Why Do Alcoholics Drink?
After over three years sober, there’s a part of my addiction that I still don’t understand.
The Lingering Question
When I first quit drinking, I was full of questions: Do I really have an addiction? Can I actually quit? Will life be any better sober?
Quitting drinking was a confusing time, but sobriety brought me a lot of clarity. After over three years without a drink, I’ve managed to find answers to most of the questions that used to keep me up at night. (Yes, I really had an addiction. Yes, I really could quit. Yes, life really will be better sober.)
Despite all this progress, there’s one question that I’ve still never found a satisfying answer to: Why did I drink so much in the first place?
Identifying Risk Factors
When I think back to my many years of drinking, it sometimes feels like I can barely recognize myself. I have trouble understanding how I accepted a life of daily drinking for so long. The mindset that I had as a drinker was simply so different than the mindset that I’m in now.
I have an image of myself as smart, hardworking, and health-conscious. It’s hard for me to reconcile this with the reality that for years I actively ruined my mental and…
