Why we can’t Just Drink on Special Occasions (E27)
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Gill discusses the desire to just drink on special occasions. Sometimes, we will get sober, but our goal is to eventually just drink on special occasions. She explains why this is basically impossible for problem drinkers because of the extensive damage alcohol does to our prefrontal cortex. You'll learn more about how alcohol abuse damages our ability to have self-control and accurately access situations. She also discusses some interesting survey results from a US national survey that looked at work and family holiday parties.
Key Takeaways
None of us actually want to be able to just drink on special occasions. We want to be able to drink whenever we want, but we will desperately accept just drinking a few times a year. Ask yourself, is just 1 drink really going to do anything for you?
We want to drink on special occasions because it’s so socially acceptable to get drunk at weddings, parties, and on your birthday. We feel like we’re missing out, like the occasion won’t be as fun without alcohol. If you think back to all of the special occasions in your drinking days, how many of them were wonderful and how many of them were ruined because of alcohol?
Alcohol changes the way we approach tasks, and alcohol abuse has been shown to cause more damage to executive functioning than cocaine. Executive functioning are skills like working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. If alcohol messes up our ability to exert self-control, than how do you expect to have self-control on special occasions? Alcohol doesn’t care if the day is special or not, it’s going to blow up your life all the same.
Cite this episode
Tietz, G. Episode 27: Why we can’t Just Drink on Special Occasions. Sober Powered. 2020
Sources
Abernathy K, Chandler LJ, Woodward JJ. Alcohol and the prefrontal cortex. Int Rev Neurobiol. 2010;91:289-320. doi:10.1016/S0074-7742(10)91009-X
Caron Treatment Centers. Many Americans Oblivious to what High-Risk Drinking Looks Like. 2013.
