Alcoholism General

Michael Pemulis said:
Do you think it would be possible (after a detox) to switch to a healthy and sustainable drinking habit, like a glass or two of wine at the end of the day? Or do you think you need to quit entirely?

Whatever you choose, stick to it. Don't be one of these people who quits cold turkey for a few months and then relapses into unhealthy binge drinking.
Click to expand...
I'm going to cold turkey until I get other aspects of my life in order and get some more constructive hobbies, then I'll think about it. Ideally I can let my liver get back up on its feet a bit drop my tolerance so I don't drink as much first. I'm guessing it'll be a long while.
My immediate focus is repairing the issues I caused with friends and family, graduating, getting a real job, picking up some hobbies again, etc. The main triggers for me are sadness, excitement, and boredom.
 
Last edited:
  • Feels
Reactions: Begemot, Michael Pemulis, Mesh Gear Fox and 2 others
Alcohol and alcoholism have taken a huge toll on my family and friends over the years. Huge.

Stopped cold turkey over thirty years ago. Despite various traumas in life after that, never went back to the bottle.

Folks, drinking won't fix the problems you drink to escape from. If anything, drinking can make those problems quantum leaps worse, sometimes costing you your life.

Humble suggestion - when your problems seem like an unbeatable monolith, mentally break that monolith down into individual obstacles. Then get around or over those obstacles, without using alcohol or drugs. Will take time, but it always takes longer to get out of tough times than it does to get into them. Approach has worked for me.
 
  • Like
  • Feels
  • Agree
Reactions: Nique la mere de Macron, Dojima's Dragon, Clovis and 6 others
Megaroad 2012 said:
I replaced much of my drinking with just doing a tiny bowl of weed when the craving gets too much. Not a full gram or anything, just a microdose.

It's trading one addiction for another, I know, but at least you'll feel more relaxed, your liver (maybe????) wont fail and no more hang overs.
Click to expand...
There's a physical addiction to alcohol/marijuana and then there's a psychological addiction to being intoxicated.

I've switched over to using THC occasionally because I feel like getting intoxicated sometimes is a need, but at least it can be parked on something that doesn't make you feel like you're dying the day after.


Update: Mind you, that can itself be a downside. At least I could get sick enough on liquor that I couldn't bear to think about getting drunk for a few days. If you never get sick from weed then it's easier to just stay on it all the time. And it seems to suck the will out of everything. Here I am, four days before a big test, if I fail I have to retake the class, and I just don't care. I should be doing the take-home portion right now, but I cannot will myself to look at it, and I don't feel scared, I just feel tired. Before I ever started using I felt like up and quitting, so I guess this is still sort of better, but it's not really good of itself. I'm on here writing up giant effortposts. There's no relief from anything, there's only juggling different kinds of harm.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Agree
  • Feels
Reactions: LimeRikki, AbyssGazer, Michael Pemulis and 3 others
Michael Pemulis said:
I think I remember you saying you are 21. That's pretty fucking early for this.
Click to expand...
you'd be amazed how early some people either damage or outright wreck their body and/or life with drugs/drinking. i once met a guy who was only 19 but would start to get the shakes if he didn't drink consistently, and his general state of affairs was... not good. (i live in the US, in case you're wondering)
 
  • Like
  • Feels
Reactions: JosephStalin, Mesh Gear Fox, Ughubughughughughughghlug and 1 other person
JosephStalin said:
Alcohol and alcoholism have taken a huge toll on my family and friends over the years. Huge.
Click to expand...
I was at some inlaws out of state earlier this year and meeting someone who was perpetually buzzed during the day and drunk at night was a sobering moment. Honestly can't bring myself to drink anymore after dealing with that and don't find any fun it. Like a sad zombie.

Ughubughughughughughghlug said:
There's a physical addiction to alcohol/marijuana and then there's a psychological addiction to being intoxicated.

I've switched over to using THC occasionally because I feel like getting intoxicated sometimes is a need, but at least it can be parked on something that doesn't make you feel like you're dying the day after.
Click to expand...
Admittedly, I fell off the wagon not too long after that post and went hard on drinking again thanks to some psychotic troon at work who'd self harm if I stood up against it. Thankfully, found a better job with a solid team of coworkers, plus meeting the alcoholic I mentioned above has just turned me off from the stuff in general.

Still enjoy a small bowl of CBD to help relax my body after work and another strain of CBD with a tiny amount of THC to calm my mind and help me sleep and hour before bed, but even my marijuana intake has decreased sharply after finding myself in a better enviornment.

