Episode 117 of the Live Authentically podcast features Susan Larkin, an alcohol awareness and addiction coach who found her calling after quitting drinking herself. Larkin says at a certain point in her life, she realized that alcohol was the thing that was keeping her from living authentically. 

“And one of the first things I do every morning is get up, I drink a big glass of water, and I look at myself in the mirror and I say, ‘I’ve got your back’ to myself, because I feel like for so many years I didn’t have my back,” Larkin said.

Larkin reflects back to how she was drinking more than what was recommended and how that kept her in a spiral of shame and self-blame for a period of time. That’s until she found a program and read the book of the same name: “This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life.”

The program helped her break free from her addiction. “Really, it revealed all these truths to me, and that really set me free,” Larkin said.

Larkin learned the science behind her addiction, and that helped her to realize she didn’t have to blame herself as a person but blame the substance. Larkin was also taught how alcohol is addictive, especially when you use it as a coping mechanism.

“If you’re using alcohol to manage your anxiety or stress, your brain starts to think, ‘oh, this is a good thing.’ And it actually starts to think you need this for survival, so it creates sort of a habit loop, or neural pathway, in your brain of, ‘This behavior is helpful to me.’ So that’s what really creates cravings.”

The one truth from “This Naked Mind Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life” that resonated with Larkin is that it’s not your fault and there is nothing wrong with you. Larkin believes this methodology helped to set her free. 

It also helped her to understand that alcohol affects every kind of person, regardless of class, race, status, etc. You can be a high-achieving woman who can set out and breeze through your goals in every other avenue of your life, but until you can change your mindset surrounding your addiction, you won’t be able to get a handle on it. 

Learn more about Larkin and her mission as an alcohol awareness and addiction coach by watching episode 117 of the Live Authentically podcast here. You can also visit her website or follow her on Facebook or Instagram.