E204: Can Anyone Get Addicted to Alcohol?

Is everyone on the slow path towards addiction? Are all moderate drinkers a little bit addicted? We know alcohol is an addictive substance that gets us hooked and then changes our brains to keep us hooked, but why does this process even start? In this episode I’ll explain 15 risk factors that can lead us to become addicted to alcohol. You’ll learn about emotional factors, genetic factors, and life circumstances that influence the risk of developing a problem with alcohol. What to listen to next: E177: 4 years sober. Why did this happen to me? E199: frustration tolerance E203: why you want alcohol even when you hate it E71 and 72: trauma episodes E29: how alcohol affects the teen brain E201: your dysregulated stress response (cortisol) E202: wtf is "the work"? E88: sibling studies: why one gets addicted and the other doesn't Get Support: Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Anger Management Program https://www.soberpowered.com/anger Weekly emails on Thursdays https://www.soberpowered.com/email Quiz: what is causing your alcohol cravings? https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/65db8de55d674c92e333e001 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free   Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered 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

Om Podcasten

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 numbing. 3. Cognitive Rewiring – changing the thought patterns that quietly 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 the research-backed tools and mind shifts that keep you steady, 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