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EzraHuman beings are naturally social creatures and much of what we consider to be life affirming comes through social interaction. Alcohol, in limited quantities, tends to dis-inhibit behaviors through the mechanism of anesthesia in the frontal cortex of our brains. This can have mixed effects on behavior, and the social tendency is that we adhere to the old adage that birds of a feather flock together. In other words, you will find yourself hanging out with people who have a similar relationship with beverage alcohol that you do.
As alcohol intake is increased, and the duration of usage increases, months, weeks, and years, there is a more pronounced effect on some users. That same anxiety that made alcohol such an effective social lubricant becomes an anesthetic for anxieties resulting from the activities of daily living. Some users drink to the point of becoming asocial, preferring to spend much of their time in autistic fantasy rather than actually engaging in social activities. Others spend time in social activities but with people who drink like they do. A sampling of bar patrons will reveal that ninety percent of the alcohol consumed is consumed by about 10 percent of the habitual patrons. The contents of the communications will reveal that the patrons are also spending their time in autistic fantasy land, but in the company of other similarly disengaged individuals.
The effect over time for those who are susceptible to becoming chemically dependent is that they become increasingly withdrawn from meaningful social interaction, increasingly alienated from the general reality of those around them, and increasingly isolated because of their inability to respond appropriately to others.
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