I had a problem with alcohol on and off for years.
It was a craving, just like craving a piece of chocolate only a bit more intense. When I started taking a drug (buproprion) for panic attacks, it some how eliminated my craving to drink too. I totally believe that some people (and cultures) are predisposed to drinking. While most people drink to a point and then start getting tired or dizzy when they’ve had too much, the alcoholic will just keep going because it feels good. Different brain chemistry. That’s not to say that I believe that alcoholism is a “disease” and you can’t help relapsing. If someone really wants to stop they will, no matter how bad the craving. To me it’s exactly like giving up sweets when you love them. It’s very difficult to go the rest of our life without eating them, but not impossible.
