Playing Russian Roulette... with Alcohol - Michael Waite

Mike Waite is working to improve brain health awareness via behavior, nature, and immersive technologies. He teaches about brain health through his podcast which is called the Brain Shaman Mike is American but lives in Japan – he has a pretty wild drinking story about how he ended up in Japan so you won’t want to miss this one! In this episode:- Mike shared his mindblowing story of relocating to Japan while under the influence of alcohol! Sometimes it can be liberating to close down our rational brain and go where alcohol takes us but as Mike emphasised we are playing Russian Roulette and it can be disastrous In fact many people are in prison because alcohol took them to a dark place and they committed a crime in a blackout! We discussed the importance of dismantling the limiting beliefs that we hold about alcohol  We need to educate ourselves about the effects of alcohol on the brain and body, including both short-term and long-term consequences. We are both fans of William Porter so if you want to understand the science behind alcohol dependence then his book Alcohol Explained is a great place to start because.. The more we understand about the damage alcohol can do the less inclined we’ll be to drink it! We are “groomed” by the Liquor Industry to want alcohol from a very tender age.. As an example Mike explained that he used to watch movies like American Pie and The Hangover at the age of 12 or 13 – these movies built a strong belief that he would need lots of alcohol to party and have fun Of course the influence of alcohol advertising is even stronger on the teenage brain which is still developing Recognising marketing for the BS that it is takes away the power – I shared my tactic for timing how long we get into a movie before the alcohol comes out We agreed that envisioning a group of cynical marketing executives rubbing their hands together as their sales increase will help us to recognise the manipulation that is taking place on a continual basis We have to use our imagination to redefine associations with alcohol so that when we see it on the shelf we realise its poison We have to cultivate self-awareness and mindfulness to recognize and address underlying reasons for using alcohol, such as stress, anxiety, or social pressure. We agreed on the value of supportive communities and networks, like Tribe Sober, where individuals can connect, share, and support each other in their journey towards sobriety and improved brain health. Mike is experiencing the value of a sober community himself as he goes through our 66 day sober challenge. Mike encourages holistic approaches to well-being that prioritize mental and physical health, emphasizing the importance of sleep, nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle factors in maintaining brain health and overall wellness. He took us through some alternative coping strategies and activities for relaxation, stress relief, and socializing that don't involve alcohol and emphasized their benefits We have to recognize the social pressure and rebel against it – we need to learn to be a rebel not a sheep – after all its easy to drink – being alcohol free takes confidence and courage! We need to remember the power of fading affect bias: we mustn’t forget the dark places our drinking took us to Tribe Sober has 2 tools to avoid FAB Create a blacklist of negative drinking experiences Write a goodbye letter to alcohol, symbolizing the end of the relationship When we quit drinking we have to channel our energy into positive activities  We need to recognize alcohol's role in wasting our time and energy We also need to consider long-term health consequences, including nerve damage and neurodegeneration We discussed the fact that more and more celebrities are sober these days Ironically Bradley Cooper who dazzled the 12 year old Mike with his drunken antics in the Hangover has been sober for 20 years! You can follow Mikes podcast which is called Brain Shaman on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. More Info Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program.  If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help.  Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts. Take a screenshot of your review, and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page – see PS below for instructions. We’ll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can join our private Facebook group HERE.