I found myself that the "quitting is Soooo HARD" mindset made quitting so much harder. Instead, humour and positivity helped a lot. Skip pessimism and negativity. Thanks for the video, Kevin.
I think the main problem for me when it comes to drinking alcohol is I always end up going back to choosing the instant gratification I experience from alcohol over my long term wellbeing, and for the most part I generally go back to making this decision simply through boredom. I'm not someone who has the best mental health. Anxiety, depression, ocd etc. But what I have noticed is even though I still experience anxiety, depression and ocd even when I am completely off the alcohol, I have noticed that the alcohol massively amplifies these symptoms. So when I am off the alcohol, yes I might still experience anxiety, depression and ocd, but these symptoms are much more manageable, dare I say it, even usually bearable when I am off the alcohol. But when alcohol is thrown in, usually alcoholic binge drinking, getting drunk. I notice days later I will be suffering from crippling depression, to the point I even begin to get suicidal thinking, something I don't usually get when I am staying clean from the alcohol. I also notice that my social anxiety is much worse days after this heavy drinking, experiencing concertation problems and worse obsessive thoughts and thinking. I still don't find my mental health state acceptable even when I am staying clean from alcohol, I still feel like my mental health holds me back. But without any shadow of a doubt, with alcohol thrown in, particularly heavy drinking thrown in, this just seems to be completely catastrophic to my mental health, massively worsening my mental health. Not usually having a negative effect on my mental health when I am drinking the alcohol, but massively worsening it for days afterwards. This goes beyond the hangover from it, the negative mental effects can last for many days later for me, so all my mental health symptoms being massively amplified etc. But the sad thing is, I always tend to go back to alcohol at some point, I go back to choosing that instant gratification, that short term buzz, short term escapism, I go back to choosing this over my long term happiness and wellbeing. Almost like getting that short term buzz and escapism in that moment is more important to me than my long term happiness and wellbeing. It's a messed up thing, but if I fully well know this drinking is going to worsen my mental health in the ways I described, and I still choose to do it, I am clearly picking this drug, this instant gratification over my long term wellbeing.
I can absolutely understand this mate. I found my OCD/self sabotage would be the prime reason I slipped back in… to the point it was almost not even about the alcohol any more. Total mind games
ANDY, I totally agree with everything you have said here etc Everything you are going through, i am going through too ...... I choose the ALCOHOL to make me feel happy and escape But overall i am making my mental health worse by binge drinking on a regular basis Are you sure we are not TWIN BROTHER'S lol Anyway good luck my friend and REMEMBER that positive action and thoughts are the way forward Good luck. 😁👍
Wow!! This is accurate. Years of depression/anxiety/panic. Did nt realize until recently, while not drinking for weeks at a time that my anxiety has lessened dramatically, everything is Manageable
I know from trying to quit ,that if Your truly not ready to quit You won’t, I stopped 5 times before I recognized this. After 30+years of 🍺 I’m happily 6 mo. Sober ;a new life😀
This couldn’t be truer spoken my friend. I did the exact same thing. Tried to quit on my own many times, it didn’t work. I needed people around me that suffered like I did. I found those people with the help of my father in law. I also had to have the need to do it. I will be 6 months sober next week. I have never felt this healthy. Good luck to anyone who gives up!!!
For me, the biggest problem is that the 'I' which wholeheartedly decides to quit drinking (usually in the morning or afternoon) is totally replaced by another 'I' in the evening. The evening 'I' has lost interest in longer-term goals, and simply wants a drink in order to feel better. The spiritual teacher Gurdjieff talked about these different selves which temporarily take control of us. He said, 'One small self can take control for a few minutes, and sign a cheque for a million dollars - and all the other selves will spend a lifetime repaying it'.
Hello there I agree that you need to make new, positive plans that you can carry out only when sober. A person needs to be excited and eager to embrace positivity. The worst thing you can do is sit around being sad that your life is so boring and no fun now that you are not going to the bar.
