Alcohol: The Compulsive Liar in Your Life

You've been lied to for a long time, your friend alcohol is the culprit. Alcohol is forever making grandiose promises. Tell me, has it ever fulfilled any of its promises made to you?

It continually lets you down. So many lies are consumed by broken promises; history repeats itself over and over. Why do you forgive and forget?

Alcohol is a pathological liar embedded in your life; it is the thorn in your side that needs to be removed.

It comforts you and makes you feel safe when you're in its company. When the relationship starts, it is beautiful, full of fun and laughter. Over the years, this relationship becomes toxic, slowly your mental health deteriorates, and your body begins to break down. Its poisonous charm makes you choose it over your health, or even over your loved ones.

It is time to see through the lies that alcohol is forever telling you.

It is time to see the truth.

Here are the five lies alcohol tells you;

1- I'll make you happy

Alcohol always promises to make you happy. For every celebration in modern life, it is used to ease the social strain. It is used for every momentous occasion. Weddings, birthdays, holidays, the list goes on.

Alcohol promises to improve all of these events. Have you forgotten about how many special occasions have been ruined by your excessive drinking?

Drinking alcohol is often seen as a balancing act that weighs up the pleasures of drinking against the pains - American Council on science and health.

Drinking only gives you the briefest moment of happiness before it gets ruined in the next moment. This moment of joy is fleeting.

You awaken the very next day feeling terrible. What the hell did I do last night? You're left with a dull feeling inside; you are now overwhelmed with alcohol-induced anxiety.

Was this brief moment of happiness worth the suffering that followed?

It's not until you begin your sober journey that you realise how fulfilling life is without alcohol. In sobriety, you learn to enjoy the smaller things. You now remember everything that happened on these special occasions. You learn to appreciate everything, even the smallest things will bring a smile to your face. You learn to truly be happy in the moment.

2- I'll ease your stress and anxiety

When you're stressed and anxious, alcohol will promise to ease that horrible feeling. Often leading you to use alcohol as stress relief. Naturally, you will feel less stressed. Alcohol has now dulled the receptors in your brain, similar to the effects you get from Xanax or Valium. No wonder you feel calmer!

Why is it no one discusses or acknowledges the repercussions of drinking?

Alcohol changes levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, which can worsen anxiety. In fact, you may feel more anxious after the alcohol wears off.

When the alcohol wears off, you are left with a feeling of emptiness. You feel incredibly anxious. Your excessive drinking may have caused more stress, blackouts, arguments, and feelings of shame.

This is a terrible coping mechanism that leads to more stress in the long run. That stress you felt has only been delayed, not fixed. Drinking does not resolve any issues you may have. It merely hinders any progress towards resolving it.

Learn to address these situations while sober. Relying on alcohol to help with stress is incredibly unhealthy. Become sober and learn about stress management. The net results are far more beneficial sober.

3- I can make you sleep better

Alcohol can be appealing as it makes you feel sleepy because of its sedative effects. You get home after a long day at work and plan on having one glass to relax. Before you know it, the whole bottle has disappeared. Look, you've gotten into yet another argument with your partner.

Once again, alcohol has lied. You are now stressed and sleep-deprived. The truth is alcohol actually disrupts sleep far more than it benefits.

Alcohol can reduce REM sleep and cause sleep disruptions, people who drink before bed often experience insomnia symptoms and feel excessively sleepy the following day.

The more you drink, the more it will negatively impact your much-needed rest. Try to avoid alcohol totally to get a full night's rest. If you can't avoid it, drink as early in the evening as possible. This means your body can metabolise it properly, removing as many of the toxins as possible. Hopefully, avoiding any disruptions to your sleep pattern.

Here's a quick overview of how to get a fulfilling nights sleep;

• Reduce screen time towards the end of the day
• Reduce caffeine consumption later in the day
• Don't drink alcohol
• Relax your mind, meditation or reading can help
• Take a warm bath or shower before bed

4- I'll boost your confidence

Alcohol has a way of telling you how amazing and sexy you are. When you drink, the brain releases dopamine giving you a rush of confidence. It only temporarily makes you feel more confident. This is false confidence.

By giving up alcohol, you regain control over your confidence. You learn to adapt to situations and grow as a person. You really grow into the person you're meant to be.

You can learn to be happy with who you are. Boost your self-confidence without having a substance lie to you. Now, imagine being confident in every situation, to be the best version of yourself without the aid of alcohol?

Learn about yourself and how to deal with awkward social situations without alcohol.

5- I'll make you popular

Alcohol gives you a false sense of reality. Leading you to believe you are popular. In a 2011 study, researchers found that drinking is associated with higher levels of popularity.

Of course, life is going to be dull, your friends will reject you. Or even pressure you to carry on drinking. It's ok, we all like to have fun. Just ask yourself, why do you drink?

4 - You Like to Have Fun

Alcohol will tell you these sweet little lies to keep you coming back.

This thought process will haunt you in the initial stages of sobriety. When giving up alcohol, you'll realise how small your circle of friends is, it always was. You were mostly surrounded by people who only want to drink with you. Some of these people will lose interest in your new sober life. Some will want to join in with your new hobbies, if not they'll find someone else to go to the pub with.

You can create much better friendships without the aid of alcohol. Everyone involves will create amazing memories, whilst creating amazing bonds. You can truly find some fantastic friends in sobriety.

The end goal

You may feel lost at first. You need to find a tribe that supports your decision. The closest friends should accept your new lifestyle choice.

Be prepared to be tested, though. The urge to go back to being popular and drinking can be the biggest of all. Alcohol will still try and lie to you, even when you have successfully broken off your relationship.

When beginning your sober journey, it can be hard to reflect on all the lies stated in this article. You may have been living a lie inside your head for decades now. But today is a new beginning. Starting your sober journey can be challenging. Once alcohol leaves your system, you can lead a more fulfilling life.

Your eyes are now open to see how beautiful life really is.

Start living more. Start drinking less.

How long have you let alcohol lie to you?

This article was originally posted on Medium