Alcohol Problem

Off Topic
42

[quote]jay711 wrote:
Jonny5 wrote:
My friend had a similar problem. He has a social phobia, which made him shy and uncomfortable in groups of people. He didn’t drink that often, but when he had a beer or two it would made him feel more comfortable and sociable. Without knowing it he would drink more and more to keep that feeling, which meant that when he did drink he would end up drinking way to much. Which led to the usual problems. His solution: stop drinking and seek help for the social issues.

Don’t know if you have the same problem, but thats what he did.

Hey Jonny5,
I think you hit the nail right on the head with your comment.
I feel really uncomfortable when it comes to social interaction.
The alcohol makes me feel more confident and more sociable.
I don’t have a physical addiction to alcohol… I don’t need a drink when I wake up in the morning… but if I have to attend an evening dinner with my work colleagues for instance I do need alcohol.
The question is how do I go about solving it??[/quote]

Sure. Why not? That’s how is started with me: Drinking to not be shy. I only drank on weekends.

Soon the weekends turned into Wednesday through Saturday, with maybe a few beers on Sunday.

I didn’t start drinking every day until I’d been drinking about 9 or 10 years. I didn’t need a drink in the morning until I’d been at it about 16 years — even then I only did that on weekends.

If your regimen remains the same, you’re OK. You may even grow out of binge drinking. I know lots of people who did.

But if your drinking progresses, you will need to stop…some day. Everyone has a different bottom. I just hope yours isn’t tragic.

Regards,
Scott

43

Sorry Bro, but what you’re saying is an addiction. I used to say the same thing, I’m not addicted but I buy a bottle to drink moderate after a couple drinks it’s gone, not shots I mean blowing bubbles in the vodka. I pretty much leave the liquer alone anymore, but it took alot to stop my not a problem. I can drink beer occasionalll just have to stay away from the other.

44

I personally suffer from being a “mild alcoholic”. I say mild because I find there are varying degree’s of it. Either way it isn’t good. My problem specifical has nothing to do with alcohol. More or less just the need to get fucked up. Yup… alcohol, marijuana, either one will do fine when I am just tired of doing the same things, and I feel like getting fucked up. I just wanted to say that the people who have the idea of drinking by yourself are way off.

Seriously… drinking by yourself??? If this isn’t a sign of a TOTAL FULL BLOW alcoholic I would like you to tell me. Because drinking by yourself is very lame. (And I am not saying that I am not guilty of it by the way). Seriously… if your going to drink, do it while socializing, it is the best time, and ONLY acceptable time in my mind. If you drink by yourself that is just depressing. And if you are going to drink, you might as well enjoy it and not be depressed.

45

If you add protein and flax to the beer it will become clean beer and it’ll make you swole like Dave Tate.

46

[quote]Rockscar wrote:

Try only 1 beer, and if you can do this more than once goo on you. [/quote]

Or goo on yourself instead of beer. Works for me…

47

My freat grandfather was over 90 years old when he got drunk in the snow sitting next to a creek. The pneumonia he got from that mistake killed him.

I am about 50% american indian, cherokee, and I feel I am pre-disposed to alcoholism. I like to drink. I like to drink a lot. Sure I can go without for days/weeks/months, but then there I go again…drinking.

Sure, everyone says just stop all together, but the problem is that I enjoy it. I have come to realize, I need to leave it alone, or deal with drinking heavily.

Try not drinking at all brother. See how long it lasts. Try not to drink, and if you do binge, go back to not drinking the next day.

Good luck my friend.

48

One more thing, can someone explain to me why alcohol is legal and marijuana is illegal? It really burns my britches.

49

[quote]Petedacook wrote:
One more thing, can someone explain to me why alcohol is legal and marijuana is illegal? It really burns my britches. [/quote]

This has always puzzled me too. I guess because it’s harder to smoke JUST a few bowls, and is easier to drink just one or two beers. I guess pot gets you intoxicated quicker.

But much much worse things happen when you drink. I can’t remember the last time I heard of “high driving”, or someone getting high and starting a brawl. Or someone getting high and raping someone.

I guess it’s all polotics.

50

[quote]Petedacook wrote:
One more thing, can someone explain to me why alcohol is legal and marijuana is illegal? It really burns my britches. [/quote]

Because alcohol was so prevalent in this country when our ancestors put together this country now known as the United States.

Yes, people smoked weed in those days, but not to the extent that they drank.

Thus, years laster when alcohol was rightfully banned, people went crazy.

When weed was banned, the outcry was much far less. Alcohol is so ingrained in our culture from the beginning, there really was no stopping it, even though its far more dangerous.

I often wonder how much better off of a society we would be living in had prohibition stuck.

