Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

Gill discusses how the brain recovers after we stop drinking. There have been mixed conclusions on this topic over the years, so she presents the latest information from 2019-2020 all the way up to a couple of weeks ago. You'll learn what white and grey matter are in the brain, how alcohol damages the brain, and how our cognitive function improves in sobriety.Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life where you gain access to weekly episodes about navigating life without alcohol, 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

Gill discusses staying sober while you socialize. This episode was originally created for the holidays, but these strategies apply any time. She's 13 months sober, so last year was her first holiday season not drinking. On Christmas day, she was about 6 weeks sober. She walks you through her first sober holiday season, explaining what helped her get through, what the most difficult moments were, and her advice for those of you experiencing this for the first time. Beyond some general tips and tricks, she has a some strategies to share with you: the bartender is your champion, become a sociologist, treat it like a live grenade, and shut that nosey person down.Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life where you gain access to weekly episodes about navigating life without alcohol, 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

Gill discusses how addiction develops. She explains the different stages from trying your first sip of alcohol to being unable to stop drinking even though you want to. She talks about her own progression through the stages, and a very important memory that’s been on her mind recently. Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life where you gain access to weekly episodes about navigating life without alcohol, 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

Gill discusses routine blood work. She explains what your yearly blood work can tell you about your liver health, what normal levels are, and what to do if your levels are elevated. You’ll learn what each test is and what it’s measuring. She ends the podcast with a discussion on cholesterol, what good and bad cholesterol is, how it relates to alcohol and fatty liver, and what you can do to improve your numbers. Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life where you gain access to weekly episodes about navigating life without alcohol, 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

Gill explains why alcohol causes anxiety and what exactly is going on in the brain. You’ll learn how our brains adjust to alcohol in ways that lead to even more anxiety, and how this impacts people who are trying to get sober. She explains a few interesting studies that connect this topic with genetics and epigenetics, and why anxiety increases when we first stop drinking. Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life where you gain access to weekly episodes about navigating life without alcohol, 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

In this episode, the host reflects on their one year of sobriety, sharing personal challenges and advice. They discuss a traumatic event from their past that happened on the same day. They also talk about navigating sobriety during the holiday season and embracing a sober life.

Gill discusses why some of us just can’t moderate. During her drinking, she was always plagued by the question of "why can’t I just be normal?" You will learn the answer to this question in this episode. She will explain why some of us just don’t have that voice in our head that tells us to stop drinking, and you’ll learn what parts of the brain are responsible for this voice. She will also discuss some epigenetic and environmental factors that can contribute to someone's inability to moderate. Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life where you gain access to weekly episodes about navigating life without alcohol, 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

Gill talks about alcohol use disorder and the comorbidity of other mental illnesses. Specifically, OCD, eating disorders, PTSD, depression, and anxiety and how it’s more likely that someone who abuses alcohol will struggle with one or more of these conditions than people who don’t abuse alcohol. She will also explain how PTSD affects the hippocampus and her own experience with psychiatric comorbidities.Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life where you gain access to weekly episodes about navigating life without alcohol, 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

Gill is married to a take it or leave it drinker, and in this episode she discusses how she handles her husband’s drinking. She will tell you the ways she asked for his help when she quit drinking, how he has responded to her sobriety, what she would do if she was married to a problem drinker, and how she would approach sober dating.Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life where you gain access to weekly episodes about navigating life without alcohol, 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

Gill discusses how alcohol affects the heart. She explains how the heart works, what the different parts of the heart do, what blood pressure is, how alcohol affects our heart rate and rhythm, and why alcohol causes damage to the heart. You’ll learn why your heart races in the middle of the night after heavy drinking, and the connection between alcohol and high blood pressure. She will tell you how her blood pressure and heart rate were affected by alcohol, and what both have been like in sobriety.Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life where you gain access to weekly episodes about navigating life without alcohol, 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