today is kind of a special day for me

[DaTT]

I don't understand alcoholism. I have a friend who hasn't has a drink in 8 or some years, and I have talked with him about it. But I still don't get it. Do you get cravings like that of nicotine? Could you have just 1 drink and not have to get all fucked up? I truly am curious.

BTW, congrats and I hope it works out for you.

 

[rise]

Originally posted by: DaTT
I don't understand alcoholism. I have a friend who hasn't has a drink in 8 or some years, and I have talked with him about it. But I still don't get it. Do you get cravings like that of nicotine? Could you have just 1 drink and not have to get all fucked up? I truly am curious.

BTW, congrats and I hope it works out for you.

"one drink is too many, a thousand never enough."

 

[arrfep]

That's not just special, that's SnorgleFloppiliscious. Congrats, a full year is just around the corner.

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: DaTT
I don't understand alcoholism. I have a friend who hasn't has a drink in 8 or some years, and I have talked with him about it. But I still don't get it. Do you get cravings like that of nicotine? Could you have just 1 drink and not have to get all fucked up? I truly am curious.

BTW, congrats and I hope it works out for you.

imagine you hadn't eaten in 5 days and someone put your favorite food in front of your face and told you to just stare at it. that's similar to an alcohol craving.

 

[DaTT]

Originally posted by: JohnCU

Originally posted by: DaTT
I don't understand alcoholism. I have a friend who hasn't has a drink in 8 or some years, and I have talked with him about it. But I still don't get it. Do you get cravings like that of nicotine? Could you have just 1 drink and not have to get all fucked up? I truly am curious.

BTW, congrats and I hope it works out for you.

imagine you hadn't eaten in 5 days and someone put your favorite food in front of your face and told you to just stare at it. that's similar to an alcohol craving.

Thank you. It's never been put like that to me before.

 

[IronWing]

Congratulations! Does this mean that all of your posts are made stone cold sober, every single one of them? Hmmm.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: DaTT
I don't understand alcoholism. I have a friend who hasn't has a drink in 8 or some years, and I have talked with him about it. But I still don't get it. Do you get cravings like that of nicotine? Could you have just 1 drink and not have to get all fucked up? I truly am curious.

BTW, congrats and I hope it works out for you.

I don't get cravings anymore. The cravings stopped after about a month. Now I get random thoughts. The best was when I was walking up the street to get a pop. It was a beautiful day, I had been sober for 4 or 5 months and was digging life. I was listening to Joe and Charlie (AA speakers) on my BlackBerry and thinking about how great sober life is. Then I walked past the farmer's market. There were these Amish kids selling blueberries. That brought back memories of my childhood. Then I noticed they had blueberry wine on the table too. That had to be a sign from God. Amish kids selling blueberry wine. That's some all natural stuff, God put that here on Earth for us to drink. I could grab one bottle and then there is the bar that's right on the way back to work. I could go get my car after.....I had to stop myself and laugh.

I have never been able to have 1 drink. I have forced myself to only have a couple and was only frustrated, it wasn't fun. There are studies that show how some people's bodies break down alcohol different than normal people. That's the physical part of alcoholism. Once I put any amount of alcohol into my system, it sets off a chain reaction. I can't stop drinking once I start. There is a mental obsession too. When I wasn't drinking, I would constantly be thinking about drinking or not drinking...it dominated my life.

I now know that I can't take one drink. It shouldn't be that big of a deal, but for years of my life that was my coping mechanism. If something went wrong in my day, I would drink it away. Now I have had to learn how to deal with life sober.

Its a wild trip, but I love it.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: ironwing
Congratulations! Does this mean that all of your posts are made stone cold sober, every single one of them? Hmmm.

Yep, not even any Benzo's in 7 months.

My doc was asking me some qualifying questions about bi-polar disorder. He asked me if I ever did anything that made absolutely no sense, something that normal people would just go "WTF did you do?"

Apparently, I don't qualify.

 

[Joemonkey]

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: rudeguy
Its been exactly six months since I have had a drink. I know that's not a big deal to some but for me its quite a big deal.

