Gill discusses a new genetic study on moderate drinking and heart health. We have believed for so long that moderate drinkers are healthier than non drinkers because they drink alcohol moderately, but this study has given us clues on why moderate drinkers may actually be healthier. You’ll learn more about this study, what they found, some other interesting studies on moderate drinking, and how you can take care of your heart health. What to listen to next: E85: Biased Alcohol Studies vs Reality ...
Apr 15, 2022•15 min•Ep. 95
Gill discusses avoidance behavior and how your tolerance for unexpected stress impacts your quality of life. She explains some interesting studies about intolerance of uncertainty leading to heavy drinking, and how your ability to tolerate stress determines your sensitivity to rewards like alcohol. You’ll learn how to use the method of cognitive reappraisal to reframe the way you think about stress and see situations in a healthier, more realistic perspective. What to listen to next: E60: How Al...
Apr 08, 2022•16 min•Ep. 94
Gill discusses a new study that found that alcohol-related deaths had increased by 25% in 2020. She explains the findings, how much alcohol-related deaths usually increase in a year, and how alcohol was involved in these deaths. You’ll learn about how the general population changed their drinking habits during quarantine, and what you can do if you’re struggling with drinking to cope with pandemic stress. What to listen to next: E63: Why Alcohol Causes Depression and Suicidal Thoughts E85: Biase...
Apr 01, 2022•20 min•Ep. 93
Gill discusses 5 reasons we don’t realize our drinking is a problem. You’ll learn how prevalent lack of awareness is in problem drinkers, and what the steps are moving through complete unawareness to acceptance. She explains factors that contribute to denial like how alcohol impacts our memory, how society makes it more challenging to accept you need to get sober, and how we convince ourselves that we couldn’t possibly have a problem. What to listen to next: E56: High Functioning Alcoholics and ...
Mar 25, 2022•18 min•Ep. 92
Gill discusses losing the motivation to stay sober. Sometimes, we’ll say we don’t want to drink anymore, but what we really mean is we want to drink without the consequences. Your intention matters and if you are carrying around hopes and dreams of drinking again someday, then you’ll drink again. In this episode she explains why even when sobriety, your life, your job, and your relationships are a priority for you you still might end up drinking and then later you’re left wondering why you alway...
Mar 18, 2022•16 min•Ep. 91
Gill discusses the new study that was published a few days ago about how even just one drink a day can shrink your brain. She explains what this study found, how the study was performed, and what she thinks of the results. She relates this to studies about how alcohol is healthy and teaches you how to identify whether a study's results are fact or just an association. What to listen to next: E85: Biased Alcohol Studies vs Reality E69: Alcohol Shrinks the Brain... But What Does That Mean? E31: If...
Mar 11, 2022•16 min•Ep. 90
Gill discusses cravings and how dopamine influences our level of self-control. Cravings to drink can show up when you least expect them and they can be really powerful. They don’t last forever, but if you’re trying to willpower your way through cravings all the time then you’re going to get exhausted. She explains an interesting study on levels of dopamine and how this influences our decision to go for instant gratification, and how the more willpower we try to throw at something, the worse our ...
Mar 04, 2022•15 min•Ep. 89
Gill discusses brain networks that make us more vulnerable to developing an addiction. Childhood trauma, family history of addiction, and growing up with a parent who struggles with substances greatly increase your risk of developing your issues with addiction. We know this, but sometimes if you look at families there is one sibling who makes it out fine and the other comes out with a ton of hardship and mental health challenges. Why is that though? Is one sibling strong and the other is weak? I...
Feb 25, 2022•16 min•Ep. 88
Gill discusses shame. We talked about shame way back in episode 7 and learned that there is a clear link between experiencing shame and relapsing. In this episode you’ll learn about the difference between people who are guilt-prone and those who are shame-prone and how that impacts their drinking. She has so many interesting studies to share about the link between shame, loss of control over drinking and developing a problem, and some studies that may explain why some of us are prone to feeling ...
Feb 18, 2022•17 min•Ep. 87
Gill discusses how helping others helps us. You’ll learn about some studies on helping others, what a helper’s high is, and what oxytocin is. She explains some studies that looked at people in recovery helping others and how that impacts their own sobriety, why we are drawn to personal stories of recovery, and give you some ideas on how you can start helping others if you don’t want to do it publicly. She also describes the difference between helping others purely because you feel the drive to, ...
