Drinking

[Shalot]

Since I've been here, we've talked about smoking and maybe drugs and most recently homosexuality, but we've never talked about drinking.

Anybody here got a drinking problem and do you care to share? And at what point does drinking become a problem?

Do you like to come home and have a beer everyday after work or do you think it's a sin?

Have you ever been to AA?


Share your drinking stories, funny or sad....

[Countess]

I'm a non-practicing alcoholic and drug addict. I'd tell you stories, except I can't remember anything. (-: (I had to rely on others who told me what I did)

[SleepyWitch]

hehe, neat idea, Shalot.
i don't have any drinking problem. my problem is at the opposite end of the scale: I'm compulsively sober most of the time :D


Do you like to come home and have a beer everyday after work or do you think it's a sin?
lots of people in my country do that, but I don't like it at all...
i have a friend who can't go without beer two days in a row... he doesn't drink much, but he needs his pint everyday. otherwise he gets grumpy and boring. but when he's had his pint he's sociable and funny.
to be honest, I think he's an alcoholic even though he has only one pint a day... do you know what I mean? he doesn't drink much but he needs to drink regularly in order to feel good

[motherhubbard]

When I was a child (15-17) I was intoxicated for almost three years. I had suffered a traumatic experience and could not face the reality of it. I knew the whole time that this was a short fix and that once I had grown enough and enough time had passed I would have to sober up and face facts. When that day came I didn’t need a drink and had no desire for one. I do still worry about alcoholism. There are several in my family and I think that can put a person at a greater risk. I’m not opposed to having a drink now and again, but I am not a drinker. Ppeople who know me now and didn't then would be shocked. People who knew me then and now are happy for my peace - it wasn't looking too good there for a while.

[Virgil]

When I was a child (15-17) I was intoxicated for almost three years. I had suffered a traumatic experience and could not face the reality of it. I knew the whole time that this was a short fix and that once I had grown enough and enough time had passed I would have to sober up and face facts. When that day came I didn’t need a drink and had no desire for one. I do still worry about alcoholism. There are several in my family and I think that can put a person at a greater risk. I’m not opposed to having a drink now and again, but I am not a drinker. Ppeople who know me now and didn't then would be shocked. People who knew me then and now are happy for my peace - it wasn't looking too good there for a while.

What a nice story motherH. I'm happy for you.

[motherhubbard]

thank you, Virgil. I never thought about it being a nice story. It's kind of a black spot for me. I am glad of the ending.

[papayahed]

Several of my family members have been/are alcoholics. I try to be careful, but I love me a nice cocktail every once in awhile.

[Virgil]

thank you, Virgil. I never thought about it being a nice story. It's kind of a black spot for me. I am glad of the ending.
Well, that's what makes it a nice story. :)


Several of my family members have been/are alcoholics. I try to be careful, but I love me a nice cocktail every once in awhile.

I'm with you Papaya. I like a nice glass of red wine or a cold beer. Lucky for me that alcoholism does not run in my family. But I don't over do it anyway. I don't like being drunk. And certainly not a hangover.

[Turk]

I drink ice coffee in summer. Also i am an addicted to tea, milk is my other favorite. If you know how to make true lemonade (firstly grate peel of lemon, put some sugar on it, wait it in refrigerator for a day, and after filtering peel pieces, mix that with lemon juice, water and sugar) it's so good too.

Well, oh return to topic. I don't drink alcohol. There's no point in drinking alcohol (i hear someone says; "fun"). I think best moments of my life was the moments that i was awake.

[SleepyWitch]

Well, that's what makes it a nice story. :)



I'm with you Papaya. I like a nice glass of red wine or a cold beer. Lucky for me that alcoholism does not run in my family. But I don't over do it anyway. I don't like being drunk. And certainly not a hangover.

oh, well a friend friend of mine brews a home made plum schnaps that won't freeze at -30°C. i had 5 double shots of it at the Red Cross camp last week and my best friend had 6 (that is in one night, the night before we only had 3 each) we didn't have any headache or hangover whatsover and could even walk in a more or less straight line after all those shots... the plums must be very healthy ;)

having said that, I'm not a drinker :D none of my relatives are alcoholics... most of them are loonies, though :D

[Virgil]

If you know how to make true lemonade (firstly grate peel of lemon, put some sugar on it, wait it in refrigerator for a day, and after filtering peel pieces, mix that with lemon juice, water and sugar) it's so good too.


