It's easy to stop drinking when you do it socially.

There are many people who would consciously love to stop drinking but can't find alternative to stop the storm in their heads. This could be caused by many things, from trauma to ADHD.

The best quote I heard about addiction is: "I only have control over my first drink".

The worst part is that alcohol and drugs have a strong stigma, but for people who are suffering anything that can turn their mind off is viable, gambling, binge watching tv or playing video games. The latter are often overlooked and ignored by relatives.

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SwiftyBug 2 days ago | parent [-]

To me it's the opposite: I can go weeks without drinking. The moment there's a social event, I feel the urge to drink. It's like I can't enjoy it without alcohol. I've been trying to figure out why this happens, but I haven't had the strength to try and not drink in one a social gathering.

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mfru 2 days ago | parent [-]

For me it is social anxiety / being on edge around more than 4-5 people (apply from 1 person upwards if they are strangers) and having sensory overload because it is a bar / pub / whatever.

A lifetime of masking leaves its mark on a nervous system, i.e.

And alcohol down regulates / takes the edge off

You might look into neurodiversity / trauma in your life (if you haven't done so already)

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SwiftyBug 2 days ago | parent [-]

What do you mean by masking? And can you elaborate on the neurodiversity part? This is the first time I hear about alcohol as something that's reached for specifically by neurodivergent people.

	▲	mfru a day ago \| parent [-]
		For people on the spectrum masking is basically roleplaying a "normal" person, by learning behavior that is associated with not being singled out as a weirdo. This takes a lot of processing power and constant vigilance in order to not drop the mask which is quite exhausting. Here is one study looking at the connection between neurodiversity and substance use: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3965675/