Sober Science
The organ most affected by alcohol use.
What is the liver?
Feeling this is a common trigger for relapse in early recovery.
What is stress?
The first milestone everyone celebrates in sobriety.
What is 24 hours or a one-day chip?
The word therapists use for unhealthy coping strategies.
What is maladaptive behavior?
Drinking this instead of alcohol is a common first step for many in recovery.
What is sparkling water, tea, or soda?
The liver disease often caused by long-term alcohol abuse.
What is cirrhosis?
A common coping skill that involves noticing sensations in the body to manage urges.
What is grounding?
The activity you do that proves you’re thriving without substances.
What is a hobby? (Examples for bonus points!)
The mental exercise of identifying cognitive distortions like “all-or-nothing thinking” is called _____.
What is cognitive restructuring?
A 10–15 minute daily practice to help calm the mind and reduce cravings.
What is meditation?
This neurotransmitter is targeted by most medications used to reduce anxiety and cravings.
What is GABA?
This type of therapy focuses on changing thought patterns to prevent relapse.
What is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)?
Replacing old habits with new routines, like yoga or reading, is called _____.
What is behavioral substitution or healthy coping?
A cognitive distortion where someone assumes they know what others are thinking without evidence.
What is mind reading?
The tool that helps you track your sobriety milestones day by day.
What is a sobriety counter or journal?
Chronic alcohol use can shrink this part of the brain, affecting memory and learning.
What is the hippocampus?
Recognizing that certain people or events make you want to use is part of _____.
What is trigger awareness or relapse prevention?
The phenomenon where someone maintains abstinence but struggles emotionally or socially despite physical sobriety is called _____.
What is dry drunk syndrome?
The DBT skill that teaches you to accept reality without judgment while managing intense emotions.
What is radical acceptance?
A supportive friend or mentor in recovery who provides guidance and accountability.
What is a sponsor?
The term for the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections in recovery.
What is neuroplasticity?
Handling a highly triggering situation without relapsing demonstrates _____.
What is self-mastery or recovery resilience?
The first time you successfully navigate a highly triggering situation sober is sometimes called a _____.
What is a recovery win or success story?
The type of therapy that focuses on accepting your thoughts and committing to value-driven action.
What is ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)?
This type of therapy uses creative expression like drawing or music to explore emotions in recovery.
What is art therapy?