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I am an alcoholic - so what?

  • 12-03-2009 02:57PM
    #1
    JohnGalt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 230 ✭✭


    I have been an alcoholic for a while now, I can't be sure exactly when it started but I was definitely a full blown alcoholic when I started in college two years ago. My family keep trying to stop me drinking and all my friends tell me they are worried about me. I don't understand why these people can't just leave me alone and let me live my life the way I want to. Many of them are smokers and unhealthy eaters who don't exactly have a healthy life style and yet I don't criticise them. I think that society has created a lot of overly negative images around alcoholism, and many of these things are accurate, but I think that I should be left to do what I want without having friends questioning me and telling me how to live my life. There is no reason why I this behaviour is any less acceptable than smoking or eating ten cheeseburgers a day.


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Comments

  • #2
    jim o doom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,474 ✭✭✭jim o doom


    eh - it just means they are worried about you and don't want to see you hurt yourself through drink. Sure it's a bit hypocritical if they are harming themselves through addiction..

    BUT you don't see people ending up in a gutter due to burger addiction or cigarettes - Class A drugs and alcohol - yes, bugers and cigarettes.. no.

    Also - when you stop drinking - your liver repairs itself fairly sharpish - but if you don't give your liver that break to fix itself, you can end up dead a lot younger than the average "fatty" or smoker. My OH's mother died in her early 40's thanks to alcoholism.

    Hell I like the drink myself and was at it heavily for years; now I just take it easy and have a few pints - life is there to be enjoyed and there's more to it than getting drunk.


  • #3
    thorbarry
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,128 ✭✭✭thorbarry


    JohnGalt wrote: »
    I have been an alcoholic for a while now, I can't be sure exactly when it started but I was definitely a full blown alcoholic when I started in college two years ago. My family keep trying to stop me drinking and all my friends tell me they are worried about me. I don't understand why these people can't just leave me alone and let me live my life the way I want to. Many of them are smokers and unhealthy eaters who don't exactly have a healthy life style and yet I don't criticise them. I think that society has created a lot of overly negative images around alcoholism, and many of these things are accurate, but I think that I should be left to do what I want without having friends questioning me and telling me how to live my life. There is no reason why I this behaviour is any less acceptable than smoking or eating ten cheeseburgers a day.

    alcoholism changes your behaviour... i really dont think smoking and eating cheesburgers will do the same


  • #4
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47,411 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    I'm sorry, but unless you have a specific request for help or advice I can't see any reason for this thread to continue as it merely reads as a statement to me.

    I'll leave it open a while longer in case you want tio further expand on your post.


  • #5
    beth-lou
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 729 ✭✭✭beth-lou


    Your alcoholism affects not only you but those who love and care about you and that is why they can not leave you alone. Right now, you seem to be holding it together. But one day those people will give up on you and you may think differently about it.


  • #6
    clones1980
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 316 ✭✭clones1980


    Hi johngalt. Im sure your friends and family really only have your best interests at heart and are worried about you.

    Alcoholics can effect the people around them and more often than not they do. When there on a bender do you become abusive, depressed, maybe your very hard to be around when your drunk, maybe they are afraid you will physically hurt yourself or someone else, not something thats likely to happen by eating 10 chesseburgers (except the poor cow that is) And yes smoking and eating 10 cheeseburgers a day has long lasting health effects but nothing in comparison to an alcohol addiction at such a young age. I think you seriously need to look at the effect alcohol has on yourself as well as your friends and family. At the first step to recovery is to admit your an alcoholic which well done you just did.


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  • #7
    Tar.Aldarion
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,119 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    Just because they are not perfect, it does not mean their advice is not.


  • #8
    julien69
    Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭julien69


    I think you are right.There is nothing wrong with being an alcoholic,dont let other people put you off drink.A pint a day keeps the doctor away they say.Although i could be a little biased as i own a pub and an off license:D.


  • #9
    JohnGalt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 230 ✭✭JohnGalt


    Zaph wrote: »
    I'm sorry, but unless you have a specific request for help or advice I can't see any reason for this thread to continue as it merely reads as a statement to me.

    I'll leave it open a while longer in case you want tio further expand on your post.

    The very obvious implication of the post (obvious to most people of even average intellect) is that I am requesting peoples opinions or experiences that they have had which are similar to my own.


  • #10
    smileysurfer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,064 ✭✭✭smileysurfer


    You sound like you just want a pat on the back for being an alcoholic, you even sound proud of yourself, Alcoholism is serious and ruins families/ lives / relationships! i suggest you get help before it ruins your life too!


  • #11
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47,411 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    JohnGalt wrote: »
    The very obvious implication of the post (obvious to most people of even average intellect) is that I am requesting peoples opinions or experiences that they have had which are similar to my own.

    And that's fine, I have no problem with that. However as a poster who has a chequered history on Boards I had to be sure that for once you were being on the level.


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  • #12
    NewFrockTuesday
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭NewFrockTuesday


    The fact that you are so flippant about it is encouraging. If you were labouring under the duress of having to work, function and live being a full blown alcoholic then, I can promise you that there is no way on Gods green earth that you would have written that post. Youd be screaming for help.

    Enjoy your early stage alcoholism. Have a blast. Come back and drop a note when youre soiling your bed, puking up the food you try to eat but your burning stomach wont hold onto it...when youre trying to sign your signature on a document, but you cant cos youre shaking too much. Tell us all about how you enjoy never being able to warm up, always feeling ill with withdrawl, how lonely it is. The stupid things you do when youre pissed, the injuries you inflict on yourself. The ever present feelings of shame and mild horror. The nightmares. The decreasing hope and black despair.

    You havent a clue. Dont compare it to a f****g cheeseburger.


  • #13
    axer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,518 ✭✭✭axer


    JohnGalt wrote: »
    I have been an alcoholic for a while now, I can't be sure exactly when it started but I was definitely a full blown alcoholic when I started in college two years ago. My family keep trying to stop me drinking and all my friends tell me they are worried about me. I don't understand why these people can't just leave me alone and let me live my life the way I want to. Many of them are smokers and unhealthy eaters who don't exactly have a healthy life style and yet I don't criticise them. I think that society has created a lot of overly negative images around alcoholism, and many of these things are accurate, but I think that I should be left to do what I want without having friends questioning me and telling me how to live my life. There is no reason why I this behaviour is any less acceptable than smoking or eating ten cheeseburgers a day.
    because they care? you've got to know that alcoholism is a serious problem.


  • #14
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47,411 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    julien69 wrote: »
    I think you are right.There is nothing wrong with being an alcoholic,dont let other people put you off drink.A pint a day keeps the doctor away they say.Although i could be a little biased as i own a pub and an off license:D.

    julien69, may I refer you to the charter, specifically the part dealing with unhelpful posts. You might want to read it carefully before posting here again.


  • #15
    star-pants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,429 ✭✭✭✭star-pants


    Everything in moderation. Smoking, unhealthy eating, drinking all fall under this.
    They can all do short/long term damage yes.
    Drinking affects your personality, your behaviour, overeating doesn't have the same effect. You can lose weight, and eat healthily again. But you can't rebuild your liver.

    They 'wont leave you alone' because they care and love you and want the best for you in life. And can't bear to stand by and watch you slowly destroy it. If I had a friend who was smoking like a trooper, or drinking like a fish, or constantly getting takeaways/fatty foods, I would say it to them because I care.


  • #16
    johndoe77ie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 271 ✭✭johndoe77ie


    Lets all raise a glass to John...


  • #17
    smileysurfer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,064 ✭✭✭smileysurfer


    Deepsense wrote: »
    The fact that you are so flippant about it is encouraging. If you were labouring under the duress of having to work, function and live being a full blown alcoholic then, I can promise you that there is no way on Gods green earth that you would have written that post.

    Enjoy your early stage alcoholism. Have a blast. Come back and drop a note when your soiling your bed, puking up the food you try to eat but your burning stomach wont hold onto it...when youre trying to sign your signature on a document, but you cant cos youre shaking too much. Tell us all about how you enjoy never being able to warm up, always feeling ill with withdrawl, how lonely it is. The stupid things you do when youre pissed, the injuries you inflict on yourself. The ever present feelings of shame and mild horror. The nightmares. The decreasing hope and black despair.

