Ran into this article the same day I stumbled on to My Way Out, a few week ago...thought it had some good tools
How to Quit Drinking without Alcoholics Anonymous - wikiHow
1) Understand why you drink. In Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism is viewed as a disease which only a Higher Power can help you with. But outside AA, there are other models of alcohol dependence. One useful way to look at a drinking problem is to view it in terms of survival instincts. The brain is divided into two basic parts, which we will call the human brain (you) and the animal brain (it). The animal brain is concerned only with survival, and when you are chemically dependent on alcohol, it falsely thinks that you need alcohol to survive. Because of this, you could call it the "booze brain." If you don't understand how the booze brain works, it can easily trick the human brain (you) into drinking. However, once you understand why you drink, you are prepared to take action with the CORE process - Commit, Objectify, Respond, Enjoy. This simple process can help you stay away from alcohol for good.
2) Commit yourself to permanent abstinence from alcohol. You do not need alcohol to survive. The human brain is much smarter than the booze brain, which doesn't understand that you can live without alcohol. You can outsmart your booze brain by learning to think of it as something other than yourself. This way, when it demands alcohol, you can tell it "never." When you think about this, you might hear your booze brain objecting and pleading with you to "never say never." It does not want you to quit drinking, because it thinks it will die. But you are smarter than it is, and you know you need to stop. Make a plan to quit for good. When you're ready, say the words "I will never drink again." Pay attention to how you feel. If you are scared, panicked, angry, depressed, or feeling badly in some way, that is the booze brain at work. Because in all honesty, you WILL feel bad at first. Your body has been operating with this chemical for...however long? It thinks it needs it. It has to learn how to operate without it now, and learning has a curve. Give it time to learn. Your nerve neurons have been being put to rest for some time now, and now are all a-buzz with activity, so resting and sleep will probably be hard to get for a couple of days. Your booze brain will tell you lies. Call it a liar and watch late night TV till it passes!
3) Objectify your booze brain. Think of it as something separate from yourself, and learn to hear it speaking to you. It will try anything to get you to drink, because it falsely believes that you need to drink to survive. If you are feeling bad, it will tell you to drink to feel better. If you are feeling good, it will tell you to drink to party or celebrate. In fact, it will try to use any event in your life (good or bad) as an excuse to drink.
You can follow the link to read the rest...but if you've heard me refer to "my booze brain badgering me" that 's where it came from.
Add'l info from the site:
Technically, the "human brain" is called the "neocortex," and the animal brain (booze brain) is called the "midbrain." The neocortex is a complex, conscious section of the brain. It is the part of the brain that gives you a sense of individuality - a sense of "being you." The midbrain is an unconscious section of the brain that regulates all of your survival functions, such as breathing, eating, sex, etc. When you become dependent on alcohol, the booze becomes one of the midbrain's survival drives. However, it can only obtain alcohol if you make a conscious decision to drink. This decision occurs in the neocortex. If the neocortex (you) can learn how the midbrain works, the midbrain becomes powerless to obtain more booze. You are in control, and you can quit.
This approach is inspired by the Rational Recovery? system. Rational Recovery uses AVRT?, which is very similar to the CORE process described in this article, although different language is used here because Rational Recovery concepts are copyrighted. Rational Recovery is highly recommended for people who want to quit drinking without AA. Many people may be able to beat their alcohol dependencies just by reading the information on this page. However, if you want some additional help, check out Rational Recovery.
Rejuve
How to Quit Drinking without Alcoholics Anonymous - wikiHow
1) Understand why you drink. In Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism is viewed as a disease which only a Higher Power can help you with. But outside AA, there are other models of alcohol dependence. One useful way to look at a drinking problem is to view it in terms of survival instincts. The brain is divided into two basic parts, which we will call the human brain (you) and the animal brain (it). The animal brain is concerned only with survival, and when you are chemically dependent on alcohol, it falsely thinks that you need alcohol to survive. Because of this, you could call it the "booze brain." If you don't understand how the booze brain works, it can easily trick the human brain (you) into drinking. However, once you understand why you drink, you are prepared to take action with the CORE process - Commit, Objectify, Respond, Enjoy. This simple process can help you stay away from alcohol for good.
2) Commit yourself to permanent abstinence from alcohol. You do not need alcohol to survive. The human brain is much smarter than the booze brain, which doesn't understand that you can live without alcohol. You can outsmart your booze brain by learning to think of it as something other than yourself. This way, when it demands alcohol, you can tell it "never." When you think about this, you might hear your booze brain objecting and pleading with you to "never say never." It does not want you to quit drinking, because it thinks it will die. But you are smarter than it is, and you know you need to stop. Make a plan to quit for good. When you're ready, say the words "I will never drink again." Pay attention to how you feel. If you are scared, panicked, angry, depressed, or feeling badly in some way, that is the booze brain at work. Because in all honesty, you WILL feel bad at first. Your body has been operating with this chemical for...however long? It thinks it needs it. It has to learn how to operate without it now, and learning has a curve. Give it time to learn. Your nerve neurons have been being put to rest for some time now, and now are all a-buzz with activity, so resting and sleep will probably be hard to get for a couple of days. Your booze brain will tell you lies. Call it a liar and watch late night TV till it passes!
3) Objectify your booze brain. Think of it as something separate from yourself, and learn to hear it speaking to you. It will try anything to get you to drink, because it falsely believes that you need to drink to survive. If you are feeling bad, it will tell you to drink to feel better. If you are feeling good, it will tell you to drink to party or celebrate. In fact, it will try to use any event in your life (good or bad) as an excuse to drink.
You can follow the link to read the rest...but if you've heard me refer to "my booze brain badgering me" that 's where it came from.
Add'l info from the site:
Technically, the "human brain" is called the "neocortex," and the animal brain (booze brain) is called the "midbrain." The neocortex is a complex, conscious section of the brain. It is the part of the brain that gives you a sense of individuality - a sense of "being you." The midbrain is an unconscious section of the brain that regulates all of your survival functions, such as breathing, eating, sex, etc. When you become dependent on alcohol, the booze becomes one of the midbrain's survival drives. However, it can only obtain alcohol if you make a conscious decision to drink. This decision occurs in the neocortex. If the neocortex (you) can learn how the midbrain works, the midbrain becomes powerless to obtain more booze. You are in control, and you can quit.
This approach is inspired by the Rational Recovery? system. Rational Recovery uses AVRT?, which is very similar to the CORE process described in this article, although different language is used here because Rational Recovery concepts are copyrighted. Rational Recovery is highly recommended for people who want to quit drinking without AA. Many people may be able to beat their alcohol dependencies just by reading the information on this page. However, if you want some additional help, check out Rational Recovery.
Rejuve
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