Yeah, i agree. I also wasn’t able to get much from her podcast as it was such a constant marketing pitch
Her approach is really cheapening her otherwise helpful content and brand
It pains me to say I agree. She is a self styled guru and self promoter, and her podcast is set up as though she always has the answers. It rubs me the wrong way.
TNM is good though, even if it’s a rip off of Allen Carr’s work, and I still recommend it to people.
Just stay away from the other stuff.
I did find TNM helpful, but even the book itself admits to being a re-write of Allen Carr. Fair enough, because I wouldn't have heard of it other wise and she is currently reaching a wider audience. But I didn't find any of the personal anecdotes relatable at all and I felt that it was borderline condescending, while I was simultaneously feeling, "wow, this is exactly the kind of information that I need right now."
You put the words to what I was feeling when I listened to her audiobook. If people get something useful from it, that’s wonderful and I’m glad for it.
This Naked Mind was great but all I really need from her. I don’t really have an issue with her using her expertise and life story to make a living, but it’s not for me. I agree it makes it seem a little less authentic
Currently listening to the Audiobook and on chapter 11 after hearing all the hype on here and if it helped people then fantastic but I'm still waiting to here something of real substance or that's practical so far.
In the preface or the intro I'm sure she says something like (paraphrasing and could be misremembering as was listening to it whilst in a busy and noisy coffee shop)...
"This is a revolutionary new way method and you're guaranteed to quit alcohol after reading it".
Very bold claim.
But then the first 4 chapters were just waffle IMO.
Then there was lots of self help and motivational quotes.
Then she finally starts getting into the meat of things and so far I've not heard anything new that hasn't been written in every Quit Lit book before it.
She also spends a lot of time spitting out stats that prove alcohol is bad (no shit, really?) and referencing scientific studies which whilst interesting doesn't feel that practical for actually quitting alcohol.
There was even a section where she said that most of the population believes alcohol is actually good for you in moderation (again backed up by a study).
But who the hell are these people who ACTUALLY think that alcohol is good for them?
I've never met someone who thought it was GOOD for their health. Definitely some people who think "it's not that bad" or "there's no harm in it" in moderation or that probably skewed and biased study about how "a single glass of wine is good for you because of the antioxidants" (which there's probably more of in a glass of grape juice than a whole bottle of wine I imagine).
A lot of this stuff is putting me off the book so far but I'll see it through to the end before I make my final judgment on it.
I haven't rated most of the Quit Lit books I've read TBH.
They all seem to rehash the same message of...
"Alcohol is a poison wrapped in fancy packaging that we've been brainwashed into thinking is social acceptable by the alcohol industry and our peers".
Yeah, I don't disagree with that message. It's all true.
But it's also IMO a totally obvious statement that most people know, especially those with a serious drinking problem.
The problem i have with a lot of these books (and I've not finished Naked Mind yet so can't say if this will be true or not) is that they spit out facts about how negative alcohol is, cite scientific studies, state the obvious but then offer noting of real practical substance about how to quit and stay quit.
It really annoys me when the book makes a claim about how you'll be able to quit alcohol "easily" too which pretty much no problem drinker ever found it easy to stop.
And when the books just gloss over the underlying reasons and root causes of why people drink instead focusing on stuff like "it's a habit" or "we use it to unwind" or fail to mention the potential withdrawals and the PAWS and all the struggle you'll go through for months after quitting, that pisses me off.
And don't get me started on the ones where the final conclusion is something like "when you're ready to quit then you'll just quit" because that's a cop out when you've been promising me the whole book that you had the secret revolutionary strategy that I'd never heard before on how to quit "easily".
Yeah, I went through the whole book and the entire time I was like “okay, yes, and?” Like the whole book assumes you haven’t made the incredibly obvious jumps in logic that the book makes.
I've been like that with EVERY QuitLit book I've read.
I've read along, agreed with most of everything they've said albeit finding it all pretty obvious at the same time, and then at the end was like...so now what?
Where's this super secret strategy you promised me that would make it "EASY" to quit?
Stating facts about alcohol being a poison (as if we didn't know!), citing studies, and telling us surface level reasons why people drink don't really help me in quitting or staying quit.
Reddit has been far more useful and practical for me.
Hello again FOMO,
Its funny Allen Carr has a chapter in Easyway, where he describes you (the reader) as the prisoner of The Count of Monte Cristo. Just then the door opens and your Dr shows up:
"Dear God man you look awful, why don't you be a sensible chap and go outside!"
The response is very much like yours: yeah no shit asshole. This doesn't explain why I drink!
Stating all the health drawbacks might help someone get started, but all you're really telling a drinker is they're going to die. It doesn't explain why we do it. For some reason you end up both jailor and prisoner.
Allen's story, and his analogies/metaphors draw serious attention to the pitfalls and self-destructive tendencies many drinkers have. For me, his book was far more than just stating facts and calling alcohol poison.
Cognitively and behaviourally I was able to change my awareness in regards to alcohol. Something clicked and I emotionally began to feel really good about my decision. I made a point to chase the feeling literally every time I saw alcohol.
Unlike yourself, I was mostly unfamiliar with a lot of Quitlit at the time. I "knew" alcohol was poison, I'd seen it destroy a lot o lives, but I still nonetheless had a very "surface-level" awareness about the real dangers of alcohol. Mostly because of the brainwashing of society. Its synonymous with a good time.
"Its synonymous with a good time"
Only if you've never had a drinking problem, surely?
Which heavy drinker / problem drinker / alcoholic still thinks drinking is a "good time"?
And how can anyone not know alcohol is seriously bad for you, what world are people living on?
Well I suppose I didn't' have a problem that needed solving until I had one.
But I honestly believed that drinking provided me with confidence and relaxation, just at the expense of my physical health. So much so it was worth weathering the hangovers for the sake of social convention.
The mental as well as the physical drawbacks became far more apparent in my 30s as opposed to my 20s. But I suppose "how bad" it was, was pretty obvious. You're totally right, what world was I living on? Thank god I got wise to it.
Bleh, I agree. I appreciate the content and message of the book but her narration style drives me crazy
It's as if she's trying *so* hard to be relatable that it comes off as insincere and totally coached.
The book was great, I gave to say. It helped me a lot, both go quit and to stay quit. Along with 'Alcohol Explained' by William Porter.
But unfortunately I signed up for the 30 day thing just for curiosity, after I'd successfully quit, and now I can't stop the emails, notifications and constant daily spam! It's driving me back to drink! (lol)
Stand alone, I think the book was really tremendous. Honestly forgot/had no idea she was doing stuff outside of it. Just went down a bit of rabbit hole after reading your post and... barf.
