I read it differently. This seems like someone who has not actually been dependent on alcohol, and now realizes that the downsides outweigh the so-called enjoyment. So, she'll simply give it up completely, and instantly do away with all the negatives.
I can very much relate. I drink only rarely, and overall enjoy it but then my head and body complain the next day, even after just one cocktail or glass of wine. Or, I'll have a tall beer at home and then notice I can't talk as clearly, in front of my kids. So it's just not worth it, and I'm debating just walking away completely. Instant win.
> So, she'll simply give it up completely, and instantly do away with all the negatives.
That is a very different thing than claiming you'll be granted a superpower. And again, people who do have dependency issues often use them as a crutch to avoid looking at other problems or root causes.
Alcohol isn't the one thing holding you back from writing the great American novel or becoming a 10x developer or learning Mandarin, and telling yourself that when you attempt to quit or limit is a very good way to find your way back to booze.
I don't know author's real meaning, but you may be reading too much into "superpower." I took it as: she doesn't drink so much to be dependent / alcoholic, but enough that it's fucking with her life (bad experiences, body damage, gateway to smoking again, etc). And she seems convinced that it'd be easy to give up. So that's the superpower: to be able to so easily erase negatives in her life.
It's like: I have alcoholic friends trying to give up drinking, and it's very difficult for them, meanwhile it's trivially easy for me not to drink (in fact, my body mostly dislikes alcohol.) From my friends' POV, I have a superpower they wish they possessed.
I can very much relate. I drink only rarely, and overall enjoy it but then my head and body complain the next day, even after just one cocktail or glass of wine. Or, I'll have a tall beer at home and then notice I can't talk as clearly, in front of my kids. So it's just not worth it, and I'm debating just walking away completely. Instant win.