In this blog I tell you exactly what your drinking problem really is, the foundation of it, and give you some easy tools, to help you start your journey to changing your drinking, TODAY.
I want you to read at least once, let the truth of it settle, and then ACT on it, even if, right now, you think, it won’t work. It will make sense, and when you surrender to the process, it will, completely.
The problem of your drinking, lies in your ALCOHOL BELIEFS……
In any context, BELIEFS, are simply experiences you have personally had, or seen, and the thoughts you have about those experiences, that you believe are 100% to be true. You run them on repeat and they get stronger.
In the context of Alcohol, your experiences could be;
- That you felt more confident when you drank when you were young,
- That you fitted in better when you had a drink,
- That life was more fun and exciting when you had a drink…
All of which would have contributed to creating the BELIEF, that alcohol made you ‘feel better’…..and ‘better’ is comfort.
BELIEFS start in your Conscious Mind, in your thoughts, and settle in your Unconscious Mind as feelings.
Your Unconscious Mind is your superpower, it controls 98% of your behaviours, and when you have a BELIEF in place there, you will always act on it….which is fab for Limitless BELIEFS, and devastating for LIMITING BELIEFS….which in the context of your drinking are;
“Alcohol brings me COMFORT”
“Changing my drinking will be hard”
“What can I do instead of drink to make me feel better”
“I won’t fit in without a drink”
These and many more are all LIMITING ALCOHOL BELIEFS…
Regardless of how damaging LIMITING BELIEFS are to your happiness and wellbeing, the highest intention behind them is always to bring you COMFORT…..and when you try to stop or change any behaviour round a BELIEF, you experience feelings of fear and anxiety, as your Unconscious Mind feels you will deny yourself comfort.
In fear and anxiety, you are trapped.
You will do anything to COMFORT the fear and anxiety, and when you have ALCOHOL BELIEF, that alcohol brings you COMFORT, you will drink.
And this is true of any behaviour you feel out of control of….shopping, food, gambling…the more you feel fear and anxiety when you think of stopping, the stronger the desire for the behaviour…you always give in, and you give in to find COMFORT.
Your ALCOHOL BELIEFS show up in many ways, the two most easily recognised are;
💯 Your inner mind battle
💯Cravings and Willpower
You think, you want to cut down or stop, your ALCOHOL BELIEF is that stopping / changing your drinking will be hard, you feel anxious, depressed, fearful and stressed, and you drink, to COMFORT your anxiety, stress and fear.
Whilst the feeling of stress, anxiety and fear are in place, you will always, always struggle to change your drinking.
And the more you ‘give in’ (drink), the more evidence you have that your ALCOHOL BELIEF is true, and the stronger the BELIEF gets.
To successfully find peace and control around your drinking, you must use an approach that does not directly focus on alcohol but accepts that the only way forward is to address your ALCOHOL BELIEFS, starting with the Core Belief being, Alcohol brings you COMFORT – your Core Belief is the foundation stone for every other BELIEF, so the quickest way to bring down the prison wall of your drinking, is to release your Core Alcohol Belief. When that is done, your other Alcohol Beliefs, dissolve naturally.
It is not hard to release your Alcohol Core Belief, it simply takes, intention, awareness, and gentle consistency.
The simple work that releases your Alcohol Core Belief, does not exhaust you, take stress, struggle or cause you anxiety or fear (your drinking does that), it is a liberating journey of understanding, peace, happiness and joy.
Your new goal is to re-connect with your true needs, which allows you to find healthier ways to provide COMFORT, manage stress or emotional triggers that may lead you to drink to COMFORT.
Here are some of the strategies, I use with my clients, that accepts the truth of ALCOHOL BELIEFS, and emphasizes providing alternative sources of COMFORT:
🌟 Identify Triggers and Emotions:
Keep a journal to track situations, emotions, or stressors that trigger the desire to drink. Understanding these triggers will help you recognize patterns and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
🌟 Mindfulness and Self-Reflection:
Engage in mindfulness practices like meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga. This will help you become more aware of your emotions and cravings without immediately acting on them.
🌟 Emotional Regulation Techniques:
Learn and practice emotional regulation techniques to cope with difficult emotions without turning to alcohol. This can include talking to someone you trust, writing in a journal, or engaging in creative outlets like art or music.
🌟 Find Alternative COMFORT Sources:
Identify and cultivate other activities, and that does not mean finding ‘distraction’. It means finding ways to deliver COMFORT and joy. This could be spending time in nature, pursuing hobbies, spending quality time with loved ones, or practicing self-care (time to read a beautiful book, have a lovely bath).
🌟 Reframe Your Alcohol Beliefs:
Gradually challenge and reframe BELIEF that alcohol brings COMFORT. Remind yourself, without judgement or criticism, of the negative consequences that drinking can have on your well-being, relationships, and overall life satisfaction.
🌟 Set Realistic Goals:
Avoid setting strict, all-or-nothing goals, as they may create additional tension. Instead, focus on gradual progress and celebrate each step you take towards reducing your alcohol consumption. There are no small wins on any LIFE journey, so celebrate YOU.
🌟 Practice Patience and Compassion:
Understand that changing deep-rooted beliefs and behaviour’s takes time. Be patient and compassionate with yourself throughout the process, and avoid self-criticism if you experience setbacks – you are on a journey of self-discovery, and setbacks, are Golden Opportunities to discover more of your needs….take the new learnings, and add them to your bank of self-knowledge for next time.
Remember, the key is to find healthier ways to address the need for COMFORT and support while gradually challenging and shifting your Core Alcohol Belief, around your drinking.
These simple, empowering tools increase understanding yourself. They build resilience, as you embrace positive changes in your life.
Changing your drinking doesn’t need a ‘quit drinking plan’, you need a LIFE Plan….a way of recognising your ALCOHOL BELIEFS when they show up, to know and understand your LIFE when they show up, and how to respond in a way that easily delivers the comfort you need, and releases your Core Alcohol Belief at the same time.
That’s it. That’s all.
If you are ready to fully immerse yourself in a new approach to changing your drinking, with grace and ease, let’s talk.
My Rapid Alcohol Recovery Method has a £500 discount in AUGUST, spots are limited and 95% of my clients drinking changes in WEEK ONE.
All you need to do is commit, and contact me HERE.
