Sober Awkward

This week on Sober Awkward, Vic and Ulrika tackle a drinking style that often flies completely under the radar, the stay-at-home drinker. Vic was the loud one. The social one. The drinker making questionable decisions in public and collecting stories she’d rather forget. Ulrika was different.

Her drinking happened behind closed doors. No bars. No dance floors. No one telling her she’d had enough. Just a sofa, a glass of rum, a familiar routine, and eventually a habit that quietly became something she relied on to get through the day.

Together they explore how alcohol can slowly shift from something we enjoy to something we need, why drinking at home can be so difficult to spot, and how secrecy, shame and isolation create the perfect conditions for alcohol to tighten its grip.

They talk openly about lockdown drinking, parenting, anxiety, blackouts, hidden bottles, emotional dependence, and the exhausting cycle of drink, shame, hide, repeat.

Along the way, they also cover builder-induced toilet disasters, panty liners, digestive biscuits, and why Ulrika accidentally traumatised a team of tradesmen by forgetting to shut the bathroom door.

If you’ve ever found yourself pouring a glass because the kids are finally asleep, because work was stressful, because you’re lonely, overwhelmed, anxious, bored, or simply because it’s become what you do every evening, this episode is for you.

This is an honest conversation about the drinking nobody sees, the shame nobody talks about, and the moment both Vic and Ulrika realised they couldn’t keep doing it anymore.

Because sometimes the most dangerous drinking isn’t happening in the pub.
It’s happening quietly on the sofa.

💛 Resources & Links

📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!
Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika?
Email vicandulrika@soberawkward.com. Your message could inspire a future episode.

📱 Join the Sober Awkward app

Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find the app here.

📲 Follow us

Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward

Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women

Retreat with us
🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts with us!

📰 Media enquiries
For interviews, features, partnerships or other media requests, contact Kate at hello@soberawkward.com.

📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays
Victoria’s brutally honest and hilarious memoir about motherhood, anxiety and ditching the booze.
👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays

📙 Mumming
A Year of Trying (and Failing) to Be a Better Parent—Vic’s funny and painfully relatable memoir about the messy reality of motherhood.
👉 Get Mumming

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide
A 30-day sobriety kickstart filled with relatable support, practical tools and plenty of awkwardness to help you begin life without booze.
👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward
Find more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward.
👉 soberawkward.com

🛟 Alcohol Support
Sober Awkward shares personal experiences and community support, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
If you are physically dependent on alcohol, suddenly stopping can be dangerous. Please speak to a doctor or alcohol-support service for advice on withdrawing safely.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Drinkline — National Alcohol Helpline
Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking.
Call 0300 123 1110
Weekdays: 9am–8pm
Weekends: 11am–4pm
👉 NHS alcohol support
Alcohol Change UK
Information, practical tools and support.
👉 alcoholchange.org.uk
WithYou
Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health.
👉 wearewithyou.org.uk
In an emergency, call 999.

🇦🇺 Australia
National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline
Free and confidential information and support.
Call 1800 250 015
Available 24/7 in most states and territories.
👉 Australian Government hotline information
Lifeline Australia
Crisis support available 24/7.
Call 13 11 14
Text 0477 13 11 14
👉 lifeline.org.au
In an emergency, call 000.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Thursday on The Awkward Bits, Vic is back on her own and wondering whether one of the reasons sobriety feels so bloody terrifying is because we make it MASSIVE before we’ve even started.

When Vic first considered giving up drinking, she wasn’t worrying about getting through Tuesday night without a beer. Oh no. She was already mentally attending future weddings sober, cancelling imaginary cocktails on holidays she hadn’t booked and wondering whether eighty year old Vic would be devastated when someone offered her a lovely glass of red on her deathbed! So dramatic!!

Basically, she turned not drinking into the end of civilisation as she knew it.

So this week, Vic is looking at what happens when you make sobriety smaller. Instead of worrying about never drinking again, what if you just deal with tonight? Instead of trying to imagine the rest of your life without alcohol, what if you concentrate on changing one little bit of your routine and see what happens?
Vic also talks about one of the biggest mistakes she made in early sobriety, removing alcohol but forgetting to fill the massive bloody hole it left behind. She was trying to squeeze sober Vic back into her old drinking life, then wondering why nothing quite fitted anymore.

There are also some brilliant thoughts from the Sober Awkward community about what scared them before they stopped, plus some very simple ways to make those first sober days and awkward sober firsts feel less overwhelming. And perhaps, instead of spending all your time worrying about what you’re going to lose, this episode might help you get a tiny bit excited about what you could get back.

You don’t need to work out Christmas, your next holiday, your fortieth birthday and whether you’ll fancy champagne when you’re eighty. You’re changing one thing. Start there. Although there is a slight risk that eight years later you’ll find yourself sitting in a pottery class making a wonky fish cup.
Nobody warns you about that bit.

Resources & Links

📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!
Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika?
Email vicandulrika@soberawkward.com Your message could inspire a future episode.

📱 Join the Sober Awkward app
The Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol.
Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here

📲 Follow us

Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward
Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women

Retreat with us
🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts!

