RE 592: GLP-1's and Addiction

Description

Today we have Lauren. She is 39 years old from Chicago, IL and took her last drink on November 22nd, 2019. This episode is brought to you by: Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026 Stay tuned here for some upcoming travel opportunities in 2027-2028 If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, check out our FREE 7-day guide. [02:58] Thoughts from Paul: This week, Paul talks about GLP-1s and the growing evidence that these medications can help with cravings for opioids, cigarettes and alcohol in addition to their effectiveness' in assisting with weight loss and diabetes. The research is in the initial phases, but there have been studies showing that GLP-1s can lower alcohol cravings. Researchers found that GLP-1 plus therapy can reduce heavy drinking. And a clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry found that GLP-1s significantly reduced weekly alcohol cravings compared to placebo. This may not be the magical cure for alcoholism that we've been looking for, but it could give the jump start we may need. Since the drinking problem is more like the canary in the mine saying something in your life is out of balance, a GLP-1 will not fix that. We've always said at RE that there is no one-size-fits-all path to sobriety. For some people it's AA. For some it's therapy. For some it's community, nature, spirituality, movement. Maybe for some people, the path starts with a GLP-1. [11:29] Paul introduces Lauren: Lauren lives in Chicago, she is single, and she lives close to her family. She is a director of business processes for car wash equipment manufacturing. For fun, Lauren is a member of multiple clubs and enjoys taking painting classes. Lauren says the first time she drank was while on a date when she was 16. She recalls that she blacked out and that blacking out was common for her throughout her drinking career. In college, Lauren was in sorority where they hosted a lot of drinking activities. This continued after she graduated and got a job. Drinki