why continue to drink?

[spuddleduck]

I still cant understand why I/we get the urge to drink. Knowing that it only brings grief and heartache in all ways why do I still drink. I can understand when I was drinking heavily/daily as a drink would get rid of the withdrawals/shaking/sweating etc. and even when not drinking so heavily it would relax me/help me sleep. I used to feel pretty miserable a lot of the time and I liked to drink to oblivion to get rid of these feelings.
Fast forward to now? none of this applies anymore to me. I know the simple answer is addiction to alcohol but I cant understand why I continue to do something that gives me NOTHING good. I also used to drink for social confidence but drinking robbed me of that and now I know I have more confidence not drinking. I know I can get through a craving and nothing bad happens. I know if I drink bad things always happen. Im still finding it difficult to understand why my brain is urging me to drink and it is my brain as I have no physical addiction anymore.
Any thoughts on this ridiculous process that makes us continue drinking?

[Doggygirl]

why continue to drink?

Spuds, I think Sheri's explanation is a good one. Logic just doesn't seem to apply.

I had to remove myself from situations involving AL. For a long time. It was monumentally easier to deal with cravings and urges and irrational thinking when I wasn't staring down frosty glasses of *whatever* AL.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I get the feeling that you may be around AL when you succumb to the urges, irrational as they might be? (sorry if I am reading that totally wrong!!!)

If that is correct, is there a way you can remove yourself from being around AL for a while? That doesn't mean you won't have urges (at least it didn't for me) but it did make them less frequent and less intense. When I relapsed after 60 days AF, it was during a time when I allowed myself to be in a situation surrounded by AL.

That same situation does not bother me at all today. But back then, I was not ready. It was WELL worth being very picky about where i would go and what I would do, and with who, in order to gain the freedom I have today. Today I really do have complete freedom of choice where I go and what I do. I was AL PRISONER 100% when I was drinking.

So that period in the middle where I was carefully avoiding AL situations was WELL worth it.

DG

[Ringing Cedars]

why continue to drink?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BkI8LD24y0&feature=related[/video]]YouTube - ‪What The Bleep Do We Know--Addiction Clip‬‏

It's kind of blending the "law of attraction" with scientific evidence.
I think we have created both physical and psychological dependencies on emotions, situations and substances. Hence the many areas of life to address.

This really sums it up for me. I've posted it before. Sure we can be predisposed to alcoholism but unless you feed it, it cannot create additional neuro receptors.

[Barbara1234]

why continue to drink?

Sheri;1120731 wrote: Hi Spuds,

My understanding is that our addiciton is similiar to an allergy. One of the symptoms of an allergy is that we crave the very thing that we are allergic to even though it causes us so many problems. One sip ignites the craving and keeps it alive in our system for days after the substance is consumed. The only way I know to break free is to abstain.

Have you taken the test in the research section to determine your alcoholic biotype?

Mine is allergic/addicted, which makes perfect sense to me.

Sheri

I went to the research section and couldn't find the test. Where would I find it?

thanks

[Barbara1234]

why continue to drink?

Thanks, I found it.

[spuddleduck]

why continue to drink?

thanks for your input. i did the test a while back and was also alergic/addicted, i guess quite a few of us would come under that one.
dg, i have very much taken myself out of social situations involving al as it was always a recipe for disaster. mr spuds drinks and i do find it difficult being around him drunk. he is supposed to keep any al in the house locked down in the basement.... occasionally he forgets and it usually ends in me drinking. i guess most of the time i must plan to drink as i have to go to the shop and buy it. i have occasionally managed to change my mind by the time i walk to the shops..... what a marvelous feeling that is.
i agree that we will probobly never understand what makes us want to drink,and it would be better using that brain time and energy on understanding ways to stay sober.

[Doggygirl]

why continue to drink?

Spuds, have you ever made a detailed written plan? What actions you will take every day to stay sober? What you will do when the urge to drink strikes (WHEN, not IF!!) Sitting around hoping for the insanity to stop didn't get me anywhere in my battle with AL. I really had to take ACTION to make any progress.

