alcoholism thread [merged]

[Jabberwocky]

Regarding the shots in a fifth -- I was under the impression that a fifth is 25.6 ounces. A shot is 1.5 ounces. Thus, there would be 17 shots in a fifth.

Shots vary in size. Just went to wikipedia and found an article with what quantities shots are in different places. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_glass

I need to feel the sobriety that I felt just those few days ago before I started drinking again and hang onto it. I just think of the drunken texts and emails to friends and family and it makes me want to cringe after I had a period of nearly two weeks when I was doing so well amd feeling really positive.

Me as well.

 

[LaserHosen]

I think we know when we have a problem with alochol when we stay off the booze for days, or weeks and then we can undo all that good work in a couple of days. I know that sounds a bit like AA propaganda for people that don't subscribe to the AA way of life.

For me though, it is true. I can be, ahem, awesome but as soon as I hit the booze again I seem to go downhill quickly. I am coming round to realising that my future might have to be a one without alcohol, unfortunately.

 

[RedLeader]

I was just going from what AmorRoark said, which was 25.6 shots in a fifth. Sounds like she was using a 1oz shot rule, then? I think you are right, Fjones and I was wrong in my calculations. Because a "standard drink" is 1.5oz of 80proof liquor, I believe? Good, I drank less than I thought!

 

[Jabberwocky]

I think we know when we have a problem with alochol when we stay off the booze for days, or weeks and then we can undo all that good work in a couple of days. I know that sounds a bit like AA propaganda for people that don't subscribe to the AA way of life.

For me though, it is true. I can be, ahem, awesome but as soon as I hit the booze again I seem to go downhill quickly. I am coming round to realising that my future might have to be a one without alcohol, unfortunately.

Nearly everyone has a substance that they have to leave alone. AA is great for many people. A lot of negativity AA enthusiasts receive is from many people being forced to affiliate with AA by coercive means. Also AA/NA and derivative treatments are the most popular and most promoted modality. People who know 12 steps aren't their answer get tired of hearing about it over and over when they are looking for something else. I am glad 12 steps work for you. Just wanted to mention where some of the negativity comes from. No need to be apologetic about anybody doing what works for them, nor take personally other peoples dissatisfactions.

 

[LaserHosen]

No offence taken at all. I'm quite a liberal person, so the last thing I wanted to do was force beliefs onto people. I'm not religious, and never have been really but I keep a bit of an open mind.

All I know is since I have started going to AA meetings and talking to reformed alcoholics I can learn more from their horror stories about losing loved ones/houses/possesions/living on the streets. Etc etc.

I realise this is the extremes of what can happen to you if you have a problem with alcohol, but for me it seems to sink in more than listening to some doctor analysing how many units I have drunk in a certain week.

And a lot of people I have met in the meetings have been intelligent and trustworthy people. They just happen to have this weakness that I also have.

Again, I wasn't trying to offend anyone, just trying to explain my situation, for what it's worth.

I'm being overly-apologetic, but my head's in a mess right now. I will get better again and that's the main thing.

 

[Fjones]

Shots vary in size. Just went to wikipedia and found an article with what quantities shots are in different places. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_glass

Yes, as does beer, which can come in various sizes. But the standard "drink" for 80 proof liquor is 1.5 ounces, which gives it the same amount of alcohol as a 12 ounce beer (5% alc content) or a 5 OZ glass of wine (12% alc content).

Differences in the size of containers or glasses don't change the amount of alcohol that constitutes a standard drink.

Regardless, a fifth of Vodka is a lot to drink, it doesn't really matter how many "drinks" or "shots" we call it.

I am a problem drinker prone to binge drinking when I do drink, so I avoid drinking as often as possible.

 

[Fjones]

I was just going from what AmorRoark said, which was 25.6 shots in a fifth. Sounds like she was using a 1oz shot rule, then? I think you are right, Fjones and I was wrong in my calculations. Because a "standard drink" is 1.5oz of 80proof liquor, I believe? Good, I drank less than I thought!

