Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

I celebrate 3 years of sobriety on November 9th and each year I record an episode about the past year of sobriety and how it went. What stood out to me the most this year is that I am getting tired of sharing my story and I feel weird about being personal. Lately, I have been asked to share my story a lot on other podcasts. I think sharing our stories is very important because it helps newbies or people who are struggling to accept they need to get sober might see themselves in your story and realize they are not alone. However, I’ve shared my story a bazillion times and bringing up old, painful memories feels exhausting for me. At first, I felt really guilty, probably because guilt is my natural state, but then I realized it’s okay to want to move on. I want to focus on what happens after sobriety, not before. So instead of getting super personal in this one, I want to discuss how long it actually takes us to heal and recover. You may find yourself obsessing about sobriety or feeling frustrated that it’s taking you so long to feel better, but it’s a long journey. You don’t just quit drinking and go back to normal right away. In this episode you’ll learn how long it takes for the brain to recover and what you can do to take care of yourself while you’re healing. What to listen to next: E75: How Sleep Improves from Actively Drinking to Long Term Sobriety E73: The Obsession Eventually Evens Out (I’m 2 Years Sober) E21: I'm 1 Year Sober! Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can’t imagine your life without alcohol? Are you unsure if you truly have a problem and need to quit drinking? Maybe you look around and think, “everyone drinks like I do, I’m not that bad”. That’s why I asked Dr. Matt Glowiak, PhD, LCPC, CAADC, NCC, to join us and talk about the difference between a heavy or daily drinker and someone who has alcohol use disorder. In this episode you’ll learn how we normalize our drinking, why it’s hard for us to control our drinking, what to do if you can’t imagine your life without alcohol, and how to learn what to do with your time in sobriety. In this episode you’ll learn: Why Dr. Glowiak decided to work with people struggling with addiction His journey to learning to empathize with people with addiction and let go of old biases What the difference is between someone who drinks heavily and/or frequently and someone with alcohol use disorder How we normalize our drinking and make it seem “not that bad” by downward comparing and justifying Why it’s so hard for us to moderate when we’re so dedicated to trying to control our drinking Why some people may need harm reduction instead of just quitting cold turkey What to do if you can’t imagine your life without alcohol How to set realistic expectations about how you should feel every day How to learn what to do with your time in sobriety and how to do self-care that works for you WebMD Article https://www.webmd.com/connect-to-care/addiction-treatment-recovery/what-happens-with-untreated-alcohol-use-disorder Connect with Dr. Glowiak https://counselingbyglowiak.com/ https://www.choosingtherapy.com/matt-glowiak-lcpc/ Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want an easy way to deal with cravings and negative emotions? Want to build back some of the brain volume you may have lost from drinking 1,000 drinks? Well, the answer is exercise! I hope you didn’t just roll your eyes at me. It’s true. We are usually looking for this complicated secret that’s going to help our sobriety, but usually, it’s the simple things that have the biggest impact. The trick is just finding a way to be okay with the simple things. In this episode we’re going to talk about how exercise can help your recovery. You’ll learn about a ton of different studies on how exercise helps the brain physically, how it helps us cognitively, and why it can be such an effective tool in sobriety. What to listen to next: E22: Why you think alcohol helps your anxiety E41: Why sober people want so much sugar E69: Alcohol Shrinks the Brain, but What Does That Mean? Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us will go back and forth between drinking and not drinking for years, and what holds us back is this idea that our drinking isn’t “that bad”. So what are we supposed to do if our drinking makes us unhappy, but we haven’t experienced a rock bottom yet? You may beat yourself up for not being motivated enough to quit or wishing you had enough self-discipline or courage, but it has nothing to do with that. That’s why I asked Eric Zimmer, behavior coach and host of the top podcast The One You Feed, to join us today and talk about how to get past this and make sobriety stick. We discuss why a lack of external consequences keeps many of us stuck in this back and forth cycle, what to do if you get sober but still don’t feel great, and how you can start feeling hopeful about your recovery. In this episode you’ll learn: What spirituality is and why it’s not