
Bitesize Moment: "I Thought I Was Fine. I Wasn't." — Kyla Cobbler on getting sober
From The Laura Dowling Experience by Laura Dowling
May 19, 2026 · 6 min
About this episode
Kyla Cobbler shares her journey of recognizing and overcoming alcohol dependency while maintaining a high-functioning lifestyle as a performer.
In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, comedian Kyla Cobbler shares an honest, no-frills account of how her drinking quietly turned into dependency — while she was still training, working, and gigging five nights a week. She tells Laura how being a regular performer in Barcelona blurred the lines between socialising and self-medicating, and how Dry January cracked the whole thing open. What started as a simple challenge ended in withdrawal, therapy, AA, and a completely new relationship with fear, nerves, and joy on stage. 🔑 Key Points How "high-functioning" drinking can hide a much bigger problem The cycle of running, gigging, free drinks — and waking up groggy every single morning What withdrawal actually felt like by day two of Dry January Why it was never about the red wine — it was about wanting to feel different Performing sober for the first time, and learning to feel everything instead of numbing it 🎧 Listen to the full episode here. Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here . Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience…
People in this episode
Host: Laura Dowling
Guest: Kyla Cobbler
Topics covered
- sobriety
- dependency
- performance
- mental health
- self-medication
- comedy
Keywords
- sober
- Dry January
- alcohol dependency
- comedy
- mental health
- performance
- therapy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Laura Dowling Experience, AA
Places: Barcelona
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