You think it is "too much" to drink a pint and a six pack 4x a week? Hypothetical...? Health-wise? After struggling with "sobriety" for five years I guess I'm tryin to cop a plea with alcohol and myself. That's it.
You think it is "too much" to drink a pint and a six pack 4x a week? Hypothetical...? Health-wise? After struggling with "sobriety" for five years I guess I'm tryin to cop a plea with alcohol and myself. That's it.
Do you mean a pint of liquor and a six pack?
If so, I do think that that is too much. That comes out to more than 200 "binges" a year.
Not healthy for non-alcoholics. Decidedly unhealthy for alcoholics.
-- Edited by Tanin on Tuesday 17th of July 2012 08:05:05 AM
All I know is one is too many for everyone here in recovery.
Not sure anyone can make a determination on what a healthy amout of booze is for anyone.
If you've been trying to stay sober for 5 yrs and are trying to now control, you are most likely already out of control. If I could could have controled my drinking I would have never come to AA.
I hope you are successful in whatever amount you conclude is healthy. But if you are a "real alcoholic" and are powerless over alcohol, the following is true:
Pg 30
Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we 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.
We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.
We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control. All of us felt at times that we were regaining control, but such intervals - usually brief - were inevitably followed by still less control, which led in time to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization. We are convinced to a man that alcoholics of our type are in the grip of a progressive illness. Over any considerable period we get worse, never better.
Hope this can help,
Rob
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Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
I think it is. But then again, I drank just as much. I guess it has to do with my needs today more than anything else, even though I struggled with the idea powerless as well. I had to be beaten into submission many times over before I finally surrendered. And even then it was a stretch. My first inclination was always the same -pick up a drink, but today it's about sober reasoning nothing more. I've learned to accept my situation -first, and then ask for help. I'd rather choose sobriety over another drink any day, and with the help of my sober network I have a fighting chance, for today. But, again, it's about sober choices more than anything. For me, I never want to take that plunge ever again. So my choice for today, is attend meetings instead. Care to join me? We're praying for you...
Dods, just wanted to welcome you back my friend! I've missed your presence here on MIP. Go with your gut on this. Your head is playing games with you. I think deep down you know the answer.
You think it is "too much" to drink a pint and a six pack 4x a week? Hypothetical...? Health-wise? After struggling with "sobriety" for five years I guess I'm tryin to cop a plea with alcohol and myself. That's it.
I drank like that at one time...One thing I learned about my alcoholism....It is progressive....I was always justifying how much I drank....Like the book told me...I got worse.....Never better. Glad you are here.
Why struggle so hard to keep a poison in your life? What has it done for you other than screw up your life time and time again?
Even if you could moderate yourself for extended periods of time (which will not happen cuz eventually you will slip back into drinking more and probably using also) - You have been in AA long enough now that your drinking is never going to come without a cost to your soul. It's never going to work the way you want.
For me - I can't drink like non-alcoholics. I just can't. Oh well. It's not that tragic. Staying slave to alcohol and continuing to try to bargain with it is tragic. At the root of much of my drinking, I was very afraid to grow up and take responsibility. I thought I couldn't handle being an adult and I drank to stay childlike. Please don't fall deeper into that pattern Dods. You are still young and you are very smart. It's too much of a risk to gamble all the potential away to alchohol.
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
Strictly focusing on health - That would probably damage your liver extensively. Perhaps you could live a long life....dunno. The damage to your spiritual and mental health is also worth considering. Some alcoholics live to be 80 drinking like fish....Granted, that's the exception but either way - I'm glad it's not me.
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
You need to re-read what Rob posted ... Never mind all the brains cells you'd be poisoning ... it's the heart and liver that'll suffer the most trauma ... the liver can't keep up, and the heart swells to an enormous size, until it drowns in its own fluids ... (congestive heart failure is the term ... look it up and read how it makes you feel) ...
If you are determined to drink like you proposed ... you came to the wrong place to get justification ... and if you insist on doing it, let us know how that works out for you ... if you're still alive in six months ... at least let us know how much fun you had ...
Thanks, Pappy
-- Edited by Pythonpappy on Wednesday 18th of July 2012 01:38:50 PM
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Sounds like you had already answered your own question even before you posted it. For me, one drink of anything is too many, because it will lead me straight back to the insanity that my life had become. Drinking affected my physical and mental health, and today, I want to keep the measure of both that I am getting back in sobriety. So today, I will not drink. I didn't drink yesterday, and tomorrow's not here yet, so if I can manage for today, I'll be in pretty good shape.
Mark said: "You have been in AA long enough now that your drinking is never going to come without a cost to your soul. It's never going to work the way you want." I needed to hear this today. More than anything, when I was in the middle of my alcoholism and addiction, I had no soul. Today, I do, and I don't ever want to go back to that empty, hollow shell that I had become. Thanks, Dodsworth for the topic. Peace
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I asked God for all things that I may enjoy life. He gave me life so that I may enjoy all things.
I was drunk when I posted that..sorry everyone :( And yes, my gut tells me I can't drink any alcohol, but my stupid head kills me. I drank a pint of vodka and a 6pk of tall boys every night for about two years, then came rehab(s). Been back 7months from my last rehab and fell into a horrible 3wk spree right off the bat, then stayed sober for about a month, then maybe the worst week-long binge drinking almost a half-gallon of VO per night- that was the first time I ever had withdrawals while still drinking, scared me into calling Hazelden, but I didn't have the $. Since February I haven't gone but maybe a week without drinking, it's led me to using H in my arm to the point where I was dual-withdrawing, which was pretty much the worst thing I've ever experienced. All this now has left me in a really bad place. I'm 29 and my body seems ok on the outside, but it isn't. I have this persistent hand-tremor. I've had "the shakes", but this seems to last. Maybe it's cause I haven't truly completely withdrawn from alcohol in five months. Is there such a thing as permanent tremors..? Anyways, I'm grateful for your counsel and I'm getting help from the last old-timer I ever expected here in my town...took him 8 yrs in the program to finally do it and I'm going to do what he says because I can't do this anymore. Hope you all are having a good night.
I remember my hands shook for awhile and I have seen it in other new people who where detoxed, I've never seen it last more than a month or two. Keep coming back here and stay on the path. It always gets better.
Take Care,
Rob
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Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
Dods, you are doing the right thing, follow the oldtimers suggestions, go to meetings (90 in 90 days) and don't drink between meetings. this is a one day at a time deal. the past is gone, the future is around the corner, so stay in the now, and make as many phone calls as it takes to talk to someone who has been through what you are going through. we are alcoholics, we try to drink the stores dry. if you are "willing to be willing" you have a chance at getting better. we are rooting for you, keep coming back. hugs from jj/sheila
Surrender Dods. Give it away. You are powerless over it. Your full time job is going to meetings and working the steps to the point that you hand it over. 90 in 90 and nothing else. You can not outsmart this disease, you can only surrender and turn it over. Tom
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"You're in the right place. That's the door right there. Turn around."
When we stop drinking breakfast, lunch, and dinner ... and start back to actually putting food into our systems, then we'll start to recover ... this takes time ... I had the shakes for about a month, but they'd come back for a little while off and on for about another month ... Eat right, take vitamins, and do some mild exercise, like walking, and then you'll eventually return to a usable human being ...
Keep coming back and keep going to meetings ...
Pappy
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