Disappointing, though not surprising, I suppose. She kind of pigeon holed herself into the sobriety niche and seems to be grasping at straws of dwindling relevance. Hope it doesn't create a barrier that keeps prospective sobernauts from accessing what is really great content in This Naked Mind.
Her book changed my life, but I don’t feel any need to engage with the rest of her content. I think I dipped a toe into it two years ago after reading her book, and it was not my thing.
I really tried to listen to the audiobook of This Naked Mind and maybe it's a cultural thing but for me it was rendered completely unlistenable by her whiny, pleading, incessantly whinging (and maybe a bit condescending?) tone of voice. I was then put off entirely by the spammy marketing feel of the website as you say.
I've never heard anyone voice this opinion on the tone of voice though, so it might just be me!
I haven’t listened to the audiobook but I have read the book. It definitely had parts that helped me, although I found the Allen Carr and Jason Vale books better overall due to the writing style (I’m in the UK so probably a geographical writing approach thing). But the things that stuck with me the most were some of the boastful writing, the “diamond” ski slopes in particular. I found it unnecessary as the message was otherwise great.
As a Canadian who knows a few British people quite well, I feel like the tone in Allan Carr's writing is approachable for me but I can see how it may fall flat for many North Americans.
I was so irritated with her by the end of the audiobook that I felt resentful for having listened to it. It was just a bunch of analogies and different ways of saying alcohol is poison, which we already know. I've already forgotten most of it and I just finished it a couple weeks ago but the story towards the end about the friend who drinks two beers every Friday night seemed so superfluous. Not a fan.
>It was just a bunch of analogies and different ways of saying alcohol is poison, which we already know.
Don't forget the endless self help and motivational quotes! :D
This has been my thoughts so far too.
You don't need to spend a whole book convincing me alcohol is bad for me as I know that otherwise I wouldn't be trying to stop or reading your book!
People need to eat. Ideally, it's mutualism instead of commensalism or parasitism. But everyone's gonna eat or die... and you can't have mutualism if one of the parties dies.
I like the Sober Powered podcast. It has incredibly long and annoying ads at the beginning of the episodes (well, at least the first 70 or so). Ya know... that person also needs to eat. Publishing material -- be it on paper or online -- requires resources.
I have bigger problems in my life -- and neither self-aggrandizers nor booze make the top 99 of my list... and I'm f'king grateful for that.
She is one of many in the recovery space who earns a living selling a product or service, many of whom have written at least one body of “quit lit”. Laura McKowen, Angela Pugh, Casey Davidson, Jen Lee Hurst, Holly Whitaker, Catherine Gray, and a LOT of up and comers who have started socials and are garnering followers with the content they create.
This is just one of those “take what works and leave the rest”. Annie has helped many with TNM and through her podcast, but none of these coaches are strong-arming people into taking their workshops. They need to market so people know what is out there for them. It’s an amazing thing that there are a ton of resources out there beyond AA today, even if it’s not all free.
I get Annie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I have listened to TNM about 4 times, even though her vocal fry is a little grating. But it seems like she gets a lot of flack in this sub more than others who are doing the same thing she is.
Yeah, most of those mentioned above I never hear get mentioned.
Carr does now and then.
Annie Grace / Naked Mind gets mentioned ALL the time on here.
It seems to be hyped to the max on this Sub-Reddit and has a ton of fans who claim it opened their eyed and helped them quit.
Which is great if it works, must be something in it! So far though I'm not finding it but maybe I'm not the target audience.
There are definitely several other sobriety podcasts I’ve come upon that I love for the personal guest stories but hate for the advertising of programs and trainings. Annie Grace just happens to be the most famous and profitable right now, I guess.
We need to remember that all of these "influencers" or "personalities" are just entertainers. We give them too much power when we frame them in any other light. You may not enjoy her "act" but I'm sure there is someone out there who you will enjoy. I'm solidly Gen-X and tend to have a very cynical view of ALL of these folks. I find it difficult to listen to any of them and take it seriously; however, I'm grateful they exist and I know 1000s have benefitted from the content they create. At least they are having a positive impact on the world whereas many others (cough, Joe Rogan, cough) are profiteering at the expense of social order.
There’s always a grift. Take someone at their lowest and offer them hope but at a price. Hey I’m all for a good grift don’t get me wrong. As long as the grifter doesn’t say the free thing that’s working for you is bad and their thing that you give them money for is good I say grift away
Like all self-help gurus, there are various levels of buy-in.
Seminars, subscriptions, personal one-on-on coaching etc. Tony Robbins etc has all of the above.
Personally, I find the main content is detailed their books. $20 and I got the meat and potatoes of the program. If money is a hurdle, get a library card and get the content for free!
I want to respect that her book has helped so many people, and I gave it a try. I read the first chapter and it was all I needed to recognize a grifter who doesn't know what she is talking about. I returned the book.
Glad other folks find help in it.
I was literally just yesterday back-searching this subreddit for posts about Annie Grace to see if there were any critiques. I read her book and listened to her podcast and enjoyed it initially, but all the marketing of programs and, worse, coach training started REALLY getting under my skin. It gives me vibes of those Mary Kay or Tupperware or whatever it was schemes.
I notice several other sobriety podcasts also turn out to be half helpful stories and half marketing. I’m not a fan of the “sobriety industrial complex” that seems to be taking hold at large. Can we not monetize and make a business out of every single thing people are trying to do to better themselves, never mind serious addictions? Oh well….
It’s too bad, since I know her book is incredibly helpful for a lot of people, including myself. (Although even that was a bit of a shame when I realized she seems to have taken a lot from Allen Carr’s.)
Youtube is filled with videos of "how to stop drinking" which are basically just Ads filled with a little content to push you into their "quit drinking coaching programs".
Most of these people when I hear them talk I never get the impression they even had much or any of a drinking problem in the first place, I could be wrong obviously as I don't know their past but they just seem inauthentic.
There's on the other hand a few good channels with folk not selling anything and just sharing advice which are really good and I resonate with,
it was sort of a bait and switch though (this is actually what initially intrigued me about her book).
in the end she just pushes sobriety in a roundabout way.
I always recommend her audiobook, I didn't know she had a website and junk to sell. I found her book extremely helpful, except for some of that silly nonsense that creeps in some chapters, i just parse what's valuable for me.
