How the Brain Recovers After Quitting Drinking (E196)

Listen to the full episode in your podcasting app: Apple Spotify other apps

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.

Takeaways:

1. Neurological Impact of Alcohol: Alcohol consumption can have profound and lasting effects on the brain, including shrinking brain volume, disrupting key brain networks responsible for emotional regulation and decision-making, and damaging white matter communication pathways. Even moderate drinking can lead to cognitive impairments, particularly in areas such as memory and executive functioning.

2. Recovery Progress: Despite the challenges, the brain shows remarkable resilience and can partially repair structural changes caused by alcohol within the first few months of sobriety, with significant improvements seen within the first year and continuing over 5-7 years. 

3. Moderation vs. Sobriety: While reducing alcohol consumption may lead to some improvements in brain health, complete sobriety is associated with greater cognitive recovery and emotional well-being. Attempts at moderation may only temporarily control alcohol use and may not address underlying issues or prevent relapse.

4. Persistent Damage and Challenges: Despite the brain's capacity for recovery, some alcohol-induced damage may persist even after quitting drinking, particularly in communication pathways between brain regions responsible for memory, reward processing, and decision-making. This underscores the difficulty of early sobriety and the need for continued effort and patience in the recovery process.

5. Long-Term Cognitive Implications: While many cognitive functions recover fully or significantly after a year of sobriety, some deficits may persist, particularly in areas such as visuospatial skills and impulsivity. However, therapy, support and practice can aid in the recovery of these skills.

Resources I offer:

• Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life

• Sober Group Coaching Program

• Anger Management

• Free resources

Listen to the full episode in your podcasting app: Apple Spotify other apps

Weekly Sober Tips

Enter your email to begin receiving weekly sober tips and info from me!

First name

Email address

What are you interested in hearing about?

Sober Group Coaching

Anger Management Groups

Emotional Eating Groups

Cravings and Romanticizing Groups

Let's Go!

Thank you for subscribing!

---

Cite this episode:

Gillian Tietz. How the Brain Recovers After Quitting Drinking (E196) Sober Powered. 2024

Please respect my intellectual property and properly credit me if you share my work.

Sources:

1. May AC, Meyerhoff DJ, Durazzo TC. Non-abstinent recovery in alcohol use disorder is associated with greater regional cortical volumes than heavy drinking. Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken). 2023;47(10):1850-1858. doi:10.1111/acer.15169

2. Fein, G. et al. Cognitive Performance in Long-Term Abstinent Alcoholics. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007

3. Blaine, S. et al. Association of Prefrontal-Striatal Functional Pathology With Alcohol Abstinence Days at Treatment Initiation and Heavy Drinking After Treatment Initiation. Am J Psychiatry. 2020