Who becomes a non-drinker at 26? Why would someone make that choice? And how do you do it? Greg shares his journey and why he made the decision to be a non-drinker at 26.

The gateway to adulthood

Growing up, I probably had some family members who could be described as functional alcoholics at least at some point. I’m sure that is true for everyone. In my immediate household though, alcohol wasn’t very present.

As I grew older into my late teens and early 20s I saw drinking as a gateway to adulthood. Learning to have a favorite beer/spirit meant I was a sophisticated adult.

When alcohol becomes an issue

After graduating college I noticed that alcohol wasn’t just the nice thing with dinner. It had become something I looked forward to having every day or weekend. I lost interest in my many hobbies. Instead, my hobby basically became sitting at a brewery multiple times a week and talking about the newest beer on tap.

In the past, I did Dry January with some success. I’d also dabble in moderation by trying to limit myself to just 1-2 drinks a day. That worked for some time until it felt like I was white-knuckling the days I didn’t drink. When I did drink again I had no real desire to stop until I was asleep for the night. I knew something needed to change before my daily drinking progressed into all-day drinking.

I began to research how I could change my drinking. Luckily, I happened to come across Annie on Youtube and as they say, the rest is history. I saw her interviews there and eventually purchased the This Naked Mind book on Amazon.

How I became a non-drinker at 26

This Naked Mind was a game changer for me. It showed me not drinking isn’t a punishment or something that has to be awful. It showed me that paradoxically I would have more freedom by saying no to the nightly drinks I had than if I kept going. I really worried about the heavy withdrawals or losing friends or being aimless in life if I didn’t have alcohol to look forward to but I discovered how much stuff in life I actually was missing out on because I was either intoxicated for it or just devoting too much time into finding the latest beer release. It showed me that I could be a non-drinker at 26.

My last drink came on a pretty good evening but I also remember reading toward the end of the book, “heavy drinkers can spend about $400,000 on alcohol during their lives, which makes your last drink akin to winning the lottery” (page 213). For me, the decision to stop drinking was largely financial too. During my worst drinking which coincided with the pandemic I pulled in about $10K in credit card debt from frequent bar tabs, Uber eats, random purchases, and basically saying “screw it” about my finances.

After I got over that hump of not drinking the first few weeks I began to feel my head clear up and get to a more responsible place. I still have a lot to pay down, but stopping drinking and seeing the unconscious beliefs I had about alcohol led me to challenge my unconscious beliefs about how I was spending money too. Especially money I didn’t really have.

Become a non-drinker at 26 (or any age!)

You can also become a non-drinker at 36, 56, 86 – or whatever age you are! Find your freedom through This Naked Mind just as Greg did! Start reading for now!

The choice not to drink

I also think I came across This Naked Mind exactly when I needed to. While I work in the legal field, I’m lucky to not face pressure from others to consume. I am glad to make the choice that I don’t have to be a drinker just because so many people in my industry are. This Naked Mind let me see it’s okay to be me and even okay to be a little weird. Beyond the substance of alcohol, I think This Naked Mind shows you that you don’t have to live life the way you thought you had to, which is very freeing.

Life beyond alcohol

My life now is about just creating the things I want. I’m 26 and hoping to be in law school by the Fall of 2023. I got back into music. For over 10 years I played guitar but stopped for a long while. Coming back to music has really made me not want to drink anymore either. I’m excited about writing songs and also repairing my finances because I overspent and went into a lot of credit card debt when my drinking was at its worst.

Share Your Story

Did This Naked Mind help you become a non-drinker? Whether it was our books, the app, the podcasts, or another program we want you to share your story here and inspire others on their journey!

If you mention to anyone that you think you may need or want to stop drinking it usually leads to a discussion about one or two options. You’re either told you need to go ahead and get yourself to the closest church basement for an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting or they might suggest some great rehabs they know in the area. But what you’re probably wondering is how to stop drinking alcohol on your own. Not only is it possible, but it also happens to be one of the most successful ways to stop drinking.

Why would someone want to stop drinking on their own?

Now if you tell someone you want to stop drinking on your own they might have a reaction that’s less than favorable. Why would you ever want to do that? Are you even qualified to do something like that? And besides what’s wrong with doing something like AA? It has worked for so many people.

That’s true, Alcoholics Anonymous has helped thousands of people. Yet it’s much like the stories we hear where people say, ”Well, I never wore a seatbelt growing up and I’m still alive today.” Much as the people who didn’t fare well without a seatbelt, we don’t hear much from the people that didn’t find success in AA. The truth is when it comes to figuring out how to stop drinking, the more options you have the better. 

People do have so many valid reasons for not wanting to pursue the traditionally known ways to stop drinking. After all, Alcoholics Anonymous really isn’t all that anonymous. Chances are you’re going to run into someone you know at one of the meetings. Not everyone’s okay with that. And as for traditional rehab, it can be extremely expensive and have a long wait list;  also most people can’t afford to take that much time away from their jobs and not lose everything in the process.

How to stop drinking on your own

The great news is that the options abound now if you do want to look into how to stop drinking on your own. No longer are you taking a path that no one else has ever walked before. Spontaneous sobriety is actually getting a lot of bandwidth. It turns out that when you stop drinking on your own you’re usually more successful than you are when you choose the options that are more well-known. So while choosing to stop drinking on your own may seem radical it’s actually the most practical choice.

Now, when we say the choices abound on how to stop drinking on your own what we mean is that you don’t really have to do this alone. And how you choose to do it is entirely up to you. You may choose to go to meetings. There are so many groups and organizations available nowadays. You may decide you’d like to take advantage of an online program. Great, programs designed to bring you control in your relationship with alcohol are now easy to find and access. They may be online or they may be a hybrid option. You can also look at medication choices that can help prevent cravings, books, therapy, or even alternative groups that are designed to be active and bring you those endorphins you seek in a different way.

What is equally exciting is the fact that so many groups now exist to help support those that are alcohol-free. We’re going to take a look at all of this and bring you one of the most comprehensive resources on how to stop drinking on your own and how to stay alcohol-free while still loving your life.

What does it mean to stop drinking on your own? (And why should you do it…)

The hardest part of exploring how to stop drinking on your own is the fact that you are doing it alone. It has been drilled into us time and again that the only way you can be successful at finding control over alcohol is with rehab or a 12-step program.

FALSE INFORMATION!!

People stop drinking on their own all the time. In fact, people in the US who spontaneously recover from alcohol dependence are between four and seven times more successful than participants in the most well-known treatment approach: A.A. According to a study by the NIAAA, more than one-third of individuals with alcohol dependence fully recovered without any treatment. In contrast, the success rates of a traditional recovery program are wholly unknown but experts believe them to be in the single digits.

Why should you stop drinking on your own?

Well, most treatment programs focus on maintaining sobriety. Staying alcohol-free in these programs can be tedious and monotonous with daily readings, discussions, and focusing on avoiding failure.

Those who quit drinking on their own are more successful in maintaining a healthy relationship with alcohol and are usually more at peace and happy with their decision. They aren’t worried that they are missing out on something by not drinking. They no longer have any desire for alcohol. Without desire, there is no temptation. The focus isn’t on maintaining sobriety but instead on continuing to build a happier and more fulfilling life.

The first step

Okay, so you’re ready to figure out how to stop drinking on your own. First off, congrats! That is a huge decision and you should be commended on your awareness and your motivation. So if no one has said it to you yet – We’re proud of you.

Alright, pep talk over. What do you do now?

Step one is to figure out how you want to do this darn thing. What feels best to you? What do you think you need in order to feel in charge and supported on this journey?

Are you an avid reader? Why don’t you start with some quit lit? The choices abound but we do have a few lists that we’ve put together over the years. There are books geared towards women, towards men, and those that are pretty universal. Some people find that reading a book is all they need and they are free while others see these books as the beginning of their journey and an experience to build from.

Not sure which book will help you learn how to stop drinking on your own?

Join the millions that have used This Naked Mind to stop drinking on their own by downloading your free sample!

Books aren’t your thing? Never fear – you still have a myriad of options.

Many people have also found freedom from alcohol through podcasts, Youtube videos, and even following alcohol-free social media channels. There is also always the option to listen to audiobooks if you’re more of an auditory learner.

Did you know?

Most libraries now have the option to download books and audiobooks directly to your devices. You can read or listen for free. This is especially beneficial to those who aren’t ready to explain to others about where they are in their relationship with alcohol right now!

Here are a few accounts that can get you started if you’re interested in exploring podcast, YouTube, and social media options.

You want to stop drinking on your own…but with help.

So when you said you wanted to know how to stop drinking on your own, you really didn’t mean you wanted to do this all alone? We get it. And we have options for you there too. So many options and there’s no reason you can’t feel supported without feeling stifled.

Here at This Naked Mind, we offer a variety of options when it comes to stopping drinking on your own while having support available to you. If you’re looking to just have some lessons to help you take a break from alcohol and maybe a community to fall back on, check out The Alcohol Experiment. It’s a guided 30-day break from alcohol that includes free daily lessons and a supportive community all housed inside our This Naked Mind Companion App. Over 400,000 people have changed their relationships with alcohol through The Alcohol Experiment. A few times a year we also offer the Live Alcohol Experiment where you can take advantage of daily group coaching opportunities for additional support and a small fee.

Additional options available to you

Do you think you might need a bit more than lessons to help you get started with stopping drinking on your own? Never fear! We have a program for you as well. The PATH: Freedom Accelerated is our 90-day program that is packed full of coaching, community, content, and connection! Daily lessons, daily coaching, a supportive community, and more are all inside the PATH. Join the thousands who have discovered how to stop drinking alcohol on their own with The PATH.

Not really a people person? Do you want support but on a more personal level? This Naked Mind has a global team of coaches all certified in This Naked Mind Methodology. Head here to see a list of our coaches and book some discovery calls. Once you find the right fit for you, you can start working one on one with one of our coaches. One of the most reassuring things about working with a This Naked Mind Certified Coach is they have been where you are. They also had their own struggles with alcohol. They are proof that not only can you stop drinking alcohol on your own but you can flourish after doing so!

What other options exist if you want to stop drinking alcohol on your own?

We know that This Naked Mind isn’t the only program out there to help people stop drinking alcohol on their own. In fact, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. That’s why we are thrilled so many options now exist that allow people to find the program that is right for them right now. And if circumstances change, it’s reassuring to know that you can try something else until you find what brings you lasting change. Check out our round-up of alternatives to AA here.

Do you need medical support to stop drinking?

First off, if you think you might be physically addicted to alcohol and at risk of suffering from physical withdrawal symptoms – consult a physician before attempting to stop drinking. They will be able to advise you on whether you need a medical detox with supervision. They can also let you know what options will be best for you.

If you’re fairly sure that your dependence is psychological and not physical, keep reading. This is for you if you’d feel more confident if your path to change included a medication component. There is no shortage of options available to you in that aspect as well. Some people find success using the Sinclair Method which uses Naltrexone. You can learn more about that here. Naltrexone basically blocks the pleasurable effects one would experience from drinking.

Others choose a medication like Campral which is used to prevent cravings. Or they may try Antabuse which causes one to feel ill if they do consume alcohol. This study on the use of medications to treat alcohol use disorder is extremely comprehensive. It sheds light on the effectiveness of medications and best practices.

Others choose to work with a naturopath and find herbal supplements or other modalities to be helpful when stopping drinking. Helena Caven and I discussed using herbal supplements o detox in this podcast. I also personally worked with Dr. Terry Trinka, a neurological optometrist, and certified nutritionist, when I was looking for a holistic approach to help treat my depression and anxiety. Dr. Trinka provides in-depth information about a natural approach to healing our bodies as we begin the process of detoxing from alcohol here.

A final note on how to stop drinking alcohol on your own

It can seem as if the entire world is against you when you make the choice to stop drinking alcohol on your own. In fact, just figuring out how to stop drinking alcohol on your own can seem overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be. This journey isn’t linear. You can’t fail at it. Even if you choose an option and it doesn’t work for you, YOU HAVE NOT FAILED.

Instead, you have learned what doesn’t work for you. That means you have the freedom to go back and try something else, or to add something to your toolbox that can allow you to be more successful. Making the choice to stop drinking shouldn’t come with a litany of rules or ultimatums. Instead, it should be more of a buffet where you can pick and choose until you create the life and support that brings you lasting change and freedom from alcohol.

Kelly was a self-described party princess for years. Learn how This Naked Mind helped her transform into a staunch sober supporter instead.

The Early Years

My parents were (and are) non-drinkers. The impact was that I wasn’t around it and my exposure to it was very limited (if not nonexistent) until I got to high school. There I started drinking with friends. My only “education” was mainly the message of “don’t do it” which, of course, led me to want to do it more.

Drinking was a way to have fun, loosen up, and be the life of the party. I liked how it made me feel but I always was one who took it to extremes. I didn’t want to stop when I started, and this was the theme throughout my drinking experiences.

A Party Princess

I really started behaving differently and prioritizing partying over other things once I was entirely on my own after college. Often neglect responsibility or show up in a half-assed way for my job, family, or anything because my interests lay with the party scene. I was a bar person and someone who was considered a party princess. The people I started to hang out with deteriorated. My habits grew worse and the amount of time I would spend partying increased. I maintained my job and appearance for the most part. Keeping my extreme partying from my work people. The duplicitous lifestyle (work life and nightlife) was tough to manage.

I got a DUI (the first one) and this should have been a huge wake-up call, but my “circle” was feeding me messages of “Oh this is just what happens. You’ll be fine”. Not a single sober supporter around me. Eventually, my lifestyle became out of control. Chaos ensued. Lots of relationship problems. Trouble maintaining good friendships. Grew distant from my family.

The Rules

Next came the rules. Attempts to control my drinking. Only drinking beer. Only drinking liquor. Not pre-gaming. Lying to myself saying “I’ll only have a couple”. Using cocaine because it helped me feel “less drunk”. Saying I’d only drink on certain nights. None of these worked.

