#20: Neuroscientists Say You Have a 6th Sense, Alcohol Quietly Kills It

Interoception is your ability to sense what is happening inside your own body, and for many gray area drinkers, it is the skill that went quiet without them ever realizing it was gone. If you have spent years reaching for a drink, a scroll, or anything outside yourself to manage that end of day tension, you were not failing. You were outsourcing a job your nervous system was designed to do, and the part of you that could have done it started to fade. Kristin Horstman, certified Gray Area Drinking Coach and host of Sunsets Are the New Happy Hour, walks through the neuroscience of interoception, how alcohol dulls this inner sense, and what it looks like to rebuild it. She covers Stephen Porges' nervous system states, Bessel van der Kolk's work on body awareness and agency, and the concept of "shifting the burden to the intervener" from neuroscientist Stephanie Fay. She closes with a guided noticing practice you can start today. This episode is for anyone who is ready to feel like their true self again Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:53) What Noticing Actually Means (03:11) Interoception: Your Inner Sense (04:19) Shifting the Burden to the Intervener (05:43) Nervous System States: Porges' Map (07:05) The Insula and Body Awareness (08:07) Notice, Read, Choose in Action (09:49) Guided Noticing Practice (10:34) Recap: Rebuilding What Went Quiet Kristin asks what your body is doing right now. Comment below: what did you notice when you actually checked in? If you're ready to feel better, think clearer, and brighten your life, you're in the right place. SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every week. As always, I'm rooting for you. 🌅 WORK WITH KRISTIN HORSTMAN 1:1 Gray Area Drinking Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/gray-area-drinking-coaching Private Health Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/health-coaching FREE RESOURCES Substack: https://substack.com/@kristinhorstman Brighten Your Life Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/865785648653696 6 Tips To Brighten Your Life: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/6-tips-to-brighten-your-life Resources for Loved Ones of Those Struggling with Substance Use Disorder: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/resources CONNECT WITH KRISTIN HORSTMAN Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunsetsarethenewhappyhour Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkristinhorstman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKristinHorstman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-horstman-43001280 Website: https://www.kristinhorstman.com AFFILIATES & DISCOUNT CODES Zero Proof Experiences: https://zeroproofexperiences.com/?aff=4 Bookshop.org storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/kristinhorstman ARMRA: https://tryarmra.novel.com/login?referralCode=de9ddb1e-9f9d-4c8a-ba43-21a30abb552e Jolene Park NOURISH Coaching Program: https://healthydiscoveries.mykajabi.com/a/35865/ihLPoJPC Jolene Park Ultimate Sober Bundle: https://checkout.grayareadrinkers.com/ultimate-sober-af-bundle/?affiliate=kristinhorstman Cured Nutrition: https://curednutrition.com/collections/all?referral\_code=KRI2L0STF Loose Leaf Tea Market: https://looseleafteamarket.com?bg\_ref=nwruvHn7oD Use code TEAKRISTIN10 for 10% off (no minimum, enter at checkout) Some links above are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely love.