Hey that sounds great Turk. I'm going to have to try it that way. Thanks. :)

[andave_ya]

lol. I'm too young to drink, but the only alcohol I want to try when I'm old enough are....(if you read lots of British stuff from the earlier half of the century you'll know what I'm talking about).....port. and sherry. and brandy.
Because Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter took those occasionally. And I think maybe a tisane, for Hercule Poirot.

:lol: :p :lol: :p

[Bii]

lol. I'm too young to drink, but the only alcohol I want to try when I'm old enough are....(if you read lots of British stuff from the earlier half of the century you'll know what I'm talking about).....port. and sherry. and brandy.
Because Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter took those occasionally. And I think maybe a tisane, for Hercule Poirot.

:lol: :p :lol: :p

I could save you the trouble:

Port - is disgusting
Sherry - is like port but less alcoholic and sweeter. Grannies drink it. Disgusting
Brandy - seriously strong. If you can get past the alcoholic kick from just the smell (you know how you get a kind of kick back from the smell of petrol - kind of like that!) it's not too bad, but as a first drink I would not recommend it. Last time I had brandy (which is about 5 years ago now) I threw up. Not recommended in general.

I enjoy a glass of red wine on a fairly regular basis. Probably not enough to be considered alcoholic (i.e. if I'm alcoholic so is the entire of France!), but what drives me to it is not the need or desire to get drunk, but rather the enjoyment of the overall experience, the taste, the warmth, the soothing quality it has. If they could make non-alcoholic wine which was the same I'd drink that. Problem for me is that I'm not keen on sweet drinks at all, so in the evening when I want to drink something there isn't a great deal of choice. Tea and coffee are out too close to bedtime (stimulants, so not conducive to sleep), any kind of sweet fizzy drink is definitely out (don't drink them anyway) so that leaves me with a choice of wine, beer (rarely), water or milk.

Haven't had a hangover for 5 years (brandy experience!) and proud of it. Not in a rush to have another one either.

[kathycf]

lol. I'm too young to drink, but the only alcohol I want to try when I'm old enough are....(if you read lots of British stuff from the earlier half of the century you'll know what I'm talking about).....port. and sherry. and brandy.
Because Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter took those occasionally. And I think maybe a tisane, for Hercule Poirot.

:lol: :p :lol: :p
I read those books too and I tried those drinks when I was younger. I found them to taste very nasty, especially brandy, but that's just me. :)

So, hmm. A story related to drinking? Sure, I got tons, but the one that springs to mind is the story that in my head I call "the merry effing xmas".

Ok, growing up in my house was basically hell. Not just because of drinking, oh my no. But this thread is about drinking so here we go.

Both my parents grew up in abusive families with alcoholic fathers. Abuse is our family legacy, which isn't that uncommon. That tends to happen in families...abuse is a cycle and often so is substance abuse. It passes from one generation to the next and frankly is the reason I don't like drinking and one of the reasons why I don't have children. The cycle in my family is going to darn well stop with me. I have a glass of wine probably at Thanksgiving and that is about it. I hate the feeling of being intoxicated, it makes me feel out of control and for a control freak, that is really frightening.

My dad was one of those drinkers that goes months being sober, goes on a binge for a day or two and then goes back to being sober. Not an alcoholic in the classical sense of somebody who needs to drink everyday, but binge drinking in this context is extremely indictative of alcoholic tendencies. (by the by, to Sleepy...even if your friend drinks only a pint of beer a day, if he has to absolutely have it, can't do without it...well, that sounds like a problem to me. It isn't the amount consumed necessarily that is the problem, it is the needing a "fix" part that is addictive. But anyway.)

So, one of his binge times is around Christmas. He tends to get depressed around holidays even now, but back then it was especially pronounced, and I think he felt with the binging he was "cutting loose" or something. My mother used to hate drinking, never drank, but didn't nag him too much because I guess she figured it was the holidays or whatever. My dad had a job where at Christmas time he would get lots of gratuities from people on Christmas Eve. Many of those gifts were alcohol. (some were candy, those were the ones I liked. :) ).

