We often talk about alcohol as a way to take the edge off—but what if it's also taking the shine off?

In this episode, we explore how alcohol doesn’t just dull pain, stress, or anxiety—it also numbs your ability to feel joy, connection, and real pleasure. I’ll walk you through the neuroscience behind this, explain how alcohol rewires your brain’s reward system, and share how numbing the bad inevitably means numbing the good, too.

You’ll learn:

• why alcohol affects your capacity to feel joy in both the short and long term;
• how your brain adapts to the artificial dopamine spikes caused by drinking—and what that does to your baseline happiness;
• why rediscovering joy is a process (and how to start small);
• what you can do if your life feels a little gray right now, and how to start feeling more alive—without relying on alcohol to get you there.

This episode is an invitation to reconnect with pleasure—not as a reward for abstaining from drinking, but so you can learn how to enjoy your life without needing alcohol.

If this sparks something for you, reach out and let me know what small joys you’re rediscovering. Or, if you're looking for personalized support, book a free consultation and let's talk!

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Grab my free guide "7 Steps to Kickstart Your Sobriety": https://www.adrianacloud.com/7-steps

Book a free consultation: https://acloudcoaching.as.me/consult

Get in touch with questions or comments: adriana@adrianacloud.com

Follow me on Instagram: @adriana_cloud_

We say we want to drink less. But do we really want to change—or do we just want to avoid the consequences of overdrinking?

In this episode, I invite you to look beneath the surface and get radically honest with yourself. We explore what it actually means to change your relationship with alcohol—not just how much you drink, but who you are around alcohol, and why you turn to it in the first place.

Tune in to explore:

• why simply avoiding the negative effects of alcohol isn’t the same as real change;
• what it means to stop relying on alcohol emotionally, socially, and mentally;
• and how to start shifting—gently, deliberately, and on your own timeline.

This isn’t about punishing yourself into sobriety or doing it perfectly. It’s about clarity, compassion, and the kind of deep change that actually lasts.

If you’re tired of repeating the same patterns, this episode will help you figure out what kind of change you’re truly ready for—and what your next step could be.

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Grab my free guide "7 Steps to Kickstart Your Sobriety": https://www.adrianacloud.com/7-steps

Book a free consultation: https://acloudcoaching.as.me/consult

Get in touch with questions or comments: adriana@adrianacloud.com

Follow me on Instagram: @adriana_cloud_

In last week’s episode, I invited you to ask: What is alcohol giving you?

In this companion episode, we explore what alcohol might be taking from you. Not just the obvious consequences of drinking, but the deeper, more personal costs that often go unspoken.

This isn’t about shame or judgment. It’s about awareness—so you can stop letting alcohol take more than it already has.

We’ll talk about:

• how alcohol impacts your health, relationships, finances, productivity;
• how it takes away your joy, pleasure, and sense of agency;
• what it does to your self-trust, self-respect, and ability to show up for yourself;
• and why getting honest about these losses is a gateway to real change.

If you’ve ever comforted yourself that your drinking is "not that bad," this episode will help you see the bigger picture, so you can decide what kind of future you want to create.

You are allowed to want more for yourself. You are allowed to choose differently.

And if you’re ready to stop letting alcohol write your story, I can help. Book a free consultation to talk about what’s possible—link is in the show notes.

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Grab my free guide "7 Steps to Kickstart Your Sobriety": https://www.adrianacloud.com/7-steps

Book a free consultation: https://acloudcoaching.as.me/consult

Get in touch with questions or comments: adriana@adrianacloud.com

Follow me on Instagram: @adriana_cloud_

If you're trying to drink less, it might feel counterintuitive to ask yourself what alcohol is giving you. But understanding the real reason you're reaching for a drink is the key to changing your relationship with alcohol—without relying on shame or scare tactics.

In this episode, I unpack why it’s so important to get honest about the benefits you think alcohol is providing—because before alcohol became a problem, it was a solution to something.

You'll learn:

• why it often feels like alcohol is helping, even when you know it’s hurting;
• how to uncover the feelings you’re looking for alcohol to give you—or the feelings you’re trying to numb by drinking;
• why self-compassion—not judgment—is essential for lasting habit change;
• what you can do once you identify the real need underneath the urge to drink.

Getting curious about what alcohol is giving you is the first step toward finding better, more sustainable ways to meet your needs—without pouring another glass.

