Medical Gaslighting: Why Women Struggle to Be Heard With Nikki V

Hardship does not pause when someone gets sober. In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia welcomes Christina Smallwood, author of Hope in the Hard: Action Steps for Navigating Hardships. Through honest questions and shared recovery experiences, Sonia explores how Christina navigated grief, infertility, adoption, parenting a child with special needs, and a relationship with alcohol that became increasingly difficult to ignore. What happens when drinking becomes a way to quiet grief and insecurity? How can someone look successful while struggling privately? And what makes hope different from toxic positivity? Their conversation explores people pleasing, alcohol as part of an identity, family expectations, and the fear that sobriety means losing the fun. Christina describes hope as an action, rather than a demand to feel positive. She shares the difference between taking a temporary alcohol break and committing to recovery, along with the roles therapy, sponsorship, faith, and honest community played in her experience. They also discuss self-awareness, making amends, and recognizing emotional patterns that repeat across relationships. Behind Christina’s public success is a deeply personal story: losing her father, facing infertility, and navigating her daughter’s surgery while alcohol became a source of escape. She reflects on returning to drinking after seven months alcohol-free, the private turning point that led her toward recovery, and the grace that helped her feel less alone. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources. SIS Links 💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen 📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email 📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram Episode highlights 01:00 — Meet Christina Smallwood 03:00 — People pleasing and honest connection 05:00 — The hardship that changed her life 06:00 — Losing her father and finding faith 07:00 — Hope versus toxic positivity 08:00 — Taking recovery one step at a time 10:00 — Alcohol, acceptance, and blackouts 12:00 — Grief and the shift to daily drinking 15:00 — Seeing a joyful sober life modeled 16:00 — A seven-month alcohol break 17:00 — Family expectations and moderation 21:00 — Returning to drinking after surgery 24:00 — A private turning point 26:00 — Early sobriety and seeking support 29:00 — Finding belonging in recovery meetings 32:00 — Making amends and receiving grace 36:00 — Hiding sobriety in social settings 38:00 — Facing the insecurities beneath drinking 40:00 — The weight of looking successful 43:00 — Feeling less alone in the hard

On Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia and Kathleen support women in changing their relationship with alcohol and trusting themselves along the way. In this episode, Sonia talks with Nikki Sapiro Vinckier, an OB-GYN physician assistant, author of We Deserve More, and founder of Take Back Trust, about advocating for better women’s healthcare. What does medical gaslighting sound like? When does “that’s normal” leave a real concern unanswered? How can perimenopause, sobriety, and changing relationships complicate the way women understand their bodies? Sonia and Nikki explore pain, reproductive health, and the questions patients may hesitate to ask. Nikki explains how to prepare for an appointment, describe symptoms through their impact on daily life, and ask for a clear next step. The conversation covers perimenopause and menopause, trauma-informed care, LGBTQ+ inclusion, weight stigma, and rebuilding trust in a changing body. The conversation becomes personal when Sonia shares the fear and isolation of receiving an HPV result by mail. Their exchange explores sexual-health stigma, gaps in communication, and why questions about prevention and follow-up deserve space in the exam room. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources. Nikki’s Links 📸 Instagram 📚 We Deserve More SIS Links 💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen 📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email 📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram 🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast 📸 Kathleen’s Instagram   Timestamped Highlights 01:00 — Meet Nikki Sapiro Vinckier 02:00 — An unexpected path into OB-GYN care 04:00 — Why Nikki took her advocacy beyond the clinic 06:00 — What medical gaslighting can sound like 08:00 — Why speaking up can feel difficult 12:00 — Prepare before entering the exam room 13:00 — Describe symptoms and their daily impact 15:00 — Responding when a concern is called “normal” 18:00 — Perimenopause symptoms across daily life 20:00 — Getting to know the body in sobriety 22:00 — Bias and the history of women’s healthcare 24:00 — Finding a clinician who takes concerns seriously 28:00 — Perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause 30:00 — Birth control and menopause assessment 32:00 — Gaps in training and trauma-informed care 33:00 — How healthcare fails LGBTQ+ patients 36:00 — Asking for care preferences around weighing 38:00 — The meaning behind Take Back Trust 43:00 — Dating, HPV questions, and Sonia’s experience 52:00 — We Deserve More and rebuilding self-trust

