December 31, 2024 • 31 mins
Keywords
Catholic sobriety, alcohol addiction, faith, recovery, coaching, spirituality, mental health, personal growth, support, community, sobriety, addiction, faith, recovery, alcohol, parenting, support systems, marketing, youth awareness, prayer
Summary: Part 1 of Sheila's conversation with Christie Walker, The Catholic Sobriety Coach
In this conversation, Sheila Nonato speaks with Christie Walker, who is known as The Catholic Sobriety Coach. They explore the intersection of faith and recovery from alcohol addiction. Christie shares her personal journey from her struggles during childhood, her teenage years and early adulthood, which led to the use of alcohol as a coping mechanism. Christie discusses the pivotal moments in her life that led her to recognize the need for change and how her faith played a crucial role in her recovery. As a Catholic sobriety coach, Christie emphasizes the importance of our identity in Christ and the power of community support in overcoming addiction.
Join us for next week's episode, Part 2 of the conversation where Christie will give us a glimpse into marketing strategies for glamorizing alcohol, and offers some tips on how to talk to our kids about sobriety. Christie will also discuss the development of her Sacred Sobriety Lab, a program she designed to help individuals navigate their relationship with alcohol through a faith-based approach.
Takeaways
- Alcohol was initially a way to fit in and cope.
- Childhood experiences significantly impact adult behavior.
- A spiritual awakening can lead to recovery.
- Identity in Christ is crucial for healing.
- Community support is vital in overcoming addiction.
- Faith provides tools for managing addiction.
- God's grace is essential for sustained change. Sobriety allows for deeper spiritual connection.
Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Setting the Stage
02:01
The Journey of Faith and Alcoholism
06:00
The Impact of Childhood Experiences
12:12
Turning Point: A Spiritual Awakening
18:14
Becoming a Catholic Sobriety Coach
23:49
The Role of Faith in Recovery
To find out more about Christie Walker's work, please visit:
https://catholicrecoverycoach.com/
To join Christie's Sacred Sobriety Lab which kicks off on January 1, 2025, you can visit: https://courses.drinklessornotatall.com/courses/SacredSobrietyLab
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https://www.sheilanonato.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Christie Walker (00:00):
I just kept seeing what was going to happen.
The amount that I was drinkingwas increasing, the amount and
frequency.
My friends were starting to sayChristi3, you have a problem
with alcohol.
And when your drinking buddiestell you that you have a problem
with alcohol, you probably havea problem with alcohol because
(00:20):
they want to keep you drinkingand partying and doing the same
things that they're doing,especially if you're drinking
more than them and making a foolof yourself, because that makes
them not feel so bad about whatthey're doing.
But I had this encounter with Iwas passed out again.
I had drank so much and Ipassed out.
(00:44):
I was by myself in my apartmentand I remember waking up, I
just like jolted out of bed andI felt like there were two hands
like gripping my throat I mean,I can literally still feel it
now like gripping my throat andchoking me.
And I looked up and I could seelike this dark figure over me,
(01:08):
or just sense this dark figureover me and it was like
strangling me and I was soscared I thought I was going to
die.
And then all of a sudden, likethis lighter figure came over
the darker figure and I justsensed it say not yet.
And then the hands werereleased and they were both gone
(01:30):
and I just remember taking thisgasping breath and looking
around like what the heck justhappened.
That was the moment that I'mlike, "kay, this is a problem, I
need to do something.
But it was also the moment thatI realized like God is for me.
Sheila Nonato (01:54):
We all have our struggles with temperance and
self-control, whether we arebothered by our nonstop
scrolling on our phones,resorting to shopping therapy,
or something even more seriouslike an addiction to alcohol or
other interior struggles.
Jesus' example shows us thatthe battles of the flesh can
also be a battle of the soul.
(02:14):
In Ephesians, Chapter 6, Verses10 to 13, St.
Paul says Finally, be strong inthe Lord and in the strength of
His might.
Put on the whole armor of Godthat you may be able to
withstand against the wiles ofthe devil, for we are not
contending against flesh andblood, but against the
(02:36):
principalities, against thepowers, against the world rules
of this present darkness,against the spiritual hosts of
wickedness in the heavenlyplaces.
Therefore, take the wholearmour of God that you may be
able to withstand in the evilday and, having done all to
stand.
Let's hear Christie Walker, "TheCatholic Sobriety Coach, talk
(02:59):
about how she struggled withalcohol addiction and how she
gained freedom and faith in herjourney of sobriety.
Hello and welcome to the Veiland Armor podcast.
This is your host, sheilaNonato.
(03:21):
I'm a stay-at-home mom and afreelance Catholic journalist
Seeking the guidance of the HolySpirit and the inspiration of
Our Lady.
I strive to tell stories thatinspire, illuminate and enrich
the lives of Catholic women, tohelp them in living out our
vocation of raising the nextgeneration of leaders and saints
.
Co-Host (03:40):
Please join us every week on the Veil and Armour
podcast, where stories comealive through a journalist's
lens and mother's heart.
Welcome to.
Sheila Nonato (03:48):
Christy Walker, the Catholic Sobriety Coach.
Welcome, Christie.
May we start off with the HailMary.
Christie Walker (03:54):
Sure
Sheila Nonato (03:54):
.
Christie Walker (03:59):
In the name of the Father, son, holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb, Jesus.
Sheila Nonato (04:12):
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Christie Walker (04:19):
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit.
Sheila Nonato (04:20):
Amen.
Thank you, Christie, and I'djust like to introduce you to
our listeners.
Christie is a life and sob liketo introduce you to our
listeners.
Christie is a life and sobrietycoach, specializing in
supporting Catholics who desireto reduce their alcohol
consumption or abstaincompletely.
As a devoted Catholic mom, wife, life coach, speaker and
podcast host in the CatholicSobriety Podcast, she is
(04:46):
passionate about guiding womenand men toward a healthier
relationship with alcohol sothey can have clarity and peace.
Her goal is to help womenprayerfully change their mindset
and break the shame, guilt andregret cycle that keeps so many
of us stuck.
