The Sobriety Myth That Keeps People Stuck with Amanda de Cadenet | The Commune Podcast

In this episode of the Commune Podcast, Jeff Krasno sits down with Amanda de Cadenet for a candid conversation about sobriety, addiction, nervous system regulation, and what it actually takes to change deeply ingrained patterns.

Framed around the New Year and the cultural pull toward resolutions, the conversation explores alcohol as a socially accepted coping mechanism, its effects on sleep, metabolism, emotional regulation, and social inhibition, and why so many people continue to drink despite understanding the risks. Together, they examine addiction not as a failure of willpower, but as an attempt to soothe discomfort, create connection, and regulate the nervous system.

Moving beyond abstinence alone, the episode looks at community as medicine, the role of ritual and accountability, and why long-term recovery requires rebuilding an entire internal structure. From twelve-step recovery and cognitive behavioral tools to prayer, service, and presence, the discussion emphasizes change made one day at a time rather than through sweeping transformation.

ABOUT THE COMMUNE PODCAST
Hosted by Jeff Krasno, the Commune podcast features thoughtful conversations for modern times. Not always comfortable but definitely needed, we explore both humanity and our human-ness. How can we live healthy, purpose-filled lives and be in service of something bigger? Guests include spiritual teachers, poets, scientists, philosophers, and activists for food sustainability, functional medicine, mental and physical health, and collective healing.

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CONNECT WITH JEFF & COMMUNE
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NEW TO COMMUNE?
Hi, I’m Jeff Krasno. I’m the co-founder of Commune, host of the Commune Podcast, writer, dad, and seeker of community and connection. At Commune we explore health, spirituality, purpose, and culture with some of the world’s great teachers and thinkers.

If you’d like to nourish your mind, body, and spirit with daily video lessons and practices that help you live well, explore Commune’s library of 100 wellness courses from the world’s top teachers with a 14-day FREE trial:
👉 https://www.onecommune.com/trycommune

00:00 New Year and sobriety
01:00 Alcohol as a class one carcinogen and neurotoxin
03:30 Social inhibition, connection, and culture
06:30 Anxiety, public speaking, and nervous system tools
11:00 Sobriety, community, and twelve-step recovery
16:00 Accountability, inventory, and personal responsibility
21:00 Changing behavior and social environments
26:00 Ritual, rebuilding identity, and structure
30:00 Dopamine, workaholism, and modern addiction
33:00 Emotional pain, physical symptoms, and awareness
36:00 Tools for regulation and recovery
44:00 One day at a time philosophy
46:00 Closing reflections