The Biggest Mistake I See People Make When Trying to Get Sober (E267)
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This is the biggest mistake I see people make. There’s one pattern I’ve noticed with people where they want to be sober, but they approach it in a way that makes them less likely to actually achieve sobriety. In this episode I’m going to explain how you can set yourself up for success, how to build an effective support system, and how support can help you stay sober. We’ll discuss the self-improvement trap where people enter a stage of passively collecting information without putting it into practice, and how you can start utilizing everything you’ve learned to make progress.
What to listen to next:
E227: 200 lb deadlift story
E257: Sober Socializing: Why Alcohol Doesn’t Help
Resources I offer:
Sober Support:
• Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life
• Weekly emails on Fridays
Work with me:
Courses:
• Sober milestones: what to expect when you quit drinking
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Listen here. The episode will automatically load in your preferred podcast listening app.
Cite:
Gillian Tietz. The Biggest Mistake I See People Make When Trying to Get Sober (E267). Sober Powered. 2025
Please respect my intellectual property and properly credit me if you share my work.
Sources
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Case Western Reserve University. "Helping others helps alcoholics stay on the road to recovery." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 January 2011.
Dossey, L. The Helper’s High. Explore. 14:6. 393-399. 2018.
Clare Grall, Ron Tamborini, René Weber, Ralf Schmälzle, Stories Collectively Engage Listeners’ Brains: Enhanced Intersubject Correlations during Reception of Personal Narratives, Journal of Communication, Volume 71, Issue 2, April 2021, Pages 332–355
Lookatch SJ, Wimberly AS, McKay JR. Effects of Social Support and 12-Step Involvement on Recovery among People in Continuing Care for Cocaine Dependence. Subst Use Misuse. 2019
Magidson, J.F., Regan, S., Powell, E., Jack, H.E., Herman G.E., Zaro, C., . . . Wakeman, S.E. (2021). Peer recovery coaches in general medical settings: Changes in utilization, treatment engagement, and opioid use. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
