For example. I am from the Maritimes in Canada. And a small town at that where alot of people are hooked on alcohol and drugs. We are known for our excessive drinking. It is seen as fun, comical, and a relaxing way to spend your time off work or go on a weekend bender because frig it you don’t work this weekend. We like our “kitchen parties”. Around here people drink so much and in the day. No one bats an eye if they see you starting your night at noon. Also being a mom i noticed in the liquor store and on the internet you see posts normalizing always having that glass of wine at the end of the day is okay because “you deserve it”. Or normalize alcohol abuse in general. Just curious about what others see?
Omg I hate this. OUR SOCIETY IS LITERALLY BRAINWASHED BY ALCOHOL. baby showers, birthdays, holidays, games, dinners, bbqs, lake days, literally everything, is “better” with alcohol. I live in the USA. And in Nevada which is the casino and never sleep state. No last calls. Bars and stores always open and you can buy alcohol whenever you want. Especially for mom’s with their wine. Here’s a new hashtag #sobermom.
I even listen to a country singer stars podcast and it’s called whine down. And she talks about her wine and being a mom all the time. It’s rediculous.
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It’s the kind of thing you really notice when you’re not drinking: the number of bars, liquor store, billboards, TV ads: it’s just part of culture to normalize the comical role of alcohol, the relaxing, fitting in, being part of a group. It’s not going anywhere, it’s just up to us to think differently about it.
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@Emyj amen! No one ever wants to broadcast the reality of it though. Loss of income, health, relationships, and life. It’s one of those things deep down we all know isn’t okay but I guess we make light of the situation. Denial
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It makes me wonder how many people really do struggle more than they think because you know, this is all so normal. Everyone does it. No. And then everyone wonders why so many people die from serious health problems. But never seem to make the connection. My mom was just told she has fatty liver. It’s not severe, but her doctor literally said it’s nothing to worry about, half the people in his waiting room have fatty liver. Uuummmmm, noooooo. That is not ok. Maybe ask her if she drinks to much and get her help, since yes, she is in fact an alcoholic! I was just talking to my husband about this today actually. I’ve been clean from meth for over 7 years and it was so easy to kick when I was ready. I think alcohol is so much harder because with hard drugs, you stay away from people and places and situations to get clean. With alcohol you have to make the decision to stop and still constantly be surrounded with it. I can’t even watch the bachelor without them drinking at every single event! Like damn lol
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I think alcohol is so much harder because with hard drugs, you stay away from people and places and situations to get clean. With alcohol you have to make the decision to stop and still constantly be surrounded with it
Alcoholism is so common now alot of doctors don’t seem to take it as serious anymore perhaps! And I agree. We are exposed too it so much. It makes it harder for sure
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Hey! Fellow maritimer here. 
Alcohol is EVERYWHERE. I’ve since relocated to another province and it’s everywhere here too. If I try to spark up a conversation about drinking with my doc, he’s even said, “oh you east coasters and your booze” 
So we definitely get that stigma. But let’s not perpetuate that stereotype, right? 
Welcome! Stick around. Read lots. Sooo much valuable info here, and tons of support.
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oh you east coasters and your booze” So we definitely get that stigma. But let’s not perpetuate that stereotype, right?
Yes that definitely is a good example going off my question there! How things are normalized and stereotyped. Even given different geographical locations. Its things we heard about living here in the Maritimes afterall 
Annoying for sure.
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I bet there are a lot of people roped in by that welcoming message and they do have problems with alcohol, like us but unlike us are not doing anything about it. At the same time, I know many people who can drink casually, occasionally, normally, and do just fine.
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Yes that’s for sure. Some people just don’t like alcohol. But maybe there crutch is food, shopping, or cigarettes. I find everyone has a liking to something. You just got to find or be aware of your unhealthy habit and stay the heck away from it when you do haha
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Alcohol never did anything to me that I didn’t ask it to do and a beer commercial never got me drunk. With all products I think the advertising had gone to far, but as far as alcohol still being in society I have no problem with that. Alcohol is not my enemy. My own thoughts and behaviors are the true problem. This is just my opinion of course.
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Society didnt normalize alcoholism. I did.
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So right. In my neighborhood in md (bout 9mile from dc). Literally 1/4 mile away from.my house are 3 liquor stores in the same intersection. They open at 6am and close at 12a and are open on all holidays and sundays. SMH.
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It’s definitely everywhere around us no matter where we are in the world.
But also if we look there are also people who don’t drink, have maybe never drank.
It’s only because we have spent our lives within the drinking culture that we don’t see these people. We don’t understand how they can be like that.
Well, now is your chance to be like them.
Practice telling yourself that you don’t drink. Train your mind to not take any notice of the drinking culture as it’s not going anywhere soon.
We no longer drink so ignore it.
Use the feelings of anger that you feel towards the drinking culture to fuel your sobriety.
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I afraid its the norm the way of the world , in my day the father took the son to the pub at 18 to have a drink he was a man now , even explorers up the amazon meet tribes who havnt seen a white guy or a tv offer him a drink thats mind altering , sometimes we are easily brainwashed into thinking it right and ok to do what the media says, i respect booze dont fear it but i know that i cant drink it ,
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Society has always been this way. If one reads ancient history, you will see normalized, romanticized, and even celebrated alcohol abuse. A prevailing theory of the cause of death for Alexander the Great is cirrhosis of the liver, due to his documented alcoholism.
As long as there’s been booze and drugs, people have abused them.
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Societies differ. Lots of Muslim-majority countries have alcohol bans or stricter alcohol legislation, and much lower rates of alcohol-related death / disease / violence. I think cultural change is possible. But of course the only change we can create ourselves is our own.
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I personally think our society normalizes escape. We have a culture of escape. We have a culture of avoidance, numbing, running, dodging, projecting, evading.
We yearn for contentment, peace, stillness. We run to cheap, hollow replacements. Eventually after years and years of this, we realize they’re fake. If we’re lucky, we find a community with a better, healthier, balanced way to be in the world. We work a recovery. We grow a new, healthier routine. I personally think this is what we’re doing here on TS 
This thread is a really, really good thread. Thanks for starting it Kelsey!
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Yes.
The same here.the budlight commercials that are set in Midevil times are entertaining but the message is toxic.Mainily because they promote the beer as if it more important than water.young kids see this an may believe its ok to put intoxicating substances in there system an it will not damage there health.
I was told that beer use to be a necessary for survival for people in the old days who did not have clean water an somehow that kept them hydrated.but these days we know that it damages our liver.
Me personally prefer 80 proof liquor.
You dont see many commercials for that but i would take that over beer.
Its does the body an mind worse an recommended to drink it responsibly.
I suppose it can be done.our generation an the ones before has had alcohol apart of our culture.we now know its not necessary to live or have a good time.
When Prohibition hit they was on to something but all it did was rise crime levels so bringing it bac to the public made the crime a little better but families an people who die from alcohol pays the real price
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Over the years I have read a lot of dystopian, utopian and sci-fi books where the people have some sort of drug to keep them happy with the way the society is set up.
Huxley’s A Brave New World has soma.
We in the west have alcohol and drugs.
In my opinion it keeps the people happy through escaping just what a mess that our governments have made of the world.
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