Antone

"Straight Edge" refers to a lifestyle that started within the hardcore punk subculture whose adherents make a lifetime commitment to refrain from drinking alcohol, using tobacco products, and taking recreational drugs. The term was coined by the 1980s hardcore punk band Minor Threat in the song "Straight Edge". (Wikepedia)

What does straight edge have to do with my recovery? I think a lot. What I like about this movement is that it frames sobriety as a courageous, noble, STRENGTH-BASED choice. In other words, facing life head-on, without the buffer of alcohol, other drugs, even tobacco, is seen as showing the true heart and backbone to face life directly as it comes and not necessarily as a reaction to misuse, overuse, or addiction.

Let me be clear. I stopped drinking (64 days ago) because drinking was a PROBLEM. I surely don't deny that. But I also think it's great to recognize the life-affirming aspect of SOBRIETY. We are not just addicts, Are we not men (and women!)? surfing the wave of the straight edge (sobriety) directly into the life experience?

NEOMARXIST

Hi there, I remember a couple of years ago when I was living in London I first heard the term 'Straight-edge- used by some 'metaller' type's.
Even though I am trying/coming to terms with the fact that I would like to refrain from Alcohol/drugs I am still far from straight-edge.
I will still be the "Rock n' Roller" just minus the chemicals which is so engrained within my favourite music, practically all I my musical 'hero's' have either had serious alcohol/drug problems or are either dead as a result. Ala Hendrix, Led Zep, Thin Lizzy, AcDc, Guns N' Roses, Oasis, Free, RHCP to name but a few.

shaun00

interesting post thankyou.

but i dont have any experience of a "strength based choice"....

if i could have made a strength based choice.........i would have stopped way before i lost everything.....

I can make thoses choices around many many other things..BUT when it comes to alcohol...i have no strength........power.......or commitment.

i believe that makes my an alcoholic......and was of the hopeless variety.

im not trying to disrespect you or post..........its just my drinking had very little to do with strength..

god bless ...........trucker.

AlkalikeH

And also you have the HARDLINE SxE f*cks that would club you to death if you were
drinking a beer with your friends outside a punk / hardcore gig.

It all has it sides.

SelfSeeking

I remember the straight edge kids well! At the time (when I was a teenager) I thought they were bat-sh!t crazy. Why would you abstain from alcohol?! Heh... Joke's on me. Now I look back and respect them for the choices they made, at such young ages (most of them) too. However the movement, at least where I lived, did have that violent streak. Some of em were scary. That's the punk scene for you.

Antone

I've heard about the reported militant faction and I don't support that one bit. I was hoping it was a minor, minor part but I don't know. I'm a middle-aged guy who has really just read about the movement (worked with one sweet young woman who was straight edge). Completely against any militant aspect.

NEOMARXIST

This is why giving up drinking is so daunting as for me the type of charcters I would get on with/into the same music etc would usually drink quite heavily etc.
I tend to find I had nothing in common with Non-drinkers not just cause of the obvious but just because of the certain type of people they were. Guess for me it's hard as being a lead guitarist with ambitions of making it within music alcohol/drugs went very much together, just that over the past 18months any ambition I had has been totally knocked out of me through drinking heavily, so it's a mind-battle man!! That's the hardest part, when your drinking there Ain't no anguish and mind-battles goin on you just accept that your a P*ss-head, like seemingly so many others are.

Captain Kirk

i think living straight edge is quite kool actually.