This Naked Mind

I tried a 4-week perimenopause hormone reset programme, here’s how I got on

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 15:08:21 GMT

Lizzie was surprised to find she needed to go alcohol free due to perimenopause. She also didn’t expect it to be so difficult!

Perimenopause

Night sweats, weight gain, broken sleep, mood swings and increased anxiety, all while living through a pandemic. Lizzie Gore-Grimes on getting her perimenopause hormones under control.

What is it?

Annemarie Byrne, a qualified fitness instructor since 2002 and Nutritional Therapist and Health Coach since 2016, has devised this programme for women aged 40+ to prepare them for Perimenopause. She believes firmly that women should try and support this journey at least a decade before symptoms appear if possible.

The programme

For the next 28 days the main goals for me were:

To stick to three solid, nutritious meals a day with no grazing or snacking in between – except for herbal tea and vegetable juices
Eat within a restricted 8-10hr window (so if I had breakfast at 10am I had to eat nothing after 8pm at the latest)
Drink plenty of water
Avoid alcohol
Avoid gluten (small amount of good quality sourdough bread allowed)
Include high-quality protein and healthy fats in every meal (oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocado etc)
Take three different supplements a day

Going alcohol free due to perimenopause

No alcohol. Without a doubt, this was the biggest challenge for me, as I had slipped into a really bad habit of a glass of wine (or three) every evening. Thankfully, I had already decided that I was fed up with the negative effect of low-level, perma-boozing so had started reading This Naked Mind – Control Alcohol by Annie Grace and found it an absolute game-changer. Armed with that I felt able to quit it completely for the four weeks.

Start Reading

Are you considering going alcohol free due to perimenopause or another health issue? Start reading This Naked Mind for free right now and discover why the book made it so easy for Lizzie to stop drinking.

For more on going alcohol free due to perimenopause

Keep reading the original web page at www.image.ie

Survival Guide for Navigating Your Feelings when you Stop Drinking

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 07:30:00 GMT

If you’re anything like most of here at This Naked Mind, one of the reasons you drank was because navigating your feelings can get messy. When you drink enough, you stop feeling anything – good or bad – so you start living life indifferent and numb. So when you stop drinking, you’re forced to feel all the things you’d been suppressing before. That is scary and often overwhelming.

Navigating Your Feelings When You Stop Drinking

First off, whatever you’re feeling right now – it is normal. You’re probably feeling it all. An emotional mess from one moment to the next. Happy, sad, anxious, angry, apathetic, depressed – it seems like every emotion under the sun comes out each and every day in the beginning. That’s normal and due to a combination of things.

On one level, it is your brain trying to regulate again. Drinking takes a heavy toll on our brain chemistry and really messes with the levels of dopamine and other chemicals in the brain. So while it is readjusting and searching to find what levels are normal for you, you’re going to be on a bit of an emotional roller coaster.

What Is Still Missing

Secondly, this is all new. You haven’t allowed yourself to really feel and be present in your emotions in a long time. Your coping mechanisms for happiness, sadness, joy, stress, anxiety, etc. just aren’t developed yet. So yes, navigating your emotions before you’ve fully developed the tools to deal with them can be overwhelming. It’s like needing a hammer and only having a screwdriver in your toolbox!

Borrow Our Toolbox

Ever tried to DIY a job and realized you should have called in an expert or at least a friend with better tools instead? The LIVE Alcohol Experiment is that expert or friend when it comes to not only navigating your feelings but reshaping your beliefs and behaviors around alcohol. Over 200,000 people have turned their lives around with The Alcohol Experiment and you can, too! Join us for not only a 30-day break from alcohol but an opportunity to create your own toolbox as well!

Don’t Fight It

No matter how overwhelming these feelings seem to be, do not fight them or try to numb them. Instead, be brave and allow yourself to feel them. Sit in the emotions and try to observe how they make you feel physically and emotionally. How do they make you behave? How do you feel about that? Why were you numbing those feelings before?

By getting curious and observing what you’re feeling and why you can appreciate your feelings and begin developing the tools you need to cope with them.

Start Building

The next step is to begin developing some coping mechanisms around your triggers and feelings. For many of us, that means learning to set boundaries. We often drink because certain people and the way they treat us trigger our feelings. Numbing ourselves seems to be easier than dealing with them and the emotions they dredge up. Practice some self-love and dictate what your boundaries are. You won’t allow that person to treat you a certain way and if they do you or they will leave. They do not have the power to make you do something that steals your joy along with your sadness.

Even with boundaries you’ll still feel triggered at times. Decide what tools you need in your box – exercise, therapy, reading time, journaling, meditation, etc.

It’s Not A Sprint

Navigating your feelings when you stop drinking is not a sprint. It is a marathon that will extend throughout your entire life. As humans, we are on a neverending journey learning to work through our emotions, love ourselves, and grow. The great thing is that when you’re alcohol free, you’re present, aware, and in charge of the journey during the entire trip!

More older women are drinking too much. A new sobriety movement aims to help.

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 20:59:06 GMT

There’s a new sobriety movement and This Naked Mind is thrilled to be considered an important part of it.

Women Using Alcohol

A growing number of women are using alcohol to smooth out the rough edges of life. Two years ago, Canada’s chief public health officer sounded the alarm, warning that women are increasingly drinking themselves to death. Alcohol-related deaths increased by 26 percent between 2001 and 2017 for women, compared to a five percent increase for men. An American study found that the prevalence of high-risk drinking (regularly exceeding the daily guidelines) among women shot up almost 60 percent between 2001 and 2013. Women aged 55 to 64 represent the highest increases in visits to hospital for acute alcohol consumption.

A New Sobriety Movement

I wanted to cut back, not stop drinking completely. AA, with its emphasis on a higher power and self-recrimination, didn’t appeal to me. But when COVID-19 hit, the online sobriety world seemed to explode with meetings and recovery programs led by experts and influencers sharing their advice and their communities online. I signed up for programs with three of the biggest sobriety superstars: Laura McKowen, Annie Grace and Holly Whitaker, all of whom have bestselling “quit lit” memoirs.

It surprised me that there were often hundreds of people in these Zoom support meetings, almost all of them women. The majority looked to be midlife and beyond. Many told stories of serious drinking issues that seemed far worse than mine. I felt relieved that I wasn’t that bad. But then I’d rub my finger over the slight bump on my left eyebrow and remember the night I was rushed to the hospital.

Join Us in A New Sobriety Movement

If you’re looking to change your relationship with alcohol join us in the Live Alcohol Experiment. Look at why you drink in a completely different way while taking a 30 day break from booze.

Keep reading at broadview.org

I know it All Feels like Too Much Sometimes, but Please, Don’t Numb. ~ Annie Grace

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 20:46:13 GMT

Annie Grace took to the pages of Elephant Journal to implore you – Please – Don’t Numb!

Please Don’t Numb

The past year has increased our mental load to the point that so many are reaching for anything they can to just drown it all out and shut down for a bit. One way many people are doing just that is by turning to alcohol.

According to data on 6,000 Americans collected using the RAND American Life Panel, the frequency of drinking—measured in days per month that alcohol was consumed—increased 14 percent overall as well as 17 percent among women during the pandemic. Most alarming is that researchers found heavy drinking rose 41 percent among women, one of every five women in the survey heavily consumed alcohol at least one additional day per month compared with the previous year.

Trauma

It is common in times of trauma to turn to alcohol. We’ve seen it post 9-11, Hurricane Katrina, and during other events. The past 12 months have been composed of one traumatic event after another. It is no wonder that it all just feels like too much sometimes. How can we possibly make any sound decisions when everything just feels so unstable?

Decision Making Fatigue

Alcohol numbs, but it doesn’t do it selectively. And it eliminates decision-making fatigue by removing our ability to make good decisions. That is how we go from drinking a glass of wine at night to wind down to drinking a bottle of wine—because once you get going, saying stop becomes much harder.

Continue reading at www.elephantjournal.com

Please Don’t Numb – Join us instead

If you’re tired of tuning everything out and you’re ready to connect, join our Free Alcohol Experiment. You will receive encouraging and mindset shifting daily videos and emails and an incredible community of 200,000+ people also experimenting with their alcohol intake. It is completely free (and always will be) at The Alcohol Experiment.

