Have you ever thought back to the early days of your drinking and remembered how just one or two drinks gave you exactly what you wanted? That light, carefree buzz—the feeling that you were relaxed, loosened up, and maybe even a little funnier. Fast forward a few years, and suddenly those same two drinks barely register. You start chasing it—three, four, maybe more—and before you know it, the sweet spot is gone. Instead of a gentle buzz, you either feel nothing… or you’re over the line into drunk.
That disappearing buzz is tolerance. And tolerance is the brain’s way of adapting to repeated exposure to alcohol. In this episode, I want to unpack exactly why the same amount of alcohol feels weaker over time, how tolerance develops in your brain, why it fuels heavier drinking, and why that easy, carefree buzz eventually disappears altogether.
What to listen to next:
E279: The Pendulum Effect of Healing
E234: The Scary Side of How Alcohol Affects the Body
E220: The Hippocampus and Alcohol: Blackouts, Memory Deficits, and Learned Associations
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
Don’t try harder, try different https://www.soberpowered.com/willpower
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
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17:34
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17:34
E292: Why One Drink is Never Enough
Have you ever promised yourself you’d only have one drink? Maybe it was at dinner, or after work—you told yourself, “Just one, that’s it.” But once that drink was gone, something shifted. Instead of feeling satisfied, you found yourself wanting another. And another. It can feel frustrating, even confusing. What’s wrong with me? Why can other people leave some alcohol behind in their glass and I can’t fathom it?
This is one of the most common struggles people face when trying to moderate. And it’s not about willpower, discipline, or wanting it badly enough. It’s about how alcohol interacts with the brain. For some people, that first drink doesn’t close the craving loop—it opens it. In this episode, we’re going to talk about why that happens: how alcohol changes the brain’s reward system, why some people are more vulnerable than others, and why “just one” isn’t harmless if your brain is wired a certain way. By the end, you’ll understand why satisfaction never comes from moderation—and why that’s not your fault.
What to listen to next:
E265: rewiring the reward system
E204: why not everyone develops a problem
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
Don’t try harder, try different https://www.soberpowered.com/willpower
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
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19:00
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19:00
E291: Why You May Still Crave Alcohol Long Term, and Why No Cravings Doesn’t Mean You’re “Cured”
We tend to think of cravings as the enemy in sobriety. If you still want to drink, it must mean you’re doing something wrong. And on the other side, if the cravings go away, it’s tempting to think you’re finally “cured.” Cravings are not a sign of weakness, and the absence of cravings doesn’t mean you’re going to be a special occasion drinker. They’re both just snapshots of what’s happening in your brain at a particular moment in time, not the whole story.
In today’s episode, we’re going to look at why alcohol cravings can stick around for months or even years after you quit, what’s actually happening in your brain when you don’t feel a craving, and why both states carry their own risks. We’ll dig into long-term vulnerability, even when you feel “over it,” and how you can use that knowledge to stay steady in your recovery.
What to listen to next:
E241: 6 Theories of Alcohol Cravings
E283: Alcohol Shortens Your Perception of Time (Instant Gratification)
E284: Reward Substitution: Healthy vs. Harmful Replacements for Alcohol
E278: Intrusive Thoughts About Drinking When You’re Already Sober & 3 Ways to Deal
E270: Cravings Increase After Quitting Drinking and Peak Around 60 Days Sober and 6 Months Sober
E266: Can You Drink Again After a Break?
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
Don’t try harder, try different https://www.soberpowered.com/willpower
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
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17:36
Thinking About Drinking Constantly, Then Thinking About Sobriety Constantly
Obsessing over our drinking is very frustrating and it takes over our lives. There is so much more to life than worrying about alcohol. When you get sober, it can be equally frustrating to obsess over sobriety. In this episode, I discuss getting space from thinking about it all the time, some reasons why we constantly think about it, and all the cool things I've done with my space and mental freedom.
What to listen to next:
E254: Why You Can’t Make Good Decisions About Your Drinking (or Anything Else)
E283: Alcohol Shortens Your Perception of Time (Instant Gratification)
E276: A Burst of Mental Clarity at 60 Days Sober (Cognitive Healing)
E274: High Dopamine, Low Effort Behaviors and Making Sobriety Feel Less Hard
E228: Why Alcohol Automatically Captures and Holds Your Attention
E224: Alcohol Makes Your Brain Stop Working
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
Don’t try harder, try different https://www.soberpowered.com/willpower
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
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17:50
E290: How to Quit Drinking Without Hitting Rock Bottom
A rock bottom moment isn’t required to get sober, although it obviously helps. We have no control over what will be our rock bottom, and often we stack consequences for a long time before enough is finally enough. In this episode I discuss what to do if you haven’t had a rock bottom yet. You’ll learn about 3 key things I’ve noticed that dabblers do that prevent them from getting sober for good, and what I would suggest doing if you haven’t hit your enough point yet.
What to listen to next:
E200: My greatest shame
E282: Minimizing, rationalizing, and the myth of "I wasn't that bad"
E164: How taking breaks helped me quit 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
Don’t try harder, try different https://www.soberpowered.com/willpower
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
Over Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober
Being sober isn't a punishment. Sober life is not a last resort for weak-willed losers who aren't strong enough to figure it out. You can be sober without feeling deprived or left out.
Millions of people wake up with another hangover and Google, "how do I know if I'm an alcoholic?". We get stuck on the label and the stigma, when instead we should be asking ourselves, "is alcohol making me miserable?" and "would I be happier if I quit drinking?" In the Sober Powered Podcast, Gill, a former biochemist turned sober coach, walks you through the latest research on alcohol use disorder using her own sober story as a case study along the way. The science of how alcohol affects the brain can help you depersonalize your drinking experience so you can finally say goodbye to your hopes and dreams of moderating someday (because you clearly can't moderate!). Getting sober doesn't mean you are a weak-willed loser with no self-control, it simply means you are a person who can't drink. Your brain loves it too much and you are too hardcore.
Each episode features in depth explanations of what is going on in the brain along with the tools and mindset shifts that Gill works on with her clients to help them accept being sober, let go of shame, and learn the coping skills required to manage stress and emotions sober -in the hopes of helping you do the same.
Website: www.soberpowered.com
Luister naar Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober, Beeld & Geluid Audioseries en vele andere podcasts van over de hele wereld met de radio.net-app
Netherlands