When I got sober in 2019, I was introduced to “quit lit” (mostly on Instagram) and heard so many good things about This Naked Mind. It was one of the first books I read and I was fascinated.

Start Reading

Is it time for you to get curious about some quit lit? You can start right here and right now with This Naked Mind.

Finding Sober Support

The podcast also played a big role because, in the first year, I did a lot of running and would listen to podcasts. This Naked Mind podcast really helped me see that I wasn’t alone and wasn’t the only person feeling the things I felt or who had been through the things I had. That sense of community made such an incredible difference in my life.

Becoming a Sober Supporter

My life now, at almost 3 years sober, is beyond what I could have expected. I am a happy and peaceful single mom, I’m calm, I’m motivated, and I’m driven. I have gone on to create and establish a sober online community for women which is flourishing. It means so much to me to now be able to inspire and bring together other women who want sober lives. I’m excited for what’s to come in this group and for my life in general. I do a lot within the Instagram sober community and work towards educating folx on the harms of booze and also sharing my stories there to help others not feel alone.

Share Your Story

Did This Naked Mind transform you into a sober supporter? Whether it was our books, the app, the podcasts, or another program we want you to share your story here and inspire others on their journey!

If there was one thing Jess could count on in her life, it was always alcohol. Alcohol was always there no matter what. And that became a problem as well because there was always alcohol in Jess’s life. Learn how she finally found freedom and how This Naked Mind and The Alcohol Experiment helped!

Always Alcohol

Alcohol has been a constant in my life since my college years, the late 90s and early 00s. From that time there was always alcohol in it. I was the party girl, who could out-drink any guy and I was proud of it. I loved rum and Coke and couldn’t stand cheap beer. When I turned 21, I enjoyed going to dinner with my mom and stepdad on Friday nights at a restaurant that brewed their own beer, called John Harvard’s. This was before the craft beer craze we have now. I loved chocolate stouts but never got drunk in front of my mom. My mom wasn’t a heavy drinker. She was a casual drinker. A beer or two and she was good and only on a Friday night so the binge drinking I developed wasn’t learned from her or anyone in my family, actually.

Drinking remained a constant in my 20’s and 30’s. I was a ballroom dance instructor and worked late so we were always drinking after the day. I left that industry in 2014 when pregnant with my second child. For the next 4 years, drinking was kind of casual. Still could drink a lot but wasn’t all the time. Fast forward to 2018. A dear friend of mine got diagnosed with post-transplant leukemia in January.

Devastation

He was 41, I was 38. My good friend and I went to Maryland to visit him on the last weekend of his life. It was an emotional but memorable weekend. There was a party for him and lots of laughs and tears. All he wanted was a glass of wine but no one would give it to him. I was pretty drunk that whole weekend but remember it clear as day. I got to spend quality time with him and hold his hand and talk. He passed a few days after we left in February.

My husband said his death will be very hard. This wasn’t the first death I’d experienced that was painful but this was the first friend I’d lost. That year I found myself drinking a lot. Drinking because of life’s unknowns and I wanted to live as I wanted. But the drinking was constant, there was always alcohol in my hand it seemed like, and I was gaining weight all while being a fitness instructor. I got a new position at the gym where I still work and was tired all the time. That year I joined Weight Watchers. While on their social app there were a group of women who called themselves “Sober Sisters”. I marveled at their stories of not drinking and how it was positively impacting their life.

First Attempt

One woman I befriended told me about Annie Grace, This Naked Mind, and The Alcohol Experiment. I told my husband about it and ordered the books on Amazon so no one saw my purchase. At the end of 2018, I started The Alcohol Experiment. I spent my New Year’s Eve sober for the first time. It wasn’t easy as I was early on in my AF days. But I did it and did 35 days AF then started drinking casually again. I had lost weight, hit my goal, and had my drinking under control. Or so I thought. I would do spurts of weeks AF then go back to drinking. In fact, I even started teaching Saturday mornings to make me not drink Friday nights. Still, I drank regardless. Teaching hungover a lot with horrible anxiety. Then 2020 came.

Always Alcohol in Lockdown

We all went through that hell together. The weekend before lockdown I had just turned 40. I went away with a group of family and friends. I got very drunk. The next weekend the world shut down. I was happy because I loved being home. As 2 weeks turned to months of quarantine I turned drinking into a daily all-day thing. There was literally always alcohol during lockdown. No work, no school, I thought this is the end and I’m going to drink my way through this. So I did.

I drank a lot, gained 15 pounds, and was depressed, anxious, and miserable. We sold our house in April of that year and bought a new house in a new school district and neighborhood. It was great! I still wasn’t back to my job but was back teaching aerobics and still drinking a lot. Nothing horrible ever happened, thank God but I was not present in life anymore.

Breaking All My Rules

My days consisted of waiting to pour that craft beer or glass of wine. I was not a one-drink woman. I was an all-in drinker. Drinking to get drunk. Period. I hated going out because I just wanted to drink at home, I wanted to drink as much as I wanted. Embarrassed by how much I could physically drink. I made rules about my drinking and put reminders in my phone that said, stop drinking you’ll regret how you feel, only to delete the reminder. I was losing control and I knew it. On October 30, 2021, I drank so much at a friend’s. I once again had my rules but broke them. Woke up Halloween morning so hungover and depressed. Why am I doing this to myself?

That day I took out The Alcohol Experiment book and finally the This Naked Mind book, which I never read. I told my husband I’m done with drinking. This time I meant it. I logged onto the app and started doing my work. Reading the lessons daily. I watched the videos. Posted and read others’ posts. I kept my journey a secret and hid from the world for a bit. Spent time with my kids and made excuses for not going out as I wasn’t ready yet. I needed to be strong.

Is there always alcohol in your life?

Are you tired of the fact that there is always alcohol in your own life? Start reading This Naked Mind for free now and find freedom from it like Jess has. Download the first 40 pages now!

Getting Totally Naked

About 45 days in I got curious and tried moderation. Started off as a success to only fall back into Christmas Eve drinking in the passenger seat of the car while looking at Christmas lights. Then the day after Christmas I drank a lot of wine and woke up so upset with myself. I hated alcohol and what it was doing to me. That would be the last time I drank.

Finally, I read This Naked Mind front to back. Listened to podcasts and found complete freedom from alcohol. It was a process. A lot of crying and breakdowns. Thankfully I’d found a church I felt welcomed in, so I started going to services weekly. I started sharing that I wasn’t drinking anymore with people. If asked why, I’d say I’m just over it, which was the truth.

Since December 26, 2021, I’ve celebrated NYE sober, celebrated my 42nd birthday sober, celebrated Easter sober, and went away for a weekend with my husband sober, which was the first time I actually got to hike and be active and come back rested, I recently celebrated a wedding sober. On top of all those firsts, I lost 15 pounds in the last year, 10 of those coming off once I left my relationship with alcohol, I got a pay increase and more responsibility at my job.

There is No Longer Always Alcohol

My mind is clear. I go to my kid’s events if my schedule allows it. I teach better group fitness classes. Most importantly, I laugh a lot. My anxiety, depression, fatigue, and looking ragged went away. I thought it was old age but found out it was alcohol. I call friends and don’t cancel plans. If around company I drink NA craft beer or just drink water with no problem. I have deep conversations with people about not drinking which are just beautiful. Do I get little pings of wanting a drink? Sometimes but now I sit with it and ask myself, why do you want to drink? What will it do? Once I answer those questions it passes and I’m fine.

I have a friend on the app who is on the same day as me and we cheer each other on and talk about our days. My life is 1000% better without alcohol. I even got my first tattoo on day 95. Something I’d been anxious about and doubted myself if I’d been drinking. My confidence is better and I truly don’t care what anyone thinks of me anymore because I am finally me. Truly me. Kinda hippy, kinda hood but truly caring and just enjoying this beautiful splendor of life. I can’t fix the world but I can fix my problems without the crutch of alcohol destroying everything.

So Thankful

Without Annie Grace’s diligent research on this who knows if I’d ever be where I am today. What started off as 50 days, then 100 days, has turned truly into a lifestyle. A year is my goal but I think by then it will just be a part of me. As someone mentioned on the app, we are unique rebels. And I love being unique! Thank you for listening!

Share Your Story

Was there always alcohol in your life as well? Did This Naked Mind help you find complete freedom just as Jess has? Whether it was our books, the app, the podcasts, or another program we want you to share your story here and inspire others on their journey!

November is a transition month. It’s when we start kicking off the festive season. In the US, it brings us proper fall weather, Thanksgiving, and the start of many celebrations. Our friends in the Southern Hemisphere are ushering in Spring with warmer weather and their own reasons to gather together. No matter where you are in the world, this month can come with many temptations to indulge in. We suggest you indulge without guilt by making these tasty non-alcoholic drinks for November.

4 Non-Alcoholic Drinks For November

Banana Rama

This take on a banana daiquiri is an excellent choice when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks for November no matter what the season is where you are. Make sure you have some cute little umbrella toothpicks on hand to give this drink that extra oomph!

Ingredients:

2 medium ripe bananas (cut in chunks)

2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp alcohol-free rum extract or alcohol-free vanilla extract

1/2 cup cold coconut water

6-8 large ice cubes

For garnish – lime slices, paper umbrellas, whipped cream, etc

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and combine until the mixture is smooth.

Pour into 2 tall glasses. Garnish with lime slices, paper umbrellas, whipped cream, or your garnishes of choice.

Avena Caliente

There are variations of this drink in so many Latin countries. No matter where you get it, you can guarantee that it will warm you up and fire up your taste buds as well. If you’re looking for non-alcoholic drinks for November that pack some heat – this one delivers! Here is how to make your own.

Ingredients:

½ cup old-fashioned or rolled oats

4 cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

4 cups milk (whole)

2 cinnamon sticks

6 cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ to 1/2 cup brown sugar (sweeten to taste)

Directions:

Mix the water, milk, salt, and oats in a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and almost all of the oatmeal has dissolved.

In a large pot, heat the oat and milk mixture with the spices over medium heat while stirring constantly. Do not add the sugar yet!

Once the mixture begins boiling reduce heat to low and allow to simmer. Continue stirring occasionally and simmering until the mixture has reduced in half (around 10 minutes). Add sugar and serve warm. (You can choose to strain before serving if desired!)

Sparkling Sangria

I’ve always loved a great glass of sangria. I still love to make and drink it. I just choose to make it without the wine nowadays! You can enjoy sparkling sangria as one of your non-alcoholic drinks for November! Full of flavor but with no chance of a hangover! I love that sangria is a perfect fit for every season as well! Get started making yours with the instructions below!

Ingredients:
Fresh blackberries

Fresh apple slices

Fresh lemon slices

2 cups blackberry juice

2 cups white grape juice

1 cup apple juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

4 cups sparkling mineral water

Directions:

In a large pitcher, add the blackberries, apple slices, and lemon slices. Pour the blackberry juice, white grape juice, apple juice, and lemon juice on top. Stir well.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Just before serving, add the sparkling mineral water. Mix well.

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

We couldn’t make a list of non-alcoholic drinks for November and not include a pumpkin spice mocktail. This recipe allows you to adjust the flavors and the sweetness to your liking. (And you can play with using the spices as well if pumpkin spice isn’t your thing!) Grab the ingredients below and start mixing!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup ginger beer or ginger ale

1 oz pumpkin puree

1tsp – 1/2 Tbsp pumpkin spice (adjust to taste)

ice

Directions:

Place a glass in the freezer.

In a cocktail shaker or lidded jar without ice, combine the ginger beer or ginger ale, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice

Dry shake (shake without ice) to mix the ingredients.

Fill your chilled glass with ice and strain the mixture into the glass.

Non-alcoholic drinks for November could be just the start!

Are you thinking beyond just non-alcoholic drinks for November? Could you use additional tips on taking a break from alcohol? Download our free e-book – 6 Best Tips For Taking A Break From Booze. Click here to get your copy!

And if you’re looking for a community to support you and to swap more alcohol-free drink ideas with – join us in The Alcohol Experiment. It has helped over 400K people take a 30-day break from alcohol, change their thinking, and find balance in their lives!

More Spirit-Free Beverages

If you need more spirit-free beverages or you’re wondering if NA drinks are even ok to indulge in – we’ve got you covered!

4 Best Spirit-Free Beverages To Try For Sober October
Try These 7 Amazing Drinks For Sober September
The 7 Best Drinks For An Alcohol-Free August
How To Go Dry in July -11 Mocktail Recipes To Help You
How to TeeTotal Your June with these Terrific Tea Recipes!
May Mocktail Recipes You’ll Love
4 Mocktail Recipes To Make in April
Make These Alcohol-Free Drink Recipes In March
Alcohol-Free Drinks You’ll Fall in Love With
Make These Alcohol-Free Drinks to Stay Dry in January
Festive Alcohol-Free Drinks To Make This Holiday Season
5 Booze-Free Beverages to Try During Dry January
EP 64: Reader Question – Non-Alcoholic Drinks: Are they okay?
EP 198: Reader Question – Alcohol Free drinks? Are they OK?

Every day we get questions from those curious about changing their relationships with alcohol. One thing people really want to know is how to quit drinking alcohol cold turkey. So many questions around it. Is it safe? Should I do it? Is it better to taper off first? Is there a best way to quit drinking? What is safest? What is most effective? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg. They keep coming and for good reason. For most of us the options on how to quit drinking have been limited to two choices – go to rehab or join AA. Nowadays, quitting drinking – or cutting back on it – can happen in so many ways. Ways that work best for you and your personal situation.

What happens when you stop drinking all of a sudden?

What most of us want to know is what will happen if we quit drinking alcohol cold turkey. Isn’t it dangerous? Should anyone even do that?

The answer is – it depends. If you’re a heavy drinker who falls under the category of being physically dependent on alcohol, I’d advise not changing anything until you’re cleared by a medical professional. Alcohol withdrawals are serious and do require medical supervision.