Christie provides tools andresources that aid in navigating
social situations anddiscovering healthier ways to
relax, connect with other momsand set boundaries.
(05:08):
Welcome, Christie.
Christie Walker (05:11):
Thank you for joining us.
Thank you so much for having me, Sheila.
Sheila Nonato (05:18):
So we're going to have to go to a place of pain.
I hope that's okay with you.
Can you tell us?
How did it start the addictionto alcohol?
Christie Walker (05:31):
Yeah, so my addiction started very
innocently.
It started as a way for me tofit into a crowd.
It started as a way to havefriends to be part of something,
to be invited, to be liked, andso it began in high school.
But, you know, I always hadthis pain point because my
(05:55):
parents divorced when I was veryyoung, and so I would turn to a
lot of different things.
I would I turned to God, youknow, praying that he would get
them back together.
But I would also turn to otherthings like innocent things like
penny wishing, you know, likethrowing a penny in a well and
wishing or wishing on a star.
(06:16):
So I was always trying to dothings and control things and
make things happen for myself inany way that I could, and so I
feel like alcohol was definitelyone of those ways where, if I
use this magic elixir, alcoholthat I found in high school, it
will get me everything that myteenage mind thought that I
(06:39):
wanted so from that point um,
Sheila Nonato (06:53):
How did it progress in?
adulthood.
Christie Walker (06:56):
Well, after I turned 21, obviously I didn't
get better because I didn't haveto rely on other people to get
me alcohol.
I could buy it myself myself.
I just kept drinking more andmore.
I never actually consumedalcohol, quote unquote, normally
, from the very first time Iconsumed alcohol I was hooked
(07:17):
and I would drink as much as Icould, as fast as I could, until
we ran out or I passed out, andI did that pretty much until I
stopped drinking.
I made the decision that I hadto stop drinking or I was going
to die or kill myself in a caraccident or someone else or end
(07:41):
up in jail.
Like, my prospects were notlooking amazing.
So I just knew.
I mean, I just kept seeing whatwas going to happen.
I the in the amount that I wasdrinking was increasing the
amount and frequency.
My friends were starting to sayChristy, you have a problem
(08:02):
with alcohol and you know whenyour drinking buddies tell you
you have a problem with alcohol.
And you know, when yourdrinking buddies tell you that
you have a problem with alcohol,you probably have a problem
with alcohol because they wantto keep you drinking and
partying and doing the samethings that they're doing,
especially if you're drinkingmore than them and making a fool
of yourself, because that makesthem not feel so bad about what
they're doing.
(08:23):
But I had this encounter with Iwas passed out again.
I had drank so much and Ipassed out.
I was by myself in my apartmentand I remember waking up, I
just like jolted out of bed andI felt like there were two hands
(08:45):
like gripping my throat I mean,I can literally still feel it
now like gripping my throat andchoking me.
And I looked up and I could seelike this dark figure over me,
or just sense this dark figureover me and it was like
strangling me and I was soscared I thought I was going to
(09:05):
die.
And then all of a sudden, likethis lighter figure came over
the darker figure and I justsensed it say not yet.
And then the hands werereleased and they were both gone
and I just remember taking thisgasping breath and looking
(09:26):
around like what the heck justhappened.
That was the moment that I'mlike, okay, this is a problem, I
need to do something.
But it was also the moment thatI realized God is for me.
I had felt so much like hedidn't really listen to my
(09:46):
prayers.
Maybe he was too busy, maybe Iwas too insignificant, I don't
know that my drinking didn'treally affect him or he didn't
really care what I was doing orhow much I drank.
But in that moment I knew likeGod is fighting for my eternal
soul.
So I wish I could say that inthat moment I knew like God is
fighting for my eternal soul.
So I wish I could say that inthat moment everything changed
(10:08):
and in a way it did, but I stillwas drinking and I was still
was not, I didn't go runningback to church like I should
have done, but you know, itdefinitely was this pivotal
moment that helped facilitate myrecovery.
And so I just kept drinking andpartying, but it was different.
(10:33):
I felt guilty about it.
I felt like this isn't rightand I can't keep doing this.
And that's when those thoughtsthat I mentioned before of like
if I keep doing this, it's goingto be super bad.
And so one night I just decided, like this is it, I cannot do
this anymore.
(10:53):
And so I went out and I boughtlike whatever I wanted to drink,
as much as I wanted to drink.
I drank until I passed out andI woke up the next morning and I
never drank again, with God'sgrace, and I told God like I
prayed to God.
I'm like, I just have to makethis happen.
(11:15):
And then I told other people, Itold my mom about it and then
she told her friend who was inAA and she helped me go to like
get to my first meeting.
And I participated in AA for acouple of years but really the
thing that has kept me soberthis long, the thing that has
(11:37):
kept me on track with myrecovery, is God and just
knowing and realizing myidentity in him.
Like my identity isn't that I'ma daughter of divorced parents.
My identity isn't that I am analcoholic.
My identity isn't that I'm allthese things that I told myself
(11:57):
I was.
My identity is a beloveddaughter of God.
Sheila Nonato (12:00):
That's powerful.
Yeah, I'm almost going to cry.
That's beautiful.
I'm just wondering so.
When you were a little girl,when all of these emotions were
going through you, where was God?
(12:22):
Where was God for you at thatpoint?
Christie Walker (12:28):
Um, where was God?
Where was God for you at thatpoint?
That's a good question.
I know God was with me all thetime and I never, ever doubted
that there was a God.
I never doubted that.
You know, I had open heartsurgery and I was very young.
So I grew up being told that I'ma miracle and that God has big
(12:49):
plans for my life.
But I just felt like I hadscrewed it up so much that maybe
he was mad at me.
So I think that I kind ofthought of him that way.
Or you know, like my dad was,my dad loved me, but he wasn't
around that much.
He was not around and I mean Iwould see him, but just not very
(13:11):
often.
So I think that was my thoughtabout God.
Like I know he loves me, Like Iknew my earthly father loved me
, but he just wasn't interestedenough in spending much time
with me or being interested inthe things that I was interested
, or even coming to, like mydance recitals or my high school
(13:32):
graduation, and so I think thatthat's what I thought about God
.
But looking back I can see howhe was with me, protecting me.
I mean, really, there were daysI really should not be here.
I should not be here, but bythe grace of God, I am.
Sheila Nonato (13:56):
I don't even know what to say.
I'm just absorbing your storyand I'm just so amazed about how
wonderful God is, even when heis silent or when he is hidden,
and then when he reveals himself.
It's like a plan that you nevereven imagined for yourself,
(14:22):
Would you have?
ever thought that you wouldbecome a Catholic sobriety coach
?
Christie Walker (14:25):
No, not at all.
I mean, when I got, when I wasfirst in recovery, I definitely
had thoughts Well, I alwayswanted to be like a psychologist
or go into psychology.
I did take some classes to dothat, but I just I had a job.
I worked in the jewelryindustry.
I made good money, and so Ijust never continued with it
(14:48):
because I didn't feel like Ineeded to.
But there was always kind ofthis inkling of like, well,
maybe you should get training towork in recovery or addiction
houses, homes and things likethat, and it just never was
something that I just didn'tfeel called to really do that.
So I worked.
(15:10):
I was blessed to be able to stayhome with my children and I
really wanted to contribute tothe family income.
I had to work part-time outsidethe home for a little bit when
the recession hit, when my twinswere very little and I hated
being out of the home andmissing things and not being
there to help my husband and youknow do the things that we
(15:33):
would always do together, and soI was like I need to figure out
a way that I can be home withmy kids, and so I started.
Well, I started bloggingbecause that was big and I got
paid to blog for jewelers.
I blogged for differentparenting websites and things.
Since I had twins, people likedto hear my story and my tips
(15:57):
and things like that and thenthat evolved into digital
marketing.
I had clients that would say,hey, will you manage this new
thing called Facebook and willyou do this type of these ads
and all of that.
So it just evolved as marketingand as social media evolved.
(16:17):
But I just kept feeling thispull, like God pulling on my
heart, like "I have somethingthat I need you to do for me.
I have something that um is,you're going to use all these
tools, but I'm going to need youto use them to.
You know, help my daughters,help my sons, and I didn't know
(16:40):
what that would be.
I had no idea.
So it was extremely frustratingfor about four years of feeling
like, well, should I start thisblog?
Like for Catholic parents,should I do this?
Should I do that?
I just tried all these thingslike throwing spaghetti at a
wall.
Nothing was really panning out.
So finally I hired a Catholicbusiness coach and she I with
(17:03):
the intention of really honingin on my digital marketing
business, building that up andjust going full into that.
And through her coaching andthrough that process, I was like
I think God's calling me tolife coaching.
She's like great, who are yougoing to coach?
And I'm like I don't know, Ihave no idea.
(17:24):
She's like why don't you takethat to coach?
And I'm like I don't know, Ihave no idea.
She's like why don't you takethat to the Lord, why don't you
pray about it?
And I was like okay, so Iprayed about it and I got all
these ideas.
And then one night God was justlike I need you to coach
Catholic women who are inrecovery.
(17:47):
And it kind of it wassimultaneous with me celebrating
my 25th sobriety anniversary.
My mom had given me a coin forthat.
So I remember kind of lookingat that and I think that's what
prompted that conversation withGod, like that's not just for
(18:08):
you anymore, like you need toshare that.
And it just you know how Godjust lays out all those holy
breadcrumbs and as long asyou're paying attention and
picking them up, it'll lead youto where you want to go or where
he wants you to go.
And that's exactly whathappened.
It just, instead of feelinglike I was fighting for
everything and doing all thisstuff, it just became so clear
(18:33):
and so easy to be able to talkabout what I wanted to do and
who I wanted to help, and so itdid start with people in
recovery like me.
But then and I do have a lot ofthose clients, because once we
quit drinking, everythingdoesn't get magically better
Like once you quit drinking.
There's still a lot of thingsthat have to get cleared up
(18:55):
Relationships, finances, how doI go to a party when I'm not
drinking?
And all of these things.
But pretty soon God was justplacing these beautiful women in
front of me, who were greatmoms, great wives.
They actually have reallyamazing lives.
(19:16):
But they're struggling withsomething that they feel like
they can't tell anybody about,and it's their alcohol
consumption.
They feel so alone and theyfeel like they're broken and
they almost feel like why am Inot grateful?
Why am I not just so happy allthe time?
(19:37):
But it's because they have thatweight, they have that
stronghold of alcohol that'sjust kind of gripping their
hearts and causing a lot ofchaos in their lives and it's
creating shame, shame thatreally shouldn't even be there.
They don't need that, but theyhave it, you know.
And God just said like I want.
(19:59):
I want them free.
I want them free to be able toknow that in those situations
they don't need to turn to this,this bandaid fix on a gashing
wound right, if you have agashing wound and you stick a
bandaid on it, that is not goingto do anything Like you have to
treat the root cause.
You have to get to the root ofthe why and the issue so that it
(20:25):
can be fixed, and we can't dothat with alcohol.
Alcohol doesn't have the answers.
Alcohol just compounds theproblem.
It compounds the misery.
Yes, for moments it is anescape.
It's that feeling of like Ihave control over something,
(20:46):
like you have control over whatgoes in your mouth.
It does provide that relaxingsensation.
It affects ourneurotransmitters in that way.
But as soon as that buzz wearsoff, you're left with all that
mess plus.
Now you feel terrible aboutyourself.
Maybe your kids saw you acting,not like you want them to see
(21:09):
you act.
Maybe you missed something thatyou were supposed to go to.
Maybe you're hiding bottles ofwine because you don't want your
husband or your friends to knowhow much you're actually
drinking.
And so there's like this, thissense of just like I am not a
(21:30):
good person or I am a fraud, andthat is so not the case.
So God just placed these womenin front of me and I just fell
in love with them and want themfree, because that's what God
wants for them.
I think God just gave me hisheart for them so that I could
look at them and be likedaughter, you are beloved.
