The Alcohol Experiment Buchzusammenfassung - das Wichtigste aus The Alcohol Experiment

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Zusammenfassung von The Alcohol Experiment

Name: The Alcohol Experiment
Rating: 4.5 (187 reviews)
Author: Annie Grace

Annie Grace

A 30-day, Alcohol-Free Challenge to Interrupt Your Habits and Help You Take Control

4.5 (187 Bewertungen)

17 Min.

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The Alcohol Experiment
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What’s in it for me? Reprogram the way you think about alcohol.

We haven’t always needed alcohol. Think about life as a kid – time was spent playing with friends, running around, and exploring the world.

As adults, relaxing or having fun is often centered around drinking. We use alcohol to relieve stress when we’re anxious. It’s entertainment when we’re bored and consolation when we’re sad.

But, in reality, alcohol can hurt more than it helps. It’s a natural depressant. It poisons us – which is why we throw up after a big night out. And while we drink to feel connected, alcohol can often leave us feeling isolated instead.

The good news is that we can reshape the way we think about drinking and reconnect with the version of ourselves that can enjoy life without alcohol. Are you up for the challenge?

In these blinks, you’ll learn

how your brain holds contradictory thoughts about drinking;
what the taste of alcohol and the smell of goats have in common; and
that alcohol ultimately results in more stress than relaxation.

Cognitive dissonance means that giving up alcohol is hard.

Imagine you’re on a diet. You’ve been good all day and have every intention of staying that way. But then someone at work brings in a plate of home-baked cookies. And before you even realize it, you’re scarfing one down.

This is an example of cognitive dissonance – when your conscious and unconscious brain are in conflict with each other. Consciously, you know you should step away from the cookie tray. But some unconscious part of you just can’t resist.

And your brain, clever as it is, does a great job of justifying your actions. You mentally make a firm commitment: that was the last cookie you’ll ever eat. Or you comfort yourself: Don’t we all deserve a treat now and then?

The key message here is: Cognitive dissonance means that giving up alcohol is hard.

As with cookies, so with alcohol.

Perhaps you’re tired of waking up hungover. Maybe you know that alcohol is adding to your waistline, and taking away from your wallet. Faced with this information, your conscious mind knows that it’d be good to cut down on drinking or quit altogether. But, even so, you end up in the bar after work because your unconscious mind – the part that controls your emotions and desires – is packed with information that just doesn't agree.

Years of experience have told your unconscious brain that alcohol is good. For example, it helps you relax. You know this because you’ve seen your parents, or characters in movies, come home after a hard day to crack open a beer with a satisfied sigh. So as much as you might be consciously aware that alcohol isn’t always a good thing, your unconscious mind tends to urge you to drink.

Lots of people try to stop drinking through good old willpower. But as we saw in the cookie example, that’s not really a solution. Willpower is a kind of energy. Eventually, it runs out. And if you need your willpower for one thing – like staying focused during a stressful workweek – you’ll have less of it remaining when you need to turn down that tempting beer.

The good thing is, there’s a solution. In the following blinks, we’ll see how reassessing your beliefs about booze can shut down that unconscious desire for a drink altogether.

You’re probably not drinking alcohol for its taste alone.

The author’s brother owns a goat farm. And it smells, well, goaty. Whenever the author visits, she can’t help but notice the intense, unpleasant smell.

But the smell doesn’t bother her brother. In fact, he doesn’t even notice it. But this is simply because he’s exposed to it every day.

Alcohol activates chemicals that make you feel good – and then bad.

You’ve had a tough day at the office. But now all is well – it's happy hour! You’ve joined your friends at the bar and ordered a glass of wine. As you work through the first glass, you feel yourself unwinding. You become a little giggly, even slightly euphoric. For the first time all day, you genuinely feel good.

Now, stop for a minute. What’s actually happening here? Why do you feel good? And why can’t you just enjoy that first glass and leave it at that? Why do you feel the need to keep drinking?

Alcohol isn’t an oasis of relaxation; it’s a source of stress.

Take a moment to list all of the reasons you drink. There’s no judgment here, so be as honest as possible. If you’re like the author, your list will include things like “my social life revolves around drinking” or “drinking helps me get through those intimidating networking events.”

Now list the reasons you don’t want to drink. Maybe you’re sick of waking up feeling like hell. Or you’re scared that your memory is sometimes a little fuzzy. Or you just don’t want to be tired and broke all the time.

True, meaningful human connection arises without alcohol.

Maybe you’re ready to take some time off from alcohol. But, sooner or later, your friends will notice the change. And they might not support your decision, instead telling you to “lighten up” and have “just one” drink on a night out. If that happens, it's important to recognize that fear is probably at the bottom of it.

Maybe they know, deep down, that they’re also drinking a little too much – but don’t want to admit it. Or maybe they’re just scared you won’t hang out with them as much anymore.

If you’re trying to quit drinking, don’t expect perfection.

It can be intimidating to say, “That’s it, I’m never going to drink again,” which is why it’s great to start with just 30 days. Thirty days isn’t forever. And if you do make it through, why not try 60 more? By abstaining for longer and longer periods, you can start to look forward to a future in which alcohol does not control your life.

One of the author’s friends did this, until she eventually reached a year without drinking. At that point, she no longer saw any reason to drink again. She had defeated her cognitive dissonance around alcohol; her unconscious need for alcohol no longer fought against her conscious desire to stop drinking.

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Worum geht es in The Alcohol Experiment?

The Alcohol Experiment (2018) is your practical guide to giving up alcohol for 30 days – or perhaps a lifetime. Packed with science-based tips and personal anecdotes, it offers a new perspective on alcohol and explores why we drink it, what it really does to us, and how we can give it up.

Wer The Alcohol Experiment lesen sollte

People who’d like to cut down on alcohol, but aren’t sure how
Drinkers who’ve tried – and tried – to quit
Anyone who wants to change their life for the better

Über den Autor

As a young woman, Annie Grace was a hotshot marketer. The youngest ever VP in her multinational company, she was leading marketing in 28 countries by the age of 35. Grace was also drinking at least a bottle of wine every night. Today she’s a writer and advocate who helps people beat alcohol dependence and regain control of their lives.

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