Episode 316: Is Binge Drinking More Dangerous Than You Think? with Colleen Clifford
Release Date: 02/18/2026
Euphoric Alcohol-Free
Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of alcohol-related suicide. Please listen with care. Colleen Clifford lost her husband to alcohol, but it took years and a handful of wild card moments for her to confront her own relationship with drinking. 95% of the time? She felt in control. 5% of the time, something flipped. A split-second decision, a blackout, or a version of herself she didn’t fully recognize. Today, we’re talking about the psychology of the wild card, why “mostly fine” can still cost you your integrity, and the moment Colleen decided she would never again...
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info_outlineTrigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of alcohol-related suicide. Please listen with care.
Colleen Clifford lost her husband to alcohol, but it took years and a handful of wild card moments for her to confront her own relationship with drinking. 95% of the time? She felt in control. 5% of the time, something flipped. A split-second decision, a blackout, or a version of herself she didn’t fully recognize.
Today, we’re talking about the psychology of the wild card, why “mostly fine” can still cost you your integrity, and the moment Colleen decided she would never again gamble with who she was becoming.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- The wild card effect, and why it doesn’t care how successful or in-control you are
- The staggering number of people binge drinking kills each year
- How Colleen coped with the loss of her husband while in the middle of the sea
- The integrity rupture that forces a woman to ask, “Who am I becoming?”
- Why writing Life Beyond the Binge felt non-negotiable
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Be sure to check out Colleen’s website and learn more about her book, Life Beyond the Binge, which comes out in the spring.
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