WHY DO PEOPLE CONTINUE TO DRINK AFTER THEY BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES?
Over time, a drinker comes to associate drinking with certain cues and anticipated rewards —a clock signals quitting time at work, for instance. The individual responds to the cues by looking forward to a few drinks, perhaps at the bar with other drinking friends, perhaps alone in front of the television. Whether a person drinks to get over bad feelings or to enhance good ones or for other reasons, the rewards for drinking are realized much sooner than the negative consequences experienced later on. Making changes in any seriously ingrained habit can seem an overwhelming task. Perhaps the individual feels poorly equipped to attempt changes or is reluctant to relinquish the behaviour entirely. Consequently, the individuals life becomes ruled by drinking cues and anticipations that he or she constantly gives in to and that continue to result in ever increasing negative consequences.