Drinking Was A Problem – Stacey’s Naked Life

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 07:30:00 GMT

Stacey realized that even though there were no rock bottom moments drinking was a problem. This Naked Mind played a part in bringing her freedom.

Drinking was a problem

I was going to start my story by talking about how I never “hit rock bottom” and all the other cliché “alcoholic” behaviors we use to determine if we have a drinking problem. But that’s not really the point of my story. Drinking was a problem in my life, and I decided to remove it.

I was stuck in a cycle, in a rut, in a life that was ruled by booze and the need to turn every situation, event, weekend into a “party” atmosphere. Can we turn it up to ten here people? Just add alcohol!

The pattern

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I didn’t drink much, maybe a drink or two when I got home from work. Around Thursday, I would start to feel the excitement of the weekend.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were all drinking days. Sunday I was either nursing a hangover or participating in Sunday Funday. The earlier I started on Sunday, the earlier I could start sobering up before bed to avoid a hangover at work on Monday.

Sometimes I was successful, sometimes I was not. Repeat.

I actually think that is all considered pretty normal. We’re all just working for the weekend, right?

This can’t be normal

However, my “normal” started to feel not so normal. I started feeling frustrated that I couldn’t control my drinking better and I was having more blackouts and drunken fights in my relationship. If I was going out, I started trying to plan how many drinks I’d have and what I would drink to try to stay in “fun Stacey mode.” Though more and more I just couldn’t seem to stick to my plan. Drinking was a problem, I just wasn’t ready to face it yet.

It has to get worse

At this point, I was dating someone who worked at a brewery. That came along with free cases of beer, first dibs at new releases, and hanging out at the brewery with other awesome beer drinkers. I loved that life. The problem was I was blacking out and having drunken fights with my boyfriend more frequently. It even escalated one night to me throwing a metal koozie into the bathroom door and the cops showing up. I knew then I had reached a low I never thought I would, however, I still didn’t stop. Instead, that’s when I decided to see a therapist.

Seeking help

Here I was, sitting in this guy’s office, crying, asking him what the magic answer was to moderate my drinking. Just so I could stop blacking out and getting caught up in the drunken drama.

That day he said 3 things I’ll never forget:

(1) It’s no coincidence you chose to date someone that worked at a brewery.
(2) To stop blacking out, you need to stop drinking.
(3) And here’s the schedule for some AA meetings in the area, you really should attend one.

I’m sorry, WHAT? That hit me in the face like a brick wall. WTF does this guy know?

Can’t stop drinking

I can’t stop drinking. My relationship with everyone I know, including my entire family, is centered around it. I would be boring without it. I don’t want to be one of “those” people that can’t drink anymore. This guy is obviously only used to dealing with people who are alcoholics, not people like me who just need help to drink a little less.

I never went back to him again. Instead, I kept on drinking, and surprise, surprise I kept blacking out. I would lose a few hours during a Sunday Funday, or an entire Saturday night.

The mornings I would wake up and realize I had no memory of the night before, I would cringe. Immediately I’d be filled with regret wondering what stupid thing I might have said or done the night before. I saw that therapist in October of 2017.

The wake-up call

In February of 2018, I took a trip to Nashville with my friends. On our last full day there, we had plans to see a show that night. We spent the early afternoon shopping and walking around. At this point everyone wanted to go back to the house we rented to relax before dinner and the show later.

Of course, I wasn’t interested in a sober afternoon at the house so I and 2 others stayed out. We spent the day bar hopping until it was time to meet up for the show. I knew I didn’t want to turn into the drunken, drama-filled version of myself, so I stressed about every drink I had, trying the whole moderation thing.

Once we arrived at the show to meet everyone else, I got to witness firsthand what someone was like that had too much to drink and was ruining everyone else’s night. That night it was my boyfriend’s drunk actions that were on display. I was so embarrassed that night and the next day. I also knew that is how I’ve looked many times at parties, events, or even behind closed doors.

Sitting in the airport, wanting to crawl in a hole, something clicked inside that day; I no longer wanted to be that friend. That girlfriend, or that embarrassment anymore. I didn’t want to wake up full of regret. I felt like it was time to start taking control of my actions. My drinking was a problem.

Round One

When we got back home, I announced I was taking the month of March off from drinking. By the end of March, I actually didn’t have the desire to drink again for the first time in, well ever. I was enjoying the control I finally had over my actions. However, I knew quitting meant questioning my relationship and I wasn’t ready to go there yet, so I started drinking again.

I did seem to have more control for a while. In fact, I did pretty well until the middle of June when I said something hurtful during another drunken argument. At this point, I needed a real change and didn’t care how it affected my relationship. I was starting to see alcohol was the only glue holding it together in the first place. Maybe that therapist knew what he was talking about after all.

Coming across This Naked Mind

That week at work I started googling “giving up alcohol.” I was reading every blog and article I could find. One of those led me to Annie Grace’s book, This Naked Mind. I bought it for my Kindle, so I wouldn’t have to wait to start reading it. That was on Thursday, July 5th, 2018. That weekend was my family’s annual river float, where booze was always front and center. I still let myself drink that weekend, like Annie’s book says to do, but I found I wasn’t enjoying it. I just felt bloated, irritated, and ready to be home. That Sunday was July 8th, 2018, and I’ve been alcohol-free since.

Would you like to be able to say drinking WAS a problem?

Are you ready to be like Stacey and say that drinking was a problem? In the past tense? Start reading This Naked Mind for free now and find your freedom from alcohol!

Everything changes

I’d say not drinking was the easiest part of this journey. I was ready and the book solidified that. The hardest parts were relearning who I was, dealing with all my emotions I would usually cover up with booze, going through a breakup, a move, learning how to be in my first sober relationship, and realizing how deep down my insecurities went.

I would never want to trade the hardest parts of being sober for the best parts of being drunk.

Finally knowing myself

Alcohol’s promises rarely ever held true for me. Making the decision to quit was and still is, my proudest accomplishment. I have a real, loving relationship with an amazing man, that would never be possible if alcohol were still in my life. Sometimes I wonder if I could start drinking again and have more control now that I’m not dating someone who is a drinker. I wonder if that could be my key to moderation. However, one of the best things to come out of being sober is I truly know myself.

Within 30 seconds of asking that question, I can play out exactly how it would start, and how my mind would keep making excuses for why it’s ok to have more than one this time, and how that would slowly escalate over time until I was right back to where I was before. I feel grateful now knowing some doors are just better left closed for good, and I’m ok with that.

Share Your Story

Are you like Stacey? Drinking was a problem for you but now thanks to This Naked Mind, The Alcohol Experiment, or The PATH you’re living life in control? Share your story to inspire others!

How To Overcome Gaps To Growth

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 07:30:00 GMT

When you’re making a significant life change – like choosing to be alcohol-free – you assume the road to growth and self-discovery will be a straight shot. After all, you’re motivated to make this change so there’s no way you aren’t going to kill it. Yet despite our best intentions often we do have to overcome our gaps to growth in order to keep progressing. I’m going to help you identify some common gaps and guide you through them.

Gaps To Growth

I can’t take credit for all of the great advice in this post. John Maxwell, author of The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth – Live Them and Reach Your Potential, is truly the expert on this subject and his advice is invaluable! If you’re interested in diving into more reading on growth after reading this blog post I suggest you start with his book.

The Knowledge Gap

I truly feel like this is one of the biggest obstacles to growth that we face. We think we know what we need in order to change and grow. If that was true though we all would have done exactly what was needed a long time ago rather than having to go through the painful process of reshaping all of our beliefs and behaviors in order to adopt new ones. We aren’t preprogrammed with all the knowledge we need to succeed in the future but we also don’t have anything preventing us from seeking the knowledge we need in order to grow.

