It occurs to me that when you are drunk, you are in effect in the state of a small child. Your mind is gone, your capacity for rational planning gone, and you act on nearly all your impulses. You feel no pain, and not infrequently euphoria.
Ponder for a moment the value of that for someone with Developmental Trauma. You get to return to your childhood, but this time without the pain and stress. But of course you then sober up every time. Still, that part of you gets a rest for a time, and unless and until those wounds are healed, you keep coming back. I think this is my own issue. I had a dream tonight which seemed to say that.
I would like to propose this as a deep reason for chronic drunkenness, for many. Heroin does the same thing, as do most barbituates. Weed not so much, and certainly not amphetamines. But the most common drugs used worldwide otherwise, including opium, hashish probably, morphine and the world’s most popular drug, booze, all return us to childlike states.
Political manias, now that I think about it, most likely do the same thing. Most of the people throwing tantrums in the streets are not just figuratively acting like 3 year olds: they are LITERALLY acting like 3 year olds. A child cannot be asked to foresee the consequences of their actions. If you are older than 18, though, it is a reasonable request, even if one you have not been taught to honor.