Are you questioning the role you want alcohol to have in your life? Perhaps you know you want to drink less but are unsure if you should quit drinking or instead try alcohol moderation. How does a sober curious person make this important decision?
When the Decision Feels Clear
For some folks, there is a pressing reason to stop drinking, and the decision is clear. A medical provider might advise you to stop because of a health condition or the potential to develop one. A mental health provider might determine that your drinking is unhealthy. Some people experience blackouts and/or find themselves in unsafe situations because of their drinking. For others, alcohol is messing up relationships, jeopardizing employment, and/or causing other negative consequences. Or maybe there’s no urgent need to stop, but you just hate how alcohol has been making you feel or act.
But for many people who don’t have the issues listed above, the decision about whether to cut back on drinking or cut it out completely may be harder to figure out. A first step is to be honest with yourself about what your drinking currently looks like. It can be very easy to underestimate. Look back over the past few weeks and try to determine how many drinks you’ve had on an average day and an average week. Going forward, try to keep an accurate count. Once you have a clear idea of where you are, you can better determine where you want to go.
Choosing the Path That Aligns With You
In deciding between abstinence and moderation, it can help to ask yourself which choice most aligns with the lifestyle you want for yourself and how you want to feel and act? A helpful resource to figure this out is the Unconscious Moderation app, which has journaling prompts and tools like hypnotherapy that can help you unearth your true desires about your relationship with alcohol.
Use a mindful drinking approach to figure out why you drink. What does alcohol do for you? Are there certain situations, people, places, or moods that prompt you to drink? Notice how you drink with intention and curiosity. Pay attention to how drinking makes you feel physically and emotionally during and after.
Testing Moderation with Mindful Intention
One way to figure out if you are a candidate for alcohol moderation is to try it out and see how it goes. Set what feels like a reasonable limit for yourself. Try to stick to that. Give yourself a couple of months. Set yourself up for success by using the tools on the Unconscious Moderation app. And when you do drink, drink mindfully. Take time to taste your drink, savor the taste rather than gulp it down.
When Moderation Isn’t the Right Fit
If you find that you are consistently unable to stick to your goal of moderate drinking or if doing so feels like mental torture, there is no shame in that. For some people, being unable to drink moderately is how they are wired, just like some people are allergic to peanuts or don’t tolerate gluten. For these folks, abstinence is often the best option.
Once you have developed an inner awareness about the role of alcohol in your life, you will be empowered to make the best decision for yourself.