See, it's all about vantage point and perspective. This reminds me of an old quip from Yogi Berra. He was asked how many slices he wanted his pizza cut into, 4 or 8? He replied," Better make it 4, I don't think I can eat 8."

 

[sick shift]

Am now under medical (therapist's, he has a Ph.D) orders not to drink anymore. The psychological damage is too much to take. I've made an agreement with my s/o and him that there won't be any more. And now I make an agreement to those who are suffering in this thread and the people in my life, who have offered support and love to me even when I was a stupid lush.

I am saying goodbye with one last glass of the margarita crap (with permission); the last beverage of alcohol I will have for a long time and maybe forever. Maybe I will suspend the rules on vacations, but I can so rarely take those. Going forward, realistically: weed and the occasional magic carpet ride - no drama from either of those old friends.

I will probably do the exercise of writing a letter goodbye and will publish it in the appropriate thread if it isn't too private. I did not want the last, scary time to be the last memory I had of drinking. To go out on a good note and not look back in anger is what I want. Drinking wasn't all bad to me. It feels like breaking up with that toxic boyfriend or dropping a longtime freeloading friend - you don't want to say goodbye, but you know you have to.

This is not going to be easy at all. I know my self-control will be tested.

I have a suggestion for anyone who is triggered. Every time you think of buying alcohol, transfer the money you would have spent into a separate savings account instead, and spend it on something you love that you could not have had if you had remained a problem drinker.

I'll continue to pop in here to offer and get support. I can say without reservation that I could not have committed to being a nondrinker without the existence of this thread. Thank you all for helping me get my life back. You have done more for me than any detox, rehab, meeting, or intervention could have done.

Mariposa , good luck and I hope to hear you're making it . Some of the things in your post hit home with me . I said goodby on friendly terms on a Thanksgiving weekend . You say maybe you'll suspend the rules during vacation , you better stick to your guns . I go to motorcycle rallys and when I was drinking i enjoyed just kicking back and relaxing with a drink during the day and going at it hard at night . The first rally without alcohol dam near killed me . I realized I had to get up and go do something instead of sitting there dwelling on wanting a drink . I think I read in another post of yours that one of your reasons for wanting to quit is a anger issue . That was also my main reason for quiting . Again , good luck !

 

[sick shift]

I didn't make any note of a quitting date at my last bender. Checking by the dates of over the top correspondence that night I haven't drunk alcohol since Feb 27th. My stomach is so happy!

Like others, part of the dependence cycle for me is that alcohol wrecks my already erratic sleep life but I somehow become delusionally convinced that alcohol is an answer to sleep problems. So not true. I know it intellectually but alcohol never has its way with people through any sort of mental appeal.

Thanks for support and goodness and strength to the folks in this thread!
Hugs to everyone on this page (I use 40 posts per page, your page division may be different)

sick shift Redleader Dtug Wench
trancegirle Mariposa SilverFeniks
n3ophy7e AmorRoark Spurs_1882

Enki . Thanks for including me in there . In the very short time I've been here I feel like I've met good people that really care if a person makes it . For every person that wants me to make it , thats another person I'll be letting down if I dont make it . Each and every one of those people add up in my book . In the begining of my quest for sobrity telling people I'm sober helped keep me sober . Just a quick thanks . Bob

 

[sick shift]

Me too. I smuggled a bottle of half-n-half of Lucozade and Stolichnaya vodka into work this afternoon and have been topping myself up all afternoon.

I have been going to local AA meetings the last few months.

I stayed sober for 12 days recently and I felt fucking great. Was eating properly, sleeping quite good and all re-hydrated. Then I got fucked up at the weekend, as the little devil on my shoulder told me I was fine and didn't have a drink problem. I've been drinking like I used to since then.

