Stop Drinking Expert is Craig Beck’s paid online programme for people who want to quit alcohol. Beck is also the author of Alcohol Lied to Me, and his approach focuses heavily on changing the way you think about alcohol rather than trying to fight the urge to drink through willpower.
This review looks at what the current programme is trying to do, who it may suit, and what public customer feedback looks like before you spend any money.
What is Stop Drinking Expert?
Stop Drinking Expert is an online quit-drinking course created by Craig Beck. On his current website, Beck describes the programme as helping people stop drinking without relying on willpower and making sobriety feel like the easier default choice.
That idea will sound familiar if you have read Alcohol Lied to Me. Beck’s argument is that a lot of the struggle comes from still believing alcohol gives you something valuable. If you continue to see drinking as a reward, stopping can feel like deprivation. His method tries to change that relationship first.
You can read Craig Beck’s own description of the programme on his official website.
How does the Craig Beck method work?
The core idea is psychological rather than punishment based. Beck wants the person quitting to stop seeing alcohol as something they desperately want but are forbidden to have.
That is a very different mindset from counting down the hours until you can drink again. The aim is to weaken the positive beliefs attached to alcohol and build a stronger reason for choosing sobriety.
His current material also talks about cravings and social situations. Those are two areas that can make early sobriety difficult. We cover similar practical issues in our guides on how to quit drinking and staying sober at a party.
What I like about the approach
The strongest part of the Stop Drinking Expert idea is that it deals directly with the feeling that quitting means losing something. That belief can make sobriety feel miserable before you have even started.
I also like that the programme is built specifically around alcohol. Someone who wants a structured path may prefer that to trying to piece together dozens of unrelated articles and videos.
What I would consider before buying
This is a paid course, so the first question is whether you actually want a structured programme. Plenty of people stop drinking using free support, peer groups, books or their own plan. We cover several routes in our guide to different methods of quitting drinking.
Beck’s style is also direct. Some people respond well to that. Others may prefer a more clinical or group-based approach. It is worth watching some of his free material first so you know whether the presentation style works for you.
What do customers say?
Public feedback is unusually strong. At the time this page was updated, the Stop Drinking Expert profile on Trustpilot showed a 4.9 out of 5 rating from around 1,860 reviews.
Recent reviewers commonly mention changing how they think about alcohol and finding the programme easier to follow than approaches they had tried before. Public reviews are still individual experiences, so they cannot tell you how well the course will work for you.
Who is Stop Drinking Expert likely to suit?
- Someone who has decided they want to stop drinking and wants a clear programme to follow.
- Someone who dislikes relying on willpower as their main strategy.
- Someone who prefers learning privately online rather than attending regular meetings.
- Someone who already likes Craig Beck’s books or videos and wants a fuller version of his method.
Who may prefer another route?
If you want face-to-face peer support, you may prefer a group such as AA or SMART Recovery. Our AA guide explains what that route looks like.
If your drinking has reached the point where stopping could cause withdrawal, speak with a healthcare professional about stopping safely. An online course can be part of a wider plan, but it does not replace medical care.
Is Stop Drinking Expert worth it?
For someone who has already decided to quit and wants a structured online programme, it is a credible option to investigate. Craig Beck has been working in this area for years, the programme is tightly focused on alcohol, and the current public review profile is strong.
The biggest question is whether his way of explaining alcohol clicks with you. If it does, the course gives you a more organised version of that approach than jumping between free videos and articles.
If you are still deciding whether you are ready to stop, start with our drinking problem questions and our main quit drinking guide.
