Is Your Drinking Habit A Problem? Excessive Alcohol Help

Is your drinking habit a problem? I’ve recently been helping a whole of bunch of people who have found that their drinking habit and excessive alcohol consumption has now become a problem.

Drinking alcohol is a pretty much accepted social norm even though more and more people are deciding to stop drinking. In fact, until relatively recently, not drinking at social occasions was often perceived as something unusual that required a strong reason behind it. As many people who have stopped or reduced drinking can testify, however, there are now a growing number of palatable non alcoholic options (Guinness Zero gets all sorts of rave reviews from clients who have switched to it to reduce their alcohol intake).

Your drinking habit may have started a long time ago. At first it may have just been something for social occasions or the odd drink as you unwind in the evening. Maybe you enjoy the taste and that feeling as the alcohol helps you relax after the busyness of the day. It could be that your life is stressful or that there was a time when you just needed something to help you deal with your thoughts, emotions and feelings. Whatever your history with drinking, at some point you have realised that your drinking habit has become a problem. Somewhere along the way it went from something you purposefully called upon for fun, enjoyment or relaxation, and became this pattern that you persistently fall into despite your determination to curtail it.

Of course, it is always up to you how much, and how often, you want to drink. Yet, with your habit, no matter what you tell yourself, it is almost like it isn’t really up to you anymore. You can find yourself having that drink (and the one after, and the one after that…) even when you’ve been telling yourself all day that you’ll have a night off the booze. You may be worried about your health, know it just isn’t good for you or it may be that those empty calories are putting pressure on your waistline in ways you don’t feel good about. Drinking too much can also lead to arguments, drain your energy for doing other things and interfere with getting a good night’s sleep.

Some people use alcohol to try and help them deal with stress and anxiety. And whilst alcohol may help you quieten those unwanted thoughts and feelings for a while, they generally come back with avengeance later on. You find yourself progressively more and more agitated, anxious and feeling low.

If your drinking habit has become a problem then it is certainly possible to take back control so that you have the freedom to enjoy an occasional drink when you choose but without the consumption levels that create such adverse impacts in your life.

Drinking Habits

As a habit, drinking is based upon repetition and pattern. You likely drink in the same situations repeatedly. You may have started drinking to relax or to deal with anxiety and stress, yet after a while you find yourself just doing the same old things around alcohol in the same old ways. Your brain has an expectation that, for example, when you get in from work you will reach for that bottle or can and drink again. You may be able to resist for a while, yet as with all habits, you eventually find yourself back drinking again in that same old habitual way.

It doesn’t even matter if the reason you started drinking, such as to cope with a particular period of stress, no longer applies. Even after the stressful event has long concluded, the drinking habit can still be going on and on regardless.

Or it could be that you just tell yourself that you enjoy a drink, look forward to and need a glass at night. You might come up with all sorts of other reasons that lead to pouring that bottle. You kind of know you want to cut down or stop drinking yet you end up finding some sort of excuse, reason or justification why tonight you need that wine, spirit or beer and that happens because just trying to completely stop a habit is hard (or you’d have done it by now). Even putting aside the very limited reserves of willpower we all have, simply deciding to make a change rarely carries over into actual long term change.

Every part of your brain is repeating the habit and pattern. If you try to go through your evening simply leaving out the alcohol then your brain will tap away at you. You may become irritable or tense. You might find that all you can think about is having that drink. And you probably find those reasons why tonight it is ok to have one or two easily come to mind. You can always not drink tomorrow! Except you kind of know and expect the same thing will happen again and you’ll be pouring yourself another one again tomorrow night.

Whatever your current level of drinking, it is possible to change that current habit and pattern. I’ve helped people who are struggling to stop just one or two glasses of wine or a couple of beers a night all the way up to those who are drinking a bottle or two, or a dozen beers or more every night.

If your drinking habit is a problem, you may also find these articles about alcohol and drinking helpful:

Reducing Wine Drinking – Alcohol Habits Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

Binge Drinking and Alcohol Problems – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

Binge Drinking – the next day impact of heavy alcohol drinking

Alcohol Abuse – Take Back Control Over Alcohol

Has Alcohol Become Your Crutch? Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Excessive Drinking Impacts on Muscle Loss – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Control your Binge Drinking – Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

Hypnotherapy can help you to interrupt your habit so that you can be in control over your drinking habits. You’ll find it easier and easier to recognise when you don’t want or need a drink and so you simply won’t have one. You’ll also become better at managing your own thoughts and feelings without needing something external to help you to do this. You’ll be more relaxed and confident by day and evening and you’ll find you can still enjoy yourself socially whether or not you have a drink in your hand.

Whether you want to stop drinking completely, or to reign in how often and how much you drink, you can take control over your habit and so find yourself feeling healthier and happier.

To your health and happiness,

Dan Regan

Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

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