Most of us don’t realize we’re stuck in a loop, not at first.
It starts simple: we drink, we feel it, we crash, we recover. Somewhere in that haze, the next drink starts calling again. We tell ourselves it’s just stress, or mood, or bad timing.
But beneath the surface is a predictable cycle. One that keeps us stuck without ever making a scene.
What the Loop Really Looks Like
For high-functioning drinkers, the cycle isn’t always dramatic. It doesn’t roar in with intense cravings. It’s subtle. Almost mechanical.
Here’s how it usually plays out:
- We drink until we’re inebriated, then crash into bed.
- The next morning, we wake up groggy, hungover, maybe a little anxious.
- By midday, as alcohol leaves our system, the discomfort kicks in: irritability, restlessness, a vague sense of being off.
- We don’t recognize it as withdrawal. We blame work stress, poor sleep, or just a long week.
- Instinctively, we reach for another drink to take the edge off.
And it works, briefly. But all that does is complete the cycle.
A Day in the Loop
Imagine a typical day.
You wake up feeling heavy and foggy, promising yourself you’ll take it easy tonight. You push through the morning, coffee in hand, trying to shake off the edge.
By early afternoon, you’re restless. You snap at a colleague, scroll your phone too much, or find yourself staring at the clock. Something just feels off.
By late afternoon, the thought creeps in: A drink would help. By evening, the resistance is gone. You pour one, feel the quick relief, and tell yourself tomorrow will be different.
But tomorrow starts the same way.
That’s how the cycle traps us. Quietly. Predictably.
Alcohol Creates the Problem, Then Pretends to Fix It
That’s the trick.
The discomfort we feel isn’t random. It’s not just “a mood.” It’s mild withdrawal, our body signaling that it’s missing something it has come to expect.
And alcohol, the very thing causing that discomfort, shows up as the supposed solution.
It’s a closed loop. Unless we pay close attention, we don’t even realize we’re in it.
Awareness Changes Everything
Once we start seeing the cycle for what it really is, a mechanical loop driven by chemistry and habit, everything shifts.
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” cravings. It’s about noticing a process… and choosing not to repeat it.
Not Every Cycle Is Physical
Withdrawal-driven loops are common, but they’re not the only kind.
Some cycles aren’t about chemistry. They’re about context:
- A drink to take the edge off after work
- A social trigger that flips us into autopilot
- A boredom fix, a bedtime routine, a reward system
The cues may shift, but the outcome is the same: we drink without pausing to ask why.
How to Break the Pattern
The good news is that cycles lose power once they’re exposed.
Here are small steps that start to crack the loop:
- Delay the drink. Even 30 minutes of waiting can show you that the urge rises and falls like a wave.
- Write it down. Track what you feel at each stage of the day. The cycle becomes obvious when it’s on paper.
- Swap one step. Replace the evening drink with a walk, a call, or a real meal. Breaking just one link in the chain interrupts the loop.
- Notice the contrast. Watch how non-drinkers move through tired days. They recover with food, rest, or exercise. Alcohol only adds another layer for us.
Each time you interrupt the pattern, even once, you weaken its hold.
Patterns Aren’t Permanent
Here’s the best part: these cycles aren’t permanent.
They’re not identity. They’re just grooves we’ve walked in for too long. And grooves can be stepped out of.
Once we see alcohol clearly as 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.
Breaking the cycle isn’t about never feeling off. It’s about creating a new loop, one that ends in clarity, not regret.
— Brent