Helvetica said:
you'd be amazed how early some people either damage or outright wreck their body and/or life with drugs/drinking. i once met a guy who was only 19 but would start to get the shakes if he didn't drink consistently, and his general state of affairs was... not good. (i live in the US, in case you're wondering)
Click to expand...
Work at a liquor store and you will immediately feel good about yourself when you meet 21 year olds who managed to look 20 years older than what their ID's say.

Snigger said:
Got the ol' intervention a few days ago and went to the hospital to detox. They gave me vitamins and benzos out the ass and I'm amazed how much a few days sober and a banana bag clears up brain fog.
Click to expand...
Hang in there man. There's more benefits to staying sober than even indulging yourself with one beer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ughubughughughughughghlug
pen burger said:
this is the red pill. there is no actual benefit to alcohol and it will only prevent you from reaching your full potential. even people who "don't have a problem" with alcohol would invariably do better without it.
Click to expand...
Don't think that's true of everybody, but I do think it's true that the invention of alcohol (or at least of alcohol as a beverage/drug) was a net negative for humanity. Some good from the people who enjoy it responsibly, some good from its medicinal uses, and then a MASSIVE amount of suffering from all the many people whose lives it destroys.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: JosephStalin
Well dont be like my father in law who seized up from withdrawals and almost choked on his own blood. Alcoholism is a strong vice to beat. If I remember correctly, it's usually an escape for some serious underlying issues you really don't want to deal with.
 
My folks are both alcoholics who sobered up before I was born and have remained sober all their lives. They still go to AA to this day though to keep themselves on track. According to my dad, it got so bad his eyes became yellow.

Also had a step-grandfather who destroyed his liver and died while on the wait list for a new one.

So suffice to say, I don’t drink. I’m more than likely genetically predisposed to alcoholism and I’d like to make that a family tradition.

Prayers to you all.
 
  • Feels
Reactions: Clovis, Mesh Gear Fox and JosephStalin
Feel free to rate me autistic for this, I understand it's kind of stupid
When I was released from the hospital, the nurse who unhooked my IV took me aside and told me that he had been an alcoholic as well. We talked for about 15 minutes and he gave me a lot of insight and advice. He bound the IV entry point with black gauze and gave me the roll to keep. Last night I was looking at it and I realized it was a reminder of how much damage I'd done to myself. I wrapped it around my wrists to remind myself of what happened. I'm going to keep doing it for the rest of my life.
It's stupid, it's retarded, but it brings me some level of comfort, it's a memento.
 
  • Feels
  • Like
Reactions: LimeRikki, Begemot, Flavius Claudius Julianus and 8 others
Snigger said:
Benzos actually help ease the symptoms of withdrawal, it's standard treatment
On another note I'm going to AA this weekend with my buddy.
Click to expand...
yeah I was just sorta kidding around
once or twice I had dental things to sit through and not freak out so I mooched some of Crazy Buddy's xanax and maybe I'm a lightweight for benzo dependency holy shit that was some serious fucking withdrawal even after a one-off use
 
  • Feels
Reactions: Mesh Gear Fox
Snigger said:
Feel free to rate me autistic for this, I understand it's kind of stupid
When I was released from the hospital, the nurse who unhooked my IV took me aside and told me that he had been an alcoholic as well. We talked for about 15 minutes and he gave me a lot of insight and advice. He bound the IV entry point with black gauze and gave me the roll to keep. Last night I was looking at it and I realized it was a reminder of how much damage I'd done to myself. I wrapped it around my wrists to remind myself of what happened. I'm going to keep doing it for the rest of my life.
It's stupid, it's retarded, but it brings me some level of comfort, it's a memento.
Click to expand...
That's not stupid or retarded. It's normal for people to keep mementos and symbols around to keep them grounded. It's why you see people wear things like cross necklaces, or have flags hanging on their houses. There is no shame in what you're doing and it shows you are absolutely serious in staying sober.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Begemot, Mesh Gear Fox and Clovis
I'm a drunkorexic (around 20 yrs with a couple of bouts of sobriety). Want to reduce to just social drinking. I have a couple of reasons to save money right now so I'm hoping that will be the incentive I need to cut back and stop drinking alone at home. I worry about my mental and physical decline but not enough to make me stop drinking, apparently.
I'm surrounded by drinkers and my social life revolves around drinking so I'm not ready to quit outright.
The anxiety blowback is going to be intense but I hope I can make a go of it.
Genuinely wishing my fellow drunk kiwis in the thread well, BTW. I hope you're all staying motivated to dry out.
 
  • Feels
Reactions: Begemot and Mesh Gear Fox
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back