I am really digging life now.

Its a huge deal if it was something that has caused problems in your life. It hasn't for me, so I have no intention of stopping. But obviously it has for you, so keep at it.

exactly. I drink daily, but then again it's part of my job. I'm capable of drinking a beer at lunch and then water for dinner, a jack and coke at lunch and 4 beers at dinner, or water all day long

booze hasn't adversely affected my life in any way, but i'd miss it if it were gone completely

 

[dirtboy]

It's been 6 seconds since I've had a drink. You're a better man than I.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: dirtboy
It's been 6 seconds since I've had a drink. You're a better man than I.

If you knew my past, you would not say that.

 

[CRXican]

4 months for me tomorrow

Trying to decide if I'm going to drink in honor of the new year

 

[AreaCode7O7]

Congratulations! That is a real accomplishment. :thumbsup:

 

[Drakkon]

Kinda reminds me of Stan's dad (from South Park Bloody Mary episode):

Stan: Dad, you like to drink, so have a drink once in a while. Have two! If you devote your whole life to completely avoiding something you like, then that thing still controls your life and... and you've never learned any discipline at all.
Randy: But, maybe I'm just the kind of person who needs to have it all or nothing.
Stan: No. All or nothing is easy. But learning to drink a little bit, responsibly? That's a-disiprin. Disirpin come from within.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: Drakkon
Kinda reminds me of Stan's dad (from South Park Bloody Mary episode):

Stan: Dad, you like to drink, so have a drink once in a while. Have two! If you devote your whole life to completely avoiding something you like, then that thing still controls your life and... and you've never learned any discipline at all.
Randy: But, maybe I'm just the kind of person who needs to have it all or nothing.
Stan: No. All or nothing is easy. But learning to drink a little bit, responsibly? That's a-disiprin. Disirpin come from within.

I like sobriety humor. Google rule 62 for some good stuff.

I remember the first time I heard that not drinking at all was the only way. It had honestly never occurred to me that not drinking at all was the answer. People celebrate with alcohol, have a drink when they are stressed, have a nice glass of wine with dinner. I had spent my whole life trying to drink like normal people.

It has been officially confirmed that I am not normal people.

 

[CRXican]

my drinking habits will change in 2009

I'm a very self disciplined individual

 

[mortong]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
Its been exactly six months since I have had a drink. I know that's not a big deal to some but for me its quite a big deal.

I am really digging life now.

Congrats, man! That's awesome!

 

[moshquerade]

Awesomeness for being 6 months plus. :thumbsup:

Originally posted by: sash1
grats

why did you bump this?

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: moshquerade


Awesomeness for being 6 months plus. :thumbsup:

Originally posted by: sash1
grats

why did you bump this?

People were talking about how slow OT was in the neffing thread. I told them to go back and bump random old threads.

This is how they repay my great advice.

 

[zinfamous]

:thumbsup:

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
LOL

10 months on the first. Reps on the necro

:lips:

 

[Dear Summer]

awesome
email me and let's keep in touch
j.winklepleck@gmail.com

 

[KeithTalent]

Hey congrats! Just had to deal with some alcoholism in my family and it's always great to hear a success story. :thumbsup:

KT

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
Hey congrats! Just had to deal with some alcoholism in my family and it's always great to hear a success story. :thumbsup:

KT

I am pretty sure that everyone on these boards has some alcohol problems in their family. Then again, that might just be my alcoholic mind thinking that what I went through was normal. I will never understand what drinking is like for normal people...it just doesn't make sense to me. A six pack? What is that for?

I always like to point out that I am no success story. I still have some serious issues that I have to deal with. I meant it when I said I was never going to be a normal person. The difference is that I am ok with that now. I have a purpose in life and I never had that before.

Thanks again for all the kind words. Just please remember that if you have someone you know who is struggling with alcohol, they aren't necessarily weak. They are sick and should be treated that way.

 

[rise]

A six pack? What is that for?

breakfast!