In this episode of Families Navigating Addiction and Recovery, I'm joined by my colleague and friend Kristin Horstman, a gray area drinking coach.

We dive into what "gray area drinking" actually means, why traditional labels like "alcoholic" often create barriers to getting help, and how families can use nervous system regulation, co-regulation, and targeted nutrition to break the cycle of cravings and support long-term healing.

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Kristin Horstman is a gray area drinking coach, speaker, and community facilitator who helps individuals navigate life without alcohol by focusing on nervous system regulation, amino acid nutrition, and daily somatic habits.

After ending her own 20-year relationship with alcohol, she now helps others build vibrant, alcohol-free lives. She is also a facilitator for Zero Proof Experiences and the host of the podcast Sunsets Are the New Happy Hour.

Website:
https://kristenhorstman.com/

Podcast: Sunsets Are the New Happy Hour
https://www.youtube.com/@kristinhorstman

Jeff Jones helps families impacted by addiction understand how addiction affects the entire family system. Through his coaching, masterclass, book, and educational content, he helps families create clearer communication, healthier response patterns, and a different way forward.

If your family is navigating addiction and you're looking for a different way forward, I invite you to schedule a free discovery call with me.

Book a free discovery call:
https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/book-a-call/

This six-week masterclass helps families understand how addiction affects the entire family and move away from confusion, emotional overload, and constant reaction. Families learn how to develop steadier, more intentional responses and create healthier patterns within the family.

Learn more:
https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/masterclass-upgrade/

In Rethinking Addiction: The New Family Recovery Solution, Jeff Jones offers a different way for families to understand addiction by looking at the family system as a whole. The book introduces practical tools, Both/And thinking, clearer communication, and family rules that are stronger than addiction's chaos while maintaining connection with the person you love.

Get the book:
https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/rethinking-addiction-book/

Work with Jeff: https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-jones-0303834/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thefamilyrecoverysolution

Substack: https://jeffjones.substack.com/

#GrayAreaDrinking #AlcoholFreeLiving #SoberCurious #NervousSystemRegulation #AlcoholRecovery #AddictionRecovery #FamilyRecovery #FamilyAddictionSupport

In this episode of Families Navigating Addiction and Recovery, I sit down with Christina Veselak, founder of the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition and a licensed marriage and family therapist. We explore the critical, often-overlooked "third leg" of addiction recovery: stabilizing brain chemistry through targeted amino acid therapy and nutrition to eliminate cravings and prevent relapse.

Christina T. Veselak is the founder of the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition and a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 30 years of experience. She specializes in online relapse prevention coaching, mental health nutrition, and consulting for residential detox programs. She is also a founding member and former Executive Director of the Alliance for Addiction Solutions. Website: aminoacidtherapy.com Recommended Resources & Reading Books: Seven Weeks to Sobriety by Joan Mathews Larson The Mood Cure by Julia Ross Eat for Recovery: A Guide to Radiant Recovery by Christina Veselak Tools & Kits: Research, training, and low-cost dietary tools at eatingproteinsaveslives.org

If your family is navigating addiction and you're looking for a different way forward, I invite you to schedule a free discovery call with me here: https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/book-a-call/

A 6-Session Masterclass for Families Impacted by Addiction

Addiction doesn't just affect the person using. It reshapes the entire family. In this 6-week masterclass, you'll learn how to move out of confusion, emotional overload, and constant reaction, and begin developing steadier, more intentional leadership within your family. This premium masterclass upgrade includes instant access, learn-at-your-own-pace lessons, and full course access for families who are ready to better understand addiction's impact and begin creating new response patterns. Learn more: https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/masterclass-upgrade/

Rethinking Addiction: The New Family Recovery Solution In Rethinking Addiction:

The New Family Recovery Solution, Jeff Jones offers a different way for families to understand addiction, not by focusing only on fixing the individual, but by looking at the family system as a whole. The book introduces practical tools, Both/And thinking, clearer communication, and a new way to create family rules that are stronger than addiction's chaos while staying connected to the person you love. Get the book: https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/rethinking-addiction-book/

Connect with Jeff Jones

Work with Jeff: https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-jones-0303834/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thefamilyrecoverysolution

Substack: https://jeffjones.substack.com/

In this episode, I'm sharing an overview from Session 6 of my 6-week Brain Health Masterclass for Families Impacted by Addiction.

This session is about making your best decisions with more confidence, especially when addiction in the family has created stress, fear, and uncertainty.

When addiction is present, decision-making can become reactive. You may find yourself making choices out of fear, exhaustion, or habit. Sometimes that looks like black-and-white thinking, either cutting your loved one off completely or continuing to tolerate the chaos and stress addiction creates.

In this episode, I talk about how to slow that process down and become more conscious of your decisions. I also share why it matters to create your own decision-making criteria, rather than waiting until a crisis forces your next choice.

I'll walk through ideas like Both/And thinking, family-based decision-making, the 10-10-10 model, and the cost of doing nothing.

My hope is that this episode helps you look at your decisions with greater clarity, honesty, and care for yourself and your family.

This episode also connects with ideas from my book, Rethinking Addiction: The New Family Recovery Solution, where I share a different way for families to understand addiction, communicate differently, and create family rules that are stronger than addiction's chaos.

If your family is navigating addiction and you're looking for a different way forward, I invite you to schedule a free discovery call with me here:

https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/book-a-call/

Addiction doesn't just affect the person using. It reshapes the entire family. In this 6-week masterclass, you'll learn how to move out of confusion, emotional overload, and constant reaction, and begin developing steadier, more intentional leadership within your family. This premium masterclass upgrade includes instant access, learn-at-your-own-pace lessons, and full course access for families who are ready to better understand addiction's impact and begin creating new response patterns.

Learn more: https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/masterclass-upgrade/

In Rethinking Addiction: The New Family Recovery Solution, Jeff Jones offers a different way for families to understand addiction, not by focusing only on fixing the individual, but by looking at the family system as a whole. The book introduces practical tools, Both/And thinking, clearer communication, and a new way to create family rules that are stronger than addiction's chaos while staying connected to the person you love.

Get the book:
https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/rethinking-addiction-book/

Work with Jeff:
https://www.thefamilyrecoverysolution.com/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-jones-0303834/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@thefamilyrecoverysolution

Substack:
https://jeffjones.substack.com/