Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

E282: Minimizing, Rationalizing, and the Myth of “I Wasn’t That Bad”


Listen Later

Maybe your drinking isn’t/wasn’t that bad, but does that mean it’s good? If you don’t truly face what you’re doing, then how can you expect to change and move forward? In this episode, we dig into the psychological tricks we use to protect ourselves from the truth about our drinking- minimizing, rationalizing, and rewriting the past. I explain how cognitive dissonance, memory decay, and emotional self-protection keep us stuck in the cycle, and why excusing our behavior prevents real change. You'll learn what happens in the brain when we reframe harmful moments as one time occurrences, and how that keeps us from learning, growing, or getting sober for good.

What to listen to next:

E164: how taking breaks help me quit drinking for good

Work with me:

  • Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership

  • Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching

     Weekly email:

    • You’ll hear from me on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email

    • Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free

      Courses:

      • The non-negotiable mindset https://www.soberpowered.com/mindset-course

      • Anger Management  https://www.soberpowered.com/anger

        Support the show:

        • If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support all the research and effort that goes into this podcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered

        • Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors

          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

          ...more
          View all episodesView all episodes
          Download on the App Store

          Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being SoberBy Gillian Tietz, MS, CPRC

          • 4.9
          • 4.9
          • 4.9
          • 4.9
          • 4.9

          4.9

          1,157 ratings


          More shows like Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

          View all
          Recovery Elevator by Paul Churchill

          Recovery Elevator

          1,702 Listeners

          Take a Break from Drinking by Rachel Hart

          Take a Break from Drinking

          2,585 Listeners

          This Naked Mind Podcast by Annie Grace

          This Naked Mind Podcast

          2,566 Listeners

          Addiction Unlimited Podcast by Angela Pugh

          Addiction Unlimited Podcast

          495 Listeners

          A Sober Girls Guide Podcast by A Sober Girls Guide

          A Sober Girls Guide Podcast

          436 Listeners

          The Happy Sober Podcast (The Stop Drinking Expert) by Craig Beck

          The Happy Sober Podcast (The Stop Drinking Expert)

          254 Listeners

          Over The Influence: The Alcohol Free Podcast by Over The Influence

          Over The Influence: The Alcohol Free Podcast

          96 Listeners

          The Hello Someday Podcast For Sober Curious Women by Casey McGuire Davidson

          The Hello Someday Podcast For Sober Curious Women

          696 Listeners

          Alcohol-Free Lifestyle by James Swanwick

          Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

          217 Listeners

          How I quit alcohol by Danni Carr

          How I quit alcohol

          182 Listeners

          Alcohol Tipping Point by Alcohol Tipping Point

          Alcohol Tipping Point

          135 Listeners

          Sober Awkward by soberawkward

          Sober Awkward

          355 Listeners

          Sober Stories from Everyday People by sassysobermum

          Sober Stories from Everyday People

          67 Listeners

          Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories by Brad McLeod

          Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories

          563 Listeners

          Happiest Sober Podcast by Madeline Forrest

          Happiest Sober Podcast

          189 Listeners