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 after quitting drinking. What to listen to next: E255: 6 Strategies For Staying Sober Through the Holidays (and Some Holidays Drinking Statistics) E211: The Anticip ..read more

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 to listen to next: E195: When Does Sobriety Get Better? E202: WTF is “The Work” E240: Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) E196: How the Brain Recovers After Quitt ..read more

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 rock bottom moment is required. What to listen to next: Moderation episodes: 99, 238 Withdrawal/mushy brain episodes: 191, 205, 224 Sober Support: Community & Meeti ..read more

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 influences relapse tendency, and what you can do to move forward and make positive change for yourself. Sober Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered ..read more

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. What to listen to next: E190: Non-Alcoholic Drinks: The Pros and Cons E245: Want to Stay Sober? You Need to Be Consistent E248: You Can’t Be Comfortable AND Stay Sobe ..read more

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 before I reached acceptance. I hope in hearing mine, you can start to pay attention to your own. What to listen to next: E164: how taking breaks helped me quit drinking f ..read more

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.  What to listen to next: E224: alcohol simplifies the brain E211: the anticipation of a drink Sober Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life ..read more

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: Alcohol and Cortisol: Extra Stress and Extra Cravings E248: You Can’t Be Comfortable AND Stay Sober E238: Why Moderation Doesn’t Work E197: Making the DECISION to Quit ..read more

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 bra ..read more

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 these intense emotions. Our perception is in our control, so I’ll leave you with some mindset shifts on how to manage your emotions better and reduce overwhelm. What ..read more