Originally Posted by
bunchie 
I was just wondering I really do not know why I drink so much. I grew up in a good house with lots of love, my father was an alcoholic but genuinely a great guy , he had some issues but we all loved him. My mother was practically a tee totaled, worked hard as a nurse, she was a great mom. However, me and my two brothers are alcoholic binge drinkers. Drinking was a way of life where I grew up, all the families drank at the beach, we were the sons and daughters of World War 2 veterans , and that's the way it was. I think one of my brother's is starting to get like my father , drinking everyday, but me and other brother just binge on weekends , I feel it is worse than drinking everyday because our intent when we drink is to get hammered, then sober up on Monday and suffer with anxiety , depression, and irritation. I've been reading where counseling can find out why you drink so much. Is this true? I only have anger at myself , I blame no one else for my shortcomings, but I always regret I never accomplished much in my life. I do have a good job , I make good money , I have a pension , retirement 401k, health insurance, two great kids , but something is missing.?I need to figure it out.
You can't get addicted to a substance unless you have learned it does something for you. When life presents us with overwhelming issues, addicts respond with compulsive behavior such as a quick fix or mood changer of drugs. This is another way of saying we drink to regain control of how we feel. When we think life should be easy, fair and painless, our threshold to adversity is lowered and we regain control of our emotions with booze. The antidote is to empower ourselves with healthy behavior that replaces the drinking and returns control to our emotions. Easier said than done but it starts with realistic values and purpose in life. I was a functional drug addict for 4 decades. I had lost my purpose and values in life. It might be time to regain or acquire yours.