The brain associates alcohol with freedom.

Drinking allows you to speak, feel, and act in ways you would normally censor.

This archetype commonly appears when feeling constrained by certain aspects of your life.

The Release tends to show up when:

• • Feeling pressure to provide or fulfill a certain role.
  • Feeling hemmed in by expectations placed on you by family, community, or society.
  • Feeling trapped by your circumstances.
  • Struggling with imposter syndrome.
  • Having impossibly high standards or struggling if you make a mistake.

When The Release is activated, saying no interferes with your desire to feel empowered, making it hard to abstain or moderate.

“F**k it.”

Eventually, the pressure builds to a point where you’re desperate to find release. But instead of finding freedom, the intensity of your drinking can make you feel like you have a split personality.

The specific thoughts, feelings, and actions associated with The Release create a learned behavior that influences how much and how often you drink.

The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less outlines what you need to practice thinking, feeling, and doing instead to combat The Release archetype.

GET THE GUIDE »

The Release often uses shame to sabotage rules, drink plans, and Dry Januarys.

Keep in mind, not all obstacles will apply to everyone with this archetype:

• • You work so hard to project a certain image, but sometimes, it gets to be too much.
  • You’ve never been one to follow the rules, even when they’re your own.
  • Sometimes drinking is your way to say “F**k you” to someone else.
  • You believe drinking less defeats the whole purpose of drinking.
  • You miss spontaneity and don’t want to limit it further by not drinking.
  • Sometimes, you sneak alcohol when certain people aren’t around.
  • Part of you feels like you have a split personality when you’re drinking.

Willpower and discipline often fall short because they ignore the subconscious desire behind reaching for a drink.

Learn about The Release’s deeper desire in The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less and why it’s the hidden key to success.

GET THE GUIDE »

 “When I rush to label my behavior as ‘stupid’ or ‘irresponsible,’ I miss the opportunity to understand how it’s helping me.”

If you want to drink less, you have to do more than say “No!” to your cravings. You must dismantle the beliefs associated with The Release that lead to giving in.

Get the specific exercises for The Release archetype inside The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Less.

GET THE GUIDE »

 Letting go of The Release will make you feel lighter

Here are some of the superpowers waiting to be unlocked:

• • Feeling comfortable being your authentic self, even if that means going against the grain.
  • No longer trying to project the version of yourself that you think people will like.
  • Letting go of the expectations or the story given to you by family, community, or society.
  • Living the life you want rather than the one you feel obligated to perform.
  • Knowing how to blow off steam without blowing up your life.
  • Feeling whole instead of governed by competing desires.