Cravings and Feeling Deprived

An important learning for me, which I’ve learned from Annie Grace’s

book and her website, ipods,  and her personal email to me…learnings

that I need to repeat to myself until they firmly become a part of my

subconscious…a subconscious which has only contained false

longings and unfulfilled promises concerning the use of Alcohol.

I do not crave things that I don’t believe are a benefit to me.  I do not

feel deprived of something unless I believe it is good for me in some

way… like it adds to the fun in events or parties to which I’m going…

it helps me relax and loosen up so I have a better time when I have a

drink in my hand.   These are subconscious beliefs, of course, partially

brought on by huge advertising campaigns on TV and most everywhere

I look!    As long as I think I’m missing something, ie. being deprived of

some fun or joy in my life, then I’m going to be tempted to have that

something.  It looks good to me…  I only repeat behaviors and form

 habits IF I see they are of some value to me.   Thus I want them, I

 sometimes crave them.  I feel deprived if I can’t have them.

I need to consciously go through the reasons I drink…and ask “Are they

real?  Are they true?”  Do they fulfill the promises they give me? What 

does the alcohol actually do for and to me,  to my body and to my mind,

 and become convinced that it doesn’t offer me what I want.  Know that

 addiction is  “continued use despite adverse circumstances.”  Do I enjoy

 unclear thinking, light headedness, grogginess, lack of balance, twirling

 rooms, forgetting parts of the evening, sitting by the commode and being

 sick?  Do I enjoy the regrets and feelings of shame?  Do I drink to achieve

 any of these? 

 And since we only want something that provides a benefit to  us …. And we

know that all the above is what it really offers, we come to no longer want it… 

No want= No craving, No feeling deprived. 

So I no longer sadly think “I can’t drink anymore”, but rather “I don’t have

 to drink anymore…I don’t want to drink anymore.  There is no benefit to me in drinking.”

As Annie says, “I can drink anything I want, all I want, whenever I want!   I

just don’t want to.”    This is FREEDOM.