Myths about alcohol – stories we tell ourselves

We all know the stories we tell ourselves to justify our drinking. Some may be personal myths, many of them are common in society.

What myths about alcohol might you need to dispel before you can change your habits? What are the ones you think you are still holding onto?

Believing myths is part of the habit you need to unpick when changing your drinking patterns – whether you are quitting, cutting down, or taking a break from alcohol. You need to work hard to ‘unbelieve’ all the myths you have created in your head, which have justified your drinking.

Myths are hard to let go of

It can be hard to do, since as a society we have many common and accepted myths, from believing that you can only socialise over a few drinks, to thinking that alcohol is the best way to de-stress.

Then there will be more personal myths, that have allowed us to carry on drinking, even when we know that really we are doing ourselves harm.

On this week’s webinar, Laura covered some of the most popular myths, and how you can stop believing in them in order to move on in your goals.

18 popular stories we  tell ourselves…and believe

We asked on the Club Soda Facebook group for “the biggest myth about alcohol you feel you needed to bust before you could truly change your drinking?” And almost instantly got 79 replies! These are just some of them:

Myth 1: Everyone drinks

Myth 2: I like the taste of alcohol

Myth 3: I only drink the good stuff

Myth 4: Life is no fun without alcohol

Myth 5: Not drinking is boring

Myth 6: A certain amount of alcohol is good for you

Myth 7: Champagne makes a wedding special

Myth 8: I will be missing out on all the fun

Myth 9: I won’t get promoted if I don’t drink with my colleagues

Myth 10: I need alcohol to relax

Myth 11: Alcohol will make me feel better/problems disappear

Myth 12: I deserve a drink

Myth 13: I am not normal like other drinkers

Myth 14: I can’t imagine life without alcohol

Myth 15: I have a disease

Myth 16: I have to avoid the pub if I am giving up alcohol

Myth 17: I don’t get hangovers

Myth 18: Without alcohol, I will be lonely.

We will get back to more of these stories we tell ourselves in a future webinar.