and therefore trusts herself completely with alcohol, I can tell you that it is. I have gone from being trapped in a cycle of heavy daily drinking for over 15 years to being able to enjoy drinking in moderation without worrying, counting or paci…
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How often do you pour a drink that you wish you had the willpower to resist? There’s a big difference between knowing what you should do and having the motivation to follow through. The mistake most people make when they want to cut back on their drinking is to use an all or nothing approach. Because it seems easier to avoid alcohol than to worry a…
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Are you a positive person feeling defeated by your drinking habit? It’s hard to feel optimistic when you’re struggling with intrusive thoughts and anxiety due to overdrinking. Worrying feels like the responsible thing to do. But if beating yourself up was an effective strategy against alcohol use disorder, your cravings for alcohol would disappear.…
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EP130 Three skills to manage your mind so it works for you (instead of against you) Are you tired of worrying about alcohol because no matter how hard you try to change, you always end up back in the same place? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. But most people who are serious about cu…
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Do you have credit card debt or feel like you have to hide purchases from your partner? Feeling bad about spending money triggers cycles of shame, overwhelm and uncertainty. Which often lead to excessive spending because heck, what’s another thousand bucks on the card? Most people assume that solving money problems requires money. So they work long…
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Do you feel stuck in your marriage and assume that life after divorce will only get worse? The only reason most of us stay in relationships that have run their course is because we think that staying married is somehow easier than getting a divorce. We want to avoid the shame, blame and fear of being alone. But your well-being does not depend on yo…
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Were you raised to believe that thoughts and feelings that don’t align with your religious values are wrong and even “sinful?” Many of us who grew up in church are in the habit of ignoring emotions that contradict what we’ve been taught to believe is “right.” But rejecting our emotions requires us to reject ourselves, leaving us fractured instead o…
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Do you struggle to show up as your best self because you feel fat, tired and grumpy? Most high achieving women diagnose themselves as lazy or bitchy when our bodies feel like “one more problem” we have to deal with. We push through our feelings and try harder to do better, but deep down wonder what is wrong with us. But even if we’re diagnosed with…
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Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN Are you looking for a mindful drinking coach instead of a sobriety program? I can help you reduce your drinking by 80 percent so you don't have to quit. You'll walk away from our call with a clear understanding of why you're struggling and what tools you need to achieve your goals. How often do you h…
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Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN Are you looking for a mindful drinking coach instead of a sobriety program? I can help you reduce your drinking by 80 percent so you don't have to quit. You'll walk away with a clear understanding of why you're struggling and what tools you need to achieve your goals. Are you in the habit of beating …
  continue reading
 
Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN Are you looking for a mindful drinking coach instead of a sobriety program? I can help you reduce your drinking by 80 percent so you don't have to quit. You'll walk away with a clear understanding of why you're struggling and what tools you need to achieve your goals. Do you believe that accepting yo…
  continue reading
 
Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH COLLEEN Are you looking for a mindful drinking coach instead of a sobriety program? I can help you reduce your drinking by 80 percent so you don't have to quit. You'll walk away with a clear understanding of why you're struggling and what tools you need to achieve your goals. And for today's episode.... Is y…
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Are you scared of waking up in ten years and finding yourself in the exact same place…dealing with the exact same problems? It’s so easy to get lost in the busy-ness of everyday life. Our routines are overwhelming and there’s no time to stop and consider if we even want whatever it is we think we’re working so hard to get. And when your sole purpos…
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Are you finding it hard to move forward in life because of a significant loss or trauma you’ve experienced? We can all agree there is no “right” way to recover from trauma, or an appropriate timeline for grief. But when you’re the one who’s suffering, it’s terrifying to feel frozen in time when life just keeps moving on for everyone else. But there…
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Have you considered using naltrexone or other medications to curb your alcohol cravings? As alcohol use disorder is technically a thinking problem, most of us are too afraid to discuss our symptoms with a doctor. We worry about being forced into a treatment program or denied medications due to our drinking. And the more we try and fail to change on…
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Are you worried about your ability to access high quality healthcare at a reasonable cost? Most of us are distracted by the politics of healthcare. But while we’re arguing about the rising costs and who has access to what services, most of us have failed to notice that the healthcare system in which we grew up no longer exists. It’s almost impossib…
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Do you worry about how much you drink? Health conscious, high achieving women who prioritize clean eating, exercise, anti-aging supplements and skin care routines tend to have a lot of anxiety when it comes to alcohol. You know drinking is a bad habit, yet giving up the reward at the end of a stressful day feels impossible. But instead of setting r…