In addition to getting the gifts, he and a co-worker would stop for drinks on the way home. Well, this particular Christmas Eve he stayed out drinking for 4 hours, drove an hour home (while it was snowing!) and my mother was furious. Drinking and driving is inexcusable, so I can surely understand that. Well, they got into a HUGE argument and it kept escalating.

Suddenly, everything was the fault of those stupid worthless kids who didn't decorate the house, who never did anything right...blah blah blah. My sister is almost 7 years older than me, so she starts arguing back. Me, I am just some skinny little 14 year old and knowing that I am the youngest, most powerless person in the whole house I try to become invisible.


Now comes the part of this post that turns into a rambling aside:
Remember the old story about the guy who gets yelled at by his boss, so he comes home and yells at his wife, and she yells at the oldest kid and so on, until the youngest kid in the house goes and kicks the dog? Well, there were only 4 people in that household and no dog...guess who got kicked? Sorry, I am sure I seem like I am whining now, but frankly, I was the family punching bag. Literally.

Ok, back to the story. The argument rages around, and suddenly my father wanders over to the Christmas tree. That is the one thing we did decorate. It was located in the living room, in front of a big sliding glass door. My father is ranting on and on, then he leans over yanks the light cord out of the plug and pulls the door open and screams "Merry f****** Christmas!!" and heaves the tree out where it plummets 20 feet to the ground. The ornaments are nearly all smashed, which is a shame since my grandparents had bought them when they themselves were first married, and the story was that the factory that had made them was a German one that was bombed during WW2. I can't verify that, but at any rate they were unusual. So then my dad starts freaking out about these ornaments...even though it was entirely his fault they were ruined. Well, we were all freaking out, but I guess our priorities were a bit different. The evening caps off with my sister calling the police, so you know....just not a very merry time that year.

Now, let me be clear. I do love my family. I miss my mother a lot and even though my sister hates me, I love her too. My dad is not a bad man, and he has come a long way to being a better man..he still has glaring faults, but gosh, so do I. Not saying I don't have baggage, because boy do I ever, but I am just trying to do the best I can.

Well, I think I have embarrased myself enough for today. I'll be back on later or tomorrow.

[kratsayra]

I don't drink . . . I was raised in a non-drinking household - my dad doesn't drink because he grew up with his dad (my grandfather) being an alcoholic. My grandfather went through AA and everything, so the combination of the two of them (my dad's memories of his childhood, plus what my grandfather learned through AA) pretty much drilled into me that I should not drink, ever. And I'm a good girl, so I actually listened to them. ;) But since I wasn't around drinking growing up, I just never felt that inclined to do it anyways.

Sometimes I feel very left out in social situations because I don't drink, and I still haven't found a way to resolve that. I don't want to drink simply because everyone else does, but sometimes it seems like it would be so much easier to just have a small glass of whatever, instead of feeling left out. Usually people don't give me a hard time about it, but sometimes the question arises - why don't you drink? And people did give me a hard time about it in college - thank god that's over!

[Countess]

Motherhubbard, I'm glad you're at peace. I would like to know one day what that is like.

[motherhubbard]

Countess, I hope you do and soon! It’s the funniest thing. I spent all kinds of time searching. Looking for happiness, love, success, acknowledgment and myself which are things you can't seek and find. That's the funny part. Once I started living to serve (God, my husband, my children, my neighbors...) then I found that I had peace. I knew just who I was. Happiness, success and acknowledgment all come from some place within. And as far as love goes, just give it (while not putting yourself at any physical risk) to people through your deeds. Give a homeless man a sandwich. Secretly pick up the tab for an old lady at a coffee shop. Prepare a candlelight dinner for your family. Give your sister a foot massage... whatever just start doing for others the things that would be nice to have done and in a short time you change the world for others and yourself. I've always said you can't out give God. I think this is a wonderful starting point.

