Melding Yellow

Karla
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Self-Improvement

Real conversations about alcohol, recovery, and the questions nobody talks about out loud. Melding Yellow is for anyone standing at the edge of change — whether that's you, or someone you love. No shame, no rock bottom required. Just honest science, real stories, and a little hope to help you find your way forward.

Episodes

  1. 5d ago

    Episode 5: Limiting Belief Lab: "I Need Alcohol to Get Through the Holidays"

    The holidays are coming, and for so many of us, so is the belief that we can’t possibly get through them without a drink. In this Limiting Belief Lab episode, Lorna Wilson and I put that belief under the microscope and peel back the layers to ask one simple question: Is it true? This belief rarely travels alone. Tangled up inside it are others: I need it to have fun. I need it to tolerate family. I need it to get through the hard conversations. Together we walk through our four-step framework: Name It: We open the backpack and look at what the world put in there, from holiday movies with wine on the couch Christmas morning to family gatherings where drinks were always part of the celebration (and the stress). Test It: We dig into the hard drive, our subconscious, and hold our memories up to the light. Was the drink really the memory, or was it the people? I share some honest holiday memories, including wine-stained teeth, exhausted Christmas Eves, and hungover Christmas mornings. We also talk about the science: how alcohol disrupts sleep, why anxiety follows, the dopamine dip that sends you looking for the next drink, and the fascinating “expectancy effect.” Rewrite It: We create a new, believable story. That means getting specific about what you’re looking forward to, what you’ll drink instead (make it a treat!), and how you’ll answer if someone asks why you’re not drinking. Try It On: We talk about how to walk into the season prepared, how to celebrate yourself afterward to start rewiring your brain, and why starting new traditions, even tiny ones, can bring the sparkle back. In this episode: Why this belief is learned behavior, not a personal weaknessHoliday memories vs. what really happenedHow alcohol affects sleep, anxiety, and dopamineThe expectancy effect and a surprising taste test storyPreparing for questions (and why we should all stop asking people why they’re not drinking)Creating new holiday traditions you’ll actually look forward toFree Limiting Belief Lab worksheet: Walk through the four steps for yourself. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P84tWOogbu50dT4fHOoZ7o_xuKmROqMi/view Connect with Karla: karlaadkins.com | Instagram: @karlakadkins Get the free guide: Start Here: A Private Guide for the Questions You’re Not Ready to Ask Out Loud: mailchi.mp/karlaadkins/start-here-guide-signup Connect with Lorna: Lorna Wilson Coaching https://www.lornawilsoncoaching.com/ Have a belief you’d like us to put under the microscope? Reach out and we’ll peel it apart in the lab. With love and a little bit of yellow,  Karla

  2. Oct 22

    Episode 4: From "Just Cutting Back" to Sober Coach with Wendy White

    Y’all, this one is special. Back in 2021, Wendy White was a quiet face on my coaching Zoom calls, just listening, not quite ready to raise her hand. Today she’s a trauma-informed life and sober coach with a master’s in clinical mental health counseling, working toward her independent license in Florida. Getting to sit down with her felt like coming full circle for both of us. Wendy shares what made her finally say “something’s not right here,” even though she was 100% sure she wasn’t going to quit drinking. We talk about why you don’t have to hit rock bottom, why it’s okay to be a wallflower for a while, and what actually worked for her in walking away from alcohol. We also dig into what “trauma-informed” really means, the link between childhood experiences and alcohol use, and why it’s time to shift the “it runs in the family” narrative. In this episode: Why Wendy joined a program when all she wanted was to cut back (02:31)Blowing up the “rock bottom” myth (04:29)The power of listening first, and then finally speaking your truth (05:36)What worked: trusting your gut, being vulnerable, and actually doing the work, not just learning about it (11:30)What “trauma-informed” coaching means (15:16)The ACEs study and the connection between trauma and alcohol (19:23)Moving beyond genetics and “be careful, it runs in our family” (20:38)Why “alcohol use disorder” and the spectrum matter more than the label “alcoholic” (24:11)When alcohol is simply no longer on the table (27:21)Life and sober coaching: you don’t have to decide to quit to get started (28:48)Connect with Wendy: https://www.be8free.com/ Not ready to tell anyone yet? That’s okay. Grab my free guide, Start Here: A Private Guide for the Questions You’re Not Ready to Ask Out Loud: mailchi.mp/karlaadkins/start-here-guide-signup Find me at karlaadkins.com and on Instagram @karlakadkins. With love and a little bit of yellow,  Karla

