I am soo lucky
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 7
I am soo lucky
I am in my early 20s. I am ashamed of my drinking and am truly a very lucky person. I know I will never win the lottery as I have used all my luck . Here is how I could have wreaked my entire future.
Didn't start drinking until I was of legal age ( I was more of a weed guy). I had a few before but I drank only to increase the "high" from pot. Fast forward 2 years and I decide to kick the 7 year marijuana addiction. Anyone who says it is not addictive has never tried to quit a perma fried lifestyle. So how do you quit? Drink lots! First sign of major addiction starting in Alcohol, making your own beer so you could save $. I worked it out I was saving $300 a month by making it myself. Not only was I saving money but I could never run out. I constantly had the equivilant of 3 24's in the basement. Second sign, drinking every day. Not always to excess but everyday I would have a drink. Then most days became to excess. Third sign, Drinking while driving. Not only did I drink and drive (which is what I feel most guilty about) but I would drink while driving. It was boring to not be driving without a beer or a tumbler of scotch. Anyways here's the bad stuff. Going to work hammered and drinking at work. I worked at an airport and was usually alone. Why not get drunk!? This wouldn't be as bad if it wasn't for the fact that the airplanes were under my responsibility and I knew how to use them. Why not take one up for a flight at night when I could barley walk? So I hopped into the Cessna stared her up and took her around for a night flight and landed. This was insane. I could have lost everything at that very moment. I began to go flying with instructors drunk too. One day I went flying during the day drunk and did aerobatics. I was willing to throw away $50k of flight training and a career not to mention risking my life so I could get a little F**ing buzzed. Sadly I knew I had a problem and couldn't quit. Something was going to happen I was going to get a dui or a flying ui or kill myself unless I quit. I showed up for a flight test drunk and was lucky the weather was too poor to fly. I re did it sober and aced it. One morning after a hard night of drinking dark homemade beer with 5 times too much sugar because I thought it would increase alc content (which is probably the number one worst hangover maker ever) I decided this is stupid. I through out all beer and making supplies and all traces. I have been sober for 134 days and I am the luckiest person alive that I did not die or get a criminal offence destroying my dream of flying. I am ashamed of my actions and have learned how dangerous chasing a dopamine rush can be.
I now am fascinated by the mind and addictions. I am taking a year or two off to normalize. I work out 5 times a week and eat a diet free of too much fat, sodium and processed food. I take no drugs including caffeine which is very much a drug. I realize this is a problem I must constantly monitor the rest of my life. Staying sober is the most important thing someone who has an addiction can make. Many people do not realize this early and focus too much on careers. If you are young live in a car for 6 months, eat beans and rice and hit the gym and library keep your body and brain healthy, then go get a job. You can always live for cheap and avoid working too much that you need to drink and can't excerse or eat well. Just realize chasing a dopeamine rush (or a "high")can get you killed or get you in jail or with crippling financial and legal problems you may not recover from.
Parents, encourage your children to live modestly and to not put too much emphasis on status symbols like cars or houses encourage thrift. If you find them doing drugs(alcohol obviously included), attack that issue before anything else. School can wait, jobs can wait life can wait. If they have to fail a grade or move thats fine. Treat the addiction. Teenagers do not care about anything but chasing "highs" unless they no longer want to use. DO NOT WAIT untill they hit bottom or 'want to on their own' Do not be so focused on getting ahead rapidly or your own problems to treat the teenagers addiction. I would rather have missed 4 years even of high school and still be in high school with a healthier brain than be able to fly any kind of plane with a college education.
