You are listening to the Take a Break podcast with Rachel Hart, episode 99.

Whether you want to drink less or stop drinking, this podcast will help you change the habit

from the inside out. We're challenging conventional wisdom about why people drink

and why it can be hard to resist temptation. No labels, no judgment, just practical tools

to take control of your desire and stop worrying about your drinking.

Now, here's your host, Rachel Hart.

Well, hello, everybody. We are talking about one of my favorite topics today. It is one

that is, I think, kind of controversial. It comes up a lot around the habit of drinking

and it is the idea of being powerless. Now, in society, we are all pretty much fed this

idea that either you are a, quote unquote, normal drinker or you're an alcoholic. It's a very

black and white picture and there is no in between. Of course, I don't agree with this,

it's a very common refrain that you hear. And on top of that, a really common idea is

that if you drink too much, the only way to change is to admit that you are powerless.

It is an essential step in the 12-step process. Now, I'm going to tell you, this idea never

resonated with me. When I was drinking more than I wanted to, when I was totally stuck

in the habit and I didn't know how to get out of it, I didn't know how to change, I still

could not connect with the idea that I didn't have power. And I will tell you that a lot

of people who find my work and a lot of people who write to me and people who I work with

will say one of the biggest components that they resonate with is the idea that they also

don't believe that they're powerless. It never sat right with them. And I think for starters,

it's because it doesn't fit a lot of people's experiences. It didn't fit my experience. Sometimes

I was responsible when I was drinking and sometimes I was drinking way too much. I couldn't make

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