Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

We’re used to intrusive thoughts about drinking while we’re trying to quit and in the early days, but these thoughts can continue to pop up months or even years later. Does this mean you’re on the path to relapse? In this episode I’ll explain where intrusive thoughts about drinking come from and 3 strategies to deal with them. You’ll learn the 4 most common times when someone thinks about drinking again, my experience with these thoughts, and what to look out for if you’re in early sobriety or long term sobriety.What to listen to next:E197: Making the DECISION to Quit DrinkingE190: Non-Alcoholic Drinks: The Pros and ConsE273: How the Sober Brain Breaks Down Alcohol AssociationsE269: Living on Autopilot ModeWork 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 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Courses: The non-negotiable mindset https://www.soberpowered.com/mindset-course Anger Management  https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Support the show: If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support all the research and effort that goes into this podcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors Sources 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 thought getting sober was the end of the story. I did it, I succeeded, now life will be amazing forever. But the parade never came. Instead, I started to get uncomfortable and notice patterns in my behavior that I didn’t like, and without alcohol around, I couldn’t unsee it. This is where a lot of people fall off. Their work begins to show up, it gets uncomfortable, and instead of facing it they talk themselves into how drinking is a good idea. In this episode, I’ll explain more about “the work”, my experience with it, and you’ll learn 3 ways you can get started facing your work.What to listen to next:E240: Post-Acute Withdrawal SyndromeE267: Resources vs Support: Are You Setting Yourself Up for Success?E245: Want to Stay Sober? You Need to Be ConsistentE248: You Can't Be Comfortable AND Stay SoberE250: What Does it Mean to "Be Ready" to Get SoberWork 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 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free Courses: The non-negotiable mindset https://www.soberpowered.com/mindset-course Anger Management  https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Support the show: If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support all the research and effort that goes into this podcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors Sources 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 people experience a noticeable shift in mental clarity around 60 days sober. When it happened to me I felt like I was waking up from a long dream and I could finally use my brain again. This may feel like being present, having patience, better focus and attention, improved memory, and reduced mental clutter. In this episode, I’ll explain how alcohol causes cognitive impairments, why we have mental clarity around 60 days in, and how things like memory, attention, and processing speed recover in early sobriety. You’ll learn a general timeline for cognitive healing and which functions take longer than 60 days to begin to recover.What to listen to next:E246: Alcohol and DementiaE220: The Hippocampus and Alcohol: Blackouts, Memory Deficits, and Learned AssociationsE216: 4 Types of ImpulsivityE254: Why You Can’t Make Good Decisions About Your Drinking (or Anything Else)E265: E265: Rewiring Your Reward System After Getting SoberWork 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 Support the show: If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support all the research and effort that goes into this podcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors Sources 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

Alcohol damages every area of the body, but in this episode we are focusing on the heart. I’ll explain 3 ways that alcohol damages the heart, how the heart heals after we get sober, and 5 things you can do to have good heart health moving forward.What to listen to next:E232: The 3am Wake UpE266: Can You Drink After Taking a Break?E268: Is Moderate Drinking Healthier? Here’s Why So Many Studies Say YesE247: Sober Sleep is the Best Sleep, But Not Right AwayWork 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 Support the show: If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support all the research and effort that goes into this podcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors Sources 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

Your brain is wired for quick hits of dopamine, or high-reward, low-effort habits that feel good in the moment but sabotage your long-term goals. Over time, this conditions your brain to expect rewards without effort, making real change feel harder than it actually is. In this episode, I’ll explain how these patterns destroy motivation, fuel inconsistent effort, and keep you stuck in the cycle of short bursts of change followed by slinking back to your old ways. You’ll learn how high dopamine, low effort behaviors impact the brain, how this makes us resistant to putting in effort, and 3 ways you may be making being sober feel more difficult for yourself than it needs to be- and how to shift that.What to listen to next:E265: Rewiring Your Reward System After Getting SoberE263: Sugar Cravings After Quitting DrinkingE145: ADHD and AlcoholWork 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 Support the show: If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support all the research and effort that goes into this podcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors Sources 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

Discover the fascinating way our brains form powerful associations with alcohol, shaping how we celebrate, unwind, and cope with stress. Explore the psychological struggle of navigating life without alcohol, as familiar media cues make sobriety feel daunting. Dive into the neuroscience of addiction and recovery, learning about neuroplasticity and how cravings develop through conditioning. Finally, uncover strategies for breaking these associations and reconstructing a healthier relationship with sobriety.

This discussion dives into life after alcohol dependence, revealing the journey toward healthier habits. Cold showers kick things off as a refreshing mental boost, while a consistent sleep routine is highlighted as key for recovery. The power of personalized affirmations transforms self-perception, combating skepticism with proven benefits. Limiting social media scrolling is explored for its positive impact on mental health. Lastly, the importance of exercise in maintaining sobriety and fostering well-being rounds out the conversation, encouraging small beginnings for significant change.

“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/sponsorsIf 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/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

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 WithdrawalE247: Sober Sleep is the Best Sleep, But Not Right AwayE249: Alcohol and Cortisol: Increased Stress and CravingsE265: Rewiring Your Reward System After Getting SoberE266: 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/sponsorsIf 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/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

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 AssociationsE191: Going Back and Forth Makes Your Cravings StrongerE238: Why Moderation Doesn't WorkSober 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/sponsorsIf 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/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