Picture this: you’ve spent the last few days/weeks/months/years working hard to maintain your sobriety and evolve in the best way possible and then, one night, something leads you to drink. You convince yourself that you're a failure who’s just thrown away all of your progress. When you finally get past the shame and guilt and want to commit to sobriety once more, you are not sure where to start.
Picture this: you’ve spent the last few days/weeks/months/years working hard to maintain your sobriety and evolve in the best way possible and then, one night, something leads you to drink. You convince yourself that you're a failure who’s just thrown away all of your progress. When you finally get past the shame and guilt and want to commit to sobriety once more, you are not sure where to start.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Slips occur in almost one-third of recovering alcoholics during their first year of sobriety. A slipis a common part of recovery and does not mean you should give up being sober.
Here are some things you can do to begin the journey back to sobriety and move forward after a slip.
Slips don’t just happen randomly, although it may seem like it at first. All slips are caused by something whether that’s a trigger you are aware of, or one you haven’t ever considered. Take some time to reflect and identify what caused you to take that first sip. Was it a stressful situation, like a fight with a family member? Was it a strong craving that was acted upon because there was alcohol in the house?
By identifying our triggers, we can be prepared for the next time they arise and feel confident that we overcome them without alcohol.
Now that you have identified your triggers, it’s important to put a plan in place for what you are going to do the next time you experience them. If you slipped because of stress, have a list of coping mechanisms you can do to relax during periods of high stress. If you slipped because you were craving a drink, make sure you have good alcohol alternatives in your house (like kombucha or NA beverages) that will help satisfy the craving for the time being. After all, the average craving only lasts about 20 minutes. As long as you distract yourself for that period of time, the worst part will be over.
In addition, it’s important to identify things that aren't currently serving you in your recovery plan. Some people find that the time after a slip is a great opportunity to take a new approach to their recovery. Recovery is not a one-size-fits-all project which is why it’s important to find what will work best for you.
It may feel natural to hide from the world after a slip, overcome with feelings of guilt and shame. However, the only thing that feels worse than slipping is slipping alone. Use this time to connect with others who can support you in your time of need. Reframe’s forum or community meetings are both great ways to connect with others who know how you’re feeling and who can offer words of support and encouragement. You can also take advantage of Reframe’s one on one Thrive Coaching where you’ll have the ability to talk with a certified recovery coach or licensed mental health professional at the click of a button.
Again, it’s common to experience feelings of shame and guilt after a slip. While these feelings may initially motivate you to want to make a change, they will not help you in the long run. Instead of wallowing in your regret, try to view your slip as a learning experience. Think of it as something you had to go through in order to come out stronger and smarter on the other side.
At Reframe, we teach you how to reduce your alcohol consumption with a neuroscience approach. If you've decided it's time to change the way that alcohol is showing up in your life, there's an app for that.
Reframe is the #1 alcohol reduction app, built to help you drink less and live more. Whether your goal is to cut back or quit drinking entirely, Reframe’s neuroscience approach can help you change the way alcohol shows up in your life.
With a core 160-day, evidence-based, education program, progress tracking, a private community, and a multitude of tools (think meditations, games, and more!), you’ve got everything you need to change your relationship with booze at the click of a button.
Need extra support? Uplevel your alcohol-free or alcohol-reduction journey with Reframe’s premium Thrive Coaching and get 1:1 access to a certified recovery coach, live coaching calls, and a curated video library.
Picture this: you’ve spent the last few days/weeks/months/years working hard to maintain your sobriety and evolve in the best way possible and then, one night, something leads you to drink. You convince yourself that you're a failure who’s just thrown away all of your progress. When you finally get past the shame and guilt and want to commit to sobriety once more, you are not sure where to start.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Slips occur in almost one-third of recovering alcoholics during their first year of sobriety. A slipis a common part of recovery and does not mean you should give up being sober.
Here are some things you can do to begin the journey back to sobriety and move forward after a slip.
Slips don’t just happen randomly, although it may seem like it at first. All slips are caused by something whether that’s a trigger you are aware of, or one you haven’t ever considered. Take some time to reflect and identify what caused you to take that first sip. Was it a stressful situation, like a fight with a family member? Was it a strong craving that was acted upon because there was alcohol in the house?
By identifying our triggers, we can be prepared for the next time they arise and feel confident that we overcome them without alcohol.