necessarily the same thing as religion Eric’s first journey with sobriety in AA, why he eventually relapsed, and how he approached sobriety the second time Why a lack of external consequences and the idea that it isn’t “that bad” makes it difficult to get sober The idea of needing a “rock bottom” to get sober How alcohol serves a purpose for you, even if it isn’t doing that job very well Why things might not get better right away when you get sober Why we need a community and why we can’t get sober by ourselves Why we go back and forth for so long even though we say we want to quit drinking How to feel hopeful about your recovery What to do if you feel like you don’t deserve sobriety Eric Zimmer is a behavior coach, author, and the host of The One You Feed Podcast. He is endlessly inspired by the quest for a greater understanding of how our minds work and how to intentionally create the lives we want to live. At the age of 24, Eric was homeless, addicted to heroin and facing long jail sentences. In the years since, he not only found a way to overcome these obstacles to create a life worth living, he now helps others to do the same. Eric works as a behavior coach and has done so for the past 20 years. He has coached hundreds of people from around the world on how to make significant life changes and create habits that serve them well in achieving the goals they’ve set for themselves. In addition to his work as a behavior coach, he currently hosts the award-winning podcast, The One You Feed, based on an old parable about two wolves at battle within us. With over 500 episodes and over 30 million downloads, the show features conversations with experts across many fields of study about how to create a life that has more meaning. Connect with Eric: https://www.oneyoufeed.net/ Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone knows chronic stress is bad, but did you know that chronic stress can actually change your brain? And just like everything else we talk about, it can change the brain in ways that makes it easier to be stressed or to turn to something like alcohol to attempt to cope. In this episode you’ll learn what chronic stress does to the brain, results from the 2022 Stress in America Survey, and how you can turn some bad stress into good stress. What to listen to next: E119: Why We Can't Cope E67: How Alcohol Impacts Cortisol and Causes Cravings E22: Why You Think Alcohol Helps Your Anxiety E64: Anxiety and Alcohol (Part 2) Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people just can’t cope. It’s not because they’re weak-willed losers, but it can definitely make us feel like that is the reason. I had a stressful situation last week and I wanted to understand why I escalated it so much in my mind. In this episode I want to share with you why some of us just can’t cope. Both nature and nurture is involved, and at the end of the episode I will share how you can get started on becoming more resilient so you can handle stress in a way that you won’t regret later. What to listen to next: E61: How Alcohol Memories are Triggered in Sobriety E91: Do You Want to be Sober or Do You Want to Drink Without the Consequences? E115: Why You Aren’t Ready to Quit Drinking and How to Get Ready E104: Why Alcohol Doesn’t Help You Cope with Dr. Ashish Bhatt, MD, MRO E46: Neuroplasticity Helps us Recover Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sober sex can be very intimidating, especially if you believe alcohol helps you feel more confident, comfortable, and in the mood for sex. I’m joined by Dr. Nazanin Moali, host of the Sexology Podcast, to discuss why we think alcohol is essential for sex, why sober sex can be so scary, and tips for singles and couples who are trying to get comfortable with sober sex. Dr. Moali shares strategies for anyone to begin implementing in their sex life whether you are single or in a relationship, and we touch on situations where someone might have a history of trauma or a history of body image issues and disordered eating. In this episode you’ll learn: Dr. Moali’s experience with working in addiction and eating disorder recovery and why she moved into working in sex therapy too Shame and disconnection in addiction and with sex Transfer addiction and having previous struggles return in sobriety Why we think alcohol is essential for sex Why sober sex feels so scary Trauma and using alcohol to have sex Tips for couples and singles who are trying to get comfortable with sober sex Body image struggles, confidence and sober sex A good first step to feeling more comfortable with sober sex Dr. Nazanin Moali is a sex and relationship expert and has helped many individuals and couples improve their sex lives and restore and achieve deep and passionate connections with their partners. In addition to hosting the top 20 rated Sexology podcast, Dr. Moali launched a similar, top-rated podcast in Farsi in 2016 and has extensive training in treatment of eating disorders and addiction from some of the nation’s leading experts. She