Are We Numbing Ourselves Through Parenthood? | POF57

Have you been exposed to the booze or wine culture in parenting? Have you been invited or hosted playdates that include alcohol? Even if they are scheduled in the morning?

Does wine and being a mom go hand in hand? if so, what does that say to your kids that "mommy needs wine to deal with you"? I talk to parents every day who are struggling in many different ways, and I know that many look forward to a glass of wine once the kids are in bed…I have done that many times too!

My guest, Emily Lynn Paulson, who is an author and Sobriety Coach, talks about how she used alcohol to hide her pain and past trauma. For her, she would only show the "highlights" of her life on social media all while she was struggling with addiction and deep pain. She wants to encourage others to drop the façade of perfectionism because all that does is perpetuate the myth that we all need to be a different version of our real selves.

In this episode, we talk about those that are struggling and how the last thing you want to do is to measure yourself up against someone else’s "highlight real," because it makes you want to compare and that is what leads to despair.

About Emily Lynn Paulson: Emily is the author of Highlight Real: Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond the Filtered Life, an entrepreneur, certified professional recovery coach, and a member of the long-term recovery community. Formally trained as a chemist and a teacher, she rose to success in the top tiers of a skincare company, where she gained her voice and a platform for sobriety and healing. Sober since January 2, 2017, her recovery path is focused on ruthless honesty, grace, and self love. She is passionate about connecting women with resources for recovery from trauma, eating disorders, and substance abuse, and believes that sharing our truth with each other is the best resource of all. You can find her on instagram at @highlightrealrecovery and on the web at Emilylynnpaulson.com. Emily lives in Seattle with her husband and their five children.

IG @highlightrealrecovery @sobermomsquad Website: www.highlightreallife.com You can find a copy of Emily’s book, highlight Real: Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond the Filtered Life here: https://amzn.to/2qiyFQF

From the Podcasts

Instead of grabbing for a drink; ask yourself, “what am I feeling?” What is the root of the problem? Is there something you can do to fix it instead of numbing yourself? Can you lean into the emotions instead of numbing yourself? Whatever you are dealing with, that you can identify as “the problem”, if you are using alcohol or another addiction to numb yourself, it doesn’t solve the problem and only adds a new problem of addiction to everything you are dealing with.

Do any of these sound like you? • You're tired of hangovers. • Alcohol or other substances are beginning to take a bigger role in your life than you'd like. • You've tried to control your drinking or set rules around it, but find it difficult or impossible. • You've googled "Am I an alcoholic?" • You are feeling ashamed of your substance use • You feel like you're living two different lives: drinking "you" and sober "you" and those personalities are very different. • You have a history of disordered eating and cannot get back on track. • You find yourself cutting out food but not alcohol to achieve your weight goals. • You have questions about your alcohol or substance use. • You are seeking to Obtain or Maintain Recovery from Addictions (Drugs, Alcohol, Work, Eating) • You are working with a Functional Medicine Doctor and Seeking Support Between Visits • You're Unhappy with current recovery programs or unable to find one that is a good fit. • You're Feeling shame, guilt, regret, anxiety and depression the days following drinking.

Thanks for listening! It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you would like to purchase my book or other parenting resources, visit me at www.yellingcurebook.com

With this podcast, my intention is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We have too much of that! I honor each parent and their path towards becoming the best parent they can be. My hope is to inspire more parents to consider the practice of Peaceful Parenting. If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

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