TIPS003: Mrs. D is Going Without and Going Sober with Lotta Dann

TIPS002: Surviving and Thriving after a Suicide Attempt, with Dese’Rae Stage
July 29, 2017
TIPS005: Transforming Stigma and Punching it in the Face with Mike Veny
August 9, 2017

TIPS003: Mrs. D is Going Without and Going Sober with Lotta Dann





Click to tweet: Lotta Dann shares her incredible journey on the i’Mpossible Project Show!

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Time Stamped Notes

  • 2:00 Lotta grew up in an environment and culture where alcohol was very normalized and she started drinking at 15 and proceeded to drink all the time
  • 2:20 Lotta trained as a journalist, lived in the UK for 3 years, has a family and obtained a master’s degree
  • 3:50 Lotta was worried about her drinking for 2 years before she ended up quitting
  • 4:35 After trying to control her drinking and then hiding her drinking, Lotta felt the only way to control her drinking was to cut it out completely
  • 5:05 Lotta began to feel new emotions after getting sober. Drinking masked those emotions for many years
  • 7:00 Lotta feels a sense of pride getting through a difficult day without alcohol
  • 7:56 Lotta is more connected to herself, her surroundings, and in her relationships when alcohol isn’t present in her life—she’s authentic
  • 9:10 Lotta got sober without counseling and support groups. She started writing a journal, which eventually turned into a blog and tribe of supporters and supportees—Living Sober
  • 11:10 When we talk about our “stuff” it normalizes the conversation and prevents others from suffering the way we once did
  • 17:11 Lotta isn’t against alcohol. It’s just not for her and she believes it’s possible to live a happy and fun life without alcohol
  • 19:11 Quick fire round—multiple questions. Lotta’s least favorite word is “moist.” J
  • 21:51 Lotta puts a lot of energy into raising her 3 sons and also works often on the site LivingSober.org.nz

 

Key Points

  • Put as many “quivers in your arrow” as possible when working through issues. There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment
  • When opening up about your issues, make sure it’s done in a safe place (a trusted advisor, a counselor etc.)

Resources or Websites Mentioned

Lotta’s websites:

http://LivingSober.org.nz

http://livingwithoutalcohol.blogspot.com

Lotta’s social media:

@MrsDAlcoholFree on Instagram and Twitter