📰 Media enquiries
Contact Kate at hello@soberawkward.com

Vic's Books

📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays
👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays

📙 Mumming
👉 Get Mumming

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide
A 30-day sobriety kickstart
👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward
Find more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward.
👉 soberawkward.com

🛟 Alcohol Support

🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Drinkline — National Alcohol Helpline
Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking.
Call 0300 123 1110
Weekdays: 9am–8pm
Weekends: 11am–4pm
👉 NHS alcohol support
Alcohol Change UK
Information, practical tools and support.
👉 alcoholchange.org.uk
WithYou
Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health.
👉 wearewithyou.org.uk
In an emergency, call 999.

🇦🇺 Australia
National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline
Free and confidential information and support.
Call 1800 250 015
Available 24/7 in most states and territories.

👉 Australian Government hotline information
Lifeline Australia
Crisis support available 24/7.
Call 13 11 14
Text 0477 13 11 14
👉 lifeline.org.au
In an emergency, call 000.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scared of Going Sober? What are you actually frightened of?
Being boring?
Losing your identity?
Not fitting in anymore?
Not knowing how to relax, cope or survive life without booze?

This week on Sober Awkward, Vic and Ulrika tackle the huge scary myths that keep so many people stuck in the “maybe I should stop drinking… but absolutely not” phase for years.From fear of missing out to fear of becoming a party pooper with no personality, the pair unpack the weird stories we tell ourselves about sobriety, and why most of them turn out to be complete nonsense.

There’s talk of goat’s cheese phobias, quicksand anxiety, social shame spirals, behind-closed-doors drinking, punky sober rebellion and why sober people are not, in fact, smug weirdos knitting winter scarves while watching Antiques Roadshow. Vic shares how she genuinely believed sobriety would ruin her life, while Ulrika explains how alcohol became less about partying and more about coping quietly alone.

Funny, honest and unexpectedly hopeful, this episode is for anyone standing on the edge of change wondering: “What if sobriety is awful?”

Turns out… it might actually be the thing that gives you your life back!!

Tune in every Monday to hear Vic and Ulrika chat about the weird and wonderful world of sobriety.

💛 Resources & Links

📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!
Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika?
Email vicandulrika@soberawkward.com. Your message could inspire a future episode.

📱 Join the Sober Awkward app
The Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol.
Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here

📲 Follow us

Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward

Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women

Retreat with us
🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts with us!

📰 Media enquiries
For interviews, features, partnerships or other media requests, contact Kate at hello@soberawkward.com.

📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays
Victoria’s brutally honest and hilarious memoir about motherhood, anxiety and ditching the booze.
👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays

📙 Mumming
A Year of Trying (and Failing) to Be a Better Parent—Vic’s funny and painfully relatable memoir about the messy reality of motherhood.
👉 Get Mumming

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide
A 30-day sobriety kickstart filled with relatable support, practical tools and plenty of awkwardness to help you begin life without booze.
👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward
Find more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward.
👉 soberawkward.com

🛟 Alcohol Support
Sober Awkward shares personal experiences and community support, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
If you are physically dependent on alcohol, suddenly stopping can be dangerous. Please speak to a doctor or alcohol-support service for advice on withdrawing safely.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Drinkline — National Alcohol Helpline
Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking.
Call 0300 123 1110
Weekdays: 9am–8pm
Weekends: 11am–4pm
👉 NHS alcohol support
Alcohol Change UK
Information, practical tools and support.
👉 alcoholchange.org.uk
WithYou
Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health.
👉 wearewithyou.org.uk
In an emergency, call 999.

🇦🇺 Australia
National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline
Free and confidential information and support.
Call 1800 250 015
Available 24/7 in most states and territories.
👉 Australian Government hotline information
Lifeline Australia
Crisis support available 24/7.
Call 13 11 14
Text 0477 13 11 14
👉 lifeline.org.au
In an emergency, call 000.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s Awkward Bit gets a little bit… well, awkward.

After Vic’s conversation with Cat Sims on Monday, she couldn’t stop thinking about one word: alcoholic.

It’s a word Vic has avoided for her entire sobriety. She’s always called herself an ex drinker, a binge drinker, a former party girl, a piss head with no off switch, basically anything other than an alcoholic. She told herself that was because she didn’t want to scare people away from sobriety, but after eight and a half years, she’s starting to wonder if there’s another reason.

Maybe the word still scares her.

So in this episode, Vic takes an “Am I an alcoholic?” test, looks properly at why she’s resisted the label for so long, and asks whether accepting it might actually make her sobriety stronger rather than define her by her past.

A little warning, Vic gets very tearful in this one. But that’s sort of the point. She didn’t realise quite how much shame and fear she was still carrying around one little word until she tried to say it out loud.

It’s emotional, uncomfortable, funny in places and probably one of the most vulnerable Awkward Bits Vic has recorded.
Can she finally say, “I’m an alcoholic” without worrying about what everyone else thinks?
Let’s find out.

Resources & Links

📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!
Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika?
Email vicandulrika@soberawkward.com Your message could inspire a future episode.

