About this episode

Victoria Vanstone discusses the deeper challenges of sobriety after eight years, including anxiety, identity, and social pressures.

Have you ever wondered why getting sober didn’t magically fix everything you thought it would? After eight years of sobriety, Victoria Vanstone the host of Sober Awkward podcast found herself hitting an unexpected wall. She wasn’t craving alcohol or wanting to return to drinking. Instead, sobriety had started revealing something deeper: people pleasing, anxiety, identity, boundaries and years spent trying to prove she could still be the fun person in the room. In this episode of the One For The Road Podcast, Sober Dave and Victoria have an open conversation about what happens after the initial excitement of quitting alcohol wears off and the deeper work begins. Victoria shares why she spent years trying to fit in after getting sober, the reality of mummy wine culture, parenting without alcohol, social anxiety, shame and regret, and why sobriety is often the starting line rather than the finish line. They also explore alcohol cravings, moderation, sober socialising, mental health, personal growth and what it really means to build a life you no longer need to escape from. If you’ve quit drinking, are sober curious, questioning your relationship with alcohol, or wondering why life…

People in this episode

Host: Sober Dave

Guest: Victoria Vanstone

Topics covered

• sobriety
• mental health
• personal growth
• social anxiety
• alcohol cravings
• parenting without alcohol

Keywords

• sobriety
• people pleasing
• mummy wine culture
• socialising
• mental health
• personal growth
• alcohol cravings

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sober Awkward

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• The Slow Descent Into Problem Drinking She Never Saw Coming | Emma's Story · August 14, 2026 · 1h 8m
• When Drinking Became an Escape: Peter’s Journey From Alcohol to Sobriety · July 31, 2026 · 1h 1m
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