Now that you have identified your triggers, it’s important to put a plan in place for what you are going to do the next time you experience them. If you slipped because of stress, have a list of coping mechanisms you can do to relax during periods of high stress. If you slipped because you were craving a drink, make sure you have good alcohol alternatives in your house (like kombucha or NA beverages) that will help satisfy the craving for the time being. After all, the average craving only lasts about 20 minutes. As long as you distract yourself for that period of time, the worst part will be over.
In addition, it’s important to identify things that aren't currently serving you in your recovery plan. Some people find that the time after a slip is a great opportunity to take a new approach to their recovery. Recovery is not a one-size-fits-all project which is why it’s important to find what will work best for you.
It may feel natural to hide from the world after a slip, overcome with feelings of guilt and shame. However, the only thing that feels worse than slipping is slipping alone. Use this time to connect with others who can support you in your time of need. Reframe’s forum or community meetings are both great ways to connect with others who know how you’re feeling and who can offer words of support and encouragement. You can also take advantage of Reframe’s one on one Thrive Coaching where you’ll have the ability to talk with a certified recovery coach or licensed mental health professional at the click of a button.
Again, it’s common to experience feelings of shame and guilt after a slip. While these feelings may initially motivate you to want to make a change, they will not help you in the long run. Instead of wallowing in your regret, try to view your slip as a learning experience. Think of it as something you had to go through in order to come out stronger and smarter on the other side.
At Reframe, we teach you how to reduce your alcohol consumption with a neuroscience approach. If you've decided it's time to change the way that alcohol is showing up in your life, there's an app for that.
Reframe is the #1 alcohol reduction app, built to help you drink less and live more. Whether your goal is to cut back or quit drinking entirely, Reframe’s neuroscience approach can help you change the way alcohol shows up in your life.
With a core 160-day, evidence-based, education program, progress tracking, a private community, and a multitude of tools (think meditations, games, and more!), you’ve got everything you need to change your relationship with booze at the click of a button.
Need extra support? Uplevel your alcohol-free or alcohol-reduction journey with Reframe’s premium Thrive Coaching and get 1:1 access to a certified recovery coach, live coaching calls, and a curated video library.
Whether you're juggling remote learning with three kids, the entire industry you used to work in closed indefinitely, or you've perhaps even lost a loved one, there's no denying that the last year (and more) has dramatically impacted our universal stress level.
Whether you're juggling remote learning with three kids, the entire industry you used to work in closed indefinitely, or you've perhaps even lost a loved one, there's no denying that the last year (and more) has dramatically impacted our universal stress level.
Though it will still be some time before we have a full understanding of just how much more folks are drinking as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic, initial data coming out of recent studies tell us that there has been a sharp increase in alcohol consumption since March 2020.
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found that Americans drank 14% more alcohol from 2019 to 2020, and women, specifically, showed a staggering 41% increase in alcohol consumption over the same period. 1 in 10 women also reported an increase in problems arising in their lives because of their alcohol use.
So what do we make of this? There's still so much information to parse out before we have a crystal clear picture of what has happened, but one potential explanation is that alcohol is simply a substance that yields a rapid state change — going from Point A to Point B.
Anxious to relaxed, sad to numb, stressed to calm... and fast. Because alcohol is a physical depressant, it can dampen down our Central Nervous System, achieving that relaxed state in a split second. Sometimes we find ourselves craving a drink when we're stressed out, when we've had a long day and want to unwind, when we're lonely or sad or bored.
And we have all experienced an increase in all of those emotions throughout the pandemic. You are certainly not the only one, and you are also not the only one turning to alcohol more often as a result.
When we better understand the problem at hand, that empowers us to make a change. If you've decided it's time to change the way that alcohol is showing up in your life — if the pandemic has shifted your relationship with booze in a way that makes you uneasy or unsatisfied — there's an app for that.
Reframe is the #1 alcohol reduction app, built to help you drink less and live more. Whether your goal is to cut back or quit drinking entirely, Reframe’s neuroscience approach can help you change the way alcohol shows up in your life.
With a core 160-day, evidence-based, education program, progress tracking, a private community, and a multitude of tools (think meditations, games, and more!), you’ve got everything you need to change your relationship with booze at the click of a button.
Need extra support? Uplevel your alcohol-free or alcohol-reduction journey with Reframe’s premium Thrive Coaching and get 1:1 access to a certified recovery coach, live coaching calls, and exclusive video content.
Try Reframe FREE for 7 days, and Reframe the way you think and drink.
Whether you're juggling remote learning with three kids, the entire industry you used to work in closed indefinitely, or you've perhaps even lost a loved one, there's no denying that the last year (and more) has dramatically impacted our universal stress level.
