The main and most direct “cause” of your disturbed, problem drinking is your Belief System (B). It is your Belief System about the early, present, and possible future Activating Events or Adversities (A’s) of your life. It is your Belief System about the negative emotions you create with your Belief System and how you can’t stand those feelings. And it is your Belief System about pleasurable feelings and how you must have them and can’t stand not having them. Addiction is strengthened by your Belief System about how you must not get and can’t stand the poor results you cause yourself because you devoutly Believe you must have certain good feelings and must not have certain bad feelings. And, finally, addiction is strengthened by your tendency to damn yourself, others, or life because of their bad characteristics.

What is more, B is your choice, your philosophy, your outlook. So no matter what and how difficult your A’s are, you can usually discover, understand, and change B. Whatever you believe, you can challenge and rethink. Not, of course, if you are in a coma or seriously brain damaged! Not very effectively if you are (temporarily) panicked, drugged, or intoxicated. But when you free yourself to stop and think, you can greatly change B. How? By using many Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) methods that we shall describe in detail, and that we’ll call Self-help: RET style.