Rewired Sober

Kate Vitela
  • 5.0 (18)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Rewired Sober, the podcast where science meets soul on the journey of women’s recovery and empowerment. Hosted by Kate Vitela, RN, a certified addiction and psychiatric-mental-health nurse coach sober since 2018, this show dives deep into the neuroscience of addiction, healing, and habit change—and the spiritual awakening that follows. Each episode blends real talk, humor, and motivation to help you understand how your brain rewires, how your body heals, and how your soul remembers who she is. From neuroplasticity and emotional regulation to intuition, self-trust, and radical self-love, you’ll learn practical tools and mindset shifts to stay sober, inspired, and grounded. Because recovery isn’t just about not drinking—it’s about rewiring how you think, feel, and live. This is where science meets soul, and where women come to remember their power, their purpose, and their truth.

  1. 5D AGO

    Bonus Episode: Pro Tip for Early Sobriety During a U.S. Geopolitical Dumpster Fire: This Is Not A Time to Abandon Yourself

    pisode Notes This is a bonus episode about staying sober in a world that feels like it’s on fire. I talk about capacity — not as a moral issue, but as a real limit — and why newly sober people do not owe the world constant engagement, takes, or emotional mastery. We cover: Why sobriety doesn’t mean being “above it”How self-abandonment masquerades as responsibilityThe difference between caring and burning yourself downWhy staying sober right now is infrastructure, not avoidanceWhen silence is regulation, not complicityJournaling as record-keeping, not self-help This episode is for anyone who is heartbroken, angry, overwhelmed — and still choosing to stay upright. No platitudes. No spiritual bypassing. Just honesty about what it takes to remain sober and intact when the world is heavy. Bookmark what you can’t hold yet. You’ll come back when you have the capacity. Rewired Sober Group Coaching Space Is Now Open: Start anytime and get 3 months of guidance designed for women in sobriety. You’ll get instant access to the full program, plus weekly live coaching sessions to help you rewire your brain, heal old patterns, and stay consistent. Enroll here: https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/rewired-sober-coaching-program Connect with Kate @rewiredsober on all social media platforms: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rewiredsober/

    20 min
  2. EP 58: Ditching the Dogma: The Recovery Industrial Complex, Harm Reduction, and Reclaiming Agency with Tara Grace

    6D AGO

    EP 58: Ditching the Dogma: The Recovery Industrial Complex, Harm Reduction, and Reclaiming Agency with Tara Grace

    What happens when the very system that’s supposed to support healing starts to feel controlling, fear-based, or limiting? In this powerful conversation, I’m joined by Tara Grace the host of the Recovery Rebellion podcast, who openly identifies as a “12-step dogma survivor” and advocates for a more nuanced, compassionate, and person-centered approach to recovery. We explore the darker side of the recovery world that many people are afraid to name out loud — including rigid ideology, shame-based messaging, and the ways people are often discouraged from trusting their own intuition. This episode is not about tearing down what helps people. It’s about expanding the conversation to include the many people who felt harmed, silenced, or dismissed within traditional recovery systems. In this episode, we discuss:The recovery industrial complex and how “heads in the beds” can sometimes matter more than individualized careWhat people mean when they talk about surviving 12-step dogmaHow rigid recovery models can become authoritarian, condescending, and psychologically unsafeThe problem with fear-based messaging like “you’ll die if you leave”How the disease model of addiction can be both helpful and limiting — and why it doesn’t tell the whole storyWhy many people experience real healing through natural recovery (without formal programs)The difference between support vs. control, accountability vs. complianceWhy harm reduction is often misunderstood — and who it actually servesThe emotional impact of being told your thinking is defective, your intuition is dangerous, or your questioning is “denial”How recovery can (and should) support self-trust, autonomy, and nervous system safetyWhy leaving AA or structured recovery spaces does not equal failureWhat compassionate, flexible, modern recovery could look like instead This episode is for you if:You’ve ever felt shamed, silenced, or patronized in recovery spacesYou’ve been told you were “in denial” simply for asking questionsYou were warned you would die if you left AA and felt terrified but also constrainedYou’re sober curious and hesitant to engage with traditional programsYou believe healing should feel empowering, not diminishingYou want a more expansive conversation about addiction recovery, neuroscience, agency, and choice This...

    46 min

  3. JAN 20

    EP 57: Questioning The Disease Model of Addiction: Is It Denial or Discernment?