📱 Join the Sober Awkward app
The Sober Awkward app is a welcoming space for anyone who is sober, sober-curious or simply rethinking their relationship with alcohol.
Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here

📲 Follow us

Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward
Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women

Retreat with us
🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts!

📰 Media enquiries
Contact Kate at hello@soberawkward.com

Vic's Books

📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays
👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sunday

📙 Mumming
👉 Get Mumming

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide
A 30-day sobriety kickstart
👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward
Find more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward.
👉 soberawkward.com

🛟 Alcohol Support

🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Drinkline — National Alcohol Helpline
Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking.
Call 0300 123 1110
Weekdays: 9am–8pm
Weekends: 11am–4pm
👉 NHS alcohol support
Alcohol Change UK
Information, practical tools and support.
👉 alcoholchange.org.uk
WithYou
Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health.
👉 wearewithyou.org.uk
In an emergency, call 999.

🇦🇺 Australia
National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline
Free and confidential information and support.
Call 1800 250 015
Available 24/7 in most states and territories.

👉 Australian Government hotline information
Lifeline Australia
Crisis support available 24/7.
Call 13 11 14
Text 0477 13 11 14
👉 lifeline.org.au
In an emergency, call 000.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not so smug now! - This week, Vic sits down with writer, podcaster and self-confessed “textbook drunk” Cat Sims for a conversation about motherhood, drugs, booze and what happens when the party girl suddenly has a tiny human to keep alive.

They talk about crying in school car parks, postnatal depression, drinking as a reward for surviving motherhood and that strange moment in sobriety when you realise peace isn’t actually boredom. Sometimes life is just… peaceful. Who knew?

But somewhere along the way, the conversation takes an unexpected turn when Cat uses a word Vic has spent more than eight years avoiding: alcoholic.
Cat embraces the label. Vic absolutely does not.

What follows is a surprisingly emotional conversation about why Vic has always called herself an ex drinker, binge drinker, grey area drinker, former party girl, basically anything other than an alcoholic. Has trying to make sobriety feel less frightening for everyone else actually allowed Vic to keep a little bit of her own shame tucked away?

There are tears, uncomfortable truths and a rather compelling argument that after blowing off a finger at a Full Moon Party, perhaps “grey area drinker” isn’t quite covering it. It’s also a conversation about motherhood and belonging, about why so many women struggle quietly while believing everyone else is coping, and why sometimes the most powerful thing you can say to another mum crying in a car park is not “here’s what you should do”, but simply, “I get it. Sometimes parenting is fucked.”

Funny, raw and unexpectedly moving, this one shifts something in Vic.
Enjoy one of the best Sober Awkward guest interviews ever!

💛 Resources & Links
Follow Cat:
Instagram (312k followers)
TikTok (253.7k followers)
Substack (10k+ subscribers)

Buy her books:
You're Never The Only One (Simon & Schuster 2025)
The First Time You Smiled (Harper Collins 2022)

Listen to her podcast:
You're Never The Only One

📖 Vic & Ulrika want to hear from you!
Have you got a story, weird drunk confession or a question for Vic and Ulrika?
Email vicandulrika@soberawkward.com. Your message could inspire a future episode.

📱 Join the Sober Awkward app

Search “Sober Awkward” in the Apple App Store or find for all other devices click here

📲 Follow us

Instagram - Sober Awkward: @soberawkward

Facebook - Sober Awkward Community for Women

Retreat with us
🌴 Fancy a sober holiday? Click here to come and drink from coconuts with us!

📰 Media enquiries
For interviews, features, partnerships or other media requests, contact Kate at hello@soberawkward.com.

📘 A Thousand Wasted Sundays
Victoria’s brutally honest and hilarious memoir about motherhood, anxiety and ditching the booze.
👉 Get A Thousand Wasted Sundays

📙 Mumming
A Year of Trying (and Failing) to Be a Better Parent—Vic’s funny and painfully relatable memoir about the messy reality of motherhood.
👉 Get Mumming

📘 Get the Sober Awkward Guide
A 30-day sobriety kickstart filled with relatable support, practical tools and plenty of awkwardness to help you begin life without booze.
👉 Explore the Sober Awkward Guide

🎧 Listen to more Sober Awkward
Find more episodes, books, events and everything Sober Awkward.
👉 soberawkward.com

🛟 Alcohol Support

🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Drinkline — National Alcohol Helpline
Free and confidential support if you are worried about your own or someone else’s drinking.
Call 0300 123 1110
Weekdays: 9am–8pm
Weekends: 11am–4pm
👉 NHS alcohol support
Alcohol Change UK
Information, practical tools and support.
👉 alcoholchange.org.uk
WithYou
Free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs and mental health.
👉 wearewithyou.org.uk
In an emergency, call 999.

🇦🇺 Australia
National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline
Free and confidential information and support.
Call 1800 250 015
Available 24/7 in most states and territories.
👉 Australian Government hotline information
Lifeline Australia
Crisis support available 24/7.
Call 13 11 14
Text 0477 13 11 14
👉 lifeline.org.au
In an emergency, call 000.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.