Sober Synthesis

Basic Neuroscience Principles that Impact Our Mood and Behavior

• Healthy/homeostatic motivation includes the balancing of pleasure and pain. For every bit of pleasure, there is a mirror experience of pain/let down (conscious or subconscious). Craving is the experience of wanting/needing more of the pleasure. Balancing the pleasure/pain cycle allows us to, more consistently, experience pleasure and tolerate pain. 
  • Dopamine biases us to notice what we don’t have more than what we do have, thus motivating pursuit.
  • In early recovery, our dopamine is depleted. This can significantly decrease motivation and pleasure. With sobriety, our brains heal and dopamine homeostasis can return.
• Most behavior is driven by our subconscious mind.
  • Subconscious mind is defined as the beliefs, attitudes, opinions and models we hold without conscious awareness.
  • Less than 1% of sensory information reaches our consciousness.
  • Our subconscious is responsible for up to 95% of our behavior.
  • Practicing new behaviors will result in new subconscious models via neuroplasticity.
• Heightened nervous system arousal (limbic system), whether pleasurable or painful, decreases our ability to make thoughtful decisions. 

Effective Activities for Psychobiological Balance

• Restorative sleep, healthy eating, exercise, social connection
  • Prioritize exposure to sunlight or a sunlight substitute (UVB light), especially during the winter months.
• A mindfulness practice, gratitude practice, and/or glimmers practice
• A fast acting nervous system balancer 
  • A deep breathing activity that supports long exhales
  • Looking at a horizon or the sky

Other Helpful Guidelines

• Identify your holiday triggers/cues. 
  • Limit or abstain from holiday parties during early recovery.
• Give yourself permission to feel your emotions.
• Be patient with yourself.
• Limit or take a break from scrolling social media.
• Practice self-compassion.

Proposed Questions for Thought/Sharing

1. What activities/strategies supported your sobriety/health and wellness during past holidays?
2. What activities/strategies do you have planned to support your sobriety/health and wellness during the upcoming holidays?

Disclaimer

This summary is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed.