re: How do people get addicted to alcohol?

Feel normal. Been doing this for over 20 years.

There are those genetically pre-disposed to it. For those with such a weakness, when alcohol is introduced, it begins to create a physiological reliance through causing changes in the body's natural state of being. For some it's more gradual, for others it happens faster.

There are those who develop a psychological dependency on it, often through repeated use as a means of coping.

One big problem is you often don't know which you are until it's too late.

My father suffered from both. His paternal grandfather was such an abusive drunk that his paternal grandmother killed herself to get away from him by standing in front of an oncoming train. His father (my grandfather) stopped drinking when my father was a young child because he liked it too much. That realization, coupled with his childhood, made him realize there was no good end coming from him continuing to drink (so much so that even though he was faithful in his Christianity, he wouldn't even have wine as part of church services).

My aunt (my father's sister) and her older child both ended up with strong chemical dependencies. She was eventually able to use AA to walk away from her drinking (she also had a pill problem when I was very young) but my cousin's "rock bottom" was the grave. As was my father's.

My father also suffered from the psychological addiction (as many with physical addictions do). He was a very charismatic and social person, but he simply could not function in groups without the security of having a drink in his hand. And if it was in his hand, he was going to drink it soooo.... yeah.

Each can lead to the other to varying degrees and both tend to have an amplifying effect on each other. This is what can make getting sober so incredibly difficult as it's the extremely rare individual who can put down the bottle and force themselves to walk away and never pick it up again. Most people need help and they often need to hit "rock bottom" for help (and everyone's "rock bottom" is at a different level).

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and hammer down a fifth of decent bourbon.

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If a fifth is 25 ounces, I hope there are 5 or 6 of you drinking it.

Otherwise you guys are getting lamp shade wearing, knee walking drunk.

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Early in my stay they administered morphine for my extreme pain. WOW!!!!..what a feeling. I can see why people can go out on that ledge.

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Same, opiates scare me a bit. If someone offered me 100 pills of oxy for free I’d turn it down. I’ve taken them because kidney stones suck but I’ve also declined a couple of prescriptions because I didn’t really need them and knew I’d take them anyway.

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I thought I explained it; it's not a judgment thing. I'm just curious how people push through the bad feeling drinking to much gives you. If Copenhagen made me feel like shite the next day I'd never have become addicted to it.

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Apologies. I’m defensive. For me my alcoholism comes from a tendency of one more. Just one more drink. No big deal. Etc. I’ve never thought about the next day hang over at all. It’s delusional of course but that’s what alcohol does.

So I’ve been a pretty heavy drinker the past ten years. I woke up today in excruciating acute pain in my back. Right flank. fricking inflamed liver. I will not have another drop if it means I don’t feel like that ever again. I thought an alien was about to pop out.

Mix your whiskey with water no hangovers… had to quit drinking during the week at one point was up to a handle a week of Jim beam

When I start taking sips for no reason it sets off an internal flag. I drop it and won’t do it for another few days. When I was in college I drank to get drunk every time instead of drinking to socialize.

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Are there people who don't get hangovers and that makes it really easy for them to get addicted to alcohol?

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No. Hangovers only get worse as you get older.

Personally, I can’t drink every night because I just can’t physically do it and don’t crave it. If I have a few or several drinks one night, I just don’t feel like drinking for a couple or several days afterwards.

People that drink too much every day have serious problems that they’re trying to escape. Fortunately I’m not there.

Where to start....I don't know if your post comes from someone who's never ad any challenge in life, or someone who is incredibly naïve on the world. Alcohol can be an incredibly fun yet addicting substance to partake.

People typically have a genic disposition to be addicted to it, but some just go through horrible events in their lives. Some recover and some do not. There is no judgement to be had here. I, myself, am easily addicted. Any hint of stress or event has me wanting a glass. The important part is knowing the stressors and bringing your mindset elsewhere. For me, that stressor hit is lifting. Sure, the drink is easier, but the discipline of lifting instead brings my mindset back.

There isn't a blame for addiction.