Originally Posted by Chinchillin

That's a very valid and good question. I think I drink because of both physiological and psychological reasons.

***as does everyone on these boards***

Now, I guess I'd like to start with asking how wanting to stop and understanding how bad it is for you can actually pave a way into recovery when alcohol and being young-er just excuse you to say oh, I function, I can figure it out later"

***been drinking heavily for 20 years, never missed a day of work with a hangover, never drank at work or before work, but still obviously there is an issue when passing out on the sofa nightly right?? So I, like you, function perfectly fine...except at some point where the rubber hits the road, you have to ask yourself..."what the eff am I doing here?" You have an opportunity right now to recognize your addictive personality (or whatever you want to call it) and DO something about it. I have a degree from a top University as well, and a successful career...successful home life and marriage...but at some point it could become a cost to all of that...drinking...so I am choosing to do something about it. Lots of information on this site to help you with different schools of thought on quitting. BOOZE doesn't discriminate. It'll take the young, the old, the smart, the not so smart, the educated, the ditch digger...so it doesn't matter one bit who you are or where you went to school or what you do for a living. ***

That is what my body and mind tell me. Ugh, we can get into the psyche and the physical addiction of it all. Literally it comes full circle: Want to stop, yet, can't only because I(weird definition of the self, ya know? That's the real problem here) can't/don't want to.

***That is a problem...that you can't/dont want to...you have to realize you desire a change and find a way to make it happen...***

How does one ACTUALLY break the physiological, like any addiction: smokers, drug addicts(even though alcohol should be a drug), part of it? That's a start.

***desire to do so, AA works for many, secular schools of thought are out there as well***

And then, more importantly, how does one get alcohol to stop excusing itself into your life? Does the body craving it really influence the mind/psyche that much that will isn't enough? Is their anyway, that you guys know, that the mind can not want it enough that it can withstand the habit of physiological custom?