September 21, 2024

A Symphony of Sobriety with Professor Karla

50 minutes

My guest today is Professor Karla Kaun – who works at the Department of Neuroscience at Brown University.

Karla has been running a lab which studies neural and molecular mechanisms of addiction since 2013.

In this episode:-

Karla’s research is around how alcohol and drugs influence our natural reward mechanisms.

She explained how they will overwhelm natural reward pathways, causing intolerable cravings and reduced impulse control.

Addiction is a disorder where brain circuits work differently, prioritizing reward-seeking despite negative consequences.

As many of us who became dependent on alcohol discovered addiction forms slowly and only with repeated use

Of course different individuals have varied timelines and susceptibility to addiction.

Many of our Tribe used alcohol socially in their twenties and thirties and then used it to manage stress as they got older

Mindset in Recovery:

We agreed that overcoming addiction requires a mindset change and viewing life differently.

We are big on mindset here at Tribe Sober – we help our members to realise that they don’t have a drinking problem so much as an opportunity to change their lives for the better

If you’re ready to embrace this opportunity then just to ts.com and join our tribe

Another mindset shift our members get is the realisation that they have gained so much in sobriety…and lost very little by quitting alcohol

Just hangovers, anxiety and exhaustion!

So Karla explained that a growth mindset and seeing setbacks as learning opportunities are crucial.

That’s why we give people a 66 day tracker for our Challenge…we don’t ask them to be perfect, we ask them to be curious… how many alcohol free days can they manage out of 66?

This will bring about positive change through step-by-step goals

Karla explained how addiction is a disorder of memory, with sensory memories such as holding a glass can trigger cravings.

We talked about blackouts which will affect memory circuits and neuron communication.

When I learned that my blackouts were preventing the formation of new memories I realised I had to quit

Long-term alcohol use causes lasting changes in the brain,

Drinking rewires our brain but we due to the plasticity of our brains we can recover

Rather than aiming to go back to exactly how we were before we can rewire our brains a bit differently in recovery

I loved Karla’s orchestra analogy – imagining our brain orchestra to be out of tune when we are in active addiction but then when we quit the orchestra can begin to function again

Perhaps it won’t play exactly the same music as before we started drinking but it can create a new (and maybe even more beautiful) symphony in sobriety and of course

Lifestyle changes, diet, sleep, and exercise can aid in brain plasticity and recovery.

More info

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If you would like a free copy of our "Annual Tracker" or our e-book "66 Days to Sobriety" please email [email protected]

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Episode Sponsor

This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.

If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today

Read more about our program and subscribe HERE

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By Janet

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