Sociological Alcoholic

Outward observation: Everybody is doing it.

Inward dialogue #1 (we will call her Sheila): Why would I not?

Inward dialogue #2 (will will call her Renee): It makes me feel bad.

Sheila: So what?

Renee: I’m tired of it.

Sheila: You don’t know anything else. What would you do?

Renee: I have no idea.

According to britannica.com there are six major contributing causes to alcohol abuse. They are heredity, peer influence, cultural influence, certain coexisting psychiatric conditions, availability and occupation. None of which are mutually exclusive. I, for one, can identify with at least four. This information, along with the prevalent science that alcoholism is a “complex, many-sided phenomenon, with several formal definitions that vary according to the point of view of the definer,” might make one just reach for a drink instead of trying to unravel their own internal struggle with booze.

Personally the contributing cause that struck me the most was cultural influence. "Everybody is doing it." I like this angle because it encompasses all contributing factors, including family dynamics, peer relations, modern psychiatric trends (which could be argued we all suffer from, if only by association), and messaging that is both created and reflected by our actions.

Our culture is awash in alcohol. In my specific local culture of New Orleans, alcohol is everything. Be it drive through daiquiris, or dual temperature wine fridges, alcohol means getting down and dirty, as well as getting high and mighty. From strapping some zip lock bags of Tito’s to your ankles to get into the game, to packing your $300 Yeti cooler with Abita’s latest seasonal brew, you have achieved acceptable cultural status if you BYOB. This is our life in Southern Louisiana.

Cut to Sheila and Renee - two NOLA born halves, locked in a chess game of headspace, their shared body defiantly speaking in the only way it knows how, petitioning for them to stop with expressions of headaches, anxiety, lethargy, weight gain and sagging skin. If only they knew that there were others at the party having similar conversations. Hershel and Bradly are really having it out in the bathroom, while Ted is just trying to take a leak and silence the noise.

And like Sheila and Renee, Hershel and Bradly have no idea what to do, if not adhere to a lifetime of cultural norms. How do you change something so ingrained in your surroundings and psyche? At 50 there is some good news. According to that same article in Brittanica, “the development of chronic alcohol dependence for both men and women is most common from 25-50.” I’m going to take this to mean there is a light at the end of the drinking tunnel. Hopefully we haven’t damaged ourselves past repair, and can draw from our hard-earned, hangover-heavy wisdom. Just because we are indoctrinated into a way of life, doesn't mean we can't question it. We can ask ourselves “Why are we doing it?” “What are we getting our of it?” “Is it worth all the mental anguish?’ Can we let Sheila and Renee off the hook?”

The internal conversation might end with "I don't know" or “What now?" That is scary, but is it bad? It means we are at the beginning of something. It means there is an opportunity to create something new, to let our brain think in a fresh creative way. There is so much possibility that comes with change, and one change can lead to another. Maybe there is a shift in the cultural wind, and Hershel and Bradley are calming down too, letting Ted enjoy the silence.

Just a thought. (Amazing what thinking differently can do)

—————————————————————

For further reading on the ins and outs of alcohol abuse including definitions, causes, and prevalence in our society, check out www.britannica.com/science/alcoholism. I found some of the information fascinating. For example, this cultural comparison and how we love to say Europe does it better…

“Cultures that permit the use of low-proof alcoholic beverages with food or religious ritual, but have well-established taboos against drunkenness (as in Israel and Italy), enjoy low alcoholism rates. Cultures that do not have traditions of consuming alcohol with food or ritual, yet are tolerant of heavy drinking (as in the United States and Ireland), experience high alcoholism rates.” And “ Communities or nations that have low alcohol taxes, cheap alcohol with extensive advertising, and limited societal control over sales suffer high rates of alcoholism.”