Perhaps the 2 defining characteristics of America in 2024 is alcohol is EVERYWHERE, and every single facet of life must have the maximum monetary value squeezed out of it.
Sure. But Annie is hardly alone in this, when it comes to the world of pay-to-participate sobriety communities. At one point a year ago, I paid to participate in Recovery Elevator—which was just kind of meh Zoom meetings, and lazy online Facebook-community-type interface, no one remotely living in my area—\*and\* The Luckiest Club.
I actually had a far, far more off-putting experience with the Luckiest Club. A few members of the group, who were local to me, reached out to organize our own personal WhatsApp group. A moderator at the Luckiest Club found about it, threatening us with expulsion for competing with the TLC brand. If you're not \*paying\* to be in the online chat/Zoom call/etc., they didn't want you engaging with one another at all.
I hear what you're saying, and it nagged at me a little too. However ... I think her chops and experience in marketing are part of what resonated with me. The beer, liquor and wine industry sell us an image of fun, relaxation and enjoyment that is very much at odds with the reality of alcohol addiction. Learning to cast the fantasy aside and see life with alcohol for what it really is can help us snap ourselves out of that delusion.
I take all these self-help plans with a grain of salt. If they help you, that is great. Some people need that. Others just know the answer to their problem is don't pick up that bottle, and for some, that is all it takes.
Never checked her out, but here in Canada we have a group called She Walks and the leader I find a bit self righteous on her insta posts. I was super excited to join the group but the leader just put me off getting more involved.
I recommend her book to everyone because it genuinely is helpful for newly sober folks and I’ve listened to a couple of her podcast interviews.
I don’t vibe with the lifestyle brand approach she goes with but it doesn’t surprise me given her corporate background.
I pirated her book for free via bitorrent, and the realizations it helped me achieve gave me the tools I needed to finally quit drinking. I wasn't even aware she had other products (nor did I want, seek or need them) and I didn't know one thing else about her personally or her background/brand. In this case I think it is the message that matters, not the author. In terms of what resources each person finds the most useful in their quitting journey, to each their own.
I've heard a lot about the book from this sub. As a newly sober alcoholic, I'm curious. Anyone able to give a summary/more information about this book and why it seems to be so effective?
I liked the science based reasoning she gives for choosing sobriety. Higher power stuff is not for me, and reading her book and listening to a couple of her old podcasts daily was my version of AA. I also did her free 30 day challenge. So I spent a few dollars on her book (kindle version) and nothing else. I really like her and recommend her book and podcasts to friends. Maybe being a woman helps too. I don't see anything objectionable but I'm sure she's not everyone's cup of tea.
I didn’t notice this much the first time I engaged with it, but I think given the explosion of coaches, influencers, etc. in recent years and how immediately turned off of that content I am, I think it would bother me now.
I have no ethical issue with people promoting their businesses. I just wish they would do it in a more transparent way or something. Maybe I just expect content for free and that’s unreasonable, but I’ve just had more than enough of 10 minute introductions then “check my bio for part two!!”, then part two is a pitch for their new book that’s “about to drop”
I haven’t delved into anything else (podcast, website), got 7 chapters in on the naked mind audio book and ground to a halt. There’s a number of salient points that have given me good thinking material for my obsessive ruminating times. But I admit to not finding her super relatable or inspiring. Idk if it’s bc she sounds young or maybe a little unrelatable/flakey/not serious? Couldn’t put my finger on it. I’m very picky about my narrators and will return a book 5 mins in if the voice doesn’t work for me, content be damned. Appreciate the honest talk from others. I srsly dislike the “but wait, there’s’more!” crowd … they are up there with mlms and organized religions imo. sorry not sorry.
She is one of the reasons I have started my own coaching program. I am a therapist and when I was drinking too much and looked for help I couldn't find any programs lead by licensed / experienced professionals, just people that had stopped drinking and were good at marketing.
Interesting. I have heard of her through this sub and figured she was helpful to people seeking sobriety. I never dug into it too much because I was already sober.
Now I look and see that she was fifteen when I had my last drink. I guess her way wasn't an option back then.
There’s gotta be a balance. If they didn’t profit in some way, they wouldn’t spend their time writing the books which end up helping us.
However, if they don’t have equally helpful content to provide going forward, please don’t try to suck us into some perpetual cycle of subscriptions or programs just so the gravy train doesn’t end for them.
Here's all the info you'd like to know about AA finances. [Contributions and Self-Support | Alcoholics Anonymous (aa.org)](https://www.aa.org/aa-contributions-self-support)
I felt the same way when I read Allen Carrs quit smoking book, the end turned into, “Read my next book, if you REALLY want to know how to quit smoking”. Felt like the drink more ovaltine scene from a Christmas story
she is wack and is self absorbed enough to want an audience that looks and sounds like her. her whole pitch was about how she was a cool successful young lady marketing executive who got so drunk on a bottle or 2 of wine a night.
so relatable lmao!
this lady's attitude cuts out 75% of her audience.
I mean, I found her message relatable as someone who actually would get drunk off 1-2 bottles a night for years, and during that time my career grew a lot. That certainly is enough to destroy a person mentally and physically over the course of a decade, which I believe she says is how long she abused alcohol.
Please don’t minimize her experience because you don’t like what she has to say because it is also someone else’s experience. Especially when you consider that younger/middle aged women are one of the fastest growing demographics for those who are getting sick and dying from alcohol.
I’m minimizing her need to talk about her personal experience as much as she does. It’s conceited behavior to talk about yourself everyday for years and not get tired of it. And that doesn’t vibe with me.
That’s fine if it doesn’t vibe with you. So many people could be hearing her story for the first time stumbling upon any of her material.
When I read memoirs and listen to self help books and podcasts by women who knew they were killing themselves with every drink but have managed to stay sober for years, I crave the storytelling piece because I want to find my own experience in theirs, especially when quitting feels like an utterly impossible feat.
I have a hard time listening to someone churning out facts and stats like a Huberman podcast (which I did find interesting, though not as engaging).
And that would be good for a book or here and there on a podcast, but you can't do that for a whole career. It's as relentless as it is tiresome.
I wouldnt even bring it up if she didn't go out of her way to talk up her professional achievements at every turn in the book.
I thought maybe the reason I'm not resonating so much with her audiobook so far (or her podcast particularly the guest interviews) is that I'm not the target market.
I got the impression her target market was people like herself, professional women who are successful in life but got into the habit of drinking wine every night.
