411–420 of 600 posts
One day, for a reason I don't know, I just stopped. I don't even cheat because I know how weak I am, I'll go right back into it.
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>Alcohol promises a great time. Alcohol delivers a hangover and regrets. The level of simplicity being applied here suggests to me you've never been an alcoholic nor spent much time with alcoholics. This advice is at the same level of "just think positively" when addressing depression; it's almost laughably out of touch and unhelpful. It's great that you find it easy to exhibit such control over your behaviors, but i…
I've quit addictions. It's important to understand that resolve is something you need to practice, it's like a muscle. Every time you give in to a temptation, your resolve weakens. Every time you resist, it gets stronger. Practicing like this quite literally rewires your brain. Strengthens the ability of the amygdala to regulate behavior. If you give in to every impulse, you teach your brain to exercise less impulse…
You may as well be a patient in a drug trial, one of the let's say 30% that responded well to the drug, but afterwards you go out and claim that it's a cure for everyone... well no, it didn't work for 70% of people.
https://thisnakedmind.com/this-naked-mind/
The author does a very analytical, scientific breakdown of the physiological and psychological factors at play with alcohol. For me, it helped a ton to understand that there were very real forces at play that were compelling me to drink, it wasn't necessarily a personal failing or weakness.
Best of luck to you! I am brutally aware of how tough it can be, but I can tell you the other side is pretty great.
Just don't drink alone. Where 'alone' includes 'with the people you live with' if there are any. Unless it's too easy for you to meet friends at the pub every day, it should suffice.
1) controlling your drinking
2) how to change your drinking
I highly recommend either.
Do you have history of alcohol abuse in your family? I was “fortunate” to witness it firsthand and, over time, I got afraid of losing control over myself, because I noticed some… familiar personality _quirks_ that would warrant it.
Neither of those issues really pushed me to stop, but it all became a perfect storm when I took up running and found out that a friend is a runner. It spawned a positive feedback loop - I wanted to improve and we celebrated each other’s victories, no matter how small (with pats on back, not bottles). It is a hobby that is not conducive to hangovers, so I began the process of weaning myself off.
On the other hand, I have certain intolerances/allergies that also conflict with indulging.
I guess my point is… death by a thousand papercuts. Any and every reason to abstain helps with losing bad habits.
And _never_ hate yourself for slipping up. Look into eating disorders - the compensatory behaviors following that are what cause you to spiral down.
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This sort of applies to misguided training as well. If you are into training, training like an idiot with get-jacked-quick schemes like german volume training 7 days a week or the bulgarian method or whatever, that sure may appear sweet before you try it. A torn ACL or rotator cuff later, and maybe it wasn't such a great idea. In retrospect, boring modest training would have gotten you a lot farther.
There are risks that cannot be fully mitigated in your climbing a mountain example - rockfall, avalanche, unstable terrain, sudden storms, etc. Going to the gym and doing boring modest stairmaster will be a lot safer than climbing actual mountains. Yet you seem to recommend the accomplishment aspect of climbing mountains.
If it does matter to you, then having tried and failed is arguably better than having been safe and taking no risks and then dying anyway because death knocks on your door no matter how much you try to avoid it.
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Alcohol promises a great time. Alcohol delivers a hangover and regrets. I drink alcohol at least 2 or 3 times a week. I can't remember the last time I had a hangover. I just don't drink an excessive amount. Junk food promises a great time. Junk food delivers poor health and regrets. I eat junk food a few times every month. I'm above average on most health metrics. Going to the gym promises hardship and struggle. It d…
Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands and then eat just one of those pieces. – Judith Viorst People are made different. Some are more binge oriented, seems those also feel the most guilt after consumption and then they restrain for a longer time, then they fall worse. I'm like that, when I do something I'm all in, seems like a awesome thing when I'm into good things, b…
I started asking for mocktails, sometimes they are listed on the menu but many times you can ask the waiter/bartender and they can make you some amazing non-alcoholic drinks even if not listed.
I realized I didn't like cocktails, I liked the sugary drink part of cocktails.
I still limit to 1-2 mocktails when I go out, and fucking love it.
I said cocktails and I know you said beer, but if you also like cocktails maybe that's a way to cut down by tricking your brain into thinking it's having alcohol.