After Alcohol

This week our guest is the NRL player Joel Thompson. Joel grew up in a remote community in NSW around domestic violence, unstable housing, and drug and alcohol abuse. This led to self-destructive behaviour in adulthood which threatened to destroy his professional rugby career and personal relationship. After struggling for years with his mental health and seeking professional help in 2011, it wasn’t until 2019 that Joel started to question his relationship with alcohol. Last November an accident at a party left Joel in hospital in intensive care - and it was there that he vowed to stop drinking for a year. In this chat we talk about Joel's difficult upbringing and how it’s given him resilience, strength and a passion to help inspire a new generation of Indigenous men to reach their potential. He talks about the effect that removing alcohol has had on his life, how he’s approached sobriety surrounded by a macho drinking culture and what he hopes for the future. Joel’s story is powerful, honest and inspirational. We really hope you enjoy listening to Joel and take away some of his resilient spirit. You can find Joel on the socials and through his work with The Mindset Project. Instagram: @_joel.thompson_ @the_mindset_project https://themindsetproject.com.au/

This week we talk to the one and only Samantha X. Samantha worked as a tabloid journalist for years before swapping a high rise office for high class escorting and became Australia's most well know escort. She's written two best selling books, shares advice on intimacy and sex in the media and also works as a coach. Fifteen months ago Samantha decided to get sober. In this episode she opens up about her journey from party girl to living with presence and clarity. We discuss the highs and lows of sobriety, how sex has changed since ditching the booze and why she thinks it's the best thing she's ever done for herself. Chatting to Samantha was like hanging out with a girlfriend - she's so down to earth, honest and authentic. We hope you enjoy this chat as much as we did! You can find Samantha on the socials and her website: https://samanthax.com.au/ Instagram - @samanthaxreal As always please remember to rate, review and share if you like what you hear :)

This week Leisa and Leanne chat with Manoj Dias - Father, Writer, Meditation Teacher and Founder of A—SPACE Meditation Studio. He is also a lululemon ambassador, a role he uses to champion more accessible and inclusive wellness experiences for the under privileged and marginalised. We loved having this chat with Manoj - he was so open, friendly and inspirational. We talked how he went from the corporate world to being a renowned meditation teacher, representation within the wellness industry, why he's recently reassessed his relationship with alcohol and how we can all practise applying compassion to be kinder to ourselves and one another. Manoj can be found on all the socials - as well as his studio A-SPACE (make sure you check that out!) www.manojdias.com.au a-space.com.au Instagram: @manojdias Facebook: /hellomanojdias

Leisa and Leanne sit down in front of their respective screens and discuss life under lockdown. We talk about the issues that many of those may be facing right now - increased anxiety and uncertainty - and how that could lead to increased drinking and problem behaviour. We share some tips and tricks on how you can work through this difficult time and be kind to yourself. As we believe there is no right way to recover below are a few links to support resources that can help: Lifeline: www.lifeline.org.au or call 13 11 14 Beyond Blue: www.beyondblue.org.au Tempest: www.jointempest.com AA: aa.org.au Smart Recovery: smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au Or join our FB private group (@theriserevolution) for close to home support. We're all in this together. As always remember to rate and review folks :)

Leisa and Leanne share the story of their journeys to becoming alcohol free. We introduce ourselves and our new podcast in this episode. We talk about how and why we quit the booze and what's compelled us to start this conversation about the role it plays in Australian society.