In the media.
Feb 2024
Free spirits: Why more Aussies are ditching booze - The West Australian
WA’s drinking culture is changing. The sober curious movement - where people are mindfully drinking less, or not at all - is growing.
According to Faye Lawrence, an alcohol coach and therapist, drinkers who have hit “rock bottom” are no longer the only ones reaching out for support.
There’s been a recent surge among people she describes as ‘grey area drinkers’ giving up booze or wanting to drink less. LINK
Thriving Minds Neuroscience Podcast with Professor Selena Bartlett: Why high functioning people use alcohol to medicate stress and trauma + new ways that empower recovery
I was honoured to be invited onto her podcast recently renowned neuroscientist Professor Selena Bartlett's amazing podcast on the brain to talk about the interplay between the brain and addiction.
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🧠 The impact of trauma on the brain and the associated chronic dsyregulation that leads to addiction
🧠 Adverse childhood experiences: https://lnkd.in/eHaAvYBW
🧠 Susceptibility to addiction is 60% related to your brain structure, and the illusion of choice in addiction when it comes to the brain you are born with
🧠 The need to belong and why we sense check our drinking with those around us which is problematic when everyone else drinks like we do
🧠 Intergenerational addiction and how it gets handed down (inc the brain. Changes we make now benefit the next 3 generations, not just our own kids
🧠 Taking a community approach with Untoxicated and tapping into social prescribing
Addiction, ADHD and acceptance: Team DSC podcast
Team DSC are the 'go to' people for NDIS and disability training and consulting (B2B). I talk with Roland and Evie Naufal about:
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🧠 the overlap with addiction in terms of shame and stigma
🧠 why so many people with ADHD experience addiction of some kind
🧠 why the language we use about things that impact us is so laden and complex
🧠 why late diagnosis can be a tricky one to get your head around
🧠 why I'm worried I may never work again!
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30 minute listen: https://teamdsc.com.au/podcasts/episode-40
Sober Dating and Sober Sex - Sober Awkward Podcast
It's here! The episode all the single sober souls have been waiting for. Sober Dating! Seeing as Vic and Lucy know nothing about sober dating they have invited on an expert. Faye is the founder of Untoxicated, is a grey area drinking coach and an all-round professional party pooper. She has been on and off the sober dating scene since she gave up booze 4 years ago. Today they discuss everything from their drunken dating pasts, vulnerable sober sex and all the squishy stuff in-between. In this cheeky episode you'll get to find out what it's really like showing up to a date as you, no mask, no crutches. Together Vic and Faye discover that sober dating is about maturity, boundaries, and practice. It really is a case of feeling the awkward and doing it anyway!
The nation’s favourite, award winning Sober Awkward series can be listened to here: ttps://soberawkward.podbean.com/
ABC Radio: Interview with Jacinta Parsons in the afternoon
Jacinta explores why it’s becoming more socially acceptable to drink less, and to use alcohol-free products - so much so that they’d run out when she tried to buy her supplies!
Untoxicated founder and sober coach Faye chats with her about all things sober socialising, @untoxicated_aus and how relationships can change when you cut out the booze.
Australians are drinking less, but what's behind this new-found thirst for sobriety? Body + Soul Magazine
Australia’s penchant for booze is on the decline, a trend largely driven by young people and reflected in a raft of research. So what has led to this monumental shift in our culture, and what does it say about us when the hottest trend in drinking is now not drinking alcohol at all?
Faye Lawrence is a sobriety coach who holds a degree in psychology and says her clients are predominantly women aged 35 to 55. “I think when people reach their late 30s and beyond, hangovers get worse and they question whether they want this lifestyle for another 10 years,” she says. “They’re recognising the impact of alcohol on their health, finances and ability to achieve goals.” Click for the full article!
ABC Weekend Breakfast show - Why more Australians are cutting back on alcohol
Many of us welcomed in the New Year by raising a glass but non-alcoholic drinks are also having a real moment with more brands creating alternatives for non-drinkers. So are we seeing a shift in Australia's drinking culture? And what impact is that having on public health? Professor Rosemary Calder from Victoria University's Mitchell Institute and also Faye Lawrence who is the founder of alcohol free social group Untoxicated and sober coach join us to discuss.
Australian Women’s Weekly: The Sober Curious Wake-Up Call
We’ve been drinking our way through a global crisis but it might be time to press pause on the pinot.
“It was when I found myself sitting on my deck with a glass of wine, drunk, sobbing and thinking ‘ I don’t even want to drink this, but I can’t stop’ that I realised I’d hit rock bottom,” recalls Faye Lawrence, 48, a sober coach and founder of booze-free social group Untoxicated. “Drinking had stopped being fun. I felt like I’d lost control.”