Feb 11, 2022•17 min•Ep. 86
Recently, wine spectator shared an article on Instagram about how moderate, daily wine drinking helped you not get covid. Most people see that post and think, “great, I knew I was doing something right!” and very few people actually go read the article. In this episode, Gill discusses science funded by the alcohol industry, how that ends up influencing the results, and how you can know the difference between biased, exaggerated claims and the truth. She walks you through a few different studies ...
Feb 04, 2022•19 min•Ep. 85
Gill discusses if alcohol actually tastes good and feels good for us. You’ll learn about why we perceive alcohol as pleasurable, a bit about taste genetics, and how the way alcohol tastes for you can influence how much you drink. She has an interesting study to share with you about how the pleasure you feel from alcohol affects how much you drink, and if we develop a tolerance to pleasure making us require more alcohol to get the same effect. What to listen to next: E76: Learning the Truth About...
Jan 28, 2022•15 min•Ep. 84
Gill discusses heightened emotions in the first 90 days of sobriety, but really this can apply to whatever stage you’re at. Big emotions and mood swings are very common, so in this episode you’ll learn how your emotions change when you stop drinking, how to manage this without turning to another self-destructive coping mechanism, and what to expect emotionally during withdrawal, early sobriety, and up to 90 days of sobriety. What to listen to next: E9: From chronic day ones to forever sobriety E...
Jan 21, 2022•14 min•Ep. 83
Gill welcomes Amanda E. White to the podcast. Amanda is a licensed therapist and the author of the book “Not Drinking Tonight: A Guide to Creating A Sober Life You Love.” Not drinking is just the beginning of improving our lives. We also have to learn things like how to deal with emotions, how to set and maintain healthy boundaries, and how to take care of ourselves. This episode is your guide to moving forward without alcohol. In this episode you’ll learn: Amanda’s path to becoming a therapist ...
Jan 14, 2022•44 min•Ep. 82
Gill discusses why we drink. Our motivation for drinking matters and a recent study found that why we drink coincides with the development of alcohol use disorder. She covers the main reasons why people drink: to cope with mental health and negative emotions, to unwind after work and deal with stress, to socialize, and to cope with stress from parenting. She found some interesting studies to share with you about why people drink, and one study at the end of the episode about why mom’s drink. Wha...
Jan 07, 2022•19 min•Ep. 81
Gill discusses Dry January and how a month-long challenge can help you. You’ll learn the physical and mental health benefits of giving up alcohol for 30 days, a bit of the history of Dry January and how popular it is, and how giving up alcohol for a month can greatly improve your self-efficacy or your belief in yourself. She never did a month-long challenge, but she shares a bit about her experience giving up alcohol for 90 days and what she learned from that break. What to listen to next: E23 W...
Dec 31, 2021•17 min•Ep. 80
Gill discusses romanticizing alcohol. You’ll learn why we selectively remember the positive memories of our drinking, why the negative memories fade away, and how this can lead us to drink again. She found a very cool study to tell you about too, that looked at how quickly negative memories fade for moderate drinkers versus heavy drinkers. And if you struggle with romanticizing alcohol, then she provides some tips at the end of this episode for dealing with these thoughts. What to listen to next...
Dec 24, 2021•16 min•Ep. 79
Gill discusses non-alcoholic drinks. Some people love them, and some people think they ruin your sobriety. In this episode she explains why non-alcoholic drinks can be so triggering and how they activate the reward center. You’ll learn if it’s safe to consume drinks that have a tiny bit of alcohol in them, why you might get a fake buzz from non-alcoholic options, and how drinks that mimic the real thing can lead someone down the path to relapse or they could just be a great tool for someone else...
Dec 10, 2021•16 min•Ep. 77
Gill welcomes Dr. Anna Lembke to the podcast. Dr. Lembke is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. Her new book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence (Dutton/Penguin Random House, August 2021), an instant New York Times bestseller, explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world. In this episode, you'll learn: How whatever perceived positives al...
Dec 03, 2021•42 min•Ep. 76
Gill discusses how sleep changes from when we’re drinking to long term sobriety. She explains how alcohol impacts sleep, how sleep changes in withdrawal and early sobriety, and when you can expect your sleep to fully recover. You’ll learn how lack of sleep while we’re drinking exacerbates the damage alcohol causes to the brain, how insomnia impacts cravings, and 5 strategies for coping with insomnia in sobriety. What to listen to next: E3: Alcohol, sleep and drinking dreams E59: What to expect w...
