As a child in a family where alcoholism ran rampant, Lauren used to pour bottles of wine down the drain and break packs of cigarettes. There was emotional neglect in her home and by fourth grade she was experiencing anxiety and panic attacks. Lauren felt the pain, loneliness, and pressure to be perfect, all while keeping her family’s secret. Alcohol had been a turn off for Lauren, but in college she slowly fell into binge drinking. Despite her high GPA and marathon training, Lauren’s drinking was the talk of the next day and her behavior was the butt of drinking jokes. After college, her drinking escalated - Lauren romanticized drinking and being lost and not having it all together as an escape from the perfection she felt expected to portray. The double life felt gross, but she couldn’t get her drinking under control. Lauren had 35 day ones. Listen to hear what finally changed, how she stopped drinking, and what life looks like now. Lauren also tells her story, "Young, Wild, and Stuck," in This Naked Life: 48 True Stories of Finding Freedom from Alcohol. Have you tried The Alcohol Experiment? Okay, if not, drop everything and go to alcoholexperiment.com. This free 30-day challenge is designed to interrupt your patterns and put you back in touch with the best version of you. You remember, it was that version of you that’s living your most joyful life, the version that doesn’t need alcohol to relax or to have a good time, and is having more fun than ever. Again, this is a totally free challenge that will change everything for you. So learn more and join me 100% free at alcoholexperiment.com.  And as always, rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast, as it truly helps the message reach somebody who might need to hear it today.