Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober · Gillian Tietz, MS, CPRC

E298: Coping Drinking: Drinking to Feel Less

·19 min·1 clip

The host details how alcohol binds to GABA receptors and suppresses glutamate, creating a real but temporary physiological calm that tricks the brain.

This episode explores the neuroscience behind 'coping drinking'—using alcohol to manage stress. The host explains how alcohol temporarily quiets the nervous system by affecting GABA and glutamate, but ultimately trains the brain to outsource emotional regulation, leading to increased anxiety and dependency. She details the brain's adaptation process and offers hope by explaining how neuroplasticity allows for recovery and relearning of healthy coping skills.

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