Yeah, that’s true. And that’s and that’s in its proper, happy endorphins, not chemical chemically induced, you know, happy endorphins. It’s actually genuine belly laughs. That is exactly how I believe and look at alcohol and becoming addicted to it. Like, of course, with enough prolonged exposure, you become addicted to an addictive substance. It’s, I feel like it’s a spectrum of, you know, slow dependence on this addictive substance. And you know, anyone with enough exposure will go down that trail, and a lot of that is societal it is where what you grew up with who your friends are, how much you drink, how often you drink. A lot of times, of course, it’s what’s underneath why you drank right? Lotta’s personal memoir of drinking, quitting drinking and living alcohol-free in a drink-filled world is witty, funny, and uplifting.

Yeah, so in early sobriety, they were very, very important, especially Friday evening, because Friday comes. This Friday, magic feeling that you feel you need something and so, I’d often, I’d go out on a Friday and I’d buy myself fresh flowers, a magazine, a scented candle, just treats for me. Definitely, need people who understand what it’s like, and my husband, he wasn’t that guy, you know, he’s a normal drinker. He doesn’t understand that internal struggle I had. And the minute I was connecting with people who got it. She hopes that, if the second group can get a better understanding of how hard it is for the first group to moderate their drinking, they might be more receptive to the idea of greater restrictions being placed on the sale and promotion of alcohol. This is an important read, it is educational, emotive and will leave you questioning your own relationship with alcohol. The book is separated into different parts: our boozy world, what it’s doing to us, how we are being played, what lies beneath and moving on. Within each of these parts Lotta Dann delves into the alarming reasons that play into our culture of alcohol. She starts by exploring the relationship that women have with alcohol, the treat, reward, celebrate and soothe with a glass of wine, along with the bonding agent alcohol is in female friendships. It then moves into the what it’s doing to us part, the ‘not talked about’ dangerous medical and physical impacts that alcohol can have on women - which is disturbing.So if you walk around our environment, there are no outward signs of the danger inherent in this product like, and, you know, the problem is that the industry has gotten so big and so powerful, and has such access to our policymakers, you know, through lobbyists and what have you. And they’re so good at what they do, at making themselves look like they hear, you know, they’re always putting out information about how to moderate how to how to limit your drink sizes, all the stuff that looks good on the surface. But actually, it’s disingenuous, because, as we said before, this is an addictive drug that many people can’t moderate.

Yeah, and a big part of this is reframing the whole treat and reward concept. Because for years, we have told ourselves especially as women, that wine is our treat, it’s a treat, it’s a reward for a hard day, it’s a reward for being hard working women. And so, we take away our ultimate treat and reward. We feel really bereft. So, it’s about reframing that because ultimately wine is not a reward. It’s a numbing, you know, did nothing once you’ve had that initial dopamine hit, but basically, it’s a depressant. So, it depresses your central nervous system, it cuts you off from yourself, it cuts you off from the people around you. She reveals the damage alcohol is causing to women physically, emotionally, and socially, and the potential reasons why so many women are drinking at harmful levels. Yeah, because humans are smart. I mean, this is just the logical way that we’re going to go because it makes, I mean, it’s the right things that happen, it will happen eventually. But it’s just starting to be chipped away at now. And there’s a lot going on at the moment in the world a lot. You know, we are dealing with a pandemic. I mean, hello, wins that ever happened. You know, we’re dealing with some really extreme political situations like alcohol, alcohols time isn’t here right now. But I do believe it will come I really do.How to find other rewards and ‘sober treats’ that will nourish and ground you and that will actually make you feel better. In this podcast, my goal is to teach you the tried and true secrets of creating and living a life you don’t want to escape from. Lotta now lives sober with her TV-journalist husband and three sons in the hills of Wellington, New Zealand.

Learn how to let go of alcohol as a coping mechanism, how to shift your mindset about sobriety and change your drinking habits, how to create healthy routines to cope with anxiety, people pleasing and perfectionism, the importance of self-care in early sobriety, and why you don’t need to be an alcoholic to live an alcohol free life. Yeah, and it makes you more empathetic as well. Because you’re just more in touch with being human. Not mean being human. It’s hard. Life is hard. Stuff happens all the time. Oh, my gosh, I mean, my children. My eldest is 16. Next week, he’s gonna start drinking soon. I mean, that’s just what will happen. I have to accept that. But I’m just so grateful that he doesn’t have a mom who’s opening a bottle of wine every night at home. It’s just not as reality and it got to be. And what I loved about your book is that you take people through each day, through day 3 through day 5, because there’s such a similar cadence for what we go through in different phases. I mean, day 5 is so hard for everyone, you know, day 16, somehow, it’s really difficult. And you didn’t even intend to document that. Right. It was just for yourself. I know. And there are still so many people doing this. That’s what breaks my heart. But anyway, yet we managed it. And then it’s not until you take it away. I mean, that’s a wonderful thing. I mean, jumping ahead now, but wonderful thing about being sober. Not only do you feel better, and you manage everything better, but you start to realize it’s just not true, that you need this stuff to live. Yeah, I was so terrified. Right?

And I’d add one that I know I found from your writing, which is you are not the problem. It is the alcohol. That is the problem.

There’s no denying that getting drunk with your friends can be an awesome, fun experience (goodness knows I did it for years before the wheels fell off my habit), and there are studies clearly showing that there are social and well-being benefits to be derived from drinking alcohol in relaxed social environments. But does alcohol need to be front and centre of every type of girly bonding experience or female gathering? Do we need alcohol to give currency to all our social catch-ups? Is wine the foundation of a deep, lasting friendship? Or is it all those other values and qualities, things like authenticity and being a good listener? Is it possible that alcohol, rather than connecting us like we think it does, actually serves to push us apart?

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Yeah. And I love how positive you are about quitting drinking and how it’s changed your life and, and how empowering it is. Because I do also. I feel like quitting drinking is a brave thing. And it is a badass thing today. And we’re really cool. And it’s not boring to anyone who is in the process of reevaluating their relationship with drinking or stopping drinking, I remember that I needed to inundate myself with the Quit Lit books like yours, I need you know, I read everyone. I have to say that the books you have published have such staying power. I know you published Mrs. D Is Going Without, a number of years ago. And to this day, it is touching people and helping them I did a Podcast on The Best Quit Lit For Women. And I asked all these women I know, what are the books that helped you through that period of when you needed help when you needed support, what helped change your mind about what drinking is and what sobriety is or life without alcohol is and a friend of mine. Kylie recorded an audio about your book. And she said that she read it when she was 3months sober. And at the time, she just needed something funny. She needed to be uplifted. She said that she read many memoirs that were raw and gritty, and she needed something different and that your book Lada was wonderful and witty and charming and real and funny. And she really needed your approach to the sobriety path. And she needed it when she was 3 months into the process.