Alcohol and Hormones: The Hidden Energy Drain That Disappears When You Quit Drinking

Still feeling drained even after quitting drinking? You’re not imagining it. Alcohol quietly disrupts your hormones, and that imbalance steals your energy, focus, and calm.

In this week’s episode of the Sober Vibes Podcast, I break down how alcohol affects cortisol, estrogen, insulin, and sleep, and what happens when you finally let your body reset. Whether you’re in your first 30 days without alcohol, learning how to stop drinking every night, or curious about how to stop drinking wine and feel better, this episode connects the dots between alcohol, stress, and healing.

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

• How alcohol hijacks hormones that control mood, metabolism, and energy
• The link between alcohol and stress, why it raises cortisol and anxiety
• Why exhaustion, irritability, and cravings are hormonal, not willpower problems
• What improves in your first 90 days after quitting alcohol
• How to naturally support hormone balance and sleep recovery

If you’ve been wondering why you still feel “off” after quitting, this episode will help you understand what’s happening inside your body and remind you that balance is coming back.

 Listen now: Alcohol and Hormones: The Hidden Energy Drain That Disappears When You Quit Drinking

 If you’re noticing shifts in your hormones or energy after quitting, join the Sobriety Circle for guidance, accountability, and community support as you rebuild your energy and confidence. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.

Resources Mentioned:

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Courtney's Website 

Join the Sobriety Circle 

1:1 Sober Coaching 

PODCAST SPONSOR:

This episode is sponsored by Soberlink, a trusted accountability tool for anyone navigating early recovery. Whether you're rebuilding trust with loved ones or want more structure in your sobriety, Soberlink offers a discreet and empowering way to stay on track.

Sober Vibes listeners, sign up HERE and claim our $100 Enrollment Bonus.

This episode is sponsored by ExactNature, a trusted holistic tool for anyone navigating recovery and sobriety. Use code SV25 at checkout to receive a discount on your order. Click here to shop and save. 

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Chapters

• 0:00 Alcohol’s Hidden Hormone Havoc
• 1:31 Welcome And Audience Framing
• 2:10 What Alcohol Does To Your Hormones
• 4:24 Cortisol Spikes And Sleep Disruption
• 7:11 Estrogen Imbalance And PMS
• 8:43 Sponsor: Exact Nature CBD
• 10:15 Sponsor: Soberlink Accountability
• 11:25 Insulin, Blood Sugar, And Cravings
• 15:21 The Healing Timeline After Quitting
• 19:16 Practical Nutrition And Snack Strategy
• 21:26 Gentle Movement, Sunlight, And Supplements