Be A Knowledge Seeker

Gaining more knowledge, especially when it comes to knowledge about your relationship with alcohol is an excellent way to overcome the knowledge gap. The LIVE Alcohol Experiment is an excellent way to start! Over 200,000 people have changed their relationships with alcohol in The Alcohol Experiment and you can too! Join us for:

30 days of Video Training from Annie Grace and Scott Pinyard
30 days of Virtual Coaching with Scott Pinyard, Head Coach of This Naked Mind, and other This Naked Mind Certified Coaches in the private challenge Facebook group (Replays of Virtual Coaching sessions will be available in the Membership Area as well)
The Alcohol Experiment Companion Journal
Access to private challenge Facebook community
And more!!!

The Assumption Gap

I’m sure you’ve already heard what happens when you assume. Assumption is a HUGE gap to growth. When you assume that you will just automatically grow without putting in any effort, research, or work into it you get back exactly what you’ve put in – nothing. There is nothing automatic about growth. Even as children, it is our curiosity and desire to learn more about the world around us and how things work that pushes us to grow. That curiosity is also needed in order to change and grow as an adult.

The Timing Gap

Out of the gaps to growth, this one might be the one I see the most when it comes to alcohol. Waiting for the right time to stop drinking. Can’t stop drinking around the holidays, that’s too tough. Oh, need to wait until after that vacation we’ve already planned. I have a stressful month coming up at work – wouldn’t have the willpower to give up drinking then. Finding reasons to drink isn’t hard at all, so you need to find your reasons not to.

There is no perfect or right time to do anything. The Law of Diminishing Intent says, “The longer you wait to do something you should do now, the greater the odds that you will never actually do it.” Stop waiting for the perfect time to change and grow. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by choosing now as your time.

The Mistake Gap

Also common in our gaps to growth is the mistake gap. “What if I mess up?” What if you do? Isn’t that how we learn almost everything in life? From walking and talking to riding a bike, driving a car, and even our careers – we learn by making mistakes. Perfection is a standard no one can live up to and it quite frankly does not exist. Science has actually proven that the people who are most successful at change are those who allow themselves to make mistakes and to learn from them.

So if you do mess up it means you’re on the right path to success! Keep going!

Gaps Aren’t Canyons

Needing to overcome gaps to growth doesn’t mean you aren’t ready for change or that it isn’t possible for you. In fact, we all have gaps in almost every area of our lives. Athletes identify their weaknesses and work to improve upon them to be a more well-rounded player. Students take achievement exams to find out where their gaps are and work to fill them in to be more successful in school. We as adults must also realize that a gap isn’t an unpassable canyon. It’s merely a place where we’re destined to work a little harder, spend some time, and build the bridge we need to cross it.

It’s Never Too Late To Stop Drinking – Jesse’s Naked Life

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 07:30:00 GMT

Jesse thought that after 40+ years it was too late to stop drinking. Once he read This Naked Mind he changed his thinking and is now on a path to live a life free from addiction.

An Early Start

I was young I started drinking. My dad and mom both drank, socially. Dad was a bit more of a drinker, Saturday night cards, etc. I was introduced young, worked for my dad, and was drinking beer by age 15, mixed drinks (whiskey and sprite) by age 18. I liked the ‘buzz.’ Married at 20 and could not afford alcohol at home except Christmas, one case of beer, one bottle. I was definitely in control.

Things Escalate

I began consulting and spent a large amount of time on the road beginning at 30. I had a 3-year-old baby at home. While on the road, and overnight began drinking at bars while grabbing a sandwich. Mostly beer. Until something changed. I was 37, my mother committed suicide. I was the one to find her. Needless to say, I was a wreck. I could not sleep, so my doctor prescribed a nerve medication for me – ‘Xanax.’

I relied on it – washed down with a couple belts each night to get to sleep, to black out my mind.

More Tragedy, More Trauma

A few years later another event triggers me. My son ends up in jail charged with vehicular homicide. So, I ramp up the Xanax and alcohol. I ended up dependent on both very quickly. Xanax and alcohol will knock you out. It’s how I managed the next 20 years. I never missed work or drank on the job. I was a functioning, dependent consultant.

To compensate, at work I would send myself email reminders of project status and where we left things (work-wise) to catch up over coffee in the morning. Also, I never got ugly, as in violent (married 41 years now). Never ‘beat’ anyone, stormed around, or anything like that. I always considered myself a loving husband and father.

Too Late To Stop Drinking Now

Hell, I never raise my voice for that matter. Oh, there were times I was completely uninhibited and out of control. I was happy when drinking, ‘funny as all get out,’ or so I thought. Had to apologize more than once for out-of-control behavior.

Also, I was still running and exercising up to age 60 – then plantar fasciitis set in. I was not lying on the couch as a drunk. I was a 5-9 p.m. drinker. Bed around 9 or 10. I did not see a problem

Fast forward to age 59 – 20 years as a functioning consultant with a dependency on alcohol and Xanax.

I truly did not realize I was addicted to Xanax. Convinced I needed it for my anxiety. I did not think I had a drinking problem either. Never had a drink much before 5 p.m. But, drank every day. It was obviously too late to stop drinking now anyway!

Addicted

Then one time in Michigan, I had forgotten my medication. By day two, even with heavy drinking I was up walking around at 2 a.m. in tight circles and it ‘hit me’ … God, I’m addicted to Xanax! I packed and headed home at 2 a.m. shaking white-knuckled driving. I got home popped 2 blues and was out like a light. Up 4 hours later feeling great!

I knew I was hooked. I attempted to back off – but each day I ended up downing 4 blues and about a fifth of alcohol, straight by now, on ice.

Rehab At 59

I checked into rehab at age 59. 10-day taper and 2 full weeks, just to be sure. It was dreadful … so sick I could not read or write for the first 4-5 days. Heartrate of 210 bpm for days on end. Sweats like you can’t imagine.

I was absolutely giddy about discharge. About being so clean and refreshed. I had done it. I never looked back at Zanax; it took a great part of who I was for 20 years. I knew if I relapsed I’d never get through that again, it scared me.

60 Is Too Late To Stop Drinking

I never felt the same about alcohol though. In fact, I did not drink for 6 months. Eventually began having a beer with pizza or wings. Maybe a beer while lighting the grill or playing cards. Mind you just a couple – I was never a beer pounder. It just bloats me.

Then one day I had a bourbon and ice. What a very strong taste. I had not remembered that but what a quick buzz. I liked that feeling. So, I bought just a small bottle to sip on at the end of the day. Led to a fifth and eventually a liter.

By age 63-64 I was back to a liter every 4 days or so. Did not really see this as a health issue or problem. Bloodwork always came back normal. I was working without drinking and never drove drunk, etc. I never felt tipsy or sick from drinking. My tolerance was too high.

What I did wake with was heartburn, a cough, and headache. Acid reflux is not pleasant.

Not sure why I continued to drink. (Addiction did not enter my mind, in your 60s it is too late to stop drinking. Or so I thought.)

The Turning Point

What made me decide to ‘give it up’, for good? A friend of ours, Suzi, was hospitalized with severe health issues – when we inquired, her comment was ‘too much drinking.’

For me, it just kind of all clicked – could that be me next? Why am I drinking anyways?

To relax, unwind? I have no major stress in my life now that requires tranquilizers. I thought about it for a couple of days, about the pros, could not mention one, and the cons – acid reflux, headache, sluggish feeling. At this point, I was convinced I should slow down. The thought of ‘stopping’ was quite terrifying actually. I did not see that as possible.

Discovering This Naked Mind

I began to research and everything kept pointing to the book, This Naked Mind. So I downloaded it and read it. What caught my eye was the ‘truth’ about alcohol being a poison and an addictive drug.

I never considered that before.

Once I let that sink in I was convinced – I mean why in god’s green earth would I intentionally pour poison down my gullet to strip my esophagus lining, stomach lining, decrease my heart efficiency, shrink my brain, and leave me with a morning headache and heartburn? It makes no sense … I must be addicted.

It’s Never Too Late To Stop Drinking

Have you been drinking all your life and you think it’s too late to stop drinking now? Start reading This Naked Mind today and discover why you keep drinking and how easy it can be to stop! Download the first chapter for free right now!