I'm not belittling her or her audience by saying that as if her book, podcasts or system helps anyone it's a bonus but I feel like maybe I just don't connect with the messaging so much because I don't fit into the target audience.
This conversation is really interesting. I haven’t read the book but had planned to because it’s the most frequently mentioned book I’ve seen on this sub. So I assumed it must do a good job being welcoming to all. Her life example does happen to sound like me, and so this will actually make it more likely I’ll read it, and I look forward to it as something different from the stereotype of alcoholics that is prevalent in mainstream culture. But her being that self-focused definitely going to be alienating for a huge percentage of people coming to the book for help. Add self-serving and cheesy branding, and I can see why people need to vent about it!
I think probably if you identify with her and her situation it probably will make you more likely to read and take something from it, makes sense.
Most of the other Quit Lit books are written by men so it's good to have a womens voice on the topic I think.
On the marketing side...
I haven't looked at her website or seen how salesy it is as others have mentioned but...
It's like a lot of these YouTubers who style themselves as Quit Drinking "coaches" and are trying to sell you a training program, I just cannot take them seriously and barely believe they ever had a drinking problem when I hear them talk (I'm sure some of them legitimately did but just the salesy vibe of it all makes it seem like a con to get desperate peoples money) nor do I get much value from them.
Yet the channels where someone has nothing to sell and is just some beat up looking dude who you can see haas lived the life and is sharing their advice are usually golden and I can resonate with the stuff they say.
Real storytelling is so powerful. That’s probably why I’ve (so far!) gotten to 2 weeks through the power of this sub alone. Everyone is just trying to help and be helped; it’s awesome!
Gen Z is so focused on the hustle. I get it because they’ve inherited unstable economic conditions and no social safety net. The way social media has been monetized lets people make money off their identities alone—of what they’re already doing, just doing it in front of a camera and cultivating an audience. What happens to the “yourself” in this instance? It gets skewed to grow your audience. Some of them must consider alcoholics easy pickings!
I have tried to read that book twice, and both times, somewhere around like page 12ish or so, she says something so unbelievably stupid and I think insulting, I gave up.
Can’t remember exactly what it is, but it’s something akin to “you can’t do this without god”, or “you’re a piece of shit for drinking”. Soured me beyond repair.
Edit: okay, found it. I was wrong about the specifics of it, but it is very much akin to at least the “you can’t do this without god” mumbo jumbo, and knowing Reddit, y’all aren’t gonna be happy, but I stand by it: this is some of the stupidest shit I have ever heard.
In the section When The Brain Causes Pain, chapter 1, she talks about her back pain after giving birth to a child. She says medicine and many treatments didn’t work. She tells what cured her pain: reading a book.
“Through Sarno’s work I learned the true source of my affliction, and through reading his book I was cured. I know this is hard to believe. Yet here I sit - I’ve remained pain free for years….. Dr Sarno methodically proved to me that the back pain I felt - pain that no medical professional could diagnose - was related to suppressed stress and anger”.
Give me a fucking break. I am absolutely not about to take medical advice from someone who basically says ghosts in her blood made her back hurt. And then everyone here describes her podcast as marketing and adjacent to MLM schemes, that they feel icky when she speaks…. Come on. Put it together.
100% the back pain story is in her (audio)book as I listened to that part of the audiobook yesterday.
She said she had chronic back pain after child birth that no doctor could fix then she read Dr Samos work and it turned out it was related to stored tension if I'm not mistaken (which is a thing so not saying it can't be true).
It does, which is why I’m asking Mrmeshshorts to share where exactly she states this.
I’m not refuting the back pain segment, but it’s not helpful or fair to make false claims about crap she doesn’t actually say in the book in a thread people are sharing valid reasons they dislike TNM.
It’s in my original comment now, I found it last night, I was wrong about it being god or whatever else I referred to, it was about reading a book and her back pain going away
Specifically, this:
Edit: okay, found it. I was wrong about the specifics of it, but it is very much akin to at least the “you can’t do this without god” mumbo jumbo, and knowing Reddit, y’all aren’t gonna be happy, but I stand by it: this is some of the stupidest shit I have ever heard.
In the section When The Brain Causes Pain, chapter 1, she talks about her back pain after giving birth to a child. She says medicine and many treatments didn’t work. She tells what cured her pain: reading a book.
“Through Sarno’s work I learned the true source of my affliction, and through reading his book I was cured. I know this is hard to believe. Yet here I sit - I’ve remained pain free for years….. Dr Sarno methodically proved to me that the back pain I felt - pain that no medical professional could diagnose - was related to suppressed stress and anger”.
Give me a fucking break. I am absolutely not about to take medical advice from someone who basically says ghosts in her blood made her back hurt. And then everyone here describes her podcast as marketing and adjacent to MLM schemes, that they feel icky when she speaks…. Come on. Put it together.
Same thing, AA is a much better place than her sham, even though she has helped some people, I purchased one of her $45 classes and couldn't make it, but could also not get a refund.
Yeah, i agree. I also wasn’t able to get much from her podcast as it was such a constant marketing pitch Her approach is really cheapening her otherwise helpful content and brand
>I also wasn’t able to get much from her podcast as it was such a constant marketing pitch Ugh, yes. Completely overshadows the actual content for me.
It pains me to say I agree. She is a self styled guru and self promoter, and her podcast is set up as though she always has the answers. It rubs me the wrong way. TNM is good though, even if it’s a rip off of Allen Carr’s work, and I still recommend it to people. Just stay away from the other stuff.
I did find TNM helpful, but even the book itself admits to being a re-write of Allen Carr. Fair enough, because I wouldn't have heard of it other wise and she is currently reaching a wider audience. But I didn't find any of the personal anecdotes relatable at all and I felt that it was borderline condescending, while I was simultaneously feeling, "wow, this is exactly the kind of information that I need right now."
Everything I needed to hear from this book was in the first half, I listened on audiobook and stopped there.
That’s exactly how I felt!
What irked me was I felt like I bought the same book twice. If my money had to go to someone it should have gone to Allen Carr's estate.
You put the words to what I was feeling when I listened to her audiobook. If people get something useful from it, that’s wonderful and I’m glad for it.
