MLD51

Hello all -
Just wanted to make a recommendation. I had been meaning to watch the HBO documentary Risky Drinking for some time. I finally did. It's worth a watch. I identified on some level with each of the 4 people that were interviewed. I had a wide range of emotions while watching. Sadness, anger (at alcohol and myself), recognition, pity, shame... you name it. It made me so so very grateful that I got sober and have stayed sober for a little over 5 years now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1gQ4iM6N4M

Bailey3

Thanks. Gonna give it a watch.

Lipstuck

I watched it every day when I was in my late drinking/early sober days. It was sad and scary and cringeworthy (when I saw myself in them) and my heart just ached for them and their families. I hope they're all doing well.

thomas11

Nice. Gonna have a look. Thank you.

Tetrax

Yeah I've seen it before, good doc.

Surrendered19

A terrifying, simple, well-done look at this thing. Thanks for posting that. I'll watch it several times when I need a kick in the arse.

cantsleep123

Watching it now. The island guy that thinks he can moderate eventually makes me sad.

LunaBlue

cantsleep123

I just read a post from March of last year stating the Neal had 4 years of sobriety! That is incredible. I legitimately thought I would read about him dying. If he can make it any of us can.

Surrendered19

Wow cantsleep. That is unbelievable. I thought that guy was so toasted.

WaterOx

Wondering if watching it before bed is a good idea. lol

thomas11

So I watched the whole thing and I will provide an assessment:

First: the young professional out on halloween etc.... Pretty normal where I come from, she'll find her way.

Second: Guy in the Virgin Islands with son and wife. Pretty sad actually. Feel bad for the kid. Don't necessarily feel bad for him or his wife. Both have rough edges and need to work it out.

THird: "real housewives of alabama". This one hurt me. I feel very bad, I know, I'm a guy and probably being soft on her, but I feel that by losing her marriage she lost her self worth and therefore succumb to alcoholism. Very sad. Couple beautiful daughers that need a "present" parent to be there for them.

4th: This one hurt too. I see myself in that condition if I hadn't quit (yes, I relapsed and I know that). I don't really bother anyone but left to my druthers I would end up sick like that. Not good.

Great documentary and thanks MLD.

Fearlessat50

Geenie

Thank you for the link to this powerful documentary.

The young binge drinking woman going out at weekends to get absolutely trashed was how it started for me.

The mother with two daughters, drinking wine every day and thinking she can moderate is also my story.

Will keep this one to hand as a reminder to play if I start thinking I can ever drink again.

cantsleep123

Here's link to "where are they now" (minus Neal)

https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/ri...e-are-they-now

Kenzie seems to be a pretty normal young person and hopefully keeps the binge drinking at bay

Mike still seems to think he can control and moderate his drinking which sucks.

Noel came to terms with the fact that abstinence is the solution

Rhonda seems to be aware of the danger of booze but comes across as in denial about her own habits. Maybe I'm just being judgy. Her friends really irked me in the documentary ("We are enjoying life, she is just getting through it!" "Just kidding!")

Neal actually found long term sobriety! I haven't been able to find a more recent post but hopefully he's a few months short of 5 years sober

https://immortalalcoholic.blogspot.c...rszh8XIK9jky3I

JazV36

MLD51

Thanks for posting those links, cantsleep. I did wonder how they all did after the documentary. It's a little sad that Mike still thinks he can control it. Maybe someday he will get a wake-up call. Or not. I guess it's his life and decision. Happy to hear that Neal actually got sober, I hope he still is. He was so close to death. His story hit me especially hard. I had a dear friend who could not seem to find sobriety on a permanent basis. I had seen him trembling and sick like that several times. He'd get sober for a while, and then relapse. He told me he just couldn't do it. He did try. But in the end, he decided to end his own life, October 8th. The pain got to be too much for him. I saw my friend in Neal. A truly good man, taken over by alcohol. So very very sad.

Lipstuck

I'm so happy to hear about Neal!
I hope that Noel started her new journey by making some less awful friends who aren't threatened by her honesty and efforts, and who can encourage her instead of drunkenly making digs at her.
And I hope Rhonda and the other Housewives (lol) follow her example and recognize their own risky drinking patterns.

MLD51

YES! Those women made me kind of angry. There she was, clearly struggling, and I felt like they were making fun of her somehow. I guess they felt threatened and didn't know how to identify that, but I do hope Noel found some sober support outside of the "wine drinking mommies" gang.

DriGuy

I identified with the two guys, Mike mostly. Neil was so far past where I was at my bottom, that's it's hard for me to comprehend why he does what he does. I felt pity for both of them, and I don't like to feel that kind of pity. There's two grownups, well... physically grown anyway, who just got lost during their early adulthood. Mike didn't seem to understand what had happened to him, while Neal seemed to understand all too well, but still couldn't help himself.

I kept wondering why would you do that to your spouse and kids. I fully understand why, but you are really cheating them of their happiness. I don't know why spouses bother trying to help.

The young gal struck me as a college party girl trying to fit in with the high energy of the party scene, doing things she didn't really want to do. I was probably more like her than I was the others. From the followup interviews, it's seems like she may have grown out of it, but from her description of her current life, I think she could go either way down the road. I could feel the older woman's struggle. She made me sad.

They all seemed like potentially nice people. It seems unfair that they got nailed with alcoholism. But we all know it happens. It still seems unfair, though.