Tribe Sober - inspiring an alcohol free life!

In this episode, I chat to Tribe Sober Ambassador Lynne, who spent years as a “normal” drinker - functioning well on the outside, but quietly questioning her relationship with alcohol.

There was no dramatic rock bottom. No crisis. Just a growing awareness that something wasn’t working anymore.

Lynne shares how her nightly whisky habit slowly increased in quantity and shifted from a reward to something that no longer felt good - and how she found her way to an alcohol-free life that feels calmer, clearer, and more aligned.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your drinking is “bad enough” to change, this conversation will really resonate.

🔑 What We Cover

What it means to be a grey area drinker

How habits quietly become harder to control

Why moderation often doesn’t stick

The subtle signs that alcohol is no longer serving you

Life without alcohol — what actually changes

Why you don’t need a rock bottom to make a change

💬 Key Takeaway
You don’t have to wait for things to fall apart to rethink your drinking.
Sometimes the quiet nudge — “this isn’t working anymore” — is more than enough.

👣 Next Steps
If Lynne’s story resonated, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to figure this out by yourself.

👉 Join our 6-week Accelerate programme and start building an alcohol-free life that actually feels good
🔗 https://www.tribesober.com/accelerate-2/

📝 Show Notes

🎙️ From Rock Bottom to Real Self: The Power of Returning to Yourself

🎶 Intro & Outro Music: “Remember” by Sutherland

What if rock bottom isn’t the end… but the beginning?

In this episode, Lynette explores the journey from rock bottom—or what we sometimes call a high bottom—into self-leadership, emotional power, and a return to your true self.

Inspired by the story of Alysa Liu, this episode goes far beyond success or achievement. It’s about what happens when we lose ourselves in pressure, expectation, and survival… and how we begin to come back.

If you’ve ever found yourself asking:

“Why can’t I just stop?”

“Is this my rock bottom?”

“I’m sober… now what?”

…this episode is for you.

 

🌿 In This Episode

Why rock bottom can be a turning point—not a failure

The difference between rock bottom and “high bottom”

How nervous system stress and disconnection drive addictive patterns

What it means to lose your sense of self—and how to reclaim it

The shift from performance and people-pleasing → self-leadership

Why recovery is not about becoming someone new, but returning to who you are

A simple way to anchor into identity (what Lynette calls a “power pattern”)

Emotional power: learning to feel without needing to escape

🔑 Key Takeaway

You don’t change your life by trying harder.

You change your life by returning to yourself—

with awareness, with choice, and with authority.

💫 Ready for Support?

If you are still struggling… still slipping… or wondering if you’ve hit your rock bottom—please don’t do this alone.

 

✨ Accelerate Programme (Tribe Sober)

A new programme is launching this weekend.

👉 Contact Tribe Sober to find out more and get started. email [email protected]

 

If you’ve had a few months of sobriety and you’re ready to go deeper…

If you’re asking: “I’m sober… now what?”

 

✨ Work with Lynette

Explore one-on-one coaching or mentorship programmes:

👉 Email : [email protected]

 

🌊 Final Reflection

What if your past hasn’t broken you…

but initiated you?

And what if this next chapter

is not about fixing yourself…

…but about coming home to yourself?

In this episode, Janet talks with clinical psychologist Dr Sarah Michaud, who has been sober since 1984 and specialises in addiction and codependency.

Sarah shares her powerful recovery story and explains why codependency is often the missing piece in long-term sobriety.

In this episode

Growing up in a family affected by alcoholism

Why addiction often begins as a way to escape emotional pain

The moment that led Sarah to get sober at 24

What codependency really means and how it shows up in relationships

Why trying to fix or control other people never works

How to start setting healthy boundaries in early sobriety

Why guilt is normal when you begin changing people-pleasing patterns

The importance of asking yourself: What do I want? What do I need?

Why asking for help is the first step to recovery

Key message
Recovery isn’t just about stopping drinking. It’s about reconnecting with yourself and learning healthier ways to relate to others.

Resources

Dr Sarah Michaud – Co-Crazy: One Psychologist’s Recovery from Addiction and Codependency

Podcast: Leaving Crazy Town

Website: drsarahmichaud.com

Support: Tribe Sober

More Info


This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today
Read more about our program and subscribe HERE

Help us to Spread the Word!