Moving Forward

Today is 1/5/2021, I’ve tapered myself for 10 days now. I did have a beer today (one) with tacos. It’s a habit. I did NOT have a ‘drink.’

Tomorrow I am hoping to be finished … completely. Free of the beast called addiction. I’ve come to realize alcohol is a drug. Just like cocaine or heroin. Just as addictive. Personally, I do not believe in the idea of an ‘addictive personality’ or an alcoholic gene.

Moderate ‘drinkers’ want to portray this illusion of some sort of ‘personality defect’ among those who are dependent. This view protects their ‘drink.’ They are in control. Really?

I do believe what Annie says. Alcohol is an addictive drug and given enough drink over a long enough period of time anyone can develop the addiction.

Finding Our Freedom

We addicts are not guilty of anything except being misled by advertisers and falling prey to the addiction. I’m not shifting blame here, but it crept up on me. Alcohol in our society is not seen or treated as an addictive drug like heroin. It’s legal and socially accepted. Yet more die from alcohol than heroin. There is no warning label on a bottle. ‘Potentially Addictive.’ Why is that?

Not An Alcoholic

I am not going to live with the stigma of being an ‘ALCOHOLIC’ either. That’s crazy. The word ‘alcoholic’ is itself a marketing ploy, which explains why some get addicted. ‘Well, they must have a propensity to alcohol addiction, they have a personal defect.’

NO, I am a human being who developed a dependency on alcohol via consumption over an extended period of time. It’s just that simple.

Why I Quit

Quite frankly, I’ve finally realized I don’t need it, the poison, the addiction. After all, alcohol never did me any favors …

I do not believe I’ll feel like I’m denying myself a drink … to stay sober (this is what terrified me originally, 2 weeks ago).

I don’t need or want a drink, so there is no struggle mentally, no denying myself of a drink.

So the addiction is lifted. That’s a big point in my journey.

That said, I do understand I have to be careful with my first 2- 4 weeks of sobriety. To not get complacent or let the subconscious, physical yearning creep in while I completely detox my body and mind.

A Commitment

I may have to remind myself of the fact that alcohol is POISON a couple of times. But, with time and my newfound education and understanding of alcohol I’ll be in a much better position to say thanks, but no thanks as I continue my journey.

Afterwards

Hoping this story may have an impact on someone to begin to think about your relationship with alcohol. What favor has it ever done you? Take time to think about it. Alcohol is a poison we can surely do without. I’d also very much recommend This Naked Mind. It truly helped me see the truth.

Share Your Story

Did you use This Naked Mind, The Alcohol Experiment, or The PATH to discover it is never too late to stop drinking? Share your story so others can be encouraged by your journey!

Why Don’t They Love Me Enough To Stop Drinking?

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 07:30:00 GMT

Is alcohol more important than I am? Why do they keep choosing drinking over me? Why don’t they love me enough to stop drinking? Sound familiar? Loving someone who is addicted to alcohol is so hard. There’s one thing I can assure you of right now – it isn’t that they don’t love you enough to stop drinking. It’s that they don’t love themselves enough and – quite honestly – they don’t feel worthy of your love!

No One Chooses This Life

I’ve heard so many times that addiction is a choice. We choose to drink. Choose to use. The truth is that addiction is a response to trauma. Our bodies are designed to seek what alleviates the stress or trauma we are experiencing. So when we innocently reach for a drink after a stressful day, we don’t set out to create an addiction. But chemically our bodies and our brains respond to alcohol in exactly the way they are designed to. They demand more of that thing which made us finally feel good again. The problem is that each time it takes more and more of that thing to feel good. We hit a point where it stops making us feel good but at that point, we don’t know any other way.

Survival Tactics

Our brain now believes it needs alcohol in order to survive. We are no longer drinking for pleasure.

There have been studies done in mice where researchers have gotten them addicted to something and then they’ve put them across a hot electrical grate that will burn and blister their little feet to reach the addictive substance. They will walk across it. They will burn their feet, ignore their young, and even forego food and water in order to get to that addictive substance. That is what alcohol will do to us.

Why Don’t They Love Me Enough To Stop Drinking?

I can promise you that nowhere on this journey does any of us intentionally drink to hurt another. In fact, it is quite the opposite. We loathe what we are doing. We’re filled with shame, guilt, regret, and hatred for ourselves and for what we’re doing to those we love.

Instead of asking yourself, “Why don’t they love me enough to stop drinking,” flip that script. Turn that question around into, “How can I help them love themselves enough to stop drinking?”

The only way we can truly help someone to change their drinking is by making them feel worthy of loving themselves and accepting the love of others.

Lead With Compassion

Science is super clear on this subject. Compassion is the key to lasting change. Compassion from those we love and self-compassion. Choosing compassion means removing the blame and the shame. Eliminating guilt. Negative emotions can never bring us to a positive place for change. Mindset matters and creating a positive and loving place to begin from sets the foundation for change.

If your loved one knows that they can count on you to support and love them without any resentment or negativity they are more likely to believe in their own ability to change. Love – whether you’re giving or receiving it – feels good and natural.

The Science Behind Why We Keep Drinking

One of the best ways you can get an answer to “Why don’t they love me enough to stop drinking?” is by reading the science behind why people drink and what keeps them drinking. That is exactly what This Naked Mind does. Start reading the book now and get the answers you’re looking for. Download the first 40 pages for free.

Be Their Safe Space

The greatest thing you can do for a loved one who drinks too much is to be their safe space. Be the person they can turn to without fear of judgment or retribution. Show them that they are worthy of both your love and the love they need to have for themselves. Model that in how you treat not only them but also yourself.

The First One To Get Sober – Martha’s Naked Life

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 07:30:00 GMT

Martha was the first one to get sober. It wasn’t easy and took more than one attempt. With This Naked Mind and The Alcohol Experiment, she’s now embracing life as an alcohol-free trailblazer.

This Wasn’t The Plan

I wouldn’t have even begun this journey if it weren’t for this book. I mean, eventually, I probably would have had to. But at 27, even though everyone around me was very aware I had a problem, I probably had a few more good years of problem drinking ahead of me. There’s no way I would be the first one to get sober.

But it didn’t happen. I read the book. Read things I couldn’t unlearn. I did the work. Realized that alcohol wasn’t serving me. I maybe had realized before that I wanted to stop but couldn’t. This book gave me the tools to take me back to a place where I was before I ever drank alcohol.

I know that’s a line in the book, but it’s true! I’m to a place where I look at a glass of wine, and I see no benefit. I only see the calories and the headache and the depleted sleep.

The Biggest Problem Drinker Out There

I was the biggest problem drinker I know. In a typical week, my husband and I would split 1-2 boxes of wine, 2 bottles of liquor, and a 12 pack of beer or seltzer. Every week. Morning drinking on weekends was not uncommon for me. And showing up blacked out for Sunday family dinners was my favorite pastime.

Data Points and This Naked Mind

I read This Naked Mind in January 2020, and did my first 30 days quite successfully (2 data points) in February, and then the pandemic hit. From there, I did the step that I now know to be the “stop trying to stop drinking” phase and lord was I in it. But, I was still a sponge. Listening to podcasts, redoing the work I did with This Naked Mind.

Start Reading

Could you be the first one to get sober in your group? Let This Naked Mind be part of your journey! Download the first 40 pages for free right now.

The LIVE Alcohol Experiment

In July I knew I was ready to do my second 30-day experiment, and this time I was going to do the Live Alcohol Experiment with coaches and a group of 1,500.

I had a data point on my second day. This was going to be harder than I thought.

The community the live experiment brought was something else. It was my first foray into the community that comes with sobriety. I read quit lit every night, got my sober Instagram, joined the community there.

Something clicked. And by clicked I mean I probably had 5 more data points. Then I realized I was done resetting my sobriety clock. I wanted the streaks to match the change that happened in my head.

All In

I started therapy, joined another group called Recovery Elevator, 1,000 hours dry, got an accountability partner or two, and started leaning into my sober Instagram. Just throwing everything at my sobriety. It felt like the ultimate form of self-care.

