AUTHORITATIVE SERIES: ARTICLE #10
Why Some People Drink: The Imposter, the Alcohol, and the Real Root Cause
By Troy Robins, Clinical Hypnotherapist | OxfordHypnotherapyClinic.co.uk
Alcohol addiction is one of the most misunderstood problems in modern life. It’s rarely about parties or pleasure. More often, it’s about pain. People drink to forget, to punish themselves, or to escape a tension in the body and mind that feels unbearable. But what if that tension has a name? What if the true cause isn’t alcohol at all — but something deeper?
This article explores a surprising insight from the late Dr. Olivier Ameisen, a cardiologist and professor who was also a high-functioning alcoholic. His story reveals something vital: alcohol, for many, is not a weakness. It’s a form of self-medication.
This article explores a surprising insight from the late Dr. Olivier Ameisen, a cardiologist and professor who was also a high-functioning alcoholic. His story reveals something vital: alcohol, for many, is not a weakness. It’s a form of self-medication.
The Doctor Who Drank to Feel Okay
Dr. Ameisen openly wrote about suffering from imposter syndrome. Despite his accomplishments, he felt like a fraud — like he wasn’t good enough to be a doctor. That kind of belief creates a constant state of tension: muscles clench, nerves fire, the body stays on high alert.
He discovered something striking: alcohol is a skeletal muscle relaxant. It calmed that tension temporarily, which made it feel like relief. For him, drinking wasn’t about escape — it was about feeling normal, just for a while.
Eventually, he substituted alcohol with a prescription medication called baclofen, another muscle relaxant. It helped him stay sober. But his story doesn’t end there, and it doesn’t answer the deeper question: Why did he feel like an imposter in the first place?
He discovered something striking: alcohol is a skeletal muscle relaxant. It calmed that tension temporarily, which made it feel like relief. For him, drinking wasn’t about escape — it was about feeling normal, just for a while.
Eventually, he substituted alcohol with a prescription medication called baclofen, another muscle relaxant. It helped him stay sober. But his story doesn’t end there, and it doesn’t answer the deeper question: Why did he feel like an imposter in the first place?
Why Do People Really Drink?
In my years as a hypnotherapist, I’ve worked with countless clients struggling with alcohol. Most are using it to cope with something unresolved. Often, they don’t even know what that something is — they just feel a tension, a discomfort, or an inner voice that won’t stop criticising.
Sometimes the reason is obvious. Sometimes it’s hidden. But almost always, there is a root cause.
I once worked with a man who owned several nightclubs. Drinking was part of his business — entertaining clients, sharing rounds. Over time, it became a habit. There was no trauma, no pain, no imposter syndrome. He stopped drinking quickly with hypnosis and kept returning for sessions because, in his words, "It just feels good." Cases like his are rare.
Most of the time, drinking is driven by a belief — a subconscious conclusion the person has drawn from earlier experiences: "I’m not good enough." "I don’t deserve success." "I’ll never be happy."
Sometimes the reason is obvious. Sometimes it’s hidden. But almost always, there is a root cause.
I once worked with a man who owned several nightclubs. Drinking was part of his business — entertaining clients, sharing rounds. Over time, it became a habit. There was no trauma, no pain, no imposter syndrome. He stopped drinking quickly with hypnosis and kept returning for sessions because, in his words, "It just feels good." Cases like his are rare.
Most of the time, drinking is driven by a belief — a subconscious conclusion the person has drawn from earlier experiences: "I’m not good enough." "I don’t deserve success." "I’ll never be happy."
How Hypnotherapy Helps

If I had had the chance to work with Dr. Ameisen, I wouldn’t have focused on his drinking. I would have focused on the belief behind the tension. My job would have been to help him find the event — or events — in his life that convinced him he wasn’t good enough to be a doctor.
Once we found it, I would have helped him see the truth: that imposter syndrome is a lie. That the belief was formed in childhood, or adolescence, or a moment of vulnerability — but it’s not real. He was qualified. He was good enough. He was a doctor.
In hypnosis, that kind of re-learning happens quickly. People often say babies are like sponges — soaking up everything around them. That includes beliefs. A careless comment, an embarrassing moment at school, a critical parent — any of these can plant the seed of a lifelong belief like “I’m not good enough.” And once that seed takes root, it quietly shapes the way we live, work, relate… and sometimes, the way we drink.
Hypnotherapy works by going back to that root — not just to remember it, but to reframe it. When someone sees that their belief came from a misunderstanding, a misinterpretation, or a moment that’s no longer relevant, they can finally let it go.
That’s when real change begins.
That’s when the tension lifts.
That’s when the need for alcohol disappears — not through willpower, but through healing.
Once we found it, I would have helped him see the truth: that imposter syndrome is a lie. That the belief was formed in childhood, or adolescence, or a moment of vulnerability — but it’s not real. He was qualified. He was good enough. He was a doctor.
In hypnosis, that kind of re-learning happens quickly. People often say babies are like sponges — soaking up everything around them. That includes beliefs. A careless comment, an embarrassing moment at school, a critical parent — any of these can plant the seed of a lifelong belief like “I’m not good enough.” And once that seed takes root, it quietly shapes the way we live, work, relate… and sometimes, the way we drink.
Hypnotherapy works by going back to that root — not just to remember it, but to reframe it. When someone sees that their belief came from a misunderstanding, a misinterpretation, or a moment that’s no longer relevant, they can finally let it go.
That’s when real change begins.
That’s when the tension lifts.
That’s when the need for alcohol disappears — not through willpower, but through healing.
If You’re Struggling, You’re Not Alone
Most people who drink too much aren’t trying to wreck their lives. They’re trying to cope. But if you’re using alcohol to manage an inner battle, it’s possible to win that battle — not by fighting harder, but by finding the real cause.
If this article spoke to you, or someone you love, know this: I offer private hypnotherapy sessions online. You don’t have to leave your home. You don’t have to have all the answers. You just need the willingness to take the first step.
Let’s find out why you drink — and what life could feel like without needing to.
If this article spoke to you, or someone you love, know this: I offer private hypnotherapy sessions online. You don’t have to leave your home. You don’t have to have all the answers. You just need the willingness to take the first step.
Let’s find out why you drink — and what life could feel like without needing to.