Transcript

Courtney Andersen: 0:58

Have you ever felt totally drained, moody, or out of balance and wondered if alcohol had something to do with that? You're not imagining it. Alcohol messes up with your hormones more than most people realize, especially for women. But here's the good news. When you quit drinking, your body starts healing in ways that gives you back your energy, your stability, and your peace. So let's talk about the hidden connection between alcohol and hormones and the energy drain that disappears when you stop drinking. Welcome to Sober Vibes, your podcast for alcohol-free lifestyle tips and real talk about long-term sobriety. I'm your host, Courtney Anderson, sober coach, author, and mom. Each week I share strategies, stories, and encouragement to help you navigate cravings, build confidence, and thrive in sobriety. Whether you're sober curious or years in, this is your space to feel supported and inspired. Hey, good people of the world. Welcome back to the Sobervised Podcast. I am your host, Courtney Anderson. I'm a sober coach author and your go-to guide for living a kick-ass life without alcohol. You are listening to episode 100 or 250, I'm sorry. And if you've been sober for a while, but you still feel tired, emotional, or off balance, you are not alone. Alcohol has major impacts on hormones like cortisol, estrogen, insulin. And so it takes time for your body to find its rhythm again. So in today's episode, we're going to walk our, we're going to walk through and talk about what alcohol really does to your hormones, why it leaves you exhausted and anxious, and what happens when your system finally starts to rebalance. I'm excited for this conversation today. And of course, before we dive in, if you're noticing shifts in your hormones or energy after quitting, join the sobriety circle. You'll get guidance, tools, and community support to help you help move you through these changes as well as accountability and to feel your best again. The link is in the show notes below, or you can go to CourtneyRecovered.com and find the sobriety circle on my website. Also, too, before we get started, if you haven't yet, please rate, review, and subscribe to the show. And if you're watching on YouTube, make sure to hit that like button and hit subscribe. And also drop a comment below and let me know where you're from. I always like connecting, whether via social media on Instagram or now on YouTube. All right, let's get into it today. This is a good one. Because we all need to hear this, especially for women. Okay. Now, if there's, I know there's a couple dudes, good dudes in the world who listen to this podcast. I still encourage you to listen to it, okay? Mainly I am speaking to women, but I do believe that you could probably learn some too. Or if you have a significant other, if you have a wife or a girlfriend, life partner, whatever it is, that you listen to this because maybe you can understand too about her hormones and how alcohol can play on to that, right? Especially 35 and up. Women start going through the post-menopausal journey as early as 35. Okay. So number one, alcohol and hormones, the hidden relationship. So alcohol isn't just a mental or emotional disruptor, right? It's a hormonal one. And every time you drink, your body sees alcohol as a toxin, as it should. Your liver has to stop everything, like regulating its hormones and processing nutrient nutrients to detox it. That means your estrogen and your cortisol and blood sugar all take a hit. So for women, especially, this causes a ripple effect. You ready for this one, ladies? Mood swings, bloating, PMS symptoms, and irregular sleep all get worse. And because alcohol raises cortisol, your stress hormone, you're constantly running in the fight or flight mode, even when you're trying to rest. Sorry, I'm trying to drink my coffee, so I stay a little bit up. Like I said, this time change has killed me. So number two, cortisol. That's that's your stress hormone on overdrive. And you've been hearing a lot more about cortisol, which I think is great because it's education that we need, we do need to understand about this hormone and what it does on your body. So, and when alcohol is putting you in a constant state of fight or flight, you know, there is going to be a huge impact. So the stress hormone on overdrive. So when you when you drink, your cortisol levels spike, right? At first you might feel relaxed. That's alcohol numbing your nervous system. But once it wears off, cortisol shoots up. Remember, too, this is why you're waking up at the 3 a.m. and getting anxiety too, and we just your heart racing. And also why anxiety hits the next morning as well. This is why it feels like you're living in a constant state of fatigue. Your body is not working, it's just it's continuously working in an overtime. So it's exhausted. That's why when you quit drinking alcohol too, if you have not been there yet, but if you quit drinking alcohol, it is very normal to feel very fatigued for a little bit. So the longer you drink, the harder it is for your cortisol rhythm to stabilize, right? And again, that's a big reason why you feel anxious and wired and tired all at once. There's nothing worse than that wired and tired and anxious all at once because you're just like, because it gives you that wired and tired, it's like it triples that anxiety feeling. And then you're like, oh, I don't, I don't like this. This is why sleep is so important. So you're getting a proper amount of sleep because then you are feeling well rested, right? So estrogen, the balancing act alcohol destroys. Okay, so estrogen, alcohol increases estrogen levels while decreasing progesterone, the hormone that helps you stay calm and balanced. This imbalance can lead uh to heavier periods, mood swings, headaches, and even higher risk of hormone conditions. So if you ever notice your PMS getting worse when you were drinking or that your moods were unpredictable, it's not, it's not in your head. You're not crazy. Alcohol was throwing off your entire system. So when you quit drinking, your level, your liver finally gets to regulate hormones the way it's meant to, right? And