My guest this week is Sobriety Coach Rachael Shephard, mom of 2 young boys and author of  "Sober Mama" In this episode:-Early Drinking Years Rachael always drank to excess, experienced frequent blackouts, and never had an off-switch. Used to look forward to drinking like a child anticipates Christmas. The Turning Point By her late 30s, Rachel felt exhausted and sick and tired… of feeling sick and tired A boozy holiday made her realize she needed to stop—shaking in the morning was her wake-up call. The Role of Motherhood Drinking increased after having children—became a way to cope with stress. Once sober, found motherhood became easier, with more energy, patience, and connection. Challenges in Early Sobriety First few weeks involved sugar cravings, extreme fatigue, and boredom. Found a "pink cloud" of euphoria around two weeks, followed by a flat period of low motivation. I loved her story about struggling to find something that was “fun” in early sobriety – so she spent her time organizing and decluttering her home so that life would be easier when she began to feel better Mindset Shift Realized alcohol was the cause of her anxiety, not the cure. Rejected the “mommy juice” culture and recognized societal normalization of addiction. Sober Coaching & Writing I loved Rachael’s sobriety timeline which she uses as a coaching framework. She has written a book called “Sober Mama” to centralize tools, stories, and support in one place. Advice for Others Suggests people try sobriety for just two weeks and take daily photos to see the transformation. Like us at Tribe Sober Rachael avoids the word "forever"—encouraging Sober Stretches of 30- or 90-days Where to Find Rachel Her book is available in UK bookstores and on Amazon. Coaching and resources at sobermama.co.uk   More info  Tools & Resources in Tribe Sober Member Journey Course (7 modules: psychology, biology, neuroscience) Members Vault with searchable tips and content Daily check-ins, trackers, 5 Zooms meetings a week – to suit all timezones Personal guidance from coaches, ambassadors, and cheerleaders Subscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERE To access our website click HERE If you would like a free copy of our e-book "66 days to sobriety" please email us at janet@tribesober.com If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community just email janet@tribesober.comEpisode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today.   Help us to spread the word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  You can join our private Facebook group HERE Thank you for listening!