Off the Turps

FIGJAM · Jan 23, 2003

Originally posted by Mcchawk
Does an alcoholic consist of having one drink a day?

I am an alcoholic and I (outside of very special occassions) don't drink between Sunday and Friday.

Being a weekend warrior doesn't make me any less of an alcoholic. Just a different kind. A "bender drinker" to use Alf's terms. Stopping at just one is physically impossible.

My brother on the other hand would drink 24-7 if he could. Not only that, he has the psychological disposition that Alf was talking about, that makes him push that extra yard and lose control.

I have one other friend that shares this disposition. I have some other friends that drink heavily every day and I have quite a few that bender up with me.

My brother has been clean for a month since his last stuff up.

I don't think too many people here are doing anything out of the ordinary in terms of drinking and Alf may have gone too far calling for anyone who drinks to go to AA, but alcohol is one seriously frigging addictive substance and you cannot underestimate it for a second.

I personally am not giving up drinking. I believe that I have been fairly successful in keeping an eye on my intake on weekends, although occassionally I might overdo it.

otaku · Jan 23, 2003

Jebus!

i go out, and get absolutely ****ed!!!
doesnt make me an alco!!

all this talk about people being alcoholics if they get ****ed on weekends is crap.

like i said before - reformed drunks and born again christians - biggest wowsers in the world

myee8 · Jan 23, 2003

The fact that i have decided in the last minute to do a postgrad course hasn't seemed to slow down my alcohol intake.

Fred · Jan 23, 2003

I hope the heavy drinkers here don't look back in 20 years when they have a dodgy liver and regret their intake.
I agree with everything Alf has said.

M29 · Jan 23, 2003

Originally posted by AlfAndrews
Not necessarily ... It's not how much or how often or what time of day that you drink that makes you an alcoholic.

Fair enough. I just remembered that bit from a convo I had with a guy that I used to do uni with. I remember him telling me he'd wake up and didn't know whether to take his shoes on or off when he was sitting on his bed etc. He never did talk about the psychological side of it, or why he did it, but it would be to personal of him.

Katthawk · Jan 23, 2003

Moderation and common sense come to mind but I guess you have to grow up a bit to "get it". Forgive me for being sanctimonious.

M29 · Jan 23, 2003

Originally posted by otaku
reformed drunks and born again christians - biggest wowsers in the world

At least reformed drunks don't come around to everyones front door.

BT · Jan 23, 2003

Originally posted by BluesBabe666
You pulling my leg?

No she isn't.

She doesn't drink.

FIGJAM · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by otaku
Jebus!

i go out, and get absolutely ****ed!!!
doesnt make me an alco!!

all this talk about people being alcoholics if they get ****ed on weekends is crap.

Dude, I kid you not, there is a line finer than you can imagine. My brother gently slipped on the other side of it and I have watched the consequences since.

I have seen it first hand. From turning into a weekend ritual, into a necessity, into week day drinks, into weeknight necessity, into everyday neccessity.

When I say I get drunk on weekends, I am not talking about going out at 9.30pm Friday and being in bed by 2am. I am talking about being drunk for 30+ hours over the course of the weekend.

For you to deny this as a problem is stupid.

It's the same with ecstacy users. Most of them don't go use the stuff on a week night, but come Friday/Saturday night, they are sucking down pills like a vacuum cleaner. Do they have a problem? Some of them would tell you no, some of them will tell you otherwise! The correct answer is yes, they do have an issue.

I once had the same opinion as you, but have since changed my mind. Keep an eye on your intake...seriously!

otaku · Jan 24, 2003

so anyone who gets ****ed/uses drugs is an addit right?

bleh.

of course there are addicts! but what i was saying is not everyone who goes out, gets ****ed, uses E's is an addict.

That is patently absurd

If u feel u cant handle your drug of choice...stop using it

Mobbs · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by otaku
If u feel u cant handle your drug of choice...stop using it

Ta da!

And if you can't ... ???

BluesBabe666 · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by BT
No she isn't.

She doesn't drink.

I realise she is serious about not drinking, i was checking if she was pulling my leg about her reasons for not drinking.

otaku · Jan 24, 2003

i can see i need sarcasm tags for this place...maybe ill use <sarcasm> </sarcasm> next time

BluesBabe666 · Jan 24, 2003

I'm getting blind tonight at my local....
Does having a local mean that i am an alcoholic?
Or on my way?

Mobbs · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by otaku
i can see i need sarcasm tags for this place...maybe ill use <sarcasm> </sarcasm> next time

What fonts would that entail?

FIGJAM · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by otaku
so anyone who gets ****ed/uses drugs is an addit right?

bleh.

of course there are addicts! but what i was saying is not everyone who goes out, gets ****ed, uses E's is an addict.

I don't think anyone said that. All I am saying is that there is a fine line between addict and "casual" user. Very fine!

Originally posted by otaku
If u feel u cant handle your drug of choice...stop using it

Originally posted by Mobbenfuhrer
Ta da!

And if you can't ... ???

Bingo!!

otaku...don't drink for a month...better still, don't drink for a weekend. Let us know how you fare!

Just because you don't herion-like cravings, doesn't mean you don't gravitate towards it.

bunsen burner · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by FIGJAM

otaku...don't drink for a month...better still, don't drink for a weekend. Let us know how you fare!

Just because you don't herion-like cravings, doesn't mean you don't gravitate towards it.

