gravity

My friend was telling me about her friend, a 50 year old rocker and 3-day binge drinker. She said he would never quit drinking because he loved the rock 'n roll lifestyle & the women too much.

I told her that he is killing himself, his body just can't take it.

I also told her I don't need booze to live a rockin' life and meet women.

She said "but he does."

Crazy.

And sad.

Nobody needs alcohol for anything. It's all rationalization.

Stop drinking, work a program, be patient.

I've never been more confident and grounded in my life. I can do everything I thought alcohol could give me.

Yup...I was crazy too.

Wolfy87

I agree completely. No one needs alcohol. I used to think that I need alcohol, but I don't need it anymore!!! Thank you! I am confident too!

BackToSquareOne

The question that should be asked is why the person thinks they need it. Is there some reason you can't enjoy the other things minus the alcohol?

Dee74

I was a musician too - I'm not an unintelligent guy but I found it very easy to buy into the 'rock and roll lifestyle' myth - rock and roll all night and party every day, y'know?

Add to that the way I used alcohol - as medicine for all that ailed me - and it was hard for me to imagine my life without alcohol....it was absolutely central to my life.

I was lucky I was a very bad drinker - it really knocked me around - had it not I still might be drinking and be another 50 yo rocker who's convinced himself utterly he 'needs' alcohol.

D

MattM316

People in rock bands have so much time on their hands that drinking and drugs to pass the time comes into it. And groupies!

Sadly, many people look up to that lifestyle and think it's cool. I've seen alot of it and even hung out with a few 'rock stars' in the past, and in all honestly it seems like a very boring life to me.

Drexo

Reminds me of our national rock 'n roll star Herman Brood ("Saturday Night"). He has been an addict all his life, to alcohol and amphetamine. At the end of his life, when he was 55 years old, the alcohol and amphetamine didn't work anymore and he had horrible withdrawal symptoms like DT's, epileptic seizures and incontinence. He commit suicide while having them... Not really rock 'n roll imo.

billsaintjames

The Grateful Dead is a good example of this. It's so sad what happened to Jerry Garcia (or what he did to himself). That whole scene portrays such a happy, loving, and (in its own way) wholesome environment, but Garcia was miserable. He hated "being Jerry Garcia" and was a cocaine/heroin addict for years, until it killed him just after his 53rd birth day (and his body looked like he much, much older). I love their music and their history, there is so much to be learned from it.