“How can I get sober when I love drinking wine? And cocktails? And beer?”
At the height of my drinking career, I asked myself this question a lot.
I knew I needed to stop and I knew cutting down didn’t really work for me.
I hated the way I felt when I broke the promises I’d made to myself.
And yet I still loved drinking.
If you’re in a similar position, let’s talk about the best way to move forward:
Key points:
We haven’t always loved alcohol.
It’s important to recognise this. Think back to your first alcoholic drink – what was it like? For me, the taste of wine made me gag. But I pushed on through and learned to tolerate it.
I taught myself to love it because I was already sold on the idea that drinking was going to make me more relaxed, confident and fun. For many of us, this cultural conditioning is part of our belief system before we’ve even had our first drink.
If it was really about the taste…
We’d have no problem switching to alcohol-free wines and beers. The range available now is terrific. And have you noticed that after a break from drinking, that first glass of wine never tastes quite as good as you remembered?
It’s easy to say, “I just love drinking wine”
It’s much harder to admit the truth: that you have a hard time feeling good enough. Or you find it difficult to relax on your own. Or you struggle to manage the transition from work life to family life.
Drinking is always about the feelings or benefits you’re chasing. When we cling on to vague statements like, “I just really love drinking!” it’s hard to move forward. It’s a disempowering place to stand in.
When you know what you’re really using alcohol for, the path forward becomes clearer. Then you can start asking, “Ok – how can I do this on my own? What skill do I need to learn or practice?”
If you’d love some help and support to quit drinking, click here for details of my online course.
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