In thinking about my own pre-TSM self, I didn't want to give up alcohol but instead I wanted to control it. My "primative" lizard brain does NOT want to give up alcohol so therefore seeking help is risky because it goes hand in hand with abstaining. In the depths of AUD when the lizard is having a lovely time sucking on those scrumptious endorphins that it doesn't have to work hard to get, abstaining would be untenable. Scenario: Brain considers, "I can get endorphins by running for 30 minutes or I can get them even faster and with less effort by drinking alcohol..." Not only is my brain supremely "lazy", but it's also an efficient energy conserver! In hindsight, we know now that TSM puts the Alcohol Use Disorder sufferer back in control but before that, it's a daunting topic with a bleak prospect. I can understand why people are in denial because the only solution known to them will bring them no joy but a great deal of suffering. Who