This has baffled me for a long time. For me, I drank to obtain elation and fun and also to forget about bad stuff when necessary. I drank toward emotions...
I know someone who is a binge alcoholic who has convinced themselves they are not. They have a weekly date with friends that includes much drinking and if it gets cancelled he gets very upset. He plans his social activities around drinking, uses it as a crutch for anxiety, and spends vacations in places where the only thing to do really is to party.
He swears he can stop anytime. But, the other day, he said "why would someone have 1 beer? What's the point?" That, to me, was the last sign I needed to determine this man is at the very least a heavy alcohol a user and at most a full blown binge alcoholic.
Normal drinkers do not behave this way. Normal drinkers enjoy 1 or 2 drinks and don't think about it again. They do not gravitate toward or only hang out with other drinkers. They simply go about their business and drinking is always an option but not an important one.
Drinking for me was the best option in my mind for a long time. Now, I just marvel at how normies have no interest in or thoughts of drinking until the choice is literally on the table.
Anyway, moderation didn't work for me and clearly doesn't for many. Alcoholics can't drink without unpredictable consequence. Maybe that right there is the fundamental difference
