Colleen Kachmann’s Blog
Welcome!
Don’t surrender your autonomy to group-think sobriety. Exchanging one set of limiting beliefs for another won’t set you free.
Is your inside voice a bully? Internalized oppression from patriarchal, elitist and racially-biased “standards” causes fear and shame.
Stress Drinking Leads to Alcohol Use Disorder
Stress drinking is like buying cheap crap with a high interest credit card. The BELIEF that alcohol reduces stress accelerates addiction.
Self-Sabotage: 11 Signs You’re the Problem
Take the self-sabotage quiz: 11 signs that you’re the problem. How to get out of your own way.
What is Emotional Sobriety?
There’s a difference between managing your behavior and managing your emotions. Emotional sobriety heals subconscious urges.
Alcohol and Seasonal Affective Disorder
Drinking alcohol and seasonal affective disorder are directly related. The more you drink the worse you feel. Learn how sobriety affects depression.
Three Principles for Dog Training and Recovery
Three basic assumptions have given me the dog I’ve always wanted and accelerated my recovery from alcohol use disorder. They are to respect your bandwidth; maintain connection; and think small.
Becoming a Non-Drinker
What’s the difference between “recovering alcoholic” and a non-drinker? The words you chose have a big impact on your experience of sobriety. If you don’t like what you feel, change what you think.
5 Steps to Heal Loneliness
Loneliness isn’t the absence of other people but a lack of connection to yourself. What’s the difference between solitude and isolation?
Self-Care is Not What You Think
Self-care is not making yourself pretty and presentable whilst balancing bad habits with health hacks. Stop gaslighting yourself.
Ex-Drinkers are Badass
Ex-drinkers have worked very hard to get their shit together. Alcohol keeps the masses numb and dumb. Recovery is the next revolution.
Do You Really Need Help to Stop Drinking?
Getting help to stop drinking may seem like a luxury you can’t afford. You can quit on your own, right? The trick is to avoid trading one addiction for another.
Sobriety is Not a Good Goal
You’re not bad if you drink too much. You’re not good if you quit. Sobriety is not a good goal. It’s a vehicle, not the destination.
Does Alcohol Cause Mental Illness?
Antidepressants improve mental health. Drinking alcohol (a depressant) does the opposite. Does alcohol cause mental illness? Yes. But like all chronic illness, alcohol use disorder is reversible.
Is Alcohol Addictive?
Alcohol is addictive because it triggers the release of dopamine. How addictive is alcohol for you? The more you drink, the harder it becomes to control.
What’s the Difference Between Normal Drinkers and Alcoholics
Asking “how to know if you’re an alcoholic,” is the wrong question. “Could my life be better if I stopped drinking?” will inspire you to overcome alcohol use disorder.
No “M” in Sober
The idea of getting sober feels like the hiker who had to cut off his arm to save himself. Except it’s not. Just put down the drink. You can keep your arm.
How to Heal Loneliness
Loneliness is not the absence of people. It’s the lack of connection with yourself. Focus your attention inward to heal loneliness.
How to Survive PAWS: Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome
Recovery from alcohol use disorder doesn’t happen overnight. We have to learn how to process emotions and manage stress, and allow time for brain chemistry to recalibrate. The symptoms of post-acute withdrawal syndrome are easier to manage with a timeline and strategies.
How to Overcome Alcohol Use Disorder
To overcome alcohol use disorder you must admit that alcohol is causing more stress than it’s worth. It’s not fun anymore. Drinking too much is a form of self-neglect, not self-care.