then within weeks, inflammation can decrease, your cycles become, your cycles can become normalized. Usually that though, when I say weeks for your cycle to normalize, that usually can take around three cycles. So three months, again, that 90 day, that 90 day really is you have to give yourself that 90 days. A lot changes within a lot of 90 days, especially at that 90 change, 90 day where you can feel more and more like you got this. But when you keep reintroducing alcohol into your system, you're just going to continue to be on that roller coaster. You're not giving your body a fair shot. So you do have to trust this process and give yourself some time. Okay. The holidays can be wonderful, but they can also bring added stress, cravings, and emotional challenges, especially when you're getting or staying sober. That's where our sponsor, Exact Nature, comes in. Exact Nature creates safe, healthy, non-intoxicating, CBD-based products designed to help reduce cravings, calm anxiety, improve mood, and stabilize sleep. All without getting you high or causing harm. CBD can help you out and it can help take the edge off, which is so important when you're navigating sobriety, especially during the holidays. Their products are value-priced with a full month supply. And since CBD works best with consistent use, Exact Nature offers subscriptions to keep you supported over time. Founded by a father and son team in addiction recovery, they truly understand your journey. Visit exactnature.com and use checkout code SV25, that's for sober vibes, and for 25% off your order. Again, use this code at checkout, SV25, and that's exactnature.com. You guys know I'm a huge fan. I use this on a regular basis, and I love this company. Nothing tests sobriety quite like holiday gatherings. Am I right? Between family stress, endless parties, and more alcohol ads than you can count, it can feel like a sea of triggers. And if you're in your first year of sobriety, you need something that helps shoulder the load, not add to it. Thankfully, they're soberlink, the only high-tech breathalyzer trusted by addiction professionals, because it works. With scheduled daily tests, you can share instant, verified results with the people who support you, so you never have to convince someone of your progress. They get to see it and celebrate it with you in real time. And because Soberlink uses built-in facial recognition and tamper sensors, there's no way to cheat these results. Soberlink now offers device rentals, making daily accountability more accessible than ever. Whether you're rebuilding trust with loved ones or just want an extra layer of support this holiday season, Soberlink can help you stay laser focused on your recovery goals through the celebrations and long after the tree comes down. Visit www.soberlink.com forward slash sober dash vibes to sign up and claim your $100 enrollment bonus. You can also check the link in the show notes below. Insulin energy and cravings. So alcohol doesn't just affect stress, it also messes with your blood sugar. I have to tell you this. So my dad was diagnosed being, I'm just sharing this because it's got to do with blood sugar. My father was diagnosed with being a diabetic a couple years ago, okay? And he quit drinking. He hasn't drank in a year. He actually quit drinking before a cancer diagnosis, his cancer diagnosis, which I just had found out about it within the last couple months. So at this time, I record this, he hasn't drunk in over a year, and his wife was telling me that he's not even considered a type 2 diabetic anymore. And the only thing that this man has taken out of his life in one year was alcohol. That is it. Like that's it, like floors my mind that within a year that he's not even on medication for it anymore. So that's what I'm saying. It's not like the medication did it. He stopped drinking. And even to somebody in our sobriety circle, she was considered pre-diabetic and she got lab work done, I think last month, and her lab work done, and she will be a year sober in January. And her lab work came back where she's no longer considered pre-diabetic. Her levels were amazing. So anybody, I can't say it all because everybody's different, but if there is pre-diabetic or type 2 diabetes, drinking contributes to that, okay? So with the nightly glass of wine you're having or alcohol that you're having on a regular, it spikes your blood sugar, then crashes it, leading to cravings, irritability, and brain ball. Over time, that constant crash drains your energy and confuses your metabolism. That's why when you quit, when you quit drinking, it's common for it's common to crave sugar for a while. Your body is trying to replace, replace the glucose, right? So if you're ever like, God, I crave sugar, this is why. But as you stay alcohol-free and eat more balanced meals, your insulin stabilizes, and that's when your energy starts to finally come back. You start riding the up it, you stop riding that up and down wave, right? And your body finds steady fuels again. This is why, too, nutrition is important in your sobriety. I'm never gonna tell you that you you need to eat perfection. There's no such thing. Because I do believe that you should enjoy some some good, good treats, right? Like, or I love, I love a GD Coca-Cola classic. And I never want to stop drinking those. Do I need to drink one every day? No, but I am fine now where I treat myself. I don't even want to say treat myself because that goes back into the to my food cycle and all of that. I enjoy, here we go. I enjoy a Coca-Cola classic once a week. I now save it either for Friday or Saturday night. And I cherish that bad boy. Okay. So I'm never gonna sit here and be like, you need to do this, this, and this, because also too, uh food affects people differently. And if you've ever had an eating issue before your alcohol, the food thing is one that is very hard because you need food to survive in this world. You truly do. You don't need alcohol to survive, you need you have to eat to live, right? And the food thing can be very it's hard. It is hard, it is hard. But being more balanced and intentional, I should say, with your