What triggers our desire to drink? Before we reach for a drink, a variety of factors come into play. In this article, I want to focus on a singular, critical element that serves as the foundation for our actions. By understanding what occurs before we drink, we can empower ourselves to create a healthier future. Let’s delve into this key precursor and uncover how it influences our choices regarding alcohol.
Precursor of every action
What is the precursor to every action? It all begins with thought. Before you act, you consider your thoughts about the action. Thinking is our most powerful tool—it shapes our experiences and ultimately creates our lives. Look around you: everything you see began as a thought. Our thoughts manifest in reality.
Sometimes, our thought processes can lead to drinking. For instance, destructive thoughts can invoke emotions like shame, prompting a desire to cope with that shame through alcohol. Conversely, thinking about the pleasurable feelings associated with drinking can further reinforce the desire to indulge.
You might wonder why I’m addressing the topic of thinking when your goal is to quit alcohol. The truth is, your thoughts are often the root cause of your drinking behavior. Our thoughts play a huge role in our lives, and there’s a saying that “the universe is mental,” which rings true. We primarily experience life through our minds. If we don’t cultivate quality thoughts, the likelihood of resorting to alcohol or other addictions increases, especially if our minds are uncomfortable places to be.
Significant changes can occur in our lives when we transform our thoughts. Have you considered that one reason you may struggle to commit to quitting alcohol is because you haven’t adopted the thought patterns necessary for that decision? Our thoughts pave the way for our actions and choices. Importantly, our brains can’t discern between imagination and actual experience; thinking stressful thoughts triggers the release of stress hormones in the body.
Ultimately, thoughts are powerful—they literally shape your reality. To navigate this journey effectively, it’s vital to understand five key elements: the Mind, the Thinker, Thought Patterns, Emotions, and Outcomes. Let’s delve deeper into these concepts to uncover their significance in the context of recovery and personal growth.
Mind
The mind serves as the space where we observe our thoughts; it’s our mental home. As the root of our experiences, the mind plays a crucial role in our behaviors, including drinking. Ultimately, the true nature of addiction lies within our minds. If our mental environment is uncomfortable or dysfunctional, navigating life can become a struggle.
The mind has the potential to be your greatest asset or your most significant adversary. The key lies in learning how to cultivate it as a source of strength. When mental dysfunctions arise, addiction can take hold and shape our reality.
It’s essential to “weed out” negative thoughts and beliefs, transforming your mind into a beautiful garden nurturing positivity and growth. Remember, the quality of your thoughts directly influences how much joy and fulfillment you can experience in life. By cultivating a healthy mental landscape, you can create space for enjoyment, clarity, and lasting change.
Thinker
We don’t have just one thinker; we have many voices within us. By learning to recognize and understand these different thinkers, you can transform your life. Often, the key to change lies not in merely altering your thoughts but in comprehending the thinker behind them.
Take the time to explore where your thoughts originate. What is the story associated with each particular thinker? By uncovering these narratives, you can address the underlying issues and free yourself from destructive thought patterns. This deeper understanding allows you to gain control over your mental landscape, enabling a path toward greater clarity and positive change.
Thought Patterns
Thought patterns encompass the content of our thoughts and the habitual ways in which we think. They can be positive, neutral, or negative, and they significantly influence the quality of our lives. Our thought patterns essentially shape our emotional experiences, determining how we respond to various situations and challenges.
These patterns dictate our perspectives and ultimately create our emotional landscape. By becoming aware of and understanding our thought patterns, we can begin to reshape our minds and foster a more fulfilling life.
Emotions
“We are not thinking machines that feel; we are feeling machines that think.”
Our thought patterns shape our emotions, and those emotions, in turn, define our state of being. In fact, our state of being influences approximately 75% of how we experience life. Emotions will inevitably manifest based on our thoughts, and they can often lead us to make irrational decisions—it’s one of the factors contributing to our drinking behaviors. Many people turn to alcohol as a means to alleviate painful emotions.
