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“Why does trying to drink less feel so mentally exhausting?”

I get this question from clients all the time. In fact, I know the exhaustion too well personally.

I remember the days when I first tried to cut down on alcohol. Already convinced my life would be better with less alcohol, somehow, I still find myself caught in the inner negotiation almost every day, going back and forth between:

Should I drink today?Does this situation justify a drink?How about just one?

The inner back and forth was so exhausting, sometimes I would give in, not because I really wanted to drink, but just to put an end to the inner debate so that peace could be restored.

If you find yourself facing a similar struggle, you are not alone.

Why the Brain Keeps Reopening the Question

In what I call the invisible drinking loop, drinking is not seen as an isolated behavior, but a well-practiced routine that serves a purpose in your life. As seasoned drinkers progress further into their drinking career, drinking gradually becomes a default strategy to respond to various situations and needs.

Over time, it also becomes linked to more cues throughout daily life: from emotional discomfort to social interaction, from the first sign of tension in our........

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