Thank you, Kevin. I needed this today. You have a gift for straight forward, simple communication that is rich with content. And as a big bonus, you’re easy to listen to.
Becoming the Person you want to be... and taking action ... thank you ... quitting is by far the easiest part. Of course, you are perfectly able to reach a point, where you don't need to do anything ✌🏻 This focusing on ALCOHOL nonsense, must stop...I didn't care about alcohol, the first day I walked into the pub, after I'd stopped drinking it. I was too busy creating a new experience of life, that I've loved for well over eight years.
I love the positivity but the hard truth is that the degree of easiness depends on how much the person uses and is addicted. Someone chemically dependent will not find it easy at all.
It's not easy for anyone, but it is simple. There's only one choice to make - put the alcohol into your mouth or don't. In my experience, the level of difficulty depends a whole lot on what you tell yourself. You can make a case for almost everyone who drinks alcohol being chemically dependent.
@@HabitsV2 yes, but there is a big difference between somebody who 1. Drinks 4 times a week, compared to someone who 2. Drinks every night, compared to someone who 3. Drinks as soon as they wake up and doesn’t stop until they pass out (and even wakes up out of their sleep and takes a sip of vodka or whisky to pass back out) and does that every single day. That last group needs help, usually medical intervention, to deal with withdrawal. Probably not too many in that category are going to see your video, because they don’t even have a tablet or computer or even a phone to watch RUclips. They have lost everything, and are out on the streets with nothing but a little carry bag or backpack. I’ve been sober for 8 years now. I was pretty much at number 3, except I got lucky and stopped before I lost everything. But there are people who are a lot worse than I was. This is a great video for people who are at number 1 or 2, as they most likely still have their wits about them, and can see that they are heading towards number 3. You are correct in saying that it’s all in your head. Quitting is as hard, (or easy) as you make it. I recommend a book by Alan Carr called Easyway to Control Alcohol. It helped me to see the things you are talking about in this video. He basically convinces you in a slow steady way throughout the book that alcohol isn’t the great social lubricant and and “fun time” thing that we mistakenly believe. And he slowly makes you believe that you really don’t like alcohol, and convinces you that once you see alcohol for what it really is (poison), it’s not hard to quit. But for those in my number 3 category, not even that book is going to help them, until after they go through a detox and get other help. After that, the book could (I believe) could even help a hardcore alkie to not want to fall back into their addiction (relapse) I have no affiliation with that book, other than I believe it can really help people. He also does one for quitting nicotine, and it’s basically the same concept. Good luck to anybody who watched this video. Life is so much better when your off the sauce. And, you can do it, too.
@@zenlandzipline I agree with you. If you have dived so far that you have allowed yourself to need a drink as soon as you get up in the morning, you're in trouble and likely are going to need some medical attention to at least taper safely. That's not who these videos are aimed towards. In my 10 years of coaching, I have never been approached by anyone in this situation. I think they understand I can't help them in those initial stages. Carr's book is the only one I recommend.
Ask the Lord God to help you and He will strenghthen you and cause the cravings to be less intense. Praise Him and give thanks for his help. God bless you.
Easy as hell. people who don't really want something will put roadblocks in front of themselves (excuses) as an insurance policy for failure. This will guarantee failure. This can be for anything, not just alcohol. Onwards and Upwards!
I found myself that the "quitting is Soooo HARD" mindset made quitting so much harder. Instead, humour and positivity helped a lot. Skip pessimism and negativity. Thanks for the video, Kevin.
I don't get the humor part?
Great... and for those who have a hard time with addictions, I remind them to “Never Quit Quitting” the addictions 🙏🙏
Quit all alcohol 30 years ago, never touched it since....not even if I'm at a party and there is a toast....nope ! And I'm a better man for it !
I think the main problem for me when it comes to drinking alcohol is I always end up going back to choosing the instant gratification I experience from alcohol over my long term wellbeing, and for the most part I generally go back to making this decision simply through boredom.
