GracieLou

There be some big words in that there post...lol

I like it simple. I drank to get drunk. The end.

SeanMc

Why did you chose to take something that was bad for you?

You must admit it's a good question.

trent333

It's been said by psychiatrists that people with a higher intelligence level not only seek novelty they expect it. Drinking just happens to be legal so they go for it often. It is true that you require to be of lesser intelligence to believe ethanol isn't poisonous and drink it though in any quantity. I know what your saying I'm an angry recovering alcoholic and that some people drink moderately. Any consumption of alcohol from an intellectual standpoint is definitely an act of idiocy. Smart people know drinking is horrendous and carcinogenic but they pour racing fuel down their throats regardless. I knew how terrible drinking is but I did so anyways not because I'm an idiot but because I became addicted to a downer drug well know by our government to be extremely addictive. One last thing is that moderate drinkers whether they admit it or not usually are addicted for life. They drink even if its once per month or year until they are dead or too sick to bother. The only difference between a smart drinker in any amount and a dumb one is the dumb one believes a glass of wine per day is beneficial to their body the keen one knows its rotten food but drinks it down anyways.

EndGameNYC

People can be so cold.

Was it James Taylor or Carly Simon who wrote that?

GracieLou

Perhaps, for some, but at this point it is sort of irrelevant, at least for me.

At eighteen when I started my career I did not look at it like it was bad or that I chose to do something that was bad for me. I did not see any problem with it at all. Even when I started to have blackouts I thought it was something that just went along with the territory. I did not sit with a pro/con alcohol list. I did not do it at the start nor twenty six years later at the end. It was not like eating a donut and thinking about all the fat or calories in it and deciding to eat it anyway. I never thought when I picked up a drink that I was or could become an alcoholic.

(some say people are born alcoholics, some say they are made…blah blah, another thread and I don’t really care. I am one and that is as far as I need to go)

I never saw the insanity of my thinking until I got sober. I use my energy to remain sober not to contemplate the who, why, when, and, ifs or buts of it.

I am an alcoholic, simple. I cannot drink, simple. I attend AA and work the program to stay sober, simple. I take it one day at a time, simple. I don’t think I need to go on as that would negate my simple approach.

I think for some, the need to contemplate all the scenarios, the science, the behavior, the who, what, when and why of the alcoholic is important. I am not one of these people. It is not that I can’t, Oh I can, to the point of distraction. I will create my own demise. If I make it to hard, I will fail. I choose not to. I choose to keep it simple. That is what works for me. That is what keeps me sober.

Mark75

Yep. A complete psychic change. I tried to do that intellectually, I really did. I was just left feeling worse, not better.

I kinda had to be tricked into it, so that I wouldn't try to "understand" it, it being that change, a "new pair of glasses" so to speak... And yes, that's an AA reference... Rather, I had a set instructions to follow which freed me from a whole lot of delusions, justifications and self centered ego BS.

We are not any different, we are not more sensitive, or intelligent, or insightful than anyone else. We are not, at our root level, any worse or any more hateful than anyone else.... At the root level, we are everyone else.

And that, my friend, is a very very good thing.

jazzfish

I don't believe in B&W answers for anything in life, largely because the answers I initially choose are wrong. There are some benefits to drinking and some people can enjoy them in proper moderation. Similarly, there are benefits in exercise, but if you take it to the extreme you are more likely to injure yourself than if you simply spent your life being happy with a brisk walk.

I have tried the whole 'just make the next right decision that improves your life' approach and failed at it. I ended up ignoring my kids, or being too strict with my diet, or reading too much and doing too little, or... Basically, I burned out and didn't find a sustainable balance (pretty much the story of my life).

Now, I really don't care why I drink. It caused problems in my life and I could not find or achieve a level of drinking that allowed me to avoid those problems.

blackoutgirl

I certainly don't view myself as sensitive, intelligent, or insightful. I actually view myself as selfish, irresponsible, and careless while drinking. Moderation, in my attempt was difficult, but getting plastered was a piece of cake.

My mother-in-law is probably a moderate drinker, though, she's still an alcoholic. Any way you look at it, if a person is drinking to avoid certain aspects of life or for whatever other reasons, they're still dependent on the booze.

Moderate drinking made me want to go buy a bottle and chug it in my walk in closet. Just sayin.

karate

I thought I was an alcoholic at one point , but having friends in AA,
I guess im not , I can drink 1 or none .

I will drink too much if I don't at least keep a little rein on it .

I can easily do that now .

Of course I'm older , and hate hangovers .

It's self moderating for me .

jkb

I see nothing wrong with drinking moderately. I watch people do it.. have a beer or two at a BBQ, a glass of wine with dinner, etc... I think it may even have some benefits.

I am not a one or two type of girl so I prefer none.

