The Catholic Sobriety Podcast

If you've been using wine to take the edge off at the end of the day, this episode is going to make so much sense of that — and give you something better.

On today's episode of That Catholic Sobriety Podcast, I'm welcoming back Brigid Tebaldi for a conversation I've been wanting to have for a long time. Brigid is a board-certified health coach specializing in Spiritual Somatic Rewiring — a framework that combines nervous system repair, subconscious belief work, and the truth of Scripture to create root-level transformation.

I say it all the time: you don't need alcohol, but you do need something. That something is nervous system regulation — and today Brigid breaks down exactly what that means, why so many of us are living in a state of chronic overwhelm, and what we can actually do about it.

In this episode we cover:

What nervous system dysregulation actually feels like in your body
Why alcohol feels like it works — and what it's really doing
What happens when you remove alcohol and feel MORE anxious
The "strong one" identity that's secretly keeping you stuck
Why overwhelm makes prayer harder (and what to do about it)
Simple five-minute practices you can use in real life today

This episode is for you if:

You're a mom who feels constantly on edge and can't figure out why
You've tried to cut back on alcohol but the anxiety or irritability spikes
You want a faith-based, science-backed approach to feeling calm and grounded

Connect with Brigid:
www.loretowellness.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/brigid.tebaldi
Somatic Rewiring (free): https://www.loretowellness.com/free-audio-training

Drop us a Question or Comment
Join me in the FIRE50 Challenge, a FREE 50-day spiritual journey focused on deepening your connection with the Holy Spirit. You'll explore daily practices, discover our unique charisms, and grow in community with others seeking God's presence in their lives.
This is your chance to awaken new possibilities, and experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. 
Join T
If you have ever...
Struggled with the social pressures associated with alcohol use.
Felt isolated, alone, and unsure of how to break the cycle.
Experienced shame and frustration after drinking.
Told yourself, “I’ll never get this. It’s no use.”
Then this 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start is for you! 
Each day, you’ll receive a short video with simple tasks to help you analyze your drinking habits with clarity.

👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start
https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start
👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call
https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683

Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

You're going to a party. There will be wine on the table, cocktails at the door, and someone who will absolutely try to put a glass in your hand. And you know what? It's going to be a great night.
In this episode, I'm getting ready for our school's annual auction — one of my favorite events of the year — and it reminded me that so many of you are heading into similar moments: fundraisers, weddings, work events, holiday parties. Events full of people you love, in rooms that happen to be full of alcohol.
This episode is not about surviving the night. It's about thriving in it.
We talk about:
Why willpower alone will never be enough — and what actually works instead
The real reason declining a drink can feel so loaded (and how to reframe it completely)
Two questions to ask yourself before you walk in the door
What Jeremiah 1:5 has to do with your confidence at a cocktail party
Practical tools to handle the "can I get you something?" moment with total ease
How to walk in free, stay fully present, and leave feeling like yourself
I've been navigating social events alcohol-free for decades. These nights don't intimidate me anymore — they're genuinely some of my favorites. And I want that for you too.
Scripture Referenced: Jeremiah 1:5
Drop us a Question or Comment
Join me in the FIRE50 Challenge, a FREE 50-day spiritual journey focused on deepening your connection with the Holy Spirit. You'll explore daily practices, discover our unique charisms, and grow in community with others seeking God's presence in their lives.
This is your chance to awaken new possibilities, and experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. 
Join T
If you have ever...
Struggled with the social pressures associated with alcohol use.
Felt isolated, alone, and unsure of how to break the cycle.
Experienced shame and frustration after drinking.
Told yourself, “I’ll never get this. It’s no use.”
Then this 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start is for you! 
Each day, you’ll receive a short video with simple tasks to help you analyze your drinking habits with clarity.

👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start
https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start
👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call
https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683

Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

If you’ve ever started the week with a real intention to drink less — and then found yourself standing in the kitchen on Friday evening reaching for the same glass again — you are not alone.
In this episode of The Catholic Sobriety Podcast, Christie walks through why Fridays can feel like the hardest day of the week when you’re trying to change your relationship with alcohol.
This isn’t just about willpower.
There are real brain patterns, emotional build-up from the week, and even spiritual dynamics that make Friday evening a powerful habit trigger.
In this episode we talk about:
Why the urge to drink on Friday is often built all week long
The dopamine habit loop that gets activated by the end-of-week ritual
Why alcohol promises rest but rarely actually delivers it
The deeper emotional need that often sits underneath the Friday craving
The spiritual dimension of temptation when we’re tired and depleted
One simple 10-minute reset practice you can use before the evening begins
If Friday evenings are where your intentions tend to fall apart, this conversation will help you pause, reset, and approach the moment with more clarity and freedom.
Grab this FREE guide to join my email list, and you will start receiving my Friday Reset emails too: https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/drinkless-guide
Drop us a Question or Comment
Join me in the FIRE50 Challenge, a FREE 50-day spiritual journey focused on deepening your connection with the Holy Spirit. You'll explore daily practices, discover our unique charisms, and grow in community with others seeking God's presence in their lives.
This is your chance to awaken new possibilities, and experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. 
Join T
👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start
https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start
👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call
https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683

Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

I’m republishing one of the most informative conversations I’ve had on the podcast because I continue to share this episode with clients again and again.
If you are a woman who is trying to drink less or questioning the role alcohol plays in your life, this episode will help you understand something many women are never clearly told: alcohol can have a significant impact on hormones, sleep, mood, stress, blood sugar, gut health, energy, and the way you experience perimenopause and beyond.
In this revisited conversation, I’m joined by Leah Brueggeman, a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who specializes in helping women get to the root of hormonal imbalance through functional lab testing, nutrition, and lifestyle support.
We talk about how alcohol affects women differently from men, why it can worsen symptoms many women blame on hormones alone, and why taking a break from alcohol can reveal more than you think.
In this episode, we discuss:
how alcohol impacts women’s hormones across different stages of life
the connection between alcohol, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and FSH
why alcohol can make perimenopause symptoms feel worse
the effect of alcohol on dopamine, anxiety, mood, and motivation
how alcohol disrupts blood sugar, sleep, liver function, and recovery
why many women do not feel better after only 30 days alcohol-free
common health habits women try that may actually work against their hormones
better ways to support rest, sleep, and nervous system regulation without alcohol
Leah also shares practical insight on why women need a more informed, whole-body approach to health rather than just chasing symptoms one by one.
If this conversation resonates, share it with a friend who has been trying to understand her body better and may not have considered alcohol as part of the picture.

You can find out more about Leah on her website: https://www.leahbrueggemann.com/
Be sure to check out her podcast: The Balancing Hormones Naturally Podcast
Drop us a Question or Comment
Join me in the FIRE50 Challenge, a FREE 50-day spiritual journey focused on deepening your connection with the Holy Spirit. You'll explore daily practices, discover our unique charisms, and grow in community with others seeking God's presence in their lives.
This is your chance to awaken new possibilities, and experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. 
Join T
If you have ever...
Struggled with the social pressures associated with alcohol use.
Felt isolated, alone, and unsure of how to break the cycle.
Experienced shame and frustration after drinking.
Told yourself, “I’ll never get this. It’s no use.”
Then this 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start is for you! 
Each day, you’ll receive a short video with simple tasks to help you analyze your drinking habits with clarity.

👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start
https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start
👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call
https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683

Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com

What happens when you start questioning your drinking… but your husband doesn’t?
Many women begin reducing or eliminating alcohol while their spouse continues drinking as usual. He may be supportive, confused, or simply carrying on with the same habits you’ve always had together.
In this episode, Christie talks about how to navigate marriage when you’re changing your relationship with alcohol and your husband isn’t. She shares why spouses aren’t always the best accountability partners, how to handle date nights and social situations, and why focusing on your own choices (“stay in your lane”) often leads to the most peace.
You’ll also hear why many women are surprised to find that, over time, their husbands often begin drinking less too.
If you’re trying to drink less in a relationship where your spouse still drinks, this episode will help you feel less alone and more confident in your own path.
In This Episode
• What women don’t always anticipate when they start reducing alcohol
 • Why husbands often keep drinking normally
 • The “thought spiral” that happens when your spouse orders a drink
 • How to stay focused on your own choices
 • Navigating date nights and connection without alcohol

Mentioned in this Episode: 
EP: 73 Rekindling Romance: Catholic Wives' Guide to Alcohol-Free Intimacy https://www.buzzsprout.com/2087354/episodes/15021297
Drop us a Question or Comment
Join me in the FIRE50 Challenge, a FREE 50-day spiritual journey focused on deepening your connection with the Holy Spirit. You'll explore daily practices, discover our unique charisms, and grow in community with others seeking God's presence in their lives.
This is your chance to awaken new possibilities, and experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. 
Join T
If you have ever...
Struggled with the social pressures associated with alcohol use.
Felt isolated, alone, and unsure of how to break the cycle.
Experienced shame and frustration after drinking.
Told yourself, “I’ll never get this. It’s no use.”
Then this 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start is for you! 
Each day, you’ll receive a short video with simple tasks to help you analyze your drinking habits with clarity.

👉🏻 Get started with my FREE 5-Day Sacred Sobriety Kick Start
https://the-catholic-sobriety-coach.myflodesk.com/5-day-sobriety-kick-start
👉🏻 Book a Clarity Call
https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/38683

Visit my Website: https://thecatholicsobrietycoach.com