what are your experiences with it? When I was sixteen a group of high school buddies and I discovered there was such a beer called Near Beer; anyone remember it? We went into full discussion about it and what it could facilitate for us under agers such as; we didn't have to present an ID and therefore have to grab and run for the waiting vehicles. We didn't have to deal with the police or our parents and of course to shorten this blurb deal with the physical consequences the next morn.
We gathered together; two car loads and went to a local liquor store that sold Near Beer and sure enough we bought several samples to consume in the car and test. We were miffed that the can sizes were 6ozs not 12 but then this was a taste and effect test right? Our conclusion was unanimous!! It wasn't about the Near at all it was about the alcohol content...and the effect. After drinking several gulps none of us experienced what it was we were looking for; that first physical indication that we had touch magic...our shoulders didn't automatically relax and go down we would not be changed as before. We went back and got the real stuff like we always had, lie, cheat and steal.
Of course none of this has much to do with responsible drinking we didn't know much about responsible drinking other than what civil law was dictating and we knew abso- lutely nothing about the laws of physics, health on any level or the power of alcohol.
I would not know until I came into recovery which included college studies on the subject and days upon days sitting in groups of other recovering alcoholics listening to their stories and the stories from their families. I have spent hours and years working in the field of alcoholism and substance abuse both in patient and out and have worked the school districts working with youth starting out on their own journeys testing as I did for the affect and wanting to have a successful life whatever that mean't of course with alcohol involved.
Is promising to only have "two" an attempt at responsibility? Is having some and leaving some it? Does drinking responsibly mean eating food or a certain food before drinking or only having wine with dinner? Is drinking responsibly waiting one hour inbetween drinks so your body can properly metabolize the one you just had? (I fail that one even with coffee) or soda. Does drinking responsibly mean on certain justifiable occasions and never till you loose control or does it mean drinking while fully aware of the facts of the chemical and your system and condition.
Kinda, sorta takes the fun out of it huh?
I wanna hear some feedback to go with my own...thats how I learn. Jerry F
I am interested in the responses to this in asking a group of people who all have in common the characteristic of an allergy to alcohol, an obsession of the mind coupled with an allergy of the body that defines alcoholism to describe their <failed obviously> stories of drinking responsibly, they ALL have this in common : drinking careers that have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove -they- could drink like other people. The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death about their attempts to "drink like other people" or "drink responsibly", the one thing we all have in common is We couldn't drink responsibly otherwise we wouldn't be here, in all fairness and in the sake of scientific enquiry wouldn't it make more sense to ask those "other people" that we tried to drink like what responsible drinking meant to them since obviously not a single one of us could have accomplished this or we wouldn't be here?
We spent our entire lives trying to both control and enjoy our drinking, what defines an alcoholic is if he is controlling his drinking, he's not enjoying it, if he's enjoying it it, he's not controlling it, hence we are, the one group of people in the entire world that is by definition unable to drink responsibly
It's kind of like asking a group of people who are allergic to cats to "describe your favorite cat stories where you cuddled the cat" since we all suffer from an allergy to alcohol, I suspect every single one of can also describe attempts to drink normally and how it all went bad, since that is what we have in common and what defines us a community...of...alcoholics
interesting topic
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it's not the change that's painful, it's the resistance to change that is painful
Drinking responsibly...What's that? Forums, like this one, would not exist if everyone could drink responsibly and in moderation. Unfortunately, some people can't, that's why AA and forums, like this one, do exist -thank God.
My drinking wasnt considered that excessive early on, thus categorizing my problems as more developmental in nature rather than alcohol dependence. When my drinking did escalate, which it did over time, the prospect of having one or two drinks never came to mind. When I finally crossed the invisible line into active alcoholism, the prospect of having "A drink" in moderation was certainly not an option anymore.
Forums, like this one, and recovery programs, like AA, have been a God-sent to recovering alcoholics like me. There are so many constructive outlets available to alcoholics, like us, in recovery and two of them are laughter and companionship. I enjoy spending quality time with everyone on this forum and share stories of interest as well. I also enjoy spending quality time with members of my home group; doing various activities including bowling, Golfing and dancing. These activities keep my mind off the problem by refocusing my attention towards a more tranquil and worthwhile solution instead. All of this is done for a purpose: to help heal our infirmities and regenerate our resolve through any reconstructive means possible.
