When was the last time you thought about your relationship with alcohol? With Dry January right around the corner, a lot of people are taking an opportunity to do just that, and they aren’t alone. As the “sober curious” movement gains popularity in the U.S., people have more options than ever to define and redefine how booze does or doesn’t fit into their life. In this episode, “Until It’s Fixed” host Callie Chamberlain is joined by Jen Lee Hirst, Deb Nussbaum and Bob Poznanovich for a discussion about how we’ve historically viewed sobriety, how that’s changing lately and how the health care industry can support people reevaluating their alcohol use.

Highlights:

02:20 A personal perspective | Jen Lee Hirst, a “sober coach” and social influencer who promotes an alcohol-free lifestyle, shares her own story of realizing she needed to re-evaluate the way she used drinking to cope with stress in her life. Now, Jen helps other women find more effective ways to manage stress and care for themselves.

15:40 Changing our habits | Deb Nussbaum from Optum Behavioral Health and Bob Poznanovich of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation join Callie to discuss the ways that the sober curious movement is changing the way medical professionals and the health industry think about helping people who want to cut back on drinking alcohol.

Resources:

Substance Use Disorder solutions from Optum

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Further reading:

Help – I think I’m drinking too much

Guests:

Jen Lee Hirst, Sober coach and founder of Lighthouse Sobriety

Deb Nussbaum, PhD, LCSW, Senior Director at Optum Behavioral Health

Bob Poznanovich, VP of Marketing and Business Development, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

The views, opinions, and content expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of Optum.

Visit optum.com for more information about how Optum is helping to create a healthier world.