What induces the obsession and phenomenon of craving?

I have a history of alcohol abuse, but over last year had been fine and was drinking within the healthy limits (a few drinks average, wrapped around dinner, typically no more than 4 days a week most weeks). In about a year I hadn't experienced the "obsession" or "phenomenon of craving". It was fine and I could have just a glass or 2 of wine, or a couple beers, and not feel the need to drink more. However, last Sunday I decided to take a six pack down by the creek (beautiful day) and whereas it usually takes me 5-6 hours to finish a bottle of wine (if I drink a whole bottle, which is not often), so that's "5 standard drinks" in 6 hours, less than one drink per hour, which is my normal rate of drinking. However, with this six pack of beer I drank the whole thing within probably an hour, maybe a little over! Why I didn't realize I was drinking so fast at the time, I don't know! That's my biggest question. So I ended up drunk (and stupid) fast and decided to get another six pack, which I had a few of (so maybe 9 or so beers in 2 hours), then I decided I was going on a city bus trip to see my mom and I took the bike I had ridden to the creek home and marched toward the bus stop, getting a pint of Jack Daniels on the way (not good, and I normally don't mix alcohol types)...so I begin drinking that and it was on...black out drunk, wasted $95 (cab ride, etc.), and had a horrible hangover (maybe alcohol poisoning...continuous throwing up before I could absorb any liquid and get rehydrated). Needless to say after I rehydrated I immediated drank 20 ounces of milk and a multivitamin to get nourished and then started on solid foods. After I was feeling better, I went to the grocery store and had burgers and sweet potato wedges for dinner as well as a nutrition shake (Boost). Felt better, was able to eat that dinner, still kind of dazed a few days later. So I've been drinking a Boost every morning, eating a couple bananas and oranges every day, eating well, and drinking lots of water, and my normal Greek yogurt parfair with granola and blue, black and raspberries every morning. Lots of coffee too. As you can see I was/am trying to regain my health the best I can.

But my question is WHY do you think the obsession/phenomenon of craving came on all the sudden? What I did different was decided to drink outside away from home. I drank way too fast, way faster than I do at home. Oh, and I wasn't eating while drinking, but did eat right before heading out. Honestly, I think it's because I drank way too fast. I got so drunk I lost track of what I was doing and wanted to keep going and wasn't rational or thinking clearly. I guess the biggest question is why the heck did I not realize how fast I was drinking the beer at first, being that I know that will cause a binge and problems associated with a binge. I was basically slamming the beer without thinking "wait a minute, I better stop or slow down! this isn't right", which is why I ended up drunk and stupid. But why didn't I realize I was slamming the beer? All I remember thinking was that "well, this is kind of boring, maybe I ought to go home. Then "well, I might as well drink this beer so I don't have to take it home on the bike". And once I drank all that I was just drunk and dumb and got more beer, then the whiskey. I just don't get why I drank so fast in the first place, not realizing I was doing it and what it would cause to happen! I guess it comes down to the drinking so fast...I've practiced and succeeded normal drinking at home, without going overboard or "craving" the least bit. Maybe drinking outside was the problem. Maybe I need to practice that ability too. But one thing I've realized is it's important not to treat drinking as an activity in and of itself, not to do anything I wouldn't do sober by using drinking as an aid to get through it, and basically not using alcohol for the wrong reasons, period, and I guess maybe I did that the other day. I never just sit by the creek - it's too boring, but I'd like to be able to sit there and relax. I guess I need to read or take a computer and practice that sober. If I could do it sober, then maybe I could drink successfully outside too just like I've learned to while at home. I don't know.

What do you think??

I drink very sensibly when I'm at home or in familiar surroundings. It's when I'm out and about that I get adventurous and drink excessively to have more and more of a good time. The biggest problem for me is the horrible crash in mood that I experience the day after.

Here is what I do. Every human has a natural opiate center in their construction. That area is a target of mine which allows me to make you become physically dependant on me, but to gain access, I use lack of emotional cognition and your confusion.

It was a beautiful day to relax and get away from it all, wasn't it? Made you feel carefree?
But you see, I'm working on you, and now I've got you going down the wormhole of how and why.

Are you asking because you want to control me? I've taken down billions, and you are wondering about why you craved me. I've had you going from ..."JUST wine"

I've come under the impression that rapidly-rising BAC is likely what triggers the phenomenon of craving. I had already knew from researching and experience that blackouts are caused by rapidly-rising BAC. The effects of alcohol on the brain are very complex, many, and varied, and part of the effects seem to be a compensation mechanism, which I'm thinking is similar to the elevated dopamine levels associated with no sleep. I think that rapidly rising BAC causes a chaotic brain chemsistry reaction and that is what causes the phenomenon of craving. I think how you one feels and the state of mind they are in at the time of drinking also plays a role in all of this.

It's just odd that I can drink fine when in a good state of mind and if I don't "drink alcoholically", meaning having about one drink per hour on average and not drinking to get drunk, nor drinking to the extent of not being in touch with my clear-minded, sober self, or baseline. Yet, if I drink rapidly, or binge, the phenomenon of craving is set into motion. What I do not know yet is how much a poor state of mind contributes to the onset of the phenomenon of craving because the only times I've ever drank rapidly were when I was in a poor state of mind, where I intentionally was "drinking to get drunk", so I'm not sure if I could rapidly drink, say 3 or 4 beers in an hour in a good state of mind and not fall into the phenomenon of craving.

