Alcohol & the Past

Buy Breaking the Bottle Legacy: How to Change Your Drinking Habits and Create A Peaceful Relationship with Alcohol on Amazon.  US Kindle US Paperback UK Kindle UK Paperback Join my private FB group Alcohol Minimalists here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/changeyouralcoholhabit Has this podcast helped you?  How about leaving a review: Itunes Follow me on Instagram: @AlcoholMinimalist  You can grab two free chapters of my upcoming book here! Have you grabbed your free e-book, "Alcohol Truths: How Much is Safe?" Get it here.  Low risk drinking guidelines from the NIAAA: Healthy men under 65: No more than 4 drinks in one day and no more than 14 drinks per week. Healthy women (all ages) and healthy men 65 and older: No more than 3 drinks in one day and no more than 7 drinks per week. One drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. So remember that a mixed drink or full glass of wine are probably more than one drink. Abstinence from alcohol Abstinence from alcohol is the best choice for people who take medication(s) that interact with alcohol, have health conditions that could be exacerbated by alcohol (e.g. liver disease), are pregnant or may become pregnant or have had a problem with alcohol or another substance in the past. Benefits of “low-risk” drinking Following these guidelines reduces the risk of health problems such as cancer, liver disease, reduced immunity, ulcers, sleep problems, complications of existing conditions, and more. It also reduces the risk of depression, social problems, and difficulties at school or work. This week on the podcast, another in my series Alcohol &.  This episode we are looking at Alcohol & The Past. There is one fundamental lesson about the past you need to learn--one that is absolutely key in changing our relationship with alcohol. This lesson took me decades to learn and decades to apply and I hope you can learn it earlier, better and faster.  The lesson is this: The past only exists today, in what I think about it.  I want you to really let that thought sink in and land with you….the past no longer exists...it’s gone, we can’t change it. We can’t jump in a time machine and rewrite history and because we cannot affect those past circumstances, the ONLY thing we can do NOW is change what we make it mean in our lives. When it comes to our past stories about alcohol, there are two main ways that it manifests in people’s lives. People have a lot of shame,regret and guilt over their past with alcohol. They believe they’ve wronged others, disappointed themselves and in general just can’t let go of those mistakes. People use the past as evidence for why they can’t change.  This is an excerpt from my book… “I realized that I was holding on to the past as some sort of validation for my current woes. I used my thoughts about the past to explain my inability to change. I held on to old stories so I could push the blame for my actions onto someone or something else. And the bottom line was this: None of the thoughts I had about my past were serving me. To change my relationship with alcohol, to live my best life now and in the future, I had to stop looking backward. There are thoughts you have about your past that are keeping you stuck and there are thoughts you can find to move you forward." Here are some questions to ask yourself… What role has your history played in your life?  What about your history have you been able to use to your advantage?  What parts of your past tend to get in your way? What is your perspective on yourself now?  What is your perspective on your childhood now? Are you ready to accept responsibility for the results you have in your life and quit looking to the past for what you want for your future?  ★ Support this podcast ★