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Grab my free guide "7 Steps to Kickstart Your Sobriety": https://www.adrianacloud.com/7-steps

Book a free consultation: https://acloudcoaching.as.me/consult

Get in touch with questions or comments: adriana@adrianacloud.com

Follow me on Instagram: @adriana_cloud_

If your main reason for drinking less is to avoid the shame, hangovers, or health risks... that’s totally understandable—but it might not be enough.

In this episode, I talk about the difference between running away from alcohol and running toward something better—and why your “why” matters more than you think.

You’ll learn:

• why fear-based motivation (like health risks or shame) isn’t enough to create lasting change;
• how your brain weighs short-term relief vs. long-term rewards—and how to tip the balance;
• why you need a compelling, future-focused reason to guide you forward;
• powerful questions to help you define your vision and create a destination worth running toward.

If you’re ready to drink less but not sure how to stay motivated day to day, this episode will help you get clear on what’s waiting for you on the other side of this work.

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Grab my free guide "7 Steps to Kickstart Your Sobriety": https://www.adrianacloud.com/7-steps

Book a free consultation: https://acloudcoaching.as.me/consult

Get in touch with questions or comments: adriana@adrianacloud.com

Follow me on Instagram: @adriana_cloud_

If you’ve ever wondered what a sobriety coach actually does—and whether you need one—this episode is for you.

I’m answering the most common questions I get about the work I do:

• who I work with and exactly how I help them;
• how my approach differs from other sobriety-focused programs;
• what coaching looks like in practice (hint: it’s not about handing you a list of rules to follow or mantras to recite);
• the benefits of working with a coach that you’ll never get if you try to do this on your own.

If you’re curious about changing your relationship with alcohol and want support that’s personalized, nonjudgmental, and focused on actual transformation, this episode will show you what’s possible.

And if you’re ready to talk about whether working together is the next step for you, book a free consultation using the link in the show notes and let’s chat!

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Grab my free guide "7 Steps to Kickstart Your Sobriety": https://www.adrianacloud.com/7-steps

Book a free consultation: https://acloudcoaching.as.me/consult

Get in touch with questions or comments: adriana@adrianacloud.com

Follow me on Instagram: @adriana_cloud_

Have you ever felt ashamed for still wanting a drink even though you’d decided to cut back or quit? Then this episode is for you.

So many people believe that if they truly wanted to change, they wouldn’t still crave alcohol. They think desire means weakness or proof that something’s wrong with them. But that’s not true—and in this episode, I’ll show you why.

We’ll talk about:

• how the brain forms habits around alcohol (and why cravings become automatic);
• why wanting a drink doesn’t mean you’re failing;
• how to stop judging yourself for wanting alcohol;
• and what to focus on instead—so you can build real, sustainable change.

You don’t have to erase all desire to take back your power. You just have to respond differently to it.

Whether you’re sober-curious, taking a break, or trying to drink less, this episode will help you take the shame out of wanting alcohol and make choices that actually support the change you want.

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Grab my free guide "7 Steps to Kickstart Your Sobriety": https://www.adrianacloud.com/7-steps

Book a free consultation: https://acloudcoaching.as.me/consult

Get in touch with questions or comments: adriana@adrianacloud.com

Follow me on Instagram: @adriana_cloud_

If you’ve ever reached for a drink just to take the edge off—because you were stressed, bored, anxious, or just overwhelmed—this episode is for you.

I unpack the emotional side of drinking: why we use alcohol to avoid feelings, how that avoidance becomes a habit, and how learning to feel your feelings (without numbing them) is the key to creating lasting change in your drinking habits. You’ll learn:

• what feelings actually are (and why most of us never learned to feel them);
• the difference between thinking about your emotions and truly feeling them;
• how emotional avoidance fuels the drinking habit loop;
• simple steps to start feeling your feelings—without getting overwhelmed;
• how to regulate your nervous system and build emotional resilience.

This work can be uncomfortable at first—but it’s also powerful. Because when you learn how to sit with your feelings, you stop needing a drink to escape them.

And if alcohol has become your go-to tool for coping, book a free consultation with me and let’s talk about how to help you feel better—for real.

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Grab my free guide "7 Steps to Kickstart Your Sobriety": https://www.adrianacloud.com/7-steps

Book a free consultation: https://acloudcoaching.as.me/consult

Get in touch with questions or comments: adriana@adrianacloud.com

Follow me on Instagram: @adriana_cloud_