    For decades, addiction has been widely defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease — a framework adopted by the medical system, treatment centers, and many recovery programs, including Alcoholics Anonymous. In this episode, Kate explores why that definition — while historically important — often falls short, especially for women who don’t experience their relationship with alcohol as a lifelong disease state. This conversation isn’t anti-recovery or anti-help. It’s about discernment, nuance, and intellectual honesty. Kate unpacks how the disease model became the dominant narrative, why it’s convenient for institutions, and how questioning it is often framed — particularly in 12-step spaces — as a symptom rather than a legitimate inquiry. In this episode, we cover:Why the “chronic, relapsing brain disease” definition became the gold standardHow medical and treatment systems benefit from a single, fixed narrativeThe difference between reducing shame and reinforcing permanent pathologyHow disagreement with the disease model is often labeled as “denial”Why pathologizing questions can shut down curiosity, autonomy, and growthThe psychological impact of being told your insight is evidence you’re sickWhy many women don’t see themselves reflected in traditional recovery explanationsHow authority-based recovery models discourage nuance and self-trust Kate also discusses the cultural dynamics inside recovery spaces where questioning foundational beliefs can be interpreted as resistance, ego, or lack of willingness — rather than a thoughtful response to lived experience. The core message:Questioning a model is not denial. It’s discernment. Recovery should expand self-trust — not require surrendering your ability to think critically about your own experience. This episode is for women who: Feel uneasy with being labeled “chronically ill”Have been told their doubts are symptomsWant recovery without losing their voiceAre seeking a more nuanced, adult conversation about addiction You’re allowed to ask questions. And asking them doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.

    38 min
  4. EP 56: From Dry January to Real Change with Casey Mcquire Davidson

    JAN 13

    EP 56: From Dry January to Real Change with Casey Mcquire Davidson

    What actually happens when two women, two coaches, and two very different styles sit down to talk about Dry January, habit change, and why New Year’s resolutions so often fall apart? In this episode, I’m joined by Casey Davidson, host of the Hello Someday Podcast—one of today’s top mental health podcasts—and a nationally recognized voice in the sober-curious space who’s been featured across major media outlets. Together, we have a real, funny, unfiltered conversation about sobriety curiosity, consistency, and what actually helps people change—without dieting, white-knuckling, or pretending willpower is the solution. We talk about why most people abandon their New Year’s resolutions (spoiler: it’s not a discipline problem), how habit change really works, and why stacking consistent sober days matters far more than dabbling in on-again/off-again drinking. Casey also shares why she intentionally extends Dry January into a 100-day New Year program—because 30 days is often just enough time to start feeling better, but not long enough to truly feel the difference of life without alcohol. We explore what happens when people give themselves enough time to stabilize, build momentum, and experience the mental clarity, emotional steadiness, and confidence that only come with sustained time alcohol-free. This isn’t a Dry January hype episode. And it’s definitely not a “fix your life in 30 days” pitch. It’s an honest conversation between two coaches who approach this work differently—but agree on what actually supports sustainable change. We also unpack the quiet pressure of January: the urge to reset everything at once, optimize your life, and emerge transformed by February—and why that mindset often backfires when alcohol is involved. Expect laughter, nuance, and the kind of conversation you only get when two women trust each other enough to tell the truth. In This Episode, We Cover:Why New Year’s resolutions fail (and what actually helps habits stick)The difference between dabbling in sobriety and building real momentumWhy consistent sober days matter more than “just cutting back”Why 30 days can feel good—but 100 days can feel transformativeHow diet culture sneaks into early sobriety—and how to opt outWhat Dry January can be when framed as curiosity instead of punishmentHow two coaches with different styles still land on the same fundamentals About the GuestCasey Davidson is the host of the Hello Someday Podcast, one of the top mental health podcasts today, and a leading voice in the sober-curious movement. Her work has been featured in major national media outlets, and she’s known for helping high-achieving women rethink their relationship with alcohol in a way that’s practical, compassionate, and grounded in real life. She’s also the creator of a 100-day New Year program designed to help people move beyond short-term challenges and into lasting change. Who This Episode Is ForAnyone who’s tried Dry January—or quitting—more than oncePeople who are sober-curious and tired of starting overli...

