Hi there, you're listening to Take Out Therapy, short lessons in popular topics about emotional health. This is your host, Rebecca Hunter. I'm a therapist by day, and we don't really tell people what to do.
We listen, we validate, and we focus on helping people reach their goals. But in the next few minutes, I'm just going to be straight up with you about what to do in certain situations, because sometimes we need some damn instructions. Clearly, this is not a substitute for therapy, but I guarantee you it might help.
Listen up. And if you have little people in the room, throw on some headphones, because I swear. Okay? I'm grateful you're here.
Thanks. Hello, girls and boys. I'm so excited to be here today doing this episode.
I've really, if you know me, I am a total book nerd. I read a lot of books. I love to read.
Reading has been a solace for me since I was a kid, basically. I read at least half to three quarters, typically, of a lot of books. And then a lot of books, I just devour.
I'm not one of those people that sticks with a book I don't love. And also, I read several books at the same time, so it might take me a long time to get through a book, because I'm also reading four other books. Anyways, I'm going to review a book today, you guys.
Okay. So here's how I'm feeling today. I just have to go therapist on you for a second.
I'm really excited to review this book, but I'm also a little bit nervous to review this book, because this book is a little outside the box of our culture and of our current mindset. And so just bear with me and be open-minded and see what you think. Believe me, you, this book took me by surprise.
And I'd like to dedicate this episode of the podcast to my girl, Jen, who introduced me to this book called This Naked Mind by Annie Grace. Jen's a friend of mine, and we've talked a lot about this book and the influence that it had on our lives. And I just kind of want to share it with you and see what you think.
So herein is my book review. I feel like I'm in eighth grade. Remember when we had to do all those book reviews? So the reason that I'd like to review this book is because This Naked Mind, it has a much longer title, by the way.
It's called This Naked Mind, Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness, and Change Your Life by Annie Grace. So I am dipping in, you guys, to the subject of alcohol today, because basically, I can see, I believe, and I can see with my own eyes and ears that there is a growing movement happening around the use of alcohol in our country, the United States of America. I'm telling you, it's happening.
A lot of things are happening at the same time. But basically, I think that, well, I don't only think, we know through research that younger people are not drinking as much alcohol as older people are, okay? So the use of alcohol is changing in this country. There's also a movement happening that people who, well, people who are not necessarily physically addicted to the substance are choosing not to use it, which is super interesting.
I mean, just the fact that I just said that out loud is sort of funny, as though the only reason to stop drinking alcohol would be if you had a problem with it, which is totally kind of culturally appropriate in America, right? Because if you're anything like me, when you have basically taken a break from alcohol, people are kind of uncomfortable about it. They ask a lot of questions and they're kind of like, well, when are you getting back to it? Right? Like, let me know when you fall off the wagon or whatever. So I will say that one of the reasons that I'm talking about this is that as a therapist, I see this struggle in my office all the time.
And it's more and more and more that people just in general are struggling with their relationship with alcohol, right? And so I just want to poke at this just a little bit and just start a conversation. Or frankly, I didn't start the conversation. This movement has been gaining speed for a while.
And I will say that the current day recovery models aren't getting the results that they should and could be, basically, because they're set up so in a way that really puts people off and makes them feel bad. And so they don't want to go there. And that's not everybody.
Absolutely not. Right. And the programs that are out there, and there are a few different programs, they help a lot of people.
I'm just saying like normal Joe Schmo, who's just like a social drinker or whatever, that person doesn't have kind of a support network or an outlet or community around just like taking a break from alcohol. That's what I'm saying, basically. So not everyone is an alcoholic that doesn't drink.
An alcoholic being somebody that basically doesn't even have choice over whether or not they're able to use alcohol functionally, which I'll just go ahead and put functionally in quotes, having read this book. So basically, Annie Grace has done a beautiful job writing This Naked Mind. And she's done it in a way that kind of fucks with your mind a little bit, you guys.
So if you don't want to have a conversation about your alcohol use at all, do not buy this book. Because if you read this book, it kind of changes your conversation. And the way she writes the book is great.
First of all, I really enjoy her writing style. She's just kind of a straight up chick. She just kind of says what it was for her.
And I really appreciate that. And also, you know, I could definitely pick at her writing a little bit because the subject of alcohol is very, very touchy. And sometimes the way she talks about it kind of feels not great.
One thing that I try not to do in my work is use the word you. And that is because I'm just one of those stubborn, hardheaded people that I don't like anybody starting a sentence with you. How about you? And so that that's the only like off-putting thing in the book.
The rest of it's fucking brilliant. So basically, what the book talks about is three kind of different sections. She tells us about she educates people about the substance of alcohol and actually what it is.
Um, which, you know, as embarrassing it is to say this, I kind of didn't really know what alcohol was. And you guys, I don't put anything like on my skin, on my face that has any chemicals in it. Like I'm really careful about things that I put in my body and things that I put in my skin, like my sunscreen and my face stuff and like all of it.
