Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

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

Gill discusses cravings and how dopamine influences our level of self-control. Cravings to drink can show up when you least expect them and they can be really powerful. They don’t last forever, but if you’re trying to willpower your way through cravings all the time then you’re going to get exhausted. She explains an interesting study on levels of dopamine and how this influences our decision to go for instant gratification, and how the more willpower we try to throw at something, the worse our ability to exert self-control becomes. What to listen to next: E51: Why we crave alcohol and what to do about it E67: How alcohol impacts cortisol and causes cravings E62: Dopamine deep dive E61: How alcohol memories are triggered in sobriety E68: How heavy drinking changes the way we make decisions E80: Benefits of a dry month 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 brain networks that make us more vulnerable to developing an addiction. Childhood trauma, family history of addiction, and growing up with a parent who struggles with substances greatly increase your risk of developing your issues with addiction. We know this, but sometimes if you look at families there is one sibling who makes it out fine and the other comes out with a ton of hardship and mental health challenges. Why is that though? Is one sibling strong and the other is weak? In this episode she explores why some siblings do not develop addiction despite having the same home life and childhood trauma as the sibling who eventually develops a problem. She uses herself and her brother as a case study for this episode because her brother is just a regular guy. She has a few studies to share about the brains of siblings and non addicted healthy controls with no family history, and some more information on resilience. What to listen to next: E71: Trauma May Make Drugs and Alcohol Feel More Pleasurable E74: Resilience Impacts How Much You Drink E32: A Conversation with my Husband E46: Neuroplasticity Helps us Recover 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 shame. We talked about shame way back in episode 7 and learned that there is a clear link between experiencing shame and relapsing. In this episode you’ll learn about the difference between people who are guilt-prone and those who are shame-prone and how that impacts their drinking. She has so many interesting studies to share about the link between shame, loss of control over drinking and developing a problem, and some studies that may explain why some of us are prone to feeling shame instead of guilt. You will also hear the story of Gill's first drink and some insight on how to potentially manage shame in the future. What to listen to next: E7: Shame E54: Neuroplasticity and Using Alcohol to Escape or Numb Out E35: Emotional Sobriety E19: Alcohol Use Disorder and Other Mental Health Conditions E60: How Alcohol Affects Our Cognitive Abilities Emotional Sobriety ebook https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered/e/48675 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 how helping others helps us. You’ll learn about some studies on helping others, what a helper’s high is, and what oxytocin is. She explains some studies that looked at people in recovery helping others and how that impacts their own sobriety, why we are drawn to personal stories of recovery, and give you some ideas on how you can start helping others if you don’t want to do it publicly. She also describes the difference between helping others purely because you feel the drive to, versus helping others with the intention of money, followers, or fame. What to listen to next: E79: Why We Romanticize Alcohol E80: Benefits of a Dry Month E62: Dopamine and Addiction Meetings: https://aa-intergroup.org/ https://www.smartrecovery.org/community/calendar.php https://recoverydharma.org/meeting-list https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Find a Therapist in the US: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists Treatment: https://www.banyantreatmentcenter.com/ https://sobernation.com/rehabs/ 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

Recently, wine spectator shared an article on Instagram about how moderate, daily wine drinking helped you not get covid. Most people see that post and think, “great, I knew I was doing something right!” and very few people actually go read the article. In this episode, Gill discusses science funded by the alcohol industry, how that ends up influencing the results, and how you can know the difference between biased, exaggerated claims and the truth. She walks you through a few different studies that support how alcohol is healthy, shows you the holes in these studies, and what the truth is. By the end of the episode you'll be able to spot biased science and you'll learn a bit more about how pervasive the alcohol industry is in scientific research today. Wine Spectator Study https://www.winespectator.com/articles/new-study-suggests-red-wine-reduces-covid-infection-rates What to listen to next: E80: Benefits of a Dry Month E79: Why We Romanticize Alcohol E76: Learning the Truth About Your Drinking with Dr. Anna Lembke, Author of Dopamine Nation 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 if alcohol actually tastes good and feels good for us. You’ll learn about why we perceive alcohol as pleasurable, a bit about taste genetics, and how the way alcohol tastes for you can influence how much you drink. She has an interesting study to share with you about how the pleasure you feel from alcohol affects how much you drink, and if we develop a tolerance to pleasure making us require more alcohol to get the same effect. What to listen to next: E76: Learning the Truth About Your Drinking with Dr. Anna Lembke, Author of Dopamine Nation E11: Why Alcohol Feels Good (Endorphins and Opioid Receptors) E62: Dopamine and Addiction E28: Is it a Bad Habit or a Problem? E77: Why are Non-Alcoholic Drinks Triggering? E48: Is Addiction Genetic or a Learned Behavior? What to watch next: Thoughts on deserving a drink https://youtu.be/a-9rL2kOjPY What to do when you're romanticizing alcohol https://youtu.be/0HfSNOTNFDU 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 heightened emotions in the first 90 days of