Drink Less with Susan

10/26/2026

At 23, Christen Dingess lost her best friend to a violent crime.
She didn’t know how to carry that kind of grief, so she reached for a drink and kept herself busy for three decades.

It wasn’t until she put the glass down that she finally understood what she’d been running from, and was able to pursue the healing she needed.

In this week’s episode of the Drink Less with Susan Podcast, Christen shares her powerful story from her new memoir, Behind the Glass, and the gentle advice she’d give any woman who thinks her pain is too big to stop drinking over.

If you’ve ever said “you don’t know what I’ve been through,” this one is for you. 💛

“Now I can sit by myself in peace. I’ve never been able to do that in 30 years.” 🕊️- Chris Dingess

🎧 New episode of Drink Less with Susan, link in bio or comment pod and I’ll send you a link
📖 Christen’s book: christendingess.com

Tag a friend who needs to hear Christen’s story!

10/22/2026

Bonus Episode this week!
Comment Pod and I'll send you a link! You don't want to miss this one!

10/19/2026

Laundry got a glass. Cleaning the bathroom got a glass. Dinner got a glass. And Friday? Friday was the big one we made it to the end of the week! 🍷

I wasn’t a party girl. My drinking was boring and ordinary, woven into every little finish line in my day. A treat for the good stuff and a treat for the hard stuff. Which, if you’re keeping score, is a treat for basically everything.

On the new episode of Drink Less with Susan, we’re talking what w**e is really doing to your brain’s reward system, and how I answer that “you deserve it” voice without a fight.

Spoiler: you DO deserve a treat. It just doesn’t come in a w**e bottle.

🎧 New episode out now. Comment POD and I’ll send you a link to the episode.

💬 What did w**e used to be your “reward” for? Tell me below. ⤵️

10/16/2026

Keep the ritual. Ditch the alcohol. 🍷

For a lot of us, the glass of w**e is part of cooking dinner. Pour it, turn on some music, start chopping. That's the signal that the workday is over and you get to unwind a little.

You don't have to give up that moment. Keep the pretty glass, keep the playlist, keep the stirring and sipping. Just change what you pour. An NA w**e alternative like this red from Tomorrow Cellars or a sparkling water with a splash of tart cherry juice still says I'm off duty now (and you won't burn the meatballs).

What's in your glass while you cook? Tell me below 👇

**e

10/14/2026

10/12/2026

Well, would they?
If you want a big dose of inspiration, listen to this week's podcast!
Comment pod and I'll send you a link!

10/12/2026

“If one of your students followed you around for a week, would they see Jesus at work in your life?"

Julian (Jewlz) has never shared her drinking story publicly before. Today she shares it with us, and it is so full of Jesus and His amazing work in her life!

She's known as Jewlz the Budget Nerd. She has an economics degree, and she and her husband were still buried under $107,000 of consumer debt when the 2008 crash hit. That season led to one desperate prayer, and God answered it. What followed was a slow, honest unpacking of everything she'd been carrying, and alcohol was one of the first things He asked her to set down.

Her story of obedience with alcohol, with her finances and her family is also a story of how much God loves us, and has MORE for us than we can even imagine. Jewlz story is one full of God's blessings in His timing, not hers.

Susan and Jewls also found something they didn't expect: the boundaries we set around alcohol and the boundaries we set around money look a lot alike. If either one has been a quiet source of shame for you, this conversation is for you.

10/09/2026

This isn’t about shame or labels. It’s about noticing what’s taking up space in your heart and getting curious about it.

I hear it all the time from women who love God and still find their thoughts circling back to that evening glass of w**e. When drinking takes up that much mental real estate, it crowds out the quiet where we hear Him best.

Freedom from that constant mental chatter is possible, and so much peace lives on the other side.

Does this sound familiar? Tell me in the comments or send me a DM. I’d love to hear from you. 🤍

10/08/2026

Change is bittersweet.

In order to make space for something new, we must let go of something. And sometimes that something is good and meaningful in our lives.  It will still be there for you, three years, 143 episodes with me and Ruby sharing truth, tools and lit practices. It has been a super hard, bittersweet decision for me to decide to leave the podcast.

I love Ruby and what we created with the Sober & Lit podcast. I know it has been very uplifting and encouraging to so many of you. I also feel like our work is complete. We’ve literally talked about every subject around alcohol, every tool and every practice that helps us feel lit alcohol-free. We’ve had amazing guests!
 
Nothing else is changing, I’ll still be coaching, podcasting, in my newsletter and now on Substack where the articles are a little more faith-forward.
 
I’d be honored if you would Listen to the new podcast – Drink Less with Susan subscribe and if inclined leave a review or some stars- it will help the women who need this podcast find it!

Comment POD and I’ll send you a link to the new podcast! 



10/07/2026

I’m so grateful for the reviews of the new podcast! 

When I was struggling in my AA days (my first rodeo, 2013), a woman in the church pulled me aside one day, and she said, “One day you will conquer this, and you will help other women overcome it too."

I forgot about this until after I had been a coach for a while, because after I left AA I went back to drinking. 😪

And the shame of it! I thought I guess I'm failing at God's purpose for me because I can't seem to give up my Sauvignon Blanc!

The double shame of drinking and not trusting God enough to let it go.

That’s what this new podcast is about. God has put it on my heart to reach women in the church. Why? Because I think there are a lot of women struggling with alcohol who don't feel safe sharing it with their Bible study, their leaders, or even their close Christian sisters. I know, because I was there too!

Can I just say, from what I've observed, church culture has normalized drinking on a regular basis? Bible studies that offer w**e and b**r, leadership meetings at breweries. I think we're playing with fire here. 🔥

So part of my mission is to bring the truth about how alcohol works in our brains and bodies to the church: that it is normal to become addicted to an addictive substance, and there is nothing wrong with you.

If this speaks to you and you haven’t listened yet, I’d LOVE it if you would! If you already know me from my former pod Sober & Lit- it’s the same me, on a new mission!

Comment POD Apple or POD Spotify and I’ll send you a link. I do this myself (not automated so if there is a delay… I might be playing pickleball 🤣. There is a link in bio too for immediate access.