So Much More Than a "Wine Girlie" with Rachel Sereni | Episode 506

So Much More Than a "Wine Girlie" with Rachel Sereni | Episode 506

How do individuals turn their lives around after addiction? This conversation on The Way Out | A Sobriety & Recovery Podcast follows Rachel Sereni as she talks honestly about going from blackout drinking and pills to a structured, purpose-filled sober life. Rachel shares how early substance use, childhood trauma, and losing her mum at 16 fed into years of heavy drinking, pills, job losses and chaotic relationships.

She’s upfront about using alcohol to quieten severe ADHD and unprocessed grief, and she doesn’t sugarcoat the consequences: “You can’t be a wine girly… you’re drinking to numb.” You’ll hear a very down-to-earth chat between Rachel and hosts Charlie and Jason, with a relaxed, sometimes darkly funny tone that still cuts to the core issues. They talk about misdiagnosed or untreated mental health, how grief keeps resurfacing in sobriety, and why community matters so much.

Rachel’s clear that she tried different approaches: AA meetings, a sobriety group that felt cult-like, then building her own path with fitness, Buddhist-inspired meditation, Recovery Dharma and co-hosting the Rock Bottom with Ryan podcast. This episode is especially helpful if you’re a parent in recovery, someone who grew up around addiction, or you’re trying to balance ADHD, anxiety or trauma with staying sober.

Rachel talks about losing 80 pounds, keeping a stable job for the first time, rebuilding family relationships, and getting married on her two-year sober anniversary. Routine and boundaries are huge for her: non-negotiable gym sessions at 5:15 a.m., meditation, and showing up for other women as a sobriety mentor.

As Rachel puts it, recovery means “getting my life back… being reborn.” If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re capable of that kind of shift, this story might be the nudge you need to ask what your own “non-negotiables” could be.