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Alcohol does nothing for me, I know that now. I see that we are conditioned. My family drink, my friends drink, it's in the media, films, adverts, everywhere. It's forced down your throat and glamourised, as opposed to being exposed for what it really is. Alcohol is just as bad, if not worse, than other addictions. But it isn't banned like other drugs are. It's up to you if you want to quit alcohol, moderate, or remain the same. C'mon, this information won't hurt you. It will help you. I wasin a train tunnel deep under London Heathrow International Airport. I was having one of those big moments in life, moments where you know everything must change. I had stayed up drinking the night before (a typical work trip) and topped myself off with a few screwdrivers at breakfast. Long before this day I had decided to moderate my drinking, yet sitting there I realized rather than drinking less I was drinking more. And I didn’t understand why.
Very interesting. I found the idea of reprogramming the unconscious mind really compelling. That and the fact alcohol is a carcinogen, which I didn't know and seems insane I didn't know. I no longer had control over alcohol and often pleaded with myself to stop. I would regularly pour away left over alcohol late at night, promising myself that tomorrow would be different. Yet, I would buy more on my way home as I laughed with myself/ at myself realising that I was never going to stop. Her theory is that our conscious (surface level) attention may know these facts but it is our subconscious mind that makes the decisions. And it is the part of us that has been programmed to do so with alcohol consumption. Have fun, loosen up, relieve stress, be more socially acceptable, advance your career- she looks at all these myths of the benefits of drinking and disassembles them. I just don’t know if reading a book can change us on the basic level she is seeking. But it has helped many people. There are 10 times more mentions in popular media about the benefits of alcohol (as it makes a good reading) than the risks, even though there are many more risksJoin us on a journey of self-discovery, where we delve into the question many of us have asked at some point: "Is it [...]
What I didn't agree with is that Annie Grace's theory seems to be that everyone who drinks has a problem with alcohol and that there is no such thing as an "allergy." Well then, that lets her off the hook now, doesn't it. Needless to say, I had trouble being open-minded because some of what she said went against what I've been taught about addiction. Then again, I must use the disclaimer that I have only managed to stay sober for long stretches of time, but then I have relapsed. So there is the possibility that even with experience. I don't know what I'm talking about. Alcohol numbs your fear instead of giving you courage, because it numbs your feelings in general. Author brings the example when she prepared for an important presentation with alcohol, she stayed up late before the night and did not rehearse. Fear was useful in that made her prepare the presentation and rehearsing many times better If you are thinking of quitting alcohol, this book will provide you with greater conviction to help you stay on the right path. I never considered myself an alcoholic because I never got a DUI and didn't get really drunk. Plus, the word makes you sound like a drug addict who can't control himself. But I drank a bottle of wine (sometimes more) every night for a few years. It cost a lot of money and I put on a lot of weight. I tried quitting a few times, but it was hard because I still liked it! There are some strong associations between alcohol and different types of cancer; ultimately alcohol is a poison.
If your goal is permanent sobriety (which, seriously, awesome and good for you!) there are some decent points here and there and her overall attitude towards drinking might work for you.
Alcohol is difficult. We don't question that drugs like meth or heroin are bad for us, we'd never have anyone do a line of coke in front of our children for example. Alcohol on the other hand is, as Annie Grace states early on, the only drug you have to justify not taking.Look at weddings, sports events, New Years Eve to just going to happy hour with friends. Alcohol is always present. In a world where alcohol seems to infiltrate everything from our yoga classes to misguided but well-intentioned recommendations from medical professionals, the question [...] You have enjoyed tons of occasions, but can you separate the drinking from the activity and realize you had fun because of the company of the event, rather than the 'joy' of poisoning yourself and numbing your senses?" Anyway, there's still some really good shit in here and I admire Grace for getting sober and producing such a comprehensive and useful guide to sobriety. I will probably re-read at some point.
The intro started out very open minded and fine; this is an experiment, draw your own conclusions, you don't have to stop drinking forever, no stigma, etc.Some of the statistics shared are shared in a way that creates a bias. For example the stat around alcohol-related deaths vs deaths related to coacain. Clearly alcohol is used way more often, 87% of adults, vs. less than 1% percent for cocaine. Naturally, this means more deaths because of millions upon millions more use alcohol. If that many people used cocaine, we would be in real trouble. Cocaine is far more dangerous it's just not as widely used. Throughout life we often find ourselves in perplexing situations, wondering why we do things we don't want to do. One of the most [...]
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