She Thought She Was Stronger Than Alcohol | From Relapse to RecoveryShe Thought She Was Stronger Than Alcohol | From Relapse to Recovery
Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories
Trisha shares how tequila moved from harmless stress relief to life-threatening dependence, including rehab, relapse and a mental health crisis. She talks about the impact on her daughters and how meetings, faith, creativity and her work as a barber now support her ongoing sobriety.
52:09•21 Jul 2026
She Thought She Was Stronger Than Alcohol: Trisha’s Relapse, Rehab and Fight for Her Family
Episode Overview
- Stress, financial pressure and single parenting can gradually turn social drinking into physical dependence.
- High-functioning alcoholism may hide serious health and family consequences until a crisis forces change.
- Family intervention and professional support, including rehab and mental health care, can interrupt a dangerous spiral.
- Guilt over how alcohol affects children can become a powerful motivator to commit to long-term sobriety.
- Regular AA meetings, prayer, meditation, creative outlets and supportive relationships can help sustain recovery after relapse.
“I always thought I was stronger than alcohol. I never thought I would be in the position that my sister was in until it happened.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode of *Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories* follows Trisha, a barber, mum, and three-time brain surgery survivor who thought she was "stronger than alcohol" until tequila quietly took over her life. You’ll hear how Trisha went from cutting soldiers’ hair in her garage to owning a high-end barbershop in California, all while raising two daughters as a single parent.
When her ex-husband went to prison and child support stopped, stress and loneliness pushed her towards Casamigos tequila as a quick fix. At first she was the "fun, cool mum"; before long she was drinking in the mornings just to stop her hands shaking so she could cut hair.
The conversation walks through the turning points: hiding her drinking, losing her family’s trust, and the morning her dad found her with a bleeding chin from a blackout fall and drove her straight to rehab—pajama shorts and all. Rehab brought connection, therapy, and even her future fiancé, but relapse showed just how fast things can spiral back, culminating in a mental health hold on her youngest daughter’s 13th birthday and the painful realisation that her children now keep their distance.
Trisha talks openly about guilt, suicidal thoughts, and the moment she accepted there’s "no going back" to moderation: "You can't turn a pickle back into a cucumber." She now leans on AA meetings, church, meditation, poetry, and her barber chair as sources of stability, staying sober since 1 April and working to rebuild trust one day at a time.
If you’ve ever thought you had alcohol under control, Trisha’s story might prompt you to ask: what would it take for you to ask for help today?
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