Accord1

I saw today he is going back to rehab. I saw him on Joe rogan and a couple other things and he seemed to be completely done with drinking. Sober fifteen years. Obviously it's not shocking when someone goes back to drinking after any period of time, but it kind of hit home a bit. It just goes to show you that none of us are really ever safe from the grasp. Cant get complacent or take sobriety for granted.

Dee74

For me its a good reminder not to stop being vigilant but I don;t feel any less safe than I did yesterday before I heard this.

We don't know any of the details yet.

I'm wishing James Hetfield the best, but my recovery programme is still good and strong and self sufficient and doesn't stand or fall on someone else relapsing.

D

Ghostlight1

I drank with James Hetfield on quite a few occasions in the line of my work. And, yes, he drank a lot. The whole band did. That's why they liked being called "Alcoholica"'
Jägermeister was his drink of choice back then, and I'm talking late eighties early nineties, and he would drink at least a bottle of it a day.
But then, I was no better. Worse maybe. Dunno.
Ohh, the debauchery of the old days and the stories I could tell. Drunks whom you would never expect to be.
But, he's not super human. He's as valuable as any one of us.
Just another person with a drink problem to me. Sorry to hear he started again, though.

Hevyn

I was stunned - positive he'd never go there again. How devastating for him, his family, & the band.

I've been here nearly every day since '07 - not going to let go of SR.

Ringside

MythOfSisyphus

Yeah, you can never let your guard down. Hopefully he'll get it all back again. I loved Metallica when I was a kid!

Railtek

We dont know the full story.

just because he is in rehab does not mean he was forcefully dragged there in a pile of vomit after a 5 week binge... he could of said to the people around him " everyone, its starting again, i need to get back to a place with no booze ASAP to get back on track"

id say 15 years sober would teach you something and id say getting back on track would not be to hard after that period of sobriety.

DriGuy

But still so many of us seem to think we can drink again. I understand that feeling. I had it one time. I just ignored it, but I actually had this feeling like I probably could get away with it if I wanted to. Fortunately, it spooked me enough to avoid testing it. We are like little kids being warned not to touch the hot stove, so we touch it just to see what happens. And then we touch it again later to see if the same thing happens again.

Dee74

I agree that we don't know the full story and said as much before, so I'm with you there

But 'not too hard' to get back on track? Sadly not.

I've read thread after thread from people over the years with impressive recovery time who drank again - probably thinking they could stick to 'one or two' or that they could simply go back to being sober in the morning - but found it very very hard - almost superhumanly hard - to stop again.

D

Railtek

i too have seen "sober veterans" go back 0 in less then a week. But i am saying their has to be at least SOME strength inside you after 15 years.. otherwise what is the point?

Hence why alot of people feel like "if he cant do it, no one can" - and that is the wrong way of thinking

"not to hard" was probably the wrong wording , i should of said "much more resilience "

Sober369

I'm sorry he relapsed, but since he did, I think it's a powerful lesson we can all learn from. We can't decide after a long time sober that now we can control it, or get a way with a one night spree and go back to sobriety like getting off and on a train. I look forward to him sharing what happened, and I hope he does.

Ananda

for me it is always harder by far to come back to sobriety and SR or other support groups no matter how much sobriety I had before … it even may make it a bit harder. Every time in the past that I drank after a time of sobriety, I was more humiliated, more scared and had less hope.

I finally realized I can go to treatment, check into the psych ward without picking up that first drink.

I think one lesson I've learned over the years is that I actually may do harm by putting someone up on a pedestal. That can cause a person to hesitate to come back.

Dee74

I can't speak from experience of drinking again after 15 years sober - others can and probably will- so who knows? you may well be right, Railtek.

My own experience tho, with a period of a few months rather than years of sobriety, was I went out intending to drink for just one night at a school reunion in 2004. It was 2007 before I stopped again and that period was the worst most destructive drinking of my life.

That experience has left me wiser enough not to try that one night off thing a second time no matter how much sober time I've racked up.

D

PuckLuck

I couldn't even imagine being sober 15 years in his environment much less 1 day. Bassist from Megadeth, who I've had the pleasure of meeting many times, is approaching 30 years of sobriety. It's possible. Just how much do you want it I guess and your willingness to throw up your hands and surrender.

Accord1

I certainly dont put anyone on a pedestal. Like puckluck said I couldn't imagine being a rock star with all the temptation that is around non stop. Many on this site including myself have trouble from time to time being around alcohol even for a short while. (Understandably) I dont know what the circumstances are either but whatever it is, it must be serious. Kudos to him for nipping it in the bud. They cancelled a tour disappointing thousands of fans and losing a lot of money. When I first got sober I had trouble thinking of the handful of people that I had let down. Let the record reflect that celebs aren't part of my recovery program!!! Have a splendid Sunday sr folks.

MythOfSisyphus

I jealously guard my sobriety because of this! Quitting once was among the hardest things I've ever done on some levels. If I ever start drinking again it's by no means assured that I could stop a second time. I plan to quit while I'm ahead.