Most people don’t drink again because they miss alcohol. They drink again because they don’t know how to deal with difficult emotions.

In this episode of No Alcohol Needed, Julie Miller, Steve Knapp, Matt Shambo, and Sean Rollinson unpack what’s really happening when emotions feel overwhelming - and why trying to escape them actually makes them even harder to deal with.

You’ll learn:

- Why suppressing emotions backfires - How to identify what you’re actually feeling - What it means to “sit with” an emotion (without spiraling) - Practical tools for handling big feelings in sobriety - How emotional intelligence protects long-term sobriety

If you’ve ever thought, “I can stay sober… I just hate how it feels,” this conversation is for you.

Life without alcohol doesn’t have to feel like a fight.

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If you’re new here:

At No Alcohol Needed (formerly Through the Glass Recovery Podcast) we talk about emotional intelligence, self-worth, sobriety, and how to build a life you don’t wish you could escape from.

Learn more about the podcast and the work we do: https://noalcoholneeded.net

Meet our guests: https://noalcoholneeded.net/meet-the-voices/

Social media affects mental health more than most of us realize. And now that AI-generated content is everywhere, it’s becoming harder to tell what’s real, what’s performative, and what’s draining us.

In this episode of No Alcohol Needed, Julie Miller and Steve Knapp are joined by Robbie Pike and Kristyna Holler for a candid conversation about loneliness, doom scrolling, AI content, and what real connection actually looks like in an alcohol-free life.

If you’ve ever:

• Scrolled for “just a few minutes” and felt worse after
• Compared yourself to someone online and felt inadequate
• Gotten angry in a comment section
• Felt strangely lonely after spending hours on social media
• Wondered whether AI is changing how we relate to each other

This conversation is for you.

We talk about how social media affects mental health, how AI is reshaping authenticity online, and why so many people feel more disconnected than ever - even while constantly “connected.”

And most importantly, we talk about how to protect real human connection in a world that keeps pushing us toward screens.

Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, or simply trying to build a healthier emotional life, this episode will challenge how you think about social media and connection.

At No Alcohol Needed (formerly Through the Glass Recovery Podcast) we’re hanging out at the intersection of emotional wellness, personal growth, and living an alcohol-free life.

We talk about emotional intelligence, self-worth, sobriety, and how to build a life you don’t wish you could escape from.

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Learn more about the podcast and the work we do: https://noalcoholneeded.net

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Meet our guests:

https://noalcoholneeded.net/meet-the-voices/

You can be doing everything “right” in your relationships - showing up, being agreeable, staying committed - and still feel deeply lonely.

In this episode of No Alcohol Needed, hosts Julie Miller and Steve Knapp are joined by Mike Coyne and Christen Miller for an honest conversation about why relationships often feel empty even after you’ve stopped drinking and started working on yourself.

This isn’t a conversation about fixing your partner or trying harder. It’s about the patterns many of us learned early on - performing, people-pleasing, staying quiet, avoiding conflict - and how those habits quietly block real connection.

Together, they explore:

• Why effort doesn’t automatically create intimacy
• How performative relationships keep us feeling unseen
• The difference between being partnered and being connected
• Why vulnerability feels so risky - and why it matters
• How healthier relationships support emotional stability and happiness

This episode is for anyone who is emotionally aware, doing the work, and still wondering, “Is this really as good as it gets?”

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If this conversation resonates and you’re feeling stuck in “emotionally aware but still lonely,” you’re not alone.

You can explore more episodes and resources here: https://noalcoholneeded.net