S3 Ep29: Irene Wignall: The Detective

In this episode we chat to Irene Wignall, who's a detective by day and an author by night! We're Sharon, Freddie and Ben, three normal people who decided to give up alcohol to see how our lives would change. We're not medical experts but we are expert ex-drinkers, and our podcast brings people together who are on their own alcohol-free journeys by celebrating just how wonderful life without booze can be! Irene has been alcohol-free for over 3 years, and she's overcome so much in her life. This conversation starts with us talking to Irene about her day job as a detective and as a former bobby on the beat, and how alcohol is affecting society from the point of view of someone who's been out on the streets to look after us late at night. However, we also talk to Irene about her personal life and some of the tragedies she's had to face such as the stillbirth of her son, Dusty. Irene is an incredibly inspirational woman - despite the devastation that she felt, she knew that she had to be strong for her eldest son who didn't know what had just happened to the family. As part of that, she began writing daily gratitude lists and found that she really enjoyed writing - and after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and had six months off from work following the operation, she decided to start taking writing more seriously. She is now the author of two books - 'Look for the effin Rainbows' and her new book 'Look for the effin Rainbows, A Self Help Guide (Not Really)' are available to buy now. Of course, Irene talks to us about how her sobriety has played a part in her success, both in terms of her career but also when it came to processing her grief - and we thank Irene for her honesty and courage in talking to us about such difficult times in her life. --- Get In Touch: Of course, you can always get in touch with us (publicly or privately) on our socials - @alcoholfreepod on Instagram, or search for "Over The Influence" on Facebook. We'd love to hear your story - please get in touch with us directly at [email protected] or go to our website, www.overtheinfluence.co.uk --- The Premium Podcast: If you love OTI and you'd like to hear behind the curtain, subscribe to the OTI Premium Podcast now! Released every Monday and exclusive to subscribers and OTI Community members, the Premium Pod is Sharon and Ben talking through even more topics surrounding alcohol-free life, from how to not just survive but enjoy AF holidays to alcohol free dating! Subscribe now! Released every Monday, cancel any time - just £5 per month. --- Links: Over The Influence is produced by Ben Anderson for Sound Rebel. Sound Rebel works with businesses, brands, charities & other organisations across the UK - go to soundrebel.co.uk now to find out how podcasts could help you to tell your story to the world. If you feel as if connection with likeminded people would help as you try life without alcohol, join the Over The Influence Community now - and we can't wait to meet you! For links to alcohol-related support services, please visit our website. --- Disclaimer: All views expressed in this podcast are of the participants themselves, and not necessarily those of Over The Influence (OTI) Ltd. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. We are not medical professionals but normal people giving their own experiences of removing alcohol from their lives, and as such this podcast should not be considered professional advice. If you are dependent on alcohol, or think you may be, we strongly recommend that you seek professional medical advice. --- Helpful Hashtags: We found hashtags and sober social media accounts really helpful in our early days alcohol free, as following them can help to reinforce that you are not alone!  These are some of the hashtags we've followed: #alcoholfree #stopdrinking #healthandwellnessjourney #zeroalcohol #idontdrink #sobercurious #healthydrinking #alcoholfreelife #soberaf #alcoholfreeliving #sobermotivation #podcast #healthpodcast #noalcohol #nobooze #sober #sobercurious #soberlofe #soberliving #sobercommunity #afcommunity #soberwomen #sobermom #sobermomtribe #sobersisters #sobriety #soberuk #soberjourney #sobrietyrocks #overtheinfluence #oti