The CDC reports that about 90% of people who drink excessively would not be expected to meet the clinical diagnostic criteria for having a severe alcohol use disorder. A severe alcohol use disorder, previously known as alcohol dependence or alcoholism, is a chronic disease.

Some of the signs and symptoms of a severe alcohol use disorder can include:

• Inability to limit drinking
• Continuing to drink despite personal or professional problems
• Needing to drink more to get the same effect as you did before when consuming less alcohol
• Wanting a drink so badly you can’t think of anything else

If you’ve tried to quit drinking alcohol cold turkey before and experienced physical withdrawals, it’s likely you’ll experience them again.

Cutting Back or Cold Turkey?

What about the other 90% of drinkers that aren’t physically dependent on alcohol? Why is it so hard to stop drinking? Why do we try to taper off or ease our way out of it rather than just stopping all at once?

Most of us feel that gradually tapering off our drinking seems is the least painful approach.

My first attempts at controlling my drinking began with tapering off my drinking and setting what I felt were “reasonable limits.” No more than two drinks a night. I could only drink every other night. A glass of water between drinks. I felt like these were achievable goals and realistic.

Except I kept failing. My gentle approach was actually causing me significant pain.

Why is it so hard to quit drinking alcohol cold turkey?

So, if most of us aren’t physically dependent on alcohol, then why is it so hard to stop drinking? Why do we try to cut down or taper off our drinking rather than decide to quit drinking alcohol cold turkey?

Why is it hard to quit drinking alcohol cold turkey?

Well, the attachment to alcohol is all in your head.

We drink because of our beliefs about alcohol. And we keep drinking because of our beliefs about alcohol and ourselves.

Alcohol makes me happy.
Alcohol helps me relax.
I need alcohol to socialize.

These beliefs have been formed over time through exposure and experiences. They attach to each one of us individually. That makes them very true. How, then, do we go about dispelling the beliefs if we do want to stop drinking—by tapering or in one shot? (Pun intended!)

You ACT.

ACT = Awareness, Clarity, and Turnaround

ACT is a three-step process I created which enables you to unwind some of your long-held beliefs about alcohol. This benefits you because when you do make a change, you’ll find it much easier because your beliefs, and specifically your subconscious beliefs around drinking, will have shifted. You’ll become aware of your beliefs by naming and putting language with them. Next, you’ll clarify the beliefs, where they came from, and how they feel inside you. Finally, you will turn around the beliefs. This involves coming up with a few reasons why the opposite of your long-held belief may be as true or truer than the original belief.

ACT Technique in Action

To put this into action we’ll go with a common belief: Alcohol makes me happy.

Awareness

You believe that alcohol is what makes you happy.

Clarity

You believe that alcohol makes you happy because it’s what you see. Turn on the TV and people are celebrating with alcohol. Movies, radio, music, etc. We sing, dance, and celebrate how great alcohol is in the media all day long. The same holds true in our own lives. When we meet for drinks, we go for “Happy Hour,” and for many of us, drinking tends to occur in a fun, social setting with people we like. So, your experiences created and cemented this belief.

Has that belief always been true for you, though? Have you always needed alcohol to be happy? Can you be happy without alcohol? What is happiness to you? It’s easy to say alcohol makes us happy, but breaking down and defining what we mean by “happiness” really forces us to examine and clarify that belief.

What makes me happy?

I know that I didn’t always need alcohol to be happy. I didn’t even start drinking until after college. That equates to a significant number of years I was happy without drinking. To me, happiness is something that I feel from within. How was I getting it from a bottle? Was it the alcohol making me happy, or the people whom I was drinking with?

If a little alcohol makes us a little happy, more alcohol should increase our happiness, right? Except, as anyone who has had a heavy drinking night can tell you, more alcohol does not increase happiness. The reason we drink more alcohol is that we are chasing the high that the first drink gave us.

Turnaround

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.

Alcohol makes me sad.
Alcohol is a downer.
My friends are what makes me happy.

It’s easy to get caught up in the logistics of how to stop drinking and obsess over whether to taper off or quit drinking alcohol cold turkey. The physical act of stopping drinking can actually be the easy part.

The hardest part of quitting drinking alcohol cold turkey

Rather,  it’s the mental aspect that, although harder, is where your success lies. To stop drinking successfully, try applying the ACT Technique (Awareness, Clarity, and Turnaround) to all of the beliefs that mentally keep you going back for more. Replacing those experiences is the key to eliminating the desire to drink.

When you lose the desire to drink you no longer wrestle with deciding how to stop drinking. What you gain instead is freedom.

Can you quit drinking alcohol cold turkey?

The idea of quitting alcohol cold turkey can be unsettling to some. Annie shares what science has to say and her best advice when considering quitting.

• Physical factors when you stop drinking
• Emotional factors when you stop drinking
• When to seek medical attention
• Who needs to worry when quitting alcohol cold turkey.
• What makes the difference when you choose to stop drinking
• How The Alcohol Experiment helps
• The mindset shift

More on How To Quit Drinking Alcohol Cold Turkey

You probably still have a few questions about quitting drinking. We’ve compiled the ones we see most often for you below!

How do I stop drinking immediately?

If you’d like to stop drinking immediately, you’re going to need support. The best option I know of is to join us in The Alcohol Experiment. It’s a free 30-day program designed to help you take a break from alcohol. This science-based and compassion-led approach not only walks you through how to use the ACT technique but also offers daily lessons, a supportive community, and additional resources to help you stop drinking immediately.

What happens to my body if I stop drinking alcohol?

We know that alcohol impacts our bodies in incredible ways but what happens when we stop drinking?

Alcohol and The Brain

Alcohol is a depressant. When you drink alcohol, your body releases stimulants to counterbalance the depressive nature of alcohol. Daily drinking means your body is constantly releasing stimulants, like adrenaline and cortisol, in order to counterbalance the depressant nature of alcohol.

The main goal of the body is to maintain homeostasis, which means to keep itself in balance. The brain is incredibly adaptable. It rebalances very quickly. When you consume alcohol, you are increasing the levels of cortisol and adrenaline in your body.

Alcohol and Sleep

Alcohol affects your ability to obtain REM sleep, rapid eye movement sleep. REM sleep is the restorative phase of sleep. When they deprived rats of REM sleep, they would go psychotic. Long-term sleep deprivation has been linked with hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, obesity, diabetes, depression, anxiety, decreased brain function, memory loss, weakened immune systems, lower fertility rates, and psychiatric disorders.

Heart Benefits of Quitting Alcohol

People love to say they drink for heart health. We’ve all heard that drinking red wine is great for the heart! This might burst that bubble… The American Heart Association states that “no research has established a cause-and-effect link between drinking alcohol and better heart health.” In fact, they go on to say that, “people who drink red wine may have lower rates of heart disease for other reasons, such as healthier lifestyles, better diets, or higher socioeconomic status.”

The truth s that alcohol is more likely to damage your heart than to benefit it. Over time it has been shown to weaken the heart muscle. Alcohol actually stretches and droops your heart muscles. Making them less taught makes it harder for your heart to pump blood. When caught early, alcohol-induced myopathy is reversible. After just six months, individuals abstaining from alcohol can show noticeable improvement in the function of the left ventricle of their heart, and after 18 months, they may experience a complete recovery.

Cancer

Alcohol is the cause of 60 plus diseases within the body. What many do not realize is alcohol causes cancer. Just two drinks a week can increase a woman’s chance of breast cancer by 15 percent. Your cancer risk immediately goes down when you stop drinking. Any reduction in drinking, even if you’re not quitting alcohol, means you’re reducing your cancer risk.

No Bones About It

From a skeletal perspective, alcohol reduces your body’s ability to absorb minerals. It leaches minerals from your body. Alcohol disrupts vitamin D levels in the body. also impedes the ability of the body to absorb calcium, impacting your body’s ability to build strong bones and lowering the overall bone density.

How long does it take to quit drinking?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how long it takes to quit drinking. And the answer will vary depending on when you start counting. It takes most people 8-10 years to seek help from the time they realize they may have a problem with drinking. In fact, 95% of people do not perceive the need for help each year. There are people who w experience spontaneous sobriety and quit drinking immediately while others may need more intensive support and may benefit from a program like The PATH.

What happens when you stop drinking all of a sudden?

Once again, the answer here varies. Some people might not have any noticeable effects from stopping drinking suddenly. Others may experience mild physical withdrawal symptoms, and those who are physically addicted would need to seek a medical detox to stop drinking. Learn more about alcohol withdrawals below!

How To Quit Drinking Alcohol Cold Turkey

If you’ve been wondering how to quit drinking alcohol cold turkey, I hope this article helped you. There is no one right way to do this. You need to address your relationship with alcohol in the way that feels best to you based on where you are in your relationship with alcohol.

Steve always considered himself just a regular drinker. That all changed when someone mentioned the link between alcohol and cancer to him. Now Steve was left questioning ‘What is a regular drinker?’ and wondering if his drinking habits needed a change. Find out how This Naked Mind helped him get answers.

Growing up

As a kid growing up, I’d see my dad drink beer every night. He’d come home from a long day of work and get to making dinner for the family. All the while, a bottle of beer was never far away. I’m guessing he drank about 3-4 bottles of beer a night. Although honestly, it’s hard to recall accurately because I didn’t see his drinking as “bad” at the time. In fact, I barely noticed it because to young me, it was just an adult drink.

Dad was a good man and wasn’t a mean drunk thankfully. He wouldn’t think twice to lend a hand to anyone that needed it. For his hunting and fishing groups, he’d be the one to organize meals, do the shopping, and tackle most of the cooking. With family and friends, he’d be the first to offer someone help to move, paint their house, or really in any way he could assist them. Many mornings when I was a boy, we would play cards at the kitchen table. I remember those mornings fondly. There were countless times of him taking me to and from sports, years of coaching my sports teams. He would never hesitate to drop off or pick up me and/or my 2 older brothers from wherever we happened to be.

Showing me the path

I do however remember mom and dad arguing a lot. Almost nightly, thankfully it never escalated beyond verbal. In retrospect, the arguments were likely because, by the time my mom got home from work an hour or two after my dad, he would be drunk or at least on his way to it. Then not long after dinner, dad would fall asleep on the couch watching TV. Eventually, he’d head up to bed, wake up the next morning, and go back to work. It was a cycle he had learned from his parents who were both heavy drinkers. But ultimately, he was inadvertently teaching me that same cycle all those years and showing me that same path.

No issues with alcohol

In high school, parties on weekends started involving alcohol. That seemed perfectly normal since that’s what I had witnessed my older brothers doing. If someone happened to throw up at those parties, it was just cheered on by the guys. After high school, I went to college. It was much of the same with plenty of binge drinking on party nights. The only difference with college parties was they went later, and more booze was consumed.

Usually, the next day was spent laying around feeling like a complete bag of crap. And talking about all the stupid stuff we each had done while we were wasted. Essentially gaining imaginary badges of honor for the stupidest of things. All in all, a pretty twisted sense of accomplishment. But honestly, I could look back fondly on most of those past experiences. Now I believe they only reinforced my thoughts that there were no issues with alcohol; and in a sense, served as the basis of leaving my guard down against it.

A Regular Drinker

Throughout the next 20 years, I was what most people consider a “regular drinker”. The person meeting with friends at a pub for a pint or two. Going out for dinner and drinking wine. Having people over at the house for a few drinks. Or getting together with my buddies for more than a few drinks, but all in all, pretty tame by most standards. Only the odd time here and there having too many and causing the next day to be a complete write-off due to a hangover. But what started as being a “regular drinker” during social occasions evolved almost without me noticing. I began adding in another drink here and there during the week.

Then it became one most nights. Soon it was one every night. Then it became two every night. I eventually got to the point where I would drink at least 2 or 3 pints every single night. I was never getting fall-down drunk or puking or anything like that. But facing reality, I was 100% drinking for effect and after every drink, I wanted another one. The only reason I wouldn’t have another was that I used willpower to abstain. Looking back now and comparing it to “standard drinks”, I was consuming the equivalent of a bottle of wine a night plus more on the weekends.

Repeating The Cycle

I was well into my adulthood with my own impressionable kids watching and learning from me. Sadly, I had fallen into that exact same pattern that my dad had inadvertently taught me. Go to work, work hard, then come home from work and start drinking. Meanwhile living in a partial haze, being short with my wife and kids, and being argumentative. I was at the point where I would organize my life around drinking because it became my main priority. I would lament anything that interfered with my nightly “plans” to drink. In fact, I was keeping that vicious cycle going by now teaching my kids to follow in my misguided footsteps.

What is a regular drinker?

But something changed when one of my friends sent an article to our messenger group chat about how alcohol is linked to cancer. I read the article and that got me thinking and reflecting on myself and my ways. Especially because my dad had gone through a couple of bouts with cancer. Looking back on it, I believe that was the moment the seed was planted to question my alcohol consumption. It sounds stupid to admit now in retrospect, but I honestly never associated anything bad with what I considered to be “moderate drinking”.

I suppose isn’t too shocking since alcohol plays such a huge part in our society these days. Every drinker has seen those ridiculous claims on the internet about how “moderate drinking” is actually healthier than not drinking. I would sure love for a doctor to explain how consuming ethanol has any benefits to the human body! So, after that seed was planted, that really got me thinking and wanting to find out more about the product I was consuming so regularly in ever-increasing quantities.

Ready to research

My research started with listening to the audiobook Alcohol Explained by William Porter. His book was valuable, but it was a bit hard for me to relate to. William’s addiction to alcohol was the type where he wouldn’t drink through the week at all, but from after work on Friday, he would drink steadily until Monday morning. I had the typical response most drinkers have of “oh, I’m not that bad” to help justify my own alcohol use. That said, his book had a lot of great information. I’m glad I found it but especially because it led me to a 2nd book that I listened to which was Annie Grace’s This Naked Mind.

