Show Notes
When you change your relationship with alcohol, nobody really prepares you for the question that comes next:
Who am I now?
In this episode of MAMA, Victoria explores one of the biggest and most unexpected parts of becoming alcohol-free, rediscovering your identity.
For years, alcohol was woven into birthdays, barbecues, girls’ nights, stressful parenting days and lonely evenings at home. It wasn’t just a drink, it became part of how many of us relax, socialise, celebrate and cope. So what happens when you take it away?
Victoria shares her own journey from binge-drinking party girl to sober mum, the therapy sessions that helped her understand her drinking, and the surprising process of finding herself underneath all the labels of wife, mother, daughter and caretaker.
She talks honestly about social anxiety and learning to set boundaries, surviving your first sober party, and why confidence eventually starts coming from within rather than from a glass.
You’ll also learn why alcohol can leave us feeling stuck, how the brain rebuilds natural reward pathways in sobriety, and why so many sober people suddenly become obsessed with things like boxing, pottery, gardening and air fryers.
This episode is for any mum who has ever wondered whether she’s lost herself somewhere along the way.
Because giving up alcohol isn’t just about removing something from your life.
Sometimes it’s about finding yourself again. ❤️
Resources & Links About MAMA
MAMA (Motherhood. Alcohol. Mental Health. Anxiety.) is a special podcast series from Sober Awkward, created to complement the Healthy Mum Healthy Bub program.
Developed in partnership with researchers from The University of Sydney and supported by funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), MAMA aims to help mums feel less alone, more informed and better supported as they navigate the challenges of early motherhood.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, struggling with anxiety, or questioning the role alcohol plays in your life, you’re in the right place.
Healthy Mum Healthy Bub healthymumhealthybub.org.au https://www.sydney.edu.au/matilda-centre
Sober Awkward Podcast, books, courses, community, events and support soberawkward.com
Victoria’s Books Mumming - A Year of Trying (and Failing) to be a Better Parent - https://amzn.asia/d/08E0CLyS A Thousand Wasted Sundays - https://amzn.asia/d/0eK3l8Bd
Sober Awkward Retreats Join Victoria and the Sober Awkward community for alcohol-free retreats, workshops and unforgettable adventures in Australia and overseas. Find out more at: soberawkward.com MAMA: Motherhood. Alcohol. Mental Health. Anxiety.
Hosted by Victoria Vanstone, author, speaker and co-host of the award-winning podcast Sober Awkward, MAMA is an honest, funny and reassuring podcast about the realities of modern motherhood.
From anxiety and overwhelm to wine o’clock culture, identity, relationships and mental health, Victoria explores the conversations many mums are thinking about but rarely say out loud.
Created in association with Healthy Mum Healthy Bub, researchers from The University of Sydney, and funded by the Medical Research Future Fund, MAMA combines lived experience, expert knowledge and practical tools to support mums through the challenges of parenting, mental health and alcohol use.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from MAMA - Motherhood. Alcohol. Mental Health. Anxiety
As we reach the final episode of MAMA, Victoria reflects on one of the most important lessons she has learned through motherhood, anxiety and eight years of sobriety:
There comes a point when you’ve read the articles, made the promises, created the rules and sworn that this time things will be different.
Every Friday night, Victoria Vanstone made the same promise to herself. Just one or two drinks. Home early. No hangover. No anxiety. No regrets. This time would be different.
Motherhood is hard. Not the cute Instagram version with matching outfits and homemade baby purées. The real version. The sleep deprivation, the self-doubt, the endless responsibility and the overwhelming feeling that everyone else somehow knows what they’re doing except you.
When Victoria Vanstone became a mum, she thought she was prepared. She imagined she’d simply add a baby to her already lovely life, pop them in a sling and carry on being herself.