this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2025
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Stop Drinking
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This is a place to motivate each other to control or stop drinking. It is also a place for non drinkers to discuss and share.
We welcome anyone who wishes to join in by asking for advice, sharing our experiences and stories, or just encouraging someone who is trying to quit or cut down.
Please post only when sober; you’re welcome to read in the meanwhile.
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Mostly what I did before, but without a drink in my hand. Society conditions is to believe that alcohol adds “instant fun” to any situation, but the reality is that we enjoy things because we find them enjoyable, and by and large the alcohol doesn’t actually add anything.
There was an experiment in This Naked Mind where she just sits and drinks and does nothing, and turns out it’s boring and awful and no fun is added by being drunk. I’m not doing it justice, but recommend reading it.
Like many people who grew up with drinking culture, I used to use alcohol as a "hack" to tamp down social anxiety. The problem with this is that it is avoidance behavior that only strengthens the anxiety. A much better strategy is exposure therapy - deliberately putting yourself into social situations that cause you anxiety, and over time the anxiety diminishes.
Great point!