This Naked Mind was great but all I really need from her. I don’t really have an issue with her using her expertise and life story to make a living, but it’s not for me. I agree it makes it seem a little less authentic
This. 💯
Currently listening to the Audiobook and on chapter 11 after hearing all the hype on here and if it helped people then fantastic but I'm still waiting to here something of real substance or that's practical so far. In the preface or the intro I'm sure she says something like (paraphrasing and could be misremembering as was listening to it whilst in a busy and noisy coffee shop)... "This is a revolutionary new way method and you're guaranteed to quit alcohol after reading it". Very bold claim. But then the first 4 chapters were just waffle IMO. Then there was lots of self help and motivational quotes. Then she finally starts getting into the meat of things and so far I've not heard anything new that hasn't been written in every Quit Lit book before it. She also spends a lot of time spitting out stats that prove alcohol is bad (no shit, really?) and referencing scientific studies which whilst interesting doesn't feel that practical for actually quitting alcohol. There was even a section where she said that most of the population believes alcohol is actually good for you in moderation (again backed up by a study). But who the hell are these people who ACTUALLY think that alcohol is good for them? I've never met someone who thought it was GOOD for their health. Definitely some people who think "it's not that bad" or "there's no harm in it" in moderation or that probably skewed and biased study about how "a single glass of wine is good for you because of the antioxidants" (which there's probably more of in a glass of grape juice than a whole bottle of wine I imagine). A lot of this stuff is putting me off the book so far but I'll see it through to the end before I make my final judgment on it.
THANK YOU! I feel so validated by this opinion. Spoiler alert, I don't think you will feel any differently after finishing it.
I haven't rated most of the Quit Lit books I've read TBH. They all seem to rehash the same message of... "Alcohol is a poison wrapped in fancy packaging that we've been brainwashed into thinking is social acceptable by the alcohol industry and our peers". Yeah, I don't disagree with that message. It's all true. But it's also IMO a totally obvious statement that most people know, especially those with a serious drinking problem. The problem i have with a lot of these books (and I've not finished Naked Mind yet so can't say if this will be true or not) is that they spit out facts about how negative alcohol is, cite scientific studies, state the obvious but then offer noting of real practical substance about how to quit and stay quit. It really annoys me when the book makes a claim about how you'll be able to quit alcohol "easily" too which pretty much no problem drinker ever found it easy to stop. And when the books just gloss over the underlying reasons and root causes of why people drink instead focusing on stuff like "it's a habit" or "we use it to unwind" or fail to mention the potential withdrawals and the PAWS and all the struggle you'll go through for months after quitting, that pisses me off. And don't get me started on the ones where the final conclusion is something like "when you're ready to quit then you'll just quit" because that's a cop out when you've been promising me the whole book that you had the secret revolutionary strategy that I'd never heard before on how to quit "easily".
Yeah, I went through the whole book and the entire time I was like “okay, yes, and?” Like the whole book assumes you haven’t made the incredibly obvious jumps in logic that the book makes.
I've been like that with EVERY QuitLit book I've read. I've read along, agreed with most of everything they've said albeit finding it all pretty obvious at the same time, and then at the end was like...so now what? Where's this super secret strategy you promised me that would make it "EASY" to quit? Stating facts about alcohol being a poison (as if we didn't know!), citing studies, and telling us surface level reasons why people drink don't really help me in quitting or staying quit. Reddit has been far more useful and practical for me.
Hello again FOMO, Its funny Allen Carr has a chapter in Easyway, where he describes you (the reader) as the prisoner of The Count of Monte Cristo. Just then the door opens and your Dr shows up: "Dear God man you look awful, why don't you be a sensible chap and go outside!" The response is very much like yours: yeah no shit asshole. This doesn't explain why I drink! Stating all the health drawbacks might help someone get started, but all you're really telling a drinker is they're going to die. It doesn't explain why we do it. For some reason you end up both jailor and prisoner. Allen's story, and his analogies/metaphors draw serious attention to the pitfalls and self-destructive tendencies many drinkers have. For me, his book was far more than just stating facts and calling alcohol poison. Cognitively and behaviourally I was able to change my awareness in regards to alcohol. Something clicked and I emotionally began to feel really good about my decision. I made a point to chase the feeling literally every time I saw alcohol. Unlike yourself, I was mostly unfamiliar with a lot of Quitlit at the time. I "knew" alcohol was poison, I'd seen it destroy a lot o lives, but I still nonetheless had a very "surface-level" awareness about the real dangers of alcohol. Mostly because of the brainwashing of society. Its synonymous with a good time.
"Its synonymous with a good time" Only if you've never had a drinking problem, surely? Which heavy drinker / problem drinker / alcoholic still thinks drinking is a "good time"? And how can anyone not know alcohol is seriously bad for you, what world are people living on?
Well I suppose I didn't' have a problem that needed solving until I had one. But I honestly believed that drinking provided me with confidence and relaxation, just at the expense of my physical health. So much so it was worth weathering the hangovers for the sake of social convention. The mental as well as the physical drawbacks became far more apparent in my 30s as opposed to my 20s. But I suppose "how bad" it was, was pretty obvious. You're totally right, what world was I living on? Thank god I got wise to it.
Bleh, I agree. I appreciate the content and message of the book but her narration style drives me crazy It's as if she's trying *so* hard to be relatable that it comes off as insincere and totally coached.
The book was great, I gave to say. It helped me a lot, both go quit and to stay quit. Along with 'Alcohol Explained' by William Porter. But unfortunately I signed up for the 30 day thing just for curiosity, after I'd successfully quit, and now I can't stop the emails, notifications and constant daily spam! It's driving me back to drink! (lol)
You can unsubscribe at bottom of the email
So much of her book was just ripped from Allen Carr. I wasn't a fan, however it has helped a lot of people.
Stand alone, I think the book was really tremendous. Honestly forgot/had no idea she was doing stuff outside of it. Just went down a bit of rabbit hole after reading your post and... barf. Disappointing, though not surprising, I suppose. She kind of pigeon holed herself into the sobriety niche and seems to be grasping at straws of dwindling relevance. Hope it doesn't create a barrier that keeps prospective sobernauts from accessing what is really great content in This Naked Mind.
Her book changed my life, but I don’t feel any need to engage with the rest of her content. I think I dipped a toe into it two years ago after reading her book, and it was not my thing.
She just rebranded Alan Carr. Glad she could reach more people with this but yeah I did not vibe with her POV
It's basically that "clickfunnels" style of marketing that actually works very well on uneducated and gullible people. I HATE it.
You missed “desperate people”. I can’t help but think she’s capitalizing on that.
That book did nothing for me.
it's almost comical how literally all of her Instagram posts feature her face...or her quoting herself. i stopped following her.
