Do you want to have a drink when you feel stressed?
If your answer is yes, you are not alone.
That's because, on some level, you've been led to believe that a drink can make you feel less stressed.
Actually, unless you've been living in a bubble, I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least a small part of you that shared this belief.
After all, we see it everywhere—on TV, in the media, and among the people in our lives.
Take one of my favorite shows, Grey's Anatomy, for example. Have you ever noticed how nearly every emotionally devastating episode ends with Meredith, Cristina, Derek, or the others gathering at Joe's Bar?
The unspoken message is loud and clear: “When you're stressed, a drink helps.”
And if you have ever tried it yourself, you know it works, at least in the moment.
So, it's only natural to conclude, “A drink helps relieve stress.”
In the Invisible Drinking Loop, I call beliefs like this Unexamined Beliefs—beliefs we've formed about alcohol through our own experiences and observations. These beliefs often feel real and true, and when left unexamined, they fuel the desire to drink and create FOMO when we try to quit.
The good news is that, as real as they may feel, these beliefs are often based on an incomplete story about alcohol. This is especially true when it comes to the belief that “alcohol helps us reduce stress.”
In my latest blog, I share the three sneaky ways the belief that "drinking relieves stress" can actually compound the stress in our lives.
You can read it below:
