Conquering the shame | Jen Hirst

09/08/20 • 78 min

1 Listener

Jen Hirst didn't see herself in the image of an alcoholic, but her drinking caused her to lose her job, her car and almost her marriage. It was when she found herself as a 30-year-old sitting on her childhood bed at her parents house and googling if she was having a heart attack that she started her bumpy road to recovery.

In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, Jen chats with host Jessie Browning about receiving treatment for her alcoholism and her relapses. She didn't share about her recovery until she started coaching and spent four of those seven years as a closet sober person living a dry, drunk lifestyle. Listen as Jen explains to Jessie why it helped her to overcome the shame of being an alcoholic by being outspoken about it.

Episode Timeline:

[00:03] Intro
[03:54] Meet Jen Hirst
[06:17] How Jen reached rock bottom
[12:37] Why she gave up drinking
[14:15] Her first drink
[16:10] The first time she abused alcohol
[18:26] Recovering perfectionist
[22:36] Drinking and wedding planning
[25:25] Seeking treatment
[28:19] The second DWI
[34:38] One bite at a time
[39:14] An isolating road to recovery
[42:39] Becoming a sober coach
[47:12] Wine Mom culture
[52:29] Conquering the shame
[55:27] Jen's tools to maintain recovery
[1:04:43] Jessie's rapid fire questions
[1:12:34] Contacting Jen Hirst
[1:14:27] Outro

Resources Mentioned:

Brené Brown
Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol by Holly Whitaker
Floor is Lava
Peace & Calming Essential Oil Blend from Young Living
Stress Away Essential Oil Blend from Young Living
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: Discovering a happy, healthy, wealthy alcohol-free life by Catherine Gray
This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol: Find Freedom, Rediscover Happiness & Change Your Life by Annie Grace
Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol by Ruby Warrington
Rachel Hollis

Standout Quotes:

"I hope by sharing my story and telling others these hard things that I've been through, I hope it gives you permission to do the same and realize again that you're not alone in this. That you can pivot...

Episode Timeline:

[00:03] Intro
[03:54] Meet Jen Hirst
[06:17] How Jen reached rock bottom
[12:37] Why she gave up drinking
[14:15] Her first drink
[16:10] The first time she abused alcohol
[18:26] Recovering perfectionist
[22:36] Drinking and wedding planning
[25:25] Seeking treatment
[28:19] The second DWI
[34:38] One bite at a time
[39:14] An isolating road to recovery
[42:39] Becoming a sober coach
[47:12] Wine Mom culture
[52:29] Conquering the shame
[55:27] Jen's tools to maintain recovery
[1:04:43] Jessie's rapid fire questions
[1:12:34] Contacting Jen Hirst
[1:14:27] Outro

Resources Mentioned:

Brené Brown
Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol by Holly Whitaker
Floor is Lava
Peace & Calming Essential Oil Blend from Young Living
Stress Away Essential Oil Blend from Young Living
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: Discovering a happy, healthy, wealthy alcohol-free life by Catherine Gray
This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol: Find Freedom, Rediscover Happiness & Change Your Life by Annie Grace
Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol by Ruby Warrington
Rachel Hollis

Standout Quotes:

"I hope by sharing my story and telling others these hard things that I've been through, I hope it gives you permission to do the same and realize again that you're not alone in this. That you can pivot...

Previous Episode

Waking up from the sleepwalk | Megan Clayton

When Megan Clayton was 22 years old, she found herself looking at a house she couldn't afford with her then-husband, her parents and a realtor. It was a fixer-upper but a great house. As she listened to everyone talk about filling the rooms with kids, Megan realized she didn't want any of it.

In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, Megan chats with host Jessie Browning about reevaluating her life in her early 20s after that moment and how yoga and therapy helped her through those hard growing pains.

Episode Timeline:

- [00:03] Intro
- [04:59] Meet Megan Clayton
- [05:57] Megan's wake-up call
- [09:22] Not a "Say Yes to the Dress" wedding
- [12:24] Looking at a potential house
- [17:24] "I really wanted it to work."
- [21:01] Moved back with the parents
- [23:27] Her healing process
- [29:08] Dating now-husband
- [33:55] Megan's tools
- [41:27] Knowing what you don't want
- [43:42] Hell of a four years
- [49:44] What's next for Megan?
- [52:15] Jessie's rapid fire questions
- [1:03:32] Contacting Megan Clayton
[1:05:16] Outro

Resources Mentioned:

Standout Quotes:

"It was like a huge wake-up call just that the things that I was supposed to be wanting as a newlywed and as the good daughter and all of these things, I realized in an instant that I didn't actually want those things. It was a really hard pill to swallow, because I was in this life already." -Megan Clayton [08:30]
"I felt like I had been sleepwalking through my life and I realized like who tows all of these things for me, ‘cause it didn't feel like it was a life that was my choice." -Megan Clayton [13:17]
"Starting with what you don't like and don't want is really fucking valid." -Jessie Browning [41:28]

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Next Episode

Listen to your body | Tricia Brooks

One morning, Tricia Brooks reached for her phone and realized she couldn't feel anything from her waist down. She knew she was stressed from working two jobs, taking more than a full load of college courses and acting in a professional play, but she had never experienced stress like this.

In this episode of Prickly and Blooming, Tricia chats with host Jessie Browning about how she recovered from that morning which required her to take a hard look at her life choices. Listen as she describes how her path towards healing also changed her career path.

Episode Timeline:

[00:03] Intro
[03:57] Meet Tricia Brooks
[04:38] Waking up feeling numb
[09:27] Ask questions and do your research
[11:34] Taking a hard look at herself
[17:56] Figuring it out it was shingles
[20:39] Strong intuition
[22:26] The work towards healing
[30:28] Peeling the onion
[32:14] Reading vs experiencing
[36:12] Attending college
[37:43] Changing her routine
[43:48] New focus means new career
[52:38] Tricia's last thoughts
[53:32] Jessie's rapid fire questions
[1:02:03] Contacting Tricia Brooks
[1:03:39] Outro

Resources Mentioned:

The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
Eckhart Tolle
The Gifts of Imperfections by Brene Brown

Standout Quotes:

"Sometimes I knew that I was stressed. I knew I was to a different point of stress that I had never experienced in my life, but I think it was this underlying thing of I just said ‘it's fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. Everything is going to be good. I'm just going to do all these different things, not get any sleep. I'm just going to study harder. I'm just going to work harder,' but the thing is your body is always giving you signs. Your body will keep giving you signs until it's like you listen and I wasn't listening." -Tricia Brooks [07:00]
"Books are amazing and I still read every single day and I love it, but there's a different thing from reading the book and actually experiencing the shit, you know what I'm saying, and applying that to your life." -Tricia Brooks [32:26]
"The anticipation. That's the worry you were talking about. Yes, the anticipation of things are so much worse than they actually are." -Jessie Browning [33:46]

Connect:

Connect with Lajoie Society:

Lajoie Society is Prickly & Blooming; please rate, review, and subscribe.

Lajoie Society on Instagram

Lajoie Society on Facebook

Lajoie Society on Twitter

Lajoie Society Website

Learn more about Tricia Brooks:

Tricia Brooks' Website

Tricia...