E279: The Pendulum Effect of Healing episode artwork

EPISODE · May 9, 2025 · 25 MIN

E279: The Pendulum Effect of Healing

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

When we start doing “the work”, it’s normal for your behavior to swing hard in the other direction. Emotions become more intense, old memories flood back, or you may feel like everyone needs to know how they’ve wronged you. This is the pendulum effect. We are learning how to do life without alcohol, and that process takes experimentation. In this episode, I explain why the pendulum effect happens, what to expect, the most common things I’ve observed, and 3 ways to start coping so the pendulum can begin to settle in the middle. You’ll learn about all the different things that are going on in your brain that make the healing process more intense. What to listen to next: E247: Sober Sleep is the Best Sleep, But Not Right Away E269: Autopilot Mode E276: A Burst of Mental Clarity at 60 Days Sober (Cognitive Healing) 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

When we start doing “the work”, it’s normal for your behavior to swing hard in the other direction. Emotions become more intense, old memories flood back, or you may feel like everyone needs to know how they’ve wronged you. This is the pendulum effect. We are learning how to do life without alcohol, and that process takes experimentation. In this episode, I explain why the pendulum effect happens, what to expect, the most common things I’ve observed, and 3 ways to start coping so the pendulum can begin to settle in the middle. You’ll learn about all the different things that are going on in your brain that make the healing process more intense. What to listen to next: E247: Sober Sleep is the Best Sleep, But Not Right Away E269: Autopilot Mode E276: A Burst of Mental Clarity at 60 Days Sober (Cognitive Healing) 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

NOW PLAYING

E279: The Pendulum Effect of Healing

0:00 25:40

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober?

This episode is 25 minutes long.

When was this Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober episode published?

This episode was published on May 9, 2025.

What is this episode about?

When we start doing “the work”, it’s normal for your behavior to swing hard in the other direction. Emotions become more intense, old memories flood back, or you may feel like everyone needs to know how they’ve wronged you. This is the pendulum...

Can I download this Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!