Last week I told you how I got sober. Today I'm telling you what happened next.

Five years without a drink. And here's what nobody tells you:

I lost friends.

People stopped inviting me to things - mom trips involved wine, get-togethers felt weird when I wasn't drinking.

I realized I couldn't relate to people anymore. The conversations all felt surface level. People repeat themselves after a few drinks and don't even notice.

I had to completely rewire my life. No beer after skiing. No bars. No happy hours.

Nothing to take the edge off. Ever.

Dating was brutal. Everyone wants drinks on a first date. I dated a guy who quit drinking but smoked pot daily - just trading one numbing agent for another. I'd rather be alone than with someone running from themselves.

In these five years, I've gone through divorce, custody battles, watching my kids go through things they shouldn't. The courts not doing proper investigations. Lost friends, partners, the life I thought I'd have.

All without anything to take the edge off.

But here's what ELSE happened:

My business hit million-dollar revenue. I was featured in Forbes and NY Times. I wrote a book. I bought horses, a mountain house, investment properties. I built a nest egg for my kids. After years of dating, I found a sober partner - the healthiest relationship I've ever had.

My body healed. I'm in perimenopause and healthier than I've been in years. My kids see me FULLY ALIVE.

In this episode:
💜 The friendships I lost (and why it's okay)
💜 Dating sober until I found my person
💜 Going through hell without the edge
💜 Forbes, NY Times, and million-dollar years
💜 Falling in love with myself

Less friends. More life. It's worth it.

Get Awaken Your Purpose at ericacarrico.com/books 💜

To learn more, visit:
http://www.ericacarrico.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
http://missionmatters.com/author/Erica-Carrico/

I woke up one morning and couldn't remember if I had bathed my kids the night before.

That was the lowest moment of my motherhood. And the moment everything changed.

Drinking had always been part of my life. Sorority in college. Living abroad and trying local wines. Corporate recruitment culture with boozy lunches and happy hours. Marriage, where a cheese platter and a bottle of wine became our only reprieve.

It never felt like a problem. Until it did.

In March 2020, I won International Coach of the Year in Australia. On that same trip, I finally decided to leave my marriage after 7 years of trying to find the courage. I flew home, told my husband I wanted a divorce... and then the entire world shut down.

Nine months trapped in a house with someone I'd just asked to divorce.

Homeschooling two kids. No gym. No mountains. No escape.

The couple-times-a-week glass became nightly. The nightly glass became two. Then a bottle. The 5pm start became 3pm. And all day, I thought about when I could have my first drink.

My best friend said I was just coping. But if you feel like you have a problem, you DO.

In this episode:
💜 How "normal" drinking became a problem
💜 What alcohol actually does to your body and mind
💜 The morning that broke me open
💜 Why I needed to go through my transformation sober
💜 The book that changed everything

I haven't had a drink since. Not because I'm "fixed," but because I finally understand what alcohol was taking from me.

If something in this episode makes you uncomfortable - pay attention to that.

Get Awaken Your Purpose at ericacarrico.com/books 💜

To learn more, visit:
http://www.ericacarrico.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
http://missionmatters.com/author/Erica-Carrico/

"When Staying Is the Wrong Kind of Brave" - A Follow-Up to The Marriage That Was Killing Me

After Episode 6 aired, my inbox exploded. Hundreds of messages from women saying, "It's like you were describing my life."

So this episode is for you. The one who's dying inside while everyone thinks you're fine. The one who stopped caring because caring hurts too much. The one who's staying out of fear, not love.

In this episode, I answer the questions you've been afraid to ask:

💜 How do you know if it's really over or just a rough patch?
💜 What about the kids? Won't divorce traumatize them?
💜 Why does he say he's "blindsided" when I've been unhappy for years?
💜 How did I find the courage to actually leave?
💜 What questions helped me get clarity?

I share the moment my son asked why married people sleep in the same bed—because we'd been in separate rooms so long he thought it was normal.

The relationship coach who told me I was "like Schwarzenegger with tits." The vision that kept me going when everything fell apart.

This isn't me telling you to leave. Only you know what's true for you.

But if you've stopped caring... if staying feels like dying... if you can't remember who you were before this relationship...

You already know. Deep down, you already know.

My book Awaken Your Purpose is the 28-day framework that helped me rebuild after leaving. Get your copy: https://ericacarrico.com/books

You deserve to be fully alive. 💜

To learn more, visit:
http://www.ericacarrico.com/

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
http://missionmatters.com/author/Erica-Carrico/