Valll

Hello all.

Wasn't sure where to ask this. I am not a newcomer, have been here for a year or so seeking help/ideas for my alcoholic (in recovery hopefully ugh) brother.

Anyway, I am trying to understand his addiction as much as possible as he had a severe heart attack in July this year, (flatlined 4 times in the ambulance) and despite this, last week he had another 2 day binge... So I was wondering if alcoholics in general only drink their favourite drink? He has two faves actually, Vodka & Whisky, and when family & friends rushed to help him the other day as he was completely desperate and drunk - they removed all the bottles they could find in his flat which were...Vodka & Whisky.

So my question is - would alcoholics drink absolutely any type of alcohol that they could get their hands on? We don't know if he has another hiding place with other alcoholic drinks.

Thank you all.

ZoeM

I personally wouldn't have. It was either wine, vodka or occasionally lager

dwtbd

I think its good that you acted to remove an immediate danger, getting alcohol temporarily away from an intoxicated person. But you do understand you can not make or keep someone sober, yes? The only real way to keep the whiskey away would be to take the battery from his car and then buy all the whiskey within walking distance before he can.

13unluckyforsom

Personally I'd only drink my drink till I got a buzz in me - after that I'd drink anything but only once drunk. If I was sober and someone said 'there is a bottle of cider it's that or nothing' I'd say nothing. But that's just me. And I think it just depends on the individual and how badly they need to drink at the time.

Probably if it was a bad day I might drink it actually - it's hard to say as usually had what I wanted.

LadyBlue0527

Hi Valll,




I can't answer for everyone but in general I find that where we most have our definite drink of choice that we also aren't discriminating if that's not available.

It's whatever we can get our hands on at the moment. If he's having health problems and continuing to ignore them (my diabetic brother does the same) then you can support him in his efforts to get sober but he must want it for himself. My brother just had eye surgery due to the blood vessels bursting in his eye from the diabetes and drinking. Doesn't matter to him, he'll just continue on being who he is.

It sounds like what might also be helpful to you is the Friends and Family forum. Here's a link:

Friends and Family of Alcoholics - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

Best of luck to you, I hope he sees what he's doing to himself and realizes that he can't drink.

winkster26

For me mostly red wine but occasionally vodka mix drinks

Valll

Oh yes...I do understand. We have been through a lot already -I know only he has the key to his sobriety, but we try to help as much as we can.

Thank you!

foolsgold66

If he wants alcohol bad enough, he'll get it. I would likely have drank anything in a pinch. Does he want to stop?

mecanix

Hey Valll ,
We're all different but once the craving is there i'd have probably had a go at drinking anything .
When i hadn't yet achieved my wanted state of comatose inebriation i have in the past drunk booze from a sponge off the carpet where i spilt stuff and also out of a broken wine bottle when i've had accidents .

Bestwishes, m

Valll

Hmmmmm if he doesn't stop does that mean he doesn't want to? Great question...he doesn't want to die, I know that much. I want to understand..........grrrrrrrrrrrr and I don't.

ScottFromWI

I drank beer exclusively, and LOTS of it. Surprisingly, as bad as my drinking was, I wouldn't touch a drop of booze or wine even if it were the only thing available.

Regardless, it doesn't really matter what you drink if you can't control it.

james872

Depends on the person. Personally I preferred wine or beer, but would drink anything to get drunk. That is, "official" alcoholic drinks. I've heard of people drinking mouthwash and cleaning products that contain alcohol. I would never go there.

But when it comes to real alcoholic drinks it would have had to be utterly disgusting for me not to take it. Something which never happened btw.

Valll

Hi lovely mecanix who does wonders on here :>)

You answered my question albeit on a personal level - I feel for you and how it was for you back thenx

Every time I step out of Kings Cross Station and see the homeless guys, I see my brothers face, desperate, desperately ill looking, dirty, unshaven, holding a coverless duvet in his hands, that's all he has in the world, and he begs for cigarettes and money...it breaks my heart to see them, let alone if it was my brother.............

misterritter

I would drink pretty much anything mostly based on how drunk I planned to get, ie beer, wine, or liquor. after a few drinks anything in the house was fair game.
Sorry you are going through this. I know people say people don't quit until they want to. But it helps me to know that there are people who care and want me to not drink.

AlefVavResh

Valll:

I would drink anything.

Is your brother, perhaps, interested in joining a friendly forum full of encouraging folks?

Did he ask you to remove bottles? I hope so, because only when he says, "I'm ready to do this," will he be ready for step one. . . . But he's welcome here when he's ready.

Jeni26

I would always start with my favourites, either vodka or wine, but if I ever ran out and hadn't reached total inebriation I would then drink anything...whiskey (which I cannot stand ordinarily) would be mixed with lemonade and I would gag while I drank it. I've drunk cooking sherry which tasted like vinegar. Anything we had to hand really.

If someone had taken my preferred drinks, I would have switched to something else. It was the hit that was important to me, I wasn't at all discerning by the end.
Sad, but true.

I'm sorry you are going through this with your brother. Mine too is still in the grip of his addictions. Best wishes to you x

AlefVavResh

Question. Have you seen the movie Flight with Denzel Washington? I have this vivid image of the previously-well-stocked mini-bar turned on edge and empty. That movie sent chills up my spine. Very well written imho.

Valll

Thank you Alef. Yes he did ask - despite the fact that he was totally drunk - so what does that mean?

Coldfusion

Hi, Valll

I, my wife, and my sponsor had our "favorite" drinks, but if it ran out we would drink anything containing alcohol.

A famous politician's wife confessed to drinking hair spray, and a member of this forum relapsed by inhaling canned air at work (the member got caught and was fired). The depths to which we will sink in order to satisfy our addiction is unfathomable.

foolsgold66

Not necessarily. And you won't understand. IMO Even alcoholics really don't. If his health is that bad drinking and dying may be in the same neighborhood. Keep trying. Perhaps you and concerned family and friends might benefit from some of the face-to-face support groups.