Sober Powered
Millions of people wake up with another hangover and Google, "how do I know if I'm an alcoholic?". We get stuck on the label and the stigma, when instead we should be asking ourselves, "is alcohol making me miserable?" and "would I be happier if I quit drinking?" In the Sober Powered Podcast, Gill, a former biochemist turned anger management and sober coach, walks you through the latest research on alcohol addiction using her own sober story as a case study along the way. The science of how alcohol affects the brain can help you depersonalize your drinking experience so you can finally say goodbye to your hopes and dreams of moderating someday (because you clearly can't moderate!). Getting sober doesn't mean you are a weak-willed loser with no self-control, it simply means you are a person who can't drink. Your brain loves it too much and you are too hardcore. Each episode features in depth explanations of what is going on in the brain along with the tools and mindset shifts that Gill works on with her clients to help them accept sobriety, let go of shame, and learn the coping skills required to manage stress and emotions sober -in the hopes of helping you do the same. Website: www.soberpowered.com
Episodes
November 29, 2024 • 25 mins
I know it feels like alcohol is required to socialize, connect with others, and have fun. What if I told you that alcohol makes you feel more relaxed socially, but negatively impacts other people’s perception of you? In this episode you’ll learn why you think you need alcohol, the connection between social anxiety and alcohol use disorder, how our drinking influences how others perceive us, and how to actually connect and socialize...
Mark as Played
November 22, 2024 • 27 mins
Your family and how you grew up have a major influence on how difficult it is for you to get sober, do the work, and resist relapse. A dysfunctional family influences our mindset, how many coping skills and resources we have, and how in tune we are with our emotions. Lots of families have an unspoken rule of silence, which impacts how we behave as adults. In this episode I’ll cover the impact of a dysfunctional family, how this inf...
Mark as Played
November 15, 2024 • 27 mins
It’s that time of year again. Time for company happy hours, holiday parties, and seeing family. It’s also a time of year when most people drink a lot more than usual. I quit drinking in early November, so I was a little baby sober for my first holiday season. In this episode, I’ll walk you through the strategies that helped me the most during my first year. Plus, I’ll also share some interesting statistics about holiday drinking.
W...
Mark as Played
November 9, 2024 • 14 mins
The most difficult part of the process of quitting drinking is getting from the point where you realize your drinking is problematic and that you need to quit, to where you actually quit and accept that you are done. That is by far the worst stage and I can't tell you how long that lasts. However, what I would like to tell you in this special episode for my 5 year soberversary is the little micro realizations that I had right befor...
Mark as Played
November 8, 2024 • 26 mins
Have you ever vowed to stop drinking, but then you drink again anyway? It’s a rhetorical question. I know the answer is yes. It’s frustrating when we keep doing this to ourselves and it destroys our belief in ourselves, which is an essential part of staying sober. In this episode I’m discussing instant gratification, the decision making process, and how alcohol alters the way the brain makes decisions to keep us stuck in a loop.
W...
Mark as Played
November 1, 2024 • 23 mins
Are you making being sober harder for yourself? I had no idea what I was doing when I first quit drinking and maybe you feel the same way. Over the years there are things that I’ve noticed people tend to do that makes their sobriety journey more difficult and in this episode I’m going to explain them. If you’ve been doing any of these things then I hope this episode helps ease the unnecessary burden you’re putting on yourself.
What...
Mark as Played
October 25, 2024 • 29 mins
Multiple quit attempts are common when you are trying to get sober, but how many tries does it take before it finally sticks? In this episode I’ll cover the statistics on relapse rates and share all the data I’ve found on the number of quit attempts it takes to stay sober for good. You’ll learn about what makes sobriety more challenging, and what you can do to make this quit attempt your final try.
What to listen to next:
E249: Alc...
Mark as Played
October 18, 2024 • 25 mins
The intensity of our emotions determines how we deal with them. If the intensity gets too much and we become overwhelmed, we can use avoidance coping mechanisms, like drinking, but avoiding emotions just increases their intensity. In this episode, I’ll explain why some of us have more intense emotions than others, what the window of tolerance is and how this relates to your drinking, and how your brain interprets things to lead to ...
Mark as Played
October 11, 2024 • 22 mins
When I was struggling to quit drinking people would constantly tell me that I wasn’t “ready” yet. I felt ready. I was suffering and wanted it to end. What more did I need to be ready? In this episode you’ll learn about the stages of change, what each one might look like with our drinking, and how to move into the next stage if you are stuck in one. I’ll also discuss 3 things that keep us from being “ready” to get sober and if a roc...
