The Lies that Society Perpetuates about Alcohol
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 67
The Lies that Society Perpetuates about Alcohol
What were the lies alcohol told you?
During my 8 year weekend binging, the lies alcohol told me were that alcohol is "fun," "social," "cool" "sophisticated" and "exciting." I'm still early in my sobriety, barely 3 weeks in but I am realizing those were lies! Alcohol is not fun, or social, or cool, or exciting. It's a poison with no benefits!
In 3 weeks I have missed 3 birthday parties with my usual weekend binging crew, and 2 high profile celebrity parties. I don't even care because in a sober state I see all the people I've been hanging out with for what they are, vain, egotistical, overindulgent, arrogant. I can't believe that I thought the crowd I was hanging out with were cool and sophisticated.
I'm loving sober life! And that includes caffeine-free, junk food-free living! My brain is adjusting and I feel great! I felt bad that I'll be missing my best friends birthday party this weekend, but it's for the best right now.
During my 8 year weekend binging, the lies alcohol told me were that alcohol is "fun," "social," "cool" "sophisticated" and "exciting." I'm still early in my sobriety, barely 3 weeks in but I am realizing those were lies! Alcohol is not fun, or social, or cool, or exciting. It's a poison with no benefits!
In 3 weeks I have missed 3 birthday parties with my usual weekend binging crew, and 2 high profile celebrity parties. I don't even care because in a sober state I see all the people I've been hanging out with for what they are, vain, egotistical, overindulgent, arrogant. I can't believe that I thought the crowd I was hanging out with were cool and sophisticated.
I'm loving sober life! And that includes caffeine-free, junk food-free living! My brain is adjusting and I feel great! I felt bad that I'll be missing my best friends birthday party this weekend, but it's for the best right now.
A Day at a Time
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Grand Rapids MI
Posts: 6,435
Wow! The vast majority of people that are new to sobriety do not have it together as much as you. I sure know I did not. Congrats!!!!!
I love this passage,
Keeping sober is the most important thing in my life. The most important decision I ever made was my decision to stop drinking. I am convinced that my whole life depends on not taking that first drink. Nothing in the world is as important to me as my own sobriety. Everything I have, my whole life depends on that one thing.
Can I ever afford to forget this? Even for one minute?
I love this passage,
Keeping sober is the most important thing in my life. The most important decision I ever made was my decision to stop drinking. I am convinced that my whole life depends on not taking that first drink. Nothing in the world is as important to me as my own sobriety. Everything I have, my whole life depends on that one thing.
Can I ever afford to forget this? Even for one minute?
Canine Welfare Advocate
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 10,962
Originally Posted by RecoRenee 
I felt bad that I'll be missing my best friends birthday party this weekend, but it's for the best right now.
Send your friend a card with a nice, handwritten note. You can be there in spirit.
The biggest lie alcohol told me? That I wasn't addicted to it.
The biggest lie society told me about alcohol? That the beer I drank would determine if I got laid.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 52
Your post def hits home with me!
Lies: Rock&Roll, Cool people, The scene, Best parties have the best alcohol, Have to drink in order to be on the same level and get the cool jobs, ETC!...
It's all so dumb and YES when you're out and not drinking, the smoke and mirrors of it all b'c so apparent, doesn't it??! I'm also in L.A. and there are a lot egoist drinkers BUT also a lot of cool sober people too, so I'm starting to change up my weekend scene too. I had slowly gotten into the habit of staying in on the weekends and drinking alone b'c I got bored with the egos long before I wanted to give up the social scene...
I thought that drinking alone, still listening to good music, etc would help ease being away from the social scene. Now I'm realizing that drinking doesn't make me feel good about myself at all and that I want to do other things with my weekends.
There are super cool, creative, productive, artsy, rock and creative people w/o the alcohol and inflated egos. That's where it's at!
Cool that you see thru the lies now, good for you!! Hope you keep finding your new ways of living!
Lies: Rock&Roll, Cool people, The scene, Best parties have the best alcohol, Have to drink in order to be on the same level and get the cool jobs, ETC!...
It's all so dumb and YES when you're out and not drinking, the smoke and mirrors of it all b'c so apparent, doesn't it??! I'm also in L.A. and there are a lot egoist drinkers BUT also a lot of cool sober people too, so I'm starting to change up my weekend scene too. I had slowly gotten into the habit of staying in on the weekends and drinking alone b'c I got bored with the egos long before I wanted to give up the social scene...
I thought that drinking alone, still listening to good music, etc would help ease being away from the social scene. Now I'm realizing that drinking doesn't make me feel good about myself at all and that I want to do other things with my weekends.
There are super cool, creative, productive, artsy, rock and creative people w/o the alcohol and inflated egos. That's where it's at!
Cool that you see thru the lies now, good for you!! Hope you keep finding your new ways of living!
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: New England
Posts: 604
It's interesting how media shapes our picture about booze. Definitely something for the cool and happening people. I laugh that in the ads they always drive such nice cars, have fashionable clothes,etc. If you're drinking and drugging who has money for that stuff? No one in those commercials is falling down drunk, slurring something stupid, or getting arrested which would be a more accurate portrayal lol Then they encourage you to drink responsibly after showing all the wild parties. Oy!
