Episode 316: Is Binge Drinking More Dangerous Than You Think? with Colleen Clifford
Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of alcohol-related suicide. Please listen with care.
Colleen Clifford lost her husband to alcohol, but it took years and a handful of wild card moments for her to confront her own relationship with drinking. 95% of the time? She felt in control. 5% of the time, something flipped. A split-second decision, a blackout, or a version of herself she didn’t fully recognize.
Today, we’re talking about the psychology of the wild card, why “mostly fine” can still cost you your integrity, and the moment Colleen decided she would never again gamble with who she was becoming.
IN THIS EPISODE:
The wild card effect, and why it doesn’t care how successful or in-control you are
The staggering number of people binge drinking kills each year
How Colleen coped with the loss of her husband while in the middle of the sea
The integrity rupture that forces a woman to ask, “Who am I becoming?”
Why writing Life Beyond the Binge felt non-negotiable
REFLECTION QUESTION
Describe the last wild card moment you’ve had. Where in your life are you tolerating a 5% risk that doesn’t align with your values?
“My message is the warning that it only takes one moment of drinking too much that can change your life.” - Colleen Clifford
“Who jumps in a river like that? Was I trying to kill myself? I went back to the party soaking wet, cold, and everyone looked at me and said, why are you wet? Did you jump in the river? Are you crazy? And then we all started laughing. It wasn't funny at all. And that's a common thing we do in society. We laugh at testing fate.” - Colleen Clifford
“Once I got over the hump of my own depression, I realized, wow, I never thought about dying by suicide. If I could have fallen in a black hole, I would have welcomed it. But I never thought of dying, killing myself. And I thought, wow, Scott did. He must have been really suffering. And that's when I made the promise to him that I would take the tragedy and try to share the message to anyone that might want to hear. And that's what I'm doing.” - Colleen Clifford
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Be sure to check out Colleen’s website and learn more about her book, Life Beyond the Binge, which comes out in the spring.
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