There are many reasons why someone develops an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). For some, it may be due to leading a bad lifestyle or a social routine. Like Mary in the video opposite, she would follow a daily routine. She was drinking every night on her way home from work, not because she wanted to, but because this is what she always did. Her life revolved around the need to be with others and to be seen to be sociable. Others may have experienced a traumatic event in their lives, for which alcohol is used as a form of self-medication. I classify many of these people as being “Victims of Circumstance”. This is where a person can become emotionally damaged due to the actions of others. A rape, or being in a horrendous car crash. Witnessing a murder. The loss of a loved one. We are all susceptible to these emotional situations that life can throw at us. All of which are none of our own making. There are many other causes as to why a person may abuse alcohol. My history of alcohol abuse was due to my being an undiagnosed dyslexic. A child who struggles with learning difficulties, maybe ridiculed and laughed at by other children. They can often be made to feel different and subsequently be picked on and bullied. They can feel ostracised and made to feel inadequate. Teachers can become frustrated by the child's inability to learn. In the past, they would regard a child as being a dunce, a slow learner, an idiot, thick or just plain stupid. Home life too could also be traumatic, as a child may be made to feel a failure, inadequate, or a disappointment. You're thick, you're stupid, you're useless, you’re an embarrassment to the family name. A child may well go on to develop psychological issues in adult life. All this conditioning can be seen as a form of mental abuse. Feelings of guilt, failure, being subnormal, and dejection only fuel anxiety and depression. In addition to this, some dyslexic people may go on to develop ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), which in itself is a mental health disorder. (It should be noted that Dyslexia isn’t a mental health condition, but a learning disability.) Over time, a person with dyslexia may find it hard to mix and socialise with others. They feel inadequate and fear others will wrongly acknowledge their condition. Dyslexic people are often seen as being lazy, unintelligent,   and   ‘faking   it’   for   attention.   They   can   become   stigmatised.   People   with   dyslexia   may   experience   emotional distress, including aggression and harbour suicidal thoughts. When I joined the RAF at the age of 17 years of age. I found that alcohol would allow me to lose those inhibitions and enable me to socialise with others. It helped me gain confidence and became my coping mechanism for life. The worst life lesson I ever learnt while in the RAF was that the best cure for a hangover was “The Hair of the Dog that Bit You”. This led me down the “Bender” pathway (A “Bender” involves continuous drinking for two or more days).