Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

Gill talks about the warning signs she ignored that clearly showed she shouldn’t be drinking. This episode was inspired by a very interesting conversation with her husband, which she will tell you about first. She describes what a successful night of moderation looked like, how she couldn’t keep extra alcohol around, how after a few years she was unable to take a day off drinking, and the irrational fears she carried around about dying in a freak, drunk accident. 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 the stigma that exists for mental illness and alcoholism. She explains the history of treatment of the mentally ill from ancient times to present day. You’ll learn how alcoholics are viewed by the general public based on information from several national surveys from around the world. She ends this episode by talking about how the stigma of having a drinking problem impacts people’s decision to get help.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 nature versus nurture. We will explore if addiction depends on genetics, how we're raised, or both? She explains the impact both genetics and our environment have on us. Like usual, there are a lot of interesting studies to tell you about! You’ll learn what epigenetics is, how our experiences influence our genes, and how stress plays a role. She will also explain what an ACE score is and how our childhood impacts our mental and physical health as adults.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 the impact alcohol has on serotonin and our mental health. She explains what serotonin is, how it impacts the body, and what antidepressants might be doing in the brain. You'll also learn about some interesting studies on alcohol induced aggression and how having a certain variant of a serotonin transporter puts us at a higher risk for developing a problem with alcohol. Since we are discussing depression, Gill explains some statistics on alcohol and suicide and the link between the two.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 blackouts. She explains how memories are formed, what puts you more at risk for blacking out, and some interesting studies on en bloc blackouts. You’ll learn what actually occurs in the brain to cause a blackout. Gill was extremely prone to blacking out, so she ends this episode by telling you how she blacked out during her wedding and the psychological impact of blackouts.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 endorphins and opioid receptors. She explains the history of opioids as medication, how we discovered endorphins, and how endorphins and opioid receptors relate to addiction. You’ll learn about how alcohol alters the opioid system in the brain reinforcing more drinking. Gill ends the podcast by talking about what she thinks is the coolest research on endorphins and alcohol addiction, so make sure you listen to the end!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 the different defense mechanisms a problem drinker or alcoholic will use to continue drinking. She will explain denial, rationalization, minimization, and projection, and how being in denial actually changes the connectivity between parts of a drinker's brain reducing their self-awareness. You’ll learn about how each defense mechanism shows up in a drinkers life and what it means to be a dry drunk. Gill will explain how she moved through these various defense mechanisms and what you can do to overcome them for yourself. Resources I offer: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership The Sober Mindset Course https://www.soberpowered.com/the-sober-mindset-course (Free Private Podcast) 5 Blocks Holding You Back From Quitting Drinking https://www.soberpowered.com/5blocks 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 Ask a question, it could appear on the show! https://forms.gle/oKubeJKMZimkHvUJA  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 talks about Sober Power, how you earn it, and what it can do for you. She describes how it took her 5 years of worrying about her drinking to finally quit and embrace a sober life. In this episode you'll learn about Gill's two previous experiments with sobriety, and why this time is different. You will see how her mindset changed from the first time she attempted a sober week to now. If you are a chronically starting day one, then you won't want to miss this episode. Resources I offer: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership The Sober Mindset Course https://www.soberpowered.com/the-sober-mindset-course (Free Private Podcast) 5 Blocks Holding You Back From Quitting Drinking https://www.soberpowered.com/5blocks 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 Ask a question, it could appear on the show! https://forms.gle/oKubeJKMZimkHvUJA  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 discuss withdrawal. She explains the physical and psychological symptoms you can expect when you quit drinking, and why some people develop delirium tremens, which is a dangerous form of withdrawal. You'll learn about the medical detox experience and post-acute withdrawal syndrome, or PAWS. Gill also describes her withdrawal experience when she first quit. If you are concerned about withdrawal please discuss this with your doctor. It is okay to ask for help! I'll tell you 100x throughout the episode just in case you forget!!Resources I offer: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership The Sober Mindset Course https://www.soberpowered.com/the-sober-mindset-course (Free Private Podcast) 5 Blocks Holding You Back From Quitting Drinking https://www.soberpowered.com/5blocks 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 Ask a question, it could appear on the show! https://forms.gle/oKubeJKMZimkHvUJA  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 shame. She explains how it keeps us stuck in a drink, hate yourself, drink loop and how it makes us more vulnerable for relapse. She discusses several studies on shame in relation to alcohol abuse. You'll learn more about why it is so hard for people to quit drinking for real and why shame makes us more vulnerable to becoming problem drinkers. Gill will explain some tips she has for improving shame, and a very important tip she learned from a 2020 study on shame. Mentioned in this episode: Craig Beck's Youtube channel.Resources I offer: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership The Sober Mindset Course https://www.soberpowered.com/the-sober-mindset-course (Free Private Podcast) 5 Blocks Holding You Back From Quitting Drinking https://www.soberpowered.com/5blocks 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 Ask a question, it could appear on the show! https://forms.gle/oKubeJKMZimkHvUJA  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