445: I'll be more comfortable with a drink [Thought Swap]

Take a Break from Drinking

Rachel Hart

Alcohol, Lifecoach, Alcoholicsanonymous, Self-improvement, Hungover, Society & Culture, Smartrecovery, Drinking, Cognitivebehavioraltherapy, Education, Cbt, 12steps, Sobriety, Drunk, Recovery, Personal Journals

4.8 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 18 November 2025

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Do you feel more comfortable with a drink in your hand at social events?

For years, my solution to social anxiety was simple: head straight to the bar, grab a drink, and feel that familiar wave of relief wash over me as the edges of my nervousness softened. But what happens when that glass becomes less of a choice and more of a requirement for feeling comfortable around other people?

Listen in this week to hear three thought swaps that will help you start questioning whether you're really more comfortable with a drink in your hand. This isn't about avoiding social situations or telling yourself alcohol is bad. It's about understanding the difference between masking discomfort and actually feeling comfortable in your own skin.

Find a personalized approach that helps you change your habit in my new book, The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less, here: https://rachelhart.com/guide/

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

Get the full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://rachelhart.com/445

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'll feel more comfortable with a drink. For the longest time, I would show up at a party and make a
0:05.9	B-line for the bar. And as soon as I had a glass in my hand, I just felt more at ease and more like myself,
0:13.0	which also meant that the thought of socializing without a drink to smooth the way was not so
0:18.8	appealing. This is episode 445, and I'm giving you ideas for how to
0:23.6	start questioning the belief that you're more comfortable with a drink in your hand.
0:29.1	Whether you want to drink less or stop drinking, this podcast will help you change the habit
0:34.4	from the inside out. We're challenging conventional wisdom about why people
0:39.1	drink and why it can be hard to resist temptation. No labels, no judgment, just practical tools
0:46.3	to take control of your desire and stop worrying about your drinking. Now here's your host, Rachel Hart.
0:57.8	Today Now here's your host, Rachel Hart. Today I'm going to give you some thought swaps, ideas for how to start poking holes in the
1:02.3	belief that you are more comfortable in social situations with a drink. Now, if you are
1:07.8	doubtful that anything can convince you that this isn't true, I get it.
1:12.5	I started drinking when I was 17, and it was the first thing that truly helped me feel
1:18.2	less anxious in social situations. In fact, when I started drinking, I thought those red
1:23.7	solo cups filled with jungle juice were pretty much the best thing ever. To me,
1:28.4	it was like they contained a magic elixir that just melted away all my awkwardness and
1:34.0	insecurities so I could just have fun. But here's the problem. And it's a problem that so many
1:39.8	of the people I work with also face. If you feel more comfortable with a drink in your hand
1:45.0	in social situations, then you also probably feel way less comfortable without one. And who wants
1:52.0	that? No one. Plus, if having a drink is the key to feeling comfortable, then trying to say no
1:57.8	or cutting back isn't just a matter of resisting temptation. It's about
2:02.1	willingly embracing discomfort, which I don't know about you, but as someone who has struggled
	...

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