When we work to elevate our emotional state, the need for alcohol diminishes. But what lies at the root of our emotional experiences? Just like the focus of this discussion, it is our thinking. The brain does not distinguish between imagined scenarios and actual experiences. When we think about stressful events, our bodies respond as if we are truly experiencing that stress.
By understanding and reshaping our thought patterns, we can significantly influence our emotional well-being and reduce the desire to cope with life’s challenges through alcohol.
“We suffer more in our imagination than in reality.” -Seneca
Outcomes
Our emotions shape our state of being, and this state in turn influences the outcomes we experience in life. Drinking often arises as a reflection of our current state of being. Sobriety, just like addiction, is a state of being; in fact, the absence of alcohol is fundamentally linked to the state of being associated with sobriety.
People often drink to change their state, seeking relief from discomfort or emotional pain. This desire for change can stem from destructive thought patterns, such as feelings of inadequacy, self-criticism after making mistakes, or anxiety about the future. These negative thoughts can create emotions that prompt us to drink as a coping mechanism.
The key to breaking this cycle lies in becoming aware of our current thought processes. Recognizing how our thoughts create a chain of reactions that lead to drinking is crucial. Once we identify these patterns, we can take steps to overcome our drinking habits and gain deeper insight into ourselves.
Self-knowledge is the most valuable form of understanding one can possess. By becoming aware of our thoughts, we can often uncover the root causes of our addiction. Our thought life reveals much about who we are and shapes our experiences.
The question to ask
Now that we understand that our thinking shapes our outcomes in life, take a moment to reflect on the three main topics that contribute to dysfunction in your thinking. Write this question down: What are the key areas of concern in my thought patterns? When you start to feel mental discomfort or dysfunction, ask yourself what thoughts you’re currently having.
This practice is part of the awareness game. By identifying these problematic thoughts, you can make it significantly easier to address them. As you engage in this exercise, you will begin to learn more about yourself and the underlying issues at play.
Once you identify the three main topics, take the next step and examine the thinkers behind those thoughts. Ask yourself a series of probing questions: Where do these thoughts originate? Are they based on truth, or are they distorted perceptions? What emotions do these topics evoke in me? It’s crucial to remember that we often assume our thoughts are true without questioning them, so practicing this examination allows for clarity. Importantly, try not to identify with your thoughts; instead, observe them with curiosity.
Be inquisitive about the stories behind these thoughts: Why does each thinker perceive things the way they do? Understanding the “why” can help you address these negative thoughts effectively.
It’s also important to acknowledge that we can’t always control our thoughts, as many of them occur automatically—and sometimes, they can be quite negative. In such moments, focus on observing your thoughts without judgment. By refraining from labeling your thoughts as “good” or “bad,” you lessen their impact on your emotional state.
Finally, don’t overlook the value of journaling. Writing down your thoughts serves as a powerful tool for processing and externalizing them. By getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper, you create space for clarity and insight. Think of your journal as a private therapist, a safe space where you can explore your thoughts and coach yourself through challenges.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve explored the idea that we are not addicted to alcohol itself, but rather to our thinking. As strange as it may sound, consider this: our brains are remarkably skilled at selecting thoughts that can lead us back to drinking. In doing so, they seek out these thoughts as a means of obtaining dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter tied to pleasure and reward.
Behind these thoughts are different “thinkers” that manipulate the narrative to fulfill their needs. Often, these thinkers are in pain and use drinking as a remedy for their suffering. By becoming aware of the thoughts that generate dysfunction, we can bring these thinkers into the light and help them find healthier ways to cope.
You have the power to use your thoughts to identify the root causes of your addiction. By addressing these thought patterns, you can begin to dismantle the cycle of dependence. A key question to reflect on is: What are the main topics that create dysfunction in my thinking? By uncovering these themes, you can take significant steps toward overcoming addiction.
