I think that while it is not so important for some individuals in recovery to find the underlying cause, I would absolutely love the research community to find out some indicators. I do know it is an inexact thing, what causes drinking in each person-but dang if I could prevent this from happening to anyone down the line, hell yea! Let me know the cause........

I had the same experience - the why just doesn't matter to me so much anymore - it is what it is.

At the same time, I know what you're saying KK, especially when I think of my kids...

yes kk. talking about why for scientific purposes is great. But at the personal level it just doesn't matter. we do know that some percentage will become addicted to all of mankinds drugs of choice.

I hear ya DT. It wasn't about why for me. It was "this is" and what was I willing to do about it?

Yes!! they always said "Why not" where i got sober. But dont you know who I think I am, I would respond:) Yes they said , get busy before you why yourself right otta here. No wiggle room...
thank god,
Billy

As I am a student researcher, there is a curiosity in why I turned into an alcoholic.

But as someone in recovery, the why's really don't matter. It is more important for me to get the interventions I need to stay sober.

When I 1st entered recovery a long timer of 30 years or more told me one thing and one thing only take WHY out of your vocabulary. I took that advice. Like someone said its wasted energy and for some puts them back out into the madness.

I was reading a science magazine years back with what they thought were the key factors in becoming an alcoholic. They said a combination of genetics, early upbrining environment and then the peer environment. I had all three. However, there can be some people who have all three and don't end up alcoholics. There can be alcoholics who have one or more of those factors and there can alcoholics who have not even one of those factors but become alcoholics, although in my view there are fewer of the last and they stand out in AA meetinge to me because they are fewer.

That's all interesting, but in reality, that's all it is, interesting. I agree that my mission, as it relates to alcoholism is to take actions I need to do, daily and for the rest of my life to continue to arrest the illness on a daily basis. "Analysis Paralysis" can take up so much time and energy that it in fact becomes an obstacle to sobriety.

ACTION ACTION ACTION.

Dealing with my toes, er, drinking without asking why all the time has kept me away from the distracting whine of "why me".

I know why, cause it was fun,but then there comes a time when its just not fun any more.

Straying a tad from the OP - I was thinking of the question why me? - and the answer is another question - why not me? Someone has to be the alcoholic, the drug addict, the this or that in the world. Everyone gets their own demons, their own bad situations to deal with.

Mine are what they are, for whatever reason I ended up with them. How I live with them, respond to them, deal with them is what I do have at least a little bit of control over. I'm responsible for my own life, and it is to short to be a victim.

I didn't look much at why since I honestly came to it through a long pedigree of alcoholism running in both sides of my family. I sometimes wonder a bit why my siblings aren't alcoholic, lol.

me too, TinyGecko...I think there's something odd about my cousin who does not ever drink, smoke, arrive late or swear. and my sister who does all of this in private!

I worry about the genetic factor with my kids. Taking why out of my vocabulary is wise advice, which I will work on. The how I drink is powerful stuff, that hit home in a great way. I was thinking to myself, Nancy, that's why you can't drink, because of how I drink. Powerful stuff, awesome:)

I liked the very simple few words I saw on a post like this previously here:-

'Why me? Why not me'.