Why Can’t I Stop After One Drink?

Why Can’t I Stop After One Drink? | Understanding the Urge to Keep Drinking

It always starts with good intentions.
You tell yourself, “Just one tonight. Just to relax.” And in that moment, you believe it. You
really do.
That first sip feels like a soft exhale. The edge dulls, your shoulders drop, and the day begins to
blur at the corners. Maybe you’re laughing more easily. Maybe you’re just finally feeling
something. One drink turns into two. Then three. And before you know it, you’ve crossed
that invisible line again — the one you promised yourself you wouldn’t.
And afterward, there’s that heavy feeling. Not just in your body, but in your heart. The
shame. The frustration. The quiet whisper:
“Why can’t I stop after one? What’s wrong with me?”
But here’s the truth: there’s nothing wrong with you.
This is the part so few people talk about. The part that keeps so many stuck in silence.

It’s Not About Willpower

It’s easy to blame yourself. To think that if you were just “stronger,” you’d be able to stop. But
drinking — especially when it becomes a pattern — isn’t about weakness. It’s about the way
alcohol interacts with your brain, your emotions, and your nervous system.
That first drink lowers your inhibitions. It floods your brain with dopamine, a feel-good
chemical that your body begins to crave more of almost immediately. And if you’re carrying
stress, anxiety, loneliness, shame — that next drink feels like a quick escape.
Not because you’re out of control, but because your system has learned to reach for the one
thing that reliably soothes it: another drink.

You’re Not the Only One

So many people live this same story on repeat — not because they lack discipline, but
because they’re so deeply wired to drink not just for the taste, but for relief, for comfort, for
numbing, for connection.
You’re not alone in this.
You’re not the only one who wakes up with a pit in their stomach and a vow to do better,
only to find themselves back in the same place hours later.

There Is a Way Forward

Stopping after one becomes possible when we stop trying to fight ourselves, and instead,
start getting curious.
 What am I feeling before that first drink?
 What do I hope it will fix?
 What am I afraid to feel without it?
These aren’t easy questions. But they open the door to real change — the kind that lasts
because it’s built on understanding, not shame.
This is where support can make all the difference.
Hypnotherapy is one tool that can help shift this deep pattern. It doesn’t just try to talk you
out of drinking — it works with the subconscious part of you that reaches for it without
thinking.
It gently rewires the beliefs and emotional triggers that fuel that cycle.
It helps you build new ways to soothe yourself, to relax, to feel worthy, without needing
that first sip to carry you there.

Be Kind to Yourself

If you’re in this place right now, I see you.
There’s no shame in how you got here. There’s just a chance to start listening — really
listening to what’s underneath the drinking.
You don’t have to do it all alone.
And you don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to take the next kind, honest step.
One breath. One truth. One choice at a time.

Related Articles

Mommy Wine Habit

Breaking the Mommy Wine Habit: A Journey Back to Yourself “I didn’t realise it had become a habit…” For a long time, I told myself

Read More »

Sasha Jecklin

Who Is Sasha Jecklin Hi, I’m Sasha — therapist, coach, and someone who believes deeply in second chances, gentle change, and the quiet strength it

Read More »
sasha, therapist, see you in therapy, breaking free from alcohol adiction

SASHA JECKLIN

THERAPIST & BLOGGER

 Sasha — therapist, coach, and someone who believes deeply in second chances, gentle change, and the quiet strength it takes to turn inward and heal.

SASHA JECKLIN

EXPLORE

FREE MEDITATION AUDIO

SUBSCRIBE

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *