A recovering AA person asked me this question-HOPE EVERYONE READS THIS!!...

[BobbyJ]

Last night I was with a person in recovery. They have been sober for almost 2 years now. Eat,Walk,Sleep their program. Amazing & Inspirational people!

Hours of a deep conversation about alcoholism lead into this question

They asked me: Can you go out or sit in your house and have 1 drink or even catch a good buzz and stop?

I replied: Yes, most of the time I dont even finish one without pouring it out, but I have caught a good buzz a couple of times in my life

They replied: I dont know what that means. I have never done that. I dont
know what a buzz is. I am an alcoholic and when I drank, I drank to pass out or to finish the bottle, whatever came first.

I replied: Are you kidding me? You have never just had a slight buzz?

They replied: No, I am an alcoholic. I have a diesase.


*I dont know about you, but I have never been asked this question before
I have never thought of it in this manner either. Hope you get something from this post...I know I did..

[Ghostly]

Originally Posted by BobbyJ

when I drank, I drank to pass out or to finish the bottle, whatever came first.

Yes, this is what it was about. There was no need for one, two, three...or to just get a buzz. A buzz is what I tried to get on my first drink when I was just getting started.

[Willybluedog]

This is just such a foreign concept, even growing up with an alcoholic mother I never thought of it in these terms, it took me many years to come to the conclusion she was drinking to either forget something or bury her pain.

Thanks for the post.

[Terminally Unique]

Originally Posted by BobbyJ

....when I drank, I drank to pass out or to finish the bottle, whatever came first.

Sounds about right, although I won't say it was always that way. I can vaguely remember not doing this sometimes, very early on in the game.

[Scolova]

Yep. The only time I ever just got a beer buzz was back in my twenties when I was already high on weed every day. By the time I kicked the weed out, the alcohol had become everything for me... Not a day went by where I just wanted to get buzzed, I wanted to get hammered and would do so again in a heartbeat if I were not able to 'think it through' and stay strong.

Oh and the 'other' buzz moments were when I knew I had to put the binge session off until after whatever social event I was at... but just like clockwork I would find a reason to leave and get out-of-my-mind drunk.

[kiki5711]

that is weird, because as much as I am an alcoholic as the next guy/gal sometims one drink was all that was necessary and then go home. such as in business envoronment, or when you can't buy liquor on Sunday, and just have to go for one or two drinks to get you through the day.

I don't like how some people portray an alcoholic as some kind of "leaper" skin eating disease. Putting that kind of pressure on yourself will have more of a chance to start drinking again when you just can't take it any more.

it should be a normal, change of lifestyle, where you feel better, not imprisoned.

[BobbyJ]

What I got out of this question was:

Geez, After 17 years of begging, crying & stomping my feet
and me saying over and over...

"Why cant you just have one drink, what the hell' is the matter with you?"
"Just stop drinking, is it really that important to you"

Im sure each story is slightly differenet, but the concept of this question/post
was to remind myself and my alanon friends here, that the way we think
about "stop" drinking is not the same for us and it is for them

Once I got that thru my head, it is different, it helped me alot.

It always a good little reminder to keep in my pocket and pull out, when I begin
to go crazy and ask myself..Why is he doing those things, or Why does
he continue to drink.....

Just a mental refresher course for me...

[FlyerFan]

I liked getting buzzed, but then eventually it led to drinking away my pain, and i have a lot of buried pain so i just drank and drank until i passed out.

[NYCDoglvr]

When I got sober two decades ago I asked my best friend, a non-alcoholic, how he kept from getting drunk. He didn't know what I was talking about. I call myself an alcoholic because I can not drink today. But when I pick up a drink I can't stop. I may believe I'll have one drink but can't do it. Non alcoholics have a switch we don't have.

[Fandy]

Originally Posted by kiki5711

that is weird, because as much as I am an alcoholic as the next guy/gal sometims one drink was all that was necessary and then go home. such as in business envoronment, or when you can't buy liquor on Sunday, and just have to go for one or two drinks to get you through the day.

I don't like how some people portray an alcoholic as some kind of "leaper" skin eating disease. Putting that kind of pressure on yourself will have more of a chance to start drinking again when you just can't take it any more.

it should be a normal, change of lifestyle, where you feel better, not imprisoned.

I'm the same way

[jessiec]

Months ago when my ABF thought he'd lose me over his drinking and he was honest, he said his brain never tells him it's time to stop. It keeps saying, "More."

But then I stayed with him, he continued to hide his drinking rather than deal with it.

Last night he told me, "I just want to have a good time." And I'm no fun.

Sigh.

[quetzal]

My A ex BF use to envy me, he said I was lucky that I didn't worry about drinking. He was right, I found this vintage Captain Morgan bar sign at a thrift store and brought it home because It was so cool, a few days later when he was angry, started to point out that it bothered him. I asked him why? It wasn't even in the room we were in, he said that It didn't matter, the image was in the house and it was taunting him... Im an artist and just thought it was a cool piece... Blew my mind.