poledriver
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
- Messages
- 11,543
Alcoholics share the harrowing reality of addiction
KRIS had truly hit rock bottom.
He had yet another bender on Jagermeister and he woke up in the morning, face down, exactly where he passed out the night before.
As he lifted his head he was paralysed by shame. Dozens of friends circled him, staring at him with blank looks.
He could see concern and confusion in their eyes. He had been at a graduation party for his little sister’s best friend, and he lost so much control that night people even asked him if he was on heroin.
“I was ashamed of myself and what I’d become,” he said.
Kris’s wife had left him and moved away unannounced, and he was alone, battling depression.
Every day for six months, Kris would skull a bottle of Jack Daniels after work and would hide Jagermeister in an energy drink can when he was with other people — clearly aware of his problem.
After he woke up from the graduation party, he knew he had to change.
“I weaned myself off for the next few days and started doing much better,” he said.
“I didn’t talk to anyone at the party for a couple of months after that. I felt like I had to re-establish myself somewhat before I could face them again.
“It took another year before I actually felt good about myself again.”
Sadly, his story is not the only harrowing tale of the realities of alcoholism with many telling of their loneliness and despair on a recent Reddit thread, which asked people how they hit rock bottom.
One user admitted to visiting different bottle shops so the workers would never think there was a problem, while another said they got the shakes when they tried to go a whole day without drinking.
Some wrote of 14-week long binges, others told of their constant hangovers, but user Tragic-Story exposed his morning ritual after a destructive night out.
He would wake up at 4am and chug a bottle of water, which he said diluted the bile he would throw up five minutes later.
He’d then strip naked and search himself for bruises and check his wife’s Facebook profile so he could remember what they did the night before.
There were times he would wonder whether he had enough money or booze stashed away so he could continue living the life he described as hell.
Another man who claims to be an alcoholic said his addiction lost him his job.
He showed up late yet again and was sacked, so he decided to go out and “celebrate” with a friend.
It was a cold Chicago day and people were warned about frostbite, so he caught the train before making his way to his favourite bar with his mate.
On the way they stopped to get a drink at any bar they passed and he was drunk by time they got to the bar they were originally headed to.
“I blacked out. I only remember arriving there,” he said.
He woke the next day, naked on his couch, covered in urine.
“I peed myself,” he said.
The front door was open and he could see straight out at the people walking past to go to work.
It turned out he had lost his keys and battered his front door so he could get in - the door frame was in pieces.
“One of these pieces had a long, skinny nail, which I had stepped onto. So I had a piece of wood attached to the bottom of my foot. I had no wallet or cell phone.
My friend called me and told me he woke up with a massive gash in his head and that so much blood had come out his head had fused to his pillow.
“Apparently we got wasted and went to a burrito place. I had no money and my friend didn’t give me money to buy a burrito. So, with my keys in my hand, I hit him in the head and caused the big cut.”
After he assaulted his friend, he walked home and thinks he maybe got robbed because he also lost his coat that night.
“I knew I had a real alcohol problem. It was finally undeniable,” he said.
Cont -
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/he...n/news-story/878b100ee0ba7312ff41664b939b782c
KRIS had truly hit rock bottom.
He had yet another bender on Jagermeister and he woke up in the morning, face down, exactly where he passed out the night before.
As he lifted his head he was paralysed by shame. Dozens of friends circled him, staring at him with blank looks.
He could see concern and confusion in their eyes. He had been at a graduation party for his little sister’s best friend, and he lost so much control that night people even asked him if he was on heroin.
“I was ashamed of myself and what I’d become,” he said.
Kris’s wife had left him and moved away unannounced, and he was alone, battling depression.
Every day for six months, Kris would skull a bottle of Jack Daniels after work and would hide Jagermeister in an energy drink can when he was with other people — clearly aware of his problem.
After he woke up from the graduation party, he knew he had to change.
“I weaned myself off for the next few days and started doing much better,” he said.
“I didn’t talk to anyone at the party for a couple of months after that. I felt like I had to re-establish myself somewhat before I could face them again.
“It took another year before I actually felt good about myself again.”
Sadly, his story is not the only harrowing tale of the realities of alcoholism with many telling of their loneliness and despair on a recent Reddit thread, which asked people how they hit rock bottom.
One user admitted to visiting different bottle shops so the workers would never think there was a problem, while another said they got the shakes when they tried to go a whole day without drinking.
Some wrote of 14-week long binges, others told of their constant hangovers, but user Tragic-Story exposed his morning ritual after a destructive night out.
He would wake up at 4am and chug a bottle of water, which he said diluted the bile he would throw up five minutes later.
He’d then strip naked and search himself for bruises and check his wife’s Facebook profile so he could remember what they did the night before.
There were times he would wonder whether he had enough money or booze stashed away so he could continue living the life he described as hell.
Another man who claims to be an alcoholic said his addiction lost him his job.
He showed up late yet again and was sacked, so he decided to go out and “celebrate” with a friend.
It was a cold Chicago day and people were warned about frostbite, so he caught the train before making his way to his favourite bar with his mate.
On the way they stopped to get a drink at any bar they passed and he was drunk by time they got to the bar they were originally headed to.
“I blacked out. I only remember arriving there,” he said.
He woke the next day, naked on his couch, covered in urine.
“I peed myself,” he said.
The front door was open and he could see straight out at the people walking past to go to work.
It turned out he had lost his keys and battered his front door so he could get in - the door frame was in pieces.
“One of these pieces had a long, skinny nail, which I had stepped onto. So I had a piece of wood attached to the bottom of my foot. I had no wallet or cell phone.
My friend called me and told me he woke up with a massive gash in his head and that so much blood had come out his head had fused to his pillow.
“Apparently we got wasted and went to a burrito place. I had no money and my friend didn’t give me money to buy a burrito. So, with my keys in my hand, I hit him in the head and caused the big cut.”
After he assaulted his friend, he walked home and thinks he maybe got robbed because he also lost his coat that night.
“I knew I had a real alcohol problem. It was finally undeniable,” he said.
Cont -
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/he...n/news-story/878b100ee0ba7312ff41664b939b782c
