Every Friday night, Victoria Vanstone made the same promise to herself. Just one or two drinks. Home early. No hangover. No anxiety. No regrets. This time would be different.
It never was.
In this episode of MAMA, Vic explores the exhausting cycle of trying to moderate alcohol during motherhood. Like many mums, she didn’t want to stop drinking completely. She simply wanted to drink like everyone else seemed to. One glass of wine, a little relaxation, then home to bed feeling refreshed and in control.
Instead, one drink often became several, followed by anxiety, broken promises and the familiar vow to do better next time.
Vic shares her personal experience of spending years trying to find the magic formula for moderation, while quietly ignoring the fact that alcohol was causing many of the problems she was drinking to escape.
Along the way, she explores the science of cravings, why our brains become wired to expect alcohol at certain times of day, and why the first drink often makes decisions about the second. She explains why cravings can feel so powerful, but also why they don’t last forever.
This episode is packed with practical tools for navigating urges, including urge surfing, delaying decisions, playing the tape forward and learning how to interrupt automatic habits before they take over.
Most importantly, Vic reflects on the hidden cost of always thinking about alcohol. The mental energy it consumes. The moments it steals. The precious years of motherhood that pass by while we’re waiting for the next drink, recovering from the last one or negotiating with ourselves about whether we’ll have one at all.
If you’ve ever promised yourself you’d only have one, wondered why moderation feels so difficult, or found yourself spending far too much time thinking about alcohol, this episode is for you.
No judgement. No shame. Just an honest conversation about cravings, moderation and discovering that life becomes much simpler when alcohol is no longer taking up so much space in your head.
Warning! - there are a few tears in this one!
About MAMA
MAMA (Motherhood. Alcohol. Mental Health. Anxiety.) is a special podcast series from Sober Awkward, created to complement the Healthy Mum Healthy Bub program.
Developed in partnership with researchers from The University of Sydney and supported by funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), MAMA aims to help mums feel less alone, more informed and better supported as they navigate the challenges of early motherhood.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, struggling with anxiety, or questioning the role alcohol plays in your life, you’re in the right place.
Healthy Mum Healthy Bub
https://www.sydney.edu.au/matilda-centre
Sober Awkward
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Victoria’s Books
Mumming - A Year of Trying (and Failing) to be a Better Parent -
A Thousand Wasted Sundays -
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