Though it will still be some time before we have a full understanding of just how much more folks are drinking as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic, initial data coming out of recent studies tell us that there has been a sharp increase in alcohol consumption since March 2020.
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found that Americans drank 14% more alcohol from 2019 to 2020, and women, specifically, showed a staggering 41% increase in alcohol consumption over the same period. 1 in 10 women also reported an increase in problems arising in their lives because of their alcohol use.
So what do we make of this? There's still so much information to parse out before we have a crystal clear picture of what has happened, but one potential explanation is that alcohol is simply a substance that yields a rapid state change — going from Point A to Point B.
Anxious to relaxed, sad to numb, stressed to calm... and fast. Because alcohol is a physical depressant, it can dampen down our Central Nervous System, achieving that relaxed state in a split second. Sometimes we find ourselves craving a drink when we're stressed out, when we've had a long day and want to unwind, when we're lonely or sad or bored.
And we have all experienced an increase in all of those emotions throughout the pandemic. You are certainly not the only one, and you are also not the only one turning to alcohol more often as a result.
When we better understand the problem at hand, that empowers us to make a change. If you've decided it's time to change the way that alcohol is showing up in your life — if the pandemic has shifted your relationship with booze in a way that makes you uneasy or unsatisfied — there's an app for that.
Reframe is the #1 alcohol reduction app, built to help you drink less and live more. Whether your goal is to cut back or quit drinking entirely, Reframe’s neuroscience approach can help you change the way alcohol shows up in your life.
With a core 160-day, evidence-based, education program, progress tracking, a private community, and a multitude of tools (think meditations, games, and more!), you’ve got everything you need to change your relationship with booze at the click of a button.
Need extra support? Uplevel your alcohol-free or alcohol-reduction journey with Reframe’s premium Thrive Coaching and get 1:1 access to a certified recovery coach, live coaching calls, and exclusive video content.
Try Reframe FREE for 7 days, and Reframe the way you think and drink.
Have you ever found yourself Googling questions like “am I an alcoholic?” or “do I have a drinking problem?” late at night? You’re certainly not the first person to do so, and you won't be the last. Perhaps that query even landed you here! But here’s the thing: this might not be the right question for you.
Have you ever found yourself Googling questions like “am I an alcoholic?” or “do I have a drinking problem?” late at night?
You’re certainly not the first person to do so, and you won't be the last. Perhaps that query even landed you here! But here’s the thing: this might not be the right question for you.
When our relationship with alcohol progresses to the point where we begin to question it—to wonder if we have a “problem,” if we’re an alcoholic, if we need to quit—there’s a decent chance that it has started to impact our lives in a negative way. After all, alcohol is an addictive substance that alters our mental state.
But the problem that so many of us run up against when we start those late-night Google searches is that alcohol use, especially problematic alcohol use, lies on a spectrum. It’s rarely black and white: people who can drink alcohol and people who cannot drink alcohol. And yet, our societal understanding or “problem drinking” still remains very black and white.
The truth is, terms like “alcoholic” and “drinking problem” have pretty arbitrary definitions. There are certainly screening tools that will tell you if the amount of alcohol you are consuming is harmful to your physical body, and we have markers for “binge drinking,” “heavy drinking,” and so on, but sometimes the line between being “fine” and “not fine” is a little blurry. Another person’s understanding of “fine” might be vastly different than yours.
So instead, what if we started asking questions about how alcohol is showing up in our lives like, “is alcohol shrinking or expanding my life?” or “am I living up to my full potential with alcohol in my life?”
These questions take our alcohol use out of the context of clinical definitions and into how it makes us feel.
As human beings, we have incredibly intelligent inner guiding systems that help us know what is aligned with our purpose and what is not. If we’re asking these questions—if we have a “problem,” if alcohol is harming our lives, if alcohol is preventing us from showing up to our highest potential—then that inner guidance system is giving us a really good clue.
Next time you find yourself considering your alcohol use in those black and white terms we’re so familiar with, see how it feels to plug into that inner knowing, instead.
Here at Reframe, we help you reframe the way you think & drink. Unlock the highest version of you with Reframe Thrive Coaching.
Have you ever found yourself Googling questions like “am I an alcoholic?” or “do I have a drinking problem?” late at night?
You’re certainly not the first person to do so, and you won't be the last. Perhaps that query even landed you here! But here’s the thing: this might not be the right question for you.
