E278: Intrusive Thoughts About Drinking When You’re Already Sober & 3 Ways to Deal

Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober

Gillian Tietz, MS, CPRC

Science, Self-improvement, Education, Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.9 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2025

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We’re used to intrusive thoughts about drinking while we’re trying to quit and in the early days, but these thoughts can continue to pop up months or even years later. Does this mean you’re on the path to relapse? In this episode I’ll explain where intrusive thoughts about drinking come from and 3 strategies to deal with them. You’ll learn the 4 most common times when someone thinks about drinking again, my experience with these thoughts, and what to look out for if you’re in early sobriety or long term sobriety. What to listen to next: E197: Making the DECISION to Quit Drinking E190: Non-Alcoholic Drinks: The Pros and Cons E273: How the Sober Brain Breaks Down Alcohol Associations E269: Living on Autopilot Mode 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 Anger Management https://www.soberpowered.com/anger 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

Transcript

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0:00.0	We're used to intrusive thoughts about drinking while we're trying to quit and in the early days.
0:06.5	But these thoughts can continue to pop up months or even years later.
0:11.7	So does this mean that you're on the path to relapse or are some of these thoughts normal?
0:17.1	In this episode, I will explain where intrusive thoughts about drinking come from and three strategies to deal with them.
0:24.9	You'll learn the four most common times when someone thinks about drinking again, my experience with these thoughts,
0:31.6	and what to look out for if you're in early sobriety or long-term sobriety.
0:36.2	And before we dig in, I'd like to take a moment
0:38.6	to thank my sponsors who made this episode possible.
0:42.6	Ever felt like your body's running on chaos and caffeine?
0:45.9	Sometimes it's not always just you.
0:47.9	It could be your hormones too.
0:49.5	If you're wondering why you feel like a moody swamp
0:52.1	which one minute and a sad tortilla the next, don't worry,
0:55.7	you're not broken. It's hard enough being a woman, but then throw in PMS, parimenopause, menopause,
1:01.9	and all of a sudden, your husband's breathing fills you with a deep rage. Don't even get me
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1:19.3	mood swings, low libido, poor sleep, and bloating.
1:23.0	Many women struggle with cravings for alcohol from PMS, perimenopause, or menopause, and that's because
1:28.7	these symptoms make us want to drink to cope. One bottle of hormone harmony is sold every 24
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	...

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