I'm not someone who has the best mental health. Anxiety, depression, ocd etc. But what I have noticed is even though I still experience anxiety, depression and ocd even when I am completely off the alcohol, I have noticed that the alcohol massively amplifies these symptoms. So when I am off the alcohol, yes I might still experience anxiety, depression and ocd, but these symptoms are much more manageable, dare I say it, even usually bearable when I am off the alcohol. But when alcohol is thrown in, usually alcoholic binge drinking, getting drunk. I notice days later I will be suffering from crippling depression, to the point I even begin to get suicidal thinking, something I don't usually get when I am staying clean from the alcohol. I also notice that my social anxiety is much worse days after this heavy drinking, experiencing concertation problems and worse obsessive thoughts and thinking.
I still don't find my mental health state acceptable even when I am staying clean from alcohol, I still feel like my mental health holds me back. But without any shadow of a doubt, with alcohol thrown in, particularly heavy drinking thrown in, this just seems to be completely catastrophic to my mental health, massively worsening my mental health. Not usually having a negative effect on my mental health when I am drinking the alcohol, but massively worsening it for days afterwards. This goes beyond the hangover from it, the negative mental effects can last for many days later for me, so all my mental health symptoms being massively amplified etc.
But the sad thing is, I always tend to go back to alcohol at some point, I go back to choosing that instant gratification, that short term buzz, short term escapism, I go back to choosing this over my long term happiness and wellbeing. Almost like getting that short term buzz and escapism in that moment is more important to me than my long term happiness and wellbeing.
It's a messed up thing, but if I fully well know this drinking is going to worsen my mental health in the ways I described, and I still choose to do it, I am clearly picking this drug, this instant gratification over my long term wellbeing.
I hear you my friend. Im a depressive and I binge drink mainly though boredom. Listening to Kevins perspective gives me hope
I can absolutely understand this mate. I found my OCD/self sabotage would be the prime reason I slipped back in… to the point it was almost not even about the alcohol any more. Total mind games
I can completely relate to your experiences. I am working on raising my thoughts into a more honest and positive place. Day by day. You can be free.
ANDY, I totally agree with everything you have said here etc
Everything you are going through, i am going through too ......
I choose the ALCOHOL to make me feel happy and escape But overall i am making my mental health worse by binge drinking on a regular basis
Are you sure we are not TWIN BROTHER'S lol
Anyway good luck my friend and REMEMBER that positive action and thoughts are the way forward
Good luck. 😁👍
Wow!! This is accurate. Years of depression/anxiety/panic. Did nt realize until recently, while not drinking for weeks at a time that my anxiety has lessened dramatically, everything is Manageable
I know from trying to quit ,that if Your truly not ready to quit You won’t, I stopped 5 times before I recognized this. After 30+years of 🍺 I’m happily 6 mo. Sober ;a new life😀
This couldn’t be truer spoken my friend. I did the exact same thing. Tried to quit on my own many times, it didn’t work. I needed people around me that suffered like I did. I found those people with the help of my father in law. I also had to have the need to do it. I will be 6 months sober next week. I have never felt this healthy. Good luck to anyone who gives up!!!
💯% you have to want it for yourself. And the only person who can truly help you is you.
For me, the biggest problem is that the 'I' which wholeheartedly decides to quit drinking (usually in the morning or afternoon) is totally replaced by another 'I' in the evening. The evening 'I' has lost interest in longer-term goals, and simply wants a drink in order to feel better. The spiritual teacher Gurdjieff talked about these different selves which temporarily take control of us. He said, 'One small self can take control for a few minutes, and sign a cheque for a million dollars - and all the other selves will spend a lifetime repaying it'.
Hello there I agree that you need to make new, positive plans that you can carry out only when sober. A person needs to be excited and eager to embrace positivity.
The worst thing you can do is sit around being sad that your life is so boring and no fun now that you are not going to the bar.
Thank you, Kevin. I needed this today. You have a gift for straight forward, simple communication that is rich with content. And as a big bonus, you’re easy to listen to.