    You havent a clue. Dont compare it to a f****g cheeseburger.


    + 1
    Couldnt agree more! very well said!!


  • #18
    thebman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,001 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    jim o doom wrote: »
    eh - it just means they are worried about you and don't want to see you hurt yourself through drink. Sure it's a bit hypocritical if they are harming themselves through addiction..

    BUT you don't see people ending up in a gutter due to burger addiction or cigarettes - Class A drugs and alcohol - yes, bugers and cigarettes.. no.

    Also - when you stop drinking - your liver repairs itself fairly sharpish - but if you don't give your liver that break to fix itself, you can end up dead a lot younger than the average "fatty" or smoker. My OH's mother died in her early 40's thanks to alcoholism.

    Hell I like the drink myself and was at it heavily for years; now I just take it easy and have a few pints - life is there to be enjoyed and there's more to it than getting drunk.

    On top of this, being drunk can lead to endangering others or cause you to lose your job if you have one etc... since it affects your performance at these tasks the next day after you've stopped drinking.

    Also if your an alcoholic, you may also be the type that takes pain killers to avoid the hang over the next day. These are also bad for your liver so your hitting it twice, once with the alcohol and once with the painkillers so its a matter of how long it can last that abuse.

    I had a friend who was an alcoholic. He was drinking a bottle of wine and a lot of whiskey (sometimes other stuff) a night and he'd drink beer on top of that sometimes too. I never told him what to do. I did however constantly take the p*ss out of him about how drunk he was and so did all my friends until he woke up that this wasn't the way he wanted to live his life.

    The only person to change for is yourself. So you have to think about your live and where it is going and decide if this behavior is in your best interest. The people trying to get you to stop are people that think it isn't in your interest and most of the others just don't care about you enough to get involved in this mess. Very few people will condone your behavior except maybe other alcoholics.

    As for them smoking or eating a lot of crap, everyone has their own problems to sort out. Doesn't mean you can't try to sort out yours. Some people have social problems they need to sort out too. Nobody can help anybody else with these problems, they have to want to change themselves.


  • #19
    irishgrover
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,348 ✭✭✭irishgrover


    JohnGalt wrote: »
    The very obvious implication of the post (obvious to most people of even average intellect) is that I am requesting peoples opinions or experiences that they have had which are similar to my own.

    fair enough, if you are looking for opinions
    • alcoholics tend to be a pain in the arse to be around. Over time their behavior often (though not always) tends to degenerate.
    • There often become more aggressive when drinking
    • When drunk they tend to had impaired physical and mental abilities
    • Due to their impaired state there are more likely to harm themselves and others around them.
    • Personal hygiene can become an issue and let's face it, people don't like being around smelly people.

    So it's probable that your friends family are concerned for you and want you to seek assistance before your situation becomes worse.
    It's also possible that when you drink you are , relative to what you are as a sober person, not as nice, or enjoyable to be with or whatever..


  • #20
    beth-lou
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 729 ✭✭✭beth-lou


    Well if you want the opinion of someone who is living with two alcho's in her family, I can tell you it is a horrible situation to be in. Alcoholics are selfish, manipulative and cause a lot of hurt and devastation in a family. They are unreasonable, destructive and generally self obsessed.

    You may have realised that you are an alcoholic, but you are a long way from recovery or anywhere near there. Your first post is classic alcoholic behaviour, trying to justify your drinking with others behaviour.

    You seem comfortable with the idea of being an alcoholic, and perhaps at the moment you are supported in your habit. Perhaps you still live at home, your friends are still putting up with you, your family are still trying to fix you. Well that won't last forever, and then you will find it a very lonely existence, by which time the drink will have twisted your mind and your problem will be something you blame on everyone else.

    When you take responsibility for yourself, you might have some hope of recovery. But at the moment you are on a slippery slope and rock bottom is a pretty miserable place to be. You are young, and can have a good life. Try to deal with your problem before it gets any worse.


