If you quit drinking and feel more emotional, anxious, or dysregulated instead of better, you’re not alone and nothing has gone wrong.

In this episode, I explains why quitting alcohol can initially feel harder, not easier, through a nervous system lens. You’ll learn how alcohol acts as a form of stress regulation, why emotions and anxiety often intensify after quitting, and what your body is actually asking for during this phase of change.

This conversation is especially for women who are alcohol-free or sober-curious and navigating the emotional aftermath, feeling raw, unsettled, or unsure why relief hasn’t arrived yet.

Inside this episode:

• Why quitting drinking can increase anxiety and emotional sensitivity
• How alcohol numbs the nervous system and what happens when it’s removed
• The difference between dysregulation and failure
• Why white-knuckling sobriety often backfires
• What actually supports nervous system healing after alcohol

This episode is not about willpower or labels. It’s about understanding your body, building safety without numbing, and learning how to support yourself through the middle chapter of change.

Ways to continue the work:

🔁 Ongoing support: The Deliberate Practice — a steady rhythm of nervous system regulation, breathwork, and integration.

Free: The Complete Guide to Quitting Drinking .. a nervous-system-based guide for understanding cravings, stress, and stop/start cycles.

🧭 Personalized clarity: The Personal Power Map — a personalized nervous system and identity audit with a video walkthrough.

Explore everything at thedeliberateone.com
Connect on Instagram @thedeliberateone

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