MsCooterBrown

I have said this before as a response to a different post..but it applies here. For sure hands down I would have quit. I was no longer in my body when I was drinking. Hard to explain but looking back at pictures I have this blank stare. Almost shark eyes. I don't care if you take out the hangovers..the zombie effect would still be there. I will never get back some time periods..can't remember some of them. And I have so detached myself from alcohol ..I believe it was another personality that was drinking. I know that is hard to understand as well but this is the first time I have been sober in my adult life and what I am now sober cannot even compare to my drunken self. I don't miss it. I abhor it. I don't want to smell it or be around it. But..thanks for askin.

MsCooterBrown

I have to add this Batman. Never mind. I will save my hypothetical speech.

TheEnd

If I'm understanding this question right then no I would not have quit, because I never had a hangover, brain fog, or migraines you speak of, and my health is perfectly fine.

I was a crazy, reckless, out of control person, with multiple DUIs and I was tired of ruining my life along with other people's lives.That's why I quit, if I only had to worry about the other stuff I wouldn't have quit, because it was a non issue.

Supercrew

The health issues, although they were starting to be a problem, where a secondary reason for me quitting. I realized the only times in my life I ever got into major problems with the law or in relationships were all due to my drinking, then throw in the fact that all I had ever looked forward to in the last 27 years of my life was the next drink, then toss in I was spending over $500 a month on booze, and I was drinking in the mornings a couple of times a week, I feel lucky the health issues were secondary. When I quit I wasn't enjoying it anymore, so no I wouldn't drink if there were no health concerns.

ZZworldontheweb

If you still keep building up a tolerance and needing more and more, and it still impairs your functioning when you drink it, then eventually you'd have to be hooked up to a booze IV to keep the high, and you'd be in a constant state of drunkenness. This would make it impossible to earn a living.

Since inability to earn a living would lead to starvation, and starvation is a physical problem, is there some compensating benefit in this alternate universe, that inoculates you against needing food?

If not, I'd still quit.

sleepie

No way would I quit if there were no deleterious effects. I love salads and eat one almost every day. There are no ill side effects and I am not giving them up... nobody stops anything unless it is detrimental in some way.

lushly

I am 11 days sober and I quit not because I wanted to, but because it was hurting the people around me. Now that I have a few days and clear mornings I feel as if I am doing it for me. I would be surprised if I don't have liver problems. The reality is that you can not drink heavily, everyday for 30 years without some reprocussions. If you had asked this question 11 days ago I would of said absolutly I would not quit I like it. It is my thing, but now I am not so sure.

TheBatman

Well for drinking 30 years at least your in one peace. You can walk correct? You can type and react, because there are alot of people right now who are either on Dyalisis, peeing on themselves, ulcers, etc because of heavy drinking, and you are not one of them.

ReadyAndAble

Sorry Batman, I don't think this is the answer you want, but I would quit again in a heartbeat.

For me it's not just about being healthier, it's also about being happier. I'm free. I'm in control. I'm living in the moment, or at least trying to, instead of looking at my watch to see how long I have to wait for that first drink.

Why would I miss being a slave—even if I could be a healthy one?

Kmber2010

I am with the others in that I would have quit just the same without the physical/mental piece. The physical problems and anxiety/panic attacks came at the end when I was binging on a regular basis and well....drinking 24/7.

I don't remember how I really felt when I drank since I was - well drunk. It was afterwards how I was ashamed, embarassed, depressed over living the lies and the constant hiding. Working so hard to keep my little secret. It was the lack of self-esteem, drive, ambition. I isolated, dwelled on things and was just a hide in my house drunk. Was no longer a productive person just wasting away looking to restock the supply to keep me sedated from reality. Just a horrible horrible place to be.

Drinking robbed me of who I was. I was not the same person I was prior to my years of drinking as I am no longer that person who drank. Difference is that now I am alcoholic and I no longer drink and have had to do quite a bit of work at getting back to me again and continue to improve myself. I really like who I am so yeah......I would have done it....I hated myself drinking just didn't know how make it stop and change my life...ya know?

invisigoth

If there were no consequences why quit.

LaFemme

My understanding of the post is that the effects of drinking were removed the hangovers and health problems...the negatives of the actual act of drinking were still there.

Being a slave to drink was not removed And you still got drunk. Getting drunk was reason enough to quit...as was being controlled by alcohol

Bit also For me at the end I realized I hated the smell/taste as well...so that wasn't a consequence.

jamdls

If I hadn't burned a hole in my liver from a prescription drug overdose and been told that if I ever drank again it would kill me (a very slow painful death...) I would still be drinking, assuming I would still be alive. However, I am extremely happy that I overdosed and survived and stopped drinking; I was a miserable/depressed person until I stopped drinking-- I just never realized that alcohl was fueling the misery and depression.

kiki5711

"What if" questions are useless to me.

What if I win a million dollars tomorrow? What if the world ends in 2012? My debit card expires in 2013!!!! I won't have to re-new it I guess.

yeahgr8

For most alcoholics the "mental health" problems were already there before the first drink they ever took...i have to be insane if i thought that i drank consistently to excess because i thought it was a good idea, without a perceived need to drink why would any alcoholic continue to do so?

Nikkle

IF a frog had wings, it wouldn't bump its butt!

hopeless2day

Consqueces is what got me.

cabledude

If you add to the list wrecking cars, ruining relationships, acting the fool, dumb fistfighting, going to jail repeatedly, making crazy purchases, limiting my opportunities, making stupid choices, not being there for loved ones, filling my head with anger and confusion, crawling around mexican bar toilets, paying endless fines and high car insurance rates, making crazy trips after midnight, pissing off employers, and more...

Then sure, why not?

Zube

Hmmmm?

Hypothetically, No mental and health problems? Maybe.
Hypothetically, No mental and health problems, AND if it were FREE? I'd be swimming in it!
But I'd still be working the 12 steps for all the other F***ed up issues in my life!

ZUBE

SASA

I never had health issues or a hungover. I never vomited. I was a silent drunk, staying in my room until I passed almost out, then went to sleep. I had no negative consequences, I had some blackouts and emailed people, but they forgave me for it and made some funny jokes about it that was it. I had no problems with relationships, actually people always liked me and my bf wanted me to drink more so he could control me better. And I still quit, why, it takes away all my focus, my mind, my soul and my spirit. After I qut I can feel my emotions, feel happiness and sadness and I found my HP. While quitting I lost friends after I told them I was an alcoholic, still now I believe the people were not worse to be my friends and I found better friends. The quality of my life improved tremendously.