DiscoverSober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being SoberE289: Emotional Tunnel Vision: When Little Problems are a Big Deal
E289: Emotional Tunnel Vision: When Little Problems are a Big Deal

E289: Emotional Tunnel Vision: When Little Problems are a Big Deal

Update: 2025-07-18
Share

Description

In sobriety our brains are still stuck in survival mode. We zoom in on small problems, assume they’re huge, and feel overwhelmed by everyday stressors. Minor stressors make our lives grind to a halt. But with time, our thinking shifts and we learn the skills we need to zoom out. In this episode, I’ll explain where this tunnel vision comes from, what it looks like while you’re working on this, and how things evolve over time as we stay sober and do “the work”.


What to listen to next:


E283: Alcohol Shortens Your Perception of Time (Instant Gratification)
E269: Autopilot Mode


E288: How to "Sit With It"




Work with me:





 Weekly email:





Courses:





Support the show:



Sources are posted on my website


Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. 





Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comments 
In Channel
loading
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

E289: Emotional Tunnel Vision: When Little Problems are a Big Deal

E289: Emotional Tunnel Vision: When Little Problems are a Big Deal

Gillian Tietz, MS, CPRC