Good morning, thank you for all of your advice, have a blessed day❤🙏🏼
Love it
Becoming the Person you want to be... and taking action ... thank you ... quitting is by far the easiest part.
Of course, you are perfectly able to reach a point, where you don't need to do anything ✌🏻
This focusing on ALCOHOL nonsense, must stop...I didn't care about alcohol, the first day I walked into the pub, after I'd stopped drinking it.
I was too busy creating a new experience of life, that I've loved for well over eight years.
Do yiu ever drunk at weddings and family events or a nice family meal like a glass of wine ?
Giving Thanks EveryTime, Kevin... Blessed Positive,Love,Truth,AccountAbility.... ☺️✊🏼👍🏼🤙🏼🌴🌺Paradise... We Build... Abstinence, Consciousness,Stand Firm Mentality,All.. Yes.
Spot on ❤️
It’s easy once you truly decide to quit. Making up your mind 100% is most of the battle.
I love the positivity but the hard truth is that the degree of easiness depends on how much the person uses and is addicted. Someone chemically dependent will not find it easy at all.
It's not easy for anyone, but it is simple. There's only one choice to make - put the alcohol into your mouth or don't. In my experience, the level of difficulty depends a whole lot on what you tell yourself. You can make a case for almost everyone who drinks alcohol being chemically dependent.
@@HabitsV2 yes, but there is a big difference between somebody who 1. Drinks 4 times a week, compared to someone who 2. Drinks every night, compared to someone who 3. Drinks as soon as they wake up and doesn’t stop until they pass out (and even wakes up out of their sleep and takes a sip of vodka or whisky to pass back out) and does that every single day. That last group needs help, usually medical intervention, to deal with withdrawal. Probably not too many in that category are going to see your video, because they don’t even have a tablet or computer or even a phone to watch RUclips. They have lost everything, and are out on the streets with nothing but a little carry bag or backpack.
I’ve been sober for 8 years now. I was pretty much at number 3, except I got lucky and stopped before I lost everything. But there are people who are a lot worse than I was.
This is a great video for people who are at number 1 or 2, as they most likely still have their wits about them, and can see that they are heading towards number 3. You are correct in saying that it’s all in your head. Quitting is as hard, (or easy) as you make it.
I recommend a book by Alan Carr called Easyway to Control Alcohol. It helped me to see the things you are talking about in this video. He basically convinces you in a slow steady way throughout the book that alcohol isn’t the great social lubricant and and “fun time” thing that we mistakenly believe. And he slowly makes you believe that you really don’t like alcohol, and convinces you that once you see alcohol for what it really is (poison), it’s not hard to quit.
But for those in my number 3 category, not even that book is going to help them, until after they go through a detox and get other help. After that, the book could (I believe) could even help a hardcore alkie to not want to fall back into their addiction (relapse)
I have no affiliation with that book, other than I believe it can really help people.
He also does one for quitting nicotine, and it’s basically the same concept.
Good luck to anybody who watched this video. Life is so much better when your off the sauce.
And, you can do it, too.
@@zenlandzipline I agree with you. If you have dived so far that you have allowed yourself to need a drink as soon as you get up in the morning, you're in trouble and likely are going to need some medical attention to at least taper safely. That's not who these videos are aimed towards. In my 10 years of coaching, I have never been approached by anyone in this situation. I think they understand I can't help them in those initial stages. Carr's book is the only one I recommend.
@@HabitsV2 great book.
And you have a very fine video, also. :)
@@zenlandzipline Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to comment :)
Ask the Lord God to help you and He will strenghthen you and cause the cravings to be less intense. Praise Him and give thanks for his help. God bless you.
Great video
Easy as hell. people who don't really want something will put roadblocks in front of themselves (excuses) as an insurance policy for failure. This will guarantee failure. This can be for anything, not just alcohol. Onwards and Upwards!
Wasn't this channel called "Sober Mastery" at one point or am i mistaken?
Alcohol Mastery. We changed the name to include more habit based videos
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
"1 step forward and 2 steps back was the flow of my life" man thats me
Don't buy the poison at the shop