A Symphony of Sobriety with Professor Karla

My guest today is Professor Karla Kaun – who works at the Department of Neuroscience at Brown University. Karla has been running a lab which studies neural and molecular mechanisms of addiction since 2013. In this episode:- Karla’s research is around how alcohol and drugs influence our natural reward mechanisms. She explained how they will overwhelm natural reward pathways, causing intolerable cravings and reduced impulse control. Addiction is a disorder where brain circuits work differently, prioritizing reward-seeking despite negative consequences. As many of us who became dependent on alcohol discovered addiction forms slowly and only with repeated use Of course different individuals have varied timelines and susceptibility to addiction. Many of our Tribe used alcohol socially in their twenties and thirties and then used it to manage stress as they got older Mindset in Recovery: We agreed that overcoming addiction requires a mindset change and viewing life differently. We are big on mindset here at Tribe Sober – we help our members to realise that they don’t have a drinking problem so much as an opportunity to change their lives for the better If you’re ready to embrace this opportunity then just to ts.com and join our tribe Another mindset shift our members get is the realisation that they have gained so much in sobriety…and lost very little by quitting alcohol Just hangovers, anxiety and exhaustion! So Karla explained that a growth mindset and seeing setbacks as learning opportunities are crucial. That’s why we give people a 66 day tracker for our Challenge…we don’t ask them to be perfect, we ask them to be curious… how many alcohol free days can they manage out of 66? This will bring about positive change through step-by-step goals Karla explained how addiction is a disorder of memory, with sensory memories such as holding a glass can trigger cravings. We talked about blackouts which will affect memory circuits and neuron communication. When I learned that my blackouts were preventing the formation of new memories I realised I had to quit Long-term alcohol use causes lasting changes in the brain, Drinking rewires our brain but we due to the plasticity of our brains we can recover Rather than aiming to go back to exactly how we were before we can rewire our brains a bit differently in recovery I loved Karla’s orchestra analogy – imagining our brain orchestra to be out of tune when we are in active addiction but then when we quit the orchestra can begin to function again Perhaps it won’t play exactly the same music as before we started drinking but it can create a new (and maybe even more beautiful) symphony in sobriety and of course Lifestyle changes, diet, sleep, and exercise can aid in brain plasticity and recovery. More info Subscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERE To access our website click HERE If you would like a free copy of our "Annual Tracker" or our e-book "66 Days to Sobriety" please email [email protected] If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community just email [email protected] Episode Sponsor           This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.             If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then  sign up today           Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to spread the word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave us a 5 star review on Apple podcasts, take a screenshot of your review and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page - see PS for instructions - we'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram  You can join our private Facebook group HERE How to leave an rating/review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS device) 1. Open the Podcasts app. EASY. 2. Choose "Search" from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (i.e., "Recover Like A Mother") into the search field. 3. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). 4. Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. 5. Click "Write a Review" underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale, and write a review (you can rate without writing, too but it's always good to read your experience).