Alcohol use can become a deeply ingrained lifestyle ritual that provides social bonding and self-worth beyond just the effects of the drug itself.

“It's woven into your lifestyle, right? Beyond just what the drug is doing to you. It's how you bond. It's the place that you hang out. It's the social group that you are around. It's the um way that you get a sense of selfworth and that you um are a part of a community.”

Alcohol use disorder is a spectrum, and many individuals are able to naturally overcome problematic drinking habits as they age without formal intervention.

“Most people who binge drink during college don't continue to binge drink into their 40s and 50s. It's called natural recovery.”