Grey Area Drinking, Hormones & Midlife: What Every Woman Needs to Know | Sarah Rusbatch author of Beyond Booze

What if alcohol isn’t the harmless stress reliever it’s been marketed to be—but a silent saboteur of your confidence, hormones, and nervous system? In this deeply honest and empowering conversation, Sarah Rusbatch, author of Beyond Booze, joins Angela to unpack the hidden costs of "grey area drinking"—the space between social drinking and addiction where many high-achieving women quietly struggle. Together, they explore how alcohol affects female physiology, from rising cortisol and disrupted sleep to impaired hormone detoxification and loss of confidence.

Angela and Sarah also dive into the neuroscience of GABA, the truth about alcohol’s effect on your brain chemistry, and what it takes to reclaim joy, vitality, and authentic self-connection without reaching for a glass. Whether you're sober curious, navigating perimenopause, or questioning your relationship with alcohol, this episode is filled with science, stories, and soul-deep wisdom to help you create a life you love—alcohol free.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Grey Area Drinking Defined: The silent space where women drink regularly but don’t identify as having a problem—yet still experience negative consequences.

• Alcohol’s Hormonal Hijack: Alcohol raises cortisol, disrupts estrogen detox, and accelerates hormonal imbalances—especially in perimenopause.

• The GABA Trap: Alcohol mimics the calming GABA effect—but leads to a crash in neurotransmitters and increased stress over time.

• You’re Not Broken—You’re Biologically Wired : Struggling to stop after one glass isn’t a willpower issue; it’s neurochemistry and marketing manipulation.

• Sex, Intimacy & Sober Confidence: Alcohol isn’t a prerequisite for pleasure—Sarah explains how connection, nervous system regulation, and communication create better intimacy without booze.

• Curiosity Over Judgment: Take a break. Track the changes. Reconnect with who you really are—free from the fog of alcohol.

 

TIMESTAMPS AND KEY TOPICS:

0:00 – Introduction

5:20 – Social and relational challenges of quitting

11:16 – The neurotransmitter rollercoaster

17:51 – The tipping point: rock bottom vs. gradual awareness

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