(21:53):
You are not what you have done.
You are not what you do.
You are who God says you areand you're beloved.
And I think that that is likethe key message that he wants me
to hammer home to everybody isjust like no judgment, don't
look at it (like) judgment.
Don't be condemn yourselves.
(22:14):
The Lord is there to help you,walk with you, love you, guide
you.
He's merciful, and yeah.
So I just think, and that's whythat's why I needed to be a
Catholic sobriety coach and notjust a sobriety coach, cause I
could just be a sobriety coachand help all kinds of people,
(22:34):
but that's not what God wantedme to do.
He's like bring my daughters,bring my daughters home, cause I
want to heal them, I want themfree.
Sheila Nonato (22:47):
Wow, the freedom from alcohol addiction that is
such invaluable I guess it's aministry almost invaluable work,
I was going to say or a mission.
Do you feel called to to bedoing this for other women, and
are you also helping men in theprocess?
Christie Walker (23:11):
Yeah, yeah, I feel so called to help everyone,
all Catholics that arestruggling, because essentially,
what that is is that's reallyjust the enemy keeping you
distracted, keeping themdistracted from doing the work
God wants them to do, keepingthem from turning to him, them
from turning to Him.
They're turning to and I dothis too.
(23:32):
I do it with other things, butinstead of turning to God,
sometimes we turn to comfort,the comfort that the world
offers us, and so that's what iseasy, that's the quick fix, but
that's not what God wants, like, he wants us to turn to him, he
wants us to rely on him, andthat is where we're going to get
(23:58):
the sustained change.
So, yes, I feel so called tothis and I know that this is
what God was equipping me forand prepping me for for all
those years.
And the thing is, Sheila, a lotof the women that I work with,
they are not addicted yet, like,they have this attachment, this
disordered attachment, to thealcohol and they are freaking
(24:21):
out a little bit inside or kindof beating themselves up,
especially if they grew up in afamily where alcoholism was a
thing, where it was modeled forthem, and they are scared of,
like, could this happen to meand the answer is alcohol, any
addiction.
But alcohol addiction canhappen to anybody.
(24:42):
You don't have to have apredisposition, you don't have
to have it running in yourfamily.
It can happen to anyone becausealcohol, the substance itself,
is an addictive substance.
It is a psychoactive drug, soit can happen to anybody.
But here's the good news whenwomen start thinking like this
(25:04):
is causing an issue, this iscausing chaos.
I need to figure out how to geta handle on this and if they can
do it before it gets to thepoint of addiction, it is so
much easier to be able to figureout can I moderate, how much
can I moderate, or do I need toeliminate it completely?
(25:25):
And that's a lot of the workthat I do.
And then to answer yourquestion about men Now, I just
have a heart for women and I ama woman.
Answer your question about menNow, I just have a heart for
women and I am a woman, and so Ireally just work mainly with
women, but I do have maleclients as well.
So I always do inquiry callsand if we're a good fit, then,
(25:45):
whether it's a man or a woman,catholic man or woman, then I do
work with them, and I do havesome male clients who are great,
but yeah, so a lot of mymessaging, though, is directed
towards women, just becausethat's who God has given me a
heart for, for this season atleast.
(26:08):
We'll see where it goes in thefuture.
Sheila Nonato (26:12):
And what is the Catholic aspect of your program?
Can you let our listeners know?
Christie Walker (26:21):
Well, the Catholic aspect of it is, first
of all, we have a shared faith,right, so we speak the same
language.
If I say, maybe you should goto adoration, spend some time in
adoration and think about X, y,z, whatever action steps they
came up with, so if I tell themthat they're, most of the
(26:43):
clients that I work with aren'tgoing to be adverse to that, if
they are, they can do somethingelse.
But you know, we can talk that.
We can talk about the Rosary,we could talk about novenas, we
could talk about, you know, theLectio Divina.
We could talk, you know all ofthose things.
So it's not foreign to themwhen I start speaking in that
way.
And then you know, and if youwork with a sobriety coach,
(27:06):
different sobriety coaches havedifferent things that they
integrate.
Some of them it's manifesting,some of them it's like the
different, I don't know whatevernew agey stuff that they're
putting in there.
Some of them are very adverseto God and so they, within what
they're doing, they'll call itlike inner knowing.
(27:27):
Or you, you know like you'redoing this and it's all self,
self, self, self self.
You, you know like you're doingthis and it's all self, self,
self, self self.
But as Catholics we know we arenot on our own, that we do have
our helper, the Holy Spirit.
We do have spiritual gifts andGod's grace and mercy and love
is there for us.
(27:47):
We just have to ask and rely onhim.
Have to ask and rely on him,right.
So that's definitely a bigcomponent.
And then I've developed a labit's called the Sacred Sobriety
Lab and that is just a placeit's very much about.
Like, identity is a bigcomponent of it.
(28:09):
Managing our minds is a bigcomponent of it.
Managing our minds is a bigcomponent of it.
But it all our faith isthreaded through that very
heavily because it's, it's partof our lives, it's how we live.
It's not just a.
I go to church on Sunday Likeit's it should be.
And as we start to detach fromthings should be, and as we
(28:42):
start to detach from things werely more on or we integrate
more of that relationship withJesus, right, it's easier for us
because we aren't like numbingour brain or tuning out from God
.
We actually can figure out waysthat we can speak to Him and
hear His voice at the same time.
So I find in my own life as Idetach from things, for example,
(29:04):
I rooted out different sitcomsand different TV shows.
I rarely watch TV anymore andthat just gave me more time for
Jesus.
That just gave me more time tohear God's voice, and I think
the same is true.
I know the same is true withalcohol, because a lot of times
women will pour themselves aglass of wine, sit in front of
(29:25):
the TV and just veg, whichsometimes we just need to turn
our brains off.
But I think that there areother, better ways to do that
that can be healthier and allowGod to be in those places and
build those places.
Sheila Nonato (29:44):
In Part Two, Christie Walker gives us a
glimpse into the marketingstrategy for alcohol and offers
us tips on how we can teach ourchildren about sobriety.