DG

[spuddleduck]

why continue to drink?

dg, i have made a written plan, well more than once when change was needed. i have seen your plan and mine was no where as detailed. yes perhaps that would be a good step for me to take. i do find when im taking postitive action i find it easier to resist. as you say you can sit around hoping for a very long miserable time and it is only action that will ever make things change. i guess im still hoping for he impossible... to be able to have one drink and not go on a bender to pass out stage. deep down i already know that is never gonna happen im just having difficulty accepting it.

[Doggygirl]

why continue to drink?

Spuds, I think you have just pinpointed the core of the problem. I understand where you are coming from. For a long time, all the words I mouthed out loud (aka typing on MWO) said "I know I can't drink safely." But there was that small 2% part of me holding out hope that I could someday have just one.

AL finally won enough of those rounds with me to convince me once and for all - 100% - that I will never ever if I live to be 150 be able to drink just one. Finally accepting that was HUGE in terms of helping me reach that point where I had a prayer of stopping the insanity.

I hope you really try to grab acceptance of the truth for yourself. The truth helped me put my feet on the path to freedom.

Today, I can't even imagine why on earth I would WANT to drink just one. I don't want any of it. What a miracle.

DG

[DriftyAlison0]

why continue to drink?

I think that the reason that we continue to drink even though we know the concequences of it is that we see the so called fun in it, that is until the morning after. I want to go to the local bar so bad to do karaoke. But being so early in my af journey, I know that there is a good chance that I will have al. My mind is not on the hangovers and the bad feelings, its for the fun and for the fix. Thing is, I am stronger then this. Aka I have a plan for tonight. I have less then a dollar on me. I will stick here instead of at the bar. I can go to youtube, look up song lyrics, and sing my heart out with just my brother (once mom leaves for work) to hear me. I can have my own sober karaoke if I wanted to. I also am thinking about how bad a hangover feels and tomorrow morning when I wake up and be hangover free, I will be grateful and think of some friends who are not going to be so grateful for they will have hangovers.

[DriftyAlison0]

why continue to drink?

Thanks. I found another dollar on me then I expected, so I am going down to the gas station to get something but it will not be AL. Probably some scratch off tabs or something for desert. We will see.

[Doggygirl]

why continue to drink?

Sheri;1121326 wrote: I :h your post, Drifty!

You are one wise young woman!

Wished I was that wise way back when!

Keep up the good work!

Sheri

DITTO DITTO DITTO!!!

If you get scratch offs, I hope you win.

DG

[medic]

why continue to drink?

Spuds,

I'd imagine there are varied reasons for returning to alcohol and not necessarily one exclusive reason. I have posted in the past that, in my opinion, happy people don't drink. I believe that people drink because they are either miserable in their sober lives for whatever reason or need something to enhance their feelings in a more primal way (sometimes alcohol is used as an aphrodisiac!).

The mind altering nature of alcohol suggests a socially acceptable fleeing from reality. I know when I'm upset if I drink myself drunk I don't feel the pain as acutely because my mind has been altered. Reality is a real problem for some people. I suspect pharmaceutical drug addicts will present many of the same reasons for their repeat indulgence.

If your life is one big bore for whatever reason isn't it so much better to retreat into something that prevents introspection or uncontrolled agitation?

[spuddleduck]

why continue to drink?

so true medic, im sure there are many and varied reasons. i think i posted on your thread about your ideal future that my life at the moment is quite ok... not fantastic but perfectly ok...... when al is not in the mix. i think ive gone past the point of drinking to numb feelings or to be more sociable, i drink because im an alcoholic. knowing this doesnt actually get me out of this but i guess its a start.

[KateH1]

why continue to drink?

Medic, I will tell you this......my life has never been boring and so, I did not drink due to boredom. And I did not drink because I was unhappy or miserable. I drank for every reason I could think of. To celebrate was a big one. When things were going just great, winning awards at work, or something wonderful happening, I would begin to drink to "celebrate". Sadly, my drinking never ended well. Drinking caused many problems in my life, never, every did drinking help me to escape, though escape, was yet another reason that I drank.

I cannot speak for others, this is just my personal experience with alcohol. I am so very grateful for my sobriety today! I am able to truly celebrate and remember the celebration. I am able to get through anything that life throughs my way.

Kate