As long as the masses see this as the problem, they are happy.
“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”- Charles Baudelaire
First, let me start by dispelling any notions I’m trying to intimate that alcoholism is not real.
There is no doubt that there are individuals who, either through genetics or because they were exposed to alcohol at a very young age, have been physiologically adapted to the point that alcohol is an addiction over which they have no control.
These individuals need all the help offered by the various programs available and could in no way quit drinking alone, nor should they try.
However, as it relates to the alcohol industry, the concept of alcoholism is one of the best protectors of their massive profits that are forecasted to surpass 2.2 trillion by 2025. As long as this is what everyone looks at as the main reason to quit drinking, they couldn’t be happier.
There is one main reason that makes this accurate.
It allows everyone else to give themselves a pass
This is the secret that only people who work in the alcohol industry will tell you.
The reason the alcohol industry is so in love with the concept of alcoholism and the small 1.4% of the world who would put themselves in this category is that it gives a free pass for the other 98.6% of the population to completely ignore how much they are drinking and how it affects their lives.
I previously shared my sentiment of how this extreme view of alcohol’s effects on individuals in sober literature often hurts the alcohol-conscious movement more than helps it at times.
I always get this sense whenever I tell someone I no longer drink. They always respond with questions about how “bad” it got for me and ask how did I know I “had a problem?”
When I respond that I didn’t have a problem but quit because either A) I may have been on my way to having one or B) realized that it wasn’t serving me in regards to helping me create the best version of myself, they often wholly dismiss the second part and only hear the first.
“Oh, he recognized he was on his way to having a problem.” This is followed up with the thought, “I’m not in that boat, so I’m still safe to drink as much as I want.”
The reality is that most people are at risk of developing a drinking problem unless they don’t drink at all.
In the famous words of Kevin Hart, “the way alcohol is set up,” if you drink it regularly, there is a good chance you will develop a dependency over time.
The only question becomes how long it will take you to do so.
Why you should consider giving up drinking without having a “problem”
It seems a bit silly that this has to be said, but here you go:
Alcohol is f*cking terrible for you.
That’s it.
We use the word intoxication to describe when you’re drunk because alcohol is toxic to your body.
Some people develop cirrhosis of the liver and die early because their liver has to work SO hard to remove the toxicity from their body to keep them alive that it begins to decay within itself.
I was explaining to someone the other day that when I write to get people to consider quitting drinking, I’m not primarily talking to people who would consider themselves alcoholics.
They definitely should, but I’m not qualified to understand the psychological and physiological constraints of addiction in which they live.
When I write, I’m talking to the average person who drinks alcohol consistently but not enough to think they have a “problem.”
This person is being held back every day because they are shortening their life and preventing themselves from realizing their full abilities.
Alcohol is the great governor of life, and there are so many realities to how great life can be that you will not/cannot understand until you’ve given it a chance.
I think the unequivocal age that all people should no longer drink is 40, but this doesn’t mean you have to drink up to this time, as living a healthy life sooner will only yield more dividends sooner.
How to do it
As shared, if you fall into the category of someone who would consider themselves a true alcoholic, then AA or the host of other sobriety programs out there may be the best way to go.
Quitting drinking is not easy, and it does take a fair amount of focus and effort, regardless of where individuals are on the spectrum with it.
If you aren’t quite to the level of needing a program as intense as AA to help, then our concepts of The MEDS is a great place to start. It will help guide you along the journey to reach a place of alcohol consciousness.
It starts with changing your mindset toward alcohol.
To truly get to a place where you realize alcohol is not helping your life, you must first educate yourself on what you’re trading every time you decide to partake in it.
Through that journey, you can then decide if it’s worth it in the long run, and, if not, use a host of strategies and tips that will keep you focused on your future and what you will accomplish going forward to leave it behind forever.
This process may not be easy, but it doesn’t have to be complicated either, and if you take it one day at a time and never give up, you’ll always have a chance to achieve it.