When Toughing It Out Stops Working w/ Dr. Josh McConkie

When Toughing It Out Stops Working w/ Dr. Josh McConkie

From Journey to the Sunnyside by Sunnyside

June 11, 2026 · 28 min · Episode 255

About this episode

Dr. Josh McConkie discusses the challenges of coping mechanisms and the impact of shame on high performers.

My guest is Dr. Josh McConkie. He's an emergency physician and a military veteran, and he flew medevac missions in Iraq. We get into the moment when toughing it out stopped working for him, and what it was like to come home after that. We also talk about why alcohol becomes the go-to coping mechanism for so many high performers, and why shame keeps people stuck while ownership moves them forward. This one ranges a little wider than usual. But if you've ever told yourself, I can handle it, this episode is for you. CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE: Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3 Subscribe to Sunnyside’s YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/ Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnyside TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnyside ABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn’t work for everyone, so we focus on…

People in this episode

Host: Sunnyside

Guest: Dr. Josh McConkie

Topics covered

  • mental health
  • coping mechanisms
  • alcohol use
  • high performers
  • shame and ownership

Keywords

  • toughing it out
  • alcohol coping
  • mental health
  • shame
  • ownership
  • high performers
  • military veteran

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