April, 12 /2013
For a person who is addicted to alcohol and trying to get sober, life can be ultra-challenging to say the least. Alcohol cravings are tough and the addiction is strong but there are enormous environmental factors that make staying sober seem like a constant fight for survival. Needless to say, many who try and stay abstinent from alcohol ultimately fail and return to drinking.
Let’s say that Bob has been drinking for many years, suffered many problems in life due to his use and abuse of alcohol, and has now decided that he must stop drinking for good and leave alcohol behind.
Maybe Bob begins recovery through a detox unit to safely withdraw from the alcohol, without suffering life threatening physical consequences, and attends self-help meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous which were designed to help a person overcome the urge to return to drinking. Regardless of how many meetings he attends or how hard he works to stay strong and resist the constant urge to drink, he may find himself constantly bombarded with enticements to relapse.
If Bob is a sports fan and he attends a sporting event he will undoubtedly face massive ads for alcohol around the stadium and at the concession stand. There may even be concession staff that travel through the aisles with a tray full of hot dogs and beer in case Bob doesn’t want to go to the actual stand. Unfortunately for Bob, the sporting event that he had planned on attending for enjoyment can ultimately turn into one big painful reminder of how badly he wants to drink.
If Bob decides to go to a concert he will likely encounter the same sort of scenario. He finds alcohol promotion everywhere and often a good majority of the crowd is drinking alcohol around him. Of course this depends on what kind of concert he decides to attend…/
Full - Social Drinking and Alcoholism - article here
