Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

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, 104Resources 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/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

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-RegulatingE94: Drinking to Cope or Numb Out Doesn't Help, Here's How to Really CopeE45: Emotional OverwhelmE55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give UpE62: Dopamine Deep DiveMy articles on WebMDhttps://www.soberpowered.com/mywritingResources 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/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

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 nextE91: Do You Want to be Sober or Do You Want to Drink Without the Consequences?E60: How Alcohol Affects Our Cognitive AbilitiesE35: Emotional SobrietyResources 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/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

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/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

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 AlcoholE22: Why You Think Alcohol Helps Your AnxietyE64: Anxiety and Alcohol (Part 2)E76: Learning the Truth About Your Drinking with Dr. Anna Lembke, Author of Dopamine NationE100: [Special] Dr. Lembke Returns to Discuss Radical Honesty and Self-AwarenessResources 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/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

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/id1612979571My interview on Sober Stories:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sober-powered-with-gill-tietz-of-sober-powered/id1612979571?i=1000559091670Resources 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/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

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/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

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 hereWhat to listen to next:E76: Learning the Truth About Your Drinking with Dr. Anna Lembke, Author of Dopamine NationResources 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/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

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 RecoverE97: Why We Keep Believing it’ll be Different this TimeE62: Dopamine Deep DiveE91: Do You Want to be Sober or Do You Want to Drink Without the Consequences?E81: Why We Drink: Social Drinkers vs Problem DrinkersResources 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/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

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 CopeE76: Learning the Truth About Your Drinking with Dr. Anna Lembke, Author of Dopamine NationE32: A Conversation With My HusbandE35: Emotional SobrietyEmotional sobriety ebookhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered/e/48675Resources 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/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