Remaining in the moment and in the confines of any sober arena, makes the possibility of long term sobriety a reality for today. Keep focused on the solution and in the compassionate arms of our fellows, as we trod the road of happy destiny towards a more purpose filled and sober existence one day at a time. ~God bless~
-- Edited by Mr_David on Friday 18th of March 2011 02:51:35 AM
-- Edited by Mr_David on Friday 18th of March 2011 02:52:38 AM
-- Edited by Mr_David on Friday 18th of March 2011 02:56:30 AM
-- Edited by Mr_David on Friday 18th of March 2011 03:01:35 AM
-- Edited by Mr_David on Friday 18th of March 2011 03:03:25 AM
I was assuming that the thread was kinda refering to all the party party commercials for booze and beer that have the disclaimer at the end, "Drink Responsibly". The commercials don't in anyway indicate what responsible drinking looks like. I feel it's a more of a legal disclaimer and misleading way of making the marketers look caring.
Bartenders in WA state have to take a class and get a card that says one knows how to serve alcohol responsibly. This is such a joke because the liquor board that gives the liscenses also sells the alcohol(liquor sales are through the state store only). And if the rules were followed in the manner prescribed, they wouldn't sell booze like they do, nor would most bars be in business. According to those rules, some people do actually drink responsibly, but around these parts few really do have the less than 1 drink per hour with food, and everything environmentally works against that.
The only consistent social drinking I've ever witnessed that I'd call responsible was not in this country. I lived in another country for a year, where going out with friends really meant time to hang out and enjoy each others company. The drinking was truly periferal. The locals would club hop all night, rarely finishing or ordering more than a couple of drinks all night. Of course, I didn't let that stop me from overdoing it. I prided myself on not causing scenes and holding my own so well. I saw something different, however, by that age I was already fully committed to altering my reality to be, rather than just being me.
I thought about this quite a bit before responding. My answer would have been very different a year ago. But for me at this point, drinking responsibly means the ability to drink without one's life becoming unmanageable. I know that seems like "a recovery" answer but I started thinking aboutpeople in my life. My experience throughout my life with friends, starting in middle school, drinking was a way to alter our consciousness, catch a buzz, get "messed up"have a good time. That continued past college. Even now, in social drinking situations with friends, most drink to catch a buzz. The difference between them and me is that I would continue drinking, alone, when I came home, and I would drink the next day, and the day after that and that and that. They didn't.
Not drink at all. There is no responsibility in drinking lol (sorta like there is no crying in baseball) oh never mind. lol Oh I guess back in the day for me to drink responsibly was to not get caught!
-- Edited by SUSIE on Friday 18th of March 2011 07:18:53 AM
Responsibly and drink did not go together in my lifetime. I drank to have fun and when I no longer had fun I drank to try to have fun, then I drank because I could not leave it alone. I had to drink, that was my life. Responsibility and accountability was not a part of my life, I am a self centered alcoholic who preferred to be numb instead of alive. AA and my HP helped break my drinking down to the 'understandable'.... my life is worth so much more and is so much more fulfilling now that alcohol is not a part of my life. Learning to live without it has shown me how much I need guidance to discover the spiritual side of living. Life is now an adventure, this new life is amazing. sheila/jj
Drinking responsibly is what non-alcoholics do. I lost that privelege. I don't feel bad about it either. I just figure my drinking privelege is permanently revoked. I drank enough to last a lifetime anyhow. I crashed my car drunk. I could have killed someone. I figure being sober and not drinking again is a minimal atonement. My repeated actions over all the years I was drinking prove without a shadow of a doubt that I cannot drink responsibly.
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
Awesome and grateful just for me...I love all the responses and I'm not even doing a paper for college just widening my understanding from within the fellowship. I like to think that if I knew what I now knew back then would I have drank alcohol at all. Considering that I got "turned on" at the age of 9 and the only one objecting to it was my mother, the daughter of an alcoholic and the person serving; her mother the mighta's are moot. The key was in the lock and I could not not drink progressively and irresponsibly after that. Yes there are many who understand that drinking alcohol is a health hazard and for many a death wish and they also don't want to deal in the responsibility issue.
It was insane for me to drink given previous consequences, then I drank and became a insane person under the influence, no chance of drinking responsibly.
telling a alcoholic to drink responsibly is like tell a arsonist to burn stuff responsibly
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Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
If I could drink responsibly I wouldn't be an Alcoholic would I? I can have the best intentions in the world to only have 2-3 drinks but that 1st drink unleashes the 600 lb Gorilla and he won't be satisfied until I'm blackout drunk. All the fail safes that so called normal people have go by the way side once I have that 1st drink. It's not the 4th or 5th drink that's to blame, it's the 1st drink that sends me down that slippery slope. Many of the bad things that happened in my life were alcohol related and I can't say that anything good happened because of alcohol. Today if I get the urge to drink I just need to think it through, where will this drink take me? I know for sure that it's no place good, so today I choose not to travel down that road again.
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Work like you don't need the money
Love like you've never been hurt, and
dance like no one is watching.