How I Quit Alcohol podcast with Danni Carr: the art of being sober and social
It was a delight to chat with Danni Carr from How I Quit Alcohol about my story, getting sober, detox, the first few months, cPTSD, healing, socialising without booze and starting Untoxicated. It's the most honest interview I have given so far about how things were for me.
I've basically totally overshared (eek!!!). Its not all heavy though! Its funny too. Have a listen!
Going sober without surrendering the fun -TEDxBrisbane
Having been a heavy but high functioning drinker since her teens – almost 30 years – Faye Lawrence found herself in inpatient detox in late 2017 after "the wheels really fell off". Determined not to let her sobriety ruin her social life, Untoxicated was born.
In this talk I explain talk why I started Untoxicated, the challenges people face when they cut back or quit, and what needs to happen for the pressure around alcohol consumption to stop. A call to action for every Australian, if you like.
And such an amazing opportunity to be part of shifting the narrative around socialising without alcohol and normalising people's choice - regardless of the reason - to drink less or not at all.
ABC TV National News: COVID has helped give Australians the space to quit drinking alcohol
Faye talks to the ABC about why, despite all the reports to the contrary, COVID has actually been the catalyst for some people to reevaluate their drinking.
Dry But Wet podcast: Sober Socialising with Faye Lawrence
🎙️"There has to be room for fun and playfulness in sobriety".
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Thank you to the wonderful Amy from @drybutwet for having me on her poddy to chat about my journey from party girl, to out-of-control boozer, through rehab and out the other side and founding Untoxicated.
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I chat about the *three key things* I did to finally stay off the grog after trying on and off for about 16 years. It's a 30 min listen. Get amongst it!
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🔗Listen now https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999157/11914010 Check out Dry But Wet!
ABC Radio National, Life Matters: Brand new sobriety
It's not just Dry July — sobriety is having a moment, as demand for non-alcoholic spirits, wine and beer soars in big chain bottle stores and behind boutique bars. So why are non-drinkers still feeling judged?
Guests: Professor Steve Allsop, National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University and Faye Lawrence, founder of alcohol-free social group Untoxicated.
Channel 9 News: Are mummy wine memes on the way out?
Faye and Victoria from Drunk Mummy Sober Mummy talk with Channel 9 News about how Mums are turning to online groups and non-alcoholic products to move away from the mummy wine culture.
ABC Radio, Weekend Evenings program
Faye talks to Sirine Demachkie about shifting cultural norms in Australia around alcohol consumption, why venues should catch on to the NA trend, socialising sober and why she started Untoxicated.
Prevention Magazine: Sober Curious - A New Way Forward?
From life of the party to teetotaller, Faye Lawrence shares her story as a high functioning drinker (until she wasn’t), the importance of a sober community and tips to shake off the boozy lifestyle.
JOY FM Radio: Finding your social identity without alcohol
Russ and David are back in the studio! Faye Lawrence joins them over the phone to talk about the Untoxicated community she founded when she decided she wanted to be able to socialise away from alcohol.
How do you change the social norms about what it means to be sober? Can you enjoy dinner out without drinking? Why is laughter so important?
Studio 10, Channel 10: Wine O’Clock Mums
Who doesn't look forward to winding down with a glass at the end of a tough day? Gal pals and sober leaders Faye Lawrence and Katy Graczer are here to tell us why sober doesn't mean boring, why so many mums are turning to booze, and when they realised boozing was becoming a problem for them
ABC Brisbane Breakfast Radio: Dating sober or sober curious: what the?!’
Faye talks to morning hosts Loretta Ryan and Craig Zonca about dating sober or sober curious. And the extra layer of difficulty in dating sans booze and finding a partner, because of the pervasive drinking culture pervasive in Australia.
Business Insider: Sober is the new sexy
‘Going out for drinks’ is a common refrain among Australians, whether it’s for a celebration or as a way to catch up with friends. And while ‘drinks’ usually means alcohol, there is a growing trend of Aussies opting to not only curb their alcohol intake but even reach for a non-alcoholic bevvy instead. I talk about high functioning drinkers and why peer pressure to drink can keep people stuck.
7.30 Report, ABC : Alcohol-free social club challenging Australia’s reliance on drinking
For many of us, catching up with friends and family involves having a drink. But a new alcohol-free social group in Brisbane founded by Faye Lawrence is offering sober fun and support for people wanting to give up the booze. Here she shares her story.