Alcohol Explained

by William Porter

A much fuller understanding comes when we factor in that the feeling of mental relaxation induced by alcohol doesn’t just dissipate leaving us feeling as we did before, it dissipates leaving a corresponding feeling of anxiety and distress. So when we start we want to just carry on, we want to relieve the anxious feeling not suffer it, and if we cannot relieve it we would rather not suffer it at all. So our options are drink with impunity, in which case we don’t have to worry about the craving, the subconscious triggers, or the withdrawal (at least we don’t have to worry about them until we eventually go to bed and wake up the following day); not drink at all, in which case we only suffer the subconscious triggers and possibly the craving; or have one or two, in which case we suffer the withdrawal from the one or two drinks we imbibe and the craving and subconscious triggers (which are much more formidable when they are triggered by the physical withdrawal). So completely logically and understandably, our options in order of preference are: drink, abstain, have one or two. Indeed, this final option is one many people simply will not even attempt.