Small Steps Toward Sobriety with Amanda de Cadenet

Commune with Jeff Krasno

Commune Media

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness

4.5 • 673 Ratings

🗓️ 8 January 2026

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of the Commune Podcast, Jeff Krasno sits down with Amanda de Cadenet for a candid conversation about sobriety, addiction, nervous system regulation, and what it actually takes to change deeply ingrained patterns. Framed around the New Year and the cultural pull toward resolutions, the conversation explores alcohol as a socially accepted coping mechanism, its effects on sleep, metabolism, emotional regulation, and social inhibition, and why so many people continue to drink despite understanding the risks. Together, they examine addiction not as a failure of willpower, but as an attempt to soothe discomfort, create connection, and regulate the nervous system. Moving beyond abstinence alone, the episode looks at community as medicine, the role of ritual and accountability, and why long term recovery requires rebuilding an entire internal structure. From twelve-step recovery and cognitive behavioral tools to prayer, service, and presence, the discussion emphasizes change made one day at a time rather than through sweeping transformation. This podcast is made possible by: LMNT Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at drinklmnt.com/commune. Stemregen Get 20% off your first order at stemregen.co/commune with the code COMMUNEPOD Timeline Go to Timeline.com/COMMUNE to claim a special offer for Commune listeners. Tia Join Tia today at AskTia.com and enter promo code COMMUNE25 and get the first 3 months of your annual membership FREE. Igniton Visit igniton.com and use code Commune75 for $75 off your order of two bottles or more.

Transcript

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0:00.0	What if there was a substance out there in the world that was a class one carcinogen, a neurotoxin,
0:06.0	fragmented sleep, hindered memory, decreased insulin sensitivity, it destroys your liver,
0:12.0	and yet 60% of us do it and 10% of us have a disorder with it. Why do we drink?
0:19.0	When I first got sober, doing everything was scary sober.
0:23.6	Amanda D'Cadenae, photographer, author, host of the conversation.
0:28.6	Today we'll discuss addiction, sobriety, and the role that community can play in personal transformation.
0:35.6	If you were to have one piece of advice for people who want to go sober, what would that be?
0:41.6	Start small.
0:42.6	Take tiny little baby steps.
0:44.3	You don't have to make sweeping changes.
0:46.8	Give yourself grace and be gentle with yourself.
0:49.1	We've scaffolded our culture around drinking.
0:53.0	It's associated with both disappointment and celebration.
0:57.0	The 12-step model, it's a very simple program for complicated people. The community aspect is a built-in support network.
1:06.0	Alan Watts has this wonderful soliloquy. He's like, I never make resolutions across the entire year,
1:12.7	because if I say I'm not going to drink this year, the devil will know.
1:17.9	All right, Amanda, welcome. Thanks for coming. You're welcome. Thanks for having me.
1:21.4	Yes, we've zoomed, but here we are. Here we are. IRL. It's a new year. And of course, with new years come new resolutions,
1:30.5	I'm going to be a better man than I was last year.
1:32.8	I'm going to live in greater alignment with my highest principles.
1:36.8	You know, I'm going to go to the gym more.
1:38.6	But for many, many people, this resolution would include going sober or abstaining from external inputs
	...

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