I Was A High-Functioning Drinker Who Hid It All | Losing My Mom, My Marriage & My Hair

From the outside Christie Green looked like she had it all together. A successful career, a wide circle of friends, the person who sent the thank-you cards and remembered everyone's birthday. Nobody saw the high-functioning drinking underneath, or the grief, divorce and decades of quiet pain she was masking with it. Christie lost her hair to alopecia as a child and spent years building humor and achievement into armor so no one would look too closely. She lost her mother six years ago and describes that grief as the catalyst that sent the next chapter of her life into a tailspin. She went through a divorce, multiple miscarriages, and a long stretch of self-medicating just to avoid sitting with her own feelings. Then on one bad night out she slammed a door in a stranger's face in a crowded bar, walked home, and woke up the next morning knowing she was done. She caught herself at the crossroads. This March she celebrated one year alcohol-free. In this honest and reflective episode Christie talks about high-functioning drinking, grief, learning to sit with hard emotions instead of numbing them, and the journaling and self-worth work that carried her through her first year sober. This one is for everyone who looks fine on the outside and is quietly struggling underneath. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.co... CBH Youtube channel: ‪@cbhrehab‬ #RiseAbove #SoberLife #1YearSober #HighFunctioningAlcoholic #AlcoholFree #SobrietyJourney #GriefAndHealing #WomenInRecovery #Alopecia #RecoveryIsPossible #MentalHealth #SelfWorth #SoberCurious #RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #ChristieGreen #GettingSober #Journaling #OneDayAtATime #OneMoreThing 00:00 Celebrating one year sober & buying the cupcake 01:24 Why celebrating milestones matters 02:15 Sharing her sobriety on LinkedIn 03:22 Self-medicating to avoid sitting with feelings 05:29 How journaling changed her first year 06:07 Losing her mom and grief as the catalyst 06:52 The months leading up to getting sober 07:25 Trying Dry January 08:17 The morning routine that sets her day 09:10 The bad night that became her bottom 09:41 Slamming the door & the moment of clarity 11:42 Divorce, solo travel and trying to find herself 13:08 The morning after & mistaking alcoholism for depression 14:30 Catching herself at the crossroads 15:15 The night she almost asked for non-alcoholic beer 41:14 Miscarriages, family and her supportive parents 43:10 Growing up with hair loss 44:33 The one comment that cut the deepest 46:34 Discovering alcohol at 15 47:54 Becoming the class clown as armor 01:25:28 Acceptance, self-worth and reframing her story 01:31:10 Sobriety as a journey, not a destination 01:32:53 Closing thoughts 👉Instagram:   / riseabovewithkevin   👉 TikTok:   / rawithk   👉 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/riseabovewithk ✅ For Business Inquiries: [email protected] ================================ ✅ About Rise Above with Kevin Lanning: Rise Above: Stories of Resilience with Kevin Lanning Welcome to Rise Above with Kevin Lanning, where resilience finds its voice. Join Kevin Lanning, a former Google Executive in sobriety, as he brings you powerful stories of individuals who have navigated life's greatest challenges and emerged victorious. About Kevin: Kevin Lanning personifies resilience. From overcoming addiction to conquering childhood trauma, his journey mirrors the triumph of the human spirit. Now, he's dedicated to sharing stories that uplift, educate, and ignite the spark within you. Join us on this journey to rise above adversity and thrive. For Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below: 📩 Email: [email protected] 🔔 Hit that subscribe button for more exclusive, insightful, and inspiring videos: https://www.youtube.com/@Riseabovepod... ================================= #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #corecore #motivation #addictionrecovery #inspiration #selflove #selfhelp #loveyourself Disclaimer: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of watching any of our publications. You acknowledge that you use the information we provide at your own risk. Do your research. Copyright Notice: This video and our YouTube channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Rise Above with Kevin Lanning. You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to our YouTube channel is provided. © Rise Above with Kevin Lanning