Karen Dion,
Thrive Co-founder

Hi, I’m Karen, and I’m the co-founder of Thrive Alcohol Recovery. My struggle with alcohol was probably a lot like yours. 

My life looked “normal” – even good – on the outside, but on the inside I went to great lengths to hide my love-hate relationship with alcohol. 

I would promise myself every hungover morning that I wouldn’t drink that day...and when wine o’clock rolled around I would sometimes white-knuckle my way through the evening without drinking...but more often than not I would give into the obsessive thoughts and cravings and tell myself I would “just have one”...which of course turned into two, three, and sometimes an entire bottle – or more. 

I was tired of waking up day after day, dehydrated, exhausted, and defeated.  

I was tired of hiding my drinking, weary of the shame that I couldn't control my consumption, and exhausted from the fear of what might happen the next time I unpredictably drank too much.  I couldn't bear the thought that this was the way my life was going to be, but I couldn't imagine my life without alcohol either.  Nearly every day I woke up feeling stuck and very alone. But I knew there just had to be an answer out there...and I wasn't going to stop until I found it. 

I began to learn more about how alcohol use disorder functions on the brain, and the fact that with the right tools, it could actually be unlearned. I had been praying to God for an answer to my problems with alcohol, and my prayers were answered when I was introduced to a totally different science-based approach to fix problem drinking. After all my years of trying to fix this problem I had never heard of this concept before, and I thought it was too good to be true. But as I began to learn more about the methods involved – including a medication assisted therapy, I figured I would give it a try. 

And so began my journey of a holistic approach to changing my drinking habits (that included The Sinclair Method) – with the new understanding that alcohol use disorder could be unlearned.

At first the changes were very subtle, but as the weeks went by I noticed that I was drinking less and less frequently. And when I did choose to drink, it felt easy and natural to stop after a couple of drinks.  Gradually I no longer over-drank, and I began to feel like a “normal” drinker as I watched myself leave unfinished glasses of wine on the table and effortlessly go days at a time without even thinking about drinking.

For the first time in a long time I was finally feeling back in control of my drinking. I began to rediscover healthy hobbies that I used to love but hadn't participated in for years when drinking was my preferred pastime. I started rebuilding relationships from a place of honesty and authenticity. I became present in my life again and began thriving rather than just surviving.

Almost five years later, my life no longer centers around alcohol. My mind and body are free of the effects of unhealthy drinking, and I feel better physically, emotionally, and spiritually than I have in years – maybe ever.

I no longer feel drawn to alcohol, nor do I fear it. Free from the toxic effects of unhealthy drinking, my health, self-esteem, relationships, career, and finances have flourished. Alcohol has no power over me now!

Getting free from alcohol use disorder has inspired me to coach others through this process as well so that anyone can get free and live their best life possible. 

For almost five years it has been my mission to empower people who are struggling with their drinking to make a permanent change in their relationship with alcohol.  That's exactly why we created Thrive, and I can't wait to meet you!

Katie Lain,
Thrive Co-founder

Hello there! I'm Katie, co-founder alongside Karen of Thrive Alcohol Recovery.

If you would have told me just five years ago that I'd be helping others fix their drinking habits, it would have been almost impossible to believe as I was still in the thick of my near 10-year battle with alcohol use disorder.

I had struggled with alcohol throughout my entire twenties. What started as a "party phase" of drinking after college turned into binge drinking home alone and constantly putting myself in more risky situations because of my drinking. I can't tell you how many mornings I woke up not knowing where I was, how I got there or who I was with. Or how many nights I drove home without remembering the drive.

Each time I woke up having horrible regrets because of what I said, what I did or just because I was having the worst hangover of my life – I would commit to quitting for good. This happened dozens of times. I would tell myself "this was it! I am finally going to do it this time" only to return to drinking one week, one month or a few months later.

Why couldn't I get out of this cycle? Why couldn't I just control how much I drank? Why couldn't I stay sober for any sustained length of time? 

These were all questions I secretly asked myself over and over again. And finally, I stumbled upon the answer in 2017 during a hungover morning while I was searching the internet for help. 

I had always thought alcohol addiction was something I was born with because it ran in my family. I found myself surrendered to the fact that maybe I would just have alcohol problems for the rest of my life...and that if I wanted to get it under control I needed to quit and go to AA like many people in my family did. But AA wasn't for me and I knew it.

I also didn't want to quit drinking forever at that time, but wanted to just have more control over how much I drank. I wanted to stop blacking out, stop having hangovers and drink like a "normal person" drinks. And I was beginning to realize that maybe this was actually possible!

The answers I found taught me that over-drinking was more of an unhelpful habit that my brain had learned over time. Yes – perhaps I was pre-disposed to it due to my genes, but that wasn't the whole story. As I continued my research, I discovered that there were methods for unlearning alcohol addiction that almost no one was talking about (including The Sinclair Method).

So, I started treatment in 2017 and within about a month I was beginning to see small changes in my drinking habits. I also started seeing a therapist and taking classes on personal development. One big "ah-ha" moment I had was how much I was using alcohol as a crutch and a coping tool. I thought I just enjoyed drinking – but there was more to it than that.

The whole journey of changing my drinking habits was a beautiful process of self-discovery and self-healing. After several months on this new path, I was beginning to feel like a whole new person and was so excited about the future that I had ahead of me.

As more time passed, I had gotten to a place where I just didn't enjoy drinking anymore and I found myself "forgetting" to drink. This might seem unbelievable but it's true! I couldn't believe it either because alcohol was always front and center in my mind... but I just didn't really care about it anymore as my life had become so full without it. It was at that time that I started to coach others through this process that had worked so well for me. I was eager to guide others to freedom, and it has become my life-long passion ever since. One thing that has also been very awesome for me to see is how many people come to The Sinclair Method after they were praying to God for an answer (just like Karen did). It's really amazing to see people heal from problem drinking through this powerful method.

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