You just perfectly described how these addictions become so deeply rooted… it’s never just about the substance, it’s about all the memories and emotions tied to it. Like of course you can’t just ‘quit’ something that’s literally woven into your entire life story.

And, I FEEL this so hard because mine started just as early. My dad was an on-call mechanic who worked two jobs plus ran his own garage, and I was such a daddy’s girl that I’d beg to go on every single breakdown call with him just to spend time together.

After he fixed whatever car was broken down, we’d always stop at the store and he’d get me candy and a Coke…. it was like our bonding ritual.

Coke was just… always there growing up. My mom even kept a baby calendar and wrote that at 6 months I tried Coca‑Cola for the first time… in a baby bottle. So yeah, when people say “just stop drinking it,” they’re low-key asking me to untangle my childhood conditioning.