sobriety, but really this can apply to whatever stage you’re at. Big emotions and mood swings are very common, so in this episode you’ll learn how your emotions change when you stop drinking, how to manage this without turning to another self-destructive coping mechanism, and what to expect emotionally during withdrawal, early sobriety, and up to 90 days of sobriety. What to listen to next: E9: From chronic day ones to forever sobriety E38: What causes withdrawal symptoms? E67: How alcohol impacts cortisol and causes cravings E40: Why are we so angry? What to watch next: 5 walks to help your sobriety (the rage walk) https://youtu.be/AJy10StaHa4 I quit drinking on my own, but what does that mean for you? https://youtu.be/3ZYSWpc-YY0 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 welcomes Amanda E. White to the podcast. Amanda is a licensed therapist and the author of the book “Not Drinking Tonight: A Guide to Creating A Sober Life You Love.” Not drinking is just the beginning of improving our lives. We also have to learn things like how to deal with emotions, how to set and maintain healthy boundaries, and how to take care of ourselves. This episode is your guide to moving forward without alcohol. In this episode you’ll learn: Amanda’s path to becoming a therapist and struggling with her drinking during grad school Emotions: how alcohol stunts our emotional maturity and prevents us from learning basic life skills, how to begin recognizing your feelings if you have no idea where to start, and why you don’t have to feel happy all the time- it’s not our normal baseline Boundaries: what they are, what they are not, how to set boundaries as a people pleaser or if you’ve never set them before, how to navigate tough conversations, how to deal with having your boundaries being violated Self-care: why alcohol isn’t self care and what real self-care is How to start therapy and find a therapist you connect with Amanda is the founder and owner of the group therapy practice, Therapy for Women Center, based in Philadelphia serving clients across the country. In her clinical work, she specializes in working with individuals with substance use disorders and eating disorders. She has been featured in notable publications such as Forbes, Washington Post, Shape, Women’s Health Magazine, and more. Connect with Amanda: Where to get her book amandaewhite.com Her practice's website therapyforwomencenter.com Instagram www.instagram.com/therapyforwomen 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 why we drink. Our motivation for drinking matters and a recent study found that why we drink coincides with the development of alcohol use disorder. She covers the main reasons why people drink: to cope with mental health and negative emotions, to unwind after work and deal with stress, to socialize, and to cope with stress from parenting. She found some interesting studies to share with you about why people drink, and one study at the end of the episode about why mom’s drink. What to listen to next: E55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give Up E63: Why Alcohol Causes Depression and Suicidal Thoughts E79: Why We Romanticize Alcohol E54: Neuroplasticity and Using Alcohol to Escape or Numb Out E43: Drinking to Cope 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 Dry January and how a month-long challenge can help you. You’ll learn the physical and mental health benefits of giving up alcohol for 30 days, a bit of the history of Dry January and how popular it is, and how giving up alcohol for a month can greatly improve your self-efficacy or your belief in yourself. She never did a month-long challenge, but she shares a bit about her experience giving up alcohol for 90 days and what she learned from that break. What to listen to next: E23 What your blood can reveal about your liver health E9 From chronic day ones to forever sobriety E16 Signs I was a problem drinker E38 What causes withdrawal symptoms? E60 How alcohol affects our cognitive abilities E36 Your sober pal tell us what AA is like E59 What to expect when you stop drinking 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 romanticizing alcohol. You’ll learn why we selectively remember the positive memories of our drinking, why the negative memories fade away, and how this can lead us to drink again. She found a very cool study to tell you about too, that looked at how quickly negative memories fade for moderate drinkers versus heavy drinkers. And if you struggle with romanticizing alcohol, then she provides some tips at the end of this episode for dealing with these thoughts. What to listen to next: E25: Staying Sober During the Holidays E28: Is it a Bad Habit or a Problem? E32: A Conversation with my Husband E61: How Alcohol Memories are Triggered in Sobriety E62: Dopamine and Addiction 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 non-alcoholic drinks. Some people love them, and some people think they ruin your sobriety. In this episode she explains why non-alcoholic drinks can be so triggering and how they activate the reward center. You’ll learn if it’s safe to consume drinks that have a tiny bit of alcohol in them, why you might get a fake buzz from non-alcoholic options, and how drinks that mimic the real thing can lead someone down the path to relapse or they could just be a great tool for someone else’s recovery. What to listen to next: E31: If Alcohol is Toxic, Why Can We Drink it? E61: How Alcohol Memories are Triggered 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 welcomes Dr. Anna Lembke to the podcast. Dr. Lembke is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. Her new book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence (Dutton/Penguin Random House, August 2021), an instant New York Times bestseller, explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world. In this episode, you'll learn: How whatever perceived positives alcohol is bringing to your life (like less anxiety) with repeated use, alcohol causes or worsens the very thing you are trying to improve Why alcohol isn't actually your best friend or the only thing that is helping you Why a 7-14 day break isn't long enough to see the truth about your drinking How taking 30 days off can significantly improve your mental health for the majority of people Why doctors are hesitant to ask about alcohol and drug use Ways