Alcohol scares me!
Theres my admission for the day lol.
I've always considered myself a 'normal' drinker, I don't go out much to places where there's alcohol. I don't buy alcohol to have in the house as a regular thing, maybe at Christmas or special birthdays, maybe once in a while for a special date (that don't happen very often!) I don't often think of alcohol these days to be honest, if it's there it's there, no big deal to me now, my A is well gone so I don't need to bother about anyone elses action/reaction around it.
When my brother died however was a different matter, I would not go near any alcohol for ages, didn't want to hear of any friends drink stories, didn't like to see it on TV and was personally offended at the TV adverts!
Then I decided(somewhere deep in my head) that I had to prove I could drink with no repercussions. So I did. For a couple of weekends. I hated it. I chugged down g+t like never before. I don't like to be drunk, I don't even like to get a bit of a buzz.
There are lot's of things about alcoholism I don't understand, why was my brother addicted and I'm not (if it's supposedly linked to genetics) what is 'different' about alcoholics, even just why?
I've got to the stage where I don't really need the answers to these questions, I's like them, but I don't need them any more.
Alcoholics are what they are, I don't think they can regulate what they drink.
But as well as alcoholics I think there are also 'problem drinkers', we see more and more in the UK, especially young people, drinking on a weekend and causing problems (violence, anti social behaviour etc)
I think what I just described as 'problem drinkers' maybe could be educated and not have any alcohol problems, but I do believe there are some who are definately addicted and have to choose their way, either to stop or face whatever drinking brings them.
I know this site has a majority of US users, and I don't know what your education system is like, but I really think that alcoholism/addiction should be a big part of what we have as Personal social health education (PSHE)