When our relationship with alcohol progresses to the point where we begin to question it—to wonder if we have a “problem,” if we’re an alcoholic, if we need to quit—there’s a decent chance that it has started to impact our lives in a negative way. After all, alcohol is an addictive substance that alters our mental state.
But the problem that so many of us run up against when we start those late-night Google searches is that alcohol use, especially problematic alcohol use, lies on a spectrum. It’s rarely black and white: people who can drink alcohol and people who cannot drink alcohol. And yet, our societal understanding or “problem drinking” still remains very black and white.
The truth is, terms like “alcoholic” and “drinking problem” have pretty arbitrary definitions. There are certainly screening tools that will tell you if the amount of alcohol you are consuming is harmful to your physical body, and we have markers for “binge drinking,” “heavy drinking,” and so on, but sometimes the line between being “fine” and “not fine” is a little blurry. Another person’s understanding of “fine” might be vastly different than yours.
So instead, what if we started asking questions about how alcohol is showing up in our lives like, “is alcohol shrinking or expanding my life?” or “am I living up to my full potential with alcohol in my life?”
These questions take our alcohol use out of the context of clinical definitions and into how it makes us feel.
As human beings, we have incredibly intelligent inner guiding systems that help us know what is aligned with our purpose and what is not. If we’re asking these questions—if we have a “problem,” if alcohol is harming our lives, if alcohol is preventing us from showing up to our highest potential—then that inner guidance system is giving us a really good clue.
Next time you find yourself considering your alcohol use in those black and white terms we’re so familiar with, see how it feels to plug into that inner knowing, instead.
Here at Reframe, we help you reframe the way you think & drink. Unlock the highest version of you with Reframe Thrive Coaching.
Have you ever wondered what happens when you’re drunk? Learn the science behind intoxication and explore strategies for drinking less or quitting altogether.
Although it isn’t a treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), the Reframe app can help you cut back on drinking gradually, with the science-backed knowledge to empower you 100% of the way. Our proven program has helped millions of people around the world drink less and live more. And we want to help you get there, too!
The Reframe app equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to not only survive drinking less, but to thrive while you navigate the journey. Our daily research-backed readings teach you the neuroscience of alcohol, and our in-app Toolkit provides the resources and activities you need to navigate each challenge.
You’ll meet millions of fellow Reframers in our 24/7 Forum chat and daily Zoom check-in meetings. Receive encouragement from people worldwide who know exactly what you’re going through! You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with our licensed Reframe coaches for more personalized guidance.
Plus, we’re always introducing new features to optimize your in-app experience. We recently launched our in-app chatbot, Melody, powered by the world’s most powerful AI technology. Melody is here to help as you adjust to a life with less (or no) alcohol.
And that’s not all! Every month, we launch fun challenges, like Dry/Damp January, Mental Health May, and Outdoorsy June. You won’t want to miss out on the chance to participate alongside fellow Reframers (or solo if that’s more your thing!).
The Reframe app is free for 7 days, so you don’t have anything to lose by trying it. Are you ready to feel empowered and discover life beyond alcohol? Then download our app through the App Store or Google Play today!
Ever had one of those nights? You're all ready for a Netflix binge, in your coziest pajamas, a mountain of snacks within arm's reach, when you think, "Hey, a glass of wine would be perfect right now." Before you know it, one glass turns into two, then three, then — whoops! There goes the whole bottle. The night that was meant to be filled with cliffhanging plot twists turns into blurry mumblings as you stumble off to bed.
What just happened? How did your night go from Stranger Things to strange feelings in your stomach and scattered thoughts in your mind? Well, brace yourself as we dive into the somewhat squiffy world of alcohol and explore what being drunk really feels like.
Alcohol might seem like a friendly social lubricant, but it's a sneaky one, quietly infiltrating our brain and bodily systems. Its first stop is the central nervous system — the brain — command central for all our actions, thoughts, and feelings.
As alcohol swoops into the brain, it starts cozying up to your neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers in charge of regulating our mental states. The alcohol has two favorites: glutamate and GABA. Glutamate is the brain's go-getter that speeds up brain activity, while GABA is the chill one that slows things down.
Now, alcohol decides to play a game of switcheroo. It suppresses the go-getter glutamate and gives the chill GABA a boost. The world starts to spin, our movements become sluggish, and that elusive word on the tip of the tongue pulls a disappearing act.
Ever noticed how after a drink or two, you become the life of the party, cracking jokes, and chatting up everyone, even that cute barista who makes you tongue-tied? That's the alcohol tickling your brain's reward system. It boosts levels of dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling that “all is well” in the world no matter what’s actually going on around you.
