I'm an Alcoholic

BraziliaNZ

sbsquarepants wrote: »

I have no sympathy for addicts of any sort

You've never been around heroin addicts then? Not everyone has a nice life, heroin and alcohol are sometimes the only escape. Have you never heard the phrase, there but for the grace of God go I?

flutterflye

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

You've never been around heroin addicts then? Not everyone has a nice life, heroin and alcohol are sometimes the only escape. Have you never heard the phrase, there but for the grace of God go I?

I've been around many heroin addicts - tbh most of their lives weren't too bad - no worse than mine.
They unfortunately just got caught up with and trusted the wrong people.

Cokeistan

When I go out I tend to binge drink but it's not a weekly occurrence, maybe once or twice a month! If there was no reason to go out for more than a few weekends then I'd just have a few bottles at home with a few friends and play fifa or something. So no, I wouldn't consider myself an alcoholic

Overflow

You have just described the majority of Irish people.

nicowa

Guill wrote: »

To clarify:

I don't consider it a weekend if I don't have a drink.
I binge drink weekly.
I will drink anything if stuck. (although I do enjoy beers of the world).
I will have a bottle or two of an evening during the week.
I'm one of those people who doesn't feel comfortable at an event without a bottle in my hand, and a few aqlready in the system.
When the sun comes out I immediatly think BBQ! (So we can a have a few beers-and craic).

Overflow wrote: »

You have just described the majority of Irish people.

Jus because it describes a whole load of Irish people doesn't mean it's ok. I've never felt I needed an alcoholic drink in my hand at an event. If I was in that sort of situation where I was really nervous and needed something to put in my hands I'd be just as likely to order an orange juice (more likely even, if I was nervous).

Not since a couple of nights out in college or when I just turned 18 (wouldn't have got into a club before that) have I deliberatly gotten twisted drunk. I didn't like it. I didn't need it. And despite the fact that I'm a lightweight I couldn't afford it - once drunk I could keep drinking for a good while.

I've been to concerts, gigs, weddings and birthday parties and not felt the need to drink, I prefer to be dancing being honest! The only times I do are when I go home for the weekend and have a drink in the pub with my parents (no ice in this pub, and trying to keep up with them for the first few).

We've a 16 yr old in the house and we're letting him taste everything we have. From whiskeys to cider (he only likes the Bulmers Spiced Apple and Honey and would probably like the regular if we bought it) and wine. But at the same time we always telling him to remain in control of when and what he drinks. He doesn't go out with his friends but come college that might change and we want him to have the headspace to be able to say no, when he wants to say no. And we want him to see that alcohol is not a thing to be abused. That you can have a few drinks and enjoy it, but not let it control you, not let it get out of hand.

That's something we really need in this country, for every parent to educate their child on alcohol. Before they start drinking. And for every adult who says "that's Ireland for you" or similiar, there is a child getting twisted out of their head on drink and hurting themselves (accidentally) or getting hurt. So stop saying it, change it.

K.Flyer

Great thread OP and even better seeing so much honesty from people.
It strikes me that so many people do not fully understand Alcoholism and what it brings to peoples lives. Hopefully more people will learn from the thread and take a look at how alcohol really is affecting them and those around them.
I feel that its about time that we as a nation change our attitude towards drinking and stop wearing our reputation as a nation of heavy drinkers like a badge of honour.
For those who are worried for themselves or someone they know there is great support, help and advice available out there (and maybe here as well).

BraziliaNZ

K.Flyer wrote: »

stop wearing our reputation as a nation of heavy drinkers like a badge of honour

Who does this though? I think this is a myth.

K.Flyer

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

K.Flyer wrote: »

stop wearing our reputation as a nation of heavy drinkers like a badge of honour

Who does this though? I think this is a myth.

From what I have seen over many years is that there is a certain type of drinker whose sole intention when it comes to having a drink be it here or abroad is to get locked as if they have something to prove to someone. Its usually from late teens through to late twenties.
I have heard them bragging along the lines of "...I'm goin to get locked... sure I'm Irish, thats what we do."
Sorry its not a myth, its what I have seen and heard.

sbsquarepants

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

You've never been around heroin addicts then? Not everyone has a nice life, heroin and alcohol are sometimes the only escape. Have you never heard the phrase, there but for the grace of God go I?

I've been around plenty of them, enough to know i have no sympathy for them. It's not there but for the grace of god at all, it's there but for my own actions. Addicts have themselves to blame, whatever their addiction.

