A man who has been sober for more than a decade says the biggest difference between an alcoholic and a moderate drinker is not the number of glasses on the table, but what happens in the mind when the glass is gone. Corey Warren, who stopped drinking in 2011 after several stints in rehab, has been open about how addiction shaped his routines, friendships, and choices. Looking back, he says he can now see patterns that felt normal at the time, yet look completely different next to the way people without dependence relate to alcohol.
The first difference, Warren explains, is the relentless mental noise. People who can drink moderately tend to forget about alcohol when they are not drinking. For him, alcohol stayed front and center during work, dinners, and ordinary errands, even on days he was not touching it. He describes spending weekdays counting down to the weekend, when he felt he could finally drink the way he wanted.
The second difference is what happens after the first drink. Warren says he could stop after one or two drinks, at least physically, but the desire to stop was rarely there. The point was never to have a taste, it was to chase the feeling, and one drink only sharpened the pull toward the next. In his experience, moderate drinkers can be satisfied and move on, while he was left restless, bargaining for just one more.If you want to hear him explain it in his own words, you can watch it here.
The third difference shows up in excuses and limits. Warren notes that many moderate drinkers can name a clear reason not to drink, such as an early morning, a demanding workday, or the need to drive. He remembers being the opposite, always able to find a reason to drink, even when it put him on a collision course with consequences. He recalls arguing with friends, driving while intoxicated, and apologizing repeatedly, only to repeat the same cycle.
His message is blunt and meant to land with anyone who recognizes their own habits in his story. If your drinking looks like his did, he says, it is less about enjoyment and more about control, the kind that quietly takes over schedules, relationships, and self-respect. In his view, improving life starts with removing alcohol and seeing what becomes possible when it is no longer calling the shots.
Have you noticed these differences in yourself or someone close to you? Share your thoughts in the comments.