[SleepyWitch]

Well, I think I have embarrased myself enough for today. I'll be back on later or tomorrow.

bah nonsense.. you haven't embarrassed yourself at all. thanks for sharing your story. I'm kinda relieved to see that there are other crazy families...
my mum is a bit like that, although she's not an alcoholic...
everytime i visit my parents, my mum is so glad to see me she wants to have some good old German gemutlichkeit. so she has a glass of wine. trouble is, alcohol doesn't agree with her and half a glass would be more than enough. after the first glass she's slightly tipsy but funny. this is where she should stop.
but she has a second glass. after the second glass her face goes all red as if she had a rash and she gets cranky. this is where she should go to bed.
then she goes on telling me the same crap she's been telling me since the day I was born: "I could have worked, I could have graduated, I could have taken a PhD if I hadn't decided to sacrifice myself for my children" [I should mention here that she always meant to go back to work after the first three years and that she wanted to be a mother and it was entirely her own decision to stay at home]
then she starts to mix me up with my aunt and calls me my aunts name, seeing as her housewifedom is all my aunts fault. :confused:... then she calls me Peter (my dad's name), saying I was exactly like my dad. Which is true. But if she hates the man so much ( -she doesn't- ), what did she marry him for?
then she has a third glass of wine. this is when she sould be clinically dead, considering how little wine agrees with her.
then she gets violent and tries to beat me up. it doesn't really matter to her that I'm 25 and don't want to be beaten up.
then I try to defend myself, which makes my dad go berserk and if it wasn't for my brother, my dad would literally kill me.

---> so I don't really drink all that much myself, although I can take much more alcohol than my mum and I don't grow violent at all... but it's really scary and I don't want to end up like her
the funny thing is, that apart from my mum being absolutely mental (whether she's drunk or not) we're a picture book middle class family

[Turk]

I don't drink . . . I was raised in a non-drinking household - my dad doesn't drink because he grew up with his dad (my grandfather) being an alcoholic. My grandfather went through AA and everything, so the combination of the two of them (my dad's memories of his childhood, plus what my grandfather learned through AA) pretty much drilled into me that I should not drink, ever. And I'm a good girl, so I actually listened to them. ;) But since I wasn't around drinking growing up, I just never felt that inclined to do it anyways.

Sometimes I feel very left out in social situations because I don't drink, and I still haven't found a way to resolve that. I don't want to drink simply because everyone else does, but sometimes it seems like it would be so much easier to just have a small glass of whatever, instead of feeling left out. Usually people don't give me a hard time about it, but sometimes the question arises - why don't you drink? And people did give me a hard time about it in college - thank god that's over!

:thumbs_up

Those dummies are also who thinks they are mature just because they smoke cigarette.

[kilted exile]

I started drinking at 13, something not unusual for working class kids where I grew up. We used to congregate a few shops down the road from the "offy" (thats off-licence/liquor store to those of you not familiar with the vernacular) and get some passing adult to go in and buy some alcohol for us - usually cheap beer, Buckfast (dirt cheap sickly sweet fortified wine made by monks), strongbow cider or some variation of alcopop. What is was didnt matter we were just looking tae git puir mad wi it like - cheap was a necessity however:lol:

Being able to drink is considered being part of a real man in Glasgow it is a hard town and if you do not develop a reasonably thick skin it can pull you in then vomit you out into the gutter.

I do still go out to bars & I do enjoy a drink, however the nights of me going out downing 10 pints of beer then stumbling home are over with.

I have only worried about my drinking once, and that was when I dropped out of Glasgow Uni but was still hiding that embarassment from my parents - I drank then to numb the pain. It was not a pleasant 6months and I have no intention of dragging up the memories even now 7 years later

[Bii]

I started drinking at 13, something not unusual for working class kids where I grew up. We used to congregate a few shops down the road from the "offy" (thats off-licence/liquor store to those of you not familiar with the vernacular) and get some passing adult to go in and buy some alcohol for us - usually cheap beer, Buckfast (dirt cheap sickly sweet fortified wine made by monks), strongbow cider or some variation of alcopop. What is was didnt matter we were just looking tae git puir mad wi it like - cheap was a necessity however:lol:

Being able to drink is considered being part of a real man in Glasgow it is a hard town and if you do not develop a reasonably thick skin it can pull you in then vomit you out into the gutter.

I do still go out to bars & I do enjoy a drink, however the nights of me going out downing 10 pints of beer then stumbling home are over with.