What happens when a successful life includes a private struggle with alcohol? In this episode, Sonia speaks with Casey Davidson, founder of Hello Someday Coaching and host of the Hello Someday podcast, about high achievement, anxiety, and getting out of the drinking cycle. Why can drinking feel like the only way to switch off? What makes the evening “witching hour” so difficult? How can sober curiosity and gray area drinking open a conversation without labels? Sonia and Casey explore early sobriety, moderation, and the value of support from women who understand. Casey shares the practical pieces of her “sober bubble”: asking for help, changing routines, eating before the evening rush, and lowering expectations. She explains her 100-day coaching approach, discusses everyday rewards, and explores how boundaries and community create room for a more satisfying life. From college rugby and corporate pressure to motherhood and nightly red wine, Casey traces the moments that made drinking harder to ignore. She shares how a 100-day commitment grew into lasting sobriety—and how admitting she no longer wanted her corporate job helped lead her toward coaching. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources. Casey’s Links 🌐 Hello Someday Coaching Website 📸 Casey’s Instagram — @caseymdavidson   SIS Links 💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen 📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email 📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram 🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast 📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Timestamped highlights 00:00 — Introducing Casey Davidson 02:00 — People-pleasing and the gold-star girl 04:00 — Rugby culture and problematic drinking 07:00 — Mommy wine culture and climbing the ladder 09:00 — Recognizing herself in quit lit 11:00 — Reaching the point of needing change 12:00 — Committing to 100 alcohol-free days 15:00 — Extending the break to a year 16:00 — Building a sober bubble 19:00 — Preparing for the witching hour 20:00 — Eating before the evening rush 23:00 — Life after the red wine identity 25:00 — Admitting her career no longer fit 28:00 — Launching Hello Someday and defining coaching 30:00 — Making room for bigger life changes 33:00 — Casey’s perspective on moderation 37:00 — Her approach to substituting substances 42:00 — Questioning recovery labels 45:00 — Sober curiosity and gray area drinking 48:00 — Finding women who understand

What happens when the drinking stops but the anger stays? Sonia welcomes Zach Brittle, LMHC, Certified Gottman Therapist, Relational Life Therapist, and host of Marriage Therapy Radio. Why can resentment linger after quitting alcohol? How can someone take responsibility without taking all the blame? What happens when partners get sober at different times? Sonia and Zach explore recovery, relationship boundaries, and rebuilding trust beyond counting drinks or sober days. Zach explains his approach to the “wise adult,” pausing before reacting, and playing the movie forward. He describes how Relational Life Therapy connects self-esteem, boundaries, and intimacy, and why having communication tools differs from being ready to use them. Sonia also asks about the difference between celebrating recovery and becoming overconfident. From asking for help during the pandemic to confronting longstanding resentment, Zach shares the experiences behind his recovery. An unforgettable Christmas tree stand, a frustrating gas-station queue, and his and Rebecca’s different paths to sobriety reveal how change has reshaped their marriage and parenting. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources. Zach’s Links Website Instagram Marriage Therapy Radio SIS Links 💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen 📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email 📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram 🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast 📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Episode Highlights 00:00 — Introducing Zach Brittle 02:00 — Recovery beyond alcohol 04:00 — Recognizing personal relapse risks 08:00 — Drinking escalates during COVID 10:00 — Asking for a sponsor’s help 13:00 — Taking inventory of resentment 15:00 — Owning his anger without alcohol 18:00 — Responsibility versus self-blame 20:00 — Anger in the gas-station queue 22:00 — The pause that creates choice 25:00 — Playing the movie forward 27:00 — Recovery becomes a new way of living 29:00 — A milestone tests his sobriety 33:00 — Why tools alone aren’t enough 35:00 — Self-esteem, boundaries, and intimacy 40:00 — Partners on different recovery paths 46:00 — Setting relationship boundaries 47:00 — Alcohol’s impact beyond drink counts 49:00 — Connection, fun, and life after drinking 56:00 — Modeling recovery for adult children

On Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia welcomes relationship coach, author, and podcast host Monica Tanner to explore conflict, emotional safety, and intimacy when alcohol is no longer the escape hatch. Together, they explore how to ask for support, navigate difficult conversations, and reconnect through change. Does “never go to bed angry” actually help? When does communication become criticism? What happens when drinking or scrolling becomes a way to disappear during conflict? Sonia and Monica explore resentment, sober relationships, and talking about sex without turning the conversation into a performance. Monica introduces relational life therapy concepts, including protective childhood patterns, the emotional “whoosh,” and choosing a response with greater awareness. She shares examples of clear requests, healthy boundaries, side-by-side intimacy conversations, and small routines that create space for connection. Monica also shares how her parents’ divorce shaped her interest in relationships, why late-night arguments brought up fears of abandonment, and how a simple request for reassurance changed those moments in her marriage. Her son’s approaching wedding became the inspiration for her book. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources. Monica’s Links 🌐 Monica Tanner’s Website 🎙️ Secrets of Happily Ever After Podcast 📖 Bad Marriage Advice SIS Links 💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen 📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email 📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram 🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast 📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Timestamped Highlights 01:00 — Meet relationship coach Monica Tanner. 02:00 — The divorce that reshaped her idea of marriage. 04:00 — Rethinking “never go to bed angry.” 06:00 — Asking for reassurance before taking a break. 08:00 — Relationship maintenance before a crisis. 11:00 — Why conflict can block familiar communication skills. 14:00 — Recognizing protective patterns and boundaries. 16:00 — Teaching a partner how to love you well. 18:00 — Small requests before resentment builds. 20:00 — Asking for listening instead of solutions. 23:00 — Making requests without criticism. 25:00 — Withdrawal, fawning, and old survival strategies. 26:00 — Sonia on alcohol, conflict, and getting sober. 28:00 — Withdrawing in plain sight. 30:00 — Pausing during the emotional “whoosh.” 34:00 — Making space for conversations about sex. 38:00 — Exploring a broader definition of intimacy. 41:00 — When deeper relationship problems need help first. 45:00 — Monica’s routines for regular connection. 46:00 — Couples work, intensives, and closing reflections.

In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia explores the invisible work adult daughters perform to keep families connected. With communication scholar, Baylor professor and Good Daughtering author Dr. Allison M. Alford. Dr. Alford helps women recognize how family roles can shape self-worth, perfectionism, resentment and coping. Why are daughters so often expected to organize, anticipate needs and smooth over conflict? How do culture, birth order and family expectations influence daughtering? And why can a son receive enormous praise for a small gesture while a daughter feels she is always falling short? Dr. Alford defines daughtering as the mental, emotional, logistical and identity work daughters do for their families. She explains how to make that labor visible, establish boundaries without turning them into ultimatums, distinguish venting from rumination and replace impossible A+ expectations with a sustainable B+ standard. She also shares how her own family relationships changed when she stopped building connection around complaints and enlisted her husband, children and sister in creating new conversation patterns. Her message is simple: every woman is already a good-enough daughter and has agency in deciding how that role will fit into her life. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources. Dr. Alford’s Links 🌐 Daughtering 101 Website 📕 Good Daughtering 📸 Instagram SIS Links 💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen 📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email 📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram 🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast 📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Timestamped Highlights 01:00 — Dr. Allison Alford introduces her work on daughtering 05:00 — Defining the overlooked cost of being a good daughter 07:00 — Why women’s caring roles are so often called mothering 10:00 — Honoring daughterhood as a distinct part of identity 12:00 — Choosing how fully to show up in family roles 14:00 — Daughters as the behind-the-scenes family CEOs 16:00 — How daughter conditioning develops from childhood 18:00 — Why sons receive praise for exceeding lower expectations 22:00 — Culture, geography and privilege shape daughtering 24:00 — The unspoken rules daughters are expected to follow 27:00 — How impossible standards create a fog of failure 30:00 — Creating a personal B+ daughter rubric 32:00 — The relationship between resentment and self-abandonment 34:00 — Boundaries as fences around emotional and physical space 36:00 — Recognizing when family venting becomes rumination 38:00 — Communicating a boundary once—and following through 40:00 — Making invisible daughtering labor visible 43:00 — Building a Plan B for healthier family conversations 46:00 — Eldest and only daughters face distinct pressures 50:00 — Every daughter gets to decide what “good enough” means