I like the above the influence commercials geared towards young people. They are outstanding!!
I like the above the influence commercials geared towards young people. They are outstanding!!
A Day at a Time
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Grand Rapids MI
Posts: 6,435
Commercial's do not bother me because I am long past being cool but it is the bottles at Christmas time that still have an allure. I avoid the liquor isle but I am going to get toilet paper and there is this beautiful display of Crown Royal or something and it takes me by surprise. It helps if I look at it and think of a skull and crossbones stenciled on the pretty wrappings. 3 years sober and booze still talks to me sometimes
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 328
Different society a bit, I suppose, I never saw alcohol as glamorous or sophisticated... but the lies I've fallen for to some extent:
- drinking helps you relax
- drinking enhances creativity
- drinking makes you more masculine (alcohol is actually a testosterone inhibitor)
- drinking to excess is an integral part of being young
There might be more.
- drinking helps you relax
- drinking enhances creativity
- drinking makes you more masculine (alcohol is actually a testosterone inhibitor)
- drinking to excess is an integral part of being young
There might be more.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 360
The lies from alcohol are plentiful, but at six weeks these are the ones that are starting to come back
- I blew it out of proportion and don't really have a problem
- I have no valid reasons to stop drinking, it never truly damaged my life in any measurable way
It doesn't matter if I hit rock bottom, do I really need to allow myself to go that far before I choose to stop? That thinking is absurd. If I can't stop after one drink then I owe it to myself to stop forever, alcohol is not a necessity.
Lies that society has told me.
- I take things too seriously and need to calm down, I don't have a problem.
- Everyone else drinks much more than I do and they're fine so I have nothing to worry about.
- People who don't drink are clueless and need to be shown how great it is.
- So what if it's bad? They say everything is bad for you these days, if it's not one thing it's another.
- Alcohol is associated with maturity and sophistication, adult parties have alcohol, kids parties have candy and pop.
- I blew it out of proportion and don't really have a problem
- I have no valid reasons to stop drinking, it never truly damaged my life in any measurable way
It doesn't matter if I hit rock bottom, do I really need to allow myself to go that far before I choose to stop? That thinking is absurd. If I can't stop after one drink then I owe it to myself to stop forever, alcohol is not a necessity.
Lies that society has told me.
- I take things too seriously and need to calm down, I don't have a problem.
- Everyone else drinks much more than I do and they're fine so I have nothing to worry about.
- People who don't drink are clueless and need to be shown how great it is.
- So what if it's bad? They say everything is bad for you these days, if it's not one thing it's another.
- Alcohol is associated with maturity and sophistication, adult parties have alcohol, kids parties have candy and pop.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 184
The lie society told me: alcohol would make "it" better. "It" could be any one or more of the following: a good mood, a bad mood, a party, sex, conversation, fatigue, anxiety, anger, depression, shyness, boredom, hunger, loneliness, etc.
Maybe after the first drink, and sometimes after the second, but there's no "second drink" without a "tenth drink"....and THAT doesn't make anything better.
Maybe after the first drink, and sometimes after the second, but there's no "second drink" without a "tenth drink"....and THAT doesn't make anything better.
TiG
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Chicago Area
Posts: 381
It's like the social lies surrounding cigarettes before the massive push for smoke free environments. The manufacturer's knew the dangers, but advertised the need to be cool or manly. The Marborol Man. Alcohol is a huge industry which easily feeds right into our own lies. Almost as if the alcoholic is the norm, and a sober life is not. I sure did fall for it.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 67
Originally Posted by yogachic
Your post def hits home with me!
Lies: Rock&Roll, Cool people, The scene, Best parties have the best alcohol, Have to drink in order to be on the same level and get the cool jobs, ETC!...
Cool that you see thru the lies now, good for you!! Hope you keep finding your new ways of living!
Lies: Rock&Roll, Cool people, The scene, Best parties have the best alcohol, Have to drink in order to be on the same level and get the cool jobs, ETC!...
Cool that you see thru the lies now, good for you!! Hope you keep finding your new ways of living!
Disgusting. I firmly believe that you attract what you are and when I was a weekend party, binging "oh we're so cool and exclusive" idiot then naturally that's what I attracted so my friends were just like me. But now that I'm changing I can't relate to their mentality anymore and as I change I know I'll attract wonderful people into my life.
SR Fan
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 7,910
Great thread, Reco!
I bought into those lies, too.... There seems to be a million of them!
A couple more that come to mind:
......that I was more fun when I was drinking. Of course, it's easy to think that when your brain isn't working (and everyone around you is in the same shape).
......it's OK, even expected, to be a little crazy and drink a lot if you're an artist. The truth is, after a few drinks, you don't care whether you're doing good work or not.
I bought into those lies, too.... There seems to be a million of them!
A couple more that come to mind:
......that I was more fun when I was drinking. Of course, it's easy to think that when your brain isn't working (and everyone around you is in the same shape).
