My new life as a teetotaler
Friday 21st March
I was concerned that my mood had become quite low and was not picking up but getting worse. So earlier this week I was trying to figure out why, as the last time I quit drinking (August 2013 for 7 weeks) I felt amazing and positive once I got that first week out of the way and here I was at over 2 weeks feeling awful. I realized it had to be psychological and decided that I was probably having an identity crisis, which I go through each time a change something about myself (beliefs/perspectives etc). Further analysing led me to recognise that this time I had become far too focussed on being 'an alcoholic' and I was repeatedly reinforcing this to myself numerous times throughout each day which had a negative conotation to it. Last time I quit I had always known I would drink again, so I had been pleased with managing to get to 7 weeks and figured I would drink on special occasions only. Each passing week was a major accomplishment and I was filled with pride. This time, I had accepted that as soon as I drank again it was so hard to stop, so I was better off never letting another drink pass my lips. In fact I had decided that I didn't want to drink again - I just had to ride out the time of adjustment to a different way of being in the world from now on.
Waking up on Wednesday morning I had the sudden thought, like a bolt out of the blue, that it would be much healthier for me to focus on being a 'teetotaler' and how amazing this felt, rather than being an alcoholic and how limiting this felt. So as I went on my early morning walk I repeatedly affirmed "I am a teetotaler and I feel amazing" What a difference! I literally felt completely different to the way I had been feeling and this has continued ever since I made this change. I am no longer focussing on the negative beliefs associated with being an alcoholic but instead the positive beliefs that go along with being a teetotaler and enjoying it immensely! I even googled 'teetotaler' and found a wikipedia link that listed famous teetotalers which has also been very affirming. My mood has been great ever since and I feel excited about my future, instead of fearful.
I was concerned that my mood had become quite low and was not picking up but getting worse. So earlier this week I was trying to figure out why, as the last time I quit drinking (August 2013 for 7 weeks) I felt amazing and positive once I got that first week out of the way and here I was at over 2 weeks feeling awful. I realized it had to be psychological and decided that I was probably having an identity crisis, which I go through each time a change something about myself (beliefs/perspectives etc). Further analysing led me to recognise that this time I had become far too focussed on being 'an alcoholic' and I was repeatedly reinforcing this to myself numerous times throughout each day which had a negative conotation to it. Last time I quit I had always known I would drink again, so I had been pleased with managing to get to 7 weeks and figured I would drink on special occasions only. Each passing week was a major accomplishment and I was filled with pride. This time, I had accepted that as soon as I drank again it was so hard to stop, so I was better off never letting another drink pass my lips. In fact I had decided that I didn't want to drink again - I just had to ride out the time of adjustment to a different way of being in the world from now on.
Waking up on Wednesday morning I had the sudden thought, like a bolt out of the blue, that it would be much healthier for me to focus on being a 'teetotaler' and how amazing this felt, rather than being an alcoholic and how limiting this felt. So as I went on my early morning walk I repeatedly affirmed "I am a teetotaler and I feel amazing" What a difference! I literally felt completely different to the way I had been feeling and this has continued ever since I made this change. I am no longer focussing on the negative beliefs associated with being an alcoholic but instead the positive beliefs that go along with being a teetotaler and enjoying it immensely! I even googled 'teetotaler' and found a wikipedia link that listed famous teetotalers which has also been very affirming. My mood has been great ever since and I feel excited about my future, instead of fearful.
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