Meet Your Coach
Holly Wilson
As a child, alcohol wasn’t a significant part of my life. My parents enjoyed a drink now and then, but their liquor cabinet was more for entertaining than everyday use. Drinking was reserved for celebrations and gatherings with friends.
Growing up in the church, I was raised with strong Christian values. But like many young people, I gradually drifted from my faith during my college years, replacing my relationship with God with worldly connections - including alcohol.
IN COLLEGE, I DISCOVERED ALCOHOL AS A FALSE COMFORT FOR MY SOCIAL ANXIETY.
Instead of turning to prayer and faith-based community, I dove into the party scene. What started as typical college experimentation became my go-to solution for fitting in and feeling confident.
This pattern continued in my early career in marketing and communications, where social drinking was part of the corporate culture. As I climbed the corporate ladder, I found alcohol everywhere—at happy hours, sales meetings, and corporate events. My church attendance became sporadic, and wine replaced worship as my Sunday ritual.
I was the one who never wanted the night to end, often sneaking a drink back to my hotel room or indulging in a nightcap at home. While I considered myself a social drinker, I often crossed the line into excessive drinking, which led to many memorable nights and a few regrettable mornings.
THEN CAME MY MID-30s AND A PAINFUL DIVORCE.
Rather than turning to God for comfort, I relied on alcohol to numb my pain and self-medicate depression and anxiety. This was when my relationship with alcohol morphed into something more serious, creating an ever-widening gap between me and my faith.
By the time I recovered from my divorce in my late 30s, alcohol had firmly taken hold. I found myself reaching for a glass of wine daily, with only brief breaks over the next decade.
To the outside world, I was the fun party girl. But behind closed doors my drinking escalated. I needed more alcohol to achieve the same effects. My struggles with depression and anxiety continued, and I was stuck in a cycle of self-medication.
By my mid-40s, I hit a point where hangovers became a regular part of my life. Mondays became a challenge. I’d wake up with a sense of dread, feeling unprepared for the week ahead after drowning my thoughts over the weekend. I often felt I was falling short of my own high expectations. There were days I struggled to get out of bed.
I vividly remember my last bad hangover: it was the last day of a week-long beach vacation, and I had been binge drinking throughout. I was so sick I couldn’t leave the condo, promising myself I’d never drink again. Yet, the very next day, I found myself reaching for that familiar bottle.
I needed help, but I hesitated to attend an AA meeting. I didn’t identify with the label of “alcoholic” and wasn’t ready to declare it in front of others. So, I stayed stuck in the alcohol loop, feeling trapped yet knowing I had to regain control.
I COULD SEE ROCK BOTTOM LOOMING.
I KNEW I HAD TO MAKE A CHANGE.
I felt spiritually empty, knowing deep down that alcohol had become my false idol. Despite occasional prayers to "help me drink less," I wasn't truly surrendering this struggle to God.
In September 2020, through what I now recognize as divine intervention, I discovered a 21-day alcohol challenge. God used this opportunity to begin opening my eyes to His better plan for my life. At that point, I wasn’t ready to give up alcohol completely, but I believed I could manage a break for 21 days. During this challenge, I learned so much about my relationship with alcohol and why I drank.
As soon as the challenge ended, however, I went on another beach vacation and went back to my drinking habit because in my mind, vacation and heavy drinking were synonymous.
Over the following months, I experienced a rollercoaster of alcohol-free days and weeks mixed with attempts to moderate my drinking. I set rules for myself—only drinking on certain days of the week or limiting my intake—but whenever my willpower faltered, I slipped back into old habits.
My journey was typical of many who try to stop drinking; it often takes multiple attempts before finding lasting change.There wasn’t one defining moment that ended my drinking, but rather a series of nights followed by hungover mornings that led to my last “Day 1.” I was finally sick and tired of being sick and tired.
That last “Day 1” was November 11, 2021. Throughout my year of ups and downs, I immersed myself in “quit lit” books and worked on my mindset, diving deep into my subconscious beliefs about alcohol, society and myself. Shifting my mindset was the difference in relying on willpower to make it one-day-at-a time and truly changing how I felt about alcohol. It was no longer something I had to give up but rather something I no longer desired. I finally felt free, and what an incredible place that is!
THE KEY TO MY TRANSFORMATION WAS NOT JUST CHALLENGING MY SUBCONSCIOUS BELIEFS ABOUT ALCOHOL BUT ALSO RECONNECTING WITH GOD.
As I rebuilt my relationship with Christ, I developed new, empowering beliefs about myself and my purpose and began recognizing His design for true joy and freedom.
Today, my God-given mission is to help other Christian women break free from the cycle of daily drinking before hitting rock bottom. Through our unique integration of Biblical truth and neuroscience, we explore:
🙏 How to turn to God instead of alcohol for comfort and joy in moments of stress, anxiety and celebration
🧘 Reconciling the internal conflict between our spiritual knowing and our drinking habits
🧠 Rewiring our subconscious beliefs to align with God's truth about alcohol, society, and ourselves
✝️ Building a Christ-centered support system through a grace-filled community of women who understand your struggle and desire for growth
MY MISSION IS TO HELP OTHER CHRISTIAN WOMEN BREAK FREE FROM THE CYCLE OF DAILY DRINKING BEFORE HITTING ROCK BOTTOM.
You can live a joyful, alcohol-free life where you experience the true freedom Christ promised.
I've walked this path, discovered how God designed our brains for transformation, and I'm here to help you discover His better plan for you, too!