Madam

K.Flyer wrote: »

. Its usually from late teens through to late twenties. I have heard them bragging along the lines of "...I'm goin to get locked... sure I'm Irish, thats what we do."
.

You could say the same thing about the Scots, English and to a lesser extent the Welsh.

I do believe there are people who 'handle' their addictions - they keep it for weekends usually - social alcoholics I like to call them. I'd imagine(in fact I know)a true addict will take their drug of choice whenever(early morning or as soon as the pub/shops open - when the likes of you and I wouldn't dream of touching a drink).

mongdesade

By definition I am an alcoholic...I drink most days 3/4 pints & at the weekends could easily polish of a crate

It does not affect my life in any way re., work, social, home etc.

I am apparently a highly functioning alcoholic, I suppose it will affect my health in the long term, but I accept the repercussions of my actions.

PS I also brew my own beer

omgitsthelazor

Guill wrote: »

For the second time is this thread I will say it. Where am I coming accross as proud??? All i have doen is layed the facts out as I see them at the moment.

Why else did you make the thread? Why were you feeling surprised and confused that your friends acted uncomfortably when you told them, you even added a poll in the expectation of the assurance that your condition is more normal and acceptable than they believe.
I don't mean you have pride in alcoholism but you certainly have pride in your personal acceptance of alcoholism. Which I think is sad.

IrishAm

Great thread.

Question,

Can people easily stop drinking after six beers, or do you want more and more?

Once I hit the six pint mark, I just want more booze. Work at 7am the next day? Fook it. Lets go to a club.

omgitsthelazor

In terms of the poll I'm a very casual drinker and often go months without drink. I'm a college student and know more students who don't drink than do, it is a very optional and very small part of my social life.
I don't have any stigma or disapproval against drinking however I do like to be able to drive home, do like not having morning hangovers and most certainly like not appearing goon faced in facebook photos.

I'm open minded and believe each to their own with regards people who allow alcohol play a defining role in their life. However those who thinks its part of "being Irish" or that everyone is into that sort of thing I personally find an embarrassment.

sbsquarepants

IrishAm wrote: »

Great thread.

Question,

Can people easily stop drinking after six beers, or do you want more and more?

Once I hit the six pint mark, I just want more booze. Work at 7am the next day? Fook it. Lets go to a club.

That's me!
Always hated to see a good night end, even if it had been going for 2 or 3 days:D

Duggy747

It's not a chill-out weekend for me unless I have beer. Myself and the gf don't get to go out much weekends these days so I buy a pack of beer and relax at the house not doing a damn thing for 2 days.

Sick of going out anyways.

Northclare

In my opinion social drinkers and non drinkers are much more attractive looking than the heavy drinkers and alcoholics.

LOL copious quantities of good old John BarleyCorn is a great way to go from looking like a ripe plum to resembling a dried up aul prune :'(

danslevent

ascanbe wrote: »

http://www.theonion.com/articles/im-like-a-chocoholic-but-for-booze,10739/

This article was kind of shocking in it's casual treatment towards the fact that he is an alcoholic, also how he drives while having drank as well. It captured the casual Irish attitude towards alcohol abuse. I couldn't imagine living that kind of life, where every day is just non stop thoughts of booze and it punctuating every aspect of your daily life.

This article made me sad.

danslevent

flutterflye wrote: »

So can smoking, and that is not a disease.
Yes, it fcuks with your brain, but so do alot of things.
It is an addiction, a dependency, an illness even, but it is not a diease, and I don't care who says it is - it just isn't!!

Completely agree. Especially with everything chuck_stone was saying as well. I wouldn't consider it a disease either, it seems more so a lack of will power. Especially when you see people rebounding, so they were cured of the "disease" for however long but then willpower failed and they got the disease again. Maybe I have just become hardened, unsympathetic and bitter towards alcoholism from being in close quarters with it but I really see it more so as a form of weakness than a disease. It is a terrible affliction, but one that can be rid of with some self restraint and concious effort.

gizmo555

danslevent wrote: »

This article was kind of shocking . . . This article made me sad.

:rolleyes: You do know it's satirical, don't you?

BraziliaNZ

sbsquarepants wrote: »

I've been around plenty of them, enough to know i have no sympathy for them. It's not there but for the grace of god at all, it's there but for my own actions. Addicts have themselves to blame, whatever their addiction.

