Have you ever wondered why people actually drink? Do they actually enjoy the bitter taste of alcohol? Is the high they get after drinking? Or just a social reason?
A lot of scientific studies and research have been conducted to understand this reason, although no real conclusions have been arrived at, studies do suggest that people usually drink due to one of the following reasons. Read along and tell me which one are you?
1. Social Norm – Did you just start drinking because of the social norm, attending parties and events? It is one of the most common ways for people to get into a drinking habit. To stand empty-handed when everyone else at the party is holding a wine glass doesn’t go down too well with a lot of people and thus they give into holding one themselves.
2. Peer Pressure – Did your friends forcibly make you gulp down that first beer and then there was no looking back? A lot of youngsters give into drinking because they are introduced to alcohol as a result of peer pressure. Usually, it happens with people during school and college days or when they start working.
3. Past Experiences – It is said that people tend to go back to drinking if they tried and liked the overall experience. Whether it was the taste of the drink or the high feeling one gets, past experiences tend to influence a person’s drinking habits. In fact, if a person has had a negative past experience, it could lead to him not considering drinking at all in future.
4. Stress – Known to remove and ease out temporary anxiety, a lot of people give into drinking because of stress or depression. It definitely does not cure any depression, but it is one of the most common excuses for people to take up drinking.
5. Environment – Alcohol cravings increase when watching TV shows, seeing ads at events, and watching other media about alcohol. In contrast, financial influences, such as taxes, make drinking less attractive. It has been proven that simply increasing the price of an alcoholic beverage by 10 per cent reduces alcohol consumption by 7 per cent.
6. Accessibility – This is a very simple reason. There are a lot of alcoholic drinks to choose from which are easily accessible. Those who may not like hard drinks often settle for easy drinks like beer or vodka because it is both easily available and common. Drinking alcohol is also a very regular habit among adults in most families and thus the youngsters just follow the footsteps of their adults. Alcohol is also readily available in most supermarkets.
7. As an Act of Rebellion – Some people drink alcohol to be a rebel. They don’t want to be bound by rules and think it’s just cool to drink. This is often seen amongst youngsters as an adolescent factor.
8. For Fun – As much as depression is a common cause to settle for alcohol as a resort, happiness is equally a factor. People drink just to enjoy, have fun and celebrate.
So what was your reason to choose to drink, do you recall? And do you know, that getting some clarity on the actual reason you started drinking could help you quit alcohol? So think wisely, and drink responsibly.
