I used to make excuses to drink alcohol when I was stressed, had a day off, was celebrating events, or when my partner was away, thinking he would not find out.
This thought pattern continued for a long time.
Here’s my tool to stop drinking: I remind myself of the consequences of drinking alcohol—the hangover, headache, shame, vomiting, and regret the next day. Whenever I’m tempted to drink again, I think of these pains. If I still feel like drinking, I indulge in delicious food instead, which is better than drinking alcohol anyway.
I also say out loud:
- I am not going to drink it. I have had enough of wasting days with hangovers.
- I have had enough to drink in my life and wasted my time.
- I don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night because of a headache and regret drinking the next day.
- I hate the hangover feeling and can’t do anything the next day, lying in bed all day due to the hangover.
Instead, I remind myself of the feeling of waking up fresh and motivated, loving myself for overcoming the temptation.
The temptation still comes and goes, but I practice this tool to combat it.
My brain needs time to eliminate this drinking habit.
The key is to practice this tool consistently until my brain automates the thought that I don’t enjoy drinking and hate the feeling afterward. While drinking alcohol may provide temporary enjoyment, the long-term consequences are not worth it. Overall, I don’t like drinking alcohol, and I am not going to drink at all.
Leave a Reply