Journey to the Sunnyside When 30 Years of Sobriety Leads to a More Flexible Approach w/ Arlina Allen
Today’s episode is about flexibility. And more specifically, what happens when the one-size-fits-all approach to alcohol stops working. My guest today is Arlina Allen. Arlina has been sober for over 30 years. She’s the author of The 12-Step Guide for Skeptics, host of the One Day at a Time Recovery Podcast, and she’s spent decades working with high-functioning professionals who want to change their relationship with alcohol without blowing up their lives. What makes this conversation different is that Arlina didn’t start out open-minded about flexibility. For most of her recovery, she believed abstinence was the only real answer. But over time, through her work with clients, her podcast, and her own willingness to question what she thought she knew, her perspective evolved. In this episode, we talk about what actually helped her quit drinking, what the 12 steps still get right even if you don’t resonate with the whole program, and how to think about moderation, medication, and experimentation without shame or labels.
If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t want to drink like this anymore, but I’m not ready to say I’m done forever,” this episode is for you. Let’s get into it.
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ABOUT SUNNYSIDE:
Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn’t work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.
We now offer Sunnyside Med, a new program that provides access to compounded naltrexone, a medication that can reduce alcohol cravings at the brain level, offering a more clinical pathway for people who need it. Sunnyside Med is a complete, holistic approach to help you drink less or quit, including coaching, community, habit change, education, and more to help you create longterm change while the medication does its work.
Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you’re concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.