Using Alcohol to Treat Adult ADHD | Breaking Free at 50 | E800

This Naked Mind Podcast

Annie Grace

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

4.7 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 10 May 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What if the glass of wine you reach for every evening is actually treating something deeper than just stress? Amy takes us through her journey from teenage experimentation to mommy wine culture, revealing how alcohol became her trusted companion through life's challenges. As a high-functioning professional juggling parenting, caregiving responsibilities, and undiagnosed issues, she found herself using alcohol to treat adult ADHD without even realizing it. It wasn't until her son developed addiction issues that Amy began questioning her own relationship with alcohol. Through family therapy, reading This Naked Mind, and completing The Alcohol Experiment, Amy discovered how alcohol was masking her authentic needs while creating more anxiety and depression. Now alcohol-free for four years, she shares how breaking this cycle led to profound personal growth and genuine joy. In this episode, Annie and Amy discuss: Growing up in a conservative "Leave It to Beaver" household Teenage experimentation with alcohol as rebellion Transitioning from weekend binge drinking to daily wine culture How mommy wine culture normalized problematic drinking Using alcohol to treat adult ADHD without realizing it The connection between disordered eating and alcohol consumption Parenting adopted children with unique challenges How family therapy led to self-discovery Breaking free from alcohol at age 51 Finding authentic joy and peace in midlife And other topics… Episode links: Start reading This Naked Mind - https://thisnakedmind.com/book Join The Alcohol Experiment - www.alcoholexperiment.com Related Episodes: EP 719: Naked Life Story – Katie W. - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-719-naked-life-story-katie-w/ EP 110: Reader Question – I stopped drinking alcohol but now I binge on Netflix and ice cream. What’s the deal? - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-110-reader-question-stopped-drinking-alcohol-now-binge-netflix-ice-cream-whats-deal/ EP 678: Reader’s Question – How to Stop Restricting Food while Drinking? - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-678-readers-question-how-to-stop-restricting-food-while-drinking/ 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.
0:12.5	Hi, this is Annie Grace and welcome to This Naked Mind podcast. I'm here with Amy. Hi, Amy. How are you?
0:21.3	Hi, I am really good.
0:22.7	Thanks.
0:23.5	Oh, I'm so glad.
0:24.8	Thank you so much for coming on to share your story.
0:27.3	It's going to be very cool.
0:28.9	So why don't you go back and take us back to the beginning in your relationship with alcohol?
0:35.0	Where did it all start for you?
0:37.1	Okay. I started about age 15 when I was just
0:42.8	curious and feeling like I wanted to be a little bit rebellious and looking to fit in and find a way
0:49.0	to have some fun. I had a really conservative family growing up. If I can go back that far,
0:56.0	educator, stay-at-home mom, teacher. My dad was my principal. We went to church and brothers and sisters and no one drank
1:03.0	and we ate dinner at 5 o'clock. I called it, leave it to Beaver life. And no one said bad words or drank or did anything naughty and I think I had a little
1:13.1	spunk of curiosity in me that wanted to see what else was out there so in junior high I met a
1:18.7	friend that didn't have much structure at home or rules so I was very drawn to that and so
1:25.3	anytime there was a chance to see if we could get some beer or go out with her
1:29.4	and her older boyfriend I was like up for it but I'd go back to my little good girl self but
1:35.1	it seemed every time I did that around 15 I always was someone who would go a little bit too far
1:41.1	end up like just drinking a little too much or doing something a little
1:45.2	questionable. But through her that I met a boy, I was going into high school. I was going to be
1:50.8	a sophomore that was the start of high school then and he was going to be a senior. When I met him,
	...

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