Want to Stop Drinking? Try Giving Yourself Permission to Drink More

Discover how an ADHD mindset trick used by Dr. K might help you stop drinking—using a surprising reverse psychology twist that actually works.

Sick of Telling Yourself to Quit Drinking? Maybe That’s the Problem.

Let me tell you something weird that might just change your life.

Dr. K (Dr. Alok Kanojia), a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, once shared a story about a kid with ADHD. The usual advice? Tell kids like that to slow down, calm down, sit still. But Dr. K did the opposite.

He said:

“Go faster. Speed up. Be as hyper as you want.”

And guess what happened?

The kid slowed down.

Why? Because resistance breeds resistance. And when you give permission, you remove the fight.

Now hold that thought… and let’s talk about drinking.

“I Should Quit” = Shame, Rebellion, Repeat

When you’re stuck in a cycle with alcohol, the self-talk usually sounds like this:

• “I’ve got to stop.”
• “I’m such a mess.”
• “I’ll be better tomorrow.”

And what happens next?

You drink. Again. Harder. With more guilt and more shame.

Why? Because constantly fighting with yourself triggers a stress loop. It feeds rebellion, even if it’s silent. Your brain starts to associate sobriety with restriction, punishment, and pressure.

And the rebel inside you says:

“Nah, screw it. Let’s have another one.”

Reverse Psychology for the Win: “Go On. Drink.”

Now, here’s where it gets fun.

What if, instead of telling yourself to stop…

You said:

“Go ahead. Drink as much as you want.”

That little sentence disarms the rebel.

You remove the shame. The pressure. The fight.

And in that pause, something weird happens:

You start to actually think.

• “Wait… do I want to feel like shit tomorrow?”
• “Is this actually helping me wind down or making me more anxious?”
• “Why do I always need this to cope?”

That’s the moment of clarity. That’s where change begins—not from force, but from freedom.

Permission = Power

Giving yourself permission isn’t the same as giving up.

It’s saying:

“I trust myself enough to choose.”

That trust is what alcohol (and toxic coping) erodes over time.

And rebuilding it isn’t about perfection.

It’s about listening.

Just like the ADHD kid who calmed down when he was finally allowed to be himself—you might find that when you’re finally allowed to drink…

You just might not want to anymore.

Try This

The next time you reach for a drink, try this little mind flip:

1. Say to yourself:
   “You’re allowed. No shame. No guilt.”
2. Then ask:
   “Do I actually want this, or is this just a habit?”
3. And finally:
   “If I wasn’t trying to numb this feeling, what would I do instead?”

Even if you drink anyway, you’ve planted a seed of awareness. And that’s all you need to start taking your power back.

Final Thoughts: Drink More? Or Think More?

Sometimes the trick isn’t to fight harder—it’s to stop fighting altogether.

When you stop trying to force yourself to quit, and instead let yourself choose freely…

You might realise that you’re already done.

Because you’re not weak. You’re just human.

And sometimes the most rebellious, badass thing you can do… is not drink at all.