To put it plainly, Annie’s book ended up being a life changer for me. The way she laid out how marketing had engrained in me such a lackadaisical view of alcohol. Essentially giving it a free pass despite its potential for destruction. The fact that one study even ranks alcohol as the worst drug when compared to all others including heroin, meth, & crack was truly mind-blowing. That 7 hours and 28 minutes of informative gold almost instantly changed my mindset on alcohol. Opening my eyes to all the lies that alcohol had me (and millions of other people) believing. I also found that having Annie narrate her audiobook and hearing the passion in her voice (that only someone that has climbed the alcohol ladder can evoke) really made the information sink in. It felt like she was speaking directly to me at times.

Are you ready to stop being a regular drinker?

Is it time for you to stop being a regular drinker? Learn how with This Naked Mind!

Saying goodbye to being a regular drinker

After I finished This Naked Mind, Annie’s facts swirled in my head for a few days. My new knowledge base had taken off all the shine I had previously given alcohol. I was now looking at that glass of beer in a totally different way. What was once a warm embrace, was now a dagger in the back. I knew my days of willingly consuming ethanol were numbered. I was ready for the fight to drop the alcohol monster. But the bout would have to wait and begin the day after one of my best friends’ weddings that I was emceeing in just a few days.

I didn’t drink any alcohol that evening until I completed my emcee duties. Later I joined everyone else in overindulging, closing the wedding hall at around 1 am. Then heading back to the hotel to celebrate with the wedding party and friends until around 4:30 am. I woke up four hours later and felt the same physically as most mornings after a night of drinking (with a wicked hangover). But what was different this time, was mentally embracing that feeling because I knew I would never go through another hangover again.

Now I know the answer to what a regular drinker is

Since that day, I haven’t touched an alcoholic drink and I know I never will again. I can reflect on my past and see that while alcohol had been a large part of it, I realize that it stole a lot of credit for the good times and those good times were had in spite of alcohol, not because of it. The way Annie changed my perception of alcohol, is something like a magic trick. I was shown how it was done and now I can’t go back to the way it was before I was shown it. There is no illusion or mystery anymore.

There is no desire to crave something that I know provides zero benefits to me. It only leads to shame, guilt, and regret. I’m now living life fully present and experiencing all the amazing things it has to offer with my true emotions – happy or sad, the emotions are my own and aren’t clouded by an alcohol-induced hazed. I have Annie to thank for showing me how to take off the blinders, break the cycle I was in, and giving my life back not only to me, but to my family, friends, wife, and children. 

Share Your Story

Did This Naked Mind take you from asking “What is a regular drinker?” to finding freedom from alcohol? Whether it was our books, the app, the podcasts, or another program we want you to share your story here and inspire others on their journey!

Have you ever considered just how little you knew about alcohol before your first drink? The things you wish you’d known not just about alcohol but about yourself, life, mindset, emotions, and how the brain works? Have you thought about what your kids have already been exposed to? What they already believe? What you wish they’d know about themselves and their capabilities? I have. That responsibility weighed on me heavily for years. And it ultimately led me to write the book I may be proudest of – Buzz to Buzzkill – How Alcohol and Dopamine Hack Your Brain.

Knowledge Influences Everything

We all know that we have this great responsibility to teach children everything they need to know to be successful adults. That doesn’t just mean giving them an academic education. It encompasses so much more – basically how to be human. The life skills, the emotional skills, the conflict management skills. Not to mention coping mechanisms, health information, and practical skills. When we start listing out all the knowledge we’d like them to have; 18 years just does not seem like enough time to make that happen.

And the thing is – our children don’t just learn the lessons we want them to learn. They are gathering messages and knowledge constantly. They consume what we tell them but also everything we don’t say. The things we do, the things society and media tell them. Kids truly are sponges and they soak up so much more than we even realize.

The Hidden Lessons

Now that doesn’t mean that every message our kids get from the world is a negative one. Because I do believe that there still is just so, so much good in this world. Recently, I had an experience that highlighted this. I have three kids and I was out shopping with my daughter who is 5. While we were out, she happened to knock an item off the shelf. Of course, it broke when it hit the floor. You can imagine the feelings and reactions that came about from that happening. She was devastated and in tears. Completely hysterical as we made our way up to the counter to pay for this item.

And at the counter came one of the most unexpected lessons in grace and compassion. This sales clerk could see how upset she was. Rather than chastising her fo her carelessness she showed her grace, love and compassion. She reassured my daughter that mistakes happen. That things are just things and that they will get broken. That our mistakes do not define who we are as a person. If a random stranger could teach my daughter such an important lesson while out shopping – didn’t I have a responsibility to share what I know about alcohol with the children in this world?

My Responsibility to Write Buzz to Buzzkill

The first time I felt the weight of need to teach kids more about alcohol, the world, how we think and how alcohol changes that came in an unlikely place a few years ago. It is what led me to write this book. The book I wish I’d written first but couldn’t have without the knowledge I now possess.

I was at my niece’s 16th birthday party. It was at a skatepark. I happened to have my laptop with me as I was working on a few other things. There were these kids, on the cusp of adulthood, and they were still so free and innocent. Their joy hadn’t been sullied yet by the beliefs that creep in. The ones that lead us to having our first drink.

Right there, the words began pouring out. The words that would become Buzz to Buzzkill. The book that I hope will mean that our children and future have no need for reading books like This Naked Mind or The Alcohol Experiment.

Buzz to Buzzkill: How Alcohol and Dopamine Hack Your Brain

Originally, I wanted to title this book as What I Wish I Would Have Known Before My First Drink. My editor felt that wasn’t the catchiest title for the intended audience. So instead Buzz to Buzzkill: How Alcohol and Dopamine Hack Your Brain was born. What this book is about though is what I wish I would have known before my first drink. Because watching them, so free, so happy, and so pure made me so angry about all the lies we buy into around alcohol.

The Lies We Believe

We get so duped by it. And what if we knew all of this stuff much earlier? Why isn’t there anyone out there shouting this information from the rooftops? Shouldn’t our kids and teens know that alcohol steals our joy? That it is addictive? What if they knew that our very first drink is the beginning of a slide into the pitcher plant?

I knew this book needed to be written but I also knew that it was a tall order. Because I needed to write it using language and messaging that they would connect with. I didn’t know if I was the right person for this job but no one else had stepped up to the plate.

Who Should Read Buzz to Buzzkill: How Alcohol and Dopamine Hack Your Brain

I poured my soul, my research, my passion, and my love into this book. I called upon one of the most talented artists I know to bring my words to life with illustrations. She produced these easy to understand and digest vignettes. Now anyone from the age of 8 or 9 on up to adulthood can relate to and connect with them.

Sometimes taking these incredibly complex ideas and breaking them down into their simplest form is what makes them stick for us. Amazingly, that is actually what we’ve seen happen with some of the adults who were beta-readers of the book!

From Buzz To Buzzkill – Four Things Kids Should Know

Buzz to Buzzkill highlights the four main things kids should know before even considering their first drink. This information is delivered to them in beautiful images and relatable language to learn what they need to know about

1) Bison Hunting & Raspberries
2) Buzz to Buzzkill
3) An Unfair Trade
4) That Slope Is Slippery

Share This

I hope you’ll share this book with the special members of your lives. Those that you’d like to protect from learning the truth about alcohol in the way you and I had to learn it. If you do purchase the book, please make sure to leave a review of your purchase. Those reviews help influence and encourage others who are also struggling with how to best communicate this message to those they love. And if you don’t have someone in your life who could benefit from the book, please let others know that it is available. We never know what someone else is dealing with and this might just be what they need.

Thank You

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being part of this journey with me. I truly have incredible gratitude towards all of you for continuing to support this journey and for pushing me to explore new ways to change the conversation around alcohol.

In case you skip to the bottom like I do — I have a new book out that is perfect for children and adults alike. It’s called Buzz to Buzzkill: How Alcohol and Dopamine Hack Your Brain and it’s all about what I wish I would have known before my first drink. I’d love it if you’d share the book with those in your life that could use it and let others know it’s available. I’d also be so grateful if you would take a moment to leave a 5-star review for the book if it makes an impact on you and your loved ones.

Shirley found herself thinking “I must be an alcoholic” as her control of alcohol kept slipping away. Learn how she found control (and kept it) with the help of This Naked Mind!

Always going back to alcohol

I didn’t think much of it but I remember as early as my 20s feeling stressed if I couldn’t afford wine to have with dinner. As I got older and more financially independent, wine became a daily, evening occurrence. By my late 30s, I was drinking with dinner and going to the pub at weekends. This particular pub had lock-ins. It wasn’t unusual to drink a bottle of wine before going out and then spending 6 hours in the pub drinking just about anything. Despite the regular hangovers I still didn’t think much about it and wasn’t worried about my drinking. It was based on what was then a great social life. Around my mid-40s I used hypnosis to stop my drinking. An accidental diagnosis of a genetic liver condition scared me into stopping. Apparently, though the condition is something you are born with and not something caused by alcohol, after 6 months I went straight back to the drink and pub binges.

I must be an alcoholic

In my early 50s, I moved house, the pub going ceased and the drinking was then around a bottle of wine each night. I worried about maybe being over the limit the next day. I had a lot of trouble sleeping and would wake up in the middle of the night. I’d often wonder if I was an alcoholic, I didn’t think I’d be able to stop. I wouldn’t want to go out for any reason because then I couldn’t drink. This worried me, I thought I must be an alcoholic. I knew it was controlling me.

Are you an alcoholic?

Have you ever thought that you must be an alcoholic? Learn how to explore that question and why the answer might surprise you with this free e-book!

Unable to control my drinking

I’d tell myself in the middle of each night that tomorrow I wouldn’t drink, I always did though. Every night, I’d get in from work and pour some wine, and then continue. The next night, I’d be awake again making the same promises. I tried hypnosis again but was unsuccessful in controlling my drinking.

Early 2021 I was watching TV with my wine in hand and I thought “why am I even drinking this, I’m not enjoying it.” I started to look at One Year No Beer. That is when I found the book while looking online.

I don’t want to drink anymore

Right then, I decided that I didn’t want to drink anymore. My liver was playing up and I figured that although not caused by drinking it couldn’t be helping. I’d ordered the book and started reading it on my stop day. It really resonated with me. I began to realize that I’d been poisoning myself daily for about 35 years. Reading the book stopped my drinking. I’ve not had any alcohol since 13th February 2021. I was careful not to have it in the house initially but soon my partner was able to have his lager in the fridge, I have absolutely no interest in it.

Life after alcohol

Okay, so I got fatter rather than thinner but am taking control of that now. 🙂 I have more energy. Now I am more confident in my business and with customers. I feel so damn proud that I stopped and hopefully have extended my life. I sleep better, my brain doesn’t start up in the night. Instead of sitting in front of the TV feeling dozy, I spend time on my photography and photoshop hobbies. I deal with stress much better and have no anxiety anymore. I’m excited about future holidays and socializing, now I can drive anywhere and try different places.

Share Your Story

Did This Naked Mind take you from thinking “I must be an alcoholic” to finding freedom from alcohol? Whether it was Did you stop drinking to be social with the help of our books, the app, the podcasts, or another program we want you to share your story here and inspire others on their journey!

Drinking was part of Janet’s lifestyle ever since college. How could she ever do life without it? After a few wake-up calls, she realized she had to do life without it and is now thriving alcohol-free. Read on to find out how This Naked Mind played a part in her story!

Alcohol is a Magic Potion

It wasn’t my upbringing that led me to drink. Neither of my parents were drinkers – in fact, a bottle of wine between them was a treat for a special occasion (rather than a daily staple). Meanwhile, I thought alcohol was a magic potion! I learned how to drink during college. Quickly realizing that my social anxiety melted away after a couple of drinks. I still felt like myself, just an amplified version. It was my first time living away from home so I wanted to enjoy the freedom. And, of course, to fit in with my new peer group of students.

Equal Opportunity Drinker

Growing up in the UK in the 1970’s drinking was becoming normalized. As a feminist, I was looking for equality in the workplace and was prepared to work hard to get it. I worked at the BBC in London and was told by a mentor that I should be spending less time working late at my desk and more time “networking” in the BBC club (a bar). I followed his advice and soon became part of the “work hard, play hard” culture that prevailed at the BBC, and at every other corporate I went on to work in.

A Drinking Lifestyle

I married a heavy drinker and all our friends were drinkers. We were very functional alcoholics, holding down good jobs and bringing up families. In my forties, I got divorced and remarried. My new husband was a normal drinker and was bemused to see me putting away at least a bottle of wine a night. He started to warn me of the health risks and asked me to cut down.

I tried – and I couldn’t.

Unable to Maintain Moderation

That’s when I realized I had become dependent and my drinking had evolved from socializing to self-medication. I couldn’t imagine my life without wine so I spent the next decade trying (and failing) to moderate. I got breast cancer at the age of 55 but was unaware of the link between alcohol and breast cancer so continued to drink. My blackouts became worse and more frequent – evolving into “walking, talking blackouts” where I would sometimes “lose” several hours of the previous day. I was getting older and started to realize that I must be harming my brain as well as my body – so I eventually quit. Sobriety has changed my life and I have regained my health and happiness.

The Road to Waking Up

I divide my story into 3 wake-up calls – the first two I ignored, but wake-up number call 3 led to me (finally) quitting…

WAKE-UP CALL ONE:

At the age of 25, I was living in London, sharing an apartment with four other women. We all had good jobs, good social lives, and a wine habit. One evening we’d been sitting around chatting and drinking our wine when some friends turned up unexpectedly. The evening evolved from an after-work glass of wine to a party. For me, the evening evolved into a serious blackout situation and I woke up in a hospital the next day.

My flatmates had to explain to me what had happened as I had absolutely no recollection.

