This Naked Mind

If your social life has always been organized around drinking, you’re not unusual — you’re deeply conditioned. Research on drinking identity shows that viewing yourself as a drinker is one of the strongest predictors of ongoing alcohol use and its consequences, often more so th...

If you’ve tried everything to stop drinking and you’re still here, still struggling, still convinced the problem is you, I want you to hear this first: it isn’t. The shame you’ve been carrying isn’t a sign that you’re weak or broken; it’s actually part of why stopping felt impossible.

Written by Annie Grace and Diana Oliver

Do you know what kept me drinking far longer than I should have? A well-meaning friend who told me I wasn’t an alcoholic.

Sh...

If the fear of stopping drinking has kept you stuck longer than the drinking itself, you are not alone. Research confirms that anticipatory fear, not the reality of alcohol freedom, is often the biggest barrier to change. According to the

Trigger warning: This post includes references to grief, the loss of a spouse, prolonged caregiving, and a personal health crisis.

Drinking after losing your spouse is something we don’t talk about nearly enough — and the research tells us exactly why that silence is dangerous. A 2025 national study found that