The Truth About Alcohol (Why Quitting Feels So Hard)

Why Friday Night Drinking Feels Earned    It’s Friday afternoon. The emails slow down. The meetings thin out. People start saying, “Have a good weekend.”   And something changes. Not in the room. In you.   All week you’ve been bracing. Holding it together. Performing. Tolerating.   By Friday, your nervous system is ready to drop.   And alcohol starts to look less like pleasure… and more like permission.   In this episode, we explore why Friday drinking doesn’t actually start on Friday — it starts on Monday morning when you tighten up and tell yourself to just get through the week.   We look at how effort quietly accumulates, how Friday becomes the release valve, and why collapse feels like reward — even though it isn’t restoration.   There’s nothing dramatic about it. It’s predictable. Week. Build. Release. Repeat.   If Friday night is your only relief point, then Sunday carries tension and Monday begins slightly depleted. The loop continues.   This episode names the moment just before you leave work… or just before you walk through your front door. That drop. That exhale. That shift from holding it together to “I’m done.”   If this moment feels familiar, there’s a short guided After-Work Reset designed specifically for that transition — so effort can end without collapsing into numbing.   You can explore it here.    #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #FridayDrinking, #AlcoholAwareness, #AlcoholHabits, #WorkToHomeTransition, #AfterWorkDrinks, #SoberCurious, #AlcoholAndStress, #WeekendDrinking, #AlcoholPattern, #NervousSystemRegulation, #STRIVE, #LeeDavy

When You Walk Through the Door and Feel Absolutely Nothing   Your daughter is talking. You’re nodding. You’re even smiling. But inside, there’s nothing.   No warmth. No lift. No sense of “this is what I’ve been working for.”   Just a kind of internal grey.   In this episode of The Truth About Alcohol, we explore one of the most uncomfortable moments fathers rarely admit out loud — feeling emotionally flat in front of the people they love most. Not angry. Not resentful. Just switched off.   If you’ve ever sat at the dinner table and wondered, “Why can’t I feel this properly?” — this conversation will feel uncomfortably familiar.   This isn’t about being a bad dad. It isn’t about loving your family less. It’s about nervous-system depletion, role switching, and the hidden pressure men carry from work into home life.   You’ll hear:   • Why emotional flatness after work is often collapse, not indifference • How shame quietly enters when you think you “should” feel more • Why alcohol seems to create warmth — but is actually masking depletion • The invisible identity shift from performance to presence • How transition, not willpower, is the real missing piece   Most men don’t drink because they want to party. They drink because they don’t know how to land.   If this 4–6 pm switch keeps repeating, don’t try to fix it with willpower. Build a transition instead. The After-Work Reset is a short, structured downshift designed specifically for this moment. Start here.   #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #LeeDavy, #STRIVE, #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #AfterWorkReset, #AlcoholAwareness, #SoberCurious, #StopDrinking, #MindfulFatherhood, #WorkToHomeTransition, #EmotionalRegulation, #HighFunctioning, #DadLife, #NervousSystem, #AlcoholFree, #MenAndEmotions

Why the Drive Home Is the Most Dangerous Part of Your Drinking Day You finish work. Not a bad day. Not a great day. Just a day. This episode explores why the journey home can quietly become the highest-risk moment of the day for drinking — even when nothing has gone wrong. It looks at what actually happens in your body when work ends but your nervous system hasn’t landed yet, and why alcohol starts to feel less like a choice and more like relief. Why the drive home creates a hidden gap between work and family life How effort and self-control quietly collapse at the end of the day Why “I deserve this” is about ending effort, not reward How alcohol becomes associated with switching the day off Why this moment keeps repeating at the same time, in the same way If the work-to-home transition is where things often start to slip, there are resources designed specifically around that moment — not to fix you, but to reduce how often it takes over. #1000DaysSoberPodcast #LeeDavy #STRIVE #alcohol #drinkinghabits #endofdaydrinking #worktohometransition #alcoholandstress #alcoholandexhaustion #whyquittingalcoholfeelshard #alcoholrelief #sobercurious #nervoussystem #alcoholawareness

