I Was A Functional Drinker For 32 Years

For 32 years, Travis was a functional drinker who never got a DUI, never missed a day of work, and never fit the picture most people hold when they hear "drinking problem," but spent years hiding beers in the garage, lying to his wife about the count, and woke up after one Christmas morning knowing his kids had been worried Santa wasn't coming. He came to This Naked Mind thinking he might be able to moderate. He joined The Path in November 2023, had one more bad birthday, and threw out the last two bottles of a Wisconsin six-pack the next day. He's at 757 days alcohol-free. Coach Cole Harvey is here to hear him tell it. Travis and Coach Cole discuss: The pit party at 18 that set up a chase he'd spend the next 32 years trying to get back to Hiding beers in the garage, counting them in his head and lying about the number, and why the "alcoholic" label kept him from asking for help for years The Christmas his kids were worried Santa wasn't coming, and why even that didn't break the cycle A 2023 job loss that cracked things open, and the visualization exercise during a free Zoom that convinced him to commit to The Path What happened on his 50th birthday and the two bottles he threw out the next day The parallel mental health journey that changed what he understands about why he was drinking in the first place Nearly 30 pounds lost and one afternoon of yard work that proved something had shifted in his body What his 14-year-old daughter said to her friends about her dad, and why Travis still can't get through it without getting chills And more on neural pathway habits, the functional drinker's relationship with the "alcoholic" label, and finding your own path to alcohol freedom... Episode links: nakedmindpath.com Related episodes: Naked Life Story — Kat | NLS | EP 521 — https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-521-naked-life-story-kat/ Reader Question – Am I an Alcoholic? | EP 58 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-58-reader-question-alcoholic/ How To Stop Drinking To Avoid Emotions | AFC | EP 845 — https://thisnakedmind.com/drinking-to-avoid-emotions-afc-e845/ Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA. BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at ⁠betterhelp.com/nakedmind⁠ Quince: Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠quince.com/naked⁠ Shopify: Sign up for free trial at ⁠shopify.com/mind⁠ Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at ⁠zazzle.com⁠ OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at ⁠OSEAMalibu.com⁠