    48 min

  5. JAN 6

    EP 55: The Devil We Know: Why Sobriety Feels Uncomfortable Before It Feels Free

    The Devil We Know: Why Sobriety Feels Uncomfortable Before It Feels FreeIn this episode of Rewired Sober, Kate explores one of the most misunderstood parts of sobriety: liminal spaces — the in-between seasons where the old way no longer fits, but the new way hasn’t fully formed yet. These are the moments when you know you made the right choice… but your nervous system still craves the relief of certainty. Using both neuroscience and lived experience, Kate unpacks why the brain prefers the “devil we know” — familiar patterns, predictable outcomes, even familiar pain — over the uncertainty that comes with real change. This episode also includes a live teaching pulled directly from Kate’s Rewired Sober group, where she speaks candidly about: wanting to want sobrietywhy early sobriety can feel strangely effortfuland why feeling unsettled doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong If you’ve ever thought “Why does this still feel weird?” — this conversation will land. This episode is for you if:You’re outgrowing alcohol but don’t feel fully at home without it yetYou find yourself wanting answers instead of wanting to sit in the unknownYou feel frustrated that sobriety still requires intentionYou’re in a transition season and questioning whether you’re “behind” In this episode, Kate explores:What liminal spaces are and why they’re unavoidable in sobrietyWhy the nervous system values predictability over freedomHow familiar habits create a false sense of safetyThe urge to rush certainty — and why it’s a stress responseWhy repetition, regulation, and time are what actually rewire the brainHow staying in the middle is not weakness, but integration Key takeaway:Transformation doesn’t happen in the decision. It happens in the middle. You don’t rush liminal spaces. You listen in them. They are where your nervous system learns how to live in truth — without anesthesia. If sobriety feels right and unfamiliar at the same time, this episode will help you understand why — and remind you that this phase isn’t something to escape. It’s something to move through. About Rewired Sober: Rewired Sober is a science- and soul-based recovery space for women who are ready to understand their brain, trust themselves, and build a sober life that actually fits. Learn more about Kate’s group coaching, courses, and resources at the links in the show notes. Rewired Sober Group Coaching Space Is Now Open: Start anytime and get 3 months of guidance designed for women in sobriety. You’ll get instant access to the full program, plus weekly live coaching sessions to help you rewire your brain, heal old patterns, and stay consistent. Enroll...

    36 min

  6. 12/30/2025

    EP 54: The Beautiful Girl Trap: Pop Culture, Drunkorexia & The Weaponized Shame

    In this episode of Rewired Sober™, we’re going straight for the jugular: pop culture, body image, drunkorexia, and the weaponized shame that’s kept women small, hungry, distracted, and drinking for decades. I break down how Sophie Gilbert’s Girl on Girl exposes the pressure cooker women have lived in for the last 20 years — the beauty standards, the public scrutiny, the Kardashian-era body illusions, the return of heroin-chic, the Jessica Simpson mom-jean debacle — and how all of it shaped not just how women see themselves… but how women cope. Then I bring in Caroline Knapp’s Appetites and her concept of “the real hungers” — the soul-level needs women are taught to starve. Not food. Not jeans sizes. But belonging, rest, connection, desire, meaning, permission to take up space. We talk about what happens when those needs get rerouted into dieting, perfectionism, and eventually, drinking. We get honest about drunkorexia — the collision between diet culture and drinking culture — and why it’s not a quirky college fad, but a symptom of patriarchy’s oldest trick: keep women underfed, self-conscious, tipsy, ashamed, and too exhausted to revolt. We cover: How pop culture trained women to hate their bodiesWhy women’s binge drinking nearly doubled in the last two decadesHow shame becomes internalized and fuels the drinking loopWhy wine culture and diet culture are sistersThe neuroscience behind hungry brains + alcoholHow patriarchy profits when women are distracted by self-maintenanceAnd why sobriety is, at its core, a feminist act of resistance If you’ve ever felt like you had to be thin, quiet, good, small, or “fine”… this episode will hit you right in the truth. Rewired Sober Group Coaching Space Is Now Open: Start anytime and get 3 months of guidance designed for women in sobriety. You’ll get instant access to the full program, plus weekly live coaching sessions to help you rewire your brain, heal old patterns, and stay consistent. Enroll here: https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/rewired-sober-coaching-program Connect with Kate @rewiredsober on all social media platforms: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rewiredsober/ #fuckheroinchic blog post https://thesobercurator.com/fuckheroinchic-a-flashback-to-1997/

