Show Notes
Have you ever woken up after a night of drinking with your heart racing, convinced you’ve embarrassed yourself, upset someone, or somehow ruined your entire life? That awful feeling has a name: hangxiety.
This week, Victoria is joined by Millie Gooch, founder of The Sober Girl Society and author of the brilliant new book, Hangxiety. Together they dive into the reality of hangxiety, what it felt like for both of them as “normal” drinkers, the university drinking culture that taught them it was all just part of growing up, and why so many of us accepted feeling awful as the price of having a good time.
They also explore the science behind alcohol and anxiety, the rise of the sober curious movement, and why giving up alcohol can be one of the kindest things you ever do for your mental health.
Trigger warning: This episode includes a discussion about self-harm, which some listeners may find distressing.
And finally, Vic and Millie tackle one of the biggest myths about sobriety: that life becomes boring. They chat about why the sober community can sometimes feel a little bit like a cult… except nobody’s making any money, nobody’s trying to recruit you, and definitely nobody’s having sex. It’s simply a group of people discovering that life can be surprisingly brilliant without alcohol.
💛 Resources & Links
TikTok: @milliegooch / @sobergirlsociety Instagram: @milliegooch / @sobergirlsociety Website: sobergirlsociety.com
Buy Hangxiety here - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/827960/hangxiety-by-millie-gooch/
📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you! Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika? Email [email protected]. Your message could inspire a future episode.
📱 Join the Sober Awkward app The Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol. Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here
📲 Follow us
Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward
Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women
Retreat with us 🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts with us!
📰 Media enquiries For interviews, features, partnerships or other media requests, contact Kate at [email protected].
📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays Victoria’s brutally honest and hilarious memoir about motherhood, anxiety and ditching the booze. 👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays
📙 Mumming A Year of Trying (and Failing) to Be a Better Parent—Vic’s funny and painfully relatable memoir about the messy reality of motherhood. 👉 Get Mumming
📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide A 30-day sobriety kickstart filled with relatable support, practical tools and plenty of awkwardness to help you begin life without booze. 👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide
🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward Find more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward. 👉 soberawkward.com
🛟 Alcohol Support Sober Awkward shares personal experiences and community support, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are physically dependent on alcohol, suddenly stopping can be dangerous. Please speak to a doctor or alcohol-support service for advice on withdrawing safely.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom Drinkline — National Alcohol Helpline Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking. Call 0300 123 1110 Weekdays: 9am–8pm Weekends: 11am–4pm 👉 NHS alcohol support Alcohol Change UK Information, practical tools and support. 👉 alcoholchange.org.uk WithYou Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health. 👉 wearewithyou.org.uk In an emergency, call 999.
🇦🇺 Australia National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline Free and confidential information and support. Call 1800 250 015 Available 24/7 in most states and territories. 👉 Australian Government hotline information Lifeline Australia Crisis support available 24/7. Call 13 11 14 Text 0477 13 11 14 👉 lifeline.org.a
More from Sober Awkward
What if the anxiety you think alcohol is helping is actually being made worse by the booze?
You’ve been absolutely fine all day. You haven’t thought about alcohol, you’re feeling quite pleased with yourself and then suddenly it’s 5pm and your brain goes = WINE.
This week on Sober Awkward, Vic and Ulrika tackle a drinking style that often flies completely under the radar, the stay-at-home drinker. Vic was the loud one. The social one. The drinker making questionable decisions in public and collecting stories she’d rather forget. Ulrika was different.
This Thursday on The Awkward Bits, Vic is back on her own and wondering whether one of the reasons sobriety feels so bloody terrifying is because we make it MASSIVE before we’ve even started.
Scared of Going Sober? What are you actually frightened of? Being boring? Losing your identity? Not fitting in anymore? Not knowing how to relax, cope or survive life without booze?