Take a Break from Drinking

Do you have a strong desire to change your drinking and yet, you're not where you want to be?   In this episode, I'm answering a question from a listener named Chris who's frustrated that he's still drinking more than he wants to, despite trying to make healthier choices. He's switched from hard liquor to premixed cans and is concerned about what his daily drinking is doing to his health.   Tune i...

So many of you start the new year with the best intentions to cut back on drinking, only to find yourself slipping up within the first few days or weeks.   Maybe you promised yourself you'd cut back on drinking this year, but then life happened. A stressful day at work. An awkward social situation. A craving that felt impossible to ignore. And now your brain is telling you that you've failed, that...

If you're feeling more tired and doubtful than inspired about the New Year, especially when it comes to changing your drinking habits, you're not alone.   We're sold this fantasy that the New Year is a magical time to create change, but massive change is always built through tiny steps. Instead of trying to figure out how to completely overhaul your drinking habits, I'm proposing something differe...

Have you ever felt like you're the only one who can't get a handle on your drinking? Like all the success and determination you have in other areas of your life just disappears when it comes to alcohol?   For years, I carried so much shame about my drinking. I'd go to therapy and talk about everything else in my life, but never broach this topic. When I searched for answers online, everything poin...

How often do you find yourself saying, "I'm an adult, I can drink if I want to"?   While it's technically true that you're an adult who can make your own choices, here's the deeper truth: this thought isn't really about the drink.   Tune in this week to hear why pouring a drink in these moments isn't an act of defiance but actually a distraction, how to identify what you're really rebelling agains...

Have you ever caught yourself saying "You only live once!" as you reach for another drink?   The "you only live once" excuse often gets connected to alcohol in our minds, especially when you're seeking a more fun, adventurous, or unfiltered version of yourself. The challenge is that when your brain links the life you want to lead with drinking, trying to cut back can feel like saying no to being f...

Do you feel more comfortable with a drink in your hand at social events?   For years, my solution to social anxiety was simple: head straight to the bar, grab a drink, and feel that familiar wave of relief wash over me as the edges of my nervousness softened. But what happens when that glass becomes less of a choice and more of a requirement for feeling comfortable around other people?   Listen in...

How often do you catch yourself thinking, "A drink makes everything better"?   Maybe it's at parties, during vacation, or just unwinding after a long day. Maybe your list of things that are "better with a drink" seems endless. If a drink makes everything better, does that mean not drinking makes everything worse? And if that's true, how can you ever cut back without feeling like you're missing out...

Have you ever found yourself reaching for that third drink… even though you're not really enjoying it anymore? Or maybe you wake up the next morning thinking, " Why did I do that again? I didn't even like how it made me feel."   The tension between drinking and not enjoying it creates a confusing internal struggle. Sobriety coach Adriana Cloud is back this week to explore this common frustration w...

Ever notice how sometimes choosing not to drink feels less like a positive choice and more like self-punishment?   Maybe the commitment was clear in your mind - tonight, no drinks. But then you watch someone order that dirty martini while you sit with your water, and suddenly saying no feels like you're punishing yourself. That familiar tension rises up: the part of you that wants to stick to your...

Have you ever wondered if you need to wear a certain label to get help with your drinking? Maybe you've thought, " I'm not really an alcoholic, but I don't feel like a normal drinker either."   You're not alone. This in-between space can feel incredibly isolating, especially when it seems like the only options are to identify as an alcoholic or keep struggling in silence. But what if the labels we...

Most people have that one memory that makes them cringe - the party where they said the wrong thing, the meeting where they stumbled over their words, or when a simple "no thanks" to a drink turned into the most awkward moment of the night.   You spend so much energy trying to avoid these uncomfortable situations, building elaborate strategies to never feel that squirmy sensation again. But what i...