Mark as Played
October 4, 2024 • 24 mins
Stress is a main reason many of us drink and it’s a big trigger for relapse after getting sober. In this episode you’ll learn all about cortisol- how it’s released, how chronic stress and heavy drinking disrupt our stress response, and when your stress response system may recover in sobriety. I’ll explain what happens with cortisol in withdrawal, in early sobriety, and give you a timeline for when this should normalize.
What to li...
Mark as Played
September 27, 2024 • 23 mins
Getting sober is tough. We have to figure out how to live again and finally learn some coping skills and tools. It’s uncomfortable. In this episode, I’ll talk about stepping outside of our comfort zone to stay sober and how to recognize and take advantage of growth opportunities that show up during the journey. I’m going to share some uncomfortable truths in this episode, but I think if you can really hear me, then it may help you ...
Mark as Played
September 20, 2024 • 21 mins
You’ve heard people say it, sober sleep is the best sleep, but when are you going to get some of this great sleep yourself? In this episode, I explain why we think alcohol helps with sleep, how alcohol affects sleep, and what to expect with your sleep when you quit drinking. You’ll learn more about insomnia in the first month, why we have drinking dreams, and how sleep recovers over time. I promise, if you stick with sobriety you w...
Mark as Played
September 13, 2024 • 28 mins
Many of us worry that we’ve done permanent damage to our brains with our heavy drinking or that it’s been too long to make a change. In this episode you’ll learn more about dementia, how heavy drinking damages the brain and increases the risk of developing dementia, and what you can do to reduce your risk of dementia, besides quitting drinking of course. I will also discuss wet brain, also known as Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, whic...
Mark as Played
September 6, 2024 • 25 mins
Is being sober truly a priority or would it be a nice to have? If you want to make progress in getting sober, staying sober, and doing “the work”, then you need to be consistent. In this episode, I’ll discuss why consistency is important to the brain, 3 things that make us more likely to follow through with our commitments, and how you can start prioritizing your sobriety today.
What to listen to next:
E242: The Science of Making G...
Mark as Played
August 30, 2024 • 21 mins
It’s very normal to feel bored when you quit drinking. We get used to constant excitement, dopamine and chaos while we’re drinking, so it can be difficult to adjust. Plus, many of us give up our hobbies that don’t involve alcohol, so when we get sober we don’t know what to do with all of our free time. In this episode I’m going to discuss why some of us are prone to boredom when we try to stop drinking. Throughout the episode I am ...
Mark as Played
August 23, 2024 • 29 mins
Emotional eating is a very frustrating thing to deal with, and it’s not uncommon to eat extra or have sugar cravings when you get sober. In this episode I’ll explain why we emotionally eat, the factors that contribute to emotional eating the most, and how this relates to your sobriety. You’ll learn about a lot of different studies on emotional eating and I will share tips for dealing with it if you’re struggling.
What to listen to ...
Mark as Played
August 16, 2024 • 23 mins
Many of us eventually realize that we have unhealthy habits like eating a bunch of junk at night, drinking way too much caffeine, not exercising, and more. We want to change these, but changing habits is tough. We can easily get into the same cycle we did with our drinking where we say we’re going to do it and then we do nothing, or we get inspired briefly, and then go right back to normal. So how can we take advantage of the brain...
Mark as Played
August 9, 2024 • 25 mins
Understanding why you crave alcohol can be a powerful tool in your sober journey, helping you reduce the frequency and intensity of these cravings. There are many theories about why alcohol cravings occur, and in this episode, I’ll explore the six most scientifically supported reasons. By gaining insight into the different factors that contribute to alcohol cravings, you can strengthen your sober lifestyle and learn effective strat...
Mark as Played
August 2, 2024 • 25 mins
You may have heard of Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS), a condition that can develop after you’ve quit drinking and includes lingering symptoms like mood swings, anxiety, brain fog, and fatigue. In this episode I will explain what PAWS is, why it develops, what factors influence the severity of PAWS, what you can expect, and I’ll give you 8 tips for coping with the symptoms.
What to listen to next:
E199: frustration tolerance...
Mark as Played
August 1, 2024 • 81 mins
This episode is a deep dive into how alcohol affects the body, timestamps are below. This isn’t an episode meant to scare you, just to inform you about all the things you may be experiencing. Often we don’t know that alcohol is the cause. In the second half of the episode I’ll shift gears to the scary side of how alcohol impacts the body, specifically cancer and cirrhosis. I will give you a warning before I discuss the prognosis of...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Good Game is your one-stop shop for the biggest stories in women’s sports. Every day, host Sarah Spain gives you the stories, stakes, stars and stats to keep up with your favorite women’s teams, leagues and athletes. Through thoughtful insight, witty banter, and an all around good time, Sarah and friends break down the latest news, talk about the games you can’t miss, and debate the issues of the day. Don’t miss interviews with the people of the moment, whether they be athletes, coaches, reporters, or celebrity fans.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.