is a published researcher who regularly gives talks at major universities and international conferences, and has given therapy advice and information on local television shows. Dr. Moali has her postdoctoral training in sexual wellness and trauma. Connect with Dr. Moali: The Sexology Podcast https://sexologypodcast.com/blog/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sexology/id1193611459 Bedroom Fizzle to Sizzle Course https://sexologypodcast.com/enroll/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sexologypodcast/ Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When someone quits drinking for good they usually say something like, “it just feels different this time”. That’s how I felt too this time around. It just felt different. So why did it click for me after 7 years of drinking but maybe it took you 20 or maybe it hasn’t clicked for you at all yet? In this episode you’ll learn how alcohol impacts our decision making process to put us into auto-pilot, how this continues into early sobriety, and what you can do to get yourself out of auto-pilot. You’ll learn about the different ways the brain makes decisions, and how you can start recruiting the parts of the brain that are going to help sobriety finally click for you too. What to listen to next: E115: why you aren't ready to quit drinking and how to get ready E97: why we keep believing it'll be different this time E94: drinking to cope or numb out doesn't help, here's how to really cope E91: do you want to be sober or do you want to drink without the consequences Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wished you could just be “normal”? I used to think that all the time and sometimes I still do. Feeling envious of people who can have 1 drink and move on is totally normal, but we have to be careful that this doesn’t lead into thinking trying to moderate is a good idea or lead us into victim mentality. In this episode you’ll learn about drinking envy, how it can hurt your sobriety, and what to do if this is something you really struggle with. What to listen to next: E103: Why We Use Alcohol to Enhance Our Experiences E81: Why We Drink: Social Drinkers vs Problem Drinkers E79: Why We Romanticize Alcohol Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve been in sober Facebook groups then you have probably seen some comments saying “you’re just not ready yet” or maybe they’ve even been said to you before. These comments used to infuriate me, but now that I’m sober I see how true it is. It’s a long process to get ready to quit drinking, and most of the time we say we want to stop drinking when really we just want to drink less. One important step you can take is acknowledging that maybe you don’t want to actually quit, maybe you just want to find a way to drink less. In this episode I share what it means to not “be ready yet” and steps you can take to accelerate the process so you can quit for good. What to listen to next: E106: What Happens in the Brain When We Are Overwhelmed (The Amygdala Hijack + Life Update) E98: Emotion Intensity and How to Start Self-Regulating E94: Drinking to Cope or Numb Out Doesn't Help, Here's How to Really Cope E91: Do You Want to be Sober or Do You Want to Drink Without the Consequences? E79: Why We Romanticize Alcohol Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think about quitting drinking you might feel sad and anxious at the thought of never drinking again. How is it even possible to have a good life without drinking alcohol? We have all of these beliefs that alcohol helps and it’s essential for happiness and connection, but it’s really not. It’s just a drink. We rationalize why it’s helpful because we’re obsessed with it, but when we get some distance we see that alcohol was causing more bad than good. These beliefs, or positive alcohol expectancies, are formed when we’re really young and then they are reinforced through the way alcohol affects our brain. In this episode you’ll learn how these beliefs are formed, how they are reinforced, and how you can start breaking them down. What to listen to next: E11: Why Alcohol Feels Good (Endorphins and Opioid Receptors) E62: Dopamine Deep Dive E101: Does Alcohol Really Unlock Creativity? E77: Are Non-Alcoholic Drinks Okay to Drink? E61: How Alcohol Memories are Triggered in Sobriety Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I told you recently about how I quit my full time job to work for myself, but I didn’t tell you what I was doing. In this episode I want to fill you in on my business, how that impacts you, and what I’ve been up to this summer while preparing for this launch. I’m going to tell you the story of my business from the very beginning and all the challenges I faced on the path to becoming a business owner. What to listen to next: E25: Strategies for Socializing Sober E106: The Amygdala Hijack + Life Update The Hello Someday Podcast Recommended episodes: E3: 7 Strategies To Get You Through Your First Week Without Alcohol E4: Why I Quit Drinking - My Story E97: Diary Of My First 30 Days Sober The Addicted Mind Podcast Recommended episodes: E183: Looking Out for Incarcerated People and Preventing Drug Overdose with Victoria Garrow E68: Talking Suicide with Ursula Whiteside Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you noticed that you’re drinking more coffee in sobriety? Recent surveys from the National Coffee Association have found that 70% of Americans drink coffee every week, and 62% drink it daily. Surveys on people in AA found that 90% drink coffee daily. That’s a big difference. Lots of people recently have been mentioning that they drink way more coffee in recovery, so Gill thought she'd try to find out why we do that. In this episode you’ll learn how caffeine affects the brain, how the brain adapts when we drink a lot of coffee regularly, and some really interesting information about caffeine and cravings for alcohol. She will also compare caffeine to alcohol for a few different factors like addictiveness, tolerance, and withdrawal. What to listen to next: E11: Why Alcohol Feels Good (Endorphins and Opioid Receptors) E22: Why You Think Alcohol Helps Your Anxiety E33: Why Do We Feel So Tired in Early Sobriety? E64: Anxiety and Alcohol (Part 2) E75: How Sleep Improves from Actively Drinking to Long Term Sobriety E108: Why You Feel Anxious, Depressed, and Empty After Drinking Alcohol Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drinking alone let's us drink the way we really want to, but it greatly increases your risk of developing alcohol use disorder. In this episode, Gill will describe some recent studies from the past few years about solitary drinking, and one study even called it “serious drinking”. In this episode you’ll learn more about how drinking alone increases the risk of developing a problem and especially developing a severe problem. You’ll learn why drinking alone becomes so attractive to us and how getting into this cycle creates a major problem. What to listen to next: E43: Drinking to Cope E29: The Link Between Drinking as a Teen and Developing an Addiction E30: Gray Area Drinkers E81: Why We Drink: Social Drinkers vs Problem Drinkers E87: Why Shame Increases Loss of Control Over Alcohol and How to Manage Shame E91: Do You Want to be Sober or Do You Want to Drink Without the Consequences? Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Relapse can seem to come out of nowhere and just get you. Many people say they have no idea why they drank, they just did. This is really dangerous because if you don’t know what got you, then how can you protect yourself from it next time? In this episode you’ll learn 5 reasons why people relapse. This is not a comprehensive list, but it will give you some ideas on what to work on. What to listen to next: E9: From Chronic Day Ones to Forever Sobriety E59: What to Expect When You Stop Drinking E60: How Alcohol Affects Our Cognitive Abilities E20: Why is it So Hard to Moderate? E43: Drinking to Cope E55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give Up E79: Why We Romanticize Alcohol E80: Benefits of a Dry Month E91: Do You Want to be Sober or Do You Want to Drink Without the Consequences? E94: Drinking to Cope or Numb Out Doesn't Help, Here's How to Really Cope E97: Why We Keep Believing it’ll be Different this Time E98: Emotion Intensity and How to Start Self-Regulating E99: Why We Can Never Drink Again (Neuroplasticity and Permanent Changes) Resources mentioned: Sober Friends Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sober-friends/id1448968830 Article from Blair Sharp https://medium.com/@blairsharp/want-not-drinking-to-get-easier-grab-your-sparkling-water-and-read-this-d9bbd36a2640 My interview with American Addiction Centers https://youtu.be/5VnbEmQqi0o My YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeSyBTEFmsP49h2q_mxqMOw Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A study published this week in The Lancet found that people under 40 shouldn’t drink alcohol at all. This was a big study that looked at a lot of data, so in this episode Gill explains where the data came from, what they focused their analysis on, and the outcomes. Since this study is calling for the guidelines to be revisited, she also explains how the guidelines are even determined in the first place. You’ll learn about the limits of this study, some criticisms about its conclusions, and how studies on alcohol and health are normally performed. What to listen to next: E85: Biased Alcohol Studies vs Reality E90: New Study Finds Just One Drink Shrinks Your Brain, or Does it? E95: Surprise, Moderate Drinking Isn’t Good for Your Heart (New Study) E63: Why Alcohol Causes Depression and Suicidal Thoughts E65: What Happens to the Body When You Binge Drink Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We drink expecting all of these good things to keep coming our way, but there’s a limit to the amount of alcohol that causes pleasure and good feelings. If you continue to drink after that point, you only