You drink because there is a chemical imbalance in your brain; but the catch 22 is that while the alcohol gives you a short-term release from the imbalance by flooding the brain with more of the chemicals you crave, withdrawal from alcohol also causes a chemical imbalance all of its own. It IS a miracle my daughter cannot stand alcohol (or so she says) but does smoke cigarettes (daily) and pot (occasionally). I got up and went to the bottle of vodka that was hidden in my drawer and opened it on the way to the sink. I purposefully smelled the vodka thinking “one last smell, then down the sink it goes!” I liked the smell of vodka- or at least told myself I did. Alcohol withdrawal begins from the moment you take your last sip. It will reach its peak intensity between 24 and 48 hours later. It was so foul, so disgusting it was mind-boggling! How could I have been ingesting this daily, for years, and never smelled it for what it was?

The full chemical withdrawal from alcohol, regardless of the amount you drink, lasts around two weeks. Climbing to a climax around 36 hours after the last drink and slowly fading away to near zero after a couple of weeks. PERFORMANCE - The writer is a great motivational speaker and does a good job reading his own work. He has a pleasant British accent.So to a certain extent, it’s true; they do feel instantly less stressed. This is because the general unease and anxiety directly created by the alcohol have now gone. So now you have two problems; one created by the booze, and one that was there in the first place. The discomfort of the first imbalance makes you create the second imbalance, and you get trapped in a never-ending loop. Well, I had 2, plus the wine, and I was quite loose, quite drunk, making quite a fool of myself! I drove home! I also called my husband on the way home and lied to him when he started in on me on driving while drunk! Nope I said, Im not, I only had a glass of wine. BULLSHIT!

Planning my day around where and when I could drink, vacations that would allow me to indulge and embarrassing myself at times because I thought I was so funny and smart. What an ass! There is so much conditioning and binary thinking about alcohol that can make it very challenging for a person who wants a different relationship with alcohol to make sustainable change. First thing I found was Alcohol Lied To me! I thought “What a Silly Name for a book- alcohol doesn’t talk to you. It doesn’t have a way TO lie to you! Ridiculous!” I realize I’ve been a contributor to the great alcohol conspiracy most of my life and its really taken its toll. All these 'willpower' based attempts to stop drinking failed (exactly as they were destined to do). Slowly he discovered the truth about alcohol addiction & one by one all the lies he had previously believed started to fall apart. For the first time, he noticed that he genuinely didn’t want to drink anymore. In this book, he will lead you through the same fantastic process.

Not good. Felt sh..tty and guilty about not advising my wife I resumed my test to see if I could drink and she caught me in a lie. I really felt like a failure. I knew I had a problem, I knew I was getting out of control and had lost control so many, many times in the last 30 odd years that I wanted it gone. However, I could not stop, I could not agree with what I knew in my heart was killing me. I stopped smoking right after I turned 40 and for the last couple years I prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and begged, and screamed for God to help me stop smoking and drinking! I begged and begged for Him to remove this need, this desire, this want for alcohol. I wanted that more than to stop smoking! So I decided to look for a pill to help take some of the load. Even though I’m allergic to most meds out there I didn’t care. I needed help in some way and a pill was a perfect answer in my thinking. I have not had a single sip of poison since the night before I found that book. I have zero desire for it. I will never again partake in the Norm of alcohol!

For 20 years he struggled to control his drinking, all the time refusing to label himself an alcoholic because he didn't believe he met the stereotypical image that the word portrayed. He tried countless ways to cut down; attempting ‘dry months’, banning himself from drinking spirits, only drinking at the weekend and special occasions (and found that it is amazing how even the smallest of event can suddenly become ‘special’). Thank God I found your program. I get it. On the day I started the book, I embraced your approach and now am able I look at alcohol in a new light.

Maybe the alcohol was at fault, maybe not, it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. They happened. So, I was walking to the sink and smelled this poison. I fully believed at that point (and still do) it and all alcohol is and was poison. When I smelled that vodka my stomach twisted and tried to crawl up my throat! In addition, Craig's formal training and certifications provide him with the knowledge and skills to develop effective strategies and techniques for addiction recovery. The Stop Drinking Expert approach to alcohol addiction uses a unique combination of CBT techniques and NLP reframing.