It's a great feeling, right? But remember, it's a borrowed high. The joy, the confidence, the lowered inhibitions — that’s all the alcohol talking.
Alcohol, master of disguise that it is, can make us feel invincible. Suddenly, you're an incredible dancer or the world's most hilarious stand-up comedian. But alcohol isn't just a fairy godmother granting wishes. It's also causing the brain to struggle with basic motor skills.
Walking straight becomes an Olympic event. A sentence seems like an uncrackable code. Coordination takes a hike — and that's when accidents happen. Think about the number of times you've woken up with inexplicable bruises or an unrecalled stumble: those are all thanks to our good friend, alcohol.
Alcohol's mischief doesn't end when we hit the sack. It continues its rampage throughout the body, disturbing the sleep cycle, causing dehydration, and wreaking havoc in the stomach. The next day, we’re left with a pounding headache, Sahara Desert-level thirst, and a stomach performing its own version of the Riverdance.
So, there it is: the unglamorous truth behind a night of drinking. It's not all laughter and dance-offs. It's messing with your brain, your body, and your life.
But the good news is, it's never too late to cut back or quit alcohol. Here are some actionable steps to help you on your journey:
Remember, everyone's journey with alcohol is unique, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution. But every step you take towards cutting back or quitting is a step towards a healthier, happier you. So, next time you're in your comfy pajamas, ready for a Netflix night, reach for a mug of hot chocolate instead. Your brain and body will thank you!
Ever had one of those nights? You're all ready for a Netflix binge, in your coziest pajamas, a mountain of snacks within arm's reach, when you think, "Hey, a glass of wine would be perfect right now." Before you know it, one glass turns into two, then three, then — whoops! There goes the whole bottle. The night that was meant to be filled with cliffhanging plot twists turns into blurry mumblings as you stumble off to bed.
What just happened? How did your night go from Stranger Things to strange feelings in your stomach and scattered thoughts in your mind? Well, brace yourself as we dive into the somewhat squiffy world of alcohol and explore what being drunk really feels like.
Alcohol might seem like a friendly social lubricant, but it's a sneaky one, quietly infiltrating our brain and bodily systems. Its first stop is the central nervous system — the brain — command central for all our actions, thoughts, and feelings.
As alcohol swoops into the brain, it starts cozying up to your neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers in charge of regulating our mental states. The alcohol has two favorites: glutamate and GABA. Glutamate is the brain's go-getter that speeds up brain activity, while GABA is the chill one that slows things down.
Now, alcohol decides to play a game of switcheroo. It suppresses the go-getter glutamate and gives the chill GABA a boost. The world starts to spin, our movements become sluggish, and that elusive word on the tip of the tongue pulls a disappearing act.
Ever noticed how after a drink or two, you become the life of the party, cracking jokes, and chatting up everyone, even that cute barista who makes you tongue-tied? That's the alcohol tickling your brain's reward system. It boosts levels of dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling that “all is well” in the world no matter what’s actually going on around you.
It's a great feeling, right? But remember, it's a borrowed high. The joy, the confidence, the lowered inhibitions — that’s all the alcohol talking.
Alcohol, master of disguise that it is, can make us feel invincible. Suddenly, you're an incredible dancer or the world's most hilarious stand-up comedian. But alcohol isn't just a fairy godmother granting wishes. It's also causing the brain to struggle with basic motor skills.
Walking straight becomes an Olympic event. A sentence seems like an uncrackable code. Coordination takes a hike — and that's when accidents happen. Think about the number of times you've woken up with inexplicable bruises or an unrecalled stumble: those are all thanks to our good friend, alcohol.
Alcohol's mischief doesn't end when we hit the sack. It continues its rampage throughout the body, disturbing the sleep cycle, causing dehydration, and wreaking havoc in the stomach. The next day, we’re left with a pounding headache, Sahara Desert-level thirst, and a stomach performing its own version of the Riverdance.
So, there it is: the unglamorous truth behind a night of drinking. It's not all laughter and dance-offs. It's messing with your brain, your body, and your life.
But the good news is, it's never too late to cut back or quit alcohol. Here are some actionable steps to help you on your journey:
Remember, everyone's journey with alcohol is unique, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution. But every step you take towards cutting back or quitting is a step towards a healthier, happier you. So, next time you're in your comfy pajamas, ready for a Netflix night, reach for a mug of hot chocolate instead. Your brain and body will thank you!