Why Alcohol Feels Like Relief When You’re Already Empty It’s late afternoon. Nothing’s gone wrong. You’re not stressed — you’re just empty. This episode explores a quiet moment that often shows up at the end of the day. On the drive home. Standing in the kitchen. When alcohol stops feeling like pleasure and starts feeling like relief. Not relief because you want more. Relief because your body has reached its limit. We look at why willpower collapses here, why “I deserve this” isn’t about reward at all, and why exhaustion trains the nervous system to reach for the fastest off-switch it knows. There’s no fixing in this episode. No advice. Just a slower explanation of what’s actually happening when nothing feels wrong — but you can’t keep going like this. If this moment feels familiar, you’re not broken. Your system is depleted. If you want a place to put moments like this down, there’s a private space designed to hold them quietly. And if you want to explore this pattern more deeply, there are resources built around the work-to-home transition — not to fix you, but to reduce how often this moment takes over. You can also reach out directly at thestrivemethod@gmail.com Alcohol often isn’t about reward. It’s about relief that never got replaced. This is The Truth About Alcohol. Much Love & STRIVE On! Lee. #alcohol #drinkinghabits #endofdaydrinking #worktohometransition #alcoholandstress #alcoholandexhaustion #whyquittingalcoholfeelshard #alcoholrelief #sobercurious #alcoholawareness #nervoussystem

Why Sitting in the Car Feels Safer Than Going Inside You’ve finished work. You’ve driven home. You’ve pulled up outside your house. And instead of getting out, you just sit there. Engine off. Key still in your hand. Not because anything’s wrong — but because something in you isn’t ready to go inside yet. This episode explores a moment many men recognise but rarely talk about: sitting in the car outside the house because it’s the only place no one is asking you to be anything. In this episode, we explore: Why work can feel easier than home — even when you love your family What’s really happening when home starts to feel exposing instead of relaxing How boredom, depletion, and quiet self-doubt build under the surface Why alcohol so often shows up here — not for pleasure, but for fast relief The unspoken resentment that grows when there’s no space to land between roles This isn’t about not wanting your life. It’s about never being given space to arrive inside it. If this moment feels familiar, there’s a short After-Work Reset designed specifically for this transition — not to fix you or change you, but to help you arrive home before you walk through the door. You can explore it at STRIVE.  And if you don’t want to do anything with this yet, that’s fine. Sometimes just naming the moment is enough for today. You can also reach out directly at thestrivemethod@gmail.com. #TheTruthAboutAlcohol #1000DaysSoberPodcast #LeeDavy #STRIVE #AlcoholAwareness #AfterWorkDrinking #MenAndAlcohol #DrinkingHabits #EmotionalExhaustion #AlcoholFreeLife #QuestioningAlcohol

Why Friday Feels Wrong When You Stop Drinking Friday used to come with a promise. Not just that the week was ending — but that something would finally switch off. This episode looks at why Friday afternoons can feel strangely uncomfortable when you’ve decided not to drink. The anticipation is still there. The excitement still flickers. But the thing that used to end the week, quiet your system, and make Friday “work” is gone. Instead of relief, there’s a gap. And that gap can feel confusing, lonely, and louder than any weekday. This isn’t about willpower. It’s about what alcohol was really doing for your nervous system — and why Friday exposes that more than any other day. Why Friday afternoon triggers anticipation before anything has happened Why stopping drinking can make Fridays feel harder, not easier How alcohol became the signal that the week was finally over Why this feeling keeps coming back — and what it’s actually asking for If this Friday feeling is familiar, you don’t need to fix it or push through it. Just noticing when it starts — often earlier than you think — is already a shift. And if you want a place to put this moment down, rather than battling it every week, the deeper work lives at STRIVE.  #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #STRIVE, #AlcoholAwareness, #QuitDrinking, #SoberCurious, #FridayTriggers, #AlcoholAndMentalHealth, #LivingAlcoholFree

