Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

One of the main characteristics of someone who struggles with alcohol is the obsession. We think about our drinking all the time. We do mental gymnastics and try to figure out how to control our drinking. We bargain with ourselves and talk ourselves into why drinking is a good idea. The obsession is frustrating and it continues into early sobriety too. I’ve seen so many people feel defeated because they think about alcohol all the time even though they’re sober. In this episode I’m explaining the obsession and why alcohol dominates your thoughts. This is a good one, and I hope it answers a lot of questions for you.What to listen to next:E62: dopamine deep diveE115: why you aren't ready to quit drinking and how to get readyE122: how exercise can help your recoveryResources 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/sponsorsIf you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpoweredSources are posted on my websiteDisclaimer: 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 been wondering how you should be eating to aid your recovery? Or why you have so many sugar cravings? In this episode we’ll talk about how the type of food we eat impacts our cravings and the amount of food we eat overall. You’ll learn about an interesting study that came out recently about protein and obesity, and how you might want to consider adjusting the foods you eat based on your goals. We will also talk about what contributes to extreme hunger and food cravings. Before we get started I want to put out a trigger warning for anyone who is uncomfortable or upset by discussions on calories or weight. I’m not recommending any particular lifestyle here, but consider skipping this one if the topic is sensitive for you. The purpose of this episode is to help you understand why you might be experiencing extreme hunger or food cravings, so you can disconnect those experiences from your self-worth or how much self-control you think you have.What to listen to next:E41: why sober people want so much sugarResources 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/sponsorsIf you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpoweredSources are posted on my websiteDisclaimer: 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

Why can’t I stop drinking once I start? Have you ever wondered this or beat yourself for not having enough self-control? There’s a pathway in the brain called the go, no-go pathway and I’ve been wanting to talk about it for a long time but haven’t found the right info until now. When you want to make a decision, like you want to moderate and stop drinking after 2 drinks, the go, no-go decision making pathway in your brain does it’s thing and you either continue on drinking, which is the go path, or you stop, the no-go path. In this episode you’ll learn more about your off-switch, where things can go wrong to weaken your off-switch, and what to do if you’re in this situation where you can’t stop drinking once you start.What to listen to next:E117: Why Sobriety Eventually Just ClicksE97: Why We Keep Believing it’ll be Different this TimeE99: Why We Can Never Drink Again (Neuroplasticity and Permanent Changes)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/sponsorsIf you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpoweredSources are posted on my websiteDisclaimer: 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 celebrate 3 years of sobriety on November 9th and each year I record an episode about the past year of sobriety and how it went. What stood out to me the most this year is that I am getting tired of sharing my story and I feel weird about being personal. Lately, I have been asked to share my story a lot on other podcasts. I think sharing our stories is very important because it helps newbies or people who are struggling to accept they need to get sober might see themselves in your story and realize they are not alone. However, I’ve shared my story a bazillion times and bringing up old, painful memories feels exhausting for me.At first, I felt really guilty, probably because guilt is my natural state, but then I realized it’s okay to want to move on. I want to focus on what happens after sobriety, not before. So instead of getting super personal in this one, I want to discuss how long it actually takes us to heal and recover. You may find yourself obsessing about sobriety or feeling frustrated that it’s taking you so long to feel better, but it’s a long journey. You don’t just quit drinking and go back to normal right away. In this episode you’ll learn how long it takes for the brain to recover and what you can do to take care of yourself while you’re healing.What to listen to next:E75: How Sleep Improves from Actively Drinking to Long Term SobrietyE73: The Obsession Eventually Evens Out (I’m 2 Years Sober)E21: I'm 1 Year Sober!Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook  Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more:https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsorsIf you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpoweredSources are posted on my websiteDisclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Want an easy way to deal with cravings and negative emotions? Want to build back some of the brain volume you may have lost from drinking 1,000 drinks? Well, the answer is exercise! I hope you didn’t just roll your eyes at me. It’s true. We are usually looking for this complicated secret that’s going to help our sobriety, but usually, it’s the simple things that have the biggest impact. The trick is just finding a way to be okay with the simple things. In this episode we’re going to talk about how exercise can help your recovery. You’ll learn about a ton of different studies on how exercise helps the brain physically, how it helps us cognitively, and why it can be such an effective tool in sobriety.What to listen to next:E22: Why you think alcohol helps your anxietyE41: Why sober people want so much sugarE69: Alcohol Shrinks the Brain, but What Does That Mean?Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook  Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more:https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsorsIf you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpoweredSources are posted on my websiteDisclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Everyone knows chronic stress is bad, but did you know that chronic stress can actually change your brain? And just like everything else we talk about, it can change the brain in ways that makes it easier to be stressed or to turn to something like alcohol to attempt to cope. In this episode you’ll learn what chronic stress does to the brain, results from the 2022 Stress in America Survey, and how you can turn some bad stress into good stress.What to listen to next:E119: Why We Can't CopeE67: How Alcohol Impacts Cortisol and Causes CravingsE22: Why You Think Alcohol Helps Your AnxietyE64: Anxiety and Alcohol (Part 2)Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook  Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more:https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsorsIf you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpoweredSources are posted on my websiteDisclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people just can’t cope. It’s not because they’re weak-willed losers, but it can definitely make us feel like that is the reason. I had a stressful situation last week and I wanted to understand why I escalated it so much in my mind. In this episode I want to share with you why some of us just can’t cope. Both nature and nurture is involved, and at the end of the episode I will share how you can get started on becoming more resilient so you can handle stress in a way that you won’t regret later.What to listen to next:E61: How Alcohol Memories are Triggered in SobrietyE91: Do You Want to be Sober or Do You Want to Drink Without the Consequences?E115: Why You Aren’t Ready to Quit Drinking and How to Get ReadyE104: Why Alcohol Doesn’t Help You Cope with Dr. Ashish Bhatt, MD, MROE46: Neuroplasticity Helps us RecoverResources 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/sponsorsIf you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpoweredSources are posted on my websiteDisclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sober sex can be very intimidating, especially if you believe alcohol helps you feel more confident, comfortable, and in the mood for sex. I’m joined by Dr. Nazanin Moali, host of the Sexology Podcast, to discuss why we think alcohol is essential for sex, why sober sex can be so scary, and tips for singles and couples who are trying to get comfortable with sober sex. Dr. Moali shares strategies for anyone to begin implementing in their sex life whether you are single or in a relationship, and we touch on situations where someone might have a history of trauma or a history of body image issues and disordered eating.In this episode you’ll learn: Dr. Moali’s experience with working in addiction and eating disorder recovery and why she moved into working in sex therapy too Shame and disconnection in addiction and with sex Transfer addiction and having previous struggles return in sobriety Why we think alcohol is essential for sex  Why sober sex feels so scary Trauma and using alcohol to have sex Tips for couples and singles who are trying to get comfortable with sober sex Body image struggles, confidence and sober sex A good first step to feeling more comfortable with sober sex Dr. Nazanin Moali is a sex and relationship expert and has helped many individuals and couples improve their sex lives and restore and achieve deep and passionate connections with their partners. In addition to hosting the top 20 rated Sexology podcast, Dr. Moali launched a similar, top-rated podcast in Farsi in 2016 and has extensive training in treatment of eating disorders and addiction from some of the nation’s leading experts. She is a published researcher who regularly gives talks at major universities and international conferences, and has given therapy advice and information on local television shows. Dr. Moali has her postdoctoral training in sexual wellness and trauma. Connect with Dr. Moali:The Sexology Podcast https://sexologypodcast.com/blog/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sexology/id1193611459Bedroom Fizzle to Sizzle Course https://sexologypodcast.com/enroll/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sexologypodcast/Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership 30 Day Quit Drinking Course with daily audios to help you work on your mindset about letting drinking go https://quitdrinkingcourse.supercast.com/ Monthly office hours: ask me anything you’d like live. My audio will be recorded for anyone who can’t join live. I will not be recording the meeting participants. https://officehours.supercast.com/ Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 A free 3 day quit drinking challenge https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62f2cb3de5ea6b3d8aea4ab2 You are not alone eBook with data from almost 700 sober people https://www.soberpowered.com/you-are-not-alone-ebook  Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more:https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsorsIf you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpoweredSources are posted on my websiteDisclaimer: 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