Early Sobriety Fatigue: What’s Actually Happening in Your Brain (E309)
Listen here. The episode will automatically load in your preferred podcast listening app.
If you’re sober but still exhausted, foggy, or struggling to think clearly, it’s not random. Early sobriety fatigue has very real causes, from changes in brain energy utilization to sleep disruption and structural recovery. In this episode, I explain what the research actually shows about how the brain heals after alcohol, why recovery happens in layers, and what that means for how you feel right now. Understanding this can change how you experience early sobriety.
Resources I offer:
Work with me:
• Community & Meetings: Living a Sober Powered Life
Weekly email:
• You’ll hear from me on Fridays
Courses:
• Don’t try harder, try different
Support the show:
• If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support all of the research and effort that goes into this podcast
• Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors
Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice.
Listen here. The episode will automatically load in your preferred podcast listening app.
Cite:
Gillian Tietz. Early Sobriety Fatigue: What’s Actually Happening in Your Brain (E309). Sober Powered. 2026
Please respect my intellectual property and properly credit me if you share my work.
Sources:
Jiang, L. Increased brain uptake and oxidation of acetate in heavy drinkers. JCI. 2013
Powell, A. Recovery of neuropsychological function following abstinence from alcohol in adults diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder: Systematic review of longitudinal studies. Plos One. 2024.
Durazzo, T. Regional cortical thickness recovery with extended abstinence after treatment in those with alcohol use disorder. Alcohol. 2024.
