Smell Booze, Remember Pain: Why It Doesn’t Break Me Anymore

2025-05-28

You can delete a photo. Bury a memory. Pretend it never happened. But you can’t un-smell it. The stench of stale alcohol is more than unpleasant—it’s a time machine. One whiff and suddenly you’re back in the storm. The broken glass. The glazed-over eyes. The pain you tried so hard to escape. In this episode, I break down how alcohol manipulates our most powerful sense—smell—to cement emotional memories that keep us drinking. I’ll share my own story of how the smell of Bacardi once triggered my trau...

You can delete a photo. Bury a memory. Pretend it never happened.

But you can’t un-smell it.

The stench of stale alcohol is more than unpleasant—it’s a time machine. One whiff and suddenly you’re back in the storm. The broken glass. The glazed-over eyes. The pain you tried so hard to escape.

In this episode, I break down how alcohol manipulates our most powerful sense—smell—to cement emotional memories that keep us drinking. I’ll share my own story of how the smell of Bacardi once triggered my trauma… and why it doesn’t control me anymore.

We’ll explore new research that shows why the same smell can make one person crave alcohol and another want to run.

This isn’t just about memory.

It’s about programming.

And how to break free from the Liquid Lie—so you can remember who you truly are.

#1000DaysSoberPodcast #LeeDavy #STRIVE #STRIVEMethod #AFAF #TheLiquidLie #alcoholfree #traumahealing #nervoussystemhealing #recoveryjourney #alcoholawareness #memoryhealing #selfledlife #smelltriggers #IFS

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