Episode Details

Is a sense of unworthiness and shame keeping you stuck? In this powerful episode of The Big Drink Rethink, host Anna Donaghey sits down with Chris Janssen, a leading Performance and Mindset Coach with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology, to explore how shame and unworthiness can keep people trapped in addiction. Chris, who has been sober for 18 years and is the bestselling author of "Grace Yourself: How to Show Up for the Sober Life You Want," shares her personal journey and professional insights on breaking free from shame-based thinking.

Together, they discuss how community support, self-compassion, and rewriting one's personal narrative can be transformative tools in recovery, regardless of the path chosen. This conversation offers hope and practical strategies for anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol or struggling to believe they deserve a better life.

Here are the highlights:

00:00 Introduction

06:08 Shame inhibits recovery from addiction by fostering unworthiness.

10:04 Shame is about self-worth, while guilt focuses on behavior change.

14:58 Persevere with positive self-talk to replace negative beliefs.

19:18 The book addresses overcoming perfectionism, shame, pride, and the struggle of restarting sobriety.

21:03 Community alleviates shame through empathy and support

23:26 Struggling drinkers may feel undeserving of better.

27:50 Start recovery from where you are.

32:29 Shared experiences in supportive communities alleviate self-judgment and shame, fostering mutual understanding and growth.

34:19 The theme is separating addiction from identity to view oneself as worthy and not defined by it.

47:05 Self-help is important, but service and community keep us humble by countering negative ego-driven thinking.

🔗 Get all the free resources from the series at: Toolkit Optin

Anna’s group coaching community ‘Unstuck!’ helps identify your alcohol ‘stories’ and beliefs, breaking the cycle of alcohol and all the shame that goes with it. For more information and to find out how to join, please follow this link: Unstuck! community information

To further explore your relationship with alcohol, check out Anna’s self-guided programme, The Big Drink Rethink Experiment: https://www.thebeliefscoach.com/the-big-drink-rethink-experiment

And apply the code POD99 to purchase for just £99 as a podcast listener

If you’re loving the podcast and would like to give Anna a warm, fuzzy feeling of appreciation, then you can buy her a coffee:

https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

About the host Anna:

Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.

Connect with Anna:

Website: thebeliefscoach.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey

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