When You’re Doing Everything Right and Still Feel On Edge You’re doing everything right. You’ve read the books. You’ve had the conversations. You’ve apologised, repaired, and reflected. And somehow, you still feel on edge. This episode explores the quiet, confusing place where insight hasn’t brought ease yet — where you can understand your patterns, care deeply, and still feel tense, irritable, and close to the edge. Not because you’re failing, but because effort alone isn’t creating safety. Why self-awareness doesn’t automatically settle your nervous system How alcohol sneaks in when effort collapses, not when you “don’t care” Why doing everything right can still end in relapse, conflict, or self-blame The hidden pattern behind being fine in public and falling apart alone If this episode felt familiar and you don’t want to rush to fix it, the deeper work lives in STRIVE  #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #LeeDavy, #STRIVE, #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #AlcoholAwareness, #AlcoholFreeLife, #SoberCurious, #QuitDrinking, #NervousSystemRegulation, #EmotionalSafety, #HighFunctioning, #InnerWork, #SelfLeadership

Why You Get Irritated When People Interrupt Your ‘Me Time’   By the end of the day, you’re not angry because someone asked too much of you. You’re irritated because your system was already empty — and the one thing you were leaning on to get through the day suddenly feels under threat.   This episode explores why irritation shows up so sharply in the evening, how “me time” quietly becomes a survival reward, and why alcohol often sits just offstage as the unspoken regulator when effort finally needs to stop.   • Why end-of-day irritation isn’t about entitlement or selfishness • How monotony and effort quietly drain your capacity long before evening arrives • Why resentment is often a protector covering shame and guilt • The hidden role alcohol plays as an “end-of-effort” switch • Why this pattern keeps repeating — even when you understand it   If this moment feels familiar, you don’t need to fix anything right now. Some people just sit with the recognition.   If you want a place where moments like this can slow down before they spill, there is something designed specifically for the after-work reset — not as a solution, but as containment.   And if you want to talk it through quietly, you can always reach out at thestrivemethod@gmail.com   The deeper work lives at STRIVE.   #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #LeeDavy, #STRIVE, #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #AlcoholAwareness, #EveningDrinking, #AfterWorkDrinks, #AlcoholAndStress, #SoberCurious, #AlcoholRelief, #BedtimeCollapse, #RewardAndEscape

You go to bed hoping that by the time you wake up, you’ll have an answer about something that really matters. You wake up, check your phone — and it’s still not there. The day’s already started, people are relying on you, and your mind is already elsewhere. This episode looks at a specific kind of anxiety that doesn’t show up in the body as panic, but as speed — racing thoughts, scenario-building, and the need to act before you’ve even oriented yourself. Why waiting for an answer can feel more unsettling than bad news How anxiety often gets replaced by usefulness, duty, and constant motion Why you can feel “fine” while busy — and restless the moment you stop How this same pattern quietly repeats in work, relationships, and everyday life This isn’t about fixing the waiting. It’s about recognising what happens inside you while you wait — and why alcohol can later feel like relief from a state you never noticed forming. If this felt familiar, the deeper work lives at STRIVE.  #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #LeeDavy, #STRIVE, #AlcoholAnxiety, #AlcoholAndAnxiety, #WaitingForAnAnswer, #AnxietyAndAlcohol, #SoberCurious, #AlcoholFreeLife, #LivingAlcoholFree, #TheTruthAboutAlcohol

Dry January didn’t fail — February just scared you. A lot of people finish Dry January feeling better than they have in years… and still go back to drinking. Not because they miss alcohol. But because continuing starts to feel permanent. This episode explores the moment Dry January ends — and the quiet fear that shows up when structure disappears, and choice becomes exposed. Why Dry January works so well — and why February feels destabilising The hidden fear behind “I’ll just go back to normal” Why alcohol often isn’t about pleasure, but certainty and safety If Dry January changed something for you and you’re curious about expanding that experience beyond January, you can learn more about the deeper work at The Strive Method.   #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #LeeDavy, #STRIVE, #DryJanuary, #AlcoholFreeCurious, #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #QuitDrinking, #AlcoholAwareness, #SoberCurious, #LifeWithoutAlcohol, #MindfulDrinking, #AlcoholAndAnxiety

