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Summary
On episode 632 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan sits down with Colleen Kachmann, a recovery certified master coach and author of Life Off Label, who holds an MSc in health coaching and helps women bypass the stigma around sobriety by focusing on their relationship with themselves.
Colleen shares her own story: a high-functioning, successful “normal drinker” who relied on alcohol to relieve stress until it quietly became a daily habit during COVID. She explains that addiction is a subconscious learning process, not a disease, where the brain learns to associate alcohol with stress relief the same way an algorithm learns your preferences.
The conversation covers the brain chemistry behind drinking (dopamine and cortisol spikes), why alcohol wrecks sleep quality, and Colleen’s approach of full personal responsibility rather than labeling yourself an addict or a victim.
Links
- https://recoverwithcolleen.com
Key Takeaways
- Addiction is a learned response, not a disease. Colleen argues the brain subconsciously learns rules, like “if stressed, then alcohol,” the same way a streaming algorithm learns your preferences. Repeating the pattern strengthens it until it feels automatic.
- Alcohol spikes both dopamine and cortisol. The buzz comes with a chemical cost: cortisol rises to counteract the sedative effect, which is why people wake up wired at 3am. Over time, drinkers need alcohol just to feel normal, not to get high.
- Identifying as a “drinker” or a “non-drinker” both give away your power. After years in AA, Colleen realized she had just switched teams, still centering her identity on alcohol. Real freedom, she says, is not identifying with it at all.
- Alcohol blocks REM sleep. Even if you think you slept fine, REM sleep is essential for processing emotional memory, so heavy drinkers often see their mental health decline even while believing they are getting rest.
- Mindset is the number one predictor of over-drinking and recovery speed. Brain chemistry and the nervous system can be healed, but the underlying belief, like “I need alcohol to relax” or “I always overdo it,” has to be retrained first.
- There is no universal safe or healthy amount of alcohol. Colleen rejects the idea of a fixed number of drinks and instead teaches people to check in with what their body actually needs in the moment, since stress, sleep, and food intake all change day to day.
- Willpower drops as stress rises. Colleen says the real fix is upstream: sleep, food, and movement throughout the day, not white-knuckling a craving at six o’clock after running on empty.
- Full personal responsibility beats victimhood. Colleen tells clients they can drink as much as they want, whenever they want, which removes the “I can’t” framing and turns not drinking into a genuine choice rather than a restriction.
- Colleen’s three strategies to get and stay well: identify wellness as your top priority and goal; immerse yourself in the mindset you want through podcasts, books, and role models who have done what you want to do; and prioritize sleep above almost everything else.
“We’re not drinking to get high. We’re drinking because not drinking feels bad.”
Colleen Kachmann
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 650 – Learn the secret language of the body with Jennifer Mann and Karden Rabin
Episode Notes
Podcast: 40+ Fitness
Episode: 632
Published: 2024-03-05
Host: Allan Misner (aka Coach Allan), author of The Wellness Roadmap
Guest(s): Colleen Kachmann, a recovery certified master coach and author of Life Off Label, a handbook for creating your own brand of health and happiness
Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube (audio only)