Sober Awkward

soberawkward

Winner, Best Well-Being Podcast at The Australian Podcast Awards 2024 Have you ever woken up after a big night out and declared, “I’m never drinking again,” only to find yourself waving $50 at a barman by Happy Hour? Yep, Vic’s been there too. Join Victoria Vanstone, award-winning podcaster, author, and former binge-drinking party animal, as she explores what it’s really like to be sober in a world absolutely soaked in alcohol. Each week on Sober Awkward, Vic dives into boozy topics, social pressures, anxiety, identity wobbles, and the messy reality of quitting drinking, opening up the shame shed of humiliating stories so you don’t have to feel alone in yours. With humour, honesty, and zero judgement, Vic tells it like it is, from vomit and one-night stands to life on the other side of destructive drinking. If you’ve hit a wall, you’re fed up with anxiety, headaches, and blackouts, or you’re just quietly sober-curious, pop the kettle on and learn how to feel the awkward, and do it anyway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Let’s Talk Nervous Systems – with Sarah Rusbatch

    1 DAY AGO

    Let’s Talk Nervous Systems – with Sarah Rusbatch

    This week on Sober Awkward, Vic chats with one of her favourite sober buddies, sobriety coach - Sarah Rusbatch about something many of us completely ignored while we were drinking… our nervous systems. For years we thought alcohol was helping us relax. Turns out it was often doing the exact opposite, keeping our bodies stuck in stress mode. Sarah breaks down what’s really going on in our nervous systems, why so many of us feel wired, anxious or exhausted, and what we can actually do to regulate ourselves without reaching for a drink. Vic admits she learned loads in this chat and had a few lightbulb moments along the way. Make sure you listen right to the end for a simple breathing exercise you can try with us. And in true Sober Awkward style, Vic pops back in 24 hours later with a little update after trying a couple of the things Sarah suggested. It’s amazing what a difference a day can make when you start paying attention to your nervous system. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Find Sarah's courses, retreats, challenges and more here - https://sarahrusbatch.com @sarahrusbatch and join her amazing April alcohol reset challenge here - https://sarahrusbatch.com/30day-af-program 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here 🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min
  2. The Share Shed: Awkward Questions & Confessions

    5 DAYS AGO

    The Share Shed: Awkward Questions & Confessions

    This week in the Share Shed there is a story that some people may relate to - involving bodily functions. Vic opens the inbox to a story that starts like many girls trips do - a night out in Greece, one too many, a nice younger man, a shag and then..... Well, Vic will let you find out the next bit! The Share Shed is where listeners send in their funniest, cringiest and most unbelievable drinking stories. It’s not about judgement, it’s about recognising how wild things could get when alcohol was in charge, and laughing about it now we’re on the other side. If you’ve got a story you’d like to get off your chest, funny, awkward or slightly ridiculous, you can send it to Vic at: vic@soberawkward.com Anonymous is absolutely fine. In fact - for legal reasons - probably preferable!! 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here 🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 min
  3. ADHD and Alcohol: What’s Really Going On?

    29 MAR

    ADHD and Alcohol: What’s Really Going On?

    This week gets a little bit personal. We’re talking ADHD, alcohol, and that slightly unsettling moment when you realise… maybe it wasn’t just the drinking. After years of brushing it off, and being gently diagnosed by listeners in her DMs, Vic is thinking about getting assessed again. becuase last time she was tested for ADHD, it wasn’t the result she expected. But now, hormones are doing their thing and perimenopause is turning the volume up on everything, and she’s been feeling wired, overwhelmed, and honestly… a bit confused. So she’s brought in someone who actually knows what they’re talking about. Faye Laurence is an alcohol coach who specialises in ADHD, and this conversation really hits home. They get into the big questions… do people with ADHD use alcohol to self-medicate? What actually comes first, the ADHD or the drinking? And why do some traditional methods for addiction not always work for those with ADHD? They also go a bit deeper… can getting a diagnosis help you understand yourself better, and maybe even have a bit more empathy for your past and the role alcohol played in it? Vic shares openly, as always, because if she’s feeling it, chances are someone else out there is too. It might make people cringe at times, putting it all out there like this, but those are the moments that get people thinking, connecting, and hopefully reaching out for help… just like she is. She’ll keep you updated on how this all unfolds. She’s nervous, yes… and if she’s honest, a bit pissed off too. She really thought the sobriety piece was it, that she’d done the work and could just get on with life. But clearly, there’s more bubbling up. And maybe that’s the point. Find out more about Faye and her ADHD/Alcohol Courses and Coaching here - Links: Website: www.fayelawrence.com.au | Insta:https://www.instagram.com/_fayelawrence_  | FB:  https://www.facebook.com/FayeLawrenceCoaching    Kicking off 31 March - Breaking the Loop - An 8 week small group coaching program designed for ADHDers who want to change their relationship with alcohol  www.fayelawrence.com.au/loop  💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here 🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min
  4. The Share Shed: Awkward Questions & Confessions

    25 MAR

    The Share Shed: Awkward Questions & Confessions

    This week in the Share Shed there is an important question - How do I start again? Today Vic opens a voicemail from a Sober Awkward listener who is in her 20's and is drinking again after a period of abstinence - she's still young, so it seems like a really hard choice - what can she do to get back on track? The Share Shed is where listeners send in their funniest, cringiest and most unbelievable drinking stories. It’s not about judgement, it’s about recognising how wild things could get when alcohol was in charge, and laughing about it now we’re on the other side. If you’ve got a story you’d like to get off your chest, funny, awkward or slightly ridiculous, you can send it to Vic at: vic@soberawkward.com Anonymous is absolutely fine. In fact - for legal reasons - probably preferable!! 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here 🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 min
  5. I'll Try Anything Twice - with Carly Schwartz

