Changing Your Relationship With Alcohol
You might have reached a point where you’re starting to question what alcohol is actually adding to your life. Perhaps you’ve tried cutting back and found yourself in the same cycle a few days or weeks later.
The mornings may be getting harder or drinking seems to take more out of you than it did in your younger years.
Or is it that you're simply curious as to what life would look like, if alcohol played a smaller part in it?
I’m Tony Richardson, an Alcohol Freedom Coach, and I work with men over 40 who want to change their relationship with alcohol. For some that means quitting drinking or staying stopped.
Others want to drink less and feel more in control of their choices.
Some are still working out what they want and need to understand their drinking before they decide anything, and that’s perfectly fine. I support all of those outcomes.
You may start with one idea and come away with another, which is how it went for me. I wanted to control my drinking and in the end I decided that controlling it wasn’t worth the effort.
Wherever you start, my work begins with understanding what’s going on with your drinking and what’s keeping it in place. From there, the outcome you choose becomes much easier to move towards.
Three pathways to changing your relationship with alcohol
You don't have to have your whole future mapped out before you begin. However, it helps to have some idea of what you're looking for because that gives us somewhere to start.
I want to drink less.
You enjoy parts of your life that involve alcohol but you're starting to question how much you drink and the mental space it takes up. Perhaps you've set limits before, only to find yourself negotiating or even ignoring them when the time comes. We can look at what's driving those patterns, the beliefs you've built around drinking and what helps you make different choices.
I want to stop drinking.
You've reached a point where you'd prefer alcohol wasn't part of your life and you may have found that willpower alone was hard to sustain with all the pressures around you to keep drinking. I know that experience first-hand. When I first stopped in 2007, I relied solely on willpower and managed nearly nine years before returning to alcohol. It took a different understanding of alcohol and my own thinking before things changed for good in 2021.
I'm still working out what I want.
You know something about your drinking has changed, even if you can't quite put your finger on it. You don't need to decide between cutting back or quitting before you begin. Learning more about alcohol, your habits and the reasons you reach for a drink can help you see your situation more clearly. From there you can work out what makes sense for you.
Ways to work together
There are several ways to approach this. The right starting point depends on what you already understand and how much support you feel you need.
You don't have to sign up to anything and everything to get started. If you're unsure which option fits, we can talk it through first, during an online Strategy Call. [Book a Free Strategy Call]
The SoberTides Academy: Self paced courses for men who want to understand their drinking
You work through the material privately, in your own time. The Academy covers how alcohol affects the brain and body, how drinking habits develop and why changing them is more complicated than simply deciding to drink less.
Some men find the learning gives them enough direction to take their next steps on their own. [Explore the Academy]
One to one alcohol coaching, online across Australia and internationally
Coaching gives you a private space to work through your own circumstances with someone who understands the territory. We look at the patterns behind your drinking, the situations that make change difficult and the beliefs that keep drawing you back. You can bring whatever comes up in everyday life and work through it with personal support. Coaching can also run concurrently with the course of your choosing. Discuss with me first at [Book a Free Strategy Call]
The 30 Day Breakaway Alcohol Experiment: a guided month to see what you learn
Some things only show up when you experience a period without alcohol. The experiment builds on your understanding and gives you room to observe your habits, reactions and assumptions as you go. You can use what you discover to make a more informed decision about the role alcohol should play in your life. [Explore the Experiment]
Questions you might have before getting started
Do I need to stop drinking to work with you?
No. I work with men who want to drink less, men who want to stop and men who are still deciding. We start by understanding your drinking, what you want to change and we build from there. If you choose to take a break or stop, we can talk about how coaching and education might support that.
What if I've tried moderating before and it hasn't lasted?
That experience is very common and worth looking into. We can explore what happened when you tried to cut back, what made it hard to maintain and what was behind the return to your old drinking patterns. The aim is to understand your drinking well enough to approach change from a new perspective.
What if I've already stopped drinking?
If you have already stopped, I will support your decision and encourage you to explore your understanding of alcohol as you are probably using willpower to maintain your sobriety. Willpower tends to fatigue over time, so depending on it as the only strategy can make it harder than it needs to be. If you understand what alcohol is, how it hijacks your reward system and where all the pressures to drink come from, many men find it easier to rely less on willpower and stay stopped.
Do I need to buy a course as well as coaching?
No. You can work with me through coaching alone. Some men prefer to build their understanding through the Academy first, others find that structured learning combined with personal support suits them better. We can talk it through on a free strategy call.
Is coaching available online across Australia?
Yes. I work with men over 40 online throughout Australia and internationally. Sessions are private one to one conversations, usually over Zoom.
Is it safe to stop drinking on my own?
That depends on your drinking history and whether you've developed physical dependence on alcohol. Stopping suddenly can cause serious withdrawal symptoms in people who are physically dependent. If you drink heavily, experience withdrawal symptoms or are unsure about your level of risk, medical advice is imperative before making any significant changes to your drinking habits.
Alcohol freedom coaching is not medical advice, substance use counselling or a substitute for any professional health support. If you're concerned about your drinking and/or your health, please speak with your Doctor before reducing or stopping.
What If I still have questions?
You might already know what you want to change or you might still have questions about what's going on with you before you decide. Either is a reasonable place to begin.
If you'd like to explore independently and gather a bit more information about changing your relationship with alcohol have a browse through my Blog Section or take a look at the SoberTides Academy. If you'd like to talk your situation through with someone who knows what it's like to have alcohol woven into your life for years, book a free strategy call with me. We'll talk about where you are, what you'd like to be different and what kind of support might help. Alternatively you could email me, my contact address is in the page footer below.
Remember, here's no obligation to sign up for anything
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