The statistics show that 50 percent of all calls involving police are alcohol related. That is staggering in itself.

51

If anything in your life, causes you to lose control over yourself it is a problem. That is with anything in life not just alchohol.

There is no physical addiction when it comes to gambling. Yet many people have such a habit that they cannot get rid of on thier own.

It is up to you to decide to look within yourself and decerne whether or not you REALLY want to stop. If you do, you will stop. If you think that you stand to gain something by continuing this habit, then you are not ready. You must however be honest with yourself

I smoke, and am addicted to nicotine. What I don’t do however is sit there and say man I wish I could quit. I dont really even want to quit, right now. Mabey that will change. For now however smoking is something I enjoy doing.

So if you do wish to quit then you should check out AA.

To say that you dont have a problem because you are not physically addicted is retarded.

52

For the record, I am/was as you were. So please bear that in mind when you read my post.

[quote]jay711 wrote:
Jonny5 wrote:
My friend had a similar problem. He has a social phobia, which made him shy and uncomfortable in groups of people. He didn’t drink that often, but when he had a beer or two it would made him feel more comfortable and sociable. Without knowing it he would drink more and more to keep that feeling, which meant that when he did drink he would end up drinking way to much. Which led to the usual problems. His solution: stop drinking and seek help for the social issues.

Don’t know if you have the same problem, but thats what he did.

Hey Jonny5,
I think you hit the nail right on the head with your comment.
I feel really uncomfortable when it comes to social interaction.
The alcohol makes me feel more confident and more sociable.
I don’t have a physical addiction to alcohol… I don’t need a drink when I wake up in the morning… but if I have to attend an evening dinner with my work colleagues for instance I do[/quote]

Here it comes…

NEED?? The use of the word “need” indicates a necessity in ones life. You “need” alcohol…you said it yourself.

need=addiction.

And yes…the word “need” is a sign of addiction…in this case, alcoholism. It also applies to most anything else in life:

“I need a smoke.”
“I need a hit.”
etc

Some could say that your original post was “a cry for help.” I’m not going to do that. What I will say is this:

Now, I don’t drink at all now (not socially acceptable in the country I’m in…but, in general, it’s getting better…I now have a considerable amount of friends in my life who share my belief in non-drinking).

I didn’t like the fact that something was “allowing” me to do something i could not do for myself.

Once I quit, I had to rely on myself to do what I could do with alcohol. I had no crutch and I had to learn to do it without. It was a bumpy ride…and I made more than my share of “social mistakes.”

Not to mention, I had to muster up more balls to do/say things that alcohol made me more apt to say.

I’m 100 times better for not drinking…it’s not without it’s “interesting” times, and I’ve learned i’m a pretty awesome guy…especially without it.

AD

53

i dont see why its so hard to stop drinking, it seems like it happens to people that are mentally weak.

Like last month all my friends were home from school so i was partying a lot last month, but this month i descided to stop drinking and focus on lifting more. and i havent drank since. i just dont get why its so hard

54

[quote]blok wrote:
i dont see why its so hard to stop drinking, it seems like it happens to people that are mentally weak.

Like last month all my friends were home from school so i was partying a lot last month, but this month i descided to stop drinking and focus on lifting more. and i havent drank since. i just dont get why its so hard[/quote]

Ignorance is bliss.

55

[quote]KombatAthlete wrote:
blok wrote:
i dont see why its so hard to stop drinking, it seems like it happens to people that are mentally weak.

Like last month all my friends were home from school so i was partying a lot last month, but this month i descided to stop drinking and focus on lifting more. and i havent drank since. i just dont get why its so hard

Ignorance is bliss.[/quote]

obviously being drunk is bliss

56

[quote]AlphaDragon wrote:

Some could say that your original post was “a cry for help.” I’m not going to do that. What I will say is this:
[/quote]

I will. As a clinical psychologist candidate, I simply cannot abandon my duty to point out that which is oh so obvious yet too often passes under the radar. =]

Seriously, the very fact that you would not-so-discreetly ask for advice on this issue, and do this at an anonymous environment suggests something. You are asking for help, LET US help you. =]

[quote]AlphaDragon wrote:

Now, I don’t drink at all now (not socially acceptable in the country I’m in…but, in general, it’s getting better…I now have a considerable amount of friends in my life who share my belief in non-drinking).

AD[/quote]

I don’t agree on this. I have been deathly scared that quitting drinking (in retrospect I’ve actually repeatedly gotten in physical, and sometimes VERY dangerous situations while on the booze) would make me look stupid and holier-than-thou, and would not let me fit in with my friends.

