Why is it so difficult to quit drinking?
If there was ever a loaded question, that’s it right there!
The generally agreed narrative about quitting drinking is that it has to be painful, difficult and full of relapse and struggle. This is probably why whenever I post on social media about stopping drinking in one day at one of my Bootcamp’s I get a lot of hate.
People love to point out that quitting drinking can’t be done in one day and there is no easy way out of the problem. They love to claim that what I am offering is a scam or that I am a snake oil salesman. They make these claims and accusations without ever even looking at what I do. It’s their default response to everything.
They insist that it is difficult to quit drinking and that’s that!
It’s hard for me not to be offended by these comments because I have seen thousands of people achieve happy, sober lives by following my advice and coaching. However, I understand where the negativity comes from. Most problem drinkers have a lot of evidence to back up their beliefs that quitting is difficult.
Deal with problem drinking in one day
Nearly a decade of helping people
I have been helping people to quit drinking for nearly eight years now. I am regularly shocked that I still get brand new moments of clarity about this drug. For sure, my ego likes to believe that I have this subject mastered. However, the truth is I don’t think I will ever stop learning about this incredibly devious and insidious drug.
Sometimes, it feels like knowing for sure that you have the winning lottery numbers but nobody will believe you. To get my head around the suspicious I have to force my thinking back to the days when I was drinking on a daily basis but desperately trying to quit.
When I tried to stop drinking without adjusting the way I framed alcohol in my life, the brief moments of sobriety I endured felt miserable. I just could not see how life was worth living without being able to drinking. I felt like I would never be able to socialize, relax or even get to sleep without alcohol to help me. Because I believed that life sucks without wine and whiskey that always became my reality whenever I tried to quit.
These days I understand that a sober life is infinitely better. Living without poison in my veins 24/7 is beyond beautiful and now the thought of drinking alcohol repulses me. Because this is my firmly held belief, it also becomes my reality.
I believe life is good because I don’t drink and so it is.
I had another eureka moment the other day that led me to the conclusion that we are making this whole process of quitting drinking so much more difficult and mysterious than it needs to be. Around three months ago I decided to start going to the gym again, after a very lazy (but enjoyable) two-year break from the treadmill.
For the first month, I hated every single second of my new fitness regime. More than that, I complained to my wife that it downright sucked. Life was terrible with a treadmill and a set of dumbbells in it. On gym days I would bitch, moan and complain about it. While I was there I would count the seconds on the clock until I got to the very minimum I could get away with.
Why is it so difficult to quit drinking?
Your thoughts become things
I believe that going to the gym was a miserable experience and so it became my reality.
Then something changed one day. I suddenly because aware that I was driving to the gym and looking forward to it. When I got there I was constantly surprising myself by how quickly the time was going. Instead of having to force myself to do thirty minutes exercise I was nudging a constant ninety minutes every visit. I started the belief that having a fitness routine in my life was a very good thing and yes this became my reality too.
This is true of alcohol. This is true of everything in our lives or not in our lives. It can be difficult to quit drinking or easy – the label is your choice.
It doesn’t have to be difficult to quit drinking
If you have quit drinking and you feel miserable, it’s no different to the first month of a gym membership or the first month of being a vegan. Understand that what you currently choose to label as bad is not a permanent fixture. Sober can become the new good or it can stay bad… But the choice is yours.
So, those people who negatively comment on my work and claim it can’t possibly work – well, they are right. It will never work for them until they open their mind wide enough to consider the possibility.
However, the reverse is very much true. If you are open-minded enough to embrace a new way of thinking then this can change your life forever.
The benefits of sobriety are awesome
The benefits of living a sober life are almost indescribable. Everything gets better when you stop choosing to frame alcohol as your friend instead of your worst enemy.
Alcohol is stealing everything that really matters. Your money, your relationships and most significantly your time are all being squandered by this evil drug. Nobody can force you to quit and nobody can offer a silver bullet that will make everything happen automatically.
However, change is possible and it all starts with your decision to say enough is enough.
Ready to take action?
Why not get started right now on my online quit drinking program?
Or if you really want to see a massive change in one day, come along to my Quit Drinking Bootcamp.
Get passionate, get excited because a happy sober life is only change of thinking away. I promise you that!
