March Madness Series: Do You Know Your Alcohol Playbook?

In this March kickoff episode, Molly introduces a month-long basketball theme inspired by her childhood love of the game and the five life lessons she previously shared with her community. Drawing from her experience playing basketball she explores how the structure and strategy of the game mirror the patterned nature of drinking habits.

The central message: before you can change your drinking, you have to understand your playbook.

Molly explains how drinking often feels spontaneous and emotional, but when slowed down, reveals predictable thought patterns. Using personal examples from her own decades-long 6 p.m. “unwind play,” along with a client story about belonging and connection, she illustrates how automatic behaviors are not inevitable—they are practiced.

The episode also dives into the neuroscience behind habit formation through the Behavior Map–Results Cycle (Thought → Feeling → Action → Result) and how Alcohol Core Beliefs reinforce repeated patterns. For listeners who grew up with alcohol in the home, Molly discusses how early modeling can shape unconscious associations without conscious awareness.

The episode concludes with a guided “game film” exercise to help listeners identify the thoughts that precede their drinking urges and begin building awareness—the first and most essential skill for change.

This is where agency begins.

• Why basketball isn’t random—and neither is your drinking
• How “automatic” behaviors differ from “inevitable” ones
• Molly’s personal 6 p.m. unwind pattern and how she rewired it
• The Behavior Map–Results Cycle and the neuroscience of habit loops
• A client example illustrating how belonging—not wine—was driving behavior
• The unique impact of growing up with an alcoholic parent on your internal playbook
• A guided reflection exercise to identify the thought that begins your drinking pattern
• Why awareness—not willpower—is the first step toward lasting change

Key Concepts

• Drinking follows a predictable playbook
• Automatic means practiced
• Thought creates feeling, feeling drives action
• You cannot change what you do not examine
• Shame is not a useful tool for change
• Awareness is the first skill

Low risk drinking guidelines from the NIAAA:

Healthy men under 65:

No more than 4 drinks in one day and no more than 14 drinks per week.

Healthy women (all ages) and healthy men 65 and older:
No more than 3 drinks in one day and no more than 7 drinks per week.

One drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. So remember that a mixed drink or full glass of wine are probably more than one drink.

Abstinence from alcohol
Abstinence from alcohol is the best choice for people who take medication(s) that interact with alcohol, have health conditions that could be exacerbated by alcohol (e.g. liver disease), are pregnant or may become pregnant or have had a problem with alcohol or another substance in the past.

Benefits of “low-risk” drinking
Following these guidelines reduces the risk of health problems such as cancer, liver disease, reduced immunity, ulcers, sleep problems, complications of existing conditions, and more. It also reduces the risk of depression, social problems, and difficulties at school or work.

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