Alcohol and Sobriety with Sex and Dating with Millie Gooch

Listen to "Alcohol and Sobriety with Sex and Dating with Millie Gooch".

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Millie Gooch, the founder of Sober Girl Society. Millie discusses why she went sober, and also forgiving yourself for past drunken mistakes. She and Hannah talk about drunk cheating, confidence, and sober sex and sober dating. Finally, Hannah and Millie discuss how to handle break-ups and heartbreak without alcohol, and how to support a partner who doesn't drink.

Read the episode transcript here!

SHOW NOTES

What we chat about…

Millie's story with alcohol
When Millie started drinking
Drinking in the fashion, journalism, and PR industries
Blacking out after drinking
The two types of blacking out: fragmentary and en bloc
Hangover anxiety and depression
When Millie realised she had to stop
Why Millie started Sober Girl Society
The age range of people involved in Sober Girl Society
People not understanding young people who don't drink
Navigating friendships in the first few months of being sober
Did Millie still go on nights out sober or just not go out at all?
Navigating nights out sober for the first time
Was there anything Millie discovered she actually did or didn't like when she was sober?
What was Millie's biggest surprise about sober sex and relationships?
Dating while sober
People's reactions to Millie not drinking, whether dates or friends
The assumption that certain things will automatically involve drinking
What has Millie found in sobriety that gives her the same confidence in sex and dating as we assume alcohol will?
Tips for boosting your confidence before dates without drinking
Building up confidence over time
Confidence as a skill not a personality trait
Has Millie found that sex is better sober?
Sex in Hollywood films
The physical and emotional differences between drunk and sober sex
More intimacy in sober sex
Higher risk of penile fractures in drunk sex!
How to deal with breakups and heartbreak without alcohol
Replacing the routine and motion of drinking with something that gives you the same feeling but without alcohol
Millie's non-alcoholic drink recommendations
How to stop feeling guilty for past drunken mistakes? It's been years. (30:50)
The shame cycle
How alcohol actually affects your brain
Drunken cheating and infidelity
Why is it when I'm drunk I find it harder to orgasm? I get turned on but it takes longer to finish. (35:20)
Does Millie prefer to date other sober people? (36:08)
How to support someone who doesn't drink but you do? (37:26)
What to do in moments where you might need a moment on nights out
Ideas for sober dates or dates that aren't going for drinks
Day dates
What would Millie's advice be for someone who isn't gelling with their relationship to alcohol at the moment? What would be the first steps?
What's the line between funny drunk stories and "that's not great" stories? How do you tell the difference when drinking is so normalised in our culture?

MORE ABOUT MILLIE GOOCH

Millie Gooch (she/her) is the founder of The Sober Girl Society, a hugely popular Instagram community (currently 100k followers and growing) and one of the leading voices pioneering the sobriety movement here in the UK. High-profile followers include Sam Smith, Bryony Gordon, Zoe Ball and Jameela Jamil's iWeigh. As a journalist, she has written for a range of publications, and her campaigning work has been featured everywhere from ELLE and Stylist to the BBC and Evening Standard.