{"podcast":{"title":"Journey to the Sunnyside | Mindful Drinking & Alcohol Health","slug":"journey-to-the-sunnyside-mindful-drinking-alcohol-health-6796606","podcast_index_feed_id":6796606,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/journey-to-the-sunnyside","website_url":"https://www.sunnyside.co","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/qNwOM3E63mZeaWTP8w9JvEUtP49g_n1dWVr_Oqcdk1Y/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzQ5Nzc2LzE3MDc5/NjA2MDEtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.jpg","author":"Sunnyside","episode_count":261,"summary":"Exploring the science of drinking less, from alcohol cravings and habit change to moderation, naltrexone, and building a healthier relationship with alcohol. Whether you're sober curious, cutting back, or thinking about quitting, this podcast meets you where you are. Journey to the Sunnyside is a top 1% podcast reaching over 500,000 listeners every week. Through expert interviews, neuroscience research, and real stories, we cover what actually works — mindful drinking, behavior change, medication-assisted approaches, harm reduction, and more. Hosted by Mike Hardenbrook, #1 best-selling author and neuroscience enthusiast. Brought to you by Sunnyside, the leading program for changing your relationship with alcohol. Start your free trial at sunnyside.co. Disclaimer: The views expressed in our episodes do not necessarily represent those of Sunnyside. If you're concerned about your drinking, please consult a medical professional. This podcast is not medical advice.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-10T00:20:52.817645+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/journey-to-the-sunnyside-mindful-drinking-alcohol-health-6796606"},"episode":{"title":"Why We Obsess Over \"Figuring Out\" Alcohol","slug":"why-we-obsess-over-figuring-out-alcohol","published_at":"2026-05-26T13:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/journey-to-the-sunnyside-mindful-drinking-alcohol-health-6796606/why-we-obsess-over-figuring-out-alcohol","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/journey-to-the-sunnyside-mindful-drinking-alcohol-health-6796606","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/4c923ced","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/media.transistor.fm/4c923ced/db519a3d.mp3","summary":"A lot of people think the hardest part about changing their drinking is the alcohol itself. But honestly, for a lot of people, the real exhaustion comes from the constant mental negotiation around it. Should I quit drinking completely? Can I moderate? Am I overthinking this? Why does it feel so hard to “figure out” alcohol when everyone else seems fine? In this episode, I explore why our brains become obsessed with finding a perfect, permanent answer around drinking, and how that search for certainty can actually keep us stuck. I talk about the psychology behind all-or-nothing thinking, why the idea of “forever” creates so much pressure, and how a harm reduction approach can create more clarity, self-trust, and lasting change. If you’ve ever felt mentally exhausted trying to figure out your relationship with alcohol, I think this episode will feel very familiar. We also discuss: mindful drinking alcohol moderation gray area drinking overthinking and alcohol all-or-nothing thinking sobriety anxiety harm reduction alcohol and mental health changing your relationship with alcohol the pressure to quit drinking forever RELATED ARTICLES FROM THE SUNNYSIDE BLOG: Naltrexone Online: How to Access Compounded Naltrexone For Alcohol Cravings Alcohol Intolerance: What's Really Happening When Your Body 'Rejects' Alcohol What a New Stanford Study Reveals About Alcohol and Brain Health CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE: Listen to the Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3 Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinsunnyside/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/joinsunnyside TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnyside ABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol health app that helps you drink mo…","meta_description":"A lot of people think the hardest part about changing their drinking is the alcohol itself. But honestly, for a lot of people, the real exhaustion comes f…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":751,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/journey-to-the-sunnyside-mindful-drinking-alcohol-health-6796606/episodes/why-we-obsess-over-figuring-out-alcohol/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/journey-to-the-sunnyside-mindful-drinking-alcohol-health-6796606/why-we-obsess-over-figuring-out-alcohol.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}