......it's OK, even expected, to be a little crazy and drink a lot if you're an artist. The truth is, after a few drinks, you don't care whether you're doing good work or not.
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Join Date: Jul 2011
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Sounds like you have a cool job but are surrounded by shallow people. Good for you for making a positive change and wanting to bring people that are real into your life. You'll probably have to be around this scene for work in the future, but your great attitude will help you through it!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 12
You are so right. I'm in my mid twenties so everyone around me seems to think that binge drinking on a regular basis and "cool" and "fun" and "normal" and if you don't party like that every weekend there must be something wrong with you. It's so warped.
Keep up your healthy lifestyle. You'll be glad that you did.
Keep up your healthy lifestyle. You'll be glad that you did.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Vancouver BC Canada
Posts: 384
Hmm the lies about alcohol.....
-the industry refuses to label it as selectively addictive and poisonous
-like cigarettes used to do , make it look like the "good" life and the fun and in very small print says use responsibly which many can and do , but others can not
-death tolls due to alcohol use are hidden as suicides , accidents, cardiac arrests and other assigned maladies but the root is due to the use/abuse/overuse of alcohol
-industry play the alcoholics as being weak of character or morally inept versus the actual fact that it is addictive like cigarettes or other drugs for some people
-alcohol is a proven carcinogen but is not labelled as such
-if put through an FDA or country equivalent test for release to the market , would fail miserably
-the industry lobbies heavily in many countries to ensure its legal status and ability to promote itself in media with limited warnings and/or liability
-is typically a huge source of taxation or tariff monies for many levels of government in many countries and creating a conflict of interest like tobacco has still but tobacco is wearing the heat now , alcohol may some day
The book Beyond the Influence has more facts about alcohol that are either omitted or played down by industry and governments for now. Once alcohol death and costs to health supersedes tobacco , perhaps there will be a serious review of just what it costs to society
-the industry refuses to label it as selectively addictive and poisonous
-like cigarettes used to do , make it look like the "good" life and the fun and in very small print says use responsibly which many can and do , but others can not
-death tolls due to alcohol use are hidden as suicides , accidents, cardiac arrests and other assigned maladies but the root is due to the use/abuse/overuse of alcohol
-industry play the alcoholics as being weak of character or morally inept versus the actual fact that it is addictive like cigarettes or other drugs for some people
-alcohol is a proven carcinogen but is not labelled as such
-if put through an FDA or country equivalent test for release to the market , would fail miserably
-the industry lobbies heavily in many countries to ensure its legal status and ability to promote itself in media with limited warnings and/or liability
-is typically a huge source of taxation or tariff monies for many levels of government in many countries and creating a conflict of interest like tobacco has still but tobacco is wearing the heat now , alcohol may some day
The book Beyond the Influence has more facts about alcohol that are either omitted or played down by industry and governments for now. Once alcohol death and costs to health supersedes tobacco , perhaps there will be a serious review of just what it costs to society
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 67
Originally Posted by YVRguy
Hmm the lies about alcohol.....
-the industry refuses to label it as selectively addictive and poisonous
-like cigarettes used to do , make it look like the "good" life and the fun and in very small print says use responsibly which many can and do , but others can not
-death tolls due to alcohol use are hidden as suicides , accidents, cardiac arrests and other assigned maladies but the root is due to the use/abuse/overuse of alcohol
-industry play the alcoholics as being weak of character or morally inept versus the actual fact that it is addictive like cigarettes or other drugs for some people
-alcohol is a proven carcinogen but is not labelled as such
-if put through an FDA or country equivalent test for release to the market , would fail miserably
-the industry lobbies heavily in many countries to ensure its legal status and ability to promote itself in media with limited warnings and/or liability
-is typically a huge source of taxation or tariff monies for many levels of government in many countries and creating a conflict of interest like tobacco has still but tobacco is wearing the heat now , alcohol may some day
The book Beyond the Influence has more facts about alcohol that are either omitted or played down by industry and governments for now. Once alcohol death and costs to health supersedes tobacco , perhaps there will be a serious review of just what it costs to society
-the industry refuses to label it as selectively addictive and poisonous
-like cigarettes used to do , make it look like the "good" life and the fun and in very small print says use responsibly which many can and do , but others can not
-death tolls due to alcohol use are hidden as suicides , accidents, cardiac arrests and other assigned maladies but the root is due to the use/abuse/overuse of alcohol
-industry play the alcoholics as being weak of character or morally inept versus the actual fact that it is addictive like cigarettes or other drugs for some people
-alcohol is a proven carcinogen but is not labelled as such
-if put through an FDA or country equivalent test for release to the market , would fail miserably
-the industry lobbies heavily in many countries to ensure its legal status and ability to promote itself in media with limited warnings and/or liability
-is typically a huge source of taxation or tariff monies for many levels of government in many countries and creating a conflict of interest like tobacco has still but tobacco is wearing the heat now , alcohol may some day
The book Beyond the Influence has more facts about alcohol that are either omitted or played down by industry and governments for now. Once alcohol death and costs to health supersedes tobacco , perhaps there will be a serious review of just what it costs to society
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