Why do we buy gifts we can't afford for people who don't need them and over-schedule ourselves to the point where we only have the energy to drink and complain about how stressed we are?

This episode is dedicated to your inner rebel—the part of you that wants to pour a drink, flip the bird, and Thelma-and-Louise yourself out of the insanity. Because she's not the problem. She's the part of you that knows something is wrong.

I'm also sharing how I've completely reinvented Christmas in my own family over the last 10+ years—no gifts, no stress, no obligation—and what I'm doing this year to create connection and joy.

🔑 Key Takeaways

→ The "waiting room" social experiment that reveals our true nature

→ Why the real culprit is your inner rule follower who can't tolerate going against the group

→ The evolution of my family's approach to Christmas gifts (and why my kids love it)

→ How to accept a gift without feeling obligated to reciprocate

→ How to audit your schedule, budget, and obligations—and have the courage to opt out

This episode is for you if:

• You're stressed and overwhelmed because "tis the season"

• You're on track to wake up broke and hungover in January

• You've been numbing your way through the holidays instead of enjoying them

• You're ready to stop following rules that weren't designed for your happiness

• Your inner rebel deserves more than another drink

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

Transcript

Katie Herzog spent 15 years trying everything: AA, therapy, CBT, SMART Recovery, moderation management, swapping booze for weed. Nothing stuck. And in the back of her mind, she always knew she'd start drinking again. It was just a question of when.

Then she found the Sinclair Method—a protocol where you take a medication called naltrexone, wait an hour, and drink. It sounds too simple. It sounds like cheating. But is it? Katie's been completely sober for three years.

In this conversation, we dig into the science of how naltrexone rewires your brain, why the first three months don't look like much, and why realistic expectations might be the most important factor in whether this works for you.

In this episode, we cover:

→ Katie's 15-year journey through AA, therapy, misdiagnosis, and desperation—and why the idea that abstinence is the only path kept her stuck for years

→ What the Sinclair Method actually is and how naltrexone blocks the endorphin rush that makes drinking feel good

→ The difference between "reward drinkers" and "relief drinkers"—and who TSM is best suited for

→ Why Katie's first attempt with naltrexone failed (and what she did differently the second time)

→ AND MUCH MUCH MORE.

This episode is for you if:

• You've tried AA or other programs and they didn't stick

• The idea of "never drinking again" feels impossible

• You're curious about medication-assisted approaches but don't know where to start

• You're exhausted by the mental chatter—always thinking about drinking whether you're drinking or not

• You want to understand ALL the options, not just the abstinence-only path

About the book: Drink Your Way Sober: A Science-Based Method to Break Free from Alcohol releases September 30th and is available on Amazon and at independent bookstores.

Connect with Katie Herzog:

• Website: drinkyourwaysober.com

• Podcast: Blocked and Reported

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.

Find me on:

YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer

TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer

Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer

X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

Transcript

In this episode, Colleen speaks directly to the women who live and die by the checklist, the ones who can run circles around everyone else at work, keep ten plates spinning at home, and still collapse into bed wondering why they feel exhausted, behind, and overwhelmed. If you're a high-achiever who secretly depends on stress chemistry to function, this one is going to land.

Colleen breaks down why the "box-checking brain" is so addicted to dopamine, adrenaline, and cortisol… and why that system eventually stops working. You'll hear how even the most capable women fall into the dopamine trap: chasing the almost done feeling, attaching worth to productivity, and burning themselves out while ignoring their actual needs.

But instead of asking you to slow down, shrink your life, or pretend to be someone who "can't handle much," she shows you how to work at a higher level. A way of operating that protects your nervous system, restores clarity, and still lets you be a woman who gets things done.

• Why high-achieving, Type-A women confuse adrenaline with capability
• How the dopamine trap keeps you chasing productivity but never feeling satisfied
• The difference between what your brain "wants" and what your body actually needs
• Why a new job, new schedule, or new boss won't create lasting relief
• The five steps to building an emotionally sober checklist that actually restores capacity
• How values-based decisions rewire your motivation from the inside out
• Why internal validation is the only sustainable path to feeling accomplished and at peace

This episode is a reminder that you don't need to do less to feel better — you need to anchor yourself in who you're becoming. When you shift your checklist from achievement to alignment, you stop chasing worth and start embodying it.

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

Transcript