May 20, 2024

E89: Cognitive Dissonance and Addiction: Changing the Narratives About Alcohol

45 minutes

When your subconscious, underlying beliefs conflict with what you've learned to be actually true (cognitive dissonance), it becomes very difficult to permanently overcome addiction. But what does that mean? How does it work? And most importantly, how do you fix it?

In this sobriety podcast episode, we've invited Angie B, director of Peer180 RCO in Grand Junction, CO, and Matt, co-creator of The Mocktails Made Us, to share their experiences with rewriting old narratives surrounding alcohol. They share what beliefs they used to carry, and how they've worked to rewrite them, so that they can thrive in long-term sobriety.

In this episode:

The belief that you can't trust yourself

Changing it up - using skills learned from trauma to serve others

Allowing others to share their perspectives and differing beliefs

Breaking out of societal norms

The belief that drinking is what you're "supposed to do"

Asking for help - it's not weak!

Expressing emotions, even when you were taught not to

Understanding the link between cognitive dissonance and addiction

Reframing conflict to be something you welcome, instead of something you fear

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Matt is one-half of "The Mocktails Made Us" duo alongside his girlfriend, Brittany. As an alcohol-free couple living in Las Vegas, they advocate for the benefits of an alcohol-free lifestyle, proving that if they can avoid alcohol in "Sin City," it's possible anywhere.

After spending 20 years in a destructive cycle of alcohol use, Matt had his last drink on New Year's Eve 2022, initially committing to a dry January. Feeling great thereafter, he decided to embrace an alcohol-free lifestyle permanently. Join Matt and Brittany on their journey @themocktailsmadeus on Instagram and on their "The Mocktails Made Me" podcast at https://rss.com/podcasts/themocktailmademe."

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Angie B. Grew up in Detroit, Ml, spent 3 years in Minneapolis MN and moved to Grand Junction in 1987. She loves being in the Grand Valley-away from the cold!

Angie has a Bachelor's Degree in Operational Management. She spent 10 years working with the National Council on Alcoholism/Drug Abuse and her next 15 overseeing the Mesa County AmeriCorps Project. She started with Peer 180 Recovery Community Organization as a Board Member in 2020, Volunteered as Exec. Director Nov. 2020 and was hired as Exec. Director in May 2021. A Recovery Coach herself, she has since become an Academy Trainer in order to help others get their foot in the

door. In May 2022 Peer 180 acquired the old Union Station Building to rent and has become a Recovery Community Center.

Angie is in long term sustained recovery- 43 years and has maintained a recovery assistance home for 25 of those. Her passions are riding her Harley, her dog (Clutch), camping, organizing recovery events, helping others and developing a Flower Farm to retire to.

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By Julie Miller & Steve Knapp

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