About this episode

The episode explores the reasons behind drinking to fit in through the experiences of Andrew and Adele, highlighting personal struggles and growth.

Andrew and Adele both know why they need alcohol to socialize — or think they do. For Adele, 64 and living in a New Zealand wine region, it started at 14 in the back of a school bus and never really stopped being about fitting in. For Andrew, who is navigating a late-life ADHD diagnosis and the possible end of his marriage, the answer turned out to go a lot deeper than the social stuff. Andrew discusses: His late-life ADHD diagnosis and why emotional dysregulation makes the pull toward alcohol so much harder to catch. Realizing he has never felt safe — and how his body already knew that before he did What finally made his marriage struggles make complete sense The hand-on-heart technique from Coach Zoe and how it's helping him regulate in real time Finding The Path after his wife asked for a divorce — and what group coaching calls unlocked Adele discusses: Fifty years of drinking to fit in, starting at 14 in the back of a school bus Why AA's shame-based language kept her stuck, and what changed when she joined The Path The five-year-old who felt different, rejected, and vulnerable after her parents' divorce Struggling to show compassion for her younger self because of choices she…

People in this episode

Host: Annie Grace

Guests: Andrew, Adele

Topics covered

• alcohol and socialization
• ADHD and emotional dysregulation
• personal growth
• self-compassion
• visualization techniques

Keywords

• alcohol
• social anxiety
• ADHD
• emotional regulation
• self-acceptance
• visualization
• personal stories

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AA

Books & works: The Path

Places: New Zealand

More episodes of This Naked Mind Podcast

• The Real Reason You Drink · July 21, 2026 · 1h 15m
• How Grief Built Perfectly Made AF · July 18, 2026 · 59 min
• Are You Drinking To Escape? · July 14, 2026 · 1h 4m
• I Was A Functional Drinker For 32 Years · July 11, 2026 · 46 min
• Summer of Love · July 4, 2026 · 58 min
• Why You Keep Going Back To Alcohol · June 30, 2026 · 1h 9m

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