Why We Really Drink Alcohol

Exposing the Liquid Lie

Look, you ever sit down and think about why the hell we keep going back to booze like a moth to a frickin flame? I recently saw this Instagram reel by some sobriety guru breaking down the whole drink-to-feel-good-for-20-minutes thing. And then what? You plummet into a 3-hour abyss of irritability and anxiety. It's like playing a rigged game of Russian roulette where every chamber's loaded with remorse and a hangover waiting to happen.

Nice theory, but it’s all bull shit. 

Let's get something straight. Life is one big, convoluted conversation, right? The guru's whole reel is the "what," but what she's missing is the "how"—how humans decide to show up to the bar, a football game, or a lousy date night.

Let me give you a walk-through of my messy affair with alcohol. If there's a football game, I'd haul ass to the off-license and walk out with three bottles of wine for a tenner. Was I looking for some kind of divine high? Nope. I did it because that's how I'd learned to experience joy, or whatever version of it.

And social drinking? 

You're not chasing the dragon of euphoria when you're in a pub with your mates. You're stuck in a tradition, a ritual of downing pints until you black out, the bar calls it a night, or you find your way home in a semi-conscious state. And if you're out dining with your spouse? Same song, different dance. The wine keeps flowing because, in this twisted society, that's just "what you do."

Here’s where the bullshit ends and the truth starts: it isn’t biology that keeps us bound to these piss-poor decisions. Culture, norms, and the invisible puppet strings make us dance like marionettes. We're addicted to a Liquid Lie.

But you know what? Even concrete paradigms crack. There's no need to keep sipping the communal tea if it doesn't suit your taste. We've been doing this crap because we didn't know any better. But guess what, now you do.

So the next time someone tries to bottle your complex tango with alcohol into a simple equation, remember: you're not some lab rat motivated by tiny jolts of pleasure. You're a human being driven by a cocktail of cultural baggage and bad decisions. And the good news? That means you've got the power to redefine it all.

Cheers to breaking the cycle. Or better yet, screw the cheers. Just break the frickin cycle.

Much love and STRIVE on,

Lee

PS: Ready to unravel the Liquid Lie for yourself or know someone who could benefit? We've got an exciting offer to help you through Sober October. Enjoy a FREE STRIVE subscription until November 1st and gain the support you need to break the cycle. Don't keep this to yourself; please forward this article to a friend and invite them into a community where change is possible. Join us on Discord today.