I have only worried about my drinking once, and that was when I dropped out of Glasgow Uni but was still hiding that embarassment from my parents - I drank then to numb the pain. It was not a pleasant 6months and I have no intention of dragging up the memories even now 7 years later

I can completely relate to your story - living in the North of England isn't that much different - I remember hiding out near the park with my friends when I was going through a rebellious stage, drinking Mackies Stout 'cos it was all we could afford. You've got to be desperate to drink that stuff!

I also dropped out of university after 26 hours and, whilst at the time it felt like the worst thing I'd ever done, I've never looked back. Best decision of my life because it was the first real decision I made for myself, and not because 'expectation' required it. You shouldn't avoid the pain of those memories - embrace them, because they make you who you are. You never know, if you'd stayed you might not be better off.

[papayahed]

I can completely relate to your story - living in the North of England isn't that much different - I remember hiding out near the park with my friends when I was going through a rebellious stage, drinking Mackies Stout 'cos it was all we could afford. You've got to be desperate to drink that stuff!

I also dropped out of university after 26 hours and, whilst at the time it felt like the worst thing I'd ever done, I've never looked back. Best decision of my life because it was the first real decision I made for myself, and not because 'expectation' required it. You shouldn't avoid the pain of those memories - embrace them, because they make you who you are. You never know, if you'd stayed you might not be better off.

I guess living in the states isn't much different either. I remember standing around the party store in our school uniforms trying to get someone to by for us.

[Idril]

I remember standing around the party store in our school uniforms trying to get someone to by for us.

Yeah, I remember that too, not the school uniform part, just the constant search for someone to buy. :p

It's funny how your perception changes. I was a wild little thing when I was in high school and college and just thought of drinking and going to parties as harmless fun, I didn't really think of it as rebellious or dangerous, I wasn't tortured by peer pressure, it was just something to do but the idea of my kids doing what I did is quite horrifying. They're getting to that age where I started drinking and all of the sudden, it doesn't seem so harmless anymore.

[Shalot]

As a teenager in the good old US of A from a working class background, I have heard and have been part of a few funny situations that arose from drinking too much alcohol. You can call it immoral, pathetic or simpy part of growing up, but here they are:

someone passed out hugging the commode -- the only problem was that there was a plumbing problem and he passed out with his face inches away from a floating turd (now there's a Kodak moment)


(there are more --- I'll get back to you later)

[Pensive]

I am very allergic to alcoholic drinks for a plenty of reasons. When a person drinks, especially if he drinks heavily, he can lose control over himself, and he doesn't know what he is doing. Many accidents on the roads happen because of this. Men beat their wives in its influence, and much more. Listening/reading about these stories from my early childhood has made me so scared from it that now I think I can never touch any alcoholic drink, even a glass of wine.

A very good thing about middle-class Pakistani schools is that you don't get bullied because you don't drink! Out of all those people I know closely, I have never seen any of them drinking.

[Shalot]

I am very allergic to alcoholic drinks for a plenty of reasons. When a person drinks, especially if he drinks heavily, he can lose control over himself, and he doesn't know what he is doing. Many accidents on the roads happen because of this. Men beat their wives in its influence, and much more. Listening/reading about these stories from my early childhood has made me so scared from it that now I think I can never touch any alcoholic drink, even a glass of wine.

A very good thing about middle-class Pakistani schools is that you don't get bullied because you don't drink! Out of all those people I know closely, I have never seen any of them drinking.

an allergy is one thing but drinking alcohol isn't an allergy is it? I could say that I am allergic to milk but it won't kill me if I drink it --- it will just make me and everyone else around me very miserable if I do drink it, so I drink my soy milk or none at all and everyone is happy.

[Pensive]

an allergy is one thing but drinking alcohol isn't an allergy is it? I could say that I am allergic to milk but it won't kill me if I drink it --- it will just make me and everyone else around me very miserable if I do drink it, so I drink my soy milk or none at all and everyone is happy.

Perhaps I have used a wrong word but all I meant was that I don't have a good opinion of alcoholic drinks.

[Shalot]

Perhaps I have used a wrong word but all I meant was that I don't have a good opinion of alcoholic drinks.


yeah I know -- it's just me --- bad comparison. In my heart of hearts I know that too much drinking is bad for everyone.

We all know that when we drink too much we do stupid things. The only problem is that we like it a lot and drinking can at least help us go to sleep at night. And prohibition didn't work and from what they tell me on public radio, people have been self-medicating since the beginning of time...