She also discusses the SacredSobriety Lab, where she helps
others to achieve freedom fromalcohol addiction.
I think it's appropriate toclose with a Hail Mary, as we
(30:06):
began the episode with Christiedescribing a spiritual attack.
Join me in learning the HailMary in Latin.
In nomine Patri et Filii etSpiritus Sancti, Amen.
Ave Maria, Gratia plena,Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, etbenedictus fructus ventris tui,
Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Orapro nobis, peccatoribus, Nunc et
(30:37):
in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen, in nomine Patris et Filiiet Spiritus Sancti.
Amen.
Thank you and God bless.
May you have a blessed New Yearand may you have a wonderful
continuation of the Christmasseason until Jesus' baptism and
the Feast of the Three Kings.
(30:58):
Blessings to you and yourfamilies.
Thank you for listening to theVeil and Armour podcast.
Co-Host (31:05):
I invite you to share this with another Catholic mom
today.
Please subscribe to our podcastand YouTube channel and please
spread the word.
Let's be brave, let's be boldand be blessed together.
I just kept seeing what was going to happen.
The amount that I was drinkingwas increasing, the amount and
frequency.
My friends were starting to sayChristi3, you have a problem
with alcohol.
And when your drinking buddiestell you that you have a problem
with alcohol, you probably havea problem with alcohol because
(00:20):
they want to keep you drinkingand partying and doing the same
things that they're doing,especially if you're drinking
more than them and making a foolof yourself, because that makes
them not feel so bad about whatthey're doing.
But I had this encounter with Iwas passed out again.
I had drank so much and Ipassed out.
(00:44):
I was by myself in my apartmentand I remember waking up, I
just like jolted out of bed andI felt like there were two hands
like gripping my throat I mean,I can literally still feel it
now like gripping my throat andchoking me.
And I looked up and I could seelike this dark figure over me,
(01:08):
or just sense this dark figureover me and it was like
strangling me and I was soscared I thought I was going to
die.
And then all of a sudden, likethis lighter figure came over
the darker figure and I justsensed it say not yet.
And then the hands werereleased and they were both gone
(01:30):
and I just remember taking thisgasping breath and looking
around like what the heck justhappened.
That was the moment that I'mlike, "kay, this is a problem, I
need to do something.
But it was also the moment thatI realized like God is for me.
Sheila Nonato (01:54):
We all have our struggles with temperance and
self-control, whether we arebothered by our nonstop
scrolling on our phones,resorting to shopping therapy,
or something even more seriouslike an addiction to alcohol or
other interior struggles.
Jesus' example shows us thatthe battles of the flesh can
also be a battle of the soul.
(02:14):
In Ephesians, Chapter 6, Verses10 to 13, St.
Paul says Finally, be strong inthe Lord and in the strength of
His might.
Put on the whole armor of Godthat you may be able to
withstand against the wiles ofthe devil, for we are not
contending against flesh andblood, but against the
(02:36):
principalities, against thepowers, against the world rules
of this present darkness,against the spiritual hosts of
wickedness in the heavenlyplaces.
Therefore, take the wholearmour of God that you may be
able to withstand in the evilday and, having done all to
stand.
Let's hear Christie Walker, "TheCatholic Sobriety Coach, talk
(02:59):
about how she struggled withalcohol addiction and how she
gained freedom and faith in herjourney of sobriety.
Hello and welcome to the Veiland Armor podcast.
This is your host, sheilaNonato.
(03:21):
I'm a stay-at-home mom and afreelance Catholic journalist
Seeking the guidance of the HolySpirit and the inspiration of
Our Lady.
I strive to tell stories thatinspire, illuminate and enrich
the lives of Catholic women, tohelp them in living out our
vocation of raising the nextgeneration of leaders and saints
.
Co-Host (03:40):
Please join us every week on the Veil and Armour
podcast, where stories comealive through a journalist's
lens and mother's heart.
Welcome to.
Sheila Nonato (03:48):
Christy Walker, the Catholic Sobriety Coach.
Welcome, Christie.
May we start off with the HailMary.
Christie Walker (03:54):
Sure
Sheila Nonato (03:54):
.
Christie Walker (03:59):
In the name of the Father, son, holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb, Jesus.
Sheila Nonato (04:12):
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Christie Walker (04:19):
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit.
Sheila Nonato (04:20):
Amen.
Thank you, Christie, and I'djust like to introduce you to
our listeners.
Christie is a life and sob liketo introduce you to our
listeners.
Christie is a life and sobrietycoach, specializing in
supporting Catholics who desireto reduce their alcohol
consumption or abstaincompletely.
As a devoted Catholic mom, wife, life coach, speaker and
podcast host in the CatholicSobriety Podcast, she is
(04:46):
passionate about guiding womenand men toward a healthier
relationship with alcohol sothey can have clarity and peace.
Her goal is to help womenprayerfully change their mindset
and break the shame, guilt andregret cycle that keeps so many
of us stuck.
Christie provides tools andresources that aid in navigating
social situations anddiscovering healthier ways to
relax, connect with other momsand set boundaries.
(05:08):
Welcome, Christie.
Christie Walker (05:11):
Thank you for joining us.
Thank you so much for having me, Sheila.
Sheila Nonato (05:18):
So we're going to have to go to a place of pain.
I hope that's okay with you.
Can you tell us?
How did it start the addictionto alcohol?
Christie Walker (05:31):
Yeah, so my addiction started very
innocently.
It started as a way for me tofit into a crowd.
It started as a way to havefriends to be part of something,
to be invited, to be liked, andso it began in high school.
But, you know, I always hadthis pain point because my
(05:55):
parents divorced when I was veryyoung, and so I would turn to a
lot of different things.
I would I turned to God, youknow, praying that he would get
them back together.
But I would also turn to otherthings like innocent things like
penny wishing, you know, likethrowing a penny in a well and
wishing or wishing on a star.
