There are no shortages of pop-culture examples in which someone is seen drinking to numb their pain—likely because people have been using alcohol to drown their sorrow for centuries. But the fact is, doing so can prevents you from coping effectively.

The Escape is one of eight Drink Archetypes and it teaches your brain that whatever negative situation or series of events happening in your life is too much to handle. You’re then caught in a cycle of using alcohol more frequently (and in greater quantities) to dull your feelings.

Tune in to this episode to learn more about how The Escape is activated, why this archetype makes it even harder to change your relationship to drinking, and the three things you're not doing when it is present.

Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com

Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/388

The concept of drinking to relax is nothing new. It goes hand-in-hand with the belief that you deserve a drink—whether it’s after a hard day’s work or because it’s your “me time” routine. In reality, using alcohol as a treat can backfire.

The Reward is one of the eight Drink Archetypes, and it can wrongly teach your brain that alcohol is the only way to unwind as well as convince you that drinking is a permission to stop working or to make time for yourself.

Tune in to this episode to gain a deeper understanding of The Reward, including what inactions this archetype is leading to and how you can use the Think-Feel-Act cycle to change your relationship with drinking as a means of relaxing.

Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com

Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/387

Humans have long used alcohol’s ability to facilitate bonding by lowering people’s defenses. But you may be surprised to discover that when alcohol becomes your go-to way to open up, it can actually block your ability to connect with others (even with those you feel close to).

The Connector is one of the eight Drink Archetypes, and not only does it teach the brain that alcohol helps you lower your guard around others, but it may also leave you worried that a potential change to your drinking could threaten certain relationships.

Listen to this episode, as we take a deep dive into how this archetype can make it difficult to abstain or moderate and the three key things you probably don’t realize you’re not doing when The Connector is activated.

Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com

Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/386

If you're someone who often reaches for a drink because “it would make things more special,” then you may recognize The Upgrade drink archetype—one of eight unconscious patterns that influence why you drink.

Identifying this pattern is the first step in changing your relationship with alcohol. The next is understanding how The Upgrade impacts what your brain is learning.

For instance, the desire to use alcohol to elevate an experience teaches your brain to associate drinking with a reward and, as a result, you’ll see any situation without a drink as lacking. But, by using the think-feel-act cycle, you can teach your brain something new.

Tune in this week to explore The Upgrade, how it is negatively training your brain, and the ways you can use the think-feel-act cycle to begin to change these unconscious habits.

Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com

Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/385

Believe it or not, overindulgence is a part of the human experience. So why is it that you consider this natural impulse to be negative?

Whether it’s drinking, eating, spending or something else, it's easy to associate overindulgence with your character and make it mean something negative about you. Throw in the societal and moral baggage, and this belief really hinders your attempts to change.

It can lead to a vicious cycle—one in which you cease being curious about why you’re drinking and, instead, find yourself unconsciously chasing after a magical place where overindulgence doesn't happen.

Tune in this week to discover why overindulgence isn’t itself a problem and what’s actually necessary in order to change your relationship with alcohol.

Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com

Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/384

If you routinely drink too much, should you just stop drinking? What if you keep drinking, even though, deep down, you don’t believe you can moderate? These are fraught questions that often bring up a lot of fear and shame.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is to approach the question from a different angle. In order to do this, you must explore the contradiction underlying the habit.

Everyone walks around with contradictions inside them. You say you want to lose weight, but you keep eating junk food. You want to make the most of life, yet you keep wasting hours on your phone. And you want to drink less, yet you keep going back for more.

Instead of blaming and shaming yourself, what if the contradiction is the key to change? Perhaps behaviors you view as deeply illogical, make perfect sense.

Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com

Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/383

Listen to Rachel’s conversation with Kara Loewentheil, a Master-Certified Life Coach and author of Take Back Your Brain: How a Sexist Society Gets in Your Head and How to Get It Out.

Together, they discuss some of the hidden reasons why you might reach for a drink when you’re feeling anxious at a party, overworked, afraid of making mistakes, or wanting to avoid disappointing someone.

Discover why the first step to stopping any behavior that feels compulsive has nothing to do with creating the “perfect” plan to follow. Learn what you should do instead and why it may feel counterintuitive.

Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com

Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/382

You want to change your relationship with drinking, but other than listening to the podcast, you’re not doing anything about it.

This paralysis, while frustrating, is actually very normal.

Explore the three reasons this happens and how they relate to your cravings, your beliefs about failure, and your vision of the future.

Discover why your unwillingness to act isn’t illogical but actually an important piece of how the habit works.

In this episode, you’ll find a new perspective that will help make it easier to take the plunge and stop waiting around for your drinking to change on its own.

Take the free Drink Archetype quiz to understand your drinking patterns and how to address them effectively: http://drinktype.com

Discover alternative approaches to drinking less inside our membership program, Take a Break: https://rachelhart.com/tab/

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/381