Nov 26, 2021•17 min•Ep. 75
Gill discusses resilience. Being able to get through hardship without self-destructing is key for maintaining our sobriety. She explains what resilience is, some research on how this impacts sobriety, and other skills that contribute to resilience and staying sober. At the end of the episode she will go over 5 tips for developing resilience if this is something you struggle with. What to listen to next: E55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give Up E35: Emotional Sobriety Resources I offer:...
Nov 19, 2021•20 min•Ep. 74
Gill celebrated 2 years of sobriety on November 9th, 2021. In this episode, she will discuss how sobriety has changed for her from the first to the second year, obsessing about sobriety, intrusive thoughts about alcohol, an all or nothing mindset, and how to achieve balance in your sobriety. What to listen to next: E55: How to Power Through When You Want to Give Up E70: How the Brain Balances Reward and Consequences E21: I'm One Year Sober! Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered L...
Nov 12, 2021•19 min•Ep. 73
Gill continues our conversation about trauma from last week's episode. She discusses a couple interesting studies about how trauma impacts our ability to regulate our emotions, and how not being able to regulate your emotions leads to relapse. You’ll learn how trauma impacts the way the brain responds to emotions, how this can lead to addiction, and what you can do to start working on improving your ability to handle negative emotions. Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire (ERSQ) What to liste...
Nov 05, 2021•17 min•Ep. 72
Gill discusses how trauma increases the risk of developing an addiction. She reviews an interesting study from 2021 that looked at how trauma impacts the amount of pleasure a person will feel from drugs. You’ll learn how childhood trauma changes the way animals and humans experience pain, another reason why we can never become take it or leave it drinkers or drug users, and why science thinks trauma makes us more vulnerable to addiction. What to listen to next: E67: How Alcohol Impacts Cortisol ...
Oct 29, 2021•15 min•Ep. 71
Gill discusses the balance between how we believe alcohol is benefitting us and the consequences it's bringing to our lives. This balance is what helps moderate drinkers know when to stop, but sometimes this balance can be disrupted and the negative consequences just don’t seem to be that bad. In this episode you’ll learn about how the brain balances reward and consequences, and some ways this balance can be disrupted to increase the risk of developing a problem with alcohol. What to listen to n...
Oct 22, 2021•16 min•Ep. 70
Gill discusses how alcohol shrinks the brain and what that actually means. She explains how alcohol shrinks the brain, how this impacts our cognitive function, and how the brain recovers with sobriety. You’ll learn about some genetic factors that make us more vulnerable to abusing alcohol and what happens when alcohol causes permanent brain damage. What to listen to next: E26: Does the Brain Recover? E17: Alcohol and the Heart E11: Endorphins and Opioid Receptors Resources I offer: Membership: L...
Oct 15, 2021•17 min•Ep. 69
Gill discusses decision making. She explains how the damage alcohol abuse causes to the brain relates to damage caused by a type of traumatic brain injury. You’ll learn how the brain makes decisions, how alcohol abuse changes our decision making, and what you can do to make better decisions and protect your sobriety. Resources I offer: Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, shar...
Oct 08, 2021•18 min•Ep. 68
Gill discusses stress, cortisol and cravings. She explain how our stress response system works, and how alcohol changes this response and our hormones. You’ll learn how alcohol impacts our cortisol levels, how this impacts our cravings for alcohol, and what this means for people trying to stay sober. At the end of this episode you'll see how this topic connects to a lot of other things we’ve discussed on this podcast. This is an episode you don't want to miss! Episodes to listen to next E40: Why...
Oct 01, 2021•19 min•Ep. 67
Gill discusses what increases our risk of relapsing. She explains how alcohol changes the brain to make it harder to not drink, so we’ll talk about changes to the reward center, how the brain communicates with itself, and how we are able to handle stress. You’ll learn how hope and the way you deal with things helps you stay sober too. What to listen to next: E26: Does the brain recover? E42: Is relapse a part of recovery? E46: Neuroplasticity helps us recover Resources I offer: Community & M...
Sep 24, 2021•16 min•Ep. 66
Gill discusses what happens when you binge drink. She explains the effects binge drinking has on different parts of the body, and you’ll learn more about alcohol overdose poisoning. At the end of the episode she shares a story of a family friend who experienced alcohol overdose poisoning. Resources I offer: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Sober Group Coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching Anger Management Program https:/...
Sep 17, 2021•17 min•Ep. 65