I suspect the phenomenon of craving reaction is something that develops from abuse, with different people perhaps having different thresholds and being more susceptible to the seemingly permanent changes in brain chemistry. I don't think anybody or non-alcoholics of this type will experience the phenomenon of craving by drinking rapidly. A question I have that is not answered is if blackouts are the same way. I do not know whether the phenomenon of blackouts is something that develops as a result of altered/damaged brain chemistry, or if anybody or non-alcoholics will experience a blackout by rapidly ingesting alcohol and thus having a rapidly-rising BAC.

The obsession seems to be another thing altogether, but closely related to the phenomenon of craving. The last time I got drunk after a lengthy period of frequent success drinking, the obsession was the beginning in my journey of getting drunk. While I thought I was in a good state of mind, I chose to drink in a different environment, and the first time doing so was unsucessful. I honestly think the anxiety stemming from the different environment is what caused the obsession, and the obsession resulted in me drinking very rapidly, which of course triggered the phenomenon of craving. I ended up drinking 9 or so beers in about 2 hours or less, and then ended up on whiskey. Why I drank those first beers so rapidly? I do not know. It's like I was conscious of the fact I know not to do that. I simply didn't think of it. I think my mind was overrun and distracted by the anxiety, which is what caused the obsession. It's like I couldn't relax and my sole activity was drinking. It's just weird I didn't realize what I was doing as I was downing those beers...it didn't occur to me once that I can't do that even though I knew so and knew that doing so results in the phenomenon of craving. The "obsession" part is more mysterious and problematic, I think.

I believe it to do with the liver. You have 2 beers and all is fine then the liver starts to struggle with the alcohol and loses control. This is when dipsomania kicks in, the body is sort of tricked into a thirst mode and like an uncontrollable knee jerk reaction you drink more and faster until you reach a blackout/sleepwalk and then like any dream, anything can happen.

*mod edit*

Your liver will only get older and struggle more and more with alcohol. Dipsomania will be with you forever. *mod edit* All alcohol does is make your own dopamine and serotonin flow to give you a happy buzz. There are much more healthier alternatives to get a dopamine buzz and most don't cost a bean.

^Hm. Odd. I can't even imagine what would have been said there that needed to be edited. I'm intrigued.

Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that, while they admit it is injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate the true from the false. To them, their alcoholic life seems the only normal one. They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience.

and

All these, and many others, have one symptom in common: they cannot start drinking without developing the phenomenon of craving. This phenomenon, as we have suggested, may be the manifestation of an allergy which differentiates these people, sets them apart as a distinct entity. It has never been, by any treatment with which we are familiar, permanently eradicated. The only relief we have to suggest is entire abstinence.

http://www.barefootsworld.net/aaorigmanuscript.html

I always used to say "I like drinking I hate being drunk" it was feeding that craving that was the good part.

Its almost like the alcohol took over what ever makes me hungry for food and creates a new hunger, it hijacks the appetite system and causes a malfunction.

Wow all of these replies make u think. All.i.know is that its said that alcohol is poison. Maybe the crap affects every human being differently in regards to craving? The crap affects your brain. My withdrawal nightmares were scarier than any horror movie out. Alcohol does my body BAD and i hope i can stay away from it for good. I crave it all the time...

Taliesin wrote:I drink very sensibly when I'm at home or in familiar surroundings. It's when I'm out and about that I get adventurous and drink excessively to have more and more of a good time. The biggest problem for me is the horrible crash in mood that I experience the day after.

It seems like you kind of understand what I'm saying.

For me, as I am largely an emotional drinker/user, there are very specific triggers. Here are the things, lately, that tend to make me end up abusing substances.

- Getting into the mindset where I'm trying to accomplish everything all at once, and start setting completely insane and unrealistic goals for myself or driving myself to the point of exhaustion. It's only a matter of time before I rebel against all of it, esp. by using substances. It happens every time. I have to take things slowly and not beat myself up for where I am.

- Worrying too much about the health and safety of others, assuming responsibility for them, feeling guilt or excessive concern. I have to trust that other people will take care of themselves, that if I can be of help to them they will ask. I've had some losses in my past that have left me with a vague, frantic sense of worry all the time that the people I love are going to be hurt in some way and that it's my responsibility to prevent it. I have anxiety attacks over this. Anxiety leads me to alcohol. My family and friends are strong, capable people, and have led fine, healthy lives without me; I just have to remember that.

- Worrying about the future. What I'm going to be, what I'm going to do, what kind of a job I want to have, whether I want to get married and have kids, etc. I can't figure any of that out right now. I'm having enough problems figuring out tomorrow. I will answer those questions later. I don't have the answers yet, and that's okay -- the future is wide open, full of endless possibilities, and I'm not gonna try and guess at those now.

- Same with relationships. Just can't right now. I don't feel a lot of love for myself, so there's simply no way for me to love another human being. Any relationship I get into right now will involve me depending on another person way too hard. I will have nothing to offer anyone until I can stand on my own two feet.

- Being alone. As much as it feels like work sometimes, I have to go out, be around people, be friendly and sociable. Have to. If I sit alone with my thoughts for too long, esp. on weekends, I'm gonna get sad.

I've had to accept that above anything else my number one priority has got to be getting sober right now. I can't begin to figure out who I am until I'm sober, because as long as I'm on a different substance every day, I'm a different person every day, and my thoughts and wants and needs will change daily. So all the stuff I listed above, I can't address right now. I have to put it to the side. Right now all that matters to me is a 30 day chip. One day at a time.