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Addiction Unlimited Podcast Episode 383: Thriving in the Mess – The Real Work of Sobriety with Angela Pugh. A sobriety podcast for women exploring emotional sobriety, coping without alcohol, and how to stay sober when life gets hard. Listen now at addictionunlimited.com/episodes.

If life feels messy and sobriety feels like an uphill battle — this episode will give you relief, language, and a path forward.

Let me guess…
You thought quitting drinking would solve most of your problems.

You figured, once the alcohol was gone, things would finally calm down.
You’d feel happier, more stable, less overwhelmed.
But instead — sobriety hit, and life still feels like one giant mess.

Here’s the thing no one really talks about:
Life doesn’t stop life-ing just because you quit drinking.

There are still bills, breakups, bad days, and unexpected chaos.
The difference is, now you’re trying to face it without your old escape button.

And that’s not because you’re doing sobriety wrong — it’s because life is still life, and your nervous system is still learning how to handle it.

This episode is all about learning how to deal with the hard stuff — curveballs, chaos, and everyday stress — without unraveling.
I’m going to show you how to build the kind of emotional endurance that helps you stay calm, grounded, and clear… even when life gets messy.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why just not drinking isn’t enough to feel better

  • The real reason you still feel stuck or triggered

  • How to stop getting derailed by every curveball

  • The coping tools that actually work — and how to start using them

  • What it really means to “do the work” in recovery

If you’re sober (or trying to be) but life still feels chaotic, overwhelming, and exhausting — this is your episode.

It’s not just about not drinking anymore.
It’s about learning to live — really live — without running, numbing, or blowing up your life.

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