There’s a specific moment that catches a lot of people off guard when they stop drinking — or when they’re seriously trying to. Someone close to you treats alcohol like it’s still a joke. They send you a birthday card with an alcohol meme. They hand you champagne at a wedding toast. They offer you a drink at a family gathering and laugh it off when you say no. They’re not being cruel. They’re not trying to undermine you. They just completely miss what this change actually means to you. In this episode, we explore why that moment stings so much, why it often turns into self-doubt, and what’s really happening underneath when the people you expect to “see” you… don’t. This isn’t about willpower. And it’s not really about alcohol. It’s about validation, recognition, and the quiet trap of letting someone else’s blind spot turn into your self-esteem problem.   In this episode, you’ll hear about The moment alcohol stops being casual for you, but not for the people around you Why jokes, offers, and “just one” comments hurt more than they should How family and close relationships amplify alcohol-related pressure Why this reaction isn’t weakness — it’s your nervous system reading meaning How the Liquid Lie keeps alcohol feeling natural, normal, and unquestioned The real danger: turning someone else’s misunderstanding into self-doubt   If this felt familiar and you don’t want to act on it yet, STRIVE Discord is where you can put this down. It’s a private space to bring moments like this — without explaining them, defending them, or turning them into a decision. Some moments don’t need fixing. They just need somewhere safe to land.   #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #LeeDavy, #STRIVE, #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #AlcoholAwareness, #AlcoholFreeLife, #SoberCurious, #AlcoholCulture, #FamilyDynamics, #EmotionalTriggers, #SelfWorth, #Validation, #LivingSELFled

There’s a moment when someone questions your plan. Suggests a safer option. And something in you tightens and says, “I’ve got this under control.” This episode explores why that sentence feels so convincing — and why it can quietly become one of the most dangerous lies we tell ourselves. In this episode, we explore: Why “I’ve got this under control” isn’t confidence, but a nervous-system response How leaders confuse control with safety — and what they’re actually protecting Why alcohol often enters when the story we’re living by feels threatened The hidden cost of clinging to control instead of allowing adaptive truth Why the most dangerous moment isn’t failure — but refusing to check what’s working This isn’t about fixing anything. It’s about understanding the moment before things harden. If this episode named something familiar and you don’t want to act on it yet, STRIVE Discord is a private stabilisation space for moments that feel charged but unresolved. It’s not a community. It’s a place to put the moment down before it turns into self-control, conflict, or drinking. You can find the deeper work here   #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #LeeDavy, #STRIVE, #AlcoholAwareness, #AlcoholAndControl, #HighFunctioning, #LeadershipPressure, #NervousSystemSafety, #SoberCurious, #AlcoholReliance, #EmotionalSafety, #BehaviourChange, #SelfLeadership

Why Alcohol Feels Earned at the End of the Day There’s a moment at the end of the day when a voice cuts in. Not gentle. Not negotiable. “We deserve this.” In that moment, alcohol doesn’t feel optional — it feels owed. This episode explores why drinking is so often tied to reward, not pleasure, and why stopping can trigger anger, resistance, or a sense of deprivation that feels completely out of proportion. We’re not talking about willpower. We’re not talking about discipline. We’re talking about what your nervous system is trying to protect. In this episode, we explore: Why alcohol becomes the primary reward after effort, stress, and emotional labour What’s really happening when stopping drinking triggers anger or outrage Why willpower fails when alcohol is wired in as relief, not desire How deprivation — not alcohol itself — drives resistance What it actually means to redesign your reward system from a SELF-led place This episode isn’t about taking anything away. It’s about understanding what alcohol has been doing — before you decide what comes next. If this stirred something and you don’t want to act on it yet, that’s okay. There’s a private STRIVE Discord space where people bring moments like this — especially the end-of-day reward moment — and let them settle without fixing or forcing anything. No advice. No pressure. Just a place to put the moment down. If you want access, email me at thestrivemethod@gmail.com, and I’ll point you in the right direction. #TheTruthAboutAlcoholPodcast, #AlcoholAndReward, #EndOfDayDrinking, #AlcoholRelief, #AlcoholHabits, #AlcoholAwareness, #NervousSystem, #SelfLedLife, #STRIVE, #LeeDavy