Apparently, I had announced that I was going to bed and then gone to have a bath. I used to have a bath before sleeping every night so was obviously on “automatic pilot”. I locked the door. A bit later one of my flatmates wanted to use the bathroom so she knocked on the door. No reply. A few other people tried to hammer on the door and get it open – but no reply. They called emergency services so the Fire Brigade and the Medics turned up. I was under the water. They had to resuscitate me.

Rather than reflecting on this life-threatening experience, I laughed it off. It became one of those legendary drinking stories – “Did you hear about Janet and her bath?”

WAKE-UP CALL TWO:

Since the “bath” incident I continued to drink heavily – at least a bottle of wine a night and a bit more at the weekends. I integrated the hangovers and occasional blackouts into my lifestyle which was still very much “work hard and play hard” although by my 40s I had discovered the joy of drinking alone to “relieve my stress”.

At the age of 55, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Even though my cancer was hormone related, I made no link between my drinking habits and my illness. I continued to drink to dull the fear of dying. Switching from white to red wine as I had read in a magazine that it was good for your health!

I was fortunate enough to survive this and asked my oncologist if I needed to change my diet or give up drinking alcohol. (At the time, I was so scared of a recurrence I think I would have quit if he had suggested it.) However, he said that I should now get on with enjoying my life. That there was nothing wrong with a glass of wine. I took that as carte blanche to go back to my nightly bottle of wine.

WAKE-UP CALL THREE:

I was away for the weekend with a group of friends. We rented a gorgeous house on the sea. It was a boozy weekend with champagne at breakfast to set the tone for the day. I woke up on Sunday morning feeling terrible (but pretending I was fine). At breakfast, I announced that we should walk to the next village where there was another house we could rent the next time we came this way. There was a strange hush around the table and everyone looked at me. Somebody said, “But Janet we did that yesterday and you were with us, you were walking and talking normally – surely you can remember it.”

I had absolutely no recall of the entire afternoon of the previous day. For some reason that really scared me.

Ready to Quit

That was the moment I saved my life – today I am 7 years sober and feel that I’ve been given a second chance at life. I told my husband that I was done with alcohol – I couldn’t do this anymore. Rather than say “I’ve heard that before” he said “I’ve never heard you say that before – you always said that you would cut down – not quit. He is French and their attitude to alcohol is quite different from the Brits.

He was always worried about my drinking and asked me to cut down repeatedly. I wanted to stay with him so I tried really hard. It never occurred to me to give up drinking altogether. What kind of life would it be with no wine? My goal was to drink like my husband. A glass of wine with dinner and maybe two on a special occasion!

I looked up the “low-risk limits” and discovered that one and a half bottles of wine a week was the recommended limit. In one evening, I could easily drink that amount but decided I would aim to drink within the low-risk limits. I had a notebook and would log every glass I drink but sadly my quota had usually been used up after a few days.

The Rules Before Thriving Alcohol-Free

Of course, I created “rules” – no wine in the house (I made my husband go out every night!), smaller glasses (I just drank more of them), buying wine I didn’t like (I drank it anyway), cutting social events short so I drank less (would just drink when I got home instead). I could “white knuckle” a couple of weeks of drinking moderately but then the wheels would come off and I would drink until I blacked out.

I recall a few weeks of drinking “moderately” before a holiday in the Caribbean. We had agreed that I could relax my drinking “rules” for the week we were there. The first night we were sitting at a beach bar and I drank several Rum Punches in a row (before dinner). Apparently, I just slid from my stool onto the sand and passed out. My poor husband was mortified as he had to carry me back to my room through all the diners in this smart resort.

Another holiday ruined.

My Decade of Moderation

I call this my “decade of moderation” and it was not a happy time. The white knuckling and the blackout drinking was of course punctuated by many rows with my husband. My self-esteem was on the floor and I was full of shame.

When I decided that I had to stop drinking I went to AA. Here in South Africa, there was nowhere else to go apart from rehab. I found it depressing and too dogmatic. Most of the people there were much further down the line with their drinking so it was counterproductive – I ended up thinking that I wasn’t “that bad”!

Slowly Finding My Way

I eventually found a one-day workshop in London which gave me some tools and techniques to change my habits. More importantly, I met other women like me. Women with good jobs, nice families, and drinking a bottle of wine every evening. We swapped numbers, formed a chat group, and stayed in touch. It worked – and for a few months, I stayed sober and felt good. Felt relieved and happy that I had finally done this thing!

However, after a few months, I started to feel very flat and rather miserable. The excitement of being newly sober had passed and I started to panic. Sobriety seemed to be rather grey and boring – was I going to be stuck here for the rest of my life?

The Secret to Thriving Alcohol-Free

One day I was browsing Soberland on the internet and came across Annie. It was a video and she was telling the story of returning from a business trip and drinking a morning cocktail at Heathrow airport.

I used to work for Christie’s Auction House as an HR Director and international business trips were part of my job. Annie’s story really resonated with me as I remembered how much I used to drink at airports, on the flights – and then of course when I was wining and dining Art Specialists which was part of my job description! I downloaded This Naked Mind on my Kindle and read it that day.

It blew my mind.

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Could This Naked Mind be your secret to thriving alcohol-free? Start reading for free today and find out!

Why I’m Thriving Alcohol-Free

This Naked Mind made me angry. I had always thought of myself as a feminist and Annie’s book made me realize that I’d been manipulated by the Alcohol Industry for most of my adult life. They had managed to convince me that to have a full and happy life I would need to drink wine. Apart from socializing, it was an essential parenting aid.

Annie’s book helped me to recognize my own limiting beliefs around alcohol and then to overturn them. A classic belief I had held since the age of 18 was that “alcohol is essential to socializing”. I recognized that as a limiting belief and then overturned it by going out several times a week and socializing without alcohol. It was a huge effort and for a few months I didn’t enjoy myself but I treated it as a challenge. I still remember coming home in a cab one night and reflecting that I’d had a great evening – without alcohol! Who knew? My subconscious had finally realized that this was possible.

Being a Rebel

Quite simply I could see it as the toxic substance that it was, I no longer desired it and felt grateful to be free. To be a Rebel and not a Sheep!

No longer would I have a “lifetime struggle” to fight this “disease” a “day at a time”. I had put down my glass and taken back my power!

My life has changed beyond recognition! Toward the end of my “drinking career” my world was shrinking. I was becoming isolated and had lost interest in most things except wine.

After a year of sobriety, I was feeling amazing. I had regained my health and happiness. I was also retired from my corporate job and had time on my hands. (now that I was no longer planning the drinking, doing the drinking, or recovering from the drinking. I was a qualified Executive Coach with 25 years of experience in training and development and a newly discovered passion for sobriety. I dedicated myself to helping others do what I had done.

Paying It Forward

I designed a one-day workshop covering Mindset and a Toolkit. They were physical workshops in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and London at first. Then Covid forced us onto Zoom, we now have people from all over the world attending the workshops. I retrained as a Recovery Coach and run challenges, Dry January Fundraisers, and Sober Springs.

My podcast was launched on my 5th Soberversary and now has more than 120 episodes/110k downloads.

What It’s Like Thriving Alcohol-Free

My personal life has improved. My long-suffering husband is thrilled and I am much closer to my adult son. I have met the most wonderful people in Soberland and for the first time in my life feel that I have discovered meaning and purpose. Don’t waste your time “moderating” alcohol. You are dependent and there is no going back. Ditch the stuff completely and learn to thrive in your alcohol-free life. It’s actually much easier to quit completely than to try to “moderate” an addictive drug. Don’t worry about what other people think – be a rebel, not a sheep. The smartest and most successful people often don’t drink. Even if alcohol doesn’t destroy you it will prevent you from reaching your potential.

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Are you thriving alcohol-free with the help of our books, the app, the podcasts, or another program? Share your story here and inspire others on their journey!

We don’t personally use the term “Sober October” at This Naked Mind because we feel like life without alcohol is so much greater than just being sober. We are always supportive of taking a break from alcohol and reevaluating your relationship with it – no matter what your motivation is. That said – the world doesn’t stop spinning just because you’re not drinking. Here are our 4 best spirit-free beverages to try for Sober October!

4 Spirit-Free Beverage Recipes For Sober October

Cider Sparkler

Here in the US, Fall is making its appearance across most of the nation. Cooling temperatures make us crave a drink that can warm us up. Our Cider Sparkler does that by combining Apple Cider with Ginger Beer for a kick and some bubbles that bring the heat while staying spirit-free!

Ingredients:

8 oz alcohol-free beer or Hop water

8 oz non-alcoholic apple cider

8 oz ginger beer or ginger-ale

1 apple, 1 orange, and 1 pear sliced

a handful of pomegranate seeds

Directions:

Combine the alcohol-free beer, apple cider, and ginger beer in a pitcher. Add the fruit slices and pomegranate seeds. Stir to combine.

Serve in a tall glass. Garnish with cinnamon sticks if desired.

Cold Brew Julep

It’s no secret that most of us here at This Naked Mind are BIG fans of coffee! That love of coffee spills over into this tasty spirit-free beverage for Sober October. Our favorite thing about this recipe is that you can customize it to make it your own in so many ways! Turn the sweetness up or down, add additional flavors, it’s really easy to get fun and creative with this one!

Ingredients:

6 oz Cold Brew Coffee

2-8 sprigs of mint leaves

2 oz agave nectar

ice

Optional ingredients – heavy cream, chocolate syrup, vanilla syrup, etc

Directions:

Using a shaker (or a jar with a lid), shake the cold brew coffee, agave nectar, mint, and any optional ingredients together with ice. Strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with additional mint.

Pear Ginger Beer

Ginger beer is one of those drinks that’s already pretty amazing and tasty on its own. We’ve managed to find a way to make it even better in this spirit-free beverage for Sober October. Pears compliment ginger magnificently well and bring out the best of its flavors. Don’t be afraid to play with drink some more and make it your own. Swap out kombucha for the ginger beer. Add additional fruit or spices. You’re the mixologist here so have fun with it!

Ingredients:

6 oz Ginger Beer (chilled)

2 oz Pear Nectar (chilled)

Splash of apple cider vinegar

Pear slices

Cinnamon Sticks

Directions:

Add ginger beer, pear nectar, and apple cider vinegar to a tall glass. Mix well. Add pear slices and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Citrus Fizz

Not going to lie – sometimes we just want our drinks to be fun! This Citrus Fizz delivers on that! Mimicking the qualities of drinks like a gin fizz or a Ramos gin fizz – it’s layered and bubbly but still spirit free. Once you’ve mastered this drink – get creative and try muddling berries and other fruits or swapping out juices like pineapple for the lime to create new variations on this beverage.

Ingredients:
0.25 oz orange juice

0.25 oz lemon juice

0.25 oz mango nectar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon grenadine or cocktail cherry juice

1 small  egg

2 tablespoons citrus sparkling water

Orange slices for garnish

ice

Directions:

Place a glass in the freezer.

In a cocktail shaker or lidded jar without ice, combine the juices, grenadine, and egg.

Dry shake (shake without ice) to break up the egg and mix the ingredients.

Fill the shaker with ice and shake continuously for about 30 seconds.

Strain into your chilled glass and top with the citrus sparkling water.

Stir to combine and garnish with orange slices.

Don’t just settle for spirit-free beverages in October!

Are you thinking beyond just Sober October? Could you use additional tips on taking a break from alcohol? Download our free e-book – 6 Best Tips For Taking A Break From Booze. Click here to get your copy!

And if you’re looking for a community to support you and to swap more alcohol-free drink ideas with – join us in The Alcohol Experiment. It has helped over 400K people take a 30-day break from alcohol, change their thinking, and find balance in their lives!

More Spirit-Free Beverages

If you need more spirit-free beverages or you’re wondering if NA drinks are even ok to indulge in – we’ve got you covered!

Try These 7 Amazing Drinks For Sober September
The 7 Best Drinks For An Alcohol-Free August
How To Go Dry in July -11 Mocktail Recipes To Help You
How to TeeTotal Your June with these Terrific Tea Recipes!
May Mocktail Recipes You’ll Love
4 Mocktail Recipes To Make in April
Make These Alcohol-Free Drink Recipes In March
Alcohol-Free Drinks You’ll Fall in Love With
Make These Alcohol-Free Drinks to Stay Dry in January
Festive Alcohol-Free Drinks To Make This Holiday Season
5 Booze-Free Beverages to Try During Dry January
EP 64: Reader Question – Non-Alcoholic Drinks: Are they okay?
EP 198: Reader Question – Alcohol Free drinks? Are they OK?

As an extroverted introvert, Jayne found herself drinking to be social. It meant she could be outgoing in uncomfortable settings. When what she preferred were small groups of people on a more connected level. This Naked Mind brought her peace in accepting who she was and how she felt – without alcohol.

Drinking To Be Social – Early On

As a child, I was timid and reserved. I had a very difficult time coming out of my shell and being social. During my teenage years, alcohol gave me the false confidence that I was lacking in my life. My self-esteem was extremely low, and alcohol helped to hide my insecurities and fears. The first couple of times I overconsumed. I had alcohol poisoning and blacked out for hours, putting my young self in a dangerous and vulnerable position. Drinking to be social was a problem early on.

The Ever Present Drug

Alcohol was everywhere and ingrained in everything I did. It was at the core of everything involving my social life: at parties, concerts, dinners, vacations, and work. Alcohol became the necessary additive to any evening or event. Most of my friends were servers and we worked hard and played harder. After college, my passion became all things wine, and I studied the subject for 5 years gaining multiple certifications in the industry to progress my career. Wine allowed me to continue my consumption as I justified it as a sophisticated addition to any evening. I developed my career in the wine industry and it literally became my livelihood and unfortunately my obsession.

