E114: Why We Believe Alcohol Helps and How to Break These Beliefs

When you think about quitting drinking you might feel sad and anxious at the thought of never drinking again. How is it even possible to have a good life without drinking alcohol? We have all of these beliefs that alcohol helps and it’s essential for happiness and connection, but it’s really not. It’s just a drink. We rationalize why it’s helpful because we’re obsessed with it, but when we get some distance we see that alcohol was causing more bad than good. These beliefs, or positive alcohol expectancies, are formed when we’re really young and then they are reinforced through the way alcohol affects our brain. In this episode you’ll learn how these beliefs are formed, how they are reinforced, and how you can start breaking them down. What to listen to next: E11: Why Alcohol Feels Good (Endorphins and Opioid Receptors) E62: Dopamine Deep Dive E101: Does Alcohol Really Unlock Creativity? E77: Are Non-Alcoholic Drinks Okay to Drink? E61: How Alcohol Memories are Triggered in Sobriety Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free   Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices