Alcoholism

[CLOONEY]

Hey guys and girls,

Here is a problem I have, and please I dont want advice saying "it is Australian to drink", or "everyone does it".

I have realised in the past I had a large problem with alcohol. Ever since I was young, when I would drink (I drink heavily about once a week), I cannot stop I drink until the point I can not remember a thing and just wake up in my bed (or in hospital a couple of times).

I have been in many fights, (not even remembering some of them), and caused a LOT of trouble with family etc when I have been drinking.

Ok, so on Saturday night just passed, I did an act I have done a couple of times before, I drank drove. But this time, I actually crashed my car. I then got home and caused a massive noise problem broke a couple of things and had the neighbours complaining.

Simple fact is, I have a problem drinking, cannot stop once I start, and therefore need to stop once and for all.

Anyone else actually got help for this? I am personally, not planning on seeing anyone, as I know I have very very strong willpower and can do pretty much anything I put my mind too. But any good sites or info anyone can provide me with would be greatly appreciated..........?

I definately want to stop this once and for all, otherwise, I know for a fact, I am simply a time bomb waiting to happen.

Thanks!

 

[BLUEox117]

just dont drink, whats so hard about that? See most people think if i have just 5 drinks, ill be fine, problem is when ur buzzin you dont have the mind to stop at that point, if you've always been drinking more.

 

[Centaurion]

if you have a very strong willpower why don't you just quit then?

 

[CLOONEY]

Sazuki, yeah I drink because I love to party. I love the rush I get from it.

BLUE, exactly, that is why I am going to stop now. And it is true, after 5 I feel a bit of a buzz, and there is no stopping myself.

Centurion, I am asking for advice to make it as easy as possible for myself and gain different perspectives from people who have done the same kind of thing.

 

[CLOONEY]

Originally posted by Sazuki
I don't really think you are a alcoholic, but you do have a bit of a problem yeah. Why do you drink, because your feel depressed or lonely? or because you like to party like crazy?

What I recommend is changing the way you spend your time, avoid getting into drinking situations. Stop going out in the weekend and do some sport or somethng, untill you can really go out and have fun without alcohol.

Good luck man, good choise on changing your behaviour.

Thx man. Yeah, I am definately looking to do this also, I already do sport 3-4 times a week, but I think I will do it more often, probably about 6. That is definately a way to help it, not put myself in the situation. At least until the habit is broken (after doing it for several years in a row, it is now a habit that seems to be woven into my life)! This is what makes it a hard challenge, because its not just stopping drinking, its making an entire lifestyle change!

 

[CLOONEY]

Originally posted by Sazuki
I remember getting away from my alcohol and xtc unhealthy party past, it was a pretty hard. I felt kinda lonely, like I was missing out on fun other people were having.

Try to hang out with people who don't drink much also, and yeah doing more sport is a good thing.

Thanks. That is what I am looking for. Someone else who has done the same, and stopped totally, and the things they did to make it easier.

Cheers Sazuki!

 

[spider_007]

I don't think i can really help you but this is what happened to me.

I have a really small tolarence for alcoholl (4 beers will make me pass out), but that's because i don't drink often (once a month) I could never understand why people would drink accesivly untill i went to the clubs/bars. it's the need to have something in your hand, to sip on (pass the time sometimes). i found that i always thought if maybe i had another drink i would loosen up even more and have even more fun......i gave the credit (for me having fun) to the drinks. and the more i drunk the worse it got lather. there ware times where i would pull over 3 times on my way home and puke and pass out.... THE NEXT DAY IS HELL. which is why i stay away from drining now. i do have couple of drinks just to get a buzz going (even tho you can't tell haw much of a buzz you got in a dark nightclub)

i don't know bro, i hope it helps

also try assosiating a "action of picking up a glass" to the thought that "you could have killed somebody that night." someonce doughter, kid, husband, wife, grandfater....... ANOTHER PERSON....

we've all done it, im not being a little *****, just thought it may help...

 

[Bible_Belt]

Everybody has their drug. Non-drinkers will have some sort of psychological release or escape, such as marijuana, exercise, caffeine, religion, or sex.

 

[TheRelic]

I'm not surprised quest hasn't shown up

I am along similar lines man... guess it must be somewhat of an aussie thing

I'd basically just hammer them down - I can't savour drinks.

Yet, I haven't been drunk since my 21st at the start of the year - all because of the emphasis i've put on my studies and related research, gym, etc.

So the advice given here is fairly spot on; adjust the company you keep, and basically fill your time up with other things.

Now, I find myself not wanting to drink really, after such a layoff - but I guess we'll see how much weight that thought process holds when uni ends in a few weeks!

 

[The Bad Ass Canadian]

CLOONEY,

I feel for you and know what you're talking about.

I don't think you're an alcoholic, yet, but you are showing some behavioural qualities that will land you in that category if you don't keep yourself in check.

Some people process alcohol differently.... you drink til you black out. That's a definite warning sign that something is up. I can drink 14 beer (canadian beer) in an evening and feel fine the next day. I get pretty buzzed up but never black out, ever. I can drink heavily 4 nights in a row then not touch it for 2 weeks.

It's called control. I party hard because i choose to, not because I can't stop once i start.

If you can have a few beers and then stop, you have nothing to worry about... when you can't stop, once you start... there's a problem.

Just watch yourself.

 

[ER!C L!VE]

It's tough to admit that you're different than other people when it comes to drinking. One of the hardest things you'll ever do. All your friends drink, so why can't you? right?

Yea, the people around you always know that you have a problem, you're just the last one to find out that you're a drunk.
Nobody wants a drunk. Nobody needs a drunk.

I went to AA when I was 24. I haven't had a drop of alcohol in 7 years. I quit smoking another year later. I quit going to AA after 1 year even though they say you're supposed to keep going for life... almost like a cult Misery loves company and there are some miserable people there. I used it as a stepping stone to get me to another level in life and once I figured it out, I didn't need them anymore.

I still get laid like mad even without drinking... This was one of my main concerns about quitting drinking. Also, it's part of the reason why I came to this forum. Shyt Man, I didn't know how to get with girls without being drunk. I had never had sex sober. I had never met a girl when I was sober.

Anyway. So, that's my story. You are the only one who can determine if you want to quit drinking.

If you don't want to quit, then don't. :cheer:

If you do quit, I highly recommend an anti-depressant b/c excessive alcohol use is self medicating yourself b/c you feel depressed. I am currently taking Wellbutrin. I wouldn't have been able to quit drinking without it. Talk to a Dr. asap if you do quit. It's hella tough the first year and you will be depressed as fvck. That's why so many people relapse.. they can't deal with the lack of dopamine and seratonin that there brain doesn't produce enough of as a result of overuse of drugs/alcohol. Read up on it if you don't believe me.

 

[A-Unit]

The Contrarian

I'll be the contrarian here.

Having a few alcholics in the family, and an alcoholic uncle who recently divorced his wife and 4 kids after 16 years of marriage having received 2 DUI's, I'll chime in.

Alcoholism is MORE prevalent than most realize. It is justified to be o.k. because it is done in a social setting. Obviously anything done in a social setting is OK, right? [Note sarcasm]

Now, I am not labeling you as an alcoholic, but most don't figure they are until they are caught. However, that's the point of no-return. Normally it takes something traumatic:

-wrecking a car
-hitting a gf
-blacking out
-losing a job
-gaining weight
-lots of lost money

Addiction is considered by AA as having to do it on a regular basis, multiple times per week, OR binge drinking. Just because you have 3+ drinks a night and get buzzed, or pack them all into one day, does not get you off the hook.

Sure, a social scene is ok. Such as holidays, birthday parties, even the occasional football game. HOWEVER, if you're addicted to the social scene BECAUSE it masks the fact you booze or do drugs, then you have an addiction. You only get away with it because you're enveloped in the scene, so nobody really pulls out of the line-up.

In college, most students drink. Some on the weekends, some every day, or 4+ nights a week. They don't feel bad because EVERYBODY is doing it and they are immersed in the scene.

I hear the same line...

"i'm in college..."
"it's the weekend..."
"i haven't in a while..."
"i had a bad day..."

If you have to justify WHY you're drinking, you have a problem.

Granted I did, I can admit, for much of my college+ years, I drank too much. It cost too much. Resulted in a few ONS. And ends up derailing your workout schedule. Most do it because those trapped in the day-to-day regimen of the tick-tock world cannot connect to another human being without the presence of alcohol and the release it
allows a person after a long day.

What to do?

Go for 1 week, or 1 month without drinking. Don't go cold turkey. But most drink it not for its taste, but for the outcome of its taste. Frankly, chocolate cake or ice cream tastes just as good, and usually I eat alot LESS cake/candy than I do booze, so not only would I save on the calories, but I'd save on the hangover and money it costs. Yet, the buzzed feeling is the feeling most seek.

Not judging, because I'm as liable as any, but I can from speaking from experience and observation that most ARE near borderline alchies and will remain so in life as long as they drink with excuses and dismiss themselves of the responsibilities they own.



A-Unit

 

[ER!C L!VE]

I'm still waiting on someone to come out of the woodwork to say that Alcoholism can be cured through herbs and eating right or just quitting -- cause you just gotta 'own up' lol

 

[Deep Dish]

CLOONEY:
I have realised in the past I had a large problem with alcohol. Ever since I was young, when I would drink (I drink heavily about once a week), I cannot stop I drink until the point I can not remember a thing and just wake up in my bed (or in hospital a couple of times).

Do you have a family history of alcoholism?

If you answer “yes”, then in light of your described history it’s guaranteed you inherited the alcohol gene and that somewhere along the way in heavy drinking you triggered alcoholism. It has been shown that the brains of alcoholics are wired differently than normal people and that consequently there’s a biological switch in the brain which if thrown can never be turned off (although from what I hear doctors are within years of a drug to turn it off temporarily). So, if you answered yes, you must seek professional therapy, such as a local chapter of Alcoholic’s Anonymous. You must set aside your personal pride of “I know I have very very strong willpower and can do pretty much anything I put my mind too” and attend group therapy. See, getting over alcoholism or any other chemical addiction is not just about willpower; it’s not simply a matter of “choosing” to not drink, any more than a heroin addict “choosing” to not shoot up. Most people who seek group therapy quit after the first year and almost always they will eventually start drinking again, even if delayed by a decade. It’s a biological disorder which is enormously difficult to resist and for all practical semantic purposes is impossible to be accomplished on your own.

If you answered “no” to the original question, simply stop and maybe get some therapy for any emotional problems connected to your problem.

ER!C L!VE:
I’m still waiting on someone to come out of the woodwork to say that Alcoholism can be cured through herbs and eating right or just quitting -- cause you just gotta 'own up' lol

Yeah, really. Any fans of Kevin Trudeau here?

If I may say, I have a problem with television talk show hosts, the big culprits being Oprah and Dr. Phil. They do these shows with serious topics such as alcoholism or drug abuse in such an exceptionally oversimplified manner that they are rendered useless. For Dr. Phil to say, “You have to choose not to drink,” that’s being Captain Obvious. No duh! It’s hard to argue with Dr. Phil as giving bad information but, again, his shows are too simplistic to the point it’s rendered ineffective.

 

[ER!C L!VE]

Originally posted by CLOONEY
Simple fact is, I have a problem drinking, cannot stop once I start

lol --- I missed this part. You just defined what it means to be an alcoholic!

Bro, you really need to check out: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

 

[john_x]

Originally posted by ER!C L!VE
If you do quit, I highly recommend an anti-depressant b/c excessive alcohol use is self medicating yourself b/c you feel depressed.

DO NOT TAKE ANTI DEPRESSANT'S.
thats just going from one thing to another, deal with it

 

[Jariel]

I was never really a heavy drinker, but when I did get drunk all hell broke loose. I used to start fights too, even attacked a few friends.

I came to realise I don't have any fun when I'm drunk, no one else likes me when I'm drunk, I don't care much for the taste of alcohol and it's not doing my health any good either. There was no reason for me to drink. It gives you a sense of confidence I suppose, but it's more like a delusional type of confidence.

I gave up drinking completely around 5 years ago and I don't miss anything about it. It feels good to be in control and to be able to enjoy my nights out and remember them too.

I can't really offer much in the way of advice or techniques on quitting. For me it was just a case of the negatives outweighing the positives, and having no reason to drink any more.

Best of luck though!

 

[ER!C L!VE]

Originally posted by john_x
DO NOT TAKE ANTI DEPRESSANT'S.
thats just going from one thing to another, deal with it

Are you speaking from your own personal experience or by what the media has told you?

I speak from experience when I talk about anti-depressants. They are very misunderstood by the general public. They don't get you 'high'. They just stop the depressed feelings and negative thoughts going through a depressed persons mind. They allow the person to focus on what's important instead of how ****ty they think their lives are.

I thought like you once, until I tried an anti-depressant and went from living on the streets to graduating from college and becoming a homeowner. It wasn't from 'positive thinking' and 'owning up'. It was because the drugs allowed me to focus and not feel shytty all the fvcking time.

 

[ER!C L!VE]

Originally posted by Sazuki
Deep Dish you seem to ignore some important aspects of alcoholism. AA is heavily based on spirituality as their biggest means of succes and staying sober.

When AA first started, they did not have anti-depressants. I feel that most if not all members of AA should give them a good try. If anti-depressants don't work for them, then they can give the spirtitually a shot too.

Sure, the whole higher power thing works. It works for many many people. However, many of these people are still miserable. Go to a meeting a see.

I like AA. I think it's great. However, I believe that with the invention of anti-depressants, the spirituality aspect can be supplemented to give the addict/alcoholic a 1-2 punch against their disease.

I'm very controversial, however, I am living proof that one can quit drinking without going to AA every day for the rest of your life.

Hell, did you know that people who go there ever single damn day and talk about how great their lives are and how their 'higher power' has helped them soooo much are the ones who STILL relapse every few years?

I've been there, and seen it all man. These people are psychologically screwed up for the most part and need psychotropic drugs. If a person is too manly or proud to try an anti-depressant, then I feel sorry for him/her and wish them the best of luck in life.

There are smoother means to an end.

Eric

 

[Deep Dish]

Sazuki:
Deep Dish you seem to ignore some important aspects of alcoholism.

Yes and that was because I did not want to go into a long diatribe.

AA claims that only 10% of alcoholics have been caused only by the alcohol gene.

If Alcoholic’s Anonymous makes that assertion, they are quite simply wrong. I don’t know, maybe they claim that 10% of the general population who drink, in general, have the gene? People without the alcoholic gene can drink and get drunk but they can stop by willpower alone, whereas, of course, alcoholics cannot stop regardless of what negative consequences it incurs. They need beer as breathing air. No alcoholic gene, no alcoholism.

In regards to Alcoholic’s Anonymous being heavily based on “god” and spirituality, a viable alternative is Al-Anon, although I am not certain what is their take on the cosmos. Point is, though, Clooney needs to find himself group therapy.

EDIT: Al-Anon is not group therapy, per se, but it's a supplement to professional therapy. It is still, though, an effective program towards battling substance abuse.