Sometimes, I think having a drink with close friends after some exercise is like enjoying a delicious meal.
But despite not having lived for a particularly long time, I’ve already lost two friends to alcohol, and another is currently struggling with a difficult battle against it.
One friend sought solace in alcohol to cope with family issues from childhood, while the other two turned to alcohol to manage the stress of running a business.
Here are the stories of three types of people I’ve observed:
Friend A
Since childhood, they endured a troubled family life with an absent mother and a sick father. As an adult, they began drinking. Alcohol became a way to forget their loneliness and escape the harsh realities of life.
Initially, they drank with friends almost daily. Eventually, even when the gatherings stopped, they continued drinking alone, using alcohol as an accompaniment to meals. One bottle turned into two, and they had no set limit. They drank until they passed out and then fell asleep.
When health problems arose, they were told they had to quit drinking, but they couldn’t. Without alcohol, they couldn’t sleep.
Friend B
In their youth, they started a business and nurtured it to stability. Almost every day, they attended drinking gatherings with employees, business partners, or acquaintances. They consoled themselves by saying they enjoyed the gatherings, not the alcohol.
After drinking daily, even on rare nights without a gathering, they started drinking alone during meals. When their health began to decline, they were told to quit drinking, but they couldn’t. Alcohol was the only way to forget the stress from both work and home.
Although they became financially comfortable, their family turned away, accusing them of neglect. Friends who knew about their health issues refused to drink with them and instead nagged them to quit. As a result, they drank either alone or with acquaintances unaware of their condition.
Even after occasional trips to the emergency room, they thought they were still young enough to be fine.
Friend C
With a bright and cheerful personality, they had countless friends and acquaintances. They drank almost daily, both during their office days and after starting their own business. Even during work hours, they consumed alcohol.
During the day, they dealt with clients, and at night, they worked on accounting. They relied on alcohol to get through their busy schedule.
When family issues arose and legal disputes made life harder, they turned to alcohol again. Despite these difficulties, they had to continue running their business, using alcohol as their crutch.
Though their health deteriorated, they couldn’t stop drinking. There was too much they had accomplished, and they felt they needed alcohol’s “help” to keep going.
Common Traits
All three friends initially drank with others, but at some point, they became accustomed to drinking alone. Even after their health declined, they couldn’t stop for long. The pain became familiar, and drinking provided temporary relief from that pain.
They began waking up each day with the sole thought of drinking or wondering where they might find another drinking gathering.
I’ve tried scolding them, getting angry, and telling them to think of their family. But seeing them turn back to alcohol made me realize that this isn’t simply an issue of willpower. It’s a deep, serious illness—one they cannot overcome alone.
A Broader Problem
In our society, we are far too lenient with alcohol, especially with young professionals just entering the workforce. There’s little awareness or caution about the potential dangers.
Even among my acquaintances, while they may not be full-blown alcoholics, there are people who suffer from issues caused by alcohol, despite having respectable jobs and businesses.
If you have family members or young professionals around you, I hope you’ll have an honest conversation about this issue. It could make a real difference.