Ep. 183: Transfer Addiction Explained: What Happens After You Quit Drinking

When you quit drinking, you expect the hard part to be over, but sometimes, the brain finds a new outlet for the same addictive patterns. In this episode, Sara opens up about her personal experience with transfer addictions - how her addictive tendencies shifted from alcohol to food tracking, sugar, and weed, and what she learned about herself in the process. Through stories, science, and self-compassion, Sara breaks down:

• What transfer addiction (or cross-addiction) actually is
• Why our brains latch onto new sources of dopamine when we remove alcohol
• How dopamine depletion and reward substitution keep us chasing “the buzz”
• Why it’s normal to experience new compulsions in early sobriety and how to move through them
• 7 powerful ways to heal the void and rebuild balance in recovery

You’ll also hear Sara share research-backed insights on dopamine regulation, neuroplasticity, and the incentive sensitization theory, explaining why we crave even when we no longer enjoy the thing we’re craving. Whether your new obsession is sugar, scrolling, or staying “in control,” this episode reminds you that awareness is the first step toward freedom.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Journey

01:16 Understanding Transfer Addictions

03:36 Promoting the 30-Day Alcohol-Free Challenge

04:43 Realizing Transfer Addictions

07:40 Defining Transfer Addiction

10:40 The Science Behind Addiction

20:27 Recognizing and Managing Transfer Addictions

22:06 Practical Tools for Overcoming Addictions

26:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

📚 Resources & Further Reading: Transfer Addictions, Dopamine, and Recovery

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) — Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction
2. Volkow, N.D. et al. (2019). The Neuroscience of Drug Reward and Addiction. Annual Review of Psychology, 70, 373–397.
3. Martinez, D. et al. (2005). Dopamine D2 Receptors in Addiction: Imaging Findings. JAMA Neurology, 62(4), 444–452.
4. Koob, G.F. & Volkow, N.D. (2016). Neurobiology of Addiction: A Neurocircuitry Analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(8), 760–773.
5. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) — The Brain, Addiction, and Recovery

1. Pettinati, H.M. et al. (2021). A Systematic Review of Addiction Substitution in Recovery: Clinical Lore or Empirically-Based?
2. Harm Reduction Journal (2024). Exploring Cannabis Substitution After Substance Recovery.
3. Robinson, T.E. & Berridge, K.C. (2008). The Incentive Sensitization Theory of Addiction: Some Current Issues. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 363(1507), 3137–3146.

1. Avena, N.M. et al. (2008). Evidence for Sugar Addiction: Behavioral and Neurochemical Effects of Intermittent, Excessive Sugar Intake. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 32(1), 20–39.
2. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. What Is Transfer Addiction?

1. Psychology Today. From One Addiction to the Next
2. PubMed Central (2018). Structural and Functional Brain Recovery After Abstinence from Substance Use.

🧘‍♀️Books to Read to Further Your Knowledge on this Topic

• Gabor Maté. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction.
• Judson Brewer, MD, PhD. The Craving Mind.

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