Laura McKowen somewhat reluctantly overcame what she describes as a “life-threatening drinking problem”. She then started to share her story with others through her website and podcasts before she decided to leave her successful corporate advertising career in order to pursue writing, teaching and speaking full time. Laura very candidly and honestly shares her story with Annie and how she came to a place where her life’s purpose is to help others in such an amazing way.
Episode Links:
Laura’s Website - www.lauramckow...
Today, I'm here with Laura McKowen and this is just the best. We have not talked face to face in probably two years, more than two years. If you don't know Laura McKowen, she is probably one of the most talented writers. I mean hands down has a way to craft words that just reach the deepest parts of you. It's really beautiful. Your writing just since the beginning has been incredible for me personally, but just also something that I just so readily share with just about everybody.
Laura McKowen’s Story
I grew up in a drinking family, where drinking was just a thing that ... It wasn't always overdone, but it was just done all the time. Alcohol was just always kind of there and around and flowing. And I thought that's just what adults did, and a lot. I didn't even realize that my family was more of a drinking family than others until I got married and my husband was like, "Your family drinks a lot." And I didn't really know.
I think drinkers hang out with drinkers. Right? And so everyone that came over was just drinking. It was the first thing you do when someone walks in the house is, "Do you want a drink?"
Normal, right?
No matter what time, no matter what day it is. And my ex-husband now, he was like, "Your family drinks a lot." I would go to his family's things, and they would have some stuff there. But it was not the main attraction. So I started, when I was 16. I drank a little bit in high school. It wasn't anything crazy. But I do remember a really pivotal point in my drinking. I graduated early at 17, not advanced or anything. It was just I was an August baby. So I had a graduation party at my family's restaurant. We owned a restaurant, which was a lot of the drinking seeds were planted there too.
Disordered
I had a really bad eating disorder at that time. I was tiny, and constantly thinking about my body. Constantly thinking about trying to get some semblance of control in my life. I was afraid of alcohol, but I liked doing it because it let me ... If you've experienced an eating disorder, it kind of numbs you out. And I couldn't feel anything anymore. It was like all I was doing was sort of surviving in the world, basic survival instincts, or basic survival needs, and trying to deny them. So feelings were secondary. I drank so that I could feel a little bit, and also so it also numbed ... It was a weird thing.
Негізгі бет EP 75: Allowing with Laura McKowen
Пікірлер: 25