You’re not craving a drink. You’re not stressed. You’re not planning anything. And then you hear a story. Someone you respect talks about a big night, a celebration, a “we earned it” moment — and alcohol is quietly framed as part of a life done properly. Nothing dramatic happens. But something gets installed. In this episode, we explore the subtle moment where media doesn’t tell you to drink — it simply shows you who belongs. We talk about: How podcasts, comedy, sport, and lifestyle media quietly normalise alcohol Why alcohol is often framed as a symbol of status, belonging, and legitimacy The difference between temptation and permission How drinking becomes a badge of being “inside the circle” Why this moment slips past your defences without you noticing This isn’t about willpower. It’s about the story alcohol is wrapped in — and why that story is so persuasive. If this moment feels familiar, you’re not broken — you’re noticing something real. If you want to explore these moments more deeply and understand why alcohol keeps showing up, click here. And if this episode helped you see something more clearly, consider following or subscribing so these conversations are there when you need them.

Sunday drinking doesn’t usually fall apart on a Sunday night. It falls apart quietly on Monday morning — on the drive to work, sitting on a train, or opening a laptop while already running at half capacity. This episode looks at the moment most people miss: the promise you make before drinking, the reassurance you repeat once the first pint lands, and how alcohol quietly rewrites what “a few” actually means. We talk about: Why Sunday drinking is culturally protected — especially around masculinity, football, and tradition How rounds accelerate drinking without anyone intending to overdo it The difference between absenteeism and the far riskier problem of presenteeism Why “I haven’t had a drink for 8–12 hours” is not the same as being unimpaired How safety, leadership, and responsibility quietly erode long before anything looks dramatic This isn’t about blame. It’s about seeing the moment where safety is decided — and why alcohol makes that moment harder to see. If this episode feels familiar, don’t rush to change anything. Just notice the Sunday promise the next time it appears — and what happens when structure and alcohol take over. If you want help interrupting the moments before they spiral, you can explore the Work-to-Home Protocol at thestrivemethod.com — a practical reset for the most dangerous transition of the day. If this resonated, consider subscribing, sharing it with someone who works on Mondays and feels flat, or leaving a short review. It helps this reach the people who quietly need it. #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #LeeDavy, #STRIVE, #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #SundayDrinking, #MondayHangover, #DrinkDrivingRisk, #AlcoholAwareness, #WorkplaceSafety, #LeadershipUnderPressure, #Presenteeism, #AlcoholCulture, #UKDrinkingCulture

Alcohol Doesn’t Bring You Closer — It Keeps You From Being Seen Alcohol doesn’t bring you closer. It keeps you from being seen. Most people believe they drink to relax, connect, or feel closer at the end of the day. But what if alcohol isn’t creating intimacy at all — what if it’s helping you avoid the consequences of honesty? In this episode, we explore how alcohol quietly replaces emotional safety with silence, how “keeping the peace” can last for decades, and why stopping drinking doesn’t magically fix relationships — it simply brings sensation back online. This isn’t about blame or labels. It’s about noticing the role alcohol plays in postponing truth, intimacy, and integrity. What This Episode Covers Why alcohol doesn’t avoid conflict — it avoids the consequences of honesty How silence can masquerade as stability in long-term relationships The “morphine effect” alcohol has on emotional and physical intimacy Why sex, closeness, and desire often feel safer with alcohol involved What actually returns when alcohol is removed — and why that feels confronting If evenings are when things go quiet — after work, after dinner, when you finally stop moving — that’s not accidental. The Work-to-Home Protocol exists for that exact window. It helps you interrupt the moment alcohol usually steps in to soften what hasn’t been said yet. You don’t need to fix anything. You just need a different way to land. You can find the Work-to-Home Protocol at: thestrivemethod.com Don’t act on what came up. Don’t start a conversation tonight. Just notice what alcohol has been carrying for you — and what becomes louder without it. Awareness alone starts to change the relationship. #1000DaysSoberPodcast #LeeDavy #STRIVE #TheTruthAboutAlcohol #AlcoholAndRelationships #EmotionalIntimacy #AlcoholAwareness #WorkToHome #NervousSystem #AlcoholAndConnection

