Why Is It When I'm Depressed, I Drink?
 

*Note - not a "my life sucks thread, a serious "why do people who have vices turn to them in times of... suffering?" thread.

Seriously. I thought this too... general... for discussion. But I prose a serious question. I've just had what I believe to be a crappy day - it's all relative, but I believe it to be crappy - but why do I drink? I mean... there are so many better things I could be doing, but I'm downing sho after shot of Jack and working on a near full bottle of Painted Turtel Pinot Grigio. That's beside the fact that I'm making (and correcting) so many spelling mistakes (because I can hardly keep track of my hands) it would make your head spin.

Why, in times of... what I guess you'd call... suffering.... (I guess?) do I turn to smoking and drinking?

we all have our own devices... today i learned that a GREAT job i was trying for, isnt going to happen. I get really silent, and touchy. Since i was really upset i also drank a lot of water and made a 1 hour walk.

Drinking and Smoking can "somewhat" work as a tranquilizer. it can make a certain illusion that you're "Normal" when you're not. Kinda like making you feel "Numb" towards sadness or low level depression.

But since you're aware of it (and many arent) you could prevent this of becoming a future problem for yourself... since you "could" be doing other stuff isntead of drinking alcoohol, you could force yourself to drink (or even eat) something else.. call it a "Placebo" if you will.

The same reason I turn to Mt Dew and lots of twizzlers: comfort. Some people deal with stress by unleashing it in bursts (hopefully on heavy bags and stuff), some people release it slowly through an exercise, the not smart ones let it bottle up, and almost everyone else has a comfort object/food. Mine happens to be super excessive amounts of sugar, but alcohol is a common comfort as well.

EDIT: Six minute ninja'd by essentially what I was trying to say.

I'd argue... I guess your wording... on "Normal." I mean, I know that having a crappy day is normal. Everybody has a crappy day every once in a while. That's normal. But smoking the shit outta my lungs and drinking the crap outta my liver? I mean... is that "normal?"

Really? 'Cause I could believe that... even though that sounds really unhealthy and ...stupid.

Think of "Normal" as your "stats quo"

when i say "normal" i say that the everyday you (without sadness or anger) is normal.

When you're depressed, you're not normal.

Alcohool and Smoking have chemicals that can "smoke and mirrors" you into feeling like "normal". Numbness towards the problem.

It isnt a solution in any way, it is a stall. If you feel stupid for going too far with it, it only means that you're better than that. And have the willpower to turn away if you want to. It's pretty much your sub-conscious telling "This isnt like me" really...

It dosent mean you have any sort of problems, it only means you're having a crappy day, and somehow you know there are better ways to deal with it.

Don't feel (quite so) bad. A LOT of people turn to various drugs to forget their problems for a moment. Alcohol and tobacco are no different. Smoking gives you a buzz and satisfies your pleasure center by catering to your addiction to nicotine. It "chills you out" because it staves off withdrawal and gets you back into your emotional comfort zone. Alcohol zaps your inhibitions and makes you not care/think about your problems while it's in effect.

Neither of them are healthy. I mean, you're inhaling over 200 deadly toxins per puff and killing brain cells with every swig, here. But as a temporary escape, drugs work. You'll just have to deal with the effects in the morning.

Same reason sometimes people eat lots and lots of cookies or chocolate. Cause doing a guilty vice makes you feel better.

I prefer writing cause when I'm all worked up I usually am at my best and go my fastest.

I'd write, but I'm finshed my wine and can barely see straight. I LOVE SPELL CHECKER!

That being said, how can my self destructive behavior make me feel better? (Apart from Bellsouth's "tranquillizer" opinion)

This topic made me play Prince of Persia.

I hope you feel good about yourselves, because I don't. :P

Because the crushing bleakness of adulthood has caused you to forget that you used to escape life's tragedies by calling your fairy buddy Tinkerbell to whisk you away to the magical land of Never where you fought pirates and crocodiles and made all manner of merry.

The bright days of yesteryear faded like the leaves of late autumn being covered by the snow, you huddle in the corner of your crabbed existence clinging to your booze and your smokes and your loathing, as Tinkerbell flutters outside your window peering in, alone, unseen, unheard.

...she's crying.