You can be doing everything “right” in your relationships - showing up, being agreeable, staying committed - and still feel deeply lonely.

In this episode of No Alcohol Needed, hosts Julie Miller and Steve Knapp are joined by Mike Coyne and Christen Miller for an honest conversation about why relationships often feel empty even after you’ve stopped drinking and started working on yourself.

This isn’t a conversation about fixing your partner or trying harder. It’s about the patterns many of us learned early on - performing, people-pleasing, staying quiet, avoiding conflict - and how those habits quietly block real connection.

Together, they explore:

• Why effort doesn’t automatically create intimacy
• How performative relationships keep us feeling unseen
• The difference between being partnered and being connected
• Why vulnerability feels so risky - and why it matters
• How healthier relationships support emotional stability and happiness

This episode is for anyone who is emotionally aware, doing the work, and still wondering, “Is this really as good as it gets?”

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If this conversation resonates and you’re feeling stuck in “emotionally aware but still lonely,” you’re not alone.

You can explore more episodes and resources here: https://noalcoholneeded.net

Stress doesn’t go away just because you stop drinking - or just because you do the ‘self care’ stuff that someone told you to do.

In this episode of No Alcohol Needed, we talk about how to handle stress without alcohol in a way that actually works in real life. Not bubble baths. Not pretending everything is fine. Not dumping positive thinking on top of real stress and hoping it goes away.

Self-care - the kind that works - helps regulate your nervous system, build self-trust, and move through overwhelm instead wishing you could numb out.

Julie Miller and Steve Knapp are joined by Janice Dowd and Amber Fenner for an honest conversation about:

• Why stress feels so overwhelming
• Why self-care often “doesn’t work”
• How stress shows up physically and emotionally
• What real self-care looks like in daily life and in crisis
• How learning to handle stress builds confidence and self-trust

This episode is for anyone who feels overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or tired of relying on alcohol or other numbing habits to cope.

At No Alcohol Needed (formerly Through the Glass Recovery Podcast) we’re hanging out at the intersection of emotional wellness, personal growth, and living an alcohol-free life.

We talk about emotional intelligence, self-worth, sobriety, and how to build a life you don’t wish you could escape from.

Learn more about the podcast and the work we do: https://noalcoholneeded.net

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Free weekly group sessions on Zoom Real conversations that go beyond the alcohol https://noalcoholneeded.net/meeting-faqs/

Julie’s writing on sober living and emotional growth: https://createalifesofull.com

Browse the full library of podcast episodes: https://noalcoholneeded.net/category/blog/

People pleasing doesn’t usually feel like a problem at first. It feels like being helpful, generous, and kind. Being easy to be around. Being the one who keeps everything running smoothly.

But over time, it can lead to anxiety, resentment, burnout, and a loss of self.

In this episode of No Alcohol Needed, Julie Miller, Steve Knapp, Mike Coyne, and Amber Fenner unpack how people pleasing actually works, why so many people don’t recognize it in themselves, and what starts to change when you stop organizing your life around other people’s emotions.

This conversation is especially relatable for people who’ve started questioning their relationship with alcohol, but it’s not limited to that. Anyone who feels responsible for keeping everyone else comfortable will recognize themselves here.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How people pleasing often starts as a survival skill
• Why it creates anxiety, resentment, and emotional exhaustion
• The connection between people pleasing, perfectionism, and over-apologizing
• Why saying no can feel so threatening
• What changes when you stop living for approval
• How relationships shift when you begin choosing yourself

At No Alcohol Needed (formerly Through the Glass Recovery Podcast) we’re hanging out at the intersection of emotional wellness, personal growth, and living an alcohol-free life.

We talk about emotional intelligence, self-worth, sobriety, and how to build a life you don’t wish you could escape from.

Learn more about the podcast and the work we do: https://noalcoholneeded.net

--CHECK OUT OUR OTHER RESOURCES--

Free weekly gathering on Zoom Real conversations about more than just not drinking. https://noalcoholneeded.net/meeting-faqs/

Julie’s writing on sober living and emotional growth: https://createalifesofull.com