You probably expect that the more sober time you have, the less you crave alcohol. That’s true for some people, but others experience an effect called incubation of craving. This is where cravings build up over time and peak around 60 days, then again around 6 months sober. In this episode, I’ll explain the research on incubation of craving, what you might experience, why this happens, and what you can do to stay sober.

What to listen to next:

E231: Everything You Need to Know About Alcohol Withdrawal

E247: Sober Sleep is the Best Sleep, But Not Right Away

E249: Alcohol and Cortisol: Increased Stress and Cravings

E265: Rewiring Your Reward System After Getting Sober

E266: What Happens After Dry January?

Sober Support:

 Work with me:

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

Courses:

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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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

Regular drinking and early sobriety often feel like living on autopilot, where we are repeating the same routines without conscious awareness. Alcohol changes the brain to increase mindless activity, which can lead to rumination, excessive self-focus, anxiety, and addiction-related thought loops. In this episode, you’ll learn about how alcohol affects the brain and puts us on autopilot, how this keeps us stuck, and when this recovers in sobriety. Many people mistake life stress as the main source of overwhelm, but a lot of it actually comes from how alcohol disrupts brain function. 

What to listen to next:

E220: The Hippocampus and Alcohol: Blackouts, Memory Deficits, and Learned Associations

E191: Going Back and Forth Makes Your Cravings Stronger

E238: Why Moderation Doesn't Work

Sober Support:

 Work with me:

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

Courses:

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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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

Making new friends as an adult is difficult enough, but when you're sober, it adds an extra layer of difficulty. In this episode, we're talking about how to find friends in sobriety with a focus on what's the block from putting yourself out there, what do we have control over, how much armor do we have up, a fear of rejection, and how we can start attracting the right people in our direction.

My guest today is a 42 year old woman who lives in the wilds of Northern Michigan. She's a mother of four, an avid runner and outdoor lover who spent four years trying to control alcohol before finally walking away for the last time on October 5th, 2024. She is also a member of the Living a Sober Powered Life Community.

Sober Support:

 Work with me:

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

Courses:

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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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

Most people defend moderation. What about all those people in the blue zones? Europeans drink every day, what about the French Paradox? If you do a quick search, then you can find tons of articles telling you how moderation is healthier than not drinking. Drinking a little bit every day will help you live longer and have a healthier heart. This has generally been accepted for decades, but is it really true? In this episode, I’ll explain the alcohol industry’s involvement in research, a lot of different studies about moderation and health, the J shaped curve of moderation, and what you can do to be healthy long term.

What to listen to next:

E238: why moderation doesn’t work

E204: can anyone get addicted to alcohol?

E150: 15 moderation strategies I tried to control my drinking

E254: Why You Can’t Make Good Decisions About Your Drinking (or Anything Else)

Sober Support:

 Work with me:

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

Courses:

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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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

This is the biggest mistake I see people make. There’s one pattern I’ve noticed with people where they want to be sober, but they approach it in a way that makes them less likely to actually achieve sobriety. In this episode I’m going to explain how you can set yourself up for success, how to build an effective support system, and how support can help you stay sober. We’ll discuss the self-improvement trap where people enter a stage of passively collecting information without putting it into practice, and how you can start utilizing everything you’ve learned to make progress.

What to listen to next:

E227: 200 lb deadlift story

E257: Sober Socializing: Why Alcohol Doesn’t Help

Sober Support:

 Work with me:

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

Courses:

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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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

So you’ve taken a break from alcohol and now you’re wondering do you stay sober or do you go back to drinking? In this episode I’ll discuss your options, when the best benefits from a break are, whether it’s possible for some people to moderate their drinking after a break, and how to know if you really have a problem and need to be sober or not.

What to listen to next:

E204: why some people get addicted and others don't

E238: why we can't learn to moderate

Sober Support:

 Work with me:

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

Courses:

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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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

When will being sober feel rewarding? When does it get easier? When does the boredom go away? In this episode you’ll learn about the process of recalibrating your reward system after quitting drinking. I’ll explain how alcohol messes up the reward system, the process of recalibration that occurs during the first year, what happens if you relapse, and what you can do to make the process go a little bit smoother.

What to listen to next:

E220: The Hippocampus and Alcohol: Blackouts, Memory Deficits, and Learned Associations

E224: Alcohol Makes Your Brain Stop Working

E211: The Anticipation of a Drink

E247: Sober Sleep is the Best Sleep, But Not Right Away

Sober Support:

 Work with me:

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

Courses:

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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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

Are you cranky AF after getting sober? Is your mood volatile and unpredictable? Are the little things setting you off? This is a normal part of the sober experience, so congrats on getting started. In this episode, I’ll explain why we have mood swings after quitting drinking. You’ll learn what’s going on in the brain, when it should start to ease up, and things to look out for as you continue working on your sobriety.

What to listen to next:

E232: The 3am Wake Up of Shame: Alcohol and Anxiety

E231: Everything You Need to Know About Alcohol Withdrawal

E247: Sober Sleep is the Best Sleep, But Not Right Away

E249: Alcohol and Cortisol: Extra Stress and Extra Cravings

E240: Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) After Quitting Drinking: 8 Tips to Cope

Sober Support:

 Work with me:

Courses:

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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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

Did you go from never wanting dessert to now never skipping it? Are you craving sugar constantly now that you’ve quit drinking? Sugar cravings in sobriety are very normal and in this episode I’ll explain a few reasons why we crave sugar after getting sober and how you can start managing your sugar cravings moving forward.

What to listen to next:

E188: Wellness Over Weight Loss

E249: Alcohol and Cortisol: Extra Stress and Extra Cravings

E165: My 30 Day No Sugar Challenge

Sober Support:

 Work with me:

Courses:

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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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

The Surgeon General just recommended that cancer warning labels be included on alcohol bottles. However, the link between cancer and alcohol is old news. A recent study from the National Cancer Institute found that only 50% of Americans are aware that alcohol causes cancer, so in this episode you'll learn how alcohol causes cancer, alcohol and cancer statistics, and what this new information means for you.

What to listen to next:

E0: How Alcohol Affects the Body (pinned as a trailer)

Sober Support:

 Work with me:

Courses:

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 all the research and effort that goes into this podcast. This is a one woman show! 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