So it’s hard to describe what my streak is. Because as of now, my last day of drinking was October 12, 2020. 46 days ago. But really, I’ve spent over 50% of 2020 alcohol free. The holidays are here. I got through the election, Halloween, and now Thanksgiving with the support of my groups as well as really leaning on my accountability partner, shout out to Taryn!

Finding My Strength

People always ask me if this is hard. I don’t know how to answer that. Because it is, but it also isn’t. I’m flexing sobriety muscles in my brain every time I don’t drink for a special occasion like Halloween or Thanksgiving. Because of all of the heavy lifting I’ve done this year, gathering my sobriety toolbox, I’m able to pass a craving pretty easily. So would I consider that hard? If I have all the tools to stay sober? Not really. It’s just using the tools I’ve gathered.

The First One To Get Sober

As I’ve said, now I’m 28 and firmly in this sobriety community. I could have had another 10-15 years of drinking but instead, I’m a pioneer. First-person I know to get sober. I have a lot of great things coming up in those 10-15 years I’ve gained back. I’m going to make them count.

Share Your Story

Did This Naked Mind, The Alcohol Experiment, or The PATH play a part in your alcohol-free journey? Share your story and inspire others just like Martha has!

Annie Grace Offers Advice for Tackling Dry February

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 20:51:20 GMT

Taking a break from something that isn’t good for you is always a good idea. Even better when you can raise money for an important cause at the same time. In asking people to abstain from alcohol for a month and raise money for research and services for people with cancer, Dry February does both.

For some, the energy behind the importance of the fundraising mission will be enough to sustain their commitment to remaining alcohol free. For others, losing the booze will be more difficult.

Dry February

“Starting a month-long challenge like Dry February to abstain from alcohol is exciting and empowering,” says Annie Grace, author of This Naked Mind and The Alcohol Experiment. “But, it can also be daunting. If alcohol is typically part of your daily life, removing it can be difficult. And, relying on willpower alone to drive your success can make it even harder.”

Start Reading

Begin reading the book that has helped so many take a break from alcohol and reshape their relationship with it right now for free! Download the first 40 pages of This Naked Mind now!

Annie Grace offers the following advice to anyone taking a break from alcohol:

Be Kind – First and foremost, meet yourself with compassion, right where you are. Remember, alcohol is an addictive substance. It’s OK if abstaining is hard. There is nothing wrong with you.

Buddy Up – Don’t go it alone. There is strength in numbers. Find an accountability partner or even an entire community of people on the same journey. Support and learn from each other.

Get Curious – Don’t ignore alcohol this month. Rather, use the break to truly explore your relationship with alcohol. Learn how alcohol interacts with your brain and why simply flexing your willpower muscle might not be enough.

Click here to view original web page at www.newswire.ca

You Won’t Find Romance in a Bottle of Wine (& Other Lies we’ve been Sold). ~ Annie Grace

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 20:37:38 GMT

Annie Grace joins Elephant Journal to discuss why you won’t find romance in a bottle of wine.

When you picture a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner, I bet you’re envisioning soft music, candlelight, flowers, and more likely than not, a bottle of wine with two glasses clinking as you gaze into your lover’s eyes.

This scenario seems like the perfect lead up to a night of intimacy and passion.

There was a time where I too believed the lies that alcohol and the clever marketers behind it were selling to me. My husband and I partook in countless nights where wine was the foreplay to what we thought was a romantic night.

We honestly thought that everything we were doing was setting the mood for a sensuous experience. From pairing the right wine for each course of the meal to sharing that dessert—we were doing exactly what every magazine article, blog post, and advertisement told us we needed to do to keep the spark alive.

Romance In A Bottle

Looking back, I can’t help but laugh. Romance isn’t hidden in a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, or even in a reservation book at a Michelin star restaurant. So many relationships have been built upon the wine and dine mantra we’ve been fed as romance, but it has yet to keep the intimacy and passion alive in a relationship.

Click here to view original web page at www.elephantjournal.com

Learn How To Stop Romanticizing Alcohol

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 07:30:00 GMT

Alcohol. Romance. Sex. They seem so intertwined. For good reason, too. So much money and marketing have gone into getting us to believe that romance can be held in a bottle. As if that bottle of Merlot holds a genie instead of ethanol. Everything – from the design of the bottle, the label, and the advertising around it – has been carefully crafted to support the illusion that drinking is sexy. It’s time to stop romanticizing alcohol and start seeing it for what it really is.

We Create The Romance

We romanticize alcohol across the board. In fact, we create an entire ambiance around it. This happens culturally. We make decisions that this bar, this bottle of wine, or this drink is going to be romantic and we subscribe to it across the board. We can opt into that line of thinking or we can opt-out of it.

We’ve all experienced it. Think of the way most bars are set up. The bar itself begins to set the mood. Dark wood, shiny and gleaming. Low lights. Chrome and metal accents. Finally, the wall of liquors and spirits, illuminated and made to be the center of attention. The bar is the altar and the wall of alcohol is the shrine. We’re told that THIS is what we need. It’s time to stop romanticizing alcohol once and for all.

Appreciate The Ambiance, Not The Experience

We don’t have to romanticize alcohol to appreciate the ambiance or aesthetics of a certain environment. I’ve been out to eat, on all-inclusive vacations, and on romantic dates with my husband countless times since going alcohol-free. Not once did I think that if only I’d been drinking the night would have been even more special. There’s no genie in that bottle after all. The restaurant was still romantic without the wine, the vacation was still fun and relaxing without the booze, and there is no way any amount of liquor could make my husband any sexier.

Choose Curiosity

When we start to feel really uncomfortable, it’s because we have a thought in our head that things shouldn’t be a certain way. So once we uncover the truths about alcohol and our eyes have been opened, we’re like, “This shouldn’t be this way. It’s time to stop romanticizing alcohol.” Thinking something which is directly contrary to what’s really going on around us feels really uncomfortable.

ACT To Stop Romanticizing Alcohol

In The Alcohol Experiment book, I introduce the ACT technique which can help you stop romanticizing alcohol. It’s three steps: awareness, clarity, and turnaround. It can be used for any belief, including the belief that we should or shouldn’t be romanticizing alcohol.

Awareness

What we’re going to use it for right now is just changing a thought that is causing you pain in the moment. So the thought in this case is, “Alcohol is romantic.” That’s awareness. Awareness is just becoming conscious of that sentence, those words that were just in your head, you’re conscious of it. It’s just stating the belief.

Clarity

Clarity is the next piece. It says, “How does that thought in this situation make me feel?” Uneasy? Withdrawn? Frustrated? Disconnected? How does it make you behave? Scared? Aloof? Rebellious? As if your good time has been ruined?

Clarity focuses on the belief and how it makes you feel and behave. Use clarity to show the brain, “Oh, wow. That belief is painful.”

Turnaround

Turnaround is the T. In turnaround, you rephrase the initial belief about alcohol based on what you now know is true. Dig deep to find at least three reasons that the turnaround is as true or truer than your original belief. You can’t create a thought that is going to be an opposition or doesn’t feel true. We create more neural toxicity, because we were trying to go directly against one thought with another thought that we don’t actually believe is true. That’s not what we want to do here.

So in the turnaround it is important that you can back the new belief – something like, “spending time with my spouse is romantic” – with at least three reasons that is true without the alcohol.

Final Step

Awareness, clarity, turnaround, and then you do a bonus C, where you run that turnaround through the same filter. How does it make you feel and how does it make you behave? A simple process but so effective at changing our beliefs and bringing us peace.

Help So You Can Stop Romanticizing Alcohol

You can get help to stop romanticizing alcohol and join the over 200,000 people who have found freedom from it in The Alcohol Experiment. Join us – it’s free and always will be – to take part in this 30-day break from alcohol that brings you awareness, clarity, and turnaround. Also available in the Apple Store and Google Play!

This Naked Mind Is A Game-Changer – Claire’s Naked Life

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 07:30:00 GMT

When Claire says This Naked Mind is a game-changer, she speaks from experience. 40 years of drinking turned around by simply reading a book. Here’s her story.