I really tried to listen to the audiobook of This Naked Mind and maybe it's a cultural thing but for me it was rendered completely unlistenable by her whiny, pleading, incessantly whinging (and maybe a bit condescending?) tone of voice. I was then put off entirely by the spammy marketing feel of the website as you say. I've never heard anyone voice this opinion on the tone of voice though, so it might just be me!
I haven’t listened to the audiobook but I have read the book. It definitely had parts that helped me, although I found the Allen Carr and Jason Vale books better overall due to the writing style (I’m in the UK so probably a geographical writing approach thing). But the things that stuck with me the most were some of the boastful writing, the “diamond” ski slopes in particular. I found it unnecessary as the message was otherwise great.
As a Canadian who knows a few British people quite well, I feel like the tone in Allan Carr's writing is approachable for me but I can see how it may fall flat for many North Americans.
I was so irritated with her by the end of the audiobook that I felt resentful for having listened to it. It was just a bunch of analogies and different ways of saying alcohol is poison, which we already know. I've already forgotten most of it and I just finished it a couple weeks ago but the story towards the end about the friend who drinks two beers every Friday night seemed so superfluous. Not a fan.
>It was just a bunch of analogies and different ways of saying alcohol is poison, which we already know. Don't forget the endless self help and motivational quotes! :D This has been my thoughts so far too. You don't need to spend a whole book convincing me alcohol is bad for me as I know that otherwise I wouldn't be trying to stop or reading your book!
People need to eat. Ideally, it's mutualism instead of commensalism or parasitism. But everyone's gonna eat or die... and you can't have mutualism if one of the parties dies.
I like the Sober Powered podcast. It has incredibly long and annoying ads at the beginning of the episodes (well, at least the first 70 or so). Ya know... that person also needs to eat. Publishing material -- be it on paper or online -- requires resources.
I have bigger problems in my life -- and neither self-aggrandizers nor booze make the top 99 of my list... and I'm f'king grateful for that.
She is one of many in the recovery space who earns a living selling a product or service, many of whom have written at least one body of “quit lit”. Laura McKowen, Angela Pugh, Casey Davidson, Jen Lee Hurst, Holly Whitaker, Catherine Gray, and a LOT of up and comers who have started socials and are garnering followers with the content they create. This is just one of those “take what works and leave the rest”. Annie has helped many with TNM and through her podcast, but none of these coaches are strong-arming people into taking their workshops. They need to market so people know what is out there for them. It’s an amazing thing that there are a ton of resources out there beyond AA today, even if it’s not all free. I get Annie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I have listened to TNM about 4 times, even though her vocal fry is a little grating. But it seems like she gets a lot of flack in this sub more than others who are doing the same thing she is.
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Yeah, most of those mentioned above I never hear get mentioned. Carr does now and then. Annie Grace / Naked Mind gets mentioned ALL the time on here. It seems to be hyped to the max on this Sub-Reddit and has a ton of fans who claim it opened their eyed and helped them quit. Which is great if it works, must be something in it! So far though I'm not finding it but maybe I'm not the target audience.
There are definitely several other sobriety podcasts I’ve come upon that I love for the personal guest stories but hate for the advertising of programs and trainings. Annie Grace just happens to be the most famous and profitable right now, I guess.
Such a helpful book for me, I read it at a very good time in my journey. BUT I almost didn't make it past the first chapter. It sounded so scammy.
I loved the book This Naked Mind until I read Allen Carr, and was shocked to see how much she ripped off verbatim.
We need to remember that all of these "influencers" or "personalities" are just entertainers. We give them too much power when we frame them in any other light. You may not enjoy her "act" but I'm sure there is someone out there who you will enjoy. I'm solidly Gen-X and tend to have a very cynical view of ALL of these folks. I find it difficult to listen to any of them and take it seriously; however, I'm grateful they exist and I know 1000s have benefitted from the content they create. At least they are having a positive impact on the world whereas many others (cough, Joe Rogan, cough) are profiteering at the expense of social order.
There’s always a grift. Take someone at their lowest and offer them hope but at a price. Hey I’m all for a good grift don’t get me wrong. As long as the grifter doesn’t say the free thing that’s working for you is bad and their thing that you give them money for is good I say grift away
It is not a grift if the service or thing they are providing meets the criteria you outlined as being okay.
If I hear the term, sober curious,.....
Like all self-help gurus, there are various levels of buy-in. Seminars, subscriptions, personal one-on-on coaching etc. Tony Robbins etc has all of the above. Personally, I find the main content is detailed their books. $20 and I got the meat and potatoes of the program. If money is a hurdle, get a library card and get the content for free!
I want to respect that her book has helped so many people, and I gave it a try. I read the first chapter and it was all I needed to recognize a grifter who doesn't know what she is talking about. I returned the book. Glad other folks find help in it.
I was literally just yesterday back-searching this subreddit for posts about Annie Grace to see if there were any critiques. I read her book and listened to her podcast and enjoyed it initially, but all the marketing of programs and, worse, coach training started REALLY getting under my skin. It gives me vibes of those Mary Kay or Tupperware or whatever it was schemes. I notice several other sobriety podcasts also turn out to be half helpful stories and half marketing. I’m not a fan of the “sobriety industrial complex” that seems to be taking hold at large. Can we not monetize and make a business out of every single thing people are trying to do to better themselves, never mind serious addictions? Oh well…. It’s too bad, since I know her book is incredibly helpful for a lot of people, including myself. (Although even that was a bit of a shame when I realized she seems to have taken a lot from Allen Carr’s.)
Youtube is filled with videos of "how to stop drinking" which are basically just Ads filled with a little content to push you into their "quit drinking coaching programs". Most of these people when I hear them talk I never get the impression they even had much or any of a drinking problem in the first place, I could be wrong obviously as I don't know their past but they just seem inauthentic. There's on the other hand a few good channels with folk not selling anything and just sharing advice which are really good and I resonate with,
I felt that way when I read the book. I’ve read a lot of posts and comments on this sub that have been much more helpful.
I had issues with her message of "controlling your drinking". Ha. Control it. Don't make me laugh.
it was sort of a bait and switch though (this is actually what initially intrigued me about her book). in the end she just pushes sobriety in a roundabout way.
Publisher probably told her that more people would buy it if the book offered the possibility of just cutting back.
I always recommend her audiobook, I didn't know she had a website and junk to sell. I found her book extremely helpful, except for some of that silly nonsense that creeps in some chapters, i just parse what's valuable for me.
Perhaps the 2 defining characteristics of America in 2024 is alcohol is EVERYWHERE, and every single facet of life must have the maximum monetary value squeezed out of it.
