Dee74

I had a whole lot of underlying reason why I drank, much like yours LM...

unfortunately I kept drinking, long after most of those problems had faded away - I become an alcoholic.

You won;t find the real you until you put the bottle down for good, and even then, depending on how deeply you where mired in alocholism, it may take a few months for the real you - a you you've forgotten - to re -emerge.

I used to fear that the real me would be a mess of neuroses, scared and weak and without a safety net of alcohol...but it didn't turn out that way.

I actually liked the real me. I think you will too LilyMarie

D

sugarbear1

I was also an introvert with low self esteem and extremely shy. I think I was born an alcoholic.

I don't drink today.

LilyMarie

I like this. Thanks, Sugarbear.

improudmama

My husband used to say, he drank because he used enjoyed it but in my opinion, he had some underlying issues that I believe caused him to drink so he could forget them.

dcg

Every drunk likes the high; that's the easy part.

Dee74

I drank years past the point where I got any high, so while I appreciate that perspective is held by many, it wasn't the whole story for me.

D

Nuke

I agree with Dee, looking back over the past few years, it wasn't "fun" anymore. I had grown out of the fun stage of alcohol, it was an addiction (and a habit) that I just didn't want to let go of.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why I didn't stop earlier, why my AV keep leading me back to something that made me so miserable, but I sought after SO much. At this point in my workday all I can think about is going home and having a beer. Even though I don't want one, that is all that has been running through my head for about the past hour.

But instead I will go to my IOP...a better choice I know...but I would rather go home with my family!

LBrain

like others have said, (insert reason here) was why I drank.

After a while I drank because it was there. And if it wasn't there I'd go out and get more. I no longer needed a reason to drink.

Incontrol15

That about sums it up for me!

As for starting the first drink, I saw my family having fun while drinking. Wanted to see what all the hub bub was about. It's funny how it tasted so horrible at first, but I managed to push through it. Makes me wonder if it really ever "tasted" good as much as the feelings it produced made a "yummy" association in my mind.

Kinda like smoking. Which I do. It doesn't taste good at all. I just get a relief from withdrawal.

Rio97

I drank because I liked it. I liked THAT feeling it gave me. It's hard to give up. The depths we succumb to just to feel that way, if just for a few hours. It ends up becoming the most important thing.

Learning to live again without it is the hurdle.

advbike

At first I drank for the buzz.. to socialize..

In later years I genuinely enjoyed the experience.. the taste, the smell, the ambience of nice restaurants...

Never mind that I was often alone, and it had become a daily habit instead of an occasional celebration with friends.