We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.

If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts.

Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you!

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PS: How to Leave a Rating/Review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS Device)

Open the Podcasts app. EASY.

Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (e.g. Recover Like a Mother) into the search field.

Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes).

Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews.

Click Write a Review underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You’ll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale and write a review (you can rate without writing too but it’s always good to read your experience).

Episode Title:

When Strategy Isn’t the Problem — Identity Is

Episode Description
Many people who want to change their relationship with alcohol believe they simply need a better strategy — more discipline, better rules, or a stronger moderation plan.

But what if the real issue isn’t strategy at all?

In this episode, Lynette explores a deeper truth: lasting change rarely comes from trying to control alcohol — it comes from expanding beyond the identity that believes alcohol is necessary.

Drawing on insights from neuropsychologist Dr. Julia DiGangi and years of coaching experience, Lynette explains why so many attempts at moderation fail and why identity transformation is the real turning point in recovery.

If you’ve ever told yourself, “I should be able to moderate,” this episode may help you see the pattern in a completely new way.

In This Episode
Lynette explores:

Why many people struggle with alcohol even when they genuinely want to change

The hidden difference between strategy change and identity change

The “capability fantasy” that keeps people stuck in the moderation cycle

How personality and identity influence our relationship with alcohol

Why arguing with reality creates suffering

The concept of “expanding beyond personality” from Dr. Julia DiGangi’s work

The powerful shift from trying to control alcohol to becoming the person who no longer needs it

Key Insight From This Episode
One of the most powerful shifts in recovery happens when we stop asking:

“How do I control my drinking?”

And start asking:

“Who am I becoming?”

Sobriety is not simply about removing alcohol.

It’s about expanding beyond the identity that once believed alcohol was necessary.

A Quote From This Episode
"The goal isn’t just to stop drinking.

The goal is to become the person who no longer needs to".

Want Support Exploring Sobriety?
If this episode resonated with you and you’re curious about what life might look like with alcohol no longer running the show, Lynette offers exploratory coaching sessions.

You can contact her at:

[email protected]

These sessions are a safe space to explore your relationship with alcohol and what might be possible for you moving forward.

About Lynette
Lynette Le Roux is a coach specialising in helping people change their relationship with alcohol and step into a more empowered, alcohol-free life.

Through coaching, Positive Intelligence mental fitness training, and deep emotional insight work, she supports clients in transforming the patterns and identities that keep them stuck.

Final Reflection
Remember:

You’re not giving something up.

You’re stepping into the freedom of who you really are.

Tribe Sober - inpiring an alcohol-free life!

My guest this week is British Psychiatrist Dr Tony Rao.  He is an international expert of alchohol misuse in older people - with more than 20 years experience in this area.

He works with Baby Boomers in the UK who have alcohol issues - I was one of those for many years so found this conversation fascinating..

In this Episode

Dr Tony explains how his interest in the field started with his parents who were both medics

He believes it's essential to understand the community his patients are from if he is to understand their problems

The baby boomer generation is more susceptible to alcohol abuse as we grew up with very different cultural attitudes 

We believed it was ok to get drunk sometimes and the "work hard, play hard" ethos was encouraged in many corporates

After decades of drinking the older generation have not even tried to cut down - many of them rely on it more as they get older

Dr Tony believes that the "low risk" limits for alcohol should be reduced for older people as our bodies are less resilient

Extra risks for older people include falls, mixing with medications and the fact that it takes longer to metabolize

We agreed that although people are living longer the emphasis should be on "living well" for the last 10 years

Dr Tony advises that we take the low risk limits seriously and reach out for help if we need it - there is always help.

He has written a book called "Catch Me When I Fall" which dramatises the issue - available via Amazon


More info
Subscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERE


To access our website click HERE


If you would like a free copy of our e-book "66 days to sobriety" please email us at [email protected]


If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community just email [email protected]

Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today. 

Read more about our membership and subscribe HERE

 

 Help us to spread the word!

We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share.

We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning.

You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook and Instagram. 

Thank you for listening! 

Till Next Week

Janet x