I just thought maybe someone could tell me about the time they drank too much and woke up with a head full of toothpicks or something.

[Pensive]

yeah I know -- it's just me --- bad comparison. In my heart of hearts I know that too much drinking is bad for everyone.

We all know that when we drink too much we do stupid things. The only problem is that we like it a lot and drinking can at least help us go to sleep at night. And prohibition didn't work and from what they tell me on public radio, people have been self-medicating since the beginning of time...

Well, stupid things we do even without getting drunk. :p But drinking can double up the chances.

[Moira]

Sleepy, you are 25?
From your pics i would have said you were much younger.:)

My father is an alcoholic, even if he will never admit it, he needs alcohol daily and a pretty large amount if you ask me.
He was never the agressive type, the only thing that worries me and my mother is his health but nothing we have said to him could convince him to seek help. And if he does not want to get help .........

[SleepyWitch]

Sleepy, you are 25?
From your pics i would have said you were much younger.:)

My father is an alcoholic, even if he will never admit it, he needs alcohol daily and a pretty large amount if you ask me.
He was never the agressive type, the only thing that worries me and my mother is his health but nothing we have said to him could convince him to seek help. And if he does not want to get help .........

yep, I'm 25 going on 26 (obviously, unless I find a way to skip it and turn 27 right away)... yeah, I know I look younger... will post new pics soon, maybe I look older in my new sunday's best.

[kilted exile]

I just thought maybe someone could tell me about the time they drank too much and woke up with a head full of toothpicks or something.

I have a few interesting stories after drinking too much, most of them end up with me sleeping in some strange place (on top of a car, bush, in a garage in the middle of winter wearing just t-shirt & jeans etc)

I'm gonna share my "old house" story this time however.

This takes place when I was 19 and an unemployed bum after dropping out. I was still somewhat involved with the Boys Brigade (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_brigade) at this point, and had been made spend the entire Sunday morning first at church & then on parade in full uniform during typical Glasgow weather (see torrential downpour) I got home and changed at around 2 in the afternoon & decided that me & one of my friends were going out to shoot pool, drink some beer & sing along to Rhiannon on the jukebox (he has no choice in this matter) We arrive at the pool hall at around 4 and the Tennents Lager begins to flow. Time goes by and at around 9 he decides he has to go home 'cos he has college in the morning. Luckily around this time a girl we knew called Maria wanders into the pool hall (http://www.nightb4.com/reviews/read/1004.html) (it was our hangout/meeting place/escape - we had free run of the place & always got a table)

She unlike my other friend was not a wuss, and was always game for going out. She envisioned a night of hilarity at the Cathouse (http://www.nightb4.com/uk/glasgow/clubs/cathouse/?l=p&sid=328268a905fdcaa4311581e75ebe1e45) (Local punk club) but first insisted we were going to Sadies (http://www.nightb4.com/reviews/read/649.html) (a gay bar - however that is irrelevent to the story) to get some quick ####'s (a drink which they sold only there, it is a double shot) The name was apt cos it got you messed up real quick. So out of their we go at 12, by which point I am staggering around but still managing to keep on my feet, and head to the cathouse.

We get in the cathouse & she insists on dancing (as I said this girl was crazy - she could outdrink/fight a lot of guys I knew) I got to the dancefloor got through 1 song then tried to walk back to my seat, promptly fell over 4 times in the space of 20yds and got thrown out by the bouncers.

So now to the good part of the story, I had moved house 3months previously. I went back to my previous house and stood there attempting to open the door with my key shouting & swearing 'cos it wouldnt work (thankfully the new owners werent home or this story would involve sleeping in a jail cell) I gave up and went to sleep on the doorstep.

I awoke 2hrs later realised my mistake and wandered off to the new house, arriving there just in time to see everyone else having breakfast & get asked "What happened to your jeans?" My response is a confused/quizzical look, as far as I know my jeans are fine. I look down and there is a massive rip up the right leg. Here ended the night, but the next 2days I felt like my head was being used as a bass drum

[linz]

I think of drinking in the same manner I think of slush. I can get drunk, even very drunk, and still have a speck of logic, yet the euphora is all slush, slush, and more slush!