    40 min

  7. 12/23/2025

    EP 53: Why Overachievers Drink: You’re Not Addicted to Alcohol — You’re Addicted to Avoiding Pain

    In this unfiltered, real-as-hell episode, Kate sits down —makeup-free and bra-free, with her messy podcast editing skills — to talk about something she sees in nearly every woman she coaches: The Overachiever Wound. If you grew up being compared, dismissed, or made to feel less-than… your nervous system learned that safety comes from performance. So you overachieved, excelled, got the degrees, the gold stars, the promotions, the “good girl” identity — all because your body believed: “If I achieve, I’m safe. If I slow down, I’m exposed.” Kate breaks down why high-achieving women struggle to rest, why the goalpost keeps moving, and why no amount of success ever feels like enough. Spoiler: it’s not because you’re broken — it’s because your brain is still protecting a younger version of you. Inside this episode: The exact childhood moment most women learn to prove their worth Why your brain ties safety to doing The feminist and generational conditioning behind female overachievement Why rest feels terrifying for women who have been performing their whole lives What you are really avoiding by staying busy The neuroscience of "being seen" by other women How to start unwinding the proving pattern without burning down your life This episode is messy, vulnerable, unfiltered… and exactly the medicine so many women need. If you’re tired of hustling for your existence — this one’s for you. Rewired Sober Group Coaching Space Is Now Open: Start anytime and get 3 months of guidance designed for women in sobriety. You’ll get instant access to the full program, plus weekly live coaching sessions to help you rewire your brain, heal old patterns, and stay consistent. Enroll here: https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/rewired-sober-coaching-program Connect with Kate @rewiredsober on all social media platforms: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rewiredsober/

    39 min

  8. 12/16/2025

    EP 52: The Patriarchy, and Women’s Erasure: Why Sobriety Needs Intersectional Feminism

    In today's episode, Kate goes deep into why women’s drinking has never been a personal failure and why sobriety is, at its core, a feminist act. Drawing from neuroscience, history, spirituality, and lived experience, she unpacks how women were conditioned to numb themselves instead of trust themselves and why quitting alcohol often becomes the first moment a woman stops being manageable and starts becoming sovereign. This episode challenges patriarchy, recovery dogma, spiritual gatekeeping, and the idea that women need to humble themselves even more than they already have. In this episode, Kate dives into:Why women drink to numb the emotional and labor load they were never meant to carryHow sobriety leads to boundaries, agency, and personal freedomThe ways alcohol has been marketed to women as empowerment and rewardWhy women metabolize alcohol differently and get sicker fasterHow midlife hormones intensify alcohol’s impact on womenWhy sobriety often awakens feminist consciousnessThe truth about AA being written by men, for men, and why that matters for womenHow humility and ego language gets weaponized against women in recoveryWhy women rarely drink because of ego and more often drink from exhaustion and self abandonmentThe difference between intellectual knowing and soul knowingWhy trusting your intuition is radical and necessaryHow sobriety restores spiritual authority, voice, and self trust Women do not drink because they are broken. They drink because they were taught to silence themselves. Sobriety is the moment when a woman stops being manageable and becomes sovereign. Rewired Sober Group Coaching Space Is Now Open: Start anytime and get 3 months of guidance designed for women in sobriety. You’ll get instant access to the full program, plus weekly live coaching sessions to help you rewire your brain, heal old patterns, and stay consistent. Enroll here: https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/rewired-sober-coaching-program Connect with Kate @rewiredsober on all social media platforms: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rewiredsober/

    39 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

Welcome to Rewired Sober, the podcast where science meets soul on the journey of women’s recovery and empowerment. Hosted by Kate Vitela, RN, a certified addiction and psychiatric-mental-health nurse coach sober since 2018, this show dives deep into the neuroscience of addiction, healing, and habit change—and the spiritual awakening that follows. Each episode blends real talk, humor, and motivation to help you understand how your brain rewires, how your body heals, and how your soul remembers who she is. From neuroplasticity and emotional regulation to intuition, self-trust, and radical self-love, you’ll learn practical tools and mindset shifts to stay sober, inspired, and grounded. Because recovery isn’t just about not drinking—it’s about rewiring how you think, feel, and live. This is where science meets soul, and where women come to remember their power, their purpose, and their truth.

Information

  • Creator
    Kate Vitela
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Kate Vitela
  • Show Website
    Rewired Sober

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