Episode 20 | Guest conversation: Why So Many Neurodivergent Women Drink to Cope with Helen Davies
The Wine O'Clock WomanShow Notes
Many neurodivergent women often don't drink because they love alcohol. They drink because it helps them cope with a world that does not fit their brain.
In this guest conversation, I’m joined by Helen Davies, a neuro-inclusion and productivity expert with decades of experience supporting individuals and organisations to understand and work with neurodiversity.
Helen is the founder of Practical Wisdom, a not-for-profit, and the creator of the Neuro-Inclusion Quality Mark with ND Accreditation. She is also an NHS Clinical Director, mentor, coach, and public speaker, bringing both professional expertise and lived experience of neurodivergence.
We explore why so many neurodivergent women end up using alcohol to cope with overwhelm, emotional load, sensory stress, masking, and the constant pressure to function in systems that are not designed for their brains.
Helen unpacks how alcohol can become part of masking, and the mental health tax of sustaining that over time.
Helen also talks about her work in supporting workplaces and services to raise the standard of neuro-inclusion through meaningful, evidence-based approaches, rather than surface-level awareness.
This is a grounded conversation about moving beyond labels and willpower, and towards support that fits real brains and real lives.
Connect with Helen on LinkedIn
ND accreditation
Practical wisdom Website and training
ND Navigator demo
ND Navigator app:
On Android On Apple
ND Accreditation Brochure
If this episode has left you thinking about your own relationship with alcohol, I'd love you to join me at Beyond the Booze Live, my free monthly 90-minute Zoom workshop.
You'll understand why you can promise yourself you won't drink in the morning, only to find yourself reaching for a glass that evening.
You'll begin to see what's happening before that first drink, why alcohol has become your go-to for feeling better, and how to start making different choices without relying on willpower alone.
Beyond the Booze Live: Come and understand your drinking better.
Find out more and save your free place here:
Find out how to work with me If you're ready to make changes- I offer two ways to work together:
The Homecoming Group Programme™ – six months of support to help you break the cycle of drinking, regain control and make choices around alcohol that feel right for you, alongside a community of women working towards the same thing.
The Homecoming Reset™ – private 90-day one-to-one support, tailored to you.
Explore both programmes
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