Being sober isn't a punishment. Sober life is not a last resort for weak-willed losers who aren't strong enough to figure it out. You can be sober without feeli...
E273: How the Sober Brain Breaks Down Alcohol Associations (But They’ll Build Back Up if You Drink Again)
We believe alcohol is required for vacations, unwinding, dealing with stress, celebrating, and socializing. We have built up powerful associations in our brains to reinforce these beliefs through dopamine and repetition. After you get sober, facing life without alcohol can feel impossible. Everything reminds you of alcohol. You start to notice how prevalent it is on TV and in movies. In this episode, I’m explaining how the brain builds associations with alcohol, how that gets worse while we stay in the back and forth, and how we break down these associations after getting sober.
What to listen to next:
E267: Resources vs Support: Are You Setting Yourself Up for Success?
E202: WTF is "The Work"?
E270: Incubation of Craving
Work with me:
Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership
Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching
Weekly email:
You’ll hear from me on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email
Courses:
The non-negotiable mindset https://www.soberpowered.com/mindset-course
Anger Management https://www.soberpowered.com/anger
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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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
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33:10
E272: 6 Habits That Make My Life Better
When we develop a problem with alcohol, it becomes the center of our lives and most or all decisions are made after taking alcohol into consideration. When you remove alcohol, there’s a big empty hole in your life. You can fill this hole with other substances, sex or relationships, gambling or shopping, sitting around sad, or you can make some changes in your life. I’ve slowly made changes over the past 5 years to now have a life where I’m excited to wake up in the morning. In this episode, I’m sharing 6 habits that have improved my quality of life. Maybe this will give you some ideas about where you can start for yourself.
What to listen to next:
E242: The Science of Making Good Habits in Long Term Sobriety
Huberman info:
https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/using-deliberate-cold-exposure-for-health-and-performance
https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-susanna-soberg-how-to-use-cold-and-heat-exposure-to-improve-your-health
Sober Support:
Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership
Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email
Work with me:
Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching
Courses:
The non-negotiable mindset https://www.soberpowered.com/mindset-course
Anger Management https://www.soberpowered.com/anger
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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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
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24:03
E271: Alcohol, Career Stress, and the Lie of “I Function Just Fine”
“I function just fine, it’s not like I’m missing work”, I said until I started missing work. “I have a masters degree, I couldn’t have gotten this far if I was an alcoholic.” Have you ever thought things like this to yourself? Most drinkers are able to function. Most will never reach the stereotypical alcoholic that we think of. High functioning doesn’t mean not a problem, and in this episode we’ll discuss drinking to cope with career stress, when drinking feels like it’s a part of the job, and the identity shift that is required when we link our self-worth to external things like career success. You’ll learn about 2 models for alcohol and the workplace: the culture/availability model and the alienation/stress model.
What to listen to next:
E204: Can Anyone Get Addicted to Alcohol?
Sober Support:
Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership
Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email
Work with me:
Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching
Courses:
The non-negotiable mindset https://www.soberpowered.com/mindset-course
Anger Management https://www.soberpowered.com/anger
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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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
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27:28
E270: Cravings Increase After Quitting Drinking and Peak Around 60 Days Sober and 6 Months Sober
You probably expect that the more sober time you have, the less you crave alcohol. That’s true for some people, but others experience an effect called incubation of craving. This is where cravings build up over time and peak around 60 days, then again around 6 months sober. In this episode, I’ll explain the research on incubation of craving, what you might experience, why this happens, and what you can do to stay sober.
What to listen to next:
E231: Everything You Need to Know About Alcohol Withdrawal
E247: Sober Sleep is the Best Sleep, But Not Right Away
E249: Alcohol and Cortisol: Increased Stress and Cravings
E265: Rewiring Your Reward System After Getting Sober
E266: What Happens After Dry January?
Sober Support:
Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership
Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email
Work with me:
Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching
Courses:
The non-negotiable mindset https://www.soberpowered.com/mindset-course
Sober milestones: what to expect when you quit drinking https://sobermilestones.supercast.com/
Anger Management https://www.soberpowered.com/anger
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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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
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28:41
E269: Running on Autopilot Mode
Regular drinking and early sobriety often feel like living on autopilot, where we are repeating the same routines without conscious awareness. Alcohol changes the brain to increase mindless activity, which can lead to rumination, excessive self-focus, anxiety, and addiction-related thought loops. In this episode, you’ll learn about how alcohol affects the brain and puts us on autopilot, how this keeps us stuck, and when this recovers in sobriety. Many people mistake life stress as the main source of overwhelm, but a lot of it actually comes from how alcohol disrupts brain function.
What to listen to next:
E220: The Hippocampus and Alcohol: Blackouts, Memory Deficits, and Learned Associations
E191: Going Back and Forth Makes Your Cravings Stronger
E238: Why Moderation Doesn't Work
Sober Support:
Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership
Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email
Work with me:
Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching
Courses:
The non-negotiable mindset https://www.soberpowered.com/mindset-course
Sober milestones: what to expect when you quit drinking https://sobermilestones.supercast.com/
Anger Management https://www.soberpowered.com/anger
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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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
About Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober
Being sober isn't a punishment. Sober life is not a last resort for weak-willed losers who aren't strong enough to figure it out. You can be sober without feeling deprived or left out.
Millions of people wake up with another hangover and Google, "how do I know if I'm an alcoholic?". We get stuck on the label and the stigma, when instead we should be asking ourselves, "is alcohol making me miserable?" and "would I be happier if I quit drinking?" In the Sober Powered Podcast, Gill, a former biochemist turned sober coach, walks you through the latest research on alcohol use disorder using her own sober story as a case study along the way. The science of how alcohol affects the brain can help you depersonalize your drinking experience so you can finally say goodbye to your hopes and dreams of moderating someday (because you clearly can't moderate!). Getting sober doesn't mean you are a weak-willed loser with no self-control, it simply means you are a person who can't drink. Your brain loves it too much and you are too hardcore.
Each episode features in depth explanations of what is going on in the brain along with the tools and mindset shifts that Gill works on with her clients to help them accept being sober, let go of shame, and learn the coping skills required to manage stress and emotions sober -in the hopes of helping you do the same.
Website: www.soberpowered.com
USA