I haven’t read the whole thread so I apologize if this goes off topic.
I don’t think society normalizes alcohol abuse. I normalizes and glorifies then hell out of alcohol use. It’s everywhere. But god forbid you go too far. Only pathetic losers can’t control their alcohol. Society HATES the pathetic alcoholic.
Here in germany age 14 is usual age kids drink, younger starting age is not uncommon. At 16 years we can legally buy beer, and I know too many young people who already drink too much too often. I am half russian and i know russians who lead a very disciplined life style, exercise a lot, cook and eat good and never drink. But of course there are many russians who always have vodka to drink. For many people I know alcohol is expected and normal :/. I can decide for myself and for me its poison
@Dreams I was going to mention russia as well. I seen photos from kids nightclubs over there. Very disturbing
I got nobody to blame but me… 
Yes we make our own choices at the end of the day but it doesn’t help our rationalization when society and media glamorize alcohol. You get sucked into it thinking it’s normal to drink alot because of what we see. Then you realize too late you actually have a problem. You know what really kick started my problem? Society saying it was okay for a mom to drink wine at the end of the day. I thought it was normal cause it’s promoted. It’s not entirely our fault. We are brainwashed and desensitized
Yes that’s true. It’s a different perspective when it’s not alcohol that’s being abused! It’s like you said you don’t see advertisements for meth lol
I totally agree. I went away to college and partied every week because that was what you were supposed to do. Unfortunately when you’re an alcoholic, you don’t retract back like everyone else does after the parties over and when you’re 21 you’re not going “doing I have a problem…?” at least I didn’t. College also glamorizes the party. If you don’t party, what’re you even doing at college?? 
I honestly think mom wine culture is the WORST!! And it isn’t like I think the culture made me an alcoholic but it sure did make me think I was normal. I was doing nothing wrong…until I was.
BUT…to expand on my comment above…
I feel I cannot say in public “I quit drinking because I’m an alcoholic”, I have to say things like “because I want to be healthier” because society really does look down on us. I’m a selfish ass because I chose alcohol over my kids. But I didn’t CHOOSE this. Alcohol IS addictive and for some reason it affected me mord than it does others.
Yupp isn’t that true. After a night of drinking it seemed like everyone was fine but I always wanted to keep going. And yes when I was that young I didn’t realize till now it was the beginning of alcoholism.
I find this too. But the people who judge are the ones who do not understand it. There is different types of alcoholics. When people think of a alcoholic they think of a selfish boozer. I hate being called a “drunk”. Something about that words just erks me. Being labeled instead of understood. It’s society . People like to act like there grass is greener and judge yours. No one is perfect. I am proud to speak of my struggles so other people know they are not alone. So they don’t have to feel isolated and scared to speak yo because its so shamed upon.
Hey @Kels, I totally see this coming from a filmmaking perspective. It’s one of my big passions and career aspirations to be a part of the rising tide of identifying issues in the way Hollywood got us expecting stories to be told, and finding good solutions to those problems.
I think this extends through the portrayed genders of characters, who’s usually writing those characters, what their arcs and thoughts are, etc. It makes me wonder: have y’all ever seen a great movie that dealt with alcoholism from an ally’s perspective? Someone on the outside of the addiction, who doesn’t have first hand experience with it, but supports their friend recovering in a healthy way? Has that ever been a thing? I mean we all know how Hollywood thinks about drinking, so it’s no surprise if it hasn’t happened.
I’m always looking for small ideas like this that are rooted in a bigger discussion of these societal attitudes at large.
Wow!!! Talk about rough! I spent 3-mo in Japan and remember vending machines with beer in them! It was golden, because they also sold OJ for the next days hangover. That was in 1992 or so? Not sure if it’s still like that.
I agree. It is our own free will, like everyone else, only we’re not like everyone else. It’s our problem. But it sure as hell brings it RIGHT TO THE FRONT OF FOCUS when you’re having a weak moment. It can make it so much harder for those in recovery.
Netflix has a thing on the Hip-Hop culture adopting a newer culture of health, eating better, finding a sport, getting in touch with yourself. It was really good. I’m liking the trend tht drinking is bad. LA has a few “sober bars”. I have GOT to see what that’s like!
@Joules most all vending machines sell cans of beer. And in the villages then small shops dont bother with ID so if you want you can send your 10 year old to go buy booze for you.
BUT… I fight it. Still sober.
I dont think the point being was there should be a ban on alcohol and it should never be brought up. Yes its a choice we make at the end of the day. It’s how media and society glorifies it is the issue. They make it feel like in a way it’s okay because you see it so much. Its like being brainwashed. It’s something when you are sober you see more often how normalized it is when it is not normal
What is occasional drinking and the fine line that goes from that to being a alcoholic? Is it only having those few drinks after the end of the night daily? Or waiting on the weekend to go on a bender? Only you can decide for yourself if it’s a issue or not. And I politely disagree because I find we are influenced and conditioned in some way to make it feel like it’s okay. Yes we make the choice. But what bought us there? It makes you think. Its a matter with no right or wrong. Just our opinions on the issue.
I’m with you on this one Kels.
For me this thread has been great for thinking about the space we live in (the culture) and how it influences our choices. No one lives in a vacuum, and while it’s certainly true that ultimately we are responsible for our choices (and our recovery), if the majority of choices people see are in a certain category - in this case, choices of alcohol & its media & cultural links to a glamorous, desirable life - then it’s hardly surprising that excessive alcohol consumption accounts for billions of $$ of government tax income every year.
Nothing about that acknowledgment diminishes individual responsibility for recovery. And it doesn’t deny that balanced alcohol consumption is theoretically possible (though the numbers on that raise questions about exactly how balanced it is in practice). It’s just an acknowledgment that we are steeped in our culture when we’re young, and have to climb out of it to see it clearly. For some of us, we spend years self-medicating and escaping before we realize we’ve been ignoring our well-being for too long. Once we wake up, we realize that there’s a balanced, sober way to live - and that day is a beautiful day 
You spoke my exact thoughts. The guy I’m dating right now and I have similar opinions on it and he’s never been an addict and I’m three months clean now. Everytime I see it, I don’t crave it, I don’t want it. Now, I get ANGRY. Like I want to pour it down the sink or light it on fire angry. I know why too, I OD’d on it and I associate it with death. When I see it normalized and practically everywhere, with ads and businesses promoting it like it’s green tea or something, I am livid. I want to keep that anger around because it motivates me to keep clean and to help educate other’s by just telling my story. Same with cigarettes, 6 days clean from those with Chantix (oh my!)! But at least those are less normalized than they used to be. It’s so hypocritical that marijuana is still illegal in most places around the world but alcohol is legal practically everywhere. Some things I’ll never understand.
After reading through some comments, I must say something for myself. I don’t blame alcohol for my addiction. I blame myself for picking it up and for taking so long to put it down. I’ve since forgiven myself by quitting and vowing to never make that mistake again. We may be surrounded by it and we may feel pressured to fit in. But at the end of the day, we know it’s poison and we know ourselves too well. We don’t need to envy those who aren’t addicts, in fact I feel sorry they were misinformed on the effects of even light drinking. I don’t feel pity because that is passive aggressive masked, I feel sorry for them and I will say to them my story like I’ve been doing for the past three months.
exactly what my point was