People take alcohol for different reasons. Now for the reason that it is a drug, it can be addictive. This addiction is called alcoholism and can make life very hard for people who are affected. So, why do people drink alcohol? This may be an interesting thing to know. There are quite a number of reasons why this is so. The following are some of the reasons as to why people get into much alcohol, but they sound more like excuses.
Why Do People Drink Alcohol?
Stress reduction
Some people, out of their trying moments, tend to take alcohol as a stress reliever. It is taken as a self-medication for other life issues. In essence, alcohol has been taken by some individuals to ease emotional and physical pain. If the individual who takes alcohol is still using other medications for relieving pain, the alcohol effects get intensified further.
For relaxation and social confidence
Alcohol is a common drink in social gatherings where people come together for celebrations and have fun. It is mainly used to help people get relaxed and again have confidence in those social settings when people are in the company of friends and family. This particularly happens because of the disinhibition effects of alcohol. Therefore, it is believed to take away loneliness and create an ability to relate without fears.
To while away time in isolated cases
Isolated individuals resort to alcohol as a means to spend time. Those affected are mainly the ones without sufficient support networks, those who cannot move a lot and others who don’t have much access to transportation. The senior citizens are mainly affected in this manner.
For enjoyment
Individuals adore the alcohol psychoactive effects for a number of reasons. It brings a relief and a detachment from reality. Generally, they take alcohol for adventure and sometimes for spiritual search.
Peer pressure
Some individuals, especially students and most adolescents, take alcohol as a result of influence from their peers. They normally find themselves in the act of drinking without a good reason for it. Many of them don’t usually have principles and an ability to say “NO” to some things and therefore, it starts out as a fad only to become an issue for them later on.
Due to certain traits
May be the above doesn’t apply in your case and you are still asking, “Why do people drink alcohol?” There are certain personality traits that would make a person take alcohol. This is especially true for people with traits of anxiety, aggression, withdrawal, rebellion, dis-inhibition, thrill-seeking, depression, hyperactivity, disruptivity and difficulty avoiding hurtful situations.
Alcohol is readily available
Here is a somewhat obvious reason why people drink alcohol. They can easily get alcohol and for that reason, they are tempted to get it and even for the teens. Friends and family are the main sources of alcohol for children who take alcohol, whether they know it or not. Fake IDS have been on the increase amongst underage drinkers and because of the availability of the drink, they are willing to cheat their way to acquire them.
As one of the developmental changes
As they mature, adolescents become free and more independent than before and could take alcohol as a means of adapting to the dramatic emotional, physical and emotional change they experience. It happens as they try to explore about themselves especially concerning their beliefs and values as they venture into adulthood.
Out of curiosity
Wondering why do people drink alcohol? History has it that human beings take part in things that change their state of psychology. There are a number of reasons why individuals wish to alter their emotional and mental status. May be someone in history ate a fermenting fruit and got some pleasant feeling that sparked his curiosity. People have fallen to alcoholism as a result of curiosity as well. Many questions about alcohol and in the process, curiosity leads them to have a taste of alcohol.
Strategies to Stop Drinking
Choose other options
You can choose to go for other healthy activities, relationships and hobbies or even renew those you may have missed. If alcohol makes you feel comfortable in social settings, in dealing with moods or managing problems, then look for other good ways to address such areas in your life.
Shun “triggers”
You certainly know what causes you to drink. If some places or individuals make you to drink when you are not for it, stay away from them. If some activities, feelings or certain times of the day trigger your drinking urge, get something else to do rather than drinking. If the issue affects you while at home, don’t keep any alcohol in your house.
Commit to deal with urges
There are some things you can do when the urge becomes inevitable. Remind yourself why you need to change – this could be from a written piece of paper or an electronic platform. You can as well talk to someone you trust about it. You can also try to distract yourself through healthy activities like physical workouts or some fun activities that don’t include drinking. Another option could be accepting the urge rather than fighting it and ride the urge out without yielding to it, knowing that it will reach its peak and die out.
Learn to say “NO”
You definitely know how drinking affects you and in most cases, you are solely liable for the things happening in your life. You know how alcohol affects you and therefore, you should learn to confidently and politely say “NO” to drink offers. Make it a quick one before you get drifted gradually by thinking of other excuses to the question, “why do people drink alcohol?”
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