Have you ever stood in front of the growing selection of non-alcoholic beverages and wondered if they're a smart choice or a slippery slope?     Non-alcoholic drinks are everywhere now: fancy mocktails at restaurants, craft NA beers at the grocery store, entire shops dedicated to alcohol-free spirits. But beneath the surface of this booming market lies a deeper question that many people wrestle wi...

When you're standing in your kitchen with a craving, there's a moment where pouring the drink feels like the path of least resistance.     The familiar routine beckons - no thinking required, no uncomfortable feelings to navigate, just the well-worn neural pathway that promises immediate relief. But what if that sense of ease is actually an illusion?   Tune in this week as Adriana Cloud joins me t...

Ever noticed how that evening glass of wine feels less like a drink and more like a reward? Do you pour that drink and think, " Finally, something for me?"   A reward for all the invisible work you do every day. The mental load, the scheduling, the endless to-do lists that nobody else sees.   Listen in this week to discover the connection between invisible labor and your drinking habits, and pract...

Society has taught us a script about alcohol that keeps millions of people stuck. The story says you're either a normal drinker who can take it or leave it, or you're powerless and must quit forever.     This black-and-white narrative has been reinforced by treatment models and cultural messaging for nearly a century, leaving no room for the possibility of actually changing your relationship with...

Have you ever wondered why "one more drink" never quite delivers what you're hoping for?   Most people assume that when you keep reaching for more alcohol, it's a willpower problem. But there's actually a psychological and physiological phenomenon at play here called diminishing returns .     Tune in this week to hear exactly why "one more" never delivers what you're hoping for, and how understand...

Have you ever found yourself lying awake at night, replaying all the "stupid" things you did while drinking? That mental highlight reel of moments you wish you could take back, the choices that make you cringe, the decisions that still make you shake your head in disbelief?   Regret about your drinking weighs you down like a heavy backpack filled with rocks. You're hauling it around everywhere, co...

Have you ever tried to chase that perfect feeling?     You know the one - where everything feels just right. Maybe it's after that first glass of wine, during a celebration, or in those moments when you're feeling completely confident and in control. And then... it starts to fade.   Tune in this week to learn why the buzz fades and how accepting that it's supposed to can completely transform your...

The shame spiral around drinking often starts with something that seems completely logical. You know alcohol isn't serving you, yet you still genuinely enjoy it. This creates a mental tug-of-war where you're constantly battling against your own desires, telling yourself you shouldn't want what you clearly do want.     Most people spend years stuck in this exhausting cycle, believing that if they j...

The floodgates metaphor captures exactly how it feels when you reintroduce alcohol after a break - like you've lost all control and are being swept downstream.     You watch your progress unravel, find yourself right back in old patterns, and wonder why you keep making the same mistakes. This experience leaves many people trapped in an exhausting on-again, off-again relationship with alcohol, conv...

You've made the list. You have all the reasons why drinking less is a smart choice. You know all the benefits and you really do want to change. So why isn't that enough in the moment? Why does your motivation disappear the second a craving shows up or as soon as you've finished your first drink?   Many people spend years believing that their long list of good reasons should be enough to change my...

What's the difference between having fun and chasing it? As kids, most people have a good 15 years of life when they knew how to have fun without a drink in their hand. Back then, your brain had no idea that the perception of fun could be outsourced to something external. You just went out and created your own enjoyment.   When you get in the habit of drinking to have fun, you start expecting thin...

When contemplating taking a break from drinking or cutting back, most people focus on how hard it will be. They anticipate struggle, discomfort, and missing out on fun.     Our brains are actually designed to avoid hard things. We're wired to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and expend the least amount of energy possible. This motivational triad helped humans survive thousands of years ago when daily li...

Ever felt like you just need a drink to handle discomfort? In this episode, you'll hear how a terrifying bus ride through Alaska's Denali National Park helped me realize that discomfort isn't the enemy – it's the chaos we create around it that trips us up.   Through a narrow, winding road perched over sheer cliffs, fear consumed me. I reacted, resisted, and distracted myself, escalating the discom...