    22 MAR

    I'll Try Anything Twice - with Carly Schwartz

    Vic is joined by Newspaper Editor, Journalist and Author, Carly Schwartz, to talk about her wild, honest new memoir I’ll Try Anything Twice. Carly shares stories from her years chasing adventure around the world, from chaotic parties to a mysterious sustainable town in the Panamanian jungle. Some of the experiences were exhilarating, others risky, and along the way she began to realise that alcohol and drugs were quietly making her depression much worse. In this conversation, Carly talks openly about the moment she hit her real rock bottom, not a dramatic crash, but the quiet and confronting realisation that she might actually need help. Vic and Carly also chat about the process of turning such a complicated and vulnerable journey into a book, and what it’s like to write honestly about the messy parts of your life. It’s a thoughtful, funny, and very real conversation about adventure, mental health, and the long road to understanding yourself. 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here 🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  6. The Share Shed: Awkward Questions & Confessions

    18 MAR

    The Share Shed: Awkward Questions & Confessions

    This week in the Share Shed, Vic opens the inbox to a story that starts like many nights used to… a few drinks with friends that quietly turns into an entire weekend you can’t quite explain. Our anonymous listener describes being a full blown party animal in the late 90s, where alcohol often led to a cocktail of other substances and the kind of decisions that only make sense at the time. Let's just say this one involves chickens! The Share Shed is where listeners send in their funniest, cringiest and most unbelievable drinking stories. It’s not about judgement, it’s about recognising how wild things could get when alcohol was in charge, and laughing about it now we’re on the other side. If you’ve got a story you’d like to get off your chest, funny, awkward or slightly ridiculous, you can send it to Vic at: vic@soberawkward.com Anonymous is absolutely fine. In fact - for legal reasons - probably preferable!! 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here 🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    9 min
  7. An Introverts Guide to Leaving the House - with Jenny Valentish

    15 MAR

    An Introverts Guide to Leaving the House - with Jenny Valentish

    Vic is joined by journalist and author Jenny Valentish for a warm, funny and honest conversation about introversion, overstimulation and knowing when it’s time to quietly exit stage left. Jenny is the author of An Introvert’s Guide to Leaving the House, a brilliant and reassuring book about navigating the world without pretending to be more extroverted than you are. It’s not about becoming louder or more outgoing. It’s about understanding your social limits, honouring your wiring and building a life that actually suits you. Both originally from Berkshire, Vic and Jenny bond over British roots and swap stories about “brownouts”, and no, it’s not what you think. They chat about social batteries, the pressure to perform, and how to recognise when you’ve tipped from “coping fine” into “I need to go home immediately”. If you’ve ever stayed too long out of politeness, or wondered whether staying in is self-care or avoidance, this episode will help you work it out. And yes, sometimes the most emotionally intelligent thing you can do is leave early and go home to watch MAFS. Find out more about Jenny and her incredible books and more at  instagram.com/jennyvalentish_public And valentish.net because she loves nothing more than helping people write their addiction stories as a writing teacher. 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here 🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min
  8. The Share Shed: Awkward Questions & Confessions

    11 MAR

    The Share Shed: Awkward Questions & Confessions

    This week in the Share Shed, Vic opens the inbox and shares one of those stories that perfectly sums up the chaos of drinking days. Listener James from Gloucester writes in with a tale from his travelling years that starts with a few innocent drinks on a river in Cambodia… and somehow ends with him accidentally buying more than he bargained for! It’s funny, slightly unbelievable, and a perfect reminder of the kind of decisions that can happen when booze is involved and your brain has politely clocked off for the evening. Vic also talks about why sharing these stories matters. The Share Shed isn’t about shaming ourselves for the past, it’s about laughing, learning and realising we’re not the only ones who’ve woken up thinking… “what on earth happened last night?” If you’ve got a story of your own, something funny, awkward, cringe-worthy, or even just a question about booze and sobriety, Vic would love to hear it. You can send your stories (anonymous is absolutely fine) to: vic@soberawkward.com 💛 Resources & Links 📘 Victoria’s memoir – A Thousand Wasted Sundays A brutally honest and hilarious look at motherhood, anxiety, and ditching the booze. 👉 Buy the book here 🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward episodes 👉 www.soberawkward.com 🫖 Join The Cuppa Community Our private, supportive online space for sober folk 👉 www.cuppa.community 📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide Our downloadable toolkit for ditching booze the awkward way. 👉 The Sober Awkward Guide 📱 Follow us for daily sober fun: Instagram: @soberawkward TikTok: @soberawkward Facebook: Sober Awkward Community for Women Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    9 min

About

Winner, Best Well-Being Podcast at The Australian Podcast Awards 2024 Have you ever woken up after a big night out and declared, “I’m never drinking again,” only to find yourself waving $50 at a barman by Happy Hour? Yep, Vic’s been there too. Join Victoria Vanstone, award-winning podcaster, author, and former binge-drinking party animal, as she explores what it’s really like to be sober in a world absolutely soaked in alcohol. Each week on Sober Awkward, Vic dives into boozy topics, social pressures, anxiety, identity wobbles, and the messy reality of quitting drinking, opening up the shame shed of humiliating stories so you don’t have to feel alone in yours. With humour, honesty, and zero judgement, Vic tells it like it is, from vomit and one-night stands to life on the other side of destructive drinking. If you’ve hit a wall, you’re fed up with anxiety, headaches, and blackouts, or you’re just quietly sober-curious, pop the kettle on and learn how to feel the awkward, and do it anyway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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