I'm not going to bother debating this with you I'm just glad I'm not related to you or would ever need your help

Shryke

Fair play OP for saying anything. Don't mind the people trying to take strips out of you for admitting something. What you choose to do with what you know is up to you and that's further down the line.
Most people, including your friends won't/don't want to look at things with a clear head and would rather swamp a few pints than stay glued to reality 24/7 without taking a good look at how it effects them and those around them.
It's not a good idea to carry on drinking excessively. That only goes one way. It doesn't turn out too well in the end.
Get pissed by all means but like everything else in life you have to choose your battles/piss ups, time and a place for things.

Hank Scorpio

I can admit I drink far too much have built up a pretty high tolerance by now, although If I dont drink for a while that tolerance will slip. I`ll go to the off licence and buy 9 or 10 cans of lager and drink them off over a 7/8 hour period and wake up feeling horrible, rince and repeat.

The problem I used to have is when I did quit for say a month I'd say to myself I have everything under control and buy booze cause there's a big match on tv for whatever, any random excuse, wake up the next day hungover and need a cure and the cycle just started again.

Gladly I've cut that out in 2012 and made an effort to do so, I identified a problem and knew I was fooling myself, I still drink but no where near as often as I did. The problem for most people struggling with booze is needing a cure to remove the hangover, but that cure often leads to another hangover in turn. Get through the day hungover and the next day your grand again and for me there isn't any urge to drink.

My heavy drinking more or less started in college, my friends were the exact same which made me think it was ok, we'd drink 5 times a week most weeks. I guess old habits die hard, alcohol is a terrible depressent, the initial high of drinking removes that, but once it beings to withdraw you just feel like utter poo! The more you drink the more depressed you get... Give it up for a few days to anyone whos drinking every night, those days will turn into a couple of weeks and you`ll feel amazing

Feisar

realies wrote: »

Anybody wondering if they have or are a problem/abusive drinker should give themselves a 30 day abstinence trial, No excuses buts or ifs See can you & how you feel after that

I done this, New Years Day to till my birthday in march just gone. I didn't have a problem with it at all but I really didn't like going to the pub/club on a Saturday night. I don't think it's a social crutch for me though, i'm a fairly confident chatty person. No problem bantering away with people during the daytime in a coffee shop or whatever.

Feisar

omgitsthelazor wrote: »

I'm open minded and believe each to their own with regards people who allow alcohol play a defining role in their life. However those who thinks its part of "being Irish" or that everyone is into that sort of thing I personally find an embarrassment.

That whole, "sure we're Irish" is the one of the most cringe worthy things going.

Ruralyoke

I had to give up for two weeks once (medication). To be brutally honest, I felt worse. Seriously.

Not being facetious or flippant but sometimes beer feels almost like fuel for me. I'm sure that's not a good thing.

fishy fishy

grindle wrote: »

I'm not an alcoholic, but I qualify by American standards, or by the AA check-list.
Can go months without it, choose not to, because I don't let it destroy me.
Drinking to be merry, or to elucidate, is very different to alcohol-as-medication.

isn't the american standard that if you had one beer....ever....you are an alcoholic.

fishy fishy

livinsane wrote: »

If you have a happy life and the people around you are happy, then I wouldn't class your lifestyle as being a disorder.

To be fair, alcoholism is a horrible thing to have to live with. It makes the person themselves, and the people around them, miserable. It goes deeper than just the drink itself. You've got the cover ups, lies, hiding drink, going without food and other necessities just to drink and all that other nasty stuff.

If you felt that your drinking was hurting your family, friends or professional life, would you cut down?

did you ever hear of a functioning alcoholic??

haminka

I rarely ever drink, maybe two units per week, no more. I hate that it makes me a different person from when I'm sober and I can have fun without being drunk. I've been drunk twice in my life and even though I never had a black-out and remember everything I didn't like the fact that I had very little control over my actions while being fully aware of it.
And the morning afterwards, sick and having a headache. No more, thank you. I don't understand people who drink to get drunk and can't imagine why someone says they can't have fun without alcohol. If it changes your personality and excessive drinking always does, it's influencing your private life. I would hate it if my partner drank, fortunately he's got a similar attitude and rarely ever drinks.

sbsquarepants

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

I'm not going to bother debating this with you I'm just glad I'm not related to you or would ever need your help

If you were related to me, and you were an addict, i would do whatever i could do to help you. What i would not do is pat you on the head and say "there, there, it's not your fault, you have a disease"
If you are an addict, it's your own fault, don't blame anyone else. That's all im saying. We are all responsible for the things we do. I am, you are and so are the millions of people addicted to drugs, alcohol, gambling and so on.