Didn't start drinking until I was of legal age ( I was more of a weed guy). I had a few before but I drank only to increase the "high" from pot. Fast forward 2 years and I decide to kick the 7 year marijuana addiction. Anyone who says it is not addictive has never tried to quit a perma fried lifestyle. So how do you quit? Drink lots! First sign of major addiction starting in Alcohol, making your own beer so you could save $. I worked it out I was saving $300 a month by making it myself. Not only was I saving money but I could never run out. I constantly had the equivilant of 3 24's in the basement. Second sign, drinking every day. Not always to excess but everyday I would have a drink. Then most days became to excess. Third sign, Drinking while driving. Not only did I drink and drive (which is what I feel most guilty about) but I would drink while driving. It was boring to not be driving without a beer or a tumbler of scotch. Anyways here's the bad stuff. Going to work hammered and drinking at work. I worked at an airport and was usually alone. Why not get drunk!? This wouldn't be as bad if it wasn't for the fact that the airplanes were under my responsibility and I knew how to use them. Why not take one up for a flight at night when I could barley walk? So I hopped into the Cessna stared her up and took her around for a night flight and landed. This was insane. I could have lost everything at that very moment. I began to go flying with instructors drunk too. One day I went flying during the day drunk and did aerobatics. I was willing to throw away $50k of flight training and a career not to mention risking my life so I could get a little F**ing buzzed. Sadly I knew I had a problem and couldn't quit. Something was going to happen I was going to get a dui or a flying ui or kill myself unless I quit. I showed up for a flight test drunk and was lucky the weather was too poor to fly. I re did it sober and aced it. One morning after a hard night of drinking dark homemade beer with 5 times too much sugar because I thought it would increase alc content (which is probably the number one worst hangover maker ever) I decided this is stupid. I through out all beer and making supplies and all traces. I have been sober for 134 days and I am the luckiest person alive that I did not die or get a criminal offence destroying my dream of flying. I am ashamed of my actions and have learned how dangerous chasing a dopamine rush can be.
I now am fascinated by the mind and addictions. I am taking a year or two off to normalize. I work out 5 times a week and eat a diet free of too much fat, sodium and processed food. I take no drugs including caffeine which is very much a drug. I realize this is a problem I must constantly monitor the rest of my life. Staying sober is the most important thing someone who has an addiction can make. Many people do not realize this early and focus too much on careers. If you are young live in a car for 6 months, eat beans and rice and hit the gym and library keep your body and brain healthy, then go get a job. You can always live for cheap and avoid working too much that you need to drink and can't excerse or eat well. Just realize chasing a dopeamine rush (or a "high")can get you killed or get you in jail or with crippling financial and legal problems you may not recover from.
Parents, encourage your children to live modestly and to not put too much emphasis on status symbols like cars or houses encourage thrift. If you find them doing drugs(alcohol obviously included), attack that issue before anything else. School can wait, jobs can wait life can wait. If they have to fail a grade or move thats fine. Treat the addiction. Teenagers do not care about anything but chasing "highs" unless they no longer want to use. DO NOT WAIT untill they hit bottom or 'want to on their own' Do not be so focused on getting ahead rapidly or your own problems to treat the teenagers addiction. I would rather have missed 4 years even of high school and still be in high school with a healthier brain than be able to fly any kind of plane with a college education.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,384
Welcome to SR 143254
Many thnaks for sharing a little of your story - I also consider myself one of the lucky ones.
Look forward to see you around some more - congratulations on your 134 days
D
Many thnaks for sharing a little of your story - I also consider myself one of the lucky ones.
Look forward to see you around some more - congratulations on your 134 days
D
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Welcome to our recovery community...
Thanks for joining us and for shareing
part of your story with us. ..
BTW when I was a piolet ..I learned a lesson.
My lover and I went out of town for luch. He had no drinks and
I only had one. He gave me the wheel to fly back.
I was certified to fly the plane..we were useing that
field as home base. No big deal I thought.
When trying to land....my depth perception was off...2 go rounds
then he took over and we landed safely.
No more drinking and pioleting for me either..
Thanks for joining us and for shareing
part of your story with us. ..
BTW when I was a piolet ..I learned a lesson.
My lover and I went out of town for luch. He had no drinks and
I only had one. He gave me the wheel to fly back.
I was certified to fly the plane..we were useing that
field as home base. No big deal I thought.
When trying to land....my depth perception was off...2 go rounds
then he took over and we landed safely.
No more drinking and pioleting for me either..
Last edited by CarolD; 08-11-2012 at 11:49 AM.
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