get the bad stuff. In this episode you’ll learn why this drink limit exists and what’s going on in the brain to cause the discomfort, anxiety, depression and an emptiness that we experience after the alcohol wears off, and how opioid antagonists like Naloxone and Naltrexone work in the brain. Gill explains dynorphin, which is also known as the “feel bad” chemical, and how alcohol changes the dynorphin system in the brain to make us feel so miserable that we drink again to get relief. What to listen to next: E11: Why Alcohol Feels Good (Endorphins and Opioid Receptors) E62: Dopamine Deep Dive E67: How Alcohol Impacts Cortisol and Causes Cravings E106: What Happens in the Brain When We Are Overwhelmed (The Amygdala Hijack) E22: Why You Think Alcohol Helps Your Anxiety E64: Anxiety and Alcohol (Part 2) Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us have no idea what to expect when we stop drinking because usually when we quit we are so ashamed we just try to get through the beginning. In this episode Gill explains 10 things that happen when you quit drinking that no one is talking about. We hear people online say how grateful they are for hangover free mornings and sober sleep, but what about dreaming that you drink alcohol? So this episode is about the positives, but mostly the unexpected neutrals or negatives that you encounter when you stop drinking. Make sure to listen to episode 80 too if you’re participating in dry July because I talked about the benefits of quitting drinking for 1 month and those are the positive physical and mental improvements you’ll experience. Episodes to listen to next: (1) Emotions: episodes 40, 98, 83, 106 (2) Sleep: episodes 3, 75 (3) Sugar: episodes 41, 96 (4) Obsession: episodes 73, 86 (5) Things getting worse: episodes 73, 33 (6) Mental health: episodes 19, 22, 63, 64 (9) Relapse/moderation: episodes 20, 27, 28, 30, 42, 56, 61, 79, 81, 91, 92, 97, 99, 103 (10) Doing the work: episodes 78, 82, 86, 102, 104 Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses overwhelm. Getting overwhelmed is one reason we turn to alcohol. Maybe you drank after some sober time and then afterwards you don’t even know why you did. Or maybe you find yourself feeling out of control and needing alcohol or food to bring you back down. In this episode, you’ll learn about something called the amygdala hijack which prevents our rational thinking brain from working correctly. She explains what is happening in the brain when we get overwhelmed, how this tactic is used in the courtroom, and 3 strategies you can use to prevent overwhelm and calm yourself down without reaching for alcohol. Gill also shares a quick life update, because her own experience with the amygdala hijack has prompted her to make some career changes. She will tell you about what happened and what she's doing now. What to listen to next: E98: Emotion Intensity and How to Start Self-Regulating E94: Drinking to Cope or Numb Out Doesn't Help, Here's How to Really Cope E45: Emotional Overwhelm E55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give Up E62: Dopamine Deep Dive My articles on WebMD https://www.soberpowered.com/mywriting Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses willpower. A lot of us believe that we just need more willpower and then we’ll be able to stay sober, and maybe you’ve even shamed yourself for not having enough willpower to control your drinking. In this episode she defines what willpower is, because the definition is important for us to understand what it means to have willpower or not. You’ll learn why willpower works for some people and doesn’t work for others, what is going on in the brain for a person who struggles with instant gratification, and 3 important factors that influence whether or not you can resist temptation. What to listen to next E91: Do You Want to be Sober or Do You Want to Drink Without the Consequences? E60: How Alcohol Affects Our Cognitive Abilities E35: Emotional Sobriety Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill welcomes Dr. Bhatt, MD, MRO to the podcast. We think that alcohol helps us cope with our problems, but in reality, alcohol prevents us from learning how to deal with life. Once we stop drinking, we have no idea how to handle anything. Dr. Bhatt helps us understand resilience- where it comes from, how addiction breaks it down, and what steps you can take to improve your resilience. Dr. Ashish Bhatt, MD, MRO, is recognized as a leading physician, addiction medicine specialist, and psychiatrist. He has extensive experience in a variety of substance abuse treatment programs, psychiatric and co-occurring diagnosis programs for both adults and adolescents, and has served as the Chief Medical Officer for regional and national behavioral health companies. Dr. Bhatt’s philosophy is that there is no compromising in medicine, that each patient should be treated as we would our own family. In this episode you’ll learn: What resiliency is and what determines whether or not you are