Originally Posted by carnivore

Substance abuse is a symptom of a mental illness, more often depression. Individuals will self medicate with substances to fulfill emotional needs. When I was an alcoholic I liked the warm fuzzy feeling that everything was alright and had meaning. It numbed my emotions, lifted my mood, and helped overcome some shyness. I was going through some shitty times, which I won't get to here, so that's why I medicated in such way. I quit being an alcoholic the day I started going to the gym. Lifting weights gave my life a meaning and I no longer felt the need to fill the emptiness with alcohol. I still drank but not to get drunk. I liked making cocktails and the sensory experience of smelling Islay scotch. I never gave any of it up, and I've never relapsed since 2.5 years. I've now switched to weed helps me medicate more effectively, has no negative side effects, and is not addictive. Some other people see life black and white and decide cold turkey is the way to go. As usual people tend to mistake a symptom for a cause. So they will religiously demonize alcohol and even look down on people who consume it. I'm inspired to say all this after seeing a presentation by somebody criticizing office parties for encouraging alcohol consumption and thereby creating a sense of exclusion towards former alcoholics who religiously avoid the stuff. I define alcolism as chronic use of the substance for self medication. I am not a medical doctor.