My Story

I was just the average pub/club drinker in my 20’s – weekends mainly. Working in the city (London) the champagne bars and pubs were part of the culture. I got into scrapes and did things I regretted but wasn’t that part of being young and cool?? Never really drank at home until I moved in with my husband (then boyfriend) and he started working nights.

It then became normal to open a bottle of wine while sitting at home waiting for him. I didn’t go out without him too much as it didn’t feel right whilst he was working. When he was off work we both partied quite hard until our mid 30’s then started a family. We had two boys, he was still working nights, I was resentful feeling like a single parent and I carried on drinking wine.

The Drinking Progression

Twenty years later my drinking had progressed and I was blacking out at night and not remembering going to bed. I hardly drank in the week but hit it hard weekends. In the last couple of years, my drinking changed. Friday mornings were consumed with thoughts on when I could start drinking. Downing a bottle before the family came home and opening the second as if it were my first. I became secretive. Hiding my full new bottles which I had to have stashed for fear of running out. I would open my eyes on Saturday and Sunday mornings with dread wondering if my husband would be talking to me.

My heart would race at not knowing how bad my behaviour had been and how many bruises I would have to hide. I would feel so physically and mentally awful that the only cure would be a hair of the dog. One Sunday I hit that low at 9 a.m. I felt so much shame that I couldn’t even tell my best friend let alone have a frank talk about my problem with my husband. I knew what had to be done but the alcohol was such a big part of my life and somewhere in my head I needed it.

This is a problem

Then slowly things began to suffer. I was being horrible to my husband after a drink, I was making excuses not to see anyone because after a few glasses I couldn’t be bothered, I was ridiculously forgetful which my boys found exasperating, I was full of anxiety and self-hatred and started to wonder what the point of my life was.

This Naked Mind is a game-changer

After having that thought I realised I had to make changes because there was a point to my life. I just needed to quit the booze. I signed up for an online AF course and a lot of the girls on the course were recommending this amazing book – This Naked Mind. It changed my thoughts and relationship with alcohol. I stopped feeling self-loathing and began to understand exactly what was going on in my head and body. It promised I would find freedom and find happiness and I have. As I say to my friends when recommending it – ‘This Naked Mind is a game-changer.’ This is my story and until I found sober communities I have kept it to myself. I now feel pride where I once felt shame.

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This Naked Mind is a game-changer for so many people. You can be one of them. Start reading This Naked Mind for free now!

In the driver’s seat

I now look at alcohol from a completely different perspective. It doesn’t control me because I understand it. It lied to me – I can see that now thanks to Annie. I began my journey on October 5 with a massive hangover!! Clocking 47 days than I drank over the weekend. I felt the usual disgust and stuff but reasoned that the 47 days had not been a waste and I had learned a lot. I then did 26 days and the same happened. These had been my first ever attempts at giving up so I got back on the horse. It’s not been easy but has been so worth it.

In a better place

I have just had my first sober Christmas and New Year in over 40 years and I have to say it was a lot easier than I ever imagined. My mindset has now changed and although my journey only started four months ago I know I never ever want to go back to my old life. Sometimes I even feel a bit silly at how much time and effort I was giving alcohol and what I was allowing it to do to me.

My biggest hurdle was eating out and at first, I sat in restaurants acting like a baby thinking everyone was having a better time than me and demanding to go home but even that has passed.

Living life with meaning

I now laugh more, sometimes I have moments of actual euphoria. My life has meaning and clarity. I wasted so many years feeling rubbish but now I feel amazing. Sounds very twee I know but having come through the haze and shit I feel like I’m seeing clearly for the first time in years.

So thank you, Annie – you tweaked something in my head that was overdue for tweaking. We must not rely on willpower but facts and that’s what you give us.

You are an inspiration.

Share Your Story

This Naked Mind is a game-changer – for Claire and so many others! Are you one of them? Share your story to show others that change isn’t just possible – it is worthwhile too! Learn more!

My Drinking Became Problematic During the Pandemic; Here’s How I Stopped

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:01:12 GMT

Like so many others, Laurie found herself drinking during the pandemic. What started as a way to cope quickly became something much bigger.

Pandemic Changes

When the COVID-19 pandemic began last March, I responded to the news of a deadly virus approaching the US the same way that many parents did; I watched some news reports, I talked to some friends, and I drank some wine. Seems like a normal response, right? My kids’ schools had switched to virtual learning and my husband’s job had switched to remote. All extra-curricular activities and travel came to a screeching halt. For a lot of parents like me, these were big changes that impacted every aspect of my life, and I didn’t quite know how to deal with them.

Drinking During The Pandemic

During the first few weeks of the stay-at-home order, I found myself joking with my mom friends about having to drink more wine in order to deal with our kids and spouses being home all the time. It was a big joke on social media within my mom groups. Funny memes were texted back and forth with moms starting to drink at noon in order to be able to finish the school day. News outlets were telling us to stock up on toilet paper, paper towels, and alcohol. It’s like they were telling us to batten down the hatches. We’ll be just fine as long as we have wine on hand.

“I wasn’t really relaxed. I was just numbing my stress temporarily and I knew I had to stop this unhealthy way of coping with the stress of the pandemic.”

At first, I went along with it. Underneath all the funny memes that masked the actual anxiety about the pandemic, I knew that it wasn’t going to work for me. There’s no way that drinking most evenings is healthy, nor was it sustainable. I found that I was exhausted all of the time. Also, I was impatient with my kids and with myself, and I only felt relaxed when I was alone with a glass of wine and Netflix late at night. But I wasn’t really relaxed. I was just numbing my stress temporarily and I knew I had to stop this unhealthy way of coping with the stress of the pandemic. My relationship with alcohol was getting tangled with my heightened emotions over the pandemic. I needed to address it before it got way worse.

So, I decided to give sobriety a try. These three things have helped on my journey:

1. I started reading quit lit.

If you had asked me what quit lit was six months ago, I would have had no idea what you were talking about. Turns out, there is a whole world of novels, memoirs, essays, and how-to books on sobriety that is geared towards women. I only just started reading books from this genre and let me tell you: They’re nothing short of amazing. I’ve already learned so much about my relationship with alcohol and my emotions through reading a few of these books, In fact, I’m excited to keep adding new titles to my bookshelf.

I’m finding that I really enjoy reading about other women’s journeys to and through sobriety because so many stories are both relatable and inspiring. I was late to the party and just finished the #1 NY Times Best Seller Untamed by Glennon Doyle. Though not entirely about sobriety, Untamed is a really incredible collection of stories and powerful realizations on how to come out of hiding and step into your true self — free of cages that may have at one time kept you quiet. I loved this book. To the point that I even joined a Zoom book club to discuss it virtually with other women — it was that good.

Drinking During The Pandemic Ended with This Naked Mind

The most empowering quit lit book I’ve read so far, however, is This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol by Annie Grace. This book goes a step further. The author combines her personal stories with research on how alcohol affects the body and, particularly, the brain. The science-nerd in me loved this combination. This Naked Mind has the reader examine how their unconscious mind has been conditioned about the benefits of alcohol. According to Grace, “I would like to outline what alcohol does to your body, so you see why it wreaks such devastation on your health and life.”

This book does just that.

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Has your drinking during the pandemic escalated? Ready to do something about it? Start reading This Naked Mind for free now!

Click here to keep reading

5 Tips For Staying Alcohol-Free After Dry January Ends

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 07:30:00 GMT

You’ve been doing Dry January and now instead of just taking a break from alcohol you’re considering staying alcohol-free. You made it through 30 days. What is ahead? Does it get easier or harder the longer you go? And what are some tips for staying alcohol-free?

What is Ahead?

Well, everything is probably still ahead. 30 days alcohol-free (especially during a pandemic) is only a taste of what an alcohol-free life is like. Ahead of you, there are still so many ups and downs – the first year is this amazing time where you experience everything for the first time without the cloud of alcohol fogging and numbing every experience.

Does it get easier or harder?

The answer is both. Initially things can get harder because you’re used to having alcohol there to numb you and anesthetize every experience. The idea of facing life without that shield can make it harder. Yet every time you get through another experience without alcohol it gets easier.