In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia explores the connection between sobriety, creativity, and reinvention with Kerri Maher, the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller and The Kennedy Debutante. Kerri discusses her four years of sobriety and her deeply personal new novel, Summer of Love, set in California and centered on addiction, family, recovery, and hope. What happens when someone’s drinking does not produce a cinematic rock bottom, but no longer feels sustainable? How can people find recovery support outside traditional 12-step programs? Sonia and Kerri discuss sober identity, online community, emotional sobriety, belonging, and the many different paths people can take toward changing their relationship with alcohol. Kerri explains how The Luckiest Club helped her find her people, why sobriety and writing are both daily practices, and how greater clarity changed her creative and professional decisions. She also shares how The Artist’s Way, morning pages, artist dates, and an “adjacent art” with no pressure attached helped her develop Summer of Love. Kerri’s story reveals a quieter, joyful vision of recovery: clear mornings, renewed confidence, richer emotions, and the freedom to experience places such as Napa beyond their drinking culture. She also reflects on generational addiction, “good girl” identity, sober travel, and writing a novel that allows recovery to be hopeful rather than punishing. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources. Kerri’s Links 📚 Summer of Love 📸 Instagram: @kerrimaherwriter SIS Links 💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen 📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email 📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram 🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast 📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Timestamped Highlights 01:00 — Kerri introduces her sobriety and Summer of Love 04:00 — The small moments that made Kerri question her drinking 05:00 — An early 15-to-18-month period without alcohol 08:00 — How The Luckiest Club began and became Kerri’s community 10:00 — Finding accessible support during the sandwich-generation years 14:00 — Is recovery’s “special sauce” the program or the community? 17:00 — Emotional sobriety, anger management, and continued inner work 19:00 — Writing and sobriety as practices built through repetition 21:00 — How alcohol created subtle brain fog without stopping productivity 26:00 — The personal origins of Summer of Love 28:00 — Morning pages bring the book’s characters and plot together 31:00 — Watercolor play as relaxing, pressure-free creativity 33:00 — Writing about recovery as joyful rather than punishing 35:00 — Clear mornings and dependable presence as everyday sober joy 43:00 — Exploring generational patterns of addiction 46:00 — Looking beyond wine culture in Napa Valley 49:00 — Rediscovering California through food, landscape, and connection 53:00 — Sober travel and experiencing mornings without a hangover 54:00 — Kerri’s message to sober and sober-curious readers 55:00 — Closing the conversation

On this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia explores how alcohol-free drinks can become meaningful rituals rather than consolation prizes with bestselling author and mixologist Julia Halina Hadas, whose book Mystical Mocktails combines zero-proof recipes with intention, connection and everyday magic. What makes a mocktail feel complete? How can flavor, aroma, temperature and glassware change the experience? Julia explains why people often seek more than alcohol from a drink—and how a thoughtfully made alternative can offer beauty, pleasure and social connection without the buzz. The conversation covers practical building blocks such as citrus, sweeteners, tea, coconut water, herbs, spices and garnishes. Julia shares how mint can suggest renewal, maple and black tea can feel grounding, and rose can represent connection. She also explains how to prevent watery tea-based drinks, balance sweetness and acidity, order creatively at a bar and pair affirmations with the physical act of drinking. Julia also reflects on pregnancy, her husband’s sobriety and the importance of recognizing when alcohol-removed products feel triggering. She shares how creating her Rose of Remembrance recipe unexpectedly helped her process grief following her father’s death—showing how an intentional drink can hold memory, emotion and healing. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources. Julia’s Links Website: WitchCraft Cocktails Instagram: @witchcraftcocktail Book: Mystical Mocktails SIS Links 💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen 📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email 📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram 🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast 📸 Kathleen’s Instagram Timestamped highlights 01:00 — Meet bestselling author and mixologist Julia Halina Hadas 02:00 — Making zero-proof drinks before nonalcoholic spirits were widely available 04:00 — Seeking connection and a change in feeling through drinks 06:00 — Bringing herbs and intention into mixology 07:00 — Magic, spirituality and reclaiming personal power 09:00 — Using maple and black tea to create a grounding drink 11:00 — The Rose of Remembrance recipe and processing grief 12:00 — Why yuzu can transform an alcohol-free drink 14:00 — How garnishes and aroma elevate the experience 17:00 — Mint, cucumber, strawberry, basil and rose as intentional ingredients 20:00 — Preventing tea-based mocktails from becoming watery 22:00 — Adding cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove 25:00 — The color-changing magic of butterfly pea flower 27:00 — Tea ceremonies, presence and the Jasmine Peace Potion 30:00 — Making drink preparation part of a personal ritual 32:00 — Why glassware can make an ordinary moment feel special 35:00 — The cup as a symbol of what a person welcomes into their life 39:00 — Pairing affirmations with the physical act of drinking 47:00 — How to order a more interesting mocktail at a bar 56:00 — Protecting sobriety when alcohol-removed drinks feel triggering

Midlife can make a woman feel as though her body has suddenly changed the rules—but those changes are not a personal failure, and they are not “just aging.” In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia and Kathleen help unpack the relationship between perimenopause, metabolic health, alcohol, blood sugar, stress and movement with Dr. Shawna Darou, ND. A naturopathic doctor with more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Darou translates complex women’s health information into clear, practical steps for building strength and vitality through midlife and beyond. Why does alcohol suddenly hit harder in midlife? What do belly weight, brain fog, disrupted sleep, afternoon fatigue and persistent food noise reveal about insulin resistance? How can women use GLP-1 medications and continuous glucose monitors more responsibly—and why can excessive fasting or carbohydrate restriction backfire? The conversation also explores sugar cravings in early sobriety, chronic stress, menopause and the habits that support long-term metabolic health. Dr. Darou explains why menopause is a metabolic transition, not only an estrogen transition; how alcohol interrupts nighttime blood sugar regulation and fat oxidation; and why muscle acts as a “metabolic sink.” She shares a realistic starting point: prioritize protein, add daily movement, walk after meals and build strength gradually. Flexible consistency, proper recovery and movement that feels genuinely enjoyable matter more than perfection. Dr. Darou also shares her unexpected evolution from engineer to naturopathic doctor—and from someone who did not identify as an athlete to a competitive runner who began racing at 50. Her story challenges narrow ideas about aging and shows how confidence, community and ambitious new goals can emerge later in life. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources. Timestamp Highlights 01:00 — Meet Dr. Shawna Darou 02:00 — From engineering to women’s health 05:00 — The pandemic’s metabolic impact 06:00 — Movement as a longevity lever 07:00 — Becoming an athlete at 49 09:00 — Why women over 40 need new possibilities 13:00 — Metabolic health beyond weight 15:00 — Early signs of metabolic dysfunction 17:00 — How insulin resistance fuels cravings 18:00 — Reversing dysfunction without diet culture 20:00 — GLP-1 benefits and risks 23:00 — Why midlife changes the rules 26:00 — Using a continuous glucose monitor responsibly 32:00 — Chronic stress and blood sugar 35:00 — What alcohol does metabolically 38:00 — Why alcohol hits harder in midlife 39:00 — Sugar cravings in early recovery 41:00 — The “yes with a boundary” approach 47:00 — Protein and post-meal movement 56:00 — Flexible consistency, intensity and recovery Dr. Darou’s Links Website — www.drshawnadarou.com Instagram — @drshawnadarou SIS Links 💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen 📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email 📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram 🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast 📸 Kathleen’s Instagram

What happens when alcohol feels like the only way to become comfortable in your own skin? In this episode, Sonia is joined by Braunwyn Spinner, advocate, mother of seven, and former Real Housewives of Orange County cast member whose sobriety unfolded in public. How can someone go years without alcohol and still have a serious drinking problem? What changes when a social life—and a television career—is built around drinking? Braunwyn and Sonia explore relapse, alcohol withdrawal, AA and the 12 steps, sober socializing, queer recovery spaces, codependency, parenting, and the difference between avoiding alcohol and developing emotional sobriety. They also ask why getting sober can initially feel worse, how to identify the “fun limit,” and what it means to choose recovery when relationships and routines begin to change. Their conversation makes clear that alcohol dependence is not defined only by how often a person drinks, but by what happens after the first drink. They discuss why heavy withdrawal should never be attempted alone, how independent transportation and an exit plan can protect early sobriety, and why repeatedly stopping for a few days can mean reliving the hardest stage again and again. Recovery can include community, boundaries, therapy, medication, and learning to recognize the restless “wanting” beneath substitute compulsions. Braunwyn also shares the deeply personal story behind her first drink at 14, the moment in Miami that ended her drinking, and the sober producer who helped get her into an AA meeting when she planned to relapse. She opens up about realizing she was gay in sobriety, leaving a decades-long marriage, co-parenting, becoming more present with her children, surviving a mental health crisis, returning to television, and loosening the hold of beauty standards and the male gaze. This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources. Highlights 00:01 – Braunwyn introduces herself in a new chapter as Braunwyn Spinner 00:02 – Why her first drink made her feel comfortable in her skin 00:04 – The difference between abstinence and working a recovery program 00:05 – Why time between drinks does not rule out alcohol addiction 00:07 – How reality television accelerated her drinking 00:09 – The “God shot” that told her drinking had to end 00:12 – Sonia’s final drink and the unexpected day sobriety began 00:14 – What the first 30 days can feel like 00:16 – The sober producer who helped save Braunwyn’s life 00:19 – Finding comfort instead of judgment in AA 00:21 – Sobriety, stillness, and realizing she was gay 00:23 – Protecting early recovery with a private room, car, and exit plan 00:24 – Recognizing the sober “fun limit” 00:27 – Braunwyn’s first sober kiss with a woman 00:29 – How sobriety exposed codependency and changed her marriage 00:34 – Parenting with presence and making living amends 00:36 – Why emotional health can feel worse before it gets better 00:38 – Queer identity, religious trauma, and addiction risk 00:42 – Recognizing substitute addictions and the feeling of “wanting” 00:52 – Why giving sobriety six weeks can change everything   Braunwyn's Links 📸 Instagram SIS Links 💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen 📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email 📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram 🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast 📸 Kathleen’s Instagram