Most people think they drink because they enjoy alcohol. In this episode, we look at something far harder to admit. That for many people, alcohol isn’t about taste, confidence, or relaxation at all — it’s about belonging. Not being rejected. Not being excluded. Just… not being slightly outside the group. This episode explores the one “value” of drinking that people struggle to let go of, and why it sits at the heart of so many failed attempts to stop.   What This Episode Focuses On   • Why “belonging” is the one reason people can’t cross off their value list • How alcohol quietly becomes a social contract rather than a drink • The fear of breaking your role in a group or relationship • Why exposure isn’t just about settling your nervous system • The moment you realise that without alcohol, the ritual itself stops working • Why some relationships drift when alcohol leaves — and why that matters • How predictability gets mistaken for connection • The deeper fear underneath tribe: “If I don’t do this anymore, who am I — and where do I belong?”   If this episode hit close to home, don’t rush to change anything. Just notice where alcohol has been doing the job of belonging for you. That awareness alone changes more than most people realise.   #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #LeeDavy, #STRIVE, #Alcohol, #Belonging, #SocialDrinking, #AlcoholAndConnection, #Tribe, #SelfLedLife, #TheTruthAboutAlcohol

Why the ‘Relief’ You Crave After Work Is Lying to You That sense of relief you crave at the end of the day isn’t random — and it isn’t a personal weakness. For many people, alcohol has quietly become the ritual that marks the transition from effort to rest, from work to home, from endurance to relief. Not because it works — but because it’s familiar. In this episode, we look at the moment relief enters the conversation, why it shows up so reliably after long days, and how unexamined rituals can end up costing more than they give back. This isn’t about willpower or stopping anything. It’s about understanding what your nervous system is actually asking for — and learning how to meet that need without borrowing relief from tomorrow. What you’ll hear in this episode Why the urge for “relief” often appears right after work finishes How alcohol became the default transition ritual between work and home The difference between relief that restores you and relief that just numbs Why removing a drink without changing the ritual leaves people feeling bored How to recognise the exact moment relief starts negotiating with you A simple question that helps you choose integrity over autopilot #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #AlcoholAwareness, #BehaviourChange, #Habits, #NervousSystem, #EndOfDay, #WorkToHome, #ReliefSeeking, #SelfLeadership

There’s a moment most people miss. You finish work. Nothing bad has happened. The day wasn’t stressful. And yet… something feels off. This episode explores the uneasy gap between stopping one role and entering the next — whether that’s stepping out of the car, closing a laptop in the spare room, or standing in the kitchen wondering what to do with yourself. For many people, this is the moment alcohol quietly enters the picture — not because they “need a drink”, but because their nervous system is searching for safety, certainty, or relief. In this episode, I explain why that transition can feel so uncomfortable, why willpower isn’t the issue, and how this moment becomes one of the most predictable pressure points in alcohol reliance. This is not about stopping yourself. It’s about understanding what’s actually happening before the urge appears. What this episode covers • Why the work-to-home transition is one of the most overlooked triggers for drinking • How unfinished stress carries forward even when you think the day is “done” • Why working from home can make this moment harder, not easier • The difference between external pressure and internal nervous-system discomfort • How alcohol becomes a shortcut to safety, not pleasure • What to do in the moment instead of reacting on autopilot If this moment feels familiar, don’t fix it — notice it. I’d love you to reflect on this one question and reply by email, DM, or message: What time of day does this transition usually happen for you — and where are you when you feel it? That awareness alone is where change starts. PS: If this episode speaks directly to you, you’ll find more grounded support and practical tools at STRIVE. #1000DaysSoberPodcast, #TheTruthAboutAlcohol, #LeeDavy, #STRIVE, #AlcoholAwareness, #WorkToHome, #NervousSystem, #AlcoholReliance, #BehaviourChange, #SelfLedLife

When Drinking Doesn’t Quite Add Up This episode is a short pause. It’s for people who don’t think they drink “that much” — but still find themselves thinking about alcohol more than they expect to. Nothing dramatic has happened. No rock bottom. No clear line crossed. And yet, something about drinking doesn’t feel as neutral as it’s supposed to. In this episode, we name that quiet confusion. The mental bargaining. The comparison with others. The sense that stopping feels harder than it should — even when life looks fine from the outside. There’s no advice here. No plan. No pressure to change anything. Just space to recognise what’s been difficult to explain — and to realise you’re not the only one who feels this way.