Ep 117: The Art of Avoidance: Why Alcohol Works…Until it Doesn’t

About this episode

Anna Donaghey explores the psychology behind using alcohol as a coping mechanism and the concept of avoidance in our habits.

What really drives us to reach for alcohol, and why is avoidance so quietly powerful in our habits? In this episode, Anna Donaghey unpacks the psychology behind using alcohol as a coping mechanism, revealing how it silences discomfort and acts as a fast-acting state change in our modern lives. Drawing from her own lived experience and insights from her Substack “The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab,” Anna explores how avoidance is not weakness, but a deeply human strategy rooted in our biology and history. She dives into the difference between signals (those uncomfortable feelings and nudges) and state changes, explaining how alcohol overrides what our mind is trying to tell us. With practical examples and gentle guidance, Anna encourages listeners to get curious about their own habits, question the signals they might be silencing, and imagine life with alternative strategies that don’t come at such a cost. Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Welcome, this week we are exploring the theme of avoidance 01:03 How alcohol is used to numb and silence discomfort 02:20 The British Medical Council: alcohol as the nation’s favourite coping mechanism 04:04 Avoidance as an intelligent survival…

People in this episode

Host: Anna Donaghey

Topics covered

• alcohol
• avoidance
• coping mechanisms
• psychology
• habits
• discomfort

Keywords

• alcohol
• avoidance
• coping strategy
• psychology
• discomfort
• state change
• habits

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: British Medical Council

Books & works: The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab

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