Let’s stop normalizing "social drinking”as if it’s benign and harmless. Social drinking can cause alcohol related deaths by disease, spousal abuse or drunk driving. Social drinking can destroy marriages and families. Social drinking can cause violence and harm to innocent bystanders. There is nothing normal about drinking a poison that impairs judgment and self-control, increases impulsiveness and recklessness. I've never seen alcohol bring out the best in anyone. I dont have to run down the list of obnoxious behaviors that it brings out of people, we've all been there and we've all witnessed it in others way too many times. Just because someone only drinks socially, doesn't mean they are not dependent on the drug. They need it to function in a social setting. Without it they can't have fun, or be comfortable in their own skin. That's a classic sign of addiction, there are many levels of it. Let's stop justifying and normalizing drug addiction just because it's only done "socially". Most drug users prefer to be around their own kind. If you enjoy being around your drunken friends and family go for it. I personally find it very boring but that’s just me. Also, there's an extremely low percentage of social drinkers who can stop at just one, most go beyond the limit and become a completely different person.
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Sobriety is not for the weak. My life got harder and more complicating when I quit drinking because I couldn’t numb myself to the realities of life, with its normal highs and lows. Instead, I had to feel everything and learn how to deal with it, which caused me to learn healthy self soothing skills when life gets tough. When I drank I just ran from life. Now I’m able to accept things and ride the storm knowing “this too shall pass”. Taking the good with the bad, realizing nothing lasts forever. Nobody’s life is all fun and games no matter what social media shows us. It takes balls to live sober! 💪