nutrition is important. That's why I highly recommend that you can at least every two to three hours eat something. Or if you got yourself where you're eating three meals a day and you don't need the snacks cool, or if you are a person who does three meals and one snack, great, right? Like you have to do what feels good for you, but you do have to keep your blood sugar pretty much consistent. So in the early sobriety, definitely put some nuts or some type of little snack in your purse. So if you're out and about and you start getting hungry, because that that hangry will have you dip with your, you will dip and your anxiety goes up, and then all you want to do, because then you're like, I have anxiety, what's going on? And then it's very easy to drink alcohol. So just keep your blood sugar balanced, I believe is what I'm trying to tell you, and all of this. Keep it balanced because you will then feel good, and those big low dips won't put you into that anxiety or not anxiety, that hangry feeling, and then cause a bunch of low blood sugar. We don't want that. So keep a snack with you at all times. So, what happens after you quit drinking? This is what happens. So, the first 30 days, okay, your cortisol levels will start to drop and sleep slowly improves. Okay, you might still feel tired, that is normal, but your body is beginning to reset itself. 60 to 90 days, hormones start finding their rhythm again. You will notice less anxiety, more stable moods, and a stronger immune system. Okay. Three to six months, estrogen and progestrogen balance out. So the PMS and bloating improve, energy levels will rise, and beyond six months to a year, your body will fully recalibrate, leading to sharper focus, deeper rest, right? More emotional steadiness. Okay. So everybody is different, but this is the healing curve many women experience when they give their body time and support. Again, you have to give yourself time here. You have to trust the process of this. And like, you're not special. When I say that, you're not special, of you're not going to be able to skip any of this. A lot of people want to skip to the to the good part, and that's not going to happen. Just because you've done A, B, C, and D for so long, there is still a natural process here that your body does have to go through when you have been putting alcohol into your lives for decades. Decades. That's why you have to give yourself some grace. Remember that I've had this relationship with alcohol for 20 years. You think in one day I'm just gonna be like normal, like, great. Like, no, that's why I say nobody is special. Everybody has to go through it. And even if you might not feel some of these things in the beginning, you could feel them down the road. And like I said, for the sleep where people feel tired, you just have to keep remembering emotionally and physically, you put yourself through the ringer for years. You were addicted to a chaotic substance. You were then addicted to a chaotic lifestyle. I don't give a shit if you got up and in the morning time and you were working out and you kept your nutrition intact, you were still causing inner chaos for yourself drinking alcohol because then the next morning you would have that emotional hangover where then you get you get stuck into a shame cycle, the anxiety that takes a toll on your body. That takes a lot of toll on your body energetically wise. So also not only being physically tired, emotionally tired too is very, very, very common in this. So, how can you support your hormonal balance in sobriety? Again, if you're feeling sluggish or moody in this early sobriety, eat enough protein and fat, right? Your hormones are made from fat. Don't skip it with good fat. Like think of avocados, oils, stuff like that. Stay hydrated. As always, alcohol depletes those electrolytes and minerals. Your hormones rely on this. Check the link in the show notes below for my relight. I swear by it, and it's there's different flavors. There's a discount code for you. So definitely check that out. Again, get morning sunlight, it regulates cortisol and melatonin, right? Prioritize rest in gentle movement, like walking or yoga instead of pushing through the fatigue, right? Or to don't feel like you have to like overdo it in the gym. Again, the walking, gentle stretches is going to help you so much more than if you feel like you need to be working out for two hours. It's just not the case. That's not what your body currently needs. And this is a time too where you need to listen to your body. And like I said, don't push through it. So, and then getting enough supplements again, going back to magnesium and the vitamins, and make sure that you are taking those consistently. Okay. So all of this has to be a consistent push forward. Alcohol does seal your energy by hijacking your hormones. But when you quit, you get to take the energy back, right? And it shows up as better sleep, balanced moods, and confidence that comes from within. So if you are feeling tired or moody right now, it's not a failure, it's a healing and it's part of the process. So give your body grace, make sure you feel it with the good stuff, and you will start feeling better, right? So if you are noticing these shifts in your hormones or, you know, you're lacking energy after quitting, again, make sure to join the sobriety circle. You can find the link in the show notes below, or visit my website, CourtneyRecovered.com. So you will get guidance. There's tons of resources in there, meetings, workshops, and a badass group of women who are very supportive of one another. And I would love to see you inside. And that, of course, is for women only. So next week, make sure that you tune in because I'm very excited about this one. And it's how to handle peer pressure to drink when you're quitting alcohol. I wanted to drop this right before the week before Thanksgiving. And so you can have this during this 2025 holiday season and beyond, because this one's a hard one for people, but I got some good info I'm gonna share with you in that one. So thank you again, good people of the world. Make sure as always, you stay safe out there and keep on trucking.