(06:16):
So I was always trying to dothings and control things and
make things happen for myself inany way that I could, and so I
feel like alcohol was definitelyone of those ways where, if I
use this magic elixir, alcoholthat I found in high school, it
will get me everything that myteenage mind thought that I
(06:39):
wanted so from that point um,
Sheila Nonato (06:53):
How did it progress in?
adulthood.
Christie Walker (06:56):
Well, after I turned 21, obviously I didn't
get better because I didn't haveto rely on other people to get
me alcohol.
I could buy it myself myself.
I just kept drinking more andmore.
I never actually consumedalcohol, quote unquote, normally
, from the very first time Iconsumed alcohol I was hooked
(07:17):
and I would drink as much as Icould, as fast as I could, until
we ran out or I passed out, andI did that pretty much until I
stopped drinking.
I made the decision that I hadto stop drinking or I was going
to die or kill myself in a caraccident or someone else or end
(07:41):
up in jail.
Like, my prospects were notlooking amazing.
So I just knew.
I mean, I just kept seeing whatwas going to happen.
I the in the amount that I wasdrinking was increasing the
amount and frequency.
My friends were starting to sayChristy, you have a problem
(08:02):
with alcohol and you know whenyour drinking buddies tell you
you have a problem with alcohol.
And you know, when yourdrinking buddies tell you that
you have a problem with alcohol,you probably have a problem
with alcohol because they wantto keep you drinking and
partying and doing the samethings that they're doing,
especially if you're drinkingmore than them and making a fool
of yourself, because that makesthem not feel so bad about what
they're doing.
(08:23):
But I had this encounter with Iwas passed out again.
I had drank so much and Ipassed out.
I was by myself in my apartmentand I remember waking up, I
just like jolted out of bed andI felt like there were two hands
(08:45):
like gripping my throat I mean,I can literally still feel it
now like gripping my throat andchoking me.
And I looked up and I could seelike this dark figure over me,
or just sense this dark figureover me and it was like
strangling me and I was soscared I thought I was going to
(09:05):
die.
And then all of a sudden, likethis lighter figure came over
the darker figure and I justsensed it say not yet.
And then the hands werereleased and they were both gone
and I just remember taking thisgasping breath and looking
(09:26):
around like what the heck justhappened.
That was the moment that I'mlike, okay, this is a problem, I
need to do something.
But it was also the moment thatI realized God is for me.
I had felt so much like hedidn't really listen to my
(09:46):
prayers.
Maybe he was too busy, maybe Iwas too insignificant, I don't
know that my drinking didn'treally affect him or he didn't
really care what I was doing orhow much I drank.
But in that moment I knew likeGod is fighting for my eternal
soul.
So I wish I could say that inthat moment I knew like God is
fighting for my eternal soul.
So I wish I could say that inthat moment everything changed
(10:08):
and in a way it did, but I stillwas drinking and I was still
was not, I didn't go runningback to church like I should
have done, but you know, itdefinitely was this pivotal
moment that helped facilitate myrecovery.
And so I just kept drinking andpartying, but it was different.
(10:33):
I felt guilty about it.
I felt like this isn't rightand I can't keep doing this.
And that's when those thoughtsthat I mentioned before of like
if I keep doing this, it's goingto be super bad.
And so one night I just decided, like this is it, I cannot do
this anymore.
(10:53):
And so I went out and I boughtlike whatever I wanted to drink,
as much as I wanted to drink.
I drank until I passed out andI woke up the next morning and I
never drank again, with God'sgrace, and I told God like I
prayed to God.
I'm like, I just have to makethis happen.
(11:15):
And then I told other people, Itold my mom about it and then
she told her friend who was inAA and she helped me go to like
get to my first meeting.
And I participated in AA for acouple of years but really the
thing that has kept me soberthis long, the thing that has
(11:37):
kept me on track with myrecovery, is God and just
knowing and realizing myidentity in him.
Like my identity isn't that I'ma daughter of divorced parents.
My identity isn't that I am analcoholic.
My identity isn't that I'm allthese things that I told myself
(11:57):
I was.
My identity is a beloveddaughter of God.
Sheila Nonato (12:00):
That's powerful.
Yeah, I'm almost going to cry.
That's beautiful.
I'm just wondering so.
When you were a little girl,when all of these emotions were
going through you, where was God?
(12:22):
Where was God for you at thatpoint?
Christie Walker (12:28):
Um, where was God?
Where was God for you at thatpoint?
That's a good question.
I know God was with me all thetime and I never, ever doubted
that there was a God.
I never doubted that.
You know, I had open heartsurgery and I was very young.
So I grew up being told that I'ma miracle and that God has big
(12:49):
plans for my life.
But I just felt like I hadscrewed it up so much that maybe
he was mad at me.
So I think that I kind ofthought of him that way.
Or you know, like my dad was,my dad loved me, but he wasn't
around that much.
He was not around and I mean Iwould see him, but just not very
(13:11):
often.
So I think that was my thoughtabout God.
Like I know he loves me, Like Iknew my earthly father loved me
, but he just wasn't interestedenough in spending much time
with me or being interested inthe things that I was interested
, or even coming to, like mydance recitals or my high school
(13:32):
graduation, and so I think thatthat's what I thought about God
.
But looking back I can see howhe was with me, protecting me.
I mean, really, there were daysI really should not be here.
I should not be here, but bythe grace of God, I am.
Sheila Nonato (13:56):
I don't even know what to say.
I'm just absorbing your storyand I'm just so amazed about how
wonderful God is, even when heis silent or when he is hidden,
and then when he reveals himself.
It's like a plan that you nevereven imagined for yourself,
(14:22):
Would you have?
ever thought that you wouldbecome a Catholic sobriety coach
?
Christie Walker (14:25):
No, not at all.
I mean, when I got, when I wasfirst in recovery, I definitely
had thoughts Well, I alwayswanted to be like a psychologist
or go into psychology.
I did take some classes to dothat, but I just I had a job.
I worked in the jewelryindustry.
I made good money, and so Ijust never continued with it
(14:48):
because I didn't feel like Ineeded to.
But there was always kind ofthis inkling of like, well,
maybe you should get training towork in recovery or addiction
houses, homes and things likethat, and it just never was
something that I just didn'tfeel called to really do that.
So I worked.
(15:10):
I was blessed to be able to stayhome with my children and I
really wanted to contribute tothe family income.
I had to work part-time outsidethe home for a little bit when
the recession hit, when my twinswere very little and I hated
being out of the home andmissing things and not being
there to help my husband and youknow do the things that we
(15:33):
would always do together, and soI was like I need to figure out
a way that I can be home withmy kids, and so I started.
Well, I started bloggingbecause that was big and I got
paid to blog for jewelers.
I blogged for differentparenting websites and things.
Since I had twins, people likedto hear my story and my tips
(15:57):
and things like that and thenthat evolved into digital
marketing.
I had clients that would say,hey, will you manage this new
thing called Facebook and willyou do this type of these ads
and all of that.
So it just evolved as marketingand as social media evolved.
(16:17):
But I just kept feeling thispull, like God pulling on my
heart, like "I have somethingthat I need you to do for me.
I have something that um is,you're going to use all these
tools, but I'm going to need youto use them to.
You know, help my daughters,help my sons, and I didn't know
(16:40):
what that would be.
I had no idea.
So it was extremely frustratingfor about four years of feeling
like, well, should I start thisblog?
Like for Catholic parents,should I do this?
Should I do that?
I just tried all these thingslike throwing spaghetti at a
wall.
Nothing was really panning out.
So finally I hired a Catholicbusiness coach and she I with
(17:03):
the intention of really honingin on my digital marketing
business, building that up andjust going full into that.
And through her coaching andthrough that process, I was like
I think God's calling me tolife coaching.
She's like great, who are yougoing to coach?
And I'm like I don't know, Ihave no idea.
(17:24):
She's like why don't you takethat to coach?
And I'm like I don't know, Ihave no idea.
She's like why don't you takethat to the Lord, why don't you
pray about it?
And I was like okay, so Iprayed about it and I got all
these ideas.
And then one night God was justlike I need you to coach
Catholic women who are inrecovery.
(17:47):
And it kind of it wassimultaneous with me celebrating
my 25th sobriety anniversary.
My mom had given me a coin forthat.
So I remember kind of lookingat that and I think that's what
prompted that conversation withGod, like that's not just for
(18:08):
you anymore, like you need toshare that.
And it just you know how Godjust lays out all those holy
breadcrumbs and as long asyou're paying attention and
picking them up, it'll lead youto where you want to go or where
he wants you to go.
And that's exactly whathappened.
It just, instead of feelinglike I was fighting for
everything and doing all thisstuff, it just became so clear
(18:33):
and so easy to be able to talkabout what I wanted to do and
who I wanted to help, and so itdid start with people in
recovery like me.
But then and I do have a lot ofthose clients, because once we
quit drinking, everythingdoesn't get magically better
Like once you quit drinking.
There's still a lot of thingsthat have to get cleared up
(18:55):
Relationships, finances, how doI go to a party when I'm not
drinking?
And all of these things.
But pretty soon God was justplacing these beautiful women in
front of me, who were greatmoms, great wives.
They actually have reallyamazing lives.
(19:16):
But they're struggling withsomething that they feel like
they can't tell anybody about,and it's their alcohol
consumption.
They feel so alone and theyfeel like they're broken and
they almost feel like why am Inot grateful?
Why am I not just so happy allthe time?
(19:37):
But it's because they have thatweight, they have that
stronghold of alcohol that'sjust kind of gripping their
hearts and causing a lot ofchaos in their lives and it's
creating shame, shame thatreally shouldn't even be there.
They don't need that, but theyhave it, you know.
And God just said like I want.
(19:59):
I want them free.
I want them free to be able toknow that in those situations
they don't need to turn to this,this bandaid fix on a gashing
wound right, if you have agashing wound and you stick a
bandaid on it, that is not goingto do anything Like you have to
treat the root cause.
You have to get to the root ofthe why and the issue so that it
(20:25):
can be fixed, and we can't dothat with alcohol.
Alcohol doesn't have the answers.
Alcohol just compounds theproblem.
It compounds the misery.
Yes, for moments it is anescape.
It's that feeling of like Ihave control over something,
(20:46):
like you have control over whatgoes in your mouth.
It does provide that relaxingsensation.
It affects ourneurotransmitters in that way.
But as soon as that buzz wearsoff, you're left with all that
mess plus.
Now you feel terrible aboutyourself.
Maybe your kids saw you acting,not like you want them to see
(21:09):
you act.
Maybe you missed something thatyou were supposed to go to.
Maybe you're hiding bottles ofwine because you don't want your
husband or your friends to knowhow much you're actually
drinking.
And so there's like this, thissense of just like I am not a
(21:30):
good person or I am a fraud, andthat is so not the case.
So God just placed these womenin front of me and I just fell
in love with them and want themfree, because that's what God
wants for them.
I think God just gave me hisheart for them so that I could
look at them and be likedaughter, you are beloved.
(21:53):
You are not what you have done.
You are not what you do.
You are who God says you areand you're beloved.
And I think that that is likethe key message that he wants me
to hammer home to everybody isjust like no judgment, don't
look at it (like) judgment.
Don't be condemn yourselves.
(22:14):
The Lord is there to help you,walk with you, love you, guide
you.
He's merciful, and yeah.
So I just think, and that's whythat's why I needed to be a
Catholic sobriety coach and notjust a sobriety coach, cause I
could just be a sobriety coachand help all kinds of people,
(22:34):
but that's not what God wantedme to do.
He's like bring my daughters,bring my daughters home, cause I
want to heal them, I want themfree.
Sheila Nonato (22:47):
Wow, the freedom from alcohol addiction that is
such invaluable I guess it's aministry almost invaluable work,
I was going to say or a mission.
Do you feel called to to bedoing this for other women, and
are you also helping men in theprocess?
Christie Walker (23:11):
Yeah, yeah, I feel so called to help everyone,
all Catholics that arestruggling, because essentially,
what that is is that's reallyjust the enemy keeping you
distracted, keeping themdistracted from doing the work
God wants them to do, keepingthem from turning to him, them
from turning to Him.
