Minimizing, Rationalizing, and the Myth of “I Wasn’t That Bad” (E282)
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Maybe your drinking isn’t/wasn’t that bad, but does that mean it’s good? If you don’t truly face what you’re doing, then how can you expect to change and move forward? In this episode, we dig into the psychological tricks we use to protect ourselves from the truth about our drinking- minimizing, rationalizing, and rewriting the past. I explain how cognitive dissonance, memory decay, and emotional self-protection keep us stuck in the cycle, and why excusing our behavior prevents real change. You'll learn what happens in the brain when we reframe harmful moments as one time occurrences, and how that keeps us from learning, growing, or getting sober for good.
What to listen to next:
E164: how taking breaks help me quit drinking for good
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Listen here. The episode will automatically load in your preferred podcast listening app.
Cite:
Gillian Tietz. Minimizing, Rationalizing, and the Myth of “I Wasn’t That Bad” (E282). Sober Powered. 2025
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