Do you ever feel like you are trapped in an endless cycle of using mechanisms to cope from certain things that are also caused by other coping mechanisms? Have you ever found yourself on the way out of it, only to be enticed to come back to your old ways?Being sober from escape mechanisms is one thing that many of us surely look forward to this year. That is why in our previous episode, I talked to you about alcohol; its short-term and long-term effects on you, and why you probably should take a pause from consuming it.Colleen Ryan Hensley is a former Navy veteran and is a mental health advocate. She spent 15 years reinventing “mental toughness”, in the form of her program called #BingingSober which aims to help people take time away from the destructive escape mechanisms that they do.In this episode, Colleen talks about mental toughness and the idea and importance of being connected with yourself as she relates it to the way we behave around escapism.What you will learn from this episode:Learn about the concept of self-connection and its importance on your journey toward sobriety;Get a deeper understanding of the escapisms that we use to soothe and their short-term and long-term effects; andGet tips on how to retrain your mind not to think that you need to indulge in escapisms“#BingingSober is about abstaining from one of your unhealthy habits. Be a part of a routine. A lot of these are unconscious, and since they're so socially acceptable, it's just a part of our everyday and we don't ever question it. So, it's a matter of being an active participant in our lives and stepping away from something for as little as 24 hours.” – Colleen Ryan Hensley Today’s Health Bite: It's okay to just be okay, be at that zero. That balance is the sober state that I believe we're all seeking.Checkout the movement #BingingSober - An online educational resource to guide you through the practice of #BingingSober. Join the Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/bingingsober/Ways to Connect with Colleen Ryan Hensley:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenryanhensley/Website: https://www.colleenryanhensley.com/Recommended Resource Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss From the Inside Out by Dr. Adrienne Youdim If you love it and you think it is of benefit, please share this podcast with one person that you love. You can also go to dradrienneyoudim.com/podcast if you prefer to get more podcast updates from us.