Most of us don’t realize we’re in a loop — not at first.
It starts simple: we drink, we feel it, we crash, we recover… and somewhere in that haze, the next drink starts calling again. We tell ourselves it’s just stress, or mood, or timing.
But beneath that surface is a predictable cycle — one that keeps us stuck without ever making a scene.
What the Cycle Really Looks Like
A typical drinking loop, especially for high-functioning drinkers, isn’t driven by dramatic cravings or intense withdrawal. It’s subtle. Almost mechanical.
It usually goes something like this:
- We drink until we’re inebriated. Then we pass out or head to bed.
- The next morning, we feel rough — hungover, groggy, maybe a little anxious.
- By midday, the alcohol starts leaving our system. That’s when the real discomfort kicks in — irritability, restlessness, a vague sense of being off.
- We don’t recognize it for what it is. So we chalk it up to work stress, bad sleep, or a long week.
- And instinctively, we reach for another drink — thinking it’ll help us relax or “take the edge off.”
And it does — briefly. But that’s just the cycle completing itself.
Alcohol Creates the Problem — Then Pretends to Fix It
That’s the trick.
The discomfort we feel? It’s not random. It’s not just “a mood.” It’s mild withdrawal — the body signaling that it’s missing something it’s come to expect.
And alcohol, the very thing creating that discomfort, shows up as the solution.
It’s a closed loop — and unless we’re paying close attention, we don’t even realize we’re in it.
The Power of Awareness
Once we start seeing the cycle for what it is — just a mechanical loop driven by chemistry and habit — everything changes.
We stop interpreting urges as weakness.
We stop assuming we’re the problem.
We start recognizing the pattern for what it is — and that recognition gives us power.
It’s no longer about “fighting” a craving. It’s about noticing a process… and choosing not to repeat it.
Not Every Cycle Is Physical
While withdrawal-driven loops are common, they’re not the only kind.
Some drinking patterns aren’t about chemistry — they’re about context:
- A drink to take the edge off after work
- A social habit that triggers autopilot
- A boredom fix, a bedtime routine, a reward system
The cues may change, but the result is the same: we drink without pausing to ask why.
Patterns Aren’t Permanent
The good news?
These cycles aren’t permanent. They’re not identity. They’re just well-worn grooves we’ve followed for too long — and grooves can be stepped out of.
Once we start seeing alcohol for what it really is — a substance that creates problems and then pretends to solve them — we take back control.
And when the pattern loses its power, the urge loses its grip.
— Brent