Right. I'm all, I live in Oregon, like give me a break. Um, and so she kind of informs you about what the substance actually is.
And the fact that this substance, otherwise known as ethanol, and you can do your own research on it. I won't get into that, but basically it's an addictive substance and it doesn't matter who you are. Basically.
And her, and the book talks about MPS, like she has more than 250 research, um, sources. Yeah. Some are better than others, but still.
Hello. Um, she talks about, um, the substance, what it is, right. And what it does once it enters our body.
And, um, the reality of that piece in a way that I haven't really had access to before. Uh, and then she talks about our culture, right? Like welcome to America, of course, light, bud light, right. So on and so forth.
I live in the Pacific Northwest and it is like beer, wine, central actually, and liquor. Like come to my town if you're a drinker, because, um, yeah. We have beyond the beyonds out here in terms of craft beer makers, beautiful wines and liquor distilleries.
Right. But she really digs into this culture of our alcohol use basically, and sheds a light on just how much culturally it's really encouraged to use alcohol, everything from, you know, kind of this idea around the mommy wine, right thing to like the typical male, um, idea of sports and alcohol. I mean, like just friends just look around you.
So in Annie Grace's book, she points out this culture that we have around alcohol. And then the kind of third thing she does in the book is she calls them like liminal points. And basically she messes with your subconscious belief system around alcohol.
And so the way she does that is kind of to through research and just helping you to understand where the research is. She basically talks about our beliefs around alcohol. Each one of them, she breaks them up into separate chapters and then kind of just like debunks them, uh, which is really a bummer, frankly, right? Because we all like to think that the reason that we come home and pour a glass of wine is to relax, right? At the end of the day.
And we think it makes us happier. And like, we have this whole belief system around alcohol and she kind of just talks with you about that. So it's super, super interesting.
It's a really easy to read book. It, um, my suggestion, if you, if you want to read this book, it's like, just read it slowly because it's a lot of information, but it's not a dense book. It's kind of like emotionally challenging.
I'll just say that. So I think like a chapter a week is totally appropriate. Um, and who this book is like good for would be like a, any of us, right? Um, any label you want to put on yourself.
This book will, um, basically just take a look at your relationship with alcohol, or you can kind of look at it as like, just read about Yanny Grace's relationship with alcohol and what she learned in her, basically her, um, break from alcohol that she took about how and where and what, how it was influencing her life, you know, and where it was affecting her life and what that might look like. So if you just want to look at it as like, I'm just reading about this chick story, that's a way to do it as well. Um, but if you struggle at all, in any way with your relationship with alcohol, just take a look at it.
Just check out this book. Um, I'm talking about this right now because of course, right. Happy new year.
Uh, we just ended, I'm releasing this episode on new year's day. We just ended the overindulgent season, right. Where we just eat and drink our faces off.
And so I thought it might be helpful if you're one of those people that has a new year's resolution to take a break from alcohol. This will totally help you, which a lot of people do. And like, hello, why? Right.
Um, we do struggle with our relationship with alcohol. It's a very complicated relationship, right? Like if I had a friend that treated me like alcohol treated me, I wouldn't be friends with that person. Right.
Nobody gets to make me feel like shit. Um, there, I want to give you a couple of resources. So I love, uh, this book, this naked mind.
She also does a podcast, um, which is decent. She, she just generally interviews people that have gone through, um, a break from drinking. Um, so that's kind of fun.
And I think the podcast is improved over time. I like it. I really like, um, Annie Grace as well.
Her work is phenomenal. There's also, um, this gal, her name's Rachel heart, and she has a podcast called take a break from drinking. That is fantastic.
And so, um, you know, of course, like I listened to a ton of podcasts, um, and Rachel heart is doing some beautiful work in the area of just helping people to look at their relationship with alcohol. And one of the ways that she does that in her podcast is she talks a lot about changing our thinking and just slowing things down a little bit. Like when we're standing in front of the, you know, pantry or the box of wine to just be like, okay, like what's happening for me right now? Like, why am I here versus somewhere else? Um, very simple.
Um, but she's great and her podcast is great. So anyways, Hey, you guys, let me know if you read this book and what you think of it. Um, it has really been a mind bender over here at the hunter house, uh, since we read this book.
So let's keep the conversation going. I hope you found this helpful. Happy new year.
Thanks so much for listening. This podcast is not meant to be a substitute for therapy, but I hope it was super helpful for you in any case. I want to be part of some much needed change, but I'm going to need your help.
Please subscribe and review the podcast, recommend it to your friends and family and share it on social media. We're living in the digital age people. Let's do some good where we can.
All right. Visit my website at Rebecca hunter, msw.com to have access to resources, videos, and the show notes if that interests you. And again, I'm so grateful you're listening to take out therapy.
Thanks.
