Episodes

  • E249: Alcohol and Cortisol: Extra Stress and Extra Cravings

    E249: Alcohol and Cortisol: Extra Stress and Extra Cravings
    Oct 4 2024
    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 listen to next: E204: can anyone get addicted to alcohol? E199: frustration tolerance 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: Anger Management Coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching 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/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: 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
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    24 mins
  • E248: You Can’t Be Comfortable AND Stay Sober

    E248: You Can’t Be Comfortable AND Stay Sober
    Sep 27 2024
    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 reframe your perspective and start doing some of “the work”. What to listen to next: E164: How Taking Breaks from Drinking Helped Me Quit For Good E202: WTF is "the work"? Sober Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching Tired in Early Sobriety Course https://www.soberpowered.com/why-am-i-so-tired-after-quitting-drinking Anger Management Program https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email 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/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. If you think I made a mistake somewhere, please reach out. I will look into it and make a correction if needed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    23 mins
  • E247: Sober Sleep is the Best Sleep, But Not Right Away

    E247: Sober Sleep is the Best Sleep, But Not Right Away
    Sep 20 2024
    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 will have that amazing sleep you hear everyone else talking about. This is an opportunity to practice being patient. What to listen to next: E240: post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) Sober Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching Tired in Early Sobriety Course https://www.soberpowered.com/why-am-i-so-tired-after-quitting-drinking Anger Management Program https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email 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/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. If you think I made a mistake somewhere, please reach out. I will look into it and make a correction if needed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 mins
  • E246: Alcohol and Dementia

    E246: Alcohol and Dementia
    Sep 13 2024
    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, which is another consequence of long term heavy drinking. What to listen to next: E196: how the brain recovers after quitting drinking E224: alcohol makes your brain stop working E240: post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) Sober Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Tired in Early Sobriety Course https://www.soberpowered.com/why-am-i-so-tired-after-quitting-drinking Anger Management Coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email 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/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: 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
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    29 mins
  • E245: Want to Stay Sober? You Need to Be Consistent

    E245: Want to Stay Sober? You Need to Be Consistent
    Sep 6 2024
    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 Good Habits in Long Term Sobriety E224: Alcohol Makes Your Brain Stop Working E202: WTF is "The Work" Sober Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Tired in Early Sobriety Course https://www.soberpowered.com/why-am-i-so-tired-after-quitting-drinking Anger Management Program https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email 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/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: 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
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    25 mins
  • E244: Boredom in Sobriety

    E244: Boredom in Sobriety
    Aug 30 2024
    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 going to build on our definition of boredom and why it develops. Then we’ll discuss strategies for managing boredom in sobriety. What to listen to next: E162: what to expect cognitively when you quit drinking E235: dopamine and loss of control E226: using alcohol to escape your life E228: why alcohol automatically captures and holds your attention Sober Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Tired in Early Sobriety Course https://www.soberpowered.com/why-am-i-so-tired-after-quitting-drinking Anger Management Program https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email 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/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: 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
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    22 mins
  • E243: Emotional Eating After Getting Sober

    E243: Emotional Eating After Getting Sober
    Aug 23 2024
    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 next: E41: why sober people want so much sugar E165: I quit sugar for 30 days E188: wellness over weight loss E138: why we can’t moderate (D2 receptors) Sober Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Tired in Early Sobriety Course https://www.soberpowered.com/why-am-i-so-tired-after-quitting-drinking Anger Management Program https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email 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/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: 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
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    30 mins
  • E242: The Science of Making Good Habits in Long Term Sobriety

    E242: The Science of Making Good Habits in Long Term Sobriety
    Aug 16 2024
    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’s habit building system to get some healthy habits into our lives? In this episode you’ll learn how the brain forms habits and what makes the process quicker or slower. I’ll discuss a few ways that you can approach making new habits so it’s easier to follow through. What to listen to next: E238: why moderation doesn’t work E228: why alcohol captures and holds your attention E216: 4 types of impulsivity Sober Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Tired in Early Sobriety Course https://www.soberpowered.com/why-am-i-so-tired-after-quitting-drinking Anger Management Program https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Weekly emails on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email 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/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: 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
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    23 mins