When Your Passion Becomes a Problem

I noticed that my social anxiety was increasing, and I felt I needed a glass or two to take the edge off during social and work situations. I started to have a glass or two in the evenings to “wind down and relax”. Noticing that I was unable to control or stop after a certain point of intoxication. I noticed that I was using alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with chronic pain, overwhelm, anxiety, and depression, ultimately making it all worse. The more I tried to control alcohol the more grip and control it had over me. I was faced with the choice to start taking Lexapro to deal with my debilitating anxiety, knowing the root problem was the consistent consumption of alcohol. I chose to keep the wine and take the Lexapro – a perfect storm with the depressive effects of alcohol coupled with my anxiety and the attempt to start an anti-depressant. A huge mistake I would later regret.

Needing a Change

I did my first 30-day Alcohol Experiment in January 2016 and I loved the science-based approach of This Naked Mind program. Next, I ordered the book to help with the program and signed up for the 100 Days of Lasting Change. I continued with multiple 30-day Alcohol Experiments over the next few years. In 2018, I completed the Intensive program with Scott Pinyard. It was my first introduction to connection, meeting so many inspiring people from all different circumstances and journeys with one common goal. When I read Annie’s book everything fell into place and things started to make sense.

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Are you tired of drinking to be social? Are you ready for everything to fall into place for you? Get started now!

No Longer Drinking To Be Social

Once I stopped drinking to be social, I poured myself into my journey and finding freedom. I really have tried it all and found benefits from each addition to my toolbox. Along the way, I have taken part in –

Hello Sunday Morning – an Australian platform

Hip Sobriety School – Holly Whittaker

Alavida – A Canadian cognitive therapy paired with the drug Naltrexone (Sinclair method)

Annie Grace – 8 30-day Alcohol Experiments & 1 Intensive 8-week program

Sober Sis – August 2021

Philosophy of Gabor Mate – Canadian psychologist

Post-Traumatic Winning – Michael McNamara (Mac)

Jeff Graham – Getting Bac 2 zero (certified TNM coach)

Susan Larkin – Certified TNM coach

Peggi Cooney – This Side of Alcohol

Laura Mckowen – We are the luckiest

Hours of continued therapy

All the books and memoirs you can imagine!

There are more people like me!

I started meeting people that were like me and also questioning their relationship with alcohol. Connecting with people that had similar health goals but alcohol was getting in the way of achieving them. I started to evaluate what, if any, value alcohol was adding to my life. Finding out through the Intensive program that alcohol was taking so much more from life and contributing nothing. I learned the science behind what happens in our brains when we consume alcohol over long periods of time and the health implications associated with long-term consumption. Eventually, I came to terms with my reality and what I want for myself and my family. Once I accepted the situation and made the decision, I started to feel free from the cognitive dissonance that kept me trapped for far too long.

Life on my terms

I am creating my life on my terms now and not letting it be driven by fear and anxiety. My mental health is a work in progress but with the help of a phenomenal therapist, I am moving in the right direction. I am so grateful for the beautiful authentic people I have met on this journey. Words cannot express how much these people helped me through the most vulnerable times in my life, and I will forever be thankful.

I wake up rested and with a clear mind. My emotions are starting to regulate and balance out. I am taking responsibility for something that was controlling my life.

I am achieving my health goals and working out regularly. Learning healthy coping mechanisms and implementing them in my daily life. I’m setting an example for my kids to see that life can be enjoyed and appreciated without adding an addictive depressant. I am continuing to learn about addiction and mental health and will forever love memoirs of that nature.

I’m excited about it all, knowing that I am living a healthy life and looking back on what I’ve overcome fills me with happiness and relief. This feeling of finally being free is something I will never take for granted.

Share your story

Did you stop drinking to be social with the help of our books, the app, the podcasts, or another program? Share your story here and inspire others on their journey!

Everything Tony did not know about alcohol kept him drinking it. This Naked Mind brought him new knowledge and a mindset shift that changed everything for him.

Where did this come from?

I had a perfectly normal childhood. My parents were both moderate drinkers. I had no trauma growing up, outside of normal childhood angst. That may have also contributed to everything I didn’t know about alcohol. It was never an issue so there were no fear or danger points around it for me. Funny how a normal childhood can be just as detrimental to our drinking as a traumatic one is!

Blindsided

The excessive drinking crept up on me out of nowhere. One minute, my drinking was completely normal, social, and enjoyable just like everyone else’s. The next, it had control of me. I didn’t see the tipping point. I just started to realize that I was enjoying it (and the effects of it) less and less. It went from something I did for fun to a chore or an obligation.

In my forties, it became an issue. I think that it was triggered by stress at work. I didn’t have a huge rock bottom. No sordid tales to tell. I just started waking up in my clothes, feeling like death. I tried many ways to control it and moderate it, but nothing worked.

Moderation Methods

My moderation methods were plenty. I tried out all the tested methods and even came up with a few of my own!

No drinking on a work night

Not drinking past 9 pm

Not drinking in the house

Only having two drinks per day

Physically printing tickets to allow myself to drink only twice per week

Only drinking on holidays

Alarms on my phone to tell me when to stop

Everything I didn’t know about alcohol was behind why nothing I tried worked. No matter how I tried to moderate it – the end result was the same. I would drink more than I intended each and every time.

Getting Naked

As an avid podcast listener, I found a podcast called ‘Conscious Sobriety’ in which they discussed an amazing book. I thought it was called ‘This snake in mind’ at first until a google search put me straight. I ordered the book from Amazon a couple of days later.

This book shed light on everything I didn’t know about alcohol. It changed everything for me.

If you’d like to gain new knowledge and see how your life can change, start reading This Naked Mind for free right now!

Everything I didn’t know about alcohol

I have only read the book. It confirmed everything that I thought about drinking but backed it up with science and appropriate anecdotes. This really landed with me. Changing my mindset entirely from ’I can’t ever drink again’, to ‘I don’t have to ever drink again’. It also gave me some important truths that the alcohol industry has paid a lot of money to keep out of my view. Embarrassingly, as a 50-year-old man, I did not know that alcohol was clinically addictive, or that it was a carcinogen. I gained so much new knowledge about everything I didn’t know about alcohol but should have known.

Everything is better

I cannot possibly do it justice here. Life is better in every way imaginable. I am excited that I now feel like I have a future. Life without alcohol in it is possible. It makes EVERYTHING better – but the old me wouldn’t believe it. 

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Did you learn things you didn’t know about alcohol with the help of our books, the app, the podcasts, or another program? Share your story here and inspire others on their journey!

This Naked Mind, The Alcohol Experiment, and the 100 Days of Lasting Change were pivotal in Rosa realizing the true cost of alcohol in her life. Read on to see what freedom from it has brought her!

Alcohol was always there

I can’t say that alcohol was a problem during my childhood. Although, probably, starting with that phrase is already, in itself, a problem. Alcohol has always been a normal thing at home and in the family. As far as I can remember, no one drank to excess, but the adults ate and dined with wine, and if they went out, they drank beers or vermouths. Nothing in excess, but it was always there. The maternal family was from a great wine area (something possible in Spain, a wine country). Therefore, the preparation of homemade liquors, giving wine as gifts, visiting wineries, and all this type of thing, was the most normal thing.

My childhood, therefore, was spent enjoying a few “sips” on special occasions and knowing, moreover, that as an adult I would be on that side of the group.

My personal relationship with alcohol

But, my personal relationship with alcohol did not start there. It started as a teenager, around 16 years old. That is when I discovered that the only way to fit in with the group was by drinking. I don’t remember if I liked it the first time I tried it or not. What I remember is that I stopped being afraid of making a fool of myself. I was daring, I laughed a lot and I felt that, finally, everything was working. All the fears I had as a result of overprotective parents disappeared. Even more so if, on top of that, throughout childhood, I was the studious, fat girl with glasses in the class. Come on, the perfect target. The ideal breeding ground for alcohol to become my “best friend” as a teenager.

Difficulties, problems fitting in with peers, insecurity, and shame seemed to disappear completely. Or maybe the drunkenness was so bad that I couldn’t remember if it was all there or gone.

What was clear was that, in the cost-benefit balance, for me, at that time, alcohol had many more benefits than costs.

A normal drinker for a bit

As I entered the adult world, having finished my degree and entering the world of work, alcohol took a back seat. Without leaving, obviously, he remained in that line of “normality”. Perhaps because, oh, surprise!, the chosen career was Psychology (I know, who would have thought, right?) and the love of work took the place that, until that moment, alcohol had.

If at some point in my adolescence I could have doubted how I used alcohol, obviously, at that time, as a good psychologist that I was (and, modesty aside, I was), having a problem with alcohol was unthinkable. What’s more, I treated some cases of people with addiction problems. I couldn’t be in that group at all.

Unaware of the cost of alcohol

Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to realize that working seven days a week and drinking at the end of the shifts (since the work was emotionally very intense) to disconnect, was still a problem. Denial and inability to face many of the fears and insecurities not only continued, but also grew. For me, however, it was impossible to see that there could be a problem. As good as I was at fixing other people’s lives, how could I have a problem? I spent all day at work, it was not so essential to change anything. I confirmed then that there was no longer any problem.

What was certain was that, whether I saw it or did not want to see it, unfortunately, there was a problem (and it was not a small one). Both, work and alcohol, served to not think, not feel, not have to look.

Fate laughed

The saying goes that man plans and fate laughs. I would not know if this is really the case. What I do know is that life presented me with a neurodegenerative disease that expelled me suddenly from the world of work.

Now the fronts are multiplying. I have to manage a complete change: physical symptoms, fear of the future, losing what I have, seeing my friends go on with their lives and realize that mine had stopped, feeling lonely, and above all, experiencing absolute loss. of identity. The main element of my life vanishes in the blink of an eye.

I suppose that, without realizing it, when work leaves the equation, alcohol assumes the role of occupying its place (and incidentally, recovering the one it already had years ago). Let’s say, the downhill slope starts to get steeper.

Rebuilding my life

Even so, fortunately, I have enough inner strength left so that the goal of rebuilding my life is so powerful that all of me is focused on moving forward. The problem is that, despite that, the alcohol, without making more noise than necessary, continued to occupy the space. Being more and more present, as if waiting for the perfect moment to be more protagonist. It was as if one part of me was straining to go up and the other part was pulling down, falling deeper and deeper, without realizing it.

When in all this new vital creation something fails and I am forced to slow down, it is when I realize that alcohol is present in my life continuously.

When I reach that awareness and acceptance that something is not right, the psychologist that I have inside appears and takes the reins. Big mistake, by the way. Convincing myself that with the force of will I was going to stop this strange madness into which I seemed to have entered was the worst decision in the world.

Alcohol became my entire life

If alcohol was a constant in my life back then, at that moment it became my ENTIRE life. It was a recurring thought that I could never get out of my head. I don’t know if it was because I was in the struggle of trying not to drink, because I was in the moment of giving up and drinking, or because I was in the moment of absolute anger at myself for letting that happen. Sometimes I look back at that moment and I don’t know how, despite everything, I kept going with my studies and work. I guess, fortunately, something inside me was afloat and I was clear about where I had to go.

Either way, the more I wanted to get alcohol out of my head and out of my life, the more into it I was.

Slowly realizing the true cost of alcohol in my life

Not to mention that, as a good psychologist, this could not be happening to me. And as a good psychologist too, I knew that drinking was wrong. Which activated the most impressive creativity to get alcohol without being noticed. Going out several times in a row to go to different stores and never buying excess alcohol in any of them, and the like. Exhausting, it must be said. Now, with the distance, I can only think that, if I had used that creative talent for good, I would have invented something successful, for sure.

Jokes aside, unfortunately, it was not like that. Each time I was traveling more and more of the way to the bottom. Each week began with great resolutions that, unfortunately, only lasted through Monday. Perhaps, in a good week, they lasted Tuesday as well.

Now I would also add how did nobody notice? Because, to be honest, I drank more with people than alone. Either I knew how to do it very well and hid a lot. Or really, I was drinking the normal “amount”. Even though I knew it wasn’t. I guess you know it’s not normal when, no matter how much you tell yourself you want to stop, you can’t. A great madness!

What is alcohol costing me?

In all this transit, I begin to accept that maybe (just maybe, eh?) I might have a problem. The terror of asking yourself if you are an alcoholic is tremendous. It’s terrifying to ask yourself the big question: am I an alcoholic? Personally, I couldn’t do it. But at least I was able to start reading a book about addictions in general. Obviously, it didn’t do me any good, but as the first step towards recognition, it was something.

I finally made up my mind and bought Annie’s book. Buying it electronically was, in itself, a bad move. I am one to read on paper. If I buy it electronically, I mentally do not place it in the same order of importance. So it was. I read it, yes. But skipping the annoying chapters. I already knew that alcohol is bad, why read it? And things like that. In spite of everything, my feeling was one of pride for having bought it and, in addition, I registered on the web.

Are you curious about the true cost of alcohol in your life?

This Naked Mind can help you realize what alcohol is costing you. Are you ready to explore what you’ll gain by living a life free of alcohol? Download the first 40 pages of This Naked Mind for free now!

Drinking to cope

At that time, my dog (my best friend, with whom I had an amazing connection), whom I had adopted shortly after my life-changing diagnosis, started to get sick and died of cancer. What had connected me most with life and that, in fact, had become the engine of all the reconstruction that I had managed to carry out, passed away. From there, the fall is direct. Not only was I unable to stop drinking, but I was also not clear that I wanted to quit. Even worse, the message that came to me from all sides was that “I had to cry my sorrows”.

I don’t know how many times, or with how many different people, I toasted his loss in the same morning. Suddenly, not only do I lose absolute control of the subject, but it seems that the free bar of understanding opens. Creative efforts to hide it are no longer necessary. Everyone is willing to drink with me so that I don’t suffer.

Luckily, that healthy part that had always been there, the one that had sustained me and helped me get ahead at the time and had gotten me to rebuild my life, had not disappeared. The alcohol had camouflaged her, but she was still there. And from there she decides to take over and bring Annie back into my life.

