As physical addiction to alcohol progresses, often imperceptibly, we begin to manufacture rationalizations for why we need to drink in the first place. We fill our minds with reasons that seem absurd in retrospect.
In the video below, I’ll give my thoughts on a particular rationalization that stuck with me for years: I thought that I needed to drink in order to spark my imagination. I saw myself as a high-functioning, creative person who simply needed a “boost” from alcohol if I was to transcend the boringness of daily life.
In any given moment, drinking would remove one major barrier to creativity – alcohol withdrawal symptoms, including restlessness and anxiety – while amplifying these problems in the long run.
Now I can see that I used alcohol as a substitute for my own imaginative powers – and that doing so transported me into states of delusion that were totally disconnected from reality.
Quitting drinking and repairing my body enabled me to align my creativity with reality.
Instead of sliding into momentary states of delusion, I began to visualize what I wanted with clarity and begin the rewarding process of self-actualization.
In the video below, I will expand on this topic and my own experience.
You can watch the video here:
(Click here to watch the video on YouTube)
How To Spark Your Imagination Without Alcohol
In the video above, I describe how I used to link alcohol in my mind to anything that required creative thought.
New apartment? Bottle of wine!
Esoteric conversations with friends? Martini bar!
New book idea or grand life plan? Bottle of scotch!
Needless to say, I used to start a lot of things without ever finishing them.
The irony is that since I quit drinking and made total self-optimization a priority, I’ve restored order to my daily environment, engaged in countless conversations with a clear mind, and published a book that many people love.
Instead of opening a bottle of alcohol to spark my creativity, I now have much better strategies:
- Actively visualize an outcome I want after a hard workout, preferably during a session in a steamroom/sauna/jacuzzi/hot bath.
- Allow my imagination to roam free during a long jog, which I usually do once per week explicitly for the sake of freeing my mind from the mundane.
- Reflect on challenges with a clear mind over strong chamomile tea at night, which I sometimes combine with other supplements (such as Calm Support) to enhance my sense of calm without clouding my mind.
The best way to enhance your thoughts is to enhance your physiology.
Alcohol changes your physiology in a very toxic way. Its benefits are temporary and illusory. Meanwhile, alcohol-induced damage is often permanent in the absence of proactive bodily repair.
Once you get past early recovery, it’s up to you to discover your favorite methods for unleashing your imagination in ways that are actually beneficial for you and people you care about.
Concluding Thoughts
If you’ve recently quit drinking, then you’re unlikely to feel inspired or imaginative until your body-brain system heals.
This is true because alcohol causes nutrient and neurotransmitter deficiencies that can linger for months or years.
Because alcohol addiction is a biochemical disorder, I place a lot of emphasis on body and brain repair. As this repair takes place, we can proceed to destroy all of those false assumptions we manufacture in order to rationalize drinking.
The notion that I needed alcohol to liberate myself from the “here and now” was a flawed and outrageous assumption. I wish that someone had told me that my mind would become much more powerful once I quit drinking.
I hope you enjoyed this video! Be sure to subscribe to Fit Recovery on YouTube and stay posted for more.
You have some great ideas and thoughts.
Thank you Helen!