Belief #10: The Buzz Feels Amazing
The buzz can feel good. But when we look at how long it lasts, how much we drink trying to keep it going and what comes afterwards, it may not be as amazing as we remember.
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Belief #9: Alcohol Solves Boredom
Some heavy drinking nights started because we had nothing to do. Alcohol made the time pass, but did we enjoy ourselves or just notice the boredom less?
Belief #8: Moderate Drinking Is an Option
Moderation can sound like the sensible answer. But if we’re setting rules, counting drinks and bargaining with ourselves, alcohol is still the main thing we’re thinking about.
Belief #7: Alcohol Helps Me Sleep
Alcohol can help us fall asleep quickly, which makes this belief feel completely true. But falling asleep is only the start. How did the rest of the night go, and how did we feel the next day?
Belief #6: Alcohol Helps Me Socially
Alcohol could make the start of a social event feel easier. It could also make us talk more, listen less and wake up replaying the night. Feeling more social didn’t always mean we were connecting better.
Belief #5: Alcohol Tastes Amazing
Some of us genuinely liked the taste of our usual drink. But taste became mixed up with the buzz, the ritual and the relief we expected. Would we still want exactly the same flavour if the drink did nothing at all?
Belief #4: The Rosy Effect
A good drinking memory can feel completely real, even when it leaves out what happened later. When we let the memory keep going, we often remember why we wanted to stop.
Belief #3: Alcohol Is My Reward
We can work hard and feel like we’ve earned a drink. But if we wake up tired, anxious and can’t enjoy the next morning, it isn’t much of a reward.
Belief #2: Alcohol Makes Me Happy
Alcohol can give us a quick lift. But a lot of the happiness we remember came from the people, the moment and everything else happening around us. And over time, heavy drinking can make normal life feel flat.
Belief #1: Alcohol Helps Me Relax
Alcohol can give us quick relief, but relief isn’t the same as relaxation. Then there’s the poor sleep and how we feel the next day. A lot of the time, we end up even more stressed.
The Belief Bucket: Exploring the Beliefs That Shape Our Drinking
The Belief Bucket is a collection of ten common beliefs about alcohol. This series takes them one at a time and looks at what really happened when we drank.
Relapse-Resistant Momentum: Lasting Sobriety
Over time, not drinking starts to feel normal. Alcohol loses some of its appeal, and we’ve got more and more proof that we can handle life without it.