I've read at least a half-dozen books about drinking and quitting. They've either been memoirs by people who quit or self-help books on how to quit. For the most part I have really enjoyed the memoirs and have found the self-help books to be rubbish. Of the memoirs, I most enjoyed "The Tender Bar" and "Drinking, A Love Story". But the impact of the latter was diminished when I learned that the author, Caroline Knapp, died not long after the book's publication, of lung cancer. She was a smoker. I was disappointed when I realized that as good as the book was, she may have picked the wrong vice to quit. I oversimplify that which I do not completely understand and mean no disrespect. I'm just stuck on the simple thought that if she'd quit smoking and not drinking she might still be with us. But we wouldn't have the book, so it's not helpful, really.
Of the self-help books, the only one that had any kind of impact at all on me was "This Naked Mind", which was given for free in PDF format to participants in the reddit "stop drinking" forum. The exercise in this book that I find most useful and revealing is the first one, which asks you to pay attention to the messaging that you receive about alcohol. That messaging can come from the media, advertisements, entertainment, social settings, health care, science, "experts", etc. You are asked to pay attention to or identify what alcohol appears to be in the message. Good, bad, cool, healthy, unhealthy, required, evil, smart, dumb.....?????
This is a useful exercise and I have held on to it. I like to scrutinize what I perceive and understand if maybe there might be an ulterior motive. Of course, the messaging on alcohol is overwhelmingly positive. Drinking is required for night life, sports fandom, social situations, summer outdoor activities, vacation, dinner, and being a badass in movies. Even the warnings are more positive than negative. "Please drink responsibly." Notice that this is a warning about the dangers of alcohol wherein the first two words are "please drink". Medical literature and coverage of health and alcohol almost always tout the health benefits of moderate drinking. They always point out daily limits and suggest (via correlation) that at or under these limits (but more than none) daily intake of alcohol is good for you. It is associated with longer life and less disease.
I'm starting to suspect that moderate drinkers enjoy health and longevity despite alcohol consumption rather than because of it. And maybe it's the moderation thing in general rather than in specific that is the key here. And maybe, just maybe, the reason for the overwhelmingly positive messaging regarding alcohol has more to do with a strong desire to sell it regularly and in largely quantities than anything else.
I like strong beer (regularly) and Irish Whisky (sometimes). That's it. Can't stand wine, wouldn't come near a mixed drink, have enjoyed other liquors (straight) before but nothing to write home about. Beer and whisky. IPA and Irish. I assume I like the taste (I tell people I do), and I seem to like the assault on the senses and the kick in the teeth. I like feeling tough? I like to think I'm a badass? Yes, I think that's part of it. Do I like to read stories about native South American runners who drink beer and run around all day long? Yes I sure do. Do I like stories about athletes who drink (drank) a lot and still performed well? Yes. Do I Google "how to drink beer and stay strong / thin / etc.?" Yup.
Do I need to get over this? Oh yeah.