Tips for Staying Alcohol-Free

Staying alcohol-free can be a challenge. As time goes on it is common to start to forget why drinking wasn’t right for us. You finally find what works for you, you’re feeling great, and everything in your life seems to be going better because you’re not drinking and this continues for a while. Over time this exciting new thing just becomes normal.

1) Keep Track

If you feel like you’re forgetting why you quit drinking, track your progress. Keep a journal of all the benefits you’re experiencing and contrast them with how you felt while drinking. If you’re not into writing take a video or sound clips. Record your experiences, record your emotions, how you feel mentally and physically. This will be an unbelievably valuable record for you down the road.

When this amazing, exciting, new alcohol-free life becomes normal, and you start having some of these thoughts, you can look back and say, “Oh no, that’s what alcohol does to me. That’s how it made me feel.” It’s so useful to have a reminder from your own lips or your own hand, if you’re writing it, of what it was that alcohol was doing to you and why you quit in the first place.

2) Question Your Beliefs

So triggers are going to pop up as we go beyond Dry January. Maybe it’s a stressful situation and you have always responded by having a drink to relax and unwind. Now is when you step back and question those beliefs, “All right, I need alcohol to relax, is this true for me? Is it true for other people? Where did I learn this belief?” And what you can do is take this belief out into the light and really examine whether or not it is actually true. If you can do that with these beliefs the next time you encounter something where that thought might pop up in your head like, “Oh, man, I’d really be relaxed if I could have a drink right now,” you’ll catch yourself and you’ll say, “No, as a matter of fact, it won’t relax me.” You’re absolutely going to be able to handle when these thoughts come up again. They’re going to pop into your head and then you’re going to dismiss them right away.

3) Find Alternatives

What we can’t do when we’re interested in staying alcohol-free is stay stagnant. You absolutely cannot just stop drinking. You need more in your life now. You have all this time, all these emotions. You need coping mechanisms. Find alternatives. Start exercising. Read new books. Find new hobbies. The great thing about this experience is that EVERYTHING really can change and you’re in control.

4) Stay Motivated

Eventually, the pink cloud does dissolve and the newness of being alcohol-free fades. To stay motivated find what inspires you and how staying alcohol-free will help with that. Are you saving money by not drinking? What can you apply those savings towards? What changes is being alcohol-free propelling you towards? Find how to harness that positivity!

5) Create Connections

You need people in your life who get you. If no one else in your life is interested in staying alcohol-free, find people who are. We have Facebook groups for both This Naked Mind and The Alcohol Experiment. If you need coaching and guidance on what to do next there’s The PATH by This Naked Mind. There’s also the This Naked Mind Community along with so many other great groups. Find your people and let them help you stay alcohol-free.

Giving Back To This Naked Mind – Lisa’s Naked Life

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 07:30:00 GMT

After multiple rock bottoms, Lisa found help with This Naked Mind. Now she’s giving back to This Naked Mind and those who helped her.

Where the story changed

3 September 2014… I got up; Drank, a lot. I am miserable. I already had an appointment booked with my doctor/counselor for late morning. Finished off the scotch bottle (yes, before breakfast – scratch that, it was breakfast). Something made me just want to get the hell out of the house and GO, so I left and found myself standing at my doctor’s reception at least an hour earlier than my appointment. Desperate for help. How had I let it get so bad?

How the story began

My story starts in childhood, like a lot of people’s. An “only” child, there was trauma and neglect. As an adult, this led to the development of my people-pleasing skills, to an over-thinking/”what-if” mindset. An admin/executive assistant for much of my working life, I found myself attracted to highly stressful jobs where I felt needed and relied upon. I used alcohol to not only fit in but also to help with my “edginess.” Thinking alcohol calmed me, “brought me down” after another crazy day. Using alcohol to manage my emotions over my childhood, issues not yet resolved. Used to handling life on my own, I didn’t seek counseling. I would, could figure out things on my own.

Drinking was never the issue (to me)

I married a wonderful man, my best friend who was one of life’s natural moderators with alcohol. Over time, my drinking increased. I needed more and more of it to achieve the same result. While I had a good doctor, I always waved aside any comments about my latest blood test results which of course indicated my high level of alcohol abuse.

Functioning alcoholic

I became the “functioning alcoholic” (or so I believed at the time). My high-level alcohol abuse led to stomach disorders, fuelling my “edginess” into full-blown panic attacks, agoraphobia, and constant migraines. I developed depression. I didn’t eat well and my weight ballooned because I was now also abusing food for comfort as well. Going from someone who could always be relied upon to someone who was sick with something all the time. I still kept drinking.

The first rock bottom

It all came to a screeching halt 10 ½ years ago. By this time I was drinking a bottle of scotch a night (having already had several glasses of wine). One day, with yet another migraine, I had to leave work early promising to be in the next day. That didn’t happen. After a week or so at home constantly physically ill, I asked my husband to take me to the hospital. I was there for two weeks and one day. In addition to the health issues I knew I had, I was diagnosed with pneumonia, diabetes, and an enlarged heart. Suddenly I was under the care of a Cardiologist and an Endocrinologist. One doctor told me my potassium levels were so low, it was the level they usually saw in dead people. I didn’t really comprehend even then that I had been near death.

Moderating maybe?

People talk about “rock bottom.” You’d think that would be it, wouldn’t you? I had something like 3-4 months off work, recovering. Within a year, I had beaten diabetes. Initially, I stopped drinking entirely but then the odd drink would creep in. Then the new lie I told myself appeared: I can moderate, can’t I? I did do some counseling at this time. I wasn’t entirely honest with him about my alcohol intake – I still believed I could fix myself.

The year I turned 50 I started going to a personal trainer (PT). I had lost a lot of weight when I was sick but I had gained it all back, plus some. I would see the PT after work, but then go home and drink – a lot.

Bottoming out again

And then, another “rock bottom.” Made redundant from a job I loved – totally out of “left field.” I did find another job but all my abandonment issues reappeared. I missed my old “work family.” My drinking escalated. Over the next year, I would miss work and PT sessions regularly because I was home either drinking or passed out on the couch.

By now it was sinking in that alcohol was responsible for making me sick – my health was suffering in the same ways, again. Alternating between trying to quit and trying to moderate. I had so many “Day 1’s” and then I would have a bad day or a panic attack, or a good day, a good PT session – I didn’t need much of an excuse. I realized I had no “off switch.”

Exactly when was it all going to be enough to stop doing this to myself? In the months leading up to September 2014, my husband was at a loss as to what to do or say. Our once happy home was now full of my depression, anxiety, and self-destruction. How much fun was I to live with?

Getting help from This Naked Mind

So I found myself in September 2014, at my doctor’s office, early for the appointment, begging for help. He immediately told me to stay home from work for a month while we did intensive and regular counseling sessions.

All of this was just before This Naked Mind came out. My doctor/counselor started the healing process well with mindfulness techniques. However, I am a person who has to understand the why behind the things we do and when Annie’s book came out not long after I started this process, everything finally fell into place: identifying the science behind it all, the way the brain is trained, really helped me move forward. I finally understood why alcohol inflamed my anxiety and depression. Annie’s book dealt with so many beliefs and misconceptions I had around guilt and shame, addiction, the need to fit in, what was “normal.” I learned about dealing with all the “firsts” – those events that happen in the first year you’re alcohol free. It was a learning curve that I grabbed ahold of with both hands.

Empowered

Through this knowledge came empowerment. This Naked Mind gave me a new, healthy life, helped me renew my marriage, and – quite frankly – gave me freedom! I learned new tools, new habits, new ways of looking at myself. No longer am I on any medications for diabetes/gut health or anxiety/depression. I became – and am – so well, I never want to go back. I have had my last “Day 1.”

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Lisa is now giving back to This Naked Mind, but it started with getting the information that set her free. Access that information now for yourself! Totally free!

Finding The PATH

In 2020 I learned the magic behind connection. I joined The PATH in June. Some “firsts” happened earlier in the year and I felt the need for community. I reached out and This Naked Mind, already a part of my self-development journey over the years (through social media and Annie’s podcasts), reached back. I had outstanding support from the Coaches and became part of a compassionate and non-judgemental group; many will be friends for life.

