316. The Alcohol Free Advantage

You Are Not Broken

Kelly Casperson, MD

Medicine, Health & Fitness

5 • 743 Ratings

🗓️ 4 May 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this powerful episode, Dr. Kelly Casperson sits down with James Swanwick, alcohol-free advocate and entrepreneur, to unravel the truth about alcohol's impact on our health, relationships, and society. With 15 years of alcohol-free living under his belt, James shares how choosing not to drink isn’t about loss—it's about liberation. Together, they explore the deeply ingrained cultural narratives that glamorize alcohol and the neuroscience behind why our brains keep reaching for that next drink. From celebrity endorsements to outdated health myths, James and Kelly challenge the illusion that alcohol equals a good life. This conversation is packed with truth bombs, science, and personal insight into why being alcohol-free can unlock clarity, presence, and purpose—especially for high achievers and anyone craving a more fulfilling life. What You'll Learn: Why “alcohol-free” is a powerful choice—not a limitation How cultural conditioning has normalized drinking from a young age The truth about alcohol and brain degeneration The real story behind alcohol and heart health myths How dopamine drives alcohol cravings The link between alcohol and dementia, anxiety, and relational breakdowns Why more high performers are choosing sobriety for clarity and focus How to confidently navigate social events without alcohol The role of community in embracing a sober-curious or alcohol-free lifestyle Why societal change around alcohol is already happening Key Takeaways: Alcohol-free is a choice, not a lamentation. No amount of alcohol is beneficial for your health. Drinking can disrupt relationships, performance, and mental clarity. Alcohol is a drug—marketed as a reward but loaded with consequences. Society is slowly waking up to the truth: we don’t need alcohol to celebrate, connect, or succeed. Resources & Links: Learn more about James Swanwick and his alcohol-free programs at jamesswanwick.com Clear book by James Swanwick To learn more about GennaMD by Solv Wellness, visit gennaMD.com for 20% off your first order. For an additional $5 off, use coupon code DRKELLY5. Providers can request patient education materials or samples at gennaMDHCP.com. Thanks to our sponsor Midi Women's Health. Designed by midlife experts, delivered by experienced clinicians, covered by insurance.Midi is the first virtual care clinic made exclusively for women 40+. Evidence-based treatments. Personalized midlife care.https://www.joinmidi.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the You Are Not Broken Podcast.
0:06.0	I'm your host, Dr. Kelly Casperson, a board-certified jurologist, thought leader, and conversation
0:12.5	starter on midlife living, hormones, and sexuality.
0:16.8	Enjoy the show.
0:17.8	Hey, everybody.
0:18.8	Welcome back to the You're Not Broken podcast.
0:20.4	I have an amazing guest
0:21.2	today, James Swanick, and we are going to talk about alcohol. Thank God, we need to talk about this.
0:26.5	Welcome to the podcast. Thank you, Kelly. Great to be here. So I just saw on your Instagram that you
0:31.7	have not had been drinking for 15 years. Correct. Alcohol free for 15 years. And I do say alcohol
0:37.1	free, not sober. And we can talk about
0:39.0	that. Why I just think that the word sober, sobriety, recovery, 12 steps, clean, all this kind of
0:45.6	stuff is lamenting the past. And there's a lot of neuroscience now that shows that when we tell
0:51.2	ourselves what not to do, the mind doesn't understand that it
0:54.5	ends up doing the very thing we're telling it not to do. So instead, I like something that feels
0:58.5	empowering and a choice. So I choose an alcohol-free lifestyle. I choose a style of life as opposed to
1:05.0	saying no to alcohol being sober, sobriety. The terms sober and sobriety, I think, have a lot of negative connotation,
1:12.3	and it prevents people who might be gray area drinkers from ever stopping because they may
1:18.4	mistakenly believe that if they stop, then people will think that they have a drinking problem
1:23.5	or that they're an alcoholic or that they need to be sober. Whereas what I am fostering is,
1:29.1	guys, let's choose a beautiful alcohol-free lifestyle because we want clarity, focus, energy,
1:35.2	great sleep, great conscious communication with our husbands and wives and our children. And let's
	...

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