  • #21
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166,005 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    JohnGalt wrote: »
    I have been an alcoholic for a while now, I can't be sure exactly when it started but I was definitely a full blown alcoholic when I started in college two years ago. My family keep trying to stop me drinking and all my friends tell me they are worried about me. I don't understand why these people can't just leave me alone and let me live my life the way I want to. Many of them are smokers and unhealthy eaters who don't exactly have a healthy life style and yet I don't criticise them. I think that society has created a lot of overly negative images around alcoholism, and many of these things are accurate, but I think that I should be left to do what I want without having friends questioning me and telling me how to live my life. There is no reason why I this behaviour is any less acceptable than smoking or eating ten cheeseburgers a day.

    I kind of agree with you. What defines an alchaholic? Someone who drinks a lot everyday or someone who is negatively effected by it? I enjoy being slightly drunk for the majority of the day most days as it makes me feel happier. It doesn't effect negatively(well no more so than excesive smoking etc..) me in any way and most people wouldn't even think I was drunk,just an ecentric character. If you can handle being an 'alcaholic' without ruining your life than by all means go for it. Don't let society tell you otherwise.


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  • #22
    julien69
    Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭julien69


    Ok sorry for my previous post,its just business is down and i was trying to encourage people to drink to beat the recession.Sorry Zaph:(


  • #23
    smileysurfer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,064 ✭✭✭smileysurfer


    julien69 wrote: »
    Ok sorry for my previous post,its just business is down and i was trying to encourage people to drink to beat the recession.Sorry Zaph:(

    What an unhelpful thing to say in the first place!
    Yes encourage all the alcoholics to drink to benefit yourself! :mad:


  • #24
    digitalage
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 349 ✭✭digitalage


    Heres a thread that will interest you, enjoy!

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055508662


  • #25
    beth-lou
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 729 ✭✭✭beth-lou


    agreed wrote: »
    I kind of agree with you. What defines an alchaholic? Someone who drinks a lot everyday or someone who is negatively effected by it? I enjoy being slightly drunk for the majority of the day most days as it makes me feel happier. It doesn't effect negatively(well no more so than excesive smoking etc..) me in any way and most people wouldn't even think I was drunk,just an ecentric character. If you can handle being an 'alcaholic' without ruining your life than by all means go for it. Don't let society tell you otherwise.

    Come back in 10 years and tell us how happy you are then.


  • #26
    Beruthiel
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 42,361 Mod ✭✭✭✭Beruthiel


    digitalage wrote: »
    Heres a thread that will interest you, enjoy!

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055508662

    Banned.
    For six months because you're not needed in this forum.
    B


  • #27
    beth-lou
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 729 ✭✭✭beth-lou


    julien69 wrote: »
    Ok sorry for my previous post,its just business is down and i was trying to encourage people to drink to beat the recession.Sorry Zaph:(

    You can't possibly have the brain power to run a business.


  • #28
    julien69
    Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭julien69


    smileysurfer ive big overheads to pay so as long as there paid im really not bothered about where that money comes from Im not even making a profit at the moment.


  • #29
    thebman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,001 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    JohnGalt wrote: »
    There is no reason why I this behaviour is any less acceptable than smoking or eating ten cheeseburgers a day.

    Okay had to come back to say this is a cope out.

    It doesn't mean anything. You know if alcoholism is negatively affecting your life if you step back and have an honest look at what has been going on in your live and its up to you to determine if this is where you want to be in your life and if this will get you where you want to be in 5-10 years time.

    If it isn't, then you want to change and if you still don't change, it is most likely because your afraid to, not because you can't or don't want to.

    If it is where you want to be then nobody saying anything to you is going to change anything, is it?


  • #30
    Nevyn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    julien69 banned for 1 week for repeatedly breaking the rules in the charter despite warnings.

    Can we please gt back on topic if you have an issue with a post report it.


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  • #31
    smileysurfer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,064 ✭✭✭smileysurfer


    julien69 wrote: »
    smileysurfer ive big overheads to pay so as long as there paid im really not bothered about where that money comes from Im not even making a profit at the moment.

    Thats in no way helping the OP tho!
    Thats your own problem


This discussion has been closed.
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