I deserve this (a challenge to retrain your brain)

I often go on about brain re-training and how vital it is in helping us get to a happy sober place. Challenging and turning around our hard wired thoughts about alcohol makes the difference between being a miserable non-drinker or a happy one – delighted that we’re not hooked on that liquid any more and foolishly believing a whole lot of lies about it’s supposed benefits.

Here’s an exercise to help you with some brain retraining. It’s called the ‘I deserve it’ exercise. Like all brain re-training, this exercise it involves challenging hard-wired beliefs, and forcing yourself to see the truth behind certain actions. It’s about re-framing your thinking to reflect the truth and the reality which we so desire.

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Thought: I deserve this icy cold class of Chardonnay because I’ve been bloody busy all day working my arse off.

Challenge: Why do I ‘deserve’ to drink a liquid that will likely cause me guilt, misery and physical ills?

New reality: I deserve this tall glass of fizzy water, ice cubes, slices of cucumber, and a squeeze of lemon because I’ve worked hard all day and I want to acknowledge that fact by creating a refreshing drink that will actually refresh me.

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Thought: I deserve this Gin & Tonic because I’m sick of dealing with someone else’s emotional shit.

Challenge: Why do I ‘deserve’ to drink a liquid that will blur my brain and disconnect me from my feelings?

New reality: I deserve this orange-ginger mocktail because I’ve had a guts full of everyone else’s emotional shit and I’m being brave and amazing in dealing with my own shit by getting sober.

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Thought: I deserve to open this second bottle of wine late in the evening because I feel lousy and this wine is the only thing that’s going to make me feel better.

Challenge: How is drinking crap-loads of wine possibly going to make my lousy feeling go away? It’ll still be there when I sober up but probably with a new layer of guilt and misery added on top.

New Reality: I deserve this mug of chamomile tea because I feel lousy and I want to soothe myself before bed and try to ensure I’ll get a good nights sleep because now I’m sober I know that when I’m tired everything is harder to manage.

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Thought: I deserve this pint of beer because my life sucks, I’ve already ruined it by drinking too much too often, and to change things now is impossible so I might as well just keep on going.

Challenge: WHO SAYS IT’S NOT POSSIBLE TO CHANGE?????????!!!!!!!!!

New reality: I deserve this pint of lemon, lime & bitters because despite my regrets at having drunk too much too often I believe that things can change, I have faith that my future will be different than my past and I’ve heard that all the cool people are sober nowadays.

Ain’t that the truth…

Love, Mrs D xxx