to evaluate the amount of alcohol you're consuming How long does it take to restore balance in the brain How to set expectations in sobriety Sobriety obsession: can we get addicted to sobriety? In 2016, she published Drug Dealer, MD – How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016), which was highlighted in the New York Times as one of the top five books to read to understand the opioid epidemic (Zuger, 2018). Dr. Lembke appeared on the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, an unvarnished look at the impact of social media on our lives. Get your copy of Dopamine Nation here What to listen to next: E62: Dopamine and Addiction 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 how sleep changes from when we’re drinking to long term sobriety. She explains how alcohol impacts sleep, how sleep changes in withdrawal and early sobriety, and when you can expect your sleep to fully recover. You’ll learn how lack of sleep while we’re drinking exacerbates the damage alcohol causes to the brain, how insomnia impacts cravings, and 5 strategies for coping with insomnia in sobriety. What to listen to next: E3: Alcohol, sleep and drinking dreams E59: What to expect when you stop drinking E60: How alcohol impacts our cognitive abilities E22: Why you think alcohol helps your anxiety E64: Alcohol and anxiety (part 2) E69: Alcohol shrinks the brain, but what does that mean? 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 resilience. Being able to get through hardship without self-destructing is key for maintaining our sobriety. She explains what resilience is, some research on how this impacts sobriety, and other skills that contribute to resilience and staying sober. At the end of the episode she will go over 5 tips for developing resilience if this is something you struggle with. What to listen to next: E55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give Up E35: Emotional 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 celebrated 2 years of sobriety on November 9th, 2021. In this episode, she will discuss how sobriety has changed for her from the first to the second year, obsessing about sobriety, intrusive thoughts about alcohol, an all or nothing mindset, and how to achieve balance in your sobriety. What to listen to next: E55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give Up E70: How the Brain Balances Reward and Consequences E21: I'm One Year Sober! 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 continues our conversation about trauma from last week's episode. She discusses a couple interesting studies about how trauma impacts our ability to regulate our emotions, and how not being able to regulate your emotions leads to relapse. You’ll learn how trauma impacts the way the brain responds to emotions, how this can lead to addiction, and what you can do to start working on improving your ability to handle negative emotions. Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire (ERSQ) What to listen to next: E46: Neuroplasticity Helps Us Recover 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 how trauma increases the risk of developing an addiction. She reviews an interesting study from 2021 that looked at how trauma impacts the amount of pleasure a person will feel from drugs. You’ll learn how childhood trauma changes the way animals and humans experience pain, another reason why we can never become take it or leave it drinkers or drug users, and why science thinks trauma makes us more vulnerable to addiction. What to listen to next: E67: How Alcohol Impacts Cortisol and Causes Cravings E11: Why Alcohol Feels Good (Endorphins and Opioid Receptors) 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 balance between how we believe alcohol is benefitting us and the consequences it's bringing to our lives. This balance is what helps moderate drinkers know when to stop, but sometimes this balance can be disrupted and the negative consequences just don’t seem to be that bad. In this episode you’ll learn about how the brain balances reward and consequences, and some ways this balance can be disrupted to increase the risk of developing a problem with alcohol. What to listen to next: E54: Neuroplasticity and Using Alcohol to Escape or Numb Out E68: How Alcohol Abuse Changes the Way We Make Decisions E55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give Up E30: Gray Area Drinkers (and positive alcohol expectancies) 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 how alcohol shrinks the brain and what that actually means. She explains how alcohol shrinks the brain, how this impacts our cognitive function, and how the brain recovers with sobriety. You’ll learn about some genetic factors that make us more vulnerable to abusing alcohol and what happens when alcohol causes permanent brain damage. What to listen to next: E26: Does the Brain Recover? E17: Alcohol and the Heart E11: Endorphins and Opioid Receptors 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 decision making. She explains how the damage alcohol abuse causes to the brain relates to damage caused by a type of traumatic brain injury. You’ll learn how the brain makes decisions, how alcohol abuse changes our decision making, and what you can do to make better decisions and protect your 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 stress, cortisol and cravings. She explain how our stress response system works, and how alcohol changes this response and our hormones. You’ll learn how alcohol impacts our cortisol levels, how this impacts our cravings for alcohol, and what this means for people trying to stay sober. At the end of this episode you'll see how this topic connects to a lot of other things we’ve discussed on this podcast. This is an episode you don't want to miss! Episodes to listen to next E40: Why Are We So Angry? E51: Why We Crave Alcohol and What to Do About It Resources I offer: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Sober Group Coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching Anger Management Program https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Weekly emails on Thursdays with the sober tip of the week, announcements, interviews, and more. https://soberpowered.myflodesk.com/zzwwfuio1l Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free 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