Breaking Free From Alcohol When Depression Takes Over | Jacki's Naked Life | E824

This Naked Mind Podcast

Annie Grace

Mental Health, Education, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness

4.7 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 2 August 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Trigger Warning: This episode includes mentions of grief and loss. Is it truly possible to learn how to stop drinking when depression gets worse? Jacki's journey began at a point of deep despair, consuming up to 12 beers a day as her depression spiraled. After trying everything from apps to drops with no lasting success, a profound wake-up call led her to discover a different path to alcohol freedom. In this inspiring episode, Jacki shares her emotionally charged story of escaping the grip of alcohol, rebuilding her life from shame and anxiety, and finding a deep connection to herself in a "safe space" she created. Discover how she transformed from a bartender trapped by alcohol to a beacon of hope, showing others that a life of true freedom is not just possible, but joyful. In this episode, Coach Cole and Jacki discuss: How depression worsened Jacki’s alcohol use and mental health The moment of realization at a celebration of life that changed everything How behavioral tools like apps and drops failed Jacki in her journey Why seeking support and understanding your emotions is crucial How Jacki rewired negative self-talk and rebuilt her self-worth Living alcohol-free after two years: the mental and emotional shifts How to stay alcohol-free when depression still lingers Why you don’t need to give up even when it feels impossible Embracing the freedom to live alcohol-free without guilt or shame The importance of finding a safe space for emotional healing And other topics… Episode links: Jacki’s Coaching Page - https://www.coachingbyjacki.com/ Jacki’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jackifleniken Related Episodes: What’s the link between alcohol and depression? - Reader Questions - E698 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-698-readers-question-whats-the-link-between-alcohol-and-depression/ What is the correlation between alcohol and anxiety? - Reader Questions - E480 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-480-reader-question-what-is-the-correlation-between-alcohol-and-anxiety/ Beating Blackout Drinking - Naked Life Story – Shirley - E575 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-575-naked-life-story-shirley/ Ready to take the next step on your journey? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious!

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to This Naked Mind with Annie Grace.
0:14.4	Hey, everybody. Welcome to This Naked Mind podcast. I am Cole Harvey, and I'm filling in for the amazing Annie Grace. And today we have Jackie
0:24.0	here with us. Hey, Jackie. Hello, hello. It's great to have you on. Oh, thank you. Thank you for
0:29.6	having me. It means a lot to me. Thank you so much. Yeah. Well, it means a lot for you to be here and just
0:34.4	to tell your story and speaking of which, could you just start from
0:38.8	beginning or wherever you feel is a great place to begin with your journey with alcohol?
0:45.6	Well, I mean, the journey with alcohol was off and on and off and on.
0:49.4	You know, I did it a lot in high school and college and then I kind of backed away whenever I had
0:52.9	children and stuff.
0:53.7	It really took its toll and it really started to escalate in my late 40s and early 50s.
0:58.8	I recognized that I was drinking more in my 50s than I was when I was in college.
1:03.0	I was drinking every day.
1:05.6	And really, even probably 10 years ago, I knew something was wrong and I just, I didn't know
1:10.6	how to fix it.
1:11.7	And but I just kept on that same cycle of drinking and all that stuff.
1:15.4	And December of 2020, I fell, I'm sorry, December of 2021, I fell into a really bad depression.
1:22.1	And when I did, I, my, my alcohol consumption just skyrocketed.
1:28.3	I was drinking on average 12 beers a day.
1:32.3	And I knew something wasn't right.
1:35.3	And 2022 I had gone to a celebration of life for a gentleman who had passed away
1:40.3	because of his addiction to alcohol and everybody in the room was talking about all the
1:45.7	stupid stuff the guy did when he was drinking and all the funny stuff and all that instead of
	...

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