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Are you the type of person who tends to over-do it, because if one is good, ten is better? The inability to self-regulate is a hallmark symptom of ADHD. Because the ADHD brain does not regulate dopamine well. Which makes it hard to get started when a task seems boring, and hard to stop when you’re feeling good. Typically perceived as a learning dis…
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Do you feel pressure when you think about changing your relationship with alcohol? Like "good behavior" is just one more thing you have to work on? The reason drinking less (or not at all) feels impossible for many women is because alcohol has become a coping mechanism for stress. The problem is that drinking to relieve stress is the fast-past to a…
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Do you have insomnia or identify as a person who has trouble sleeping? For many people, feeling tired is a way of life. We think we “can’t” sleep…and so we don’t sleep. We develop bad habits to cope with exhaustion…relying on caffeine and other stimulants for energy, skimping on workouts and healthy eating, and then scrolling on our phones or watch…
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Has your drinking intensified the power struggle in your marriage? Women who assume the role of “caregiver” to balance their partner’s role as the “breadwinner” understand that staying home is a privilege. But career moms quickly learn there’s a big difference between financial support and financial power. And overtime, sacrificing your own needs b…
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Have you considered that the reason it feels hard to drink in moderation might be that you’re operating on bad information? The biggest mistake that perpetuates over-drinking is the belief that you actually enjoy the third (or seventh) drink. Which means that limiting yourself requires a lot of willpower. But alcohol is a biphasic drug. Which means…
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Do you rely on negative self-talk for motivation? Most high achieving perfectionists are unknowingly driven by a fear of failure. We think we have to DO good in order to BE good…Worthiness must be earned. We’re conditioned at an early age to avoid punishment and chase rewards. And the voices of judgment and criticism are so deeply ingrained in our …
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Does over-thinking and second-guessing yourself actually improve the quality of your decisions? Most of us assume that the perfect solution to a problem will be reasonable, practical and maybe even popular with our people. We don’t want to act on gut instinct unless it makes perfect sense. Because what if we’re wrong? And so we get stuck in our hea…
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Are you in the habit of “starting over” when it comes to losing weight? Most of us pair an ideal number on the scale with an end date on the calendar when trying to lose weight. And then radically alter our diet and exercise routines in a full sprint towards the goal. If we fail, we feel depressed, defeated and convinced that we either have no will…
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Are you the victim of the all-or-nothing mindset when it comes to alcohol? Every time you try and fail to drink less (or not at all), the belief that “I can’t do this” gets stronger. But sometimes, you do get it right. And while that feels good, it’s also confusing and scary. Because you don’t know if the problem is real. Having the occasional hang…
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Are you clinging to strict religious or scientific beliefs that prevent you from embracing spiritual experiences? Societal institutions brainwash people to believe that “real” is limited to only what can be seen, touched or understood within the rules of their profit-generating agendas. Intuition, energy work and “woo-woo” methods of healing, commu…
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Have you tried taking a break from alcohol so that you can reset your tolerance…only to fall back into default habits that leave you hungover? The cycle is exhausting. We vacillate between trying to outsmart the urge to drink and feeling hopeless and ashamed because we failed. And the more our focus and energy revolve around alcohol, the less happy…
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The secret to drinking like a normal person is not perfection. There is no "right" amount of alcohol that you should or shouldn't drink. The truth of your experience with (and without) alcohol is always changing based on your stress, hormones, social dynamics, sleep needs, etc. It's not what you think, it's how you feel. You have to learn how to de…
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If inflammation is the driving force of nearly every chronic disorder, what causes inflammation? Symptoms of inflammation can strike any part of the body. It’s not just swollen, arthritic joints. From belly bloat to brain fog to hypertension, inflammation weaks havoc and robs us of vitality. It’s normal to treat symptoms of inflammation with medica…
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Have you been searching for a medical explanation as to why you suffer with chronic pain and depression? We’re taught to view pain, inflammation, and a lack of energy as dysfunctional biological processes. And so we see all the doctors, try all the medications and wonder what we've done to deserve this. Occasionally we find temporary relief, but ov…
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Does managing your weight feel like a stressful, full-time job? We’ve been programmed to believe that controlling our inner fat slob requires willpower. So we count calories, avoid entire food groups and shame ourselves for overeating. But willpower requires focus. And the more distracted and stressed we are, the less control we have. Which makes i…
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Are you the parent of an adult child who’s struggling with substance use or other addictive patterns of behavior? Over the years, you’ve undoubtedly tried everything…ranging from tough love to protecting them from painful consequences. You’d throw yourself under a train if that would actually help, but you know it won’t. Yet their pain is your pain…
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Are you overwhelmed and exhausted by your everyday life…and also constantly worried because you’re not doing “enough?” Most type-A, hyper-functioning people-pleasers think that the only solution to burnout is push through it … the idea of slowing down feels ridiculous and irresponsible. And so your life feels like a Groundhog Day Marathon. You forc…
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