A lot of people do Dry January hoping it will reset their relationship with alcohol, and then feel confused or discouraged when it doesn’t. Dry January works, just not in the way most people think it does. If you’ve ever taken a 30, 90, or even year-long break from drinking, felt better, and then slowly slid back into the same patterns, this episode will explain why. We’ll talk about why willpower works during the challenge but fails afterward, why the brain treats breaks as an exception instead of a turning point, and what actually has to change for sobriety to stick. Once you understand the difference between a pause and a rewire, a lot of self-blame starts to fall away. E296-300 drinking motives and how problem drinking develops/escalates Work with me: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching Course Pickled. Why Moderation is Impossible https://www.soberpowered.com/pickled Weekly email: You’ll hear from me on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email 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

E308: Does Dry January Actually Change People’s Drinking Habits? What the Research Says

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A lot of people do Dry January hoping it will reset their relationship with alcohol, and then feel confused or discouraged when it doesn’t. Dry January works, just not in the way most people think it does. If you’ve ever taken a 30, 90, or even year-long break from drinking, felt better, and then slowly slid back into the same patterns, this episode will explain why. We’ll talk about why willpower works during the challenge but fails afterward, why the brain treats breaks as an exception instead of a turning point, and what actually has to change for sobriety to stick. Once you understand the difference between a pause and a rewire, a lot of self-blame starts to fall away.     E296-300 drinking motives and how problem drinking develops/escalates   Work with me:      Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership       Sober coaching https://www.soberpowered.com/sober-coaching       Course      Pickled. Why Moderation is Impossible https://www.soberpowered.com/pickled     Weekly email:      You’ll hear from me on Fridays https://www.soberpowered.com/email       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

Why do some people stay sober and others relapse back and forth? Getting sober isn’t about restriction, it’s about rewiring your brain to function without intensity, chaos, dopamine spikes, and avoidance.  Hosted by Gill Tietz, a former biochemist turned sober coach, this show dives into the neuroscience of long-term sobriety — why some people relapse, why others stay free, and how to build the kind of brain that can handle life without alcohol.  Each episode blends science, psychology, and real experience to help you strengthen the four pillars of neuro-resilience:  1. Neural Recovery – healing your brain’s reward and stress systems after alcohol.  2. Emotional Regulation – calming reactivity and learning to feel without escaping.  3. Cognitive Rewiring – changing the thought patterns that pull you backward.  4. Behavioral Integration – designing routines and habits that make being sober your default.  Whether you’re newly sober or years in, you’ll learn research-backed tools and mindset shifts so sobriety stops feeling like something you’re trying to want and starts feeling like who you are.  This is hard work. If you want my support, then check out my online sober community or my 1:1 work.  Website: www.soberpowered.com

Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

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