We’ve now looked at ten common beliefs about alcohol.
Some may have been behind our drinking for years. Others might never have felt true for us.
The Belief Bucket is a series of those ten beliefs. This recap puts the articles in one place so we can go back to whichever one still feels relevant.
Belief #1: Alcohol helps me relax
Alcohol can change how tension feels because it slows and dulls things for a while. But once we include the poor sleep, next-day anxiety and the possibility that the first drink was easing withdrawal, it starts to look more like quick relief than proper relaxation.
Read: Alcohol helps me relax.
Belief #2: Alcohol makes me happy
The lift can feel real, but it doesn’t last. And if the night ends with low mood, anxiety, regret or feeling flat the next day, we need to count that as part of the experience as well.
Read: Alcohol makes me happy.
Belief #3: Alcohol is my reward
Many of us connected alcohol with finishing work, celebrating or finally getting a break. A reward should leave us better off. Alcohol often took away our sleep, energy and control.
Read: Alcohol is my reward.
Belief #4: The rosy effect
Our brain can bring back the best moments and leave out the parts that followed. So one good memory can start to look like proof that drinking was better than it really was.
Read: The rosy effect.
Belief #5: Alcohol tastes amazing
Some of us genuinely like certain flavours. But we also learned to connect the taste, glass and ritual with the effect we expected. It helps to ask how much of the appeal was the taste and how much was the buzz.
Read: Alcohol tastes amazing.
Belief #6: Alcohol helps me socially
Alcohol might lower our inhibitions and make us feel less self-conscious for a while. That doesn’t automatically mean we connected better, spoke better or enjoyed the event more.
Read: Alcohol helps me socially.
Belief #7: Alcohol helps me sleep
Alcohol can make us drowsy and help us fall asleep faster. It can also break up the rest of the night and leave us awake too early, anxious or exhausted. Sedation and proper sleep aren’t the same thing.
Read: Alcohol helps me sleep.
Belief #8: Moderate drinking is an option
We might manage two drinks on some nights. But if we’re counting, bargaining and thinking about the next one for the whole evening, moderation may still be keeping alcohol as the main focus.
Read: Moderate drinking is an option.
Belief #9: Alcohol solves boredom
Alcohol can change how boredom feels for a little while. It still doesn’t give us anything meaningful to do, and over time drinking can make our evenings smaller and more repetitive.
Read: Alcohol solves boredom.
Belief #10: The buzz feels amazing
The buzz is a real chemical effect. The question is how reliable it was, how long it lasted and what we had to deal with afterwards.
Read: The buzz feels amazing.
Where to start
Some of these beliefs might feel completely wrong now. Others could still feel partly true. And one or two may still sit behind the thought, “I need a drink.”
We don’t have to agree or disagree with all ten at once. Start with the one that still feels most true and compare it with what drinking was really like for you.
If you haven’t read the Belief Bucket introduction, you can start there. Or go straight to whichever belief stands out.
— Brent