48. Addictude: When Addiction Shows Up Without the Drink with Bobbie Malatesta

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when alcohol is no longer the problem — but the patterns remain?In this episode of AF Superpowers, we sit down with Bobbie Malatesta, founder of 3-21 No Kiddin, to explore her recovery journey from both alcohol and gambling addiction — and the concept she calls alchitude.Bobbie uses addictude to describe how old addictive behaviors, reactions, and coping patterns can show up even after the substances are gone. Through her story, she shares how escape evolved over time, why managing addiction didn’t work, and what shifted when she stopped numbing and started paying attention.We talk about high-functioning addiction, treatment and relapse, the rule that changed everything (“I can’t drink to cope”), and how sobriety reshaped her relationship with time, awareness, and choice. Bobbie also shares why she’s building a new kind of sober community through 3•21 No Kiddin — one centered on connection, play, and freedom.This conversation is honest, nuanced, and grounded. It’s for anyone who’s stopped drinking or escaping — and realized the deeper work comes next.In this episode, we explore:Growing up around addiction and early exposure to alcoholHigh-functioning drinking and compulsive gamblingTreatment, relapse, and the long road to clarityWhat alchitude really meansWhy “managing it” didn’t workRecovery beyond black-and-white thinkingBuilding sober community without shame or stereotypesConnect with BobbieWebsite: 321nokiddin.comInstagram: @321nokiddinsoberclubLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiemalatestaConnect with AF Superpowers: Website  InstagramConnect with AF Superpowers: Website  Instagram