Ready to experiment

I have to admit that I had a little involuntary help. Until that moment I had not told anyone what happened to me, what I felt, my fears with what was happening to me, and the problems of not being able to stop it. So, first of all, I took the step of explaining it to a person. Maybe this way, everything could be simpler. And certainly, it was, but not as I expected. Her response was that I would not stop drinking until we finished going out to eat and that we still had many meals pending.

Fortunately, my healthy self took over.Just as I hung up the phone, I bought Annie’s book on paper (and Allen Carr’s, by the way, which Annie talked about in her book). I went back to the website, I saw that The Alcohol Experiment would start soon and I signed up. Until it started, I would have time to finish the books and that’s it, so much nonsense over.

All in

My alcoholic part stirred like freshly caught fish. I made up for everything I wasn’t going to drink later in the days that remained. It was not the best way to start the TAE, having destroyed my body so much that, from then on, nothing could get worse. Every time I think about it, I will regret all my life those three-four days before the TAE. I was probably lucky because I walked a very fine line.

But I entered The Alcohol Experiment. Without a doubt, it has been, is, and will be, the best thing I have ever done in my life. Perhaps, above all, it was not just about stopping drinking. Although that was what I was looking for when I started the program. But the reality is that it was a vital jolt. Quitting drinking meant having to ask myself why I was drinking, since when, why, and how I used it, asking myself what I was running away from, and what I was afraid of. Everything that I had spent 30 years trying not to look at, hide and avoid, suddenly stood before me with no possibility of escape.

This was the true cost of alcohol

So, I was faced with two options: either I would run away again, or I would choose to immerse myself in my darkest self, my deepest fears, and begin to dig into them so much that, after going through all that, I could only come out again, but differently. Impossible not to fully accept that journey towards change. Impossible not to choose that facing fears was the best vital option in the world!!!

Where I am now, 212 days after taking that fundamental step in my life, is precisely in the process of stirring all the foundations. A continuous rethinking of life and awareness of each moment.

It’s a hard process (extremely hard, sometimes), but it’s wonderful!!!

On the journey

I still have a long way to go. The ups and downs are constant. Alcohol often takes advantage of any emotional destabilization to appear as a savior tirelessly insisting that I choose him again. Many times I have to fight with a part of myself that still agrees with him and wonders “nothing would happen for a little drink, right?”.

Even though I am still there, the peace I feel inside of me is so important and liberating. I have the feeling that perhaps for the first time in my life, I am the only one who has the reins of my life in my hand. The one that has the power to choose what I do with it. And although I’m not going to lie, it’s very dizzying, I can only look to the future with emotion and a lot of enthusiasm and hope.

The true cost of freedom

What TNM, TAE, and 100 Days of Lasting Change have given me is the opportunity to see myself and value myself (and the life I’m creating) like never before. I don’t think I’ve ever loved myself so much.

The best gift in the world, without a doubt!

I was wrong in many of my decisions and some could have had horrible consequences. But fortunately, I have been able to learn. And I would tell myself that, in addition, I doubt that I will make the same mistakes.

How I’ve grown

The old me tried to spare me pain. I was wrong because it is evident that one cannot stop suffering. When you turn your back on it and pretend it’s not there, deep down, you just hide it. And when that comes out it’s so much worse. But now I’d tell myself not to worry, I’ve learned and it won’t happen again.

I wish I hadn’t needed to go through all this, but, the truth is, if I’m able to explain it now, I’m very lucky. If I look back, I know I haven’t been well, with many things terribly wrong. But, also, I have done very good things in life, of which I feel tremendously proud. What I can regret the most is not having taken care of myself and seen myself in the same way that I have known how to do with others.

I can start over

But hey, I’m not going to change all that. As much as I look at it and want the past to be different, it won’t be. But I can start over. With everything I know now, it is clear that if I manage to overcome this much, I will undoubtedly come out better. Now I have been able to surround myself with people that I know I can count on. People who are sharing this path with me, which makes it easier. Or, at least, I can spread the weight a bit in difficult moments, and that is fantastic. I would tell the old me that opening up and showing oneself to others is not bad, nor does it have to be scary. On the contrary, it is essential and very healthy.

Finally, I would tell her (my old me) not to worry. We will make sure this is not lost, we will make sense of it. Since we’ve had to go through this, we’ll find a way to make it something useful. Alcohol is everyone’s problem, even psychologists who have come to help people with problems (including addiction). It can happen to them and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. This is something we can learn to live with. It is something to grow from!

Share your story

Did you discover the true cost of alcohol with the help of our books, the app, the podcasts, or another program? Share your story here and inspire others on their journey!

I truly believe that without journaling, I would not be as successful in my life and the changes that I make in it. Journaling is a powerful tool when it comes to behavior change. It is part of almost every program we offer at This Naked Mind. Those who incorporate journaling into their journey are more likely to be successful at creating lasting change. Today we’re sharing with you a commitment journaling challenge.

Commitment Journaling Challenge

Any time of year is a great time to recommit to ourselves and even the resolutions that didn’t stick. A resolution is supposed to be a firm decision to do (or not do) something! That has gotten muddied over the years though. Now we view resolutions as mere suggestions we may or may not follow. So here at This Naked Mind, we’re invested in helping you stick to your commitments. That starts with making a commitment to join us for our commitment journaling challenge! Make sure to grab the free PDF download as well that includes all the prompts and journaling techniques that we discuss here along with a fun bonus!

Let’s dive into our Commitment Journaling Challenge

Emotional Journaling

Our emotions can definitely influence the commitments we make and whether we stick with those commitments or not. Take note of the top three emotions you’ve felt this week in regard to the change you’re working on. Now, take those three emotions, write them down and create a column under each emotion.

In the journal download, you’ll examine each of those emotions closer and look at how they impact your commitments. You’ll see how overcoming your emotion or allowing it to control you will affect not only you but others in the future through these simple exercises. Make sure to download the free PDF below to complete your chart!

Bullet Journaling

Use our bullet journaling page to write, sketch, and doodle what you’re committed to. Place the page somewhere where you can see it each day and allow it to spur you on when you’re not feeling confident. Make sure to include dates, people, and other motivators on the page!

Vision Board

Are you more of a visual learner? Try creating a vision board full of images that is full of the tools you can use to not only make your commitment but stay firm in your resolve to change. I’ve included a sample vision board that I created in the free PDF download. Use the template there to create your own.

List It

Do you love the satisfaction that comes from checking things off? Or do you like having a list to refer back to when it comes to your daily to-dos? Use our List template to create your commitment list. Why are you making this commitment? What improvements will this commitment bring to your life? What resources could be helpful to you? Write it all down here!

Ditch The Paper Altogether

If the idea of doing any sort of journaling that involves paper just turns you off completely, don’t do it. Pick a different medium. Make a video. Create a voice recording. Paint. Talk it out. Meditate on it. There aren’t rules on how you find and maintain your motivation. The only thing you SHOULD do is find what works best for you. That can be vastly different from what I or someone else has done. That’s ok!

Grab Your Free Commitment Journaling Challenge Download

If you’d like to join me for this free journaling challenge and want to be in the loop for our future journaling themes – make sure to download the free PDF we’ve created to help guide you through the steps we’ve outlined here. There’s also a fun bonus activity that can help get your creative juices flowing! If there’s a journaling theme or practice you’d like to see featured in the future – let us know!

Andree tried to take control of alcohol using willpower and it never seemed to stick. Discovering This Naked Mind meant once and for all finding freedom without willpower.

Fear of Alcohol

I always had a kind of healthy fear of alcohol. My parents didn’t drink until I was 14 so I spent most of my childhood years not experiencing parental drinking at home. I would hear stories of grandpa having alcohol problems or uncle so and so having a problem but that was the extent of it. So I guess I was aware that it held a negative tone to it but did not experience many adults drinking.

I started drinking when my parents started drinking as their marriage started to go bad. When I had my first drink I was maybe 15 and I thought it was fun. It became scary after I watched my cousin get black-out drunk on a camping trip with my family. I felt pretty neutral about it- until it quickly blew my family apart through the horrible divorce of my parents. I didn’t tie the divorce to drinking at the time.

Drinking to Cope

Fast forward into my mid to late 20s when I started realizing that no events were without alcohol; not even a child’s birthday party. Even though the idea of that bothered me in my rational mind, it didn’t stop me from drinking. In my early 30s, I went back to work after having my children in order to help with the businesses we own. It wasn’t what I wanted to do but it was what I needed to do at the time. So I drank in response. I used drinking to cope with the fact that I wanted to be with my children and making a home more than I wanted to be working. A few years later came the pandemic when all rules and social norms kind of went out the window. I could drink anytime. That was the kickoff.

Alcohol was a Problem

Alcohol was probably always a problem for me. I had a high tolerance and could never just have one. I drank to get drunk. To have a lot of fun or to bury and blur bad things that happened in life. I remember being 16 and throwing up on a family vacation from drinking too much- mind you, I was with my parents who were also drinking. I had maybe a breakup with a boyfriend or something that went wrong and drank to cope with it. Drank too much. Later in my 20s, I remember using alcohol to cope with sad/mad feelings over my parent’s divorce and problems in my relationship with my boyfriend (who is now my husband). The biggest of all was being 34 years old and wanting to quit drinking but not being able to. Being emotionally dependent on alcohol.

Not Winning with Willpower

I would try to put limits on myself which I never would adhere to. When I realized I most likely had a problem or that it was becoming a problem I would see how many days I could go without drinking. When I didn’t exhibit physical addiction symptoms I thought “ok I don’t have a PROBLEM”. Still, the problem became apparent when I started looking at myself from the outside. Ashamed because my want to drink was stronger than my rational mind knowing I shouldn’t. Or wanting to quit drinking but feeling unable to.

Freedom without Willpower

I decided I wanted to quit for good. it had been a few weeks and I was just using the willpower method. Luckily I came across This Naked Mind on Instagram and decided to listen to the book. It changed my perspective on alcohol. I learned things about alcohol that I didn’t know before about its effects on the body and mind. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person so the fact I didn’t know these things was surprising. It seemed like I should’ve known them but I didn’t. When you’re looking at something on the basis of facts it changes your mind.

My life is more peaceful now. I am more mindful and in the moment. Now, I am busy creating a life I do not want to escape from. I have more patience with my kids and the people in my life. I am learning to say NO to people and things that drain me. Today, I am aware that there are things about myself that I need to work on and things I want to work on and overcome. I can now do it with a clear mind and perspective. Every day I can look forward to everything improving.

Start Reading

You can find freedom without willpower using This Naked Mind as well! Begin reading the book for free right now!

We’re not alone

In 7 short months of not drinking, I can see things improving. I look forward to being better and more productive. But most of all I want other people who are like me to know that they’re not alone and they CAN do it. I want to meet other people who are interested in this as well.

We live in Milwaukee where drinking is almost cultural. I want to find people, groups, and activities that we can do that don’t involve drinking. Sometimes people might not think it’s a problem until their car is wrapped around a tree or they need to seek a treatment plan. Being on the other side of it I can see that it is a problem. It’s the source of many people’s unrest.

Share Your Story

Did This Naked Mind help you find freedom without willpower? We’d love to hear your story and share it with others. Learn how to do that here!

More on Freedom without Willpower

Are you looking for more resources on how to find freedom without willpower? It’s a popular subject and we have some advice we can share with you. Find even more in the app, in The Alcohol Experiment, and on the blog!

A Few Thoughts on Willpower
EP 05: Exploring Willpower with Dr. Amy Johnson

Stop drinking alcohol with these tried and tested tips – and say goodbye to hangovers for good! Anna Bailey shares the 9 things that helped her stop drinking alcohol!

After many months of excess maybe you’ve decided enough is enough – and now you’re wondering how to stop drinking alcohol? If so, you’re not the only one.

I gave up drinking in November 2019. Not because I was physically dependent on alcohol, or the booze was outwardly ruining my life. But, because I was bored of being hungover, wasting my weekends, worrying about what I’d said, done, posted, or text after one too many. Having read countless books, most of which are listed below, my thinking about sobriety has totally shifted. Giving up isn’t just for people who’ve hit rock bottom and need AA. It’s for anyone who’s decided drinking alcohol is taking away more from their life than it’s giving.

And, I’m not the only one. There are a growing number of ‘sober curious’ people out there who’ve been swayed by the benefits of not drinking alcohol and decided they want to live a healthier lifestyle, without the beer belly, dehydrated skin, short temper, and ‘hang-xiety’.

If you’re determined to stop drinking alcohol for 30 days or more, but you’re worried about how you’ll manage to stick to it, then you might find some of these ideas useful. Here are all the things I did to stay on track when I decided to give up alcohol:

How to stop drinking alcohol: 9 Things That Helped Me Stop Drinking Alcohol

I read ‘quit lit’

This Naked Mind by Annie Grace

Annie Grace is the queen of sobriety – so many people credit this book with helping them finally quit. It’s packed with psychological insights into why we drink, and why we don’t need it – as well as explainers on the physical effects.

Start Reading

If you’re searching for the things that can help you to stop drinking alcohol, look no further! Start reading This Naked Mind for free right now!

I signed up for an online course on how to stop drinking alcohol

The Naked Mind author Annie Grace charges £35/$47 to sign up for her Alcohol Experiment online course. I haven’t tried it, but it’s had great reviews. You can also download the FREE app, which includes lots of really useful resources – including daily video lessons. You can start at any time. When you sign up, you’re automatically added to a chat room as well. So you can talk to other people who’ve just started the course. Daily lessons include, for example – Why We Think We Like to Drink, Why Will Power Doesn’t Work For Long, and How Alcohol Affects Your Senses.

I signed up for sobriety podcasts

Podcasts are just brilliant for inspirational sobriety stories, motivational explainers, and Q&As. There are dozens of high-quality productions to choose from. These are some of my favourites:

• How I quit alcohol: My favourite podcast is presented by musician and sober coach Danni Carr. In each series, she chats to ex-binge drinkers, alcoholics in recovery, drug and alcohol counsellors. It’s always so positive, and entertaining – and full of kind and empathetic advice.
  Find out more
• This Naked Mind: Although this is presented by Annie Grace, you hardly ever hear her speak. She just lets her guests talk, which I love.  Always a really good and in-depth interview with someone who has turned their life around.
  Find out more

Read about all the things that helped Anna stop drinking alcohol here.

