It's Not About the Alcohol artwork

Mental Health · Colleen Freeland

It's Not About the Alcohol

by Colleen Freeland

Would you like to reduce your alcohol consumption by about 80 percent? Become the version of you who can just "take it or leave it" so that you can enjoy drinking socially without relying on alcohol to manage your stress, anxiety, loneliness and boredom when you're by yourself? Most high achieving women assume over-drinking is caused by a lack of willpower--or worse, the incurable disease of "alcoholism." So they beat themselves up and avoid asking for help because they feel ashamed and out of control. Whether you're a daily drinker who can't break the habit, or you're still going to sobriety meetings even though you don't drink anymore, the real problem is that you don't trust yourself. Which means it's not about the alcohol. It's about your relationship with yourself. Colleen Freeland is a a mindful drinking coach helping professional women learn how drinking less (or not at all) is actually a superpower, even when the idea of giving up the only thing that helps them quiet their mind feels impossible. The solution to alcohol use disorder is a FEELING. If you felt comfortable in your own skin and at ease in your life, you would drink like someone who is comfortable and at ease! Join me each week for holistic, evidence-based strategies to fix your dopamine deficit, regulate your nervous system, cure imposter syndrome, manage sugar cravings, improve your sleep and reclaim your mental health so you no longer have the urge to escape your own body. Get happy, not sober. Because happy people don't drink themselves into a stupor.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

EP357: Your drinking isn't self-indulgent. It's self-denial. Here's the difference.

You've been telling yourself you drink too much because you love it too much. That's not what's happening. This episode shows you the rules you've been following since ch

Sep 8
23 min

EP356 The real reason you can't follow through on your promise to "not drink" tonight

You have discipline in every other area of your life. You follow through, you deliver, you keep everything running. So why is it that the one night you tell yourself no d

Aug 18
17 min

EP355 How to be truly free from the desire to drink (without willpower)

You've done a lot of work and you've definitely improved. But you're still drinking more than you want. And there's a critical voice in your head that keeps insisting you

Aug 11
28 min

EP354: If it feels like your drinking hasn't changed, track this metric instead

You're still drinking more than you should, and you want to know if real change actually is a slow process, or if you're just making excuses so you don't have to quit. He

Aug 4
26 min

EP353: Your brain talks you into drinking. Here's how to talk back.

You wake up asking the same question you asked yesterday. What the hell is wrong with me? But you've already decided the answer is that you're drinking is out of control.

Jul 28
23 min

EP352: Drinking turns off your brain. Planning to quit turns it back on. Here's how to break the cycle.

You wake up feeling rough and decide, "I'm not drinking tonight." For a few hours, that plan feels solid. But evening comes and you pour one anyway. And now your brain ha

Jul 21
44 min

EP351: Why joy is key to drinking less (not discipline)

You've been telling yourself that if you were more disciplined, then you wouldn't drink as much as you do. But the problem isn't that you need more control. It's that giv

Jul 14
32 min

EP350: How to tell the difference between self-care and self-sabotage (before your next drink)

You set a plan to take a break from drinking and made it a few days. Then you blew it. And now you're trying to figure out why you keep breaking promises to yourself when

Jul 7
33 min

EP349 Why you can't say no to wine at night (it's a capacity problem, not a willpower problem)

You keep telling yourself you'll take the night off, or at least stop at two glasses. But then you drain the entire bottle (as usual). This episode shows you why that's n

Jun 30
38 min

EP348: Why wondering if you're an alcoholic makes you drink more (and a better question to ponder)

If you're an alcoholic, how is it possible that you can get more done before breakfast than most people do in a week? And yet, you still know that you drink too much. So

Jun 23
30 min

EP347: Why you can drink a whole bottle and not feel "drunk" (and how to retrain your brain)

You've always been a little proud of your high tolerance. You can drink grown men under the table and still walk and talk like a rockstar in four inch heels. But lately i

Jun 16
34 min

EP346: How to cope with conflict in your relationship without drinking with Karen McMahon

You've been drinking more lately because of your partner. Their mood is the problem. Their lack of effort. Their inability to have an honest conversation.  But if this

Jun 9
47 min

EP345: The KNOW-DO Gap: Why you keep drinking when you know you shouldn't.

You know you should be drinking less, but you can't follow through. You promise and plan to do something different and then repeat the same mistakes over and over. This e

Jun 2
37 min

EP344: The Hidden Hormone Imbalance Making You Drink Too Much (And The Labs Your Doctor Isn't Running)

You've been blaming yourself for drinking too much. You assume the brain fog, the fatigue, the weight you can't shift, the way you can't stick to your plan, all of it, is

May 26
48 min

EP343: Why drinking to relax anxiety makes it's worse (and what to do instead)

You've been searching for something to take the edge off. Some tool or strategy that can help you relax so you don't feel like you need to drink so much. CBD. THC gummies

May 19
32 min

EP342 Change THIS if you want to drink like a normal person again

You've been told that the best way to stop drinking too much is to stop drinking entirely. This episode shows you why that advice usually doesn't work for high-achieving

May 12
31 min

EP341: Why You Need Alcohol To Go To Sleep (And how to break the pattern)

You can't fall asleep without a few drinks. Every time you've tried going to bed without it, you end up back on the couch an hour later pouring a glass because your brain

May 5
30 min

EP340: Why your drinking makes perfect sense (and how to actually rewire your brain)

You've been kicking yourself for finishing the bottle (again) when you promised it was going to be just one glass. This episode explains why trying harder isn't working,

Apr 28
35 min

EP339: The 3 Hidden Patterns Behind Overdrinking in Busy and Successful Women

You're not a woman who needs more information. You read the books. You follow the sober curious accounts. You've done Dry January. You've downloaded Sunnyside or Reframe.

Apr 21
21 min

EP338 Minisode: Why You Can Explain Your Drinking But Still Can't Change It

In this episode, Colleen pulls apart something that sounds right, but quietly keeps women stuck: thinking about your feelings instead of actually feeling them. Because

Apr 17
30 min

Chart trend

Position in the Mental Health chart (US), last 90 days.

#27
all-time peak
36
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where It's Not About the Alcohol ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 16, 2026).

#98 ▲ 7 Health & Fitness US
#27 ▲ 1 Mental Health US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I love Colleen’s storytelling and her sharing of all of herself, her journey. Her knowledge and delivery really resonates with me…the nervous system piece is so me and I want to learn more!! Will keep tuning in….so grateful for your podcasts Colleen!!

Dblks26 · Aug 2026

Colleen has helped me understand my drinking patterns. With her guidance, I'm teaching myself to be happy where I am and to stop avoiding my feelings by numbing them. I have learned so much in her program!

TwinkleDaisyJules · May 2026

Colleen has so much insight on the topic of women and alcohol — wisdom and practical guidance that I have not found anywhere else. She’s smart, real, and her content is very effective. Love her voice.

MDUWS · Feb 2026

Colleen’s life and alcohol observations are insightful and inspirational. She’s lived through it so her guidance on how to get out of the drinking cycle comes from a position of true self discovery. She’s figured & is figuring, what works and what doesn’t.

ES Member · Feb 2026

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About It's Not About the Alcohol on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of It's Not About the Alcohol, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

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