I did it anyway. To my surprise, I have gained more respect and admiration from strangers than I ever did before. Plus, in an environment where everybody is drunk and I’m not, I’m much more in control of things and therefore look much smarter and stronger =]

57

[quote]Burn wrote:
AlphaDragon wrote:

Some could say that your original post was “a cry for help.” I’m not going to do that. What I will say is this:

I will. As a clinical psychologist candidate, I simply cannot abandon my duty to point out that which is oh so obvious yet too often passes under the radar. =]

Seriously, the very fact that you would not-so-discreetly ask for advice on this issue, and do this at an anonymous environment suggests something. You are asking for help, LET US help you. =][/quote]

I’m glad someone said it…:wink:

[quote]AlphaDragon wrote:

Now, I don’t drink at all now (not socially acceptable in the country I’m in…but, in general, it’s getting better…I now have a considerable amount of friends in my life who share my belief in non-drinking).

AD

I don’t agree on this. I have been deathly scared that quitting drinking (in retrospect I’ve actually repeatedly gotten in physical, and sometimes VERY dangerous situations while on the booze) would make me look stupid and holier-than-thou, and would not let me fit in with my friends.

I did it anyway. To my surprise, I have gained more respect and admiration from strangers than I ever did before. Plus, in an environment where everybody is drunk and I’m not, I’m much more in control of things and therefore look much smarter and stronger =][/quote]

Maybe I wasn’t clear enough. I didn’t say my old friends “repented”…I said I had friends now who shared this belief. This was intended to say I have numerous different friends who share this belief. As in, a new batch of friends…I actually had to (personally) cut off all my old friends when I quit. As you said, they saw me as “holier-than-thou.”

58

[quote]Petedacook wrote:
One more thing, can someone explain to me why alcohol is legal and marijuana is illegal? It really burns my britches. [/quote]

Because if you drop a joint in your lap it will burn your britches. If you drop a beer in your lap it will extinguish the burning britches.

Therefore beer is better than pot.

59

Sorry to break it to you. No matter what you call it-A drunk or whatever- you have an addiction to alcohol. Alcoholism is when you cannot control your drinking; whether that means you cannot stop once you start, or stop altogether, the syndrome and habits you are describing is definitely alcoholism.

Just log onto any AA site and read.

I was married to a Professional hockey player addicted to painkillers, and even though he could go 3 months without them (in the beginning stages), when he would finally give in and take 2- by the end of the night he had taken 20-30 in one day.

The problem is that it just gets worse and worse, as alcoholism is a progressive disease. by the time I left him he was shooting heroin, and I didn’t even know it.

Can you relate to this statement:

1 is too many and 10 isn’t enough?

If so, put the pint down and get yourself some help to stop drinking, if not for yourself, then for your wife- BEFORE she becomes your EX-WIFE.

Good luck.

[quote]jay711 wrote:
Canadianrigpig wrote:
Your a drunk. No offense, but that’s life. I was too. I gave up Liqueur 2.5 yrs ago when I realized that I could not control my habits. It’s a hard call to make & admit that it is a problem especially when your buddies are bugging you. Good luck w/ it though.

Hi Canadianrigpig, thanks for the reply.
I am not a drunk… like I said I am not addicted to the stuff…I can easily go weeks without drinking… my problem is that when I do drink I don’t stop till I’m drunk!

[/quote]

60

I was exactly like you. If I had alcohol in my house, I had to drink it. If I only intended to drink one or two beers, I would end up drinking a six pack before the night was over. I had a catalyst in my life that made me change. I would get drunk and go to strip clubs without my wifes knowledge. She found out and our marrige was in jeapordy.

In the last desperate act of a desperate man I prayed in my car. I tell you the truth, I litteraly had God say to me, “Stop Drinking!” I quit that day and have not looked back since. With the help of God, a good councelor, and the correct friends, I am now sober and more importantly, the husband I want to be.

Please I beg you to stop drinking before your life gets this out of control. It is Ok to say I have a problem and I need help. It is strong to do this. It is weak to ignore or rationalize the problem.
Sincerely
Kevin
AKA Thai Bxr

61

[quote]blok wrote:
i dont see why its so hard to stop drinking, it seems like it happens to people that are mentally weak.

Like last month all my friends were home from school so i was partying a lot last month, but this month i descided to stop drinking and focus on lifting more. and i havent drank since. i just dont get why its so hard[/quote]

I don’t get why some people don’t get why it’s so hard.

Seriously though, there’s a mental component for sure but it’s not weakness.

Some people use it as a coping mechanism. Lots of times the problem isn’t the addiction to alcohol as a substance at all. Lots of times not being able to handle social situations or other stressors is the problem. People use alcohol as an escape. For a lot of people a stress management course might solve their alcoholism.

Try to have some empathy and you’ll understand better.