Learn how taking a break from alcohol doesn’t mean you have to stop drinking forever but it can rebalance your life and reestablish routine.

How we drink

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s lives in countless ways. It’s changed how we work, how we socialize, the way we shop, travel, and for many of us, it changed how we drink. Schedules and routines became irrelevant. When commuting from your bed to your couch, you can afford to stay up later and have a few extra drinks. Maybe you found yourself wrapping the work day up by 3 p.m., and now that pre-dinner beverage became a late liquid lunch that flowed right into a virtual happy hour.

Or it could be that you found your drinking ramped up as the stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and burnout did. After all, wine is cheaper and easier to access than therapy, right?

Drinking habits

If your drinking habits have changed over the past two years, you’re not alone. A National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism study showed that alcohol consumption in November 2020 was 39 percent higher than in February 2020, with a 30 percent rise in binge drinking. Meanwhile, a September 2020 RAND Corporation study found that alcohol consumption rose among adults over age 30 by 14 percent during the pandemic, with a 41 percent increase in women heavily drinking. In fact, this past January, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School researchers released a study that estimated increases in drinking during the COVID crisis would result in 8,000 additional deaths from alcohol-related liver disease and 18,700 cases of liver failure, and 1,000 cases of liver cancer by 2040. Our drinking habits have changed, but they don’t have to stay that way.

An increase in drinking

An increase in drinking due to trauma isn’t unheard of. It’s a common trigger and it doesn’t mean you’re destined for a life on the streets begging for change. We saw bumps in how people drink after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, and continue to see it with adverse personal events in people’s lives. Traumatic events disrupt our routines and we seek to right things in the ways we know how.

Drinking your troubles away is considered a natural response. We’re conditioned to buy someone a drink when times get tough and drinking is routine. So when everything else is chaotic, drinking is a way to establish a sense of normalcy again.

Tolerance troubles

The trouble is that alcohol builds tolerance. So while some things might remain unchanged like when or why we drink, how we drink changes. We end up drinking more — more often, larger amounts, and stronger drinks. That shift is usually so gradual that we don’t notice it until it becomes problematic or someone else calls attention to it.

Do you need to stop drinking forever?

That doesn’t mean that you have to stop drinking in order to change your drinking routine. Instead, it may mean that you need to take a break from it and reestablish some balance and control.

Studies show that taking a break from alcohol reduces the amount you drink long-term. Dry January participants stated that they were still drinking significantly less 6 months later.

Taking a break from alcohol also allows you to establish new routines, better coping mechanisms, and a healthier relationship with alcohol.

Keep reading and learn why you don’t have to stop drinking forever by accessing the complete article here.

While we might not be fans of the word sober at This Naked Mind – we are huge fans of taking a break from alcohol – no matter what month it is! In fact, our very first Alcohol Experiment kicked off during the month of September five years ago! One thing we’ve learned over the years is that while taking a break from alcohol is great, it shouldn’t mean you’re also taking a break from doing the things you enjoy in life. So we went to our coaches who will be guiding the October class of The PATH: Freedom Accelerated and asked them for their tips on everything from how to handle social situations when you’re not drinking to what to drink instead. You can find much of that advice in The Alcohol Experiment Companion Kit but we’re sharing the 7 best drinks for Sober September with you here right now!

7 Amazing Drinks For Sober September

Lime and Tonic Refresher

Rachael Layton is a This Naked Mind Certified Coach from Down Under! She helps women who are concerned that alcohol has gone from a social pastime to an unhealthy crutch to cope with the stress and challenges in their lives. Her one-on-one coaching and tailored programs help them to gain back control over alcohol and live healthier and happier lives.

Rachael believes that you don’t have to hit ‘rock bottom’ to realize that drinking is having a negative impact on your physical and mental wellbeing. As someone who used alcohol to destress to cope with a busy life, it was a game changer to realize that taking back control of her drinking added to her life rather than took away from it.

One way Rachael maintains control is by enjoying tasty and alcohol-free refreshments. She’s a firm believer in kepping it simple and that’s easy to do with this drink!

Ingredients:

8 oz tonic water

2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

mint

Directions:

Pour tonic water into a chilled glass. If you have a muddler, squeeze the juice of the lime into the bowl and add mint sprigs. Muddle well and add to your glass. If you do not have a muddler you can use a bowl and a wooden spoon.

Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Pumpkin Spiced Mocktail

Debi Talbert is a This Naked Mind Certified Senior Coach. She has helped people have not only Sober September’s but also Alcohol-Free August’s, Dry January’s, and so much more while leading them through The PATH, Live Alcohol Experiments, and coaching them one on one.

Debi Talbert is the owner/creator/founder of Jumpseat Coaching and the Host of Exit The Drinking Life Podcast. In addition to being a certified senior coach with This Naked Mind, she’s a Tiny Habits Certified Coach.

She ended her turbulent relationship with alcohol on September 1, 2016. Debi’s passionate about helping those who believe it’s too late in life for them to change. Debi views life as only just beginning at the age of 50!

She offers private one-on-one coaching as well as small group programs. She’ll guide and support as you create one new tiny habit at a time to achieve your desired outcome. She’s all about celebrating every tiny change you make. Before you know it, you’ll stop believing “I can’t change” and start believing “I am the kind of person who can change”.

One change Debi has made is what she pours in her fancy copper mug! These days she loves to make a Pumpkin Spiced Mocktail and you can too!

Ingredients:

4 oz Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit

1-2 Tbsps Skinny Syrups Pumpkin Caramel

Directions:

Pour the dark cane spirit into a copper mug. Add pumpkin caramel syrup and mix well.

A Better Bitter

Wendy Thompson is a This Naked Mind Senior Certified Coach! She took back her amazing life over four years ago when she quit drinking alcohol.

The most powerful shift for her was the psychological gain from quitting alcohol.  Finally feeling like she walked into alignment with her true nature, and casting the demons of shame, guilt, and insecurity aside.  Living in clarity, control and consciousness allows her to become the best version of herself, both unapologetic and accepting of her flaws and of others’.  It has allowed Wendy to lock-in with herself in a conscious, present, and open manner that leads to real connections with the people and events in her life. She’s no longer hiding part of herself, playing small or procrastinating.  She’s here to shine as brightly as she can. She simply did not exist like this when alcohol was in her life every day.

Wendy truly believes that you deserve Joy. You deserve Growth. And alcohol makes both nearly impossible.

Wendy shares one of her favorite drinks for Sober September so you can grow. Starting with changing what you pour!

Ingredients:

Splash of bitters (the choices are endless!)

Soda water (Or flavored sparkling water)

Directions:

Pour soda water or sparkling water into a wine glass (no ice). Add a splash of bitters and enjoy!

Moscow Mule

Hold on to that copper mug you used to create Debi Talbert’s drink! You’re going to need it again to make Amy Edwards version of a Moscow Mule!

Amy battled anxiety for most of her adult life. Her glass of wine or the pint of stout beer she would have on Friday gave her relief. Unfortunately, that relief turned into an almost daily habit of wine o’clock or beer thirty.

One day she was just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. So she decided to take a break from alcohol and examine her habits around it. Only then did RELIEF come, and she started to experience freedom and joy!

Amy knows what it’s like to be stuck and meets her clients right where they are on their journey. Giving them a supportive environment to learn about their beliefs around alcohol, breaking down barriers and moving them forward by making alcohol small and insignificant in their lives.

It’s was also a relief to realize that she could still enjoy her favorite drinks – with a twist. If Moscow Mules are on your lift of faves, try this version of our drinks for Sober September.

Ingredients:

1/2 can lime bubbly water

1/2 can ginger beer

1/2 squeezed lime

a sprig of mint

Directions:

Pour the lime bubbly water into a copper mug. Add ginger beer and squeeze the lime juice in. Mix well. Garnish with mint.

Cranberry Lime Sparkler

Pam McRae is a This Naked Mind Senior Certified Coach! She began her sober journey on November 6^th, 2017 and has never looked back. She no longer considers herself sober, but instead calls herself a non-drinker! Alcohol is small and insignificant in her life and she wants you to feel the same way.

Through her journey, she has focused on empowering others through her Freedom Connection group coaching which allows you to realize you are not alone, and that connection with others from around the world is so valuable when starting your sober journey or learning to live a sober life. Pam also offers individualized 1:1 coaching based on This Naked Mind’s methodology allowing her clients to discover a life free from alcohol and a world of opportunity filled with positivity, grace and compassion.

Pam’s niche is helping individuals stay sober during grief. Her personal experience, knowledge and guidance can help you stay focused during an extremely difficult time in your life.

Pam’s favorite drink is a Cranberry Lime Sparkler and now you can enjoy one too!

Ingredients:

6 oz Soda water

2 oz Cranberry Juice

1/2 a lime, squeezed

Directions:

Pour soda water or sparkling water into a glass. Add cranberry juice and a squeeze of lime!

Get Gruvi

Suzanne Nissen helps purpose seeking women live richer, fuller and more meaningful lives by giving them the tools and psychology to live an alcohol free life.

Suzanne is a wife, mother, dental hygienist and the proud “Sugar” (Grandma) of four boys. Suzanne’s first love is her family, but exercise and volunteering are close behind. In March of 2020, Suzanne said “YES” and signed up for a 21-day reset. She discovered “This Naked Mind” and 21 days turned into 586 and counting. What started out as a short journey to learn moderation, led her to this place where she is in complete charge of her drinking and has no cravings to quench. She had no idea that saying “No” to alcohol would have such a life changing effect on her body, mind, and relationships.

With grace, compassion, and the utmost confidentiality, Suzanne empowers purpose seeking women to rewire their relationship with alcohol and other habits holding them back from a fuller, more vibrant future with loved ones.

Suzanne understands that sometimes we don’t want to put any effort into relaxing with a drink. That’s why her drink for Sober September doesn’t have a recipe – she just thinks you should get Gruvi! Grab a glass and pour yourself some Gruvi Dry Secco to unwind!

mint.

Turmeric Twist

We have one more drink to share with you that was suggested by a member of The PATH. It sounded so tasty and so unique we just knew we needed to include it in our drinks for Sober September.

If your health is one of the reasons you’re taking a break from alcohol than this drink will go a long way towards healing you. It’s packed with powerhouses like turmeric, apple cider vinegar, honey, and ginger!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp fresh turmeric (grated) or 1/4 tsp dried

1 tsp fresh ginger (grated) or 1/4 tsp dried

1 cup ginger beer or ginger sparkling water

Ice

1- 2 Tbsp hot water

Directions:

Combine honey, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, turmeric, and ginger in a jar or glass. Stir until the honey is diluted. Add 1- 2 Tbsp hot water, mix well. Cover and refrigerate. For less intense flavors remove after two hours. To increase flvor steep for up to one day.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or cheese cloth; discard solids. Fill a glass with ice and 1 cup ginger beer or ginger sparkling water. Add turmeric mixture and enjoy!

Looking beyond a Sober September?

Are you thinking beyond just a Sober September? Could you use additional tips on taking a break from alcohol? Download our free e-book – 6 Best Tips For Taking A Break From Booze. Click here to get your copy!

And if you’re looking for a community to support you and to swap more alcohol-free drink ideas with – join us in The Alcohol Experiment. It has helped over 385K people take a 30-day break from alcohol, change their thinking, and find balance in their lives!

More Drinks for Sober September

If you need more alcohol-free drinks ideas or you’re wondering if NA drinks are even ok to indulge in – we’ve got you covered!

The 7 Best Drinks For An Alcohol-Free August
How To Go Dry in July -11 Mocktail Recipes To Help You
How to TeeTotal Your June with these Terrific Tea Recipes!
May Mocktail Recipes You’ll Love
4 Mocktail Recipes To Make in April
Make These Alcohol-Free Drink Recipes In March
Alcohol-Free Drinks You’ll Fall in Love With
Make These Alcohol-Free Drinks to Stay Dry in January
Festive Alcohol-Free Drinks To Make This Holiday Season
5 Booze-Free Beverages to Try During Dry January
EP 64: Reader Question – Non-Alcoholic Drinks: Are they okay?
EP 198: Reader Question – Alcohol Free drinks? Are they OK?

Annie Grace joined the Squats and Margaritas podcast with Erin Washington to discuss how to take a closer look at alcohol’s role in your life.

Taking a look at Alcohol

Annie Grace was delighted to sit down with Erin Washington of the Squats and Margaritas podcast for a long and in-depth talk about alcohol. They dive into what alcohol does to us physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Annie also shares her own journey with alcohol. What led to an increase in her drinking, how she tried to control it, and ultimately what allowed her to find freedom in her relationship with alcohol.

Erin also bravely shares where she is on her journey with alcohol. Finally, they discuss how to take a look at the role alcohol is playing in your life and what you can do to address it.

Curious to learn more?

Are you interested in learning more about alcohol and exploring ways you can change your relationship with it? Join us in the This Naked Mind Companion App and take advantage of the countless resources waiting for you there! It’s free and can help put you back in control. Learn how to download it here.

Squats and Margaritas

Erin Washington is a lifestyle blogger and former college athlete who struggled with weight and body image for 20 years. She finally found her best body at 37 after having two kids. Erin promotes a balanced lifestyle of “Squats and Margaritas” and offers tips and motivation to women who are working out but not seeing results. 

Washington created her “Squats and Margaritas” brand two years ago and this year, published a book by the same name. The “Squats and Margaritas” podcast was a natural extension.

Listen to Annie Grace on the Squats and Margaritas podcast

To hear Annie Grace on the Squats and Margaritas podcast and other great guests, click here.