I now pay it forward as a Mentor in the TNM Live Alcohol Experiments, holding a hand out to others as was done for me.

Giving back to This Naked Mind

I am very excited to have been accepted into the This Naked Mind Institute’s coach training, commencing in March 2021. I hope I do them proud. To become a This Naked Mind Certified Coach would bring my TNM journey full circle as I continue to pay it forward, living life with gratitude and joy.

Share Your Story

Lisa is giving back to This Naked Mind by becoming a Certified coach. You can also give back by sharing your story of how This Naked Mind, The Alcohol Experiment, or The PATH has changed your life. Others want to be inspired by your victories.

5 Ways Judgment keeps us from Healing. ~ Annie Grace

Sat, 23 Jan 2021 20:58:25 GMT

Annie Grace joins Elephant Journal to discuss the ways judgment keeps us from healing.

Can we all make one simple promise when it comes to 2021?

Let’s make this year the year we stop judging. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time upon this earth, it is that casting judgments gets us nowhere.

5 Ways Judgment keeps us from Healing

There is literally not a single positive thing that comes out of judging others and ourselves.

We can all agree that we are ready to move forward in 2021 and reclaim some positivity, some hope, and the belief that people are good, which 2020 seemed to eradicate from our memory banks.

The only way we can move forward as individuals and as a society is if we stop casting the weapons of blame, shame, and judgment on those around us. There’s been plenty of that going around, and as far as I can tell, and it hasn’t helped a damn thing yet.

The only thing judgment does is create further barriers and obstacles that we end up wasting precious time, energy, and resources to break down and heal from. Judgment is keeping us from healing, and if there is one thing we need as individuals, as a society, and as a world—it is healing.

Read on to learn the ways judgment keeps us from healing – www.elephantjournal.com

Ready to push pause on judgment?

If you’re ready to move away from judgment—both of yourself and others when it comes to your relationship with alcohol, join us in our always free The Alcohol Experiment. You will receive encouraging and mindset shifting daily videos and emails and an incredible community of 200,000+ people also experimenting with their alcohol intake. It is completely free (and always will be) at The Alcohol Experiment and now also available as an app in Google Play and the Apple Store.

The Alcohol Experiment

Sat, 23 Jan 2021 20:51:18 GMT

Annie Grace joins Joshua Lane on Here’s To Your Health to discuss The Alcohol Experiment. A 30 day Alcohol-Free challenge to interrupt your habits and help you take control of your relationship with alcohol.

Click here to listenat herestoyourhealthwithjoshlane.com

Here’s To Your Health with Joshua Lane

The place to hear current thinking about Beauty, Fitness and Longevity.
Hosted by Joshua Lane, Directed by Darrell Wayne

Here’s To Your Health with Joshua Lane wellness radio is broadcast on:

KCAA 1050AM, 102.3FM, 106.5FM

KTHO 590AM, 96.1FM

KMET 1490AM

KDSK 1240AM, 92.7FM, 92.9FM

KMIN 980AM, 104.3FM

The show is also available on demand in podcast form. Search for KCAA: Here’s To Your Health with Joshua Lane on your favorite podcast app. The show is heard on five AM & FM stations broadcasting seven hours a week of quality wellness talk and ideas that can be helpful to your good health and the health of your family, friends and community.

The show has hosted celebrity guests including: NORMA KAMALI, KIM ALEXIS, SUZANNE SOMERS, Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, Judy A. Mikovits, PhD, Melissa Hartwig, Zach Bush, M.D., Gabriel Cousens, M.D., Joel Fuhrman, M.D.,

Read the book and join The Alcohol Experiment

Get started by reading The Alcohol Experiment and join us in the always free online Alcohol Experiment at https://www.alcoholexperiment.com.

Saturday Live with Carol Dooley

Sat, 23 Jan 2021 16:01:19 GMT

Dispelling The Alcohol Myth

Anne Grace was a high flying executive downing 2 bottles of wine a night until she realised that not only was alcohol taking over her life but everything she learned about its useful place in her life was based on a lie. Here she shares her surprising story of how she finally gave it up and found peace by dispelling the alcohol myth.

Join us to uncover The Alcohol Myth

Are you ready to get curious about your drinking? Wondering how life can change without alcohol in it? Join us in The Alcohol Experiment and you can uncover the truth. Sign up here – it’s completely free and always will be!

Saturday Live with Carol Dooley

Saturday Live with Carol Dooley – broadcast every Saturday morning from 11am on Sunshine 106.8.

Packed with entertainment, health & wellness features, celebrity interviews, great music and so much more Saturday Live is a must listen!

Click here to view original web page at www.sunshineradio.ie

About Annie Grace

At 26, Annie Grace was the youngest Vice President in a multinational company’s history, and as a result, her drinking career began in earnest; by 35, she was in a global C-level marketing role, responsible for 28 countries. At this point, drinking close to two bottles of wine a night became a ritual. Annie Grace’s professional success came at a personal price she no longer wanted to pay. She knew alcohol was no longer serving her. Yet, she didn’t want to suffer through life in a daily battle for sobriety, feeling deprived and constantly trying to avoid temptation.

Your Solution Needs To Be As Big As Your Problem

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 07:30:00 GMT

For years and years, I tried to cut back on my drinking. I wanted to find a solution that allowed me to just drink less and still enjoy life. Moderating, limiting the number of drinks, the days or weeks I drank, the size of my drinks, the type of alcohol I drank. If there was a way to attempt moderation I did it. And without fail I always, always went back to drinking as much as or even more than I was drinking before. Finally, I realized the secret: your solution needs to be as big as your problem.

Solve The Right Problem

It’s true that your solution needs to be as big as your problem. But, you also need to make sure you’re solving the right problem. I thought my problem was that I just couldn’t figure out how to moderate my drinking. That wasn’t it at all. My problem was the cognitive dissonance in my head. I was drinking even when I no longer found any pleasure from it. It wasn’t moderation I needed to figure out – it was why I was still doing something I no longer desired.

Do You Have A Problem With Alcohol?

Wondering if you might have a problem with alcohol? This e-book can help answer some of your questions and guide you in what your next steps should be. Download it now!

Mountain or Molehill

Not only does your solution need to be as big as your problem, but you also need to bring the same amount or more energy to solving it as you did to creating it. If you’ve ever tried to calm down a child (or an adult …) having a tantrum, you know that you need to meet or beat their energy level in order to calm them. Now that doesn’t mean screaming and shouting, it means putting in as much calming energy as they are putting into their anger. That same principle applies to the problems we create in our lives.

You need to put as much time, energy, and motivation into not drinking as you did into drinking. That means being prepared to work through big feelings, stressful events, and whatever else comes your way without alcohol.

Making Your Solution As Big As Your Problem

How do you make your solution as big as your problem? Well, first you need to be prepared to dedicate the same amount of time – if not more – to solve your problem as you did to create it. That means a 30-day break from alcohol probably won’t solve a decade of drinking too much. No, alcohol won’t be this thing hanging over your head for another 10 years but getting to a point where alcohol is no longer an issue can take upwards of a year.

I know that seems overwhelming but it doesn’t need to be. If you don’t feel prepared to create the solution on your own when it comes to drinking, the PATH takes the planning out of the equation for you. Not only does it have a daily framework for you to follow but there’s also coaching, a vault of resources, and more – a BIG solution to a BIG problem.

Factors To Success

Are there any secrets to success when creating your solution?

YES!!!

First, drop your weapons of blame and shame. They won’t help you and only hold you back. In fact, they are part of the problem. Your solution needs to be based on grace and compassion. Those two things are scientifically proven to be influential at establishing lasting change and success.

Second, this isn’t a solo job. You had drinking buddies. Now you need alcohol-free buddies – people who are going through or have gone through the same things you have. A support system. That can be hard to find in person right now but virtual options abound!

Finally, don’t be afraid to keep adding to your toolbox and searching out more solutions. It’s okay if what you try at first doesn’t work for you. That doesn’t mean you’re a failure, it means it wasn’t the right solution for you. Try something or however many somethings it takes until you find what does work for you!