It's 5:30 in the afternoon now (UK time) and I know I shouldn't be drinking, but I just don't wanna face the depression that comes with my hangovers. I am really mentally addicted to booze I think.

I am just gonna have to try and take it easy tonight and not get too smashed. I know I am gonna feel like shit at work in the morning though.

I need to feel the sobriety that I felt just those few days ago before I started drinking again and hang onto it. I just think of the drunken texts and emails to friends and family and it makes me want to cringe after I had a period of nearly two weeks when I was doing so well amd feeling really positive.

Anyway, just my 2 pennorth. I hope others can relate.

LaserHosen . Man I know about those drunkin emails that you wish you could take back . I also know about that devil on your shoulder . Hes on my shoulder too I,ve been alcohol free for 5 years and have accepted the fact that he'll be there forever . I just have to be stonger then him and with the help of places like this and people like whats here , my chances , our chances of making it are good . Good luck . Bob

 

[AmorRoark]

Thanks Enki.

 

[n3ophy7e]

^ Good job on not drinking! I really don't follow AA but I do believe in the 'one day at a time' type of mentality towards alcohol and otherwise. Setting any limits at all is very commendable in my mind (I know how hard it is to set them and stick to them).

Thanks honey
How are you going this week??

I didn't make any note of a quitting date at my last bender. Checking by the dates of over the top correspondence that night I haven't drunk alcohol since Feb 27th. My stomach is so happy!

Enki, it's so great to hear you've been sober for 2 weeks! Well done, keep up the good work!
Much love

I have been going to local AA meetings the last few months.

I stayed sober for 12 days recently and I felt fucking great. Was eating properly, sleeping quite good and all re-hydrated. Then I got fucked up at the weekend, as the little devil on my shoulder told me I was fine and didn't have a drink problem. I've been drinking like I used to since then.

I need to feel the sobriety that I felt just those few days ago before I started drinking again and hang onto it. I just think of the drunken texts and emails to friends and family and it makes me want to cringe after I had a period of nearly two weeks when I was doing so well amd feeling really positive.

Anyway, just my 2 pennorth. I hope others can relate.

Hey LaserHosen (cool name btw ) welcome to the thread
That's great you're going to meetings, it's a great start to your journey to sobriety. Not so good to hear you're still drinking at work, but your recent 12-day stint must have felt great. I really wish you all the best on your continuing success. Keep checking in here to update us on how you're doing!
(P.S. lol @ your reason for editing "being a ponce" :D You're not being a ponce, and even if you were, don't be shy to ponce it up in here, that's what this thread is for! )

 

[SilverFeniks]

I think we know when we have a problem with alochol when we stay off the booze for days, or weeks and then we can undo all that good work in a couple of days. I know that sounds a bit like AA propaganda for people that don't subscribe to the AA way of life.

For me though, it is true. I can be, ahem, awesome but as soon as I hit the booze again I seem to go downhill quickly. I am coming round to realising that my future might have to be a one without alcohol, unfortunately.

Amen to that. Never been to AA and never will be, but makes perfect sense to me.

For me sometimes its even easier to quit drinking initially; lots of regrets + feeling like sh*t is a good motivator .. But as short-term memory fades, you forget all the horrible things, and selective memory / old reactive habits gain more influence.

If you get a solid streak going, you have something to be proud of + maintain .. But in the mid-range, one slip-up dumps you back @ 0, and from there its like "why bother," and 'round & 'round we go ...

Oddly, I don't normally drink when I've had a terrible day (like yesterday); when I'm too depressed I can't be bothered.
Today tho, had a great rebound, and for a moment had that fleeting "a beer would hit the spot / make things even better!" cross my mind .. But I think my organs are still a bit sore from last week's week-long binge.

Still planning on using some throwback drugs in the coming weeks, but despite being even worse for my wallet, I hope it'll bring back my youthful mindset, when I was an avid drug-user but never an alcoholic.
I don't plan to never have a beer again, but I'd like to some day hold myself to my quality+local-beer-only Rule.

