Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

Being sober isn't a punishment. Sober life is not a last resort for weak-willed losers who aren't strong enough to figure it out. You can be sober without feeling deprived or left out. 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 sober coach, walks you through the latest research on alcohol use disorder 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 being sober, 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

March 21, 2025 24 mins
When we develop a problem with alcohol, it becomes the center of our lives and most or all decisions are made after taking alcohol into consideration. When you remove alcohol, there’s a big empty hole in your life. You can fill this hole with other substances, sex or relationships, gambling or shopping, sitting around sad, or you can make some changes in your life. I’ve slowly made changes over the past 5 years to now have a life w...
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“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 car...
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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 lis...
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February 28, 2025 31 mins
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 recove...
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Making new friends as an adult is difficult enough, but when you're sober, it adds an extra layer of difficulty. In this episode, we're talking about how to find friends in sobriety with a focus on what's the block from putting yourself out there, what do we have control over, how much armor do we have up, a fear of rejection, and how we can start attracting the right people in our direction. My guest today is a 42 year old woman w...
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Most people defend moderation. What about all those people in the blue zones? Europeans drink every day, what about the French Paradox? If you do a quick search, then you can find tons of articles telling you how moderation is healthier than not drinking. Drinking a little bit every day will help you live longer and have a healthier heart. This has generally been accepted for decades, but is it really true? In this episode, I’ll ex...
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This is the biggest mistake I see people make. There’s one pattern I’ve noticed with people where they want to be sober, but they approach it in a way that makes them less likely to actually achieve sobriety. In this episode I’m going to explain how you can set yourself up for success, how to build an effective support system, and how support can help you stay sober. We’ll discuss the self-improvement trap where people enter a stag...
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January 31, 2025 35 mins
So you’ve taken a break from alcohol and now you’re wondering do you stay sober or do you go back to drinking? In this episode I’ll discuss your options, when the best benefits from a break are, whether it’s possible for some people to moderate their drinking after a break, and how to know if you really have a problem and need to be sober or not. What to listen to next: E204: why some people get addicted and others don't E238: why ...
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When will being sober feel rewarding? When does it get easier? When does the boredom go away? In this episode you’ll learn about the process of recalibrating your reward system after quitting drinking. I’ll explain how alcohol messes up the reward system, the process of recalibration that occurs during the first year, what happens if you relapse, and what you can do to make the process go a little bit smoother. What to listen to ne...
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Are you cranky AF after getting sober? Is your mood volatile and unpredictable? Are the little things setting you off? This is a normal part of the sober experience, so congrats on getting started. In this episode, I’ll explain why we have mood swings after quitting drinking. You’ll learn what’s going on in the brain, when it should start to ease up, and things to look out for as you continue working on your sobriety. What to liste...
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Did you go from never wanting dessert to now never skipping it? Are you craving sugar constantly now that you’ve quit drinking? Sugar cravings in sobriety are very normal and in this episode I’ll explain a few reasons why we crave sugar after getting sober and how you can start managing your sugar cravings moving forward. What to listen to next: E188: Wellness Over Weight Loss E249: Alcohol and Cortisol: Extra Stress and Extra Crav...
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The Surgeon General just recommended that cancer warning labels be included on alcohol bottles. However, the link between cancer and alcohol is old news. A recent study from the National Cancer Institute found that only 50% of Americans are aware that alcohol causes cancer, so in this episode you'll learn how alcohol causes cancer, alcohol and cancer statistics, and what this new information means for you. What to listen to next: E...
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Are you trying to quit drinking for Dry January? A sober month is a good opportunity to learn more about your drinking and get experience handling your life without alcohol. I know it’s scary in the beginning and you may not know what to do. In this episode I’ll share some research about Dry January and how to be successful this month, then we’ll cover 31 different tips to quit drinking. Go to https://www.soberpowered.com/tips to g...
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2025 can be your year. Most of us set goals to quit drinking or lose weight, and then we don’t achieve it. In this episode, I’m going to explain 3 things that make us less likely to meet our goals. Most people think lack of willpower or self-discipline is the reason why we don’t succeed, and I’ll explain why that’s not the case. You’ll also learn 4 ways to set goals to increase your likelihood of success and the goal that I’m worki...
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December 20, 2024 23 mins
If you love the holidays, then I’m happy for you, but many of us don’t. If the holidays make you feel tired, jealous, stressed, and resentful, then you came to the right place. In this episode I’ll discuss different mental health challenges that may be coming up for you and I’ll weave in survey data on stress and mental health during the holiday season. We’ll cover things like social media comparison, invisible labor, pressure to b...
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Staying sober during the holidays is difficult, but there are some things that I’ve observed people do that make it even more difficult. In this episode, I’m covering 10 things you may be doing to sabotage your sobriety and how to stop doing them. What to listen to next: E211: The Anticipation of a Drink E255-258 holiday support episodes Sober Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com...
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Humans are wired to conform—it’s a survival instinct rooted in safety and belonging. That’s why it can feel nearly impossible to resist the pull of doing what everyone else is doing, especially when it comes to drinking. In this episode, you’ll learn about the science behind peer pressure: how your brain processes the need to fit in, the role of automatic mimicry, and the power of mirror neurons. Plus, I’ll share 7 practical strate...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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