“What story are you telling yourself when you slip?” is the question I ask my clients when they encounter a setback in their alcohol-free journey.

What many people don't realize is that when drinking has been part of your life for a long time, it stops being just a trivial habit that you can simply take or leave. Instead, it becomes intertwined with many aspects of your everyday life, like:

• How you relax and unwind
• How you socialize and connect
• How you navigate difficult emotions

Changing something like this often comes with a learning curve.

Yet, many of us have been told a black-and-white story about drinking: either you can stop effortlessly, or you'll struggle forever. But there is a vast middle ground between those two extremes.

So when we struggle to get the hang of it at first, we quickly conclude that something is wrong with us, that we are an alcoholic, or that we don’t have what it takes to overcome our old drinking patterns.

Over time, these stories can become just as powerful as the alcohol itself, defining who we are and what we believe is possible.

That’s why when my clients encounter setbacks in their journey, I don’t ask, “Why did you drink again?” I ask, “What story are you telling yourself about this setback?”

In my recent reel, I shared a simple journal prompt to help you explore a new narrative when you encounter a setback in your journey. You can watch it here.

Jeanette