They're turning to and I dothis too.
(23:32):
I do it with other things, butinstead of turning to God,
sometimes we turn to comfort,the comfort that the world
offers us, and so that's what iseasy, that's the quick fix, but
that's not what God wants, like, he wants us to turn to him, he
wants us to rely on him, andthat is where we're going to get
(23:58):
the sustained change.
So, yes, I feel so called tothis and I know that this is
what God was equipping me forand prepping me for for all
those years.
And the thing is, Sheila, a lotof the women that I work with,
they are not addicted yet, like,they have this attachment, this
disordered attachment, to thealcohol and they are freaking
(24:21):
out a little bit inside or kindof beating themselves up,
especially if they grew up in afamily where alcoholism was a
thing, where it was modeled forthem, and they are scared of,
like, could this happen to meand the answer is alcohol, any
addiction.
But alcohol addiction canhappen to anybody.
(24:42):
You don't have to have apredisposition, you don't have
to have it running in yourfamily.
It can happen to anyone becausealcohol, the substance itself,
is an addictive substance.
It is a psychoactive drug, soit can happen to anybody.
But here's the good news whenwomen start thinking like this
(25:04):
is causing an issue, this iscausing chaos.
I need to figure out how to geta handle on this and if they can
do it before it gets to thepoint of addiction, it is so
much easier to be able to figureout can I moderate, how much
can I moderate, or do I need toeliminate it completely?
(25:25):
And that's a lot of the workthat I do.
And then to answer yourquestion about men Now, I just
have a heart for women and I ama woman.
Answer your question about menNow, I just have a heart for
women and I am a woman, and so Ireally just work mainly with
women, but I do have maleclients as well.
So I always do inquiry callsand if we're a good fit, then,
(25:45):
whether it's a man or a woman,catholic man or woman, then I do
work with them, and I do havesome male clients who are great,
but yeah, so a lot of mymessaging, though, is directed
towards women, just becausethat's who God has given me a
heart for, for this season atleast.
(26:08):
We'll see where it goes in thefuture.
Sheila Nonato (26:12):
And what is the Catholic aspect of your program?
Can you let our listeners know?
Christie Walker (26:21):
Well, the Catholic aspect of it is, first
of all, we have a shared faith,right, so we speak the same
language.
If I say, maybe you should goto adoration, spend some time in
adoration and think about X, y,z, whatever action steps they
came up with, so if I tell themthat they're, most of the
(26:43):
clients that I work with aren'tgoing to be adverse to that, if
they are, they can do somethingelse.
But you know, we can talk that.
We can talk about the Rosary,we could talk about novenas, we
could talk about, you know, theLectio Divina.
We could talk, you know all ofthose things.
So it's not foreign to themwhen I start speaking in that
way.
And then you know, and if youwork with a sobriety coach,
(27:06):
different sobriety coaches havedifferent things that they
integrate.
Some of them it's manifesting,some of them it's like the
different, I don't know whatevernew agey stuff that they're
putting in there.
Some of them are very adverseto God and so they, within what
they're doing, they'll call itlike inner knowing.
(27:27):
Or you, you know like you'redoing this and it's all self,
self, self, self self.
You, you know like you're doingthis and it's all self, self,
self, self self.
But as Catholics we know we arenot on our own, that we do have
our helper, the Holy Spirit.
We do have spiritual gifts andGod's grace and mercy and love
is there for us.
(27:47):
We just have to ask and rely onhim.
Have to ask and rely on him,right.
So that's definitely a bigcomponent.
And then I've developed a labit's called the Sacred Sobriety
Lab and that is just a placeit's very much about.
Like, identity is a bigcomponent of it.
(28:09):
Managing our minds is a bigcomponent of it.
Managing our minds is a bigcomponent of it.
But it all our faith isthreaded through that very
heavily because it's, it's partof our lives, it's how we live.
It's not just a.
I go to church on Sunday Likeit's it should be.
And as we start to detach fromthings should be, and as we
(28:42):
start to detach from things werely more on or we integrate
more of that relationship withJesus, right, it's easier for us
because we aren't like numbingour brain or tuning out from God
.
We actually can figure out waysthat we can speak to Him and
hear His voice at the same time.
So I find in my own life as Idetach from things, for example,
(29:04):
I rooted out different sitcomsand different TV shows.
I rarely watch TV anymore andthat just gave me more time for
Jesus.
That just gave me more time tohear God's voice, and I think
the same is true.
I know the same is true withalcohol, because a lot of times
women will pour themselves aglass of wine, sit in front of
(29:25):
the TV and just veg, whichsometimes we just need to turn
our brains off.
But I think that there areother, better ways to do that
that can be healthier and allowGod to be in those places and
build those places.
Sheila Nonato (29:44):
In Part Two, Christie Walker gives us a
glimpse into the marketingstrategy for alcohol and offers
us tips on how we can teach ourchildren about sobriety.
She also discusses the SacredSobriety Lab, where she helps
others to achieve freedom fromalcohol addiction.
I think it's appropriate toclose with a Hail Mary, as we
(30:06):
began the episode with Christiedescribing a spiritual attack.
Join me in learning the HailMary in Latin.
In nomine Patri et Filii etSpiritus Sancti, Amen.
Ave Maria, Gratia plena,Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, etbenedictus fructus ventris tui,
Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Orapro nobis, peccatoribus, Nunc et
(30:37):
in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen, in nomine Patris et Filiiet Spiritus Sancti.
Amen.
Thank you and God bless.
May you have a blessed New Yearand may you have a wonderful
continuation of the Christmasseason until Jesus' baptism and
the Feast of the Three Kings.
(30:58):
Blessings to you and yourfamilies.
Thank you for listening to theVeil and Armour podcast.
Co-Host (31:05):
I invite you to share this with another Catholic mom
today.
Please subscribe to our podcastand YouTube channel and please
spread the word.
Let's be brave, let's be boldand be blessed together.
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Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!