How many times have you tried to quit, give in to the urge, and then feel it’s even harder the next time you try- to the point you don’t try anymore?
When you try to quit and then give in, you are actually creating an additional positive reinforcement that provides the reward of RELIEF– which is what makes it even harder to quit for real.
Most people deprive themselves of the thing they are trying to quit. Our brain perceives this as punishment, not something it chose to eliminate. So it revolts in the form of our willpower giving out, and you fail because you give in again.
It’s funny because the alcohol is both creating and resolving the desire to drink.
The desire to overdrink is is harmless.It’s when we OBEY the desire that it hurts us.
When you head over to the fridge to grab a drink after work like you may often do, stand there and observe your thoughts. Watch yourself think and don’t react to the urge. Don’t grab the drink…just stop in the moment and watch.
Allow yourself to feel the trigger and the urge but then don’t provide the expected reward.
This is you UNLEARNING the desire to drink.
You are on your way.
In order to succeed…in order to truly change the behavior you strive to change, you have to understand your thoughts and feelings around your desires.