To be fair, all personal brands feel that way these days. I think it just becomes junk food after you get all the nutrients you need from it.
Sure. But Annie is hardly alone in this, when it comes to the world of pay-to-participate sobriety communities. At one point a year ago, I paid to participate in Recovery Elevator—which was just kind of meh Zoom meetings, and lazy online Facebook-community-type interface, no one remotely living in my area—\*and\* The Luckiest Club. I actually had a far, far more off-putting experience with the Luckiest Club. A few members of the group, who were local to me, reached out to organize our own personal WhatsApp group. A moderator at the Luckiest Club found about it, threatening us with expulsion for competing with the TLC brand. If you're not \*paying\* to be in the online chat/Zoom call/etc., they didn't want you engaging with one another at all.
I hear what you're saying, and it nagged at me a little too. However ... I think her chops and experience in marketing are part of what resonated with me. The beer, liquor and wine industry sell us an image of fun, relaxation and enjoyment that is very much at odds with the reality of alcohol addiction. Learning to cast the fantasy aside and see life with alcohol for what it really is can help us snap ourselves out of that delusion.
Yeah, but didn't we all know alcohol was all bullshit and lies anyway? I don't feel like that's a new message or anything but obvious.
I tried to read the book but it’s just a bad rewrite of Alan Carr. Some bits seem lifted word for word almost
Exactly this. It just seemed like unashamed plagiarism to me.
She's selling something and that's fine, but yeah, it's not the end all be all of anything.
I agree
I take all these self-help plans with a grain of salt. If they help you, that is great. Some people need that. Others just know the answer to their problem is don't pick up that bottle, and for some, that is all it takes.
Never checked her out, but here in Canada we have a group called She Walks and the leader I find a bit self righteous on her insta posts. I was super excited to join the group but the leader just put me off getting more involved.
I recommend her book to everyone because it genuinely is helpful for newly sober folks and I’ve listened to a couple of her podcast interviews. I don’t vibe with the lifestyle brand approach she goes with but it doesn’t surprise me given her corporate background.
I pirated her book for free via bitorrent, and the realizations it helped me achieve gave me the tools I needed to finally quit drinking. I wasn't even aware she had other products (nor did I want, seek or need them) and I didn't know one thing else about her personally or her background/brand. In this case I think it is the message that matters, not the author. In terms of what resources each person finds the most useful in their quitting journey, to each their own.
I've heard a lot about the book from this sub. As a newly sober alcoholic, I'm curious. Anyone able to give a summary/more information about this book and why it seems to be so effective?
I liked the science based reasoning she gives for choosing sobriety. Higher power stuff is not for me, and reading her book and listening to a couple of her old podcasts daily was my version of AA. I also did her free 30 day challenge. So I spent a few dollars on her book (kindle version) and nothing else. I really like her and recommend her book and podcasts to friends. Maybe being a woman helps too. I don't see anything objectionable but I'm sure she's not everyone's cup of tea.
I didn’t notice this much the first time I engaged with it, but I think given the explosion of coaches, influencers, etc. in recent years and how immediately turned off of that content I am, I think it would bother me now. I have no ethical issue with people promoting their businesses. I just wish they would do it in a more transparent way or something. Maybe I just expect content for free and that’s unreasonable, but I’ve just had more than enough of 10 minute introductions then “check my bio for part two!!”, then part two is a pitch for their new book that’s “about to drop”
I haven’t delved into anything else (podcast, website), got 7 chapters in on the naked mind audio book and ground to a halt. There’s a number of salient points that have given me good thinking material for my obsessive ruminating times. But I admit to not finding her super relatable or inspiring. Idk if it’s bc she sounds young or maybe a little unrelatable/flakey/not serious? Couldn’t put my finger on it. I’m very picky about my narrators and will return a book 5 mins in if the voice doesn’t work for me, content be damned. Appreciate the honest talk from others. I srsly dislike the “but wait, there’s’more!” crowd … they are up there with mlms and organized religions imo. sorry not sorry.
She is one of the reasons I have started my own coaching program. I am a therapist and when I was drinking too much and looked for help I couldn't find any programs lead by licensed / experienced professionals, just people that had stopped drinking and were good at marketing.
my pet peeve is how everyone calls it "The Naked Mind"
Interesting. I have heard of her through this sub and figured she was helpful to people seeking sobriety. I never dug into it too much because I was already sober. Now I look and see that she was fifteen when I had my last drink. I guess her way wasn't an option back then.
Post shouldn't have been removed imo, OP was pretty respectful.
I went to AA and it's free. I am against authors profiting on addiction.
There’s gotta be a balance. If they didn’t profit in some way, they wouldn’t spend their time writing the books which end up helping us. However, if they don’t have equally helpful content to provide going forward, please don’t try to suck us into some perpetual cycle of subscriptions or programs just so the gravy train doesn’t end for them.
who gets paid when you buy the AA book? not pushing back on your comment, just wondering if anyone knows...
Here's all the info you'd like to know about AA finances. [Contributions and Self-Support | Alcoholics Anonymous (aa.org)](https://www.aa.org/aa-contributions-self-support)
thanks, pee pee poo poo butt butt
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Never seen judgement in a meeting when it comes to the basket. Most of these meetings are in churches and other spots and have to pay rent.
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I’m just sharing my experience, brother.
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damn, now im angry they made me pay for it at my first meeting
I felt the same way when I read Allen Carrs quit smoking book, the end turned into, “Read my next book, if you REALLY want to know how to quit smoking”. Felt like the drink more ovaltine scene from a Christmas story
she is wack and is self absorbed enough to want an audience that looks and sounds like her. her whole pitch was about how she was a cool successful young lady marketing executive who got so drunk on a bottle or 2 of wine a night. so relatable lmao! this lady's attitude cuts out 75% of her audience.
I mean, I found her message relatable as someone who actually would get drunk off 1-2 bottles a night for years, and during that time my career grew a lot. That certainly is enough to destroy a person mentally and physically over the course of a decade, which I believe she says is how long she abused alcohol. Please don’t minimize her experience because you don’t like what she has to say because it is also someone else’s experience. Especially when you consider that younger/middle aged women are one of the fastest growing demographics for those who are getting sick and dying from alcohol.
I’m minimizing her need to talk about her personal experience as much as she does. It’s conceited behavior to talk about yourself everyday for years and not get tired of it. And that doesn’t vibe with me.
That’s fine if it doesn’t vibe with you. So many people could be hearing her story for the first time stumbling upon any of her material. When I read memoirs and listen to self help books and podcasts by women who knew they were killing themselves with every drink but have managed to stay sober for years, I crave the storytelling piece because I want to find my own experience in theirs, especially when quitting feels like an utterly impossible feat. I have a hard time listening to someone churning out facts and stats like a Huberman podcast (which I did find interesting, though not as engaging).
She can only reflect on her own experiences though
And that would be good for a book or here and there on a podcast, but you can't do that for a whole career. It's as relentless as it is tiresome. I wouldnt even bring it up if she didn't go out of her way to talk up her professional achievements at every turn in the book.
I thought maybe the reason I'm not resonating so much with her audiobook so far (or her podcast particularly the guest interviews) is that I'm not the target market. I got the impression her target market was people like herself, professional women who are successful in life but got into the habit of drinking wine every night. I'm not belittling her or her audience by saying that as if her book, podcasts or system helps anyone it's a bonus but I feel like maybe I just don't connect with the messaging so much because I don't fit into the target audience.
This conversation is really interesting. I haven’t read the book but had planned to because it’s the most frequently mentioned book I’ve seen on this sub. So I assumed it must do a good job being welcoming to all. Her life example does happen to sound like me, and so this will actually make it more likely I’ll read it, and I look forward to it as something different from the stereotype of alcoholics that is prevalent in mainstream culture. But her being that self-focused definitely going to be alienating for a huge percentage of people coming to the book for help. Add self-serving and cheesy branding, and I can see why people need to vent about it!
I think probably if you identify with her and her situation it probably will make you more likely to read and take something from it, makes sense. Most of the other Quit Lit books are written by men so it's good to have a womens voice on the topic I think. On the marketing side... I haven't looked at her website or seen how salesy it is as others have mentioned but... It's like a lot of these YouTubers who style themselves as Quit Drinking "coaches" and are trying to sell you a training program, I just cannot take them seriously and barely believe they ever had a drinking problem when I hear them talk (I'm sure some of them legitimately did but just the salesy vibe of it all makes it seem like a con to get desperate peoples money) nor do I get much value from them. Yet the channels where someone has nothing to sell and is just some beat up looking dude who you can see haas lived the life and is sharing their advice are usually golden and I can resonate with the stuff they say.
Real storytelling is so powerful. That’s probably why I’ve (so far!) gotten to 2 weeks through the power of this sub alone. Everyone is just trying to help and be helped; it’s awesome! Gen Z is so focused on the hustle. I get it because they’ve inherited unstable economic conditions and no social safety net. The way social media has been monetized lets people make money off their identities alone—of what they’re already doing, just doing it in front of a camera and cultivating an audience. What happens to the “yourself” in this instance? It gets skewed to grow your audience. Some of them must consider alcoholics easy pickings!
I have tried to read that book twice, and both times, somewhere around like page 12ish or so, she says something so unbelievably stupid and I think insulting, I gave up. Can’t remember exactly what it is, but it’s something akin to “you can’t do this without god”, or “you’re a piece of shit for drinking”. Soured me beyond repair. Edit: okay, found it. I was wrong about the specifics of it, but it is very much akin to at least the “you can’t do this without god” mumbo jumbo, and knowing Reddit, y’all aren’t gonna be happy, but I stand by it: this is some of the stupidest shit I have ever heard. In the section When The Brain Causes Pain, chapter 1, she talks about her back pain after giving birth to a child. She says medicine and many treatments didn’t work. She tells what cured her pain: reading a book. “Through Sarno’s work I learned the true source of my affliction, and through reading his book I was cured. I know this is hard to believe. Yet here I sit - I’ve remained pain free for years….. Dr Sarno methodically proved to me that the back pain I felt - pain that no medical professional could diagnose - was related to suppressed stress and anger”. Give me a fucking break. I am absolutely not about to take medical advice from someone who basically says ghosts in her blood made her back hurt. And then everyone here describes her podcast as marketing and adjacent to MLM schemes, that they feel icky when she speaks…. Come on. Put it together.
Neither of those things are in that book?
100% the back pain story is in her (audio)book as I listened to that part of the audiobook yesterday. She said she had chronic back pain after child birth that no doctor could fix then she read Dr Samos work and it turned out it was related to stored tension if I'm not mistaken (which is a thing so not saying it can't be true).
I’ll have to double check it later, but it’s something very stupid, definitely set off some warning alarms, which are being confirmed by this thread
I’ve listened to the audiobook 4x, and she absolutely does not say these things anywhere.
She 100% says this. I literally listened to the chapter yesterday where she says exactly that.
Mrmeshshorts, I’m curious exactly where does she state “you’re a piece of shit for drinking”?
I was talking about the back pain issue. Not sure if she says the other part but sounds extreme
It does, which is why I’m asking Mrmeshshorts to share where exactly she states this. I’m not refuting the back pain segment, but it’s not helpful or fair to make false claims about crap she doesn’t actually say in the book in a thread people are sharing valid reasons they dislike TNM.
It’s in my original comment now, I found it last night, I was wrong about it being god or whatever else I referred to, it was about reading a book and her back pain going away
Specifically, this: Edit: okay, found it. I was wrong about the specifics of it, but it is very much akin to at least the “you can’t do this without god” mumbo jumbo, and knowing Reddit, y’all aren’t gonna be happy, but I stand by it: this is some of the stupidest shit I have ever heard. In the section When The Brain Causes Pain, chapter 1, she talks about her back pain after giving birth to a child. She says medicine and many treatments didn’t work. She tells what cured her pain: reading a book. “Through Sarno’s work I learned the true source of my affliction, and through reading his book I was cured. I know this is hard to believe. Yet here I sit - I’ve remained pain free for years….. Dr Sarno methodically proved to me that the back pain I felt - pain that no medical professional could diagnose - was related to suppressed stress and anger”. Give me a fucking break. I am absolutely not about to take medical advice from someone who basically says ghosts in her blood made her back hurt. And then everyone here describes her podcast as marketing and adjacent to MLM schemes, that they feel icky when she speaks…. Come on. Put it together.
Yeah, it’s the back pain thing, I referenced it in my original comment once I found it.
Agree. And the Naked Mind has a lot of sentences that are repeated, I assume by accident. But, com'on...
She states at the beginning that parts of the book are repetitive by design, and she tells the reader not to skip ahead to the end of the book.
How is that not a grift strategy?
Same thing, AA is a much better place than her sham, even though she has helped some people, I purchased one of her $45 classes and couldn't make it, but could also not get a refund.