Like being a daily smoker vs. enjoying the rare cigar

 

[lady grey]

I'm interested to know who here thinks that you can go from being an alcoholic to being able to drink socially? Or do you think you have to give it up completely?

J is almost finished his rehab and has all of these new rules for addiction. Any addiction. And is adamant when i get through detox that i can never drink again and will be going to AA meetings for the rest of my life. Now.... I don't think it's gotten that far where that is what it is going to take for me to get free of alcohols hold on me.

Sometimes i think it would have been better if i'd become addicted to an illegal drug so that i didn't have it shoved in my face all the time

 

[sick shift]

I'm interested to know who here thinks that you can go from being an alcoholic to being able to drink socially? Or do you think you have to give it up completely?

J is almost finished his rehab and has all of these new rules for addiction. Any addiction. And is adamant when i get through detox that i can never drink again and will be going to AA meetings for the rest of my life. Now.... I don't think it's gotten that far where that is what it is going to take for me to get free of alcohols hold on me.

Sometimes i think it would have been better if i'd become addicted to an illegal drug so that i didn't have it shoved in my face all the time

I had to give it up completely . I realized that on my own . Never been to a AA meeting . Most of the time I dont know I have a drinking problem till someone brings it up . But like I,ve said in other posts , the weekends have been getting bad for me latley ,,,, may just be cabin fever . I feel I could drink socially for awhile , but everything would spin out of control again eventually . Bob

 

[Spurs_1882]

I'm interested to know who here thinks that you can go from being an alcoholic to being able to drink socially? Or do you think you have to give it up completely?

J is almost finished his rehab and has all of these new rules for addiction. Any addiction. And is adamant when i get through detox that i can never drink again and will be going to AA meetings for the rest of my life. Now.... I don't think it's gotten that far where that is what it is going to take for me to get free of alcohols hold on me.

Sometimes i think it would have been better if i'd become addicted to an illegal drug so that i didn't have it shoved in my face all the time

I have tried it. I managed to successfully keep my drinking to one day/night long binge every two weeks. The problem for me was that after having once been physically addicted, every time I would get drunk I would get withdrawals for the next two or three days. Not sure if anyone else has this problem? Drinking also made my post-acute withdrawal syndrome a lot worse. I still plan to drink in the future, at the moment I am on a bit of a break, with the hope that after a few months sobre I will be able to drink once every fortnight and just get a hangover the next day rather than hardcore anxiety, shaking etc.

 

[belarki]

A little off-topic, but I just learnt that in the US 47% of sparkling wine labelled "Champagne" isn't actually from the region in France!

Domestic US wine sellers exploit a loophole in US laws that enables them to use place names of 16 internationally recognised wine regions

Yet you guys have tough regulations on the naming of Bourbon etc right? Screwy.....

 

[AmorRoark]

No, we don't have regulations on the naming of Bourbon. I think it's silly to limit where a particular alcoholic drink is made just based purely on where it originates. Also, I'd venture a guess that much more than 47% of US citizens don't realize that Champagne is named for a region in France. I don't think it bothers most people (even the ones who realize why Champagne is named Champagne).

 

[Wanderlife]

If it feels good , is it a problem?

I haven't had a drink in 3 days. ( Bcz of work responsibilities) and now I am about to open my second bottle of wine and thank GOD I am in the zone.....I love booze I love the feeling, sometimes I am drunk all day. so what? Spare me the labels Its nice...love it!

 

[Wanderlife]

I have been feeling guilty all day about how much i drank last night, and my body gave me shakes just to remind me of that. I'm not drinking today but could so use a drink.[/QUOTE]

I drink most every day ...but i don't feel guilty..the most I've gone without drinking in a long while is 3 days and that doest happen too often...I usualy keep it light during the week-6-8 beers or a bottle of wine....I dunno...I like it. It relaxes me after a long days work....why should I feel guilty?