GL with this thread OP. I personally feel that I view alcohol far differently than others. Most people are not near as preoccupied with it as I was.

zjw

I dunno for me I can totaly understand the more sensitive to stuff then the next guy. From my perspective thats how it seems. All to often I find some people appear unconcerned about this or that in life while i'm worried sick over it. I dunno that it makes me any more intelectual or inteligent but more sensitive yeah possibly. Ever since I quit its been a struggle to cope with life and the various issues. It was a struggle before I quit too drinking just masked the struggle for a few hours each evening then made it worse in my sober hours.

But there are others for whatever reason or another are also sensitive too but dont drink. I also find a lot of folks have some other crutch. Some are on anti depressents and not booze. Some smoke cigarettes. Some are addicted to heroine or crack. Some eat too much cake in order to cope. Some shop too much in order to cope. The list goes on.

How do i cope these days? I run its my crutch it keeps me happy. I was running the other day crying asking myself why do i have to do this to remain happy? day in an dday out. I feel like a hamster on a wheel. As much as its a coping mechanism its also a sick obsession too but it keeps me healthy and I enjoy it so I keep going.

I think everyones got something some sort of crutch. I guess you just got to pick a more positive one then drinking.

Soberpotamus

I'll somewhat go along with this one. To an extent, I believe this is true. Yes. I think this accounts for why we go out and try it. And for our initial attempts at using it, and then maybe the very beginnings of trying to control or moderate (because we are then aware we have a problem). But after that point, it's just addiction. Plain and simple. And anyone, no matter the sensitivity or intelligence level, can be born with the propensity and genetics for addiction to develop.

SeanMc

Thanks folks, an interesting discussion which I've read closely- nice to read those thoughts; let me reply generally-

Okay, why people drink too much is a bit mysterious and there may be many reasons involved, including plain addition or habit. However I bet you are a more interesting person than many middle of the road people I know who drink moderately.

The question that piques me is why anyone would take a mind-altering drug.

Whatever the reason, for the moderate person that reason has disappeared after a couple of beers, and for others its hasn't. I think in many cases that's because they can see a little more through the dire influences on them, even only on an intuitive level, so they drink more.

Whatever it is though, drugs can only have a negative net value.

Interesting thought.

Dee74

Lets face it...everyone wants to think they're special and any theory that posits alcoholics are somehow above the average in any way is going to gain traction among a lot of us.

That's human nature.

I've read a lot of stories here tho...and for me ?

alcoholism really is the equal opportunity destroyer - sensitive or not, young, old...rich, poor...smart, dumb...tall, short, thin or fat...it affects and decimates us all IMO.

Noone is immune.

D

zjw

If i read into it too much I always wonder how this even started. I mean think about it. Some guy leaves a bucket of grapes or something out it ferments gets friggen nasty looken and he thinks Gee I wonder what this tastes like? tastes it and it clearly tastes like garbage yet he consumes enough of it to get drunk. Then after a mind altering drunken evening first time booze is ever discovered he pukes practicly dies and he gets up and decides to try this again? Seriously?

I dunno if never heard of booze before and found a bucket of rotting fermented grapes I'd probably take one wiff and be like ULL YUCK and pitch it the thought of consumeing it wouldnt even be on the radar.

But somehow someone got that brilliant idea to taste it and tell the rest of us how great it was ::facepalm:: They probably thought they where enlightened or more intelectual. go figure!

Mirage74

Man has been looking for ways to alter his mind since the beginning of human history. Why? That's a question for the ages.

Some of my best friends are people who I drank heavily with. There are benefits to alcohol use, it creates a social bond. The problem is , some people can take it or leave it. Some can't.

Nuudawn

Yikes do I ever relate with this post. Years ago I remember sitting in a small town bar getting my buzz on. I looked around and thought to my pompous drunken self... 'there ain't enough booze in the world to make ANY of these people interesting".

Ya...like I was a road scholar just poppin' in cuz I was thirsty and would soon be off to my mensa meeting.

Soberpotamus

Lmao Nuudawn!!

Sent from my iPhone using SoberRecovery

longbeachone

I like to think that I'm intelligent. I fancy myself to be insightful. I often react in a way that could be called sensitive. None of these things, however, had anything to do with why I became an alcoholic.

I drank out of fear...liquid courage they call it. The more I drank, the more fearful I became.

I drank out of boredom...I hated the feeling of being alone with myself, made me feel completely at sea. With a buzz, even a small one, counting cracks in the ceiling became a decent way to pass an afternoon.

I drank out of laziness...get healthy by eating better and exercise? Nah, feel too tired today. Have friends over for a fun evening, maybe dinner? Nope, don't know what to fix, and it might be weird, since I knew my friends brothers cousin from second grade. Better have a drink and relax on my own.

Drinking isn't smart or touchy feely, it's simply a way to avoid life.

neferkamichael

For a period of time in recovery I used to say I "regret" that I can't drink moderately. Now 3 years sober I don't regret it at all, matter of fact I'm happy not to drink at all.