Rebranding Sobriety with Claire Comai

There have been dramatic changes in the recovery space over the last decade

Just 10 years ago you were either a normal drinker or you were an alcoholic and you went to AAWe now understand that alcohol dependence is a spectrum with many different stages between the merely sober curious and the problematic drinker

ven if you are that problematic drinker you don’t have to go to AA any more -we now have a modern recovery movement with many different pathways to getting sober

Part of that modern recovery movement is driven by young sobriety influencers – just like my guest today Claire Comai of Rehab Studios

In this Episode

• Claire got sober at the tender age of 24 so her drinking career was very short but it was pretty intense!
• She first tried alcohol at about 15 and just loved it – as she says she was obsessed with it straight away and the only reason she wasn’t drinking all day every day was because she lived with her family and had to go to school!
• She drank when she was at high school and would blackout all the time
• Claire had health consequences and got herself into risky situations
• She had absolutely no off switch and felt something change in her brain after that first drink
• She went to uni in Montreal, a huge university where no restrictions were put on drinking
• Worried about her frequent blackouts Claire put lots of rules in place but of course like most of us she usually broke them!
• She ended up in hospital several times after drinking sessions and began every day with a hangover
• She used to see an addiction counsellor every week but all they did was to set new rules for her drinking
• Then came the intervention – she was helping her sister move apartments and discovered the rest of the family waiting there – sitting in a circle
• By this point her family were desperately worried about Claire’s drinking so had gathered together to let her know how they felt
• This intervention was a real eye opener for because she knew she was hurting herself with the drink but had no idea how it was affecting the people that loved her
• Her parents were very emotional but what really struck her was the fact that her younger sister had been staying awake at night worrying about her – when as the older sister Claire should have been a role model
• The intervention worked and she threw herself into sobriety – she went to AA and got a Sober Coach
• She did feel that she had been pushed into sobriety by her family and felt annoyed that her drinking career had been so short but over the months she began to feel better and better
• We agreed that the first few months are really really had but then it gets SO much easier and the benefits start coming in
• If you are in early sobriety and don’t have a community you should know that connecting with others on the same path makes a huge difference
• It’s really hard to do this alone so please reach out – just go to tribesober.com and hit join our tribe – or drop me a line at janet@tribesober.com
• Claire was usually the youngest person at the AA meetings and would often be told that she was so lucky to be getting sober at 24 -gradually she began to believe them!
• She now has more than 3 years of sobriety but still goes to meetings about twice a week – like us she believes that connection is the opposite of addiction and we must stay connected
• Even if we have a supportive family and lots of friends they won’t really understand us like other people who have struggled – they may innocently try to convince us that we’ll be ok to have just one glass of wine now, that’s something people in your sobriety group will never do!
• Like many of us Claire began to feel passionate about sobriety and began to speak out – to be a younger person in the world of recovery sharing her story
• We always advise our members to get a project in early sobriety to keep those sobriety blues away – if you want to know the science behind this strategy then listen to Tribe Sober podcast episode 55, my interview with Dr Loretta Breuning.
• Claire is a great example of how having a project can keep you motivated and on track
• Her project is a apparel and jewellery brand called Rehab Studios
• Like many of us she is an all or nothing person and has thrown herself into designing and managing this wonderful project
• Check out Claires website which is called https://www.rehabstudiosny.com/ - she has some lovely items on there and she ships worldwide
• You can find Claire at rehabstudiosny on TikTok and Instagram,

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