resilient How your belief and confidence in yourself impacts your resilience How addiction break down resilience How alcohol and drugs prevents us from learning to deal with life Why your emotional maturity stops when you start drinking or using How drugs and alcohol distort our perception of reality and leads to inaccurate conclusions about what’s going on The challenges you might face in early sobriety that might make you want to drink again How to develop resilience in sobriety How to deal with intense negative emotions in early sobriety The idea that you “should” be able to do it on your own and not wanting to get help Why low self-esteem exists in addiction but not in other medical conditions Connect with Dr. Bhatt: https://www.addictioncenter.com/drbhatt/ https://www.addictioncenter.com/community/bubble-of-addiction-broken-resiliency/ https://www.addictioncenter.com/community/addiction-absence-presence/ https://www.addictioncenter.com/ Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses why we use alcohol to enhance our experiences. One of the main reasons people use alcohol is for enhancement. With the nice weather arriving, this is the perfect time to discuss enhancing our experience with alcohol. Nice weather is a trigger and many of us consider drinking again or that maybe we can moderate now. In this episode you’ll learn why we drink for enhancement, how this is linked to problematic drinking, and what you can do if you’re struggling with wanting to drink to enhance your life or if you’re romanticizing alcohol. What to listen to next: E84: Does Alcohol Really Taste Good and Feel Pleasurable? E79: Why We Romanticize Alcohol E22: Why You Think Alcohol Helps Your Anxiety E64: Anxiety and Alcohol (Part 2) E76: Learning the Truth About Your Drinking with Dr. Anna Lembke, Author of Dopamine Nation E100: [Special] Dr. Lembke Returns to Discuss Radical Honesty and Self-Awareness Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill welcomes Beth Bowen, LMSW to the show. This episode is your guide to understanding why we use alcohol to attempt to regulate our nervous system and calm us down. Alcohol is a quick fix that brings down intolerable emotions, but drinking to cope makes us even less tolerant of big emotions in the future. In this episode you’ll learn: Beth’s experience working with veterans and in the emergency room as a social worker The idea of “knowing better” better but not being able to change your drinking The risk to licensure for a medical or mental health professional struggling with substances Emotion intensity and drinking to regulate emotions How our nervous system works and how it can become dysregulated Why we are so drawn to drinking alcohol to regulate our nervous system What the window of tolerance is and how this can increase the risk of turning to alcohol to cope Why morality (good/bad, strong/weak) has nothing to do with it How do identify if you have a narrow window of tolerance and how to improve your ability to tolerate emotions How to learn healthy coping strategies Beth is a therapist and sober coach living in Austin, TX with her husband and two boys. She has been sober from alcohol for 4.5 years, and now helps other women change their relationship with alcohol through group and 1:1 coaching. Beth also founded Sober Stories, a multimedia platform dedicated to the power of storytelling in the sober space. Sober Stories publishes new podcast episodes every Friday, featuring interviews of folks all across the sober spectrum. Connect with Beth: https://wearesoberstories.com/ https://bethbowen.co/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sober-stories/id1612979571 My interview on Sober Stories: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sober-powered-with-gill-tietz-of-sober-powered/id1612979571?i=1000559091670 Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses creativity and alcohol. Creativity is a balance between our logical side and our spontaneous side. Humanity’s ability to be creative is essential for our technological and cultural progression. A common belief is that alcohol unlocks creativity, so we’re going to explore that belief in this episode. You’ll learn what creativity is, what’s going on in the brain while we’re being creative, and what the research says about whether or not alcohol helps us be more creative. If you’ve found a burst of creativity in sobriety or are looking to become more creative then you will also learn 3 tips for cultivating creativity. Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill welcomes Dr. Anna Lembke back to the podcast. You may remember Dr. Lembke from episode 76, which was one of the most popular episodes of all time. Dr. Lembke is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. Her book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, an instant New York Times bestseller, explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world. In this episode you’ll learn: Why lying is common in addiction and how we get into the habit of lying Why it’s so hard for us to be honest with ourselves about our drinking or drug use How acceptance and self-compassion fits into this Why it’s critical for our mental health to accept responsibility for our role in the things that happen to us How to practice radical honesty in your own life How the way you tell your story impacts your mental health How you can recognize destructive patterns in your life and take ownership over them What to do if you don’t like being sober How does social media and chasing numbers impact our recovery How long a dopamine fast takes to reset your reward system Get your copy of Dopamine Nation here What to listen to next: E76: Learning the Truth About Your Drinking with Dr. Anna Lembke, Author of Dopamine Nation Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses neuroplasticity. There’s an invisible line that we all cross, which marks the transition from social drinking into problematic drinking. The time it takes for you to cross the line depends on your genetics, how vulnerable your brain is to alcohol-induced changes, your life circumstances, how young you begin drinking, and more. Alcohol damages and changes our brains when we drink heavily for extended periods of time. Pathways are carved into the brain as we train our brains to rely on alcohol to socialize, relax, feel happy, or deal with hard times. In this episode she explains how alcohol changes the brain, why these changes are permanent, and how this influences relapse. She has some interesting studies to tell you about that looked at animal models of relapse after months of sobriety and how alcohol and other drugs encourage our reward system to have even more plasticity. What to listen to next: E46: Neuroplasticity Helps us Recover E97: Why We Keep Believing it’ll be Different this Time E62: Dopamine Deep Dive E91: Do You Want to be Sober or Do You Want to Drink Without the Consequences? E81: Why We Drink: Social Drinkers vs Problem Drinkers Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses emotion intensity. Just like we all don’t experience alcohol the same, meaning some people will be more sensitive to the effects of pleasure and relaxation, we don’t all experience emotions the same way either. Some people have very intense emotional reactions to very simple, everyday things and that just makes life a lot more challenging. When we drink, we have extreme highs and lows, but some of us are naturally prone to extreme highs and lows. Research has found that people who have very intense emotions also have more complicated lives. In this episode we’re going to talk about how our emotions can vary, where emotions come from and why we have them, and 3 strategies you can use to start regulating your emotions. What to listen to next: E94: Drinking to Cope or Numb Out Doesn't Help, Here's How to Really Cope E76: Learning the Truth About Your Drinking with Dr. Anna Lembke, Author of Dopamine Nation E32: A Conversation With My Husband E35: Emotional Sobriety Emotional sobriety ebook https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered/e/48675 Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life where you gain access to a 31 day quit drinking course, weekly meetings, and a private community to get support. Use the code PODCAST to get 20% off your first month. https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses our ability to learn and adapt from our experiences. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, and that doesn’t feel too far off from what we do with our drinking. We always seem to believe it’s going to be different this time, even when it’s consistently been horrible every single time before. In this episode you’ll learn about cognitive flexibility, how being inflexible greatly increases the risk of developing a problem with alcohol, and one reason why addiction is progressive. She has a lot of interesting studies to go over about how alcohol affects our ability to adapt the way we think and learn new information, and at the end of the episode she explains 5 tips for becoming a more flexible person. What to listen to next: E30: Gray Area Drinkers E60: How Alcohol Affects Our Cognitive Abilities E61: How Alcohol Memories are Triggered in Sobriety E68: How Heavy Drinking Changes the Way We Make Decisions Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life. https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses sugar cravings. It’s very common to go from having no interest in desserts or sweets at all to all of a sudden be craving them all the time once you stop drinking. There’s split advice on this in the sober community. Some say to just eat the sugar and worry about it later once you’re more comfortable with not drinking, and there are other people who say to avoid sugar entirely. In episode 41 she explained in detail why we crave sugar in sobriety, and in this episode she covers what we can do about it and if we should avoid sugar or not. You’ll learn about some of the latest research on sugar cravings and alcohol use disorder, if sugar consumption really increases relapse risk, and what the science suggests we should do about eating sugar in sobriety. Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses a new genetic study on moderate drinking and heart health. We have believed for so long that moderate drinkers are healthier than non drinkers because they drink alcohol moderately, but this study has given us clues on why moderate drinkers may actually be healthier. You’ll learn more about this study, what they found, some other interesting studies on moderate drinking, and how you can take care of your heart health. What to listen to next: E85: Biased Alcohol Studies vs Reality E90: New Study Finds Just One Drink Shrinks Your Brain, or Does it? E17: Alcohol and the Heart E81: Why We Drink: Social Drinkers vs Problem Drinkers E20: Why is it So Hard to Moderate? Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses avoidance behavior and how your tolerance for unexpected stress impacts your quality of life. She explains some interesting studies about intolerance of uncertainty leading to heavy drinking, and how your ability to tolerate stress determines your sensitivity to rewards like alcohol. You’ll learn how to use the method of cognitive reappraisal to reframe the way you think about stress and see situations in a healthier, more realistic perspective. What to listen to next: E60: How Alcohol Affects Our Cognitive Abilities E41: Why Sober People Want So Much Sugar E54: Neuroplasticity and Using Alcohol to Escape or Numb Out E55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give Up Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life. https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses a new study that found that alcohol-related deaths had increased by 25% in 2020. She explains the findings, how much alcohol-related deaths usually increase in a year, and how alcohol was involved in these deaths. You’ll learn about how the general population changed their drinking habits during quarantine, and what you can do if you’re struggling with drinking to cope with pandemic stress. What to listen to next: E63: Why Alcohol Causes Depression and Suicidal Thoughts E85: Biased Alcohol Studies vs Reality E90: New Study Finds Just One Drink Shrinks Your Brain, or Does it? E65: What Happens to the Body When You Binge Drink E58: How Does Alcohol Cause Cancer? E52: Everything You Need to Know About Cirrhosis and More E22: Why You Think Alcohol Helps Your Anxiety E64: Anxiety and Alcohol (Part 2) E17: Alcohol and the Heart Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life . https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses 5 reasons we don’t realize our drinking is a problem. You’ll learn how prevalent lack of awareness is in problem drinkers, and what the steps are moving through complete unawareness to acceptance. She explains factors that contribute to denial like how alcohol impacts our memory, how society makes it more challenging to accept you need to get sober, and how we convince ourselves that we couldn’t possibly have a problem. What to listen to next: E56: High Functioning Alcoholics and Denial E60: How Alcohol Affects Our Cognitive Abilities E79: Why We Romanticize Alcohol Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses losing the motivation to stay sober. Sometimes, we’ll say we don’t want to drink anymore, but what we really mean is we want to drink without the consequences. Your intention matters and if you are carrying around hopes and dreams of drinking again someday, then you’ll drink again. In this episode she explains why even when sobriety, your life, your job, and your relationships are a priority for you you still might end up drinking and then later you’re left wondering why you always do this to yourself. What to listen to next: E28: Is it a Bad Habit or a Problem? E55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give Up E79: Why We Romanticize Alcohol E81: Why We Drink: Social Drinkers vs Problem Drinkers Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gill discusses the new study that was published a few days ago about how even just one drink a day can shrink your brain. She explains what this study found, how the study was performed, and what she thinks of the results. She relates this to studies about how alcohol is healthy and teaches you how to identify whether a study's results are fact or just an association. What to listen to next: E85: Biased Alcohol Studies vs Reality E69: Alcohol Shrinks the Brain... But What Does That Mean? E31: If Alcohol is Toxic, Why Can We Drink it? CNN Article https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/04/health/alcohol-brain-shrinkage-wellness/index.html Wine Spectator Article https://www.winespectator.com/articles/new-study-suggests-red-wine-reduces-covid-infection-rates Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life. https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices