Originally Posted by
Freepath 
Coping:
I have a list. Here are some of the problems with alcohol as it relates to your health:
Addiction greatly increases the chance of cirrhosis, pancreatitis, hypertension, malaise, obesity, REM sleep disruption, limbic brain damage, frontal lobe brain damage, certain types of cancer, and cerebral hemorrhage. People who drive with a BAC of 0.1% are 3-15 times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident.
This is ironic. Working hard is also a coping mechanism. If I work 80 hours this week, I will not have time to drink alcohol. I’ll need my sleep. If I drink, I know I will wake up at 3:00 AM for at least an hour, and I will wake up feeling too tired to even function.
Aerobic exercise. There is a common belief among runners that there is a runner’s high. I absolutely believe this. It doesn’t even have to be running, but anything that brings my heart rate up and keeps it there for a while can cause this feeling. To me, it’s the greatest feeling in the world.
I think of my children. I don’t want them to see me when I drink. I don’t want them to drink. I’m afraid that they will be like me. I can’t have just one. I can have way too much, and I only want more.
Wow! Thanks for all the info! 80 hours a week? Wow! What a hard working person you are! I cannot imagine that. I lived in the Bay Area and thought I had it bad with 70 hour weeks, but this included 20 hours of commute time each week. Sad thing is, I always found time to drink - like round the clock each weekend. Sounds like you are doing great.
BTW, can I post this link? (Alera, pls. delete if not appropriate but I just think it's useful to see. Thanks!) Here is a brain on alcohol over many years. Notice all the big holes in it? This is NOT normal.
Rotating SPECT Images | Amen Clinics
Also, this site has brain spects from even drinking coffee and smoking and then before and after pics of active using versus the brain healing. Really puts things into perspective for me! One other little thing, I did call this place as I wanted to get one of these done to inject reality for me, but it was too expensive and not trying to promote this place. I just find it useful to look at things from a scientific perspective.