The Big Drink Rethink

Ep 138: Pain Pushes Until Vision Pulls | Rethinking Alcohol |

August 27, 2026·50 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

What if the life you’re chasing, and the drinking that comes with it, are both keeping you from the life you really want?In this honest conversation, Anna Donaghey welcomes recovery and transition coach Alina Roselli, who shares her journey from living “outside-in” - seeking validation, people-pleasing and pushing through burnout, to soul-led sobriety and deep self-acceptance.Together, they explore why we can lose ourselves trying to meet other people’s expectations, how burnout and exhaustion can force us to question the life we’re living, and why transformation isn’t simply about giving up alcohol, it's about discovering who you are without it.They also explore self-worth, radical honesty, the trap of external validation and practical ways to start living more “inside-out”.For anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol, their sense of purpose, or whether there could be more to life, this episode offers an invitation to stop chasing approval and start coming home to yourself.Highlights:00:00 Welcome &amp; introduction to Alina Roselli00:40 Alina’s unraveling, burnout, alcohol and not knowing herself02:46 The culture of drinking and starting at 1505:55 Seeking belonging and landing in “image-driven” circles10:07 What is “outside-in” living and how it shaped Alina’s self worth12:28 When alcohol shifts from fun to medicine15:46 How self-image creates our lives (and can keep us lost)16:43 Burnout as a wake-up call17:40 Trying everything (yoga, therapy, self-help) but not getting better23:27 Filling the “God-shaped hole” - how misaligned living leaves us empty26:04 Making hard changes and letting go of old identities28:46 Why inside-out living is terrifying and ultimately liberating30:10 “Pain pushes until the vision pulls”: learning to listen to your soul32:43 Finding calm, silence, and the right conditions to truly meet yourself34:19 Discovering introversion, the need for solitude, and creative renewal36:29 How the small actions revealed a bigger self and a life worth keeping39:32 How to reconnect with your needs and stop abandoning yourself41:36 The courage in honesty and the gifts waiting in the unknown43:42 Acceptance, creativity, and the joy of simply feeling okay46:35 Becoming yourself changes the world around you49:33 People have no idea how amazing they are50:19 How to join The Big Drink Rethink community.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink</u

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