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Drinking often fills unmet needs, not just a craving for alcohol itself.

Recognizing needs helps break the cycle of drinking habits.

The "invisible drinking loop" can trap people seeking unmet needs.

“Why do I still want a drink after all this time?”

This is a painful question that many clients come to me with. Each person would list all the reasons why they “should” already be over the desire to drink: health concerns, relationship strains, ultimatums from people in their lives.

“I swear, I am really trying.” Their faces tightened with embarrassment and frustration.

The Cycle of Shame and Drinking: The Shame Spiral

I know the painful struggle too well. In my own journey, I’ve lost count of the times I picked up the bottle after swearing never to touch it again. It made my heart sink each time I imagined the disappointed face of my loved one. So at some point, I learned to hide my “failure.” But as the empty bottles piled up in the back of my closet, I became convinced something was wrong with me. Why else would I keep returning to the thing that threatens to ruin everything that I care about? That painful belief pulled me further into the drinking spiral. The more broken I felt, the more I wanted to seek refuge in drinking, and the more I drank, the more I wanted to hide from the........

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