Why It's So Hard to Quit Drinking
Neurobiology, logistics of sobriety, and unresolved trauma can shed light on why it's so hard to live without alcohol.
I quit drinking alcohol on January 14th, 2016 — saying that always gives me some apprehension. There’s something too short and practical about that sentence as it never does justice to my recovery journey.
Addiction is a tricky issue that still baffles the minds of doctors and researchers. Although some theories have been tossed around, no one knows for sure why some people get addicted, and others don’t. Also, few understand why some people can actually quit while others can’t.
If it were so easy to abstain from our addictive substances and behaviors, then we wouldn’t be here scratching our heads, wondering why this “problem” continues to exist.
We know that no two people who struggle with addiction are the same. We also know that people who have less support and access to socioeconomic resources and more health disparities are more likely to develop and maintain addictions.
But what about someone like me; a relatively healthy person with good access to resources and support. Why did I develop an addiction, and why did it take me decades to quit? How am I able to maintain sobriety while others can’t? And why do some people who seem to lack any supports at all find a way towards sobriety? It’s a deep mystery, but there are some new ideas and theories that can help us understand a little better.