132: Not Picking Up A Drink Through Trauma132: Not Picking Up A Drink Through Trauma
You're Sober! Now What?
Tamar Medford talks about staying sober through recent traumatic events by returning to recovery basics, leaning on support, and holding tight to her sense of purpose. The episode focuses on practical tools for handling pain and stress without using alcohol, especially for those in recovery who juggle entrepreneurship and emotional health.
15:26•9 Sept 2021
Facing Trauma Without Picking Up a Drink
Episode Overview
- Trauma once triggered drinking, but a clear purpose and recovery tools now help Tamar face pain without alcohol.
- Reaching out to a support network and attending meetings is a priority when emotions feel overwhelming.
- Healthy habits like hiking in nature, intuitive eating, and prioritising sleep support emotional stability.
- Prayer, meditation, and honest sharing of feelings help process grief instead of numbing it.
- Returning to early recovery basics and focusing on only the most important tasks prevents burnout and relapse risk.
“Once you move through the pain, the sadness, and you start to kind of come out of that, you start to look back and realise, wow, you know what, I didn’t die. I didn’t pick up.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This episode of "You're Sober! Now What?" zooms in on one of the toughest challenges in recovery: facing trauma without reaching for a drink. Tamar Medford talks candidly about how, for years, trauma was her trigger to drink. Coming home to "that bottle of wine or that case of beer" was her way to numb feelings she didn’t want to face. Today, things look very different.
She explains how current painful events, including physical pain and emotional upheaval, could easily have sent her back to alcohol or other mind-altering substances, yet she stays sober using practical tools and a clear sense of purpose. You’ll hear her describe the old patterns of perfectionism rooted in childhood experiences, and how those beliefs once fed her addiction. Instead of glossing over the hard stuff, she admits, "I didn’t die. I didn’t pick up.
And I think that’s an accomplishment for somebody in recovery." From binge eating and overworking to burnout, she lays out the substitute coping strategies that can sneak in when alcohol is off the table, and what she does today to handle them more honestly. The episode walks through going "back to the basics": reaching out to a support network immediately, attending meetings, hiking in nature, practising intuitive eating, prioritising sleep, and leaning into prayer and meditation.
Tamar highlights how being clear on her purpose and the future she wants makes picking up a drink feel like too high a price. This conversation speaks directly to people in recovery, especially entrepreneurs who might try to bury their emotions in work. It’s real, practical, and focused on staying sober even when life falls apart.
If you’ve ever thought, "I can’t handle this without a drink," this might be the reminder you need that there’s another way through—are you ready to go back to your own basics?
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