Sober Powered

Gillian Tietz

  • 23 minutes 32 seconds
    E310: Emotional Sobriety: Why Quitting Drinking Isn’t Enough

    When I quit drinking, I didn’t realize how emotionally immature I was, or how much alcohol had been doing for me behind the scenes. In this episode, I talk about why removing alcohol can make emotions feel (more) unbearable at first, how years of emotional avoidance catch up to us in sobriety, and why this phase puts people at risk for relapse. We’ll also talk about what emotional sobriety actually means, and why learning to tolerate discomfort is what makes sobriety sustainable.

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    Course

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    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. 


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    13 February 2026, 8:00 am
  • 20 minutes 11 seconds
    E309: Early Sobriety Fatigue: What’s Actually Happening in Your Brain

    If you’re sober but still exhausted, foggy, or struggling to think clearly, it’s not random. Early sobriety fatigue has very real causes, from changes in brain energy utilization to sleep disruption and structural recovery. In this episode, I explain what the research actually shows about how the brain heals after alcohol, why recovery happens in layers, and what that means for how you feel right now. Understanding this can change how you experience early sobriety.


    Work with me:


    Course

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    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. 


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    6 February 2026, 8:00 am
  • 19 minutes 43 seconds
    E308: Does Dry January Actually Change People’s Drinking Habits? What the Research Says

    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

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    Course

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    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. 



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    30 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 16 minutes 6 seconds
    How the Brain Recovers After Quitting Drinking From 1 Day to 7 Years (Replay)

    Did we blast our brains beyond repair with all of our drinking? What if you drank heavily for decades? Are you doomed? In this episode I’m explaining a ton of different studies on brain recovery in sobriety. You’ll learn what to expect as you get more sober time, if our brains make a full recovery, how long it takes to see improvement, how drinking less impacts your brain, and more about how alcohol damages the brain.

    Work with me:


    Course

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    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. 


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    23 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 18 minutes 2 seconds
    The Witching Hour Without Booze: What’s Happening in the Brain Between 5–9 PM

    The witching hour, or usually hours for most of us, are the time of day where you typically drink and want to drink the most when you’re sober. This could be morning for some people, it could be 4-7pm, 6-8pm, it varies. This time block is when your biology, habits, and old reward wiring collide: cortisol is dropping, your prefrontal cortex has less decision bandwidth, and your brain is scanning for the routine that used to deliver relief. The evening cue your brain fires isn’t proof you need alcohol, it’s proof you drank often enough and long enough that your brain automated it. Today, we’re digging into why 5–9 PM feels like the danger zone, what’s happening under the surface in the brain and nervous system, and how understanding those mechanisms helps you respond differently this time.

    What to listen to next:

    E249: Stress & Cravings

    E265: Rewiring the reward system

    Work with me:


    Course

    Weekly email:


    Support the show:

    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. 


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    16 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 19 minutes 28 seconds
    Health Benefits of Dry January: What to Expect

    A 30-day break from alcohol changes multiple systems at once: metabolic, cardiovascular, neurological, and behavioral. In this episode, I’m summarizing what the research says about the benefits people commonly experience, including sleep, energy, liver fat, and drink-refusal self-efficacy. I’ll explain what improves early, what takes longer, and what predicts real behavior change beyond the month. 


    What to listen to next:

    E231: everything you need to know about withdrawal

    E205: kindling in alcohol withdrawal

    E240: post acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS)

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

    E265: Rewiring the reward system after getting sober


    Pickled. Why Moderation is Impossible Course

    https://www.soberpowered.com/pickled


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    Support the show:

    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. 



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    9 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 43 minutes 36 seconds
    How to do Dry January Differently This Year With Casey Davidson and Suzanne Warye

    Stop doing the hardest part over and over again. In this episode, Casey, Suzanne and I discuss our advice for making sobriety stick and the mistakes we've observed people making over the years.


    Connect with Casey: https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/

    Connect with Suzanne: https://thesobermomlife.com/


    Work with me:


     Weekly email:


    Support the show:

    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. 


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    8 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 17 minutes 10 seconds
    E307: 4 Biggest Challenges People Struggle With During Dry January & How to Deal

    It’s Dry January and whether you’re participating for the first time, the 3rd time, or you’re working towards long term sobriety, then there are some things that most people struggle with. You may not struggle with all of these things, but it’s good to be prepared just in case. In this episode we’ll review 4 different challenges you may face and I’ll help you come up with a plan to deal with each one.


    Work with me:


     Weekly email:


    Support the show:

    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. 


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    2 January 2026, 8:00 am
  • 20 minutes 41 seconds
    E306: The Sobriety Audit: What Changed This Year (And What Didn’t)

    It’s almost New Year, New Me time and before you make plans and goals for 2026, I’d love to walk you through a sobriety audit to evaluate how far you’ve come over the past year. In this episode I’ll guide you through an audit of your identity shift to becoming a person who doesn’t drink, you’re emotional growth and skill development, and help you recognize any signs of drifting backwards to relief and comfort seeking.


    What to listen to next:

    E267: resources vs support: how to set yourself up for success

    Work with me:


     Weekly email:


    Support the show:

    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. 


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    26 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 18 minutes 49 seconds
    6 Ways to Protect Your Energy During the Holidays

    Holiday overwhelm isn’t about being weak, it’s about carrying more emotional weight with fewer internal resources. In this episode, I walk you through simple ways to stay regulated when the pressure builds. You’ll learn how to reduce emotional overload, recover faster from overstimulation, and navigate challenging environments and people.

    Work with me:


     Weekly email:


    Support the show:

    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. 


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    19 December 2025, 8:00 am
  • 10 minutes 34 seconds
    E305: Why the Holidays Create Tons of Stress & One Helpful Tool to Stay Regulated

    The holidays create the perfect storm for stress and emotional reactivity in sobriety. Your reward system may still be healing, your stress circuitry is more sensitive, your routine is disrupted, and old family roles and comparisons drain your patience fast. Most importantly, I teach you how to regulate before the stress hits so you’re not constantly trying to recover from emotional overload. This is the foundation of real stress resilience in sobriety.

    Work with me:


     Weekly email:


    Support the show:

    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

    12 December 2025, 8:00 am
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