The Sober Docs

Dr. Kali Theis celebrates two years sober and addresses stigma around medication for alcohol use disorder, emphasizing she is not an addiction medicine physician and the episode is educational, not medical advice. She explains why willpower alone often fails due to alcohol’s effects on brain reward pathways, stress hormones, impulse control, sleep, mood, and cravings, and frames medication as one...

Dr. Kali Theis introduces “gray area drinking,” describing it as the space between casual social drinking and severe dependence where many high-functioning, successful women quietly struggle. She explains how alcohol misuse exists on a spectrum, why gray area drinking often goes unnoticed, and how it can show up as mental preoccupation, difficulty stopping after one drink, using alcohol as the def...

Confused about whether you need detox, rehab, AA, or coaching to quit drinking? This episode breaks down the real differences so you can choose the support that fits you. If you’ve been thinking about quitting alcohol but feel overwhelmed by all the recovery options, this episode will help you understand where to start. Dr. Kali Theis breaks down the most common pathways to sobriety—including deto...

Winter in healthcare is brutal—this episode shares practical, sober tools to get through it without burning out or picking up a drink. Winter in healthcare brings longer shifts, heavier patient loads, staffing shortages, and emotional exhaustion—all while personal stress runs higher than usual. In this solo episode, Dr. Kali Theis speaks directly to healthcare professionals navigating sobriety dur...

A realistic, compassionate guide to navigating holiday parties, family gatherings, and traditions without compromising your sobriety. The holiday season can be one of the hardest times to stay sober, especially in cultures where alcohol is woven into celebrations, traditions, and social expectations. In this solo episode, Dr. Kali Theis shares practical, lived-in strategies for protecting your sob...

A practical, judgment-free guide to navigating weddings, conferences, and parties without a drink—or the anxiety. In this solo episode, Dr. Kali Theis breaks down one of the most common stressors in early sobriety: showing up to social events where alcohol feels unavoidable. From weddings to medical conferences, these environments can spark worry, people-pleasing, and rehearsed excuses. Dr. Kali s...

Learn what cravings really are, what sparks them, and how to move through them without giving in. Summary In this episode of The Sober Docs Podcast, Dr. Kali Theis, board-certified pediatrician and recovering alcoholic, breaks down one of the most common challenges in sobriety: alcohol cravings. She explains the science behind cravings, why they happen, and why they’re completely normal—even years...

Dr. Cynthia Chen-Joea, Double Board Certified in Family Medicine and Obesity, CEO & Founder at Thrivation Coaching and Co-Founder at Doctor Contract Negotiation, joins the podcast to discuss what it's like to treat and coach physicians with alcoholism and substance use disorders.  You can find more exclusive and behind the scenes content by following my Instagram accounts: https://www.ins...

On this episode of The Sober Doc Podcast, your host Dr Kali Theis explores the traditional and medical definitions of alcoholism and how to know if you have a problem. She shares how these definitions relate to her ultimate decision to quit and how they make apply to you more than you think.  You can find more exclusive and behind the scenes content by following my Instagram accounts: https://www....

On this episode of The Sober Doc Podcast, your host Dr Kali Theis shares some of the challenges faced by many women in healthcare with finding and maintaining true, authentic friendships and how this can lead to addiction and how research has shown you can use true connection to battle against isolation and alcoholism.  You can find more exclusive and behind the scenes content by following my Inst...

On this episode of The Sober Doc Podcast I discuss the journey I've had with my faith throughout the years and how sobriety has led my back to the church. Because if there's one thing I've learned from my medical training, it's that you can't have miracles without a little faith.  You can find more exclusive and behind the scenes content by following my Instagram accounts:...

On this episode of The Sober Doc Podcast, I share a little about my life once I walked away from alcohol, for good. Requiring medical treatment to detox and finding a version of myself that needed to learn to listen to my body in order to avoid cravings. Listen to find how I resisted boredom and continue to find joy in both the old and new things.  You can find more exclusive and behind the scenes...

On this episode of The Sober Doc Podcast, I walk through the mental gymnastics of admitting both out loud and to myself that I had a problem with alcoholism and desperately trying to find ways to get sober. The path to sobriety is not an easy one when the common support systems such as Alcoholics Anonymous are not a viable option. With multiple attempts at moderation and sobriety, I found myself i...

*warning: this episode touches on suicidal ideation/intent On this episode of The Sober Doc Podcast, I explore life after training. I walk through the process of studying, taking and failing my specialty boards, all while  battling alcohol addiction. And when all of the testing and training is finally complete, I find myself hit with the arrival fallacy that life would be better once I had finally...

On this episode of The Sober Doc Podcast, I explore my time during training as a resident physician. I walk through just a few of the challenges faced by trainees including long call shifts, exhausting work weeks, expected resiliency after difficult cases and the stigma surrounding asking for help. Ending my time in a global pandemic, these years were washed over in alcohol.  You can find more exc...

On this episode of The Sober Doc Podcast, I dive into my years during medical school. I share some of my deepest moments, including living alone, patient death, and not matching into residency. It's no wonder this time was tied so closely to my worsening mental health and the initiation of drinking alcohol. You can find more exclusive and behind the scenes content by following my Instagram ac...

Hi! I'm Dr. Kali Theis, a Board Certified Pediatrician and a recovering alcoholic. Welcome to the very first episode of The Sober Doc podcast where I dive into the importance behind starting this podcast, and why it seems so much to me. I start with some statistic on the ever growing crisis in the medical field, alongside a chronological overview of my life in medicine and addiction.  You can...