  3. Oct 8

    Episode 3: Limiting Belief Lab- Alcohol helps me relax

    It's one of the most common things we tell ourselves about drinking: a glass of wine helps me unwind. But where did that belief come from, and is it actually true? In this first belief episode of the Limiting Belief Lab, Karla and Lorna unpack the idea that alcohol helps us relax. We look at how this belief got packed into our "backpack" long before we ever took a first sip. It came from childhood memories, the culture around us, and a lifetime of messages that link a drink with rest. Then we get into what's actually happening in your brain and body when you drink to take the edge off. The relief is real, but it's short-lived, and your body pushes back harder than you might expect. This isn't about shame or willpower. It's about getting curious, telling the truth with a whole lot of self-compassion, and trying on a new way of thinking about rest and relief. In this episode, we talk about: The backpack: how the beliefs we carry get handed to us early in lifeHow family, culture, and childhood experiences shape the way we see alcoholWhy habits move into the subconscious and start running on autopilotWhat alcohol really does to your stress response, and why "relaxing" can leave you more wiredDopamine, the reward system, and your body's response to a toxinHow to rewrite the belief and practice new responses to stressUsing honesty, self-compassion, inner wisdom, and your future self as guides for changeWorth remembering: "Alcohol presses the brake pedal, but the body floors the gas."Your free Listener Worksheet Take what you heard today and make it your own. Our free Limiting Belief Lab worksheet walks you through the "alcohol helps me relax" belief using our four steps: Name It: unpack the backpack and find where this belief came fromTest It: open the storage unit door and look honestly at whether a drink brought you rest or numbingRewrite It: write a truer story you actually believeTry It On: practice the new belief, one evening at a timeYou can type right into it or print it out and grab a pen. There are no wrong answers and no judgment, just curiosity and honesty.  👉 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P84tWOogbu50dT4fHOoZ7o_xuKmROqMi/view Chapters 00:00 The belief: "Alcohol helps me relax" 01:59 Picturing our beliefs as a backpack full of heavy stones 03:56 How culture and childhood memories shape what we believe about alcohol 06:00 Deep learning and how habits go subconscious 07:49 Alcohol as a toxin and how the brain reacts 12:04 Why these beliefs run so deep 14:59 Dopamine and the brain's reward system 17:08 What alcohol does to your body and emotions 19:56 Rewriting the belief and trying new responses 22:55 Honesty and self-compassion in the process of change 24:54 Letting your inner wisdom and future self guide you 26:54 Wrapping up: keep getting curious about your beliefs Connect with Karla: https://www.karlaadkins.com/ Connect with Lorna: https://www.lornawilsoncoaching.com/

  4. Sep 24

    Episode 2: The Story Behind Limiting Belief Lab

    In this episode, Karla welcomes her longtime friend and coaching partner, Lorna Wilson, for a candid conversation about how they met, how their partnership grew, and why they created The Limiting Belief Lab together. What We Cover How Karla and Lorna first met at an in-person coach training in Colorado — and the awkward "upgrade lunch" story that broke the iceHow their friendship deepened when Lorna reached out to support Karla through a difficult early client experienceWhy Karla later hired Lorna as her own coach, and what that coaching relationship taught her about the importance of every coach having a coachThe patterns they both kept seeing in clients — people getting sober, then relapsing — and how that led them to a deeper question: what belief is still living underneath?The birth of their earlier program together, "Breaking Free," and how it planted the seeds for The Limiting Belief LabKarla's own story of anxiety, perimenopause, and the moment she realized — deep down — that alcohol was never actually helpingA first look at the framework behind The Limiting Belief Lab: Name It, Test It, Rewrite It, Try It OnWhy this series is for anyone anywhere on the spectrum with alcohol — from casual drinkers to those years into their alcohol-free journeyConnect With Us Karla Adkins — meldingyellow.comLorna Wilson — lornawilsoncoaching.comGot a limiting belief you'd like us to dig into on a future episode? Email either of us — we love breaking these down together, and your story might become the next episode.

  5. Sep 8

    Episode 1: Melding Yellow

    Episode Summary In this first solo episode of Melding Yellow, host Karla Adkins launches the podcast on the same day she marks 12 years alcohol-free. She shares the story behind the name "Melding Yellow," breaks down what a MELD score is and why it matters, opens up about her own turning point, and lays out what listeners can expect from the show going forward. In This Episode [00:00] A special launch day — Karla welcomes listeners back and explains why she chose her 12-year alcohol-free anniversary as the day to launch the podcast, offering hope to anyone waiting for their "day one" to stick.[02:21] The story behind the name — Where "Melding Yellow" came from, the wordplay behind it, and what the brand's navy, yellow, and green colors represent.[04:38–08:12] Yellow's meaning, then and now — Karla talks about writing the "Yellow" chapter of her book, once one of the hardest and most painful to write, and how the color's meaning has shifted for her from fear to hope and health.[08:12–10:35] What is a MELD score? — A plain-language breakdown of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score: what it measures (bilirubin, creatinine, INR, sodium, and sometimes albumin and sex), what the 6–40 scale means, and why it matters for liver transplant urgency.[10:35–13:00] The crossroads — Karla describes the turning point in her own journey and why traditional paths like AA and rehab didn't work for her.[13:00–17:47] Finding a different way — How research led her to a new community, a different methodology, and finally some answers to the "why" behind her drinking — and the self-reflection that came with realizing she'd started pushing her own approach the way others had once pushed theirs on her.[17:47–22:34] On labels and language — Why Karla doesn't use the word "alcoholic" and prefers AUD (alcohol use disorder), her honest take on the disease model debate, and why she believes the goal should be helping people find freedom — not agreeing on the "right" way to get there.[22:34–24:31] What's ahead on Melding Yellow — A look at what's coming: education, expert guests, the return of the Limiting Belief Lab series, and real conversations about what worked (and didn't) for people navigating their relationship with alcohol.Key Takeaways You never know when your "day one" will be the one that sticks.The MELD score (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) is a 6–40 scale doctors use to assess liver disease severity and transplant urgency.There's no single "right" way to find freedom from alcohol — what matters is that it works.Karla prefers the term AUD (alcohol use disorder) over "alcoholic," seeing it as a spectrum rather than a fixed label.Resources & Links Website: karlaadkins.comNewsletter: sign up at karlaadkins.com for occasional updates — no spamComing soon: Limiting Belief Lab series returns to the podcastConnect Follow along and share your own story — Karla wants to hear what's worked (or hasn't) for you. Find her on Instagram [@karlakadkins]. Melding Yellow is hosted by Karla Adkins. New episodes every other week.

  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Real conversations about alcohol, recovery, and the questions nobody talks about out loud. Melding Yellow is for anyone standing at the edge of change — whether that's you, or someone you love. No shame, no rock bottom required. Just honest science, real stories, and a little hope to help you find your way forward.

Information

  • Creator
    Karla
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Melding Yellow
  • Show Website
    Melding Yellow

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