The real roots of addiction?
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,476
With a bit more time, I can expand on my posts.
I think it's important to distinguish physical from mental addiction.
Because this, in my opinion, reveals a lot about the effect alcohol has on those who become addicted.
Obviously mental addiction precedes physical, but why do a smallish percentage of us become "mentally addicted" in the first place.
If alcohol had the exact same psychic effect on every drinker, surely the numbers would be signicantly higher?
A lot of people drink, socially or moderately, but the effect of alcohol on them, is in my experience, from talking to moderate drinkers, different to the effect it had on me.
Alcohol is classified as a depressant. I was depressed sober, give me a few drinks and I perked up no end.
Alcohol makes moderate drinkers sleepy. It had a stimulant effect on me, like drinking red bull does, but even stronger.
It reliably took away awkwardness and a disconnected feeling..... I felt like I fitted in after drinking.
Moderate drinkers get sick too, my mum described it as a sea sick feeling at around the 3-4-5 drink mark.
I never ever had that feeling, not once.
I think something in me was wired differently, so to speak, in so much as many of the things moderate drinkers described, either had an opposite effect or no effect.
Almost like my body was pre-adapted to alcohol, I took to it like a fish to water.
Mine wasn't a story of slowly building tolerance until I could drink huge amounts.
I seem to have been born like that.
I could drink 12 cans of beer when I was 13 years old and be walking and talking at school dances.
All my friends were outside puking their guts up after 6.
I dunno..... Weird.
I think it's important to distinguish physical from mental addiction.
Because this, in my opinion, reveals a lot about the effect alcohol has on those who become addicted.
Obviously mental addiction precedes physical, but why do a smallish percentage of us become "mentally addicted" in the first place.
If alcohol had the exact same psychic effect on every drinker, surely the numbers would be signicantly higher?
A lot of people drink, socially or moderately, but the effect of alcohol on them, is in my experience, from talking to moderate drinkers, different to the effect it had on me.
Alcohol is classified as a depressant. I was depressed sober, give me a few drinks and I perked up no end.
Alcohol makes moderate drinkers sleepy. It had a stimulant effect on me, like drinking red bull does, but even stronger.
It reliably took away awkwardness and a disconnected feeling..... I felt like I fitted in after drinking.
Moderate drinkers get sick too, my mum described it as a sea sick feeling at around the 3-4-5 drink mark.
I never ever had that feeling, not once.
I think something in me was wired differently, so to speak, in so much as many of the things moderate drinkers described, either had an opposite effect or no effect.
Almost like my body was pre-adapted to alcohol, I took to it like a fish to water.
Mine wasn't a story of slowly building tolerance until I could drink huge amounts.
I seem to have been born like that.
I could drink 12 cans of beer when I was 13 years old and be walking and talking at school dances.
All my friends were outside puking their guts up after 6.
I dunno..... Weird.
Better when never is never
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Wisconsin near Twin Cities
Posts: 1,745
Originally Posted by Hawks 
Below are two lists of withdrawal symptoms.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: C.C. Ma.
Posts: 3,697
Whatever the reasons are that I’m an alcoholic it’s past business and I’m more concerned with the moment and future actions.
I became sober a lot of years ago by being honest with myself about my drinking and accepting the fact I cannot drink alcohol in safety. After that action is required to be long term sober and that wequires work and changes in my emotional reactions and actions in dealing with life as it is, not the way I want it. It’s not always easy, if it were were far more would be sober than miserable.
BE WELL
I became sober a lot of years ago by being honest with myself about my drinking and accepting the fact I cannot drink alcohol in safety. After that action is required to be long term sober and that wequires work and changes in my emotional reactions and actions in dealing with life as it is, not the way I want it. It’s not always easy, if it were were far more would be sober than miserable.
BE WELL
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