Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

E322: Middle Sobriety: One Tool to Use & One Trap to Look Out For


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Middle sobriety can be a really confusing phase because you’re not in the chaos of early sobriety anymore, but you also may not feel the way you expected to feel by now. Maybe you start thinking, “Why am I still like this?” or “Why does everyone else seem so much happier than me?” or “if sobriety is supposed to make my life better, why do I still feel bad?”

This is where a lot of people get discouraged because they think feeling better physically means they should be doing better emotionally. They think if the cravings are quieter, the hard part should be over. But that’s not really how this works.

Early sobriety is mostly about not drinking. It’s about getting through the day, planning your time, avoiding obvious triggers, and creating enough structure that you don’t go back to alcohol.

Middle sobriety is different. This is the stage where you start to see what alcohol was actually helping you avoid. 

So if you’re somewhere between a few months and a couple years sober and you’re thinking, “Why am I still struggling?” this episode is going to help you understand that stage more clearly. 


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        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. 


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

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