I understand your point that there is a fine line, but I know my line. I am a binge drinker. I don't drink during the week and don't drink when I go to dinner or whatever. I'm either on it, or I'm off it. There's no such thing as just a couple for me - especially since I'm allergic to beer.

I drink most weekends, but not all. If work gets too busy, I often go 3-4 months without a drink. During these periods I don't crave or even think about alcohol - it's take it or leave it.

I smoked pot everyday from the ages of 16 - 28. At the moment, I might smoke everyday for a few weeks and then I might not smoke at all for a few weeks. There are no conscious decisions to stop and start again - I just go with the flow. Once again, pot is take it or leave it.

I take ecstacy, speed, and coke on occasion too. Sometimes I go 3 years without taking any chemicals, sometimes I go through a few years where I maybe do something once every couple of months. I have been doing this since I was 17. Through 15 years of experience, I know that these drugs are take it or leave it. I have never once had to consciously pull myself up because I felt I was getting addicted.

Each individual is different. Although I keep an eye on my intake, experience over many years has taught me that I don't like these drugs enough (whether it be alcohol, pot, or chemicals) for them to control my life. Of course, I didn't know this until my late 20's. Up until then, I used to monitor quite closely, but thankfully I never got to heavy into anything.

My whole point being that some people think drink and drugs are black and white. It depends on the person. Not all people who drink heavily and take drugs turn into addicts, and not all people who do them are safe from turning into addicts.

Fred · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by bunsen burner

My whole point being that some people think drink and drugs are black and white. It depends on the person. Not all people who drink heavily and take drugs turn into addicts, and not all people who do them are safe from turning into addicts.

Some though are predisposed to becoming addicts. Obviously, most wouldn't know beforehand whether they are or not, so in the case of drugs in particular, surely it's better not to start in the first place.

bunsen burner · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by Fred
Some though are predisposed to becoming addicts. Obviously, most wouldn't know beforehand whether they are or not, so in the case of drugs in particular, surely it's better not to start in the first place.

Quite true, but then you may be restricting yourself to heaps of fun. It's quite okay for the people who have no desire to try alcohol and other drugs, but if you do desire to experiment, then maybe you should have a look - as long as you are aware and prepared for what MAY happen.

Repressing yourself from taking alcohol and drugs is like people who believe in God only out of the fear that if in fact it is true, they will go to hell. Life is too short to be held to ransom by an unknown quantity.

One more thing - people seem to think there is a difference between drugs and alcohol because of their legality. They are different, but an alcoholic is just as bad as cokehead, pill-head, or speed demon.

Fred · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by bunsen burner
Quite true, but then you may be restricting yourself to heaps of fun. It's quite okay for the people who have no desire to try alcohol and other drugs, but if you do desire to experiment, then maybe you should have a look - as long as you are aware and prepared for what MAY happen.

Repressing yourself from taking alcohol and drugs is like people who believe in God only out of the fear that if in fact it is true, they will go to hell. Life is too short to be held to ransom by an unknown quantity.

One more thing - people seem to think there is a difference between drugs and alcohol because of their legality. They are different, but an alcoholic is just as bad as cokehead, pill-head, or speed demon.

Drugs equate to fun? Lifes too short to spend it as an addict or dependant too.

bunsen burner · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by Fred
Drugs equate to fun? Lifes too short to spend it as an addict or dependant too.

Once again it depends on the person. I'm not an addict or dependant, and I find them fun. Put it this way, i'm glad that I have experimented, even more glad that I'm not dependant, and satisfied that i have experienced and have gained awareness.

Just for the benefit of the people who believe that drugs/alcohol are black and white. i.e. In the words of a certain poster: anyone who takes drugs is a dumb loser and will end up addicted:

Drugs to me are like going to an amusement park. Fun while you're there, but by the end of the day you are bored. You go home satisfied thinking, "Well that was fun, but I'm over it for the time being." A few months later you might or might not go back.

I understand that some people like it more and want to go back every weekend, or their visits might become more and more frequent. After 15 years of intermittently taking drugs, I know that I don't like them enough to keep going back every week.

Although a black exists and a white exists, the above example shows that a grey exists too.

Squeak · Jan 24, 2003

Would it be fair to say the user-to-addict ratio would be less for alkyhol than for other drugs?

Mcchawk · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by FIGJAM
I am an alcoholic and I (outside of very special occassions) don't drink between Sunday and Friday.

Being a weekend warrior doesn't make me any less of an alcoholic. Just a different kind. A "bender drinker" to use Alf's terms. Stopping at just one is physically impossible.

My brother on the other hand would drink 24-7 if he could. Not only that, he has the psychological disposition that Alf was talking about, that makes him push that extra yard and lose control.

I have one other friend that shares this disposition. I have some other friends that drink heavily every day and I have quite a few that bender up with me.

My brother has been clean for a month since his last stuff up.

I don't think too many people here are doing anything out of the ordinary in terms of drinking and Alf may have gone too far calling for anyone who drinks to go to AA, but alcohol is one seriously frigging addictive substance and you cannot underestimate it for a second.

I personally am not giving up drinking. I believe that I have been fairly successful in keeping an eye on my intake on weekends, although occassionally I might overdo it.

Sounds like me to a T

Jars458 · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by suzi_olsen
Nope

Suze

do you believe in previous lives?

I don't.

cheers bud.

Jars458 · Jan 24, 2003

Originally posted by Fred
I hope the heavy drinkers here don't look back in 20 years when they have a dodgy liver and regret their intake.
I agree with everything Alf has said.

Better to burn out that fade away.

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