Top 10 alcohol questions- a coaches perspective

I recently did a bit of research into the types of questions around alcohol that people commonly ask on forums like Reddit and Quorum.

For something different, instead of providing you with paragraphs of laborious text to read I have compiled my answers in to 10 short'ish YouTube videos. You can watch them on your phone or listen on your Carplay.

I hope you get some value out of them!

Feel free to comment on them or contact me coachtony@sobertides.com if you have any questions relating to the videos, or want to explore Alcohol Coaching options with me.

1. Am I drinking too much alcohol?

   Coach Tony from Sobertides answers one of the most common questions people ask on the Internet "Am I drinking too much alcohol". Rather than talk about units of alcohol for men and women or all the different health risks, Tony in turn asks a simple question in return.

   
   

2. How long does it take for alcohol to leave your system?

   A rough timeline of what the metabolic rate of alcohol is as processed by the liver after drinking and some of the reasons why it might vary so much between individuals. I then discuss what happens when a medium to heavy drinker removes alcohol from their life and how long it takes for the various benefits to be realised.

3. What's the difference between being drunk and an alcoholic?"

   Tony explains the difference, one is a state of being "drunk" the other, "alcoholic" is a behavioural label.  Labels are not helpful and they scare a lot of people who might otherwise consider changing their relationship with alcohol.

   
   

4. Does alcohol mess with your bones or body long term?

   Tony discusses the negative effects of alcohol on health, particularly focusing on bone loss and overall body damage. He explains that alcohol can accelerate bone loss by interfering with calcium absorption and increasing urine output.

5. Why does alcohol make me wired instead of sleepy?

   Tony runs through the process of taking a drink and then what happens in the brain when the alcohol enters the bloodstream. The brain will release dopamine which can have stimulant-like effects, making us feel buzzy or euphoric.

6. Why do people drink if it tastes bad?

   Many of us say we drink alcohol for the taste but do we really? Our early experiences with alcohol when we were teenagers or young adults might not have been a happy occasion with many people saying that it was disgusting!

   
   

7. How do I know if I have a drinking problem?

   Tony discusses the question of how to know if someone has a drinking problem, noting that asking the question itself is a significant indicator. He explores various fears associated with acknowledging a problem, such as the fear of losing alcohol, missing out, and being judged or labelled.

   
   

8. How do people moderate drinking?

   Tony discusses the real challenges behind alcohol moderation—why it’s so bloody hard to stick with, and what’s actually going on beneath the surface.

9. Why can some people take or leave booze, while others can’t stop?

   Tony discusses the spectrum of alcohol consumption behaviors, it's not about willpower or moral failing but rather brain wiring and subconscious conditioning. Some people can take or leave alcohol while others become compulsive drinkers. Alcohol creates different levels of need and craving in the brain.

   
   

10. How do I quit alcohol?

    Tony discusses various methods for quitting alcohol, He outlines several approaches, including cold turkey, gradual reduction, alcohol-free challenges, and the use of apps, meditation, and professional help such as coaching, therapy, and medication.