Yeah.... I am a little mind blown by it too. There have been plenty of people who I've seen not drinking. But far more who have obviously neeeeded to have booze involved in order to celebrate.
Even the ones who just have a few... To 'loosen up'.
So, we are dependent upon a chemical to do so! This isn't taking inventory, it's observation. It's something I've felt and thought here and there in sobriety as I've observed the reasons, occasions and ways that people drink.
It's kind of interesting... I mean at what point IS it 'dependent'? If a person only has two beers but also has not gone more than a week without two beers in 15 years..... Is that dependence? Is that person even capable of it anymore?
If a person says - 'man... I NEED a DRINK' every other Friday night and has three whiskey sours but doesn't get drunk... Isn't that person self-medicating too?
Now before anyone says I'm taking inventory or reminds me o the difference between these types of drinking and severe alcoholic drinking - I know, I know.
The point here is that there are subtle, arguably less-drastic and less harmful forms of addiction - but they are still a degree of dependence. They are still needing to have or at the very least defaulting to the choice to have a substance in order to be able to; relax, have fun, celebrate, relieve stress, feel joy, relate to others.
When I look at it like that, I see a brighter sort of shine on sobriety.... Because it's being free from any of that dependence and it means learning how to relax, have fun, celebrate, relieve stress, feel joy and relate to others purely as ourselves.