Alcoholism

[NCHawker]

OK, its off season. I came across two pices on ESPN.

This video SVP

And the story about Sarkisian

Its a very interesting topic. I've heard others on this forum talk about their Journey. I'm one of them too.

do you know anyone who's had to contend with it? Or known someone who has or should?

 

[HuckFinn]

I just went to see one of my very best friends in rehab today. Not an AA facility, but he has been there before; he followed his AA rehab a few years back with bouncing between cold turkey and binge drinking bouts over several years. This round of drinking, he was admitted to the hospital emergency room after an 8 day binge. Pancreas was a mess. Then had to be placed into an induced coma and ran a 107 degree temp for four days, was on a respirator for several days. 24 hours before they were going to unhook him and let him go, he showed progress. Visited him today and his speech is difficult, his physical condition is tough to watch, but he understands everything I talk to him about, so I don't think he is mentally impaired. I love this guy. It has been one of the worst few weeks of my life. The only thing worse was my ex wife, who was a functioning alcoholic who blamed all of her drinking on me. I am a jerk, but not as bad as she thought... I am a social drinker who has never had an alcohol problem, though I had to break a long term smoking habit 25 years ago. That is as close as I can get to understanding what my pal has been through. Please: If you need help with substance abuse of any kind, have the courage and respect for those who love you to get help. Its out there. Just make the commitment.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Substances are a bitch. There are a variety of them that can play havoc with your body chemistry. We're all susceptible to something, to one degree or another. I've had my own dark moments...the worst at a time when I would have least expected it. I was lucky enough to have someone close to me who helped. That makes all the difference.

 

[NEIChawk]

My father has been sober for just over 28 years. Before that total a$$hole. Its a bitch to watch someone you love destroy their life and marriage

 

[NCHawker]

I just went to see one of my very best friends in rehab today. Not an AA facility, but he has been there before; he followed his AA rehab a few years back with bouncing between cold turkey and binge drinking bouts over several years. This round of drinking, he was admitted to the hospital emergency room after an 8 day binge. Pancreas was a mess. Then had to be placed into an induced coma and ran a 107 degree temp for four days, was on a respirator for several days. 24 hours before they were going to unhook him and let him go, he showed progress. Visited him today and his speech is difficult, his physical condition is tough to watch, but he understands everything I talk to him about, so I don't think he is mentally impaired. I love this guy. It has been one of the worst few weeks of my life. The only thing worse was my ex wife, who was a functioning alcoholic who blamed all of her drinking on me. I am a jerk, but not as bad as she thought... I am a social drinker who has never had an alcohol problem, though I had to break a long term smoking habit 25 years ago. That is as close as I can get to understanding what my pal has been through. Please: If you need help with substance abuse of any kind, have the courage and respect for those who love you to get help. Its out there. Just make the commitment.

I've met a lot of guys who have gone to Rehab. Some of their stores are both funny and amazing. To my knowledge AA does not operate rehab facilities. But most rehab facilities are staffed by and supported by AA members.

One guy drove to a rehab place in Florida. When he arrived, they said that they did not have room for him that day. So he bought a bunch of beer and went to the beach. Found some other guys, they all sat around on their beach chars drinking and they all decided that he did not need to go to rehab. So he drove back to NC via Tennesee and drank the whole way home.

Another guy literally crawled out of a dumpster and walked in to his first AA meeting.

Another guy decided to quit. When he was at the beach, he HAD to drink. So he bought a case of NA beer and a case of regular beer. Then he went through the tedium of pouring the regular beer into the NA bottles.

One day I was installing a new door knob on the front door, It was a nice day. had a few beers. Tools and a beer at my feet. I remembered.... "hey I quit drinking 3 weeks ago... hmmmm. forgot all about that", so I continued. That was emblematic for about 2 years before I got this thing.

One guy who had over 12 drunk driving arrests, who had been to prison 3x for drunk driving, told me that that he never felt craving for alcohol. He said that he just drank when he felt like it.

Buddy told me that 95+% of alcoholics are 'functional'. They get up and go to work, Own a home, 2 cars in the garage, wife, kids, etc. They don't miss work etc. That opened my eyes.

 

[BryceC]

Buddy told me that 95+% of alcoholics are 'functional'. They get up and go to work, Own a home, 2 cars in the garage, wife, kids, etc. They don't miss work etc. That opened my eyes.

Absolutely. Some of the most influential people in history were functional alcoholics. Winston Churchill basically drank all day every day and waged war while doing it.

 

[Casey388]

It can be a very tough thing to get over. My father was an alcoholic before I was born, and then for about 8 years during my elementary and middle school years. He was a functional alcoholic and I didn't even know he drank. He would do it in the garage or at the airport (was building and flying an experimental airplane during this time). Finally a week after it became known to me that he was drinking my mom kicked him out of the house and told him to sober up or she was filing for divorce. He made the choice that his family was more important than his drinking and hasn't touched it since.

My father-in-law on the other hand has been fighting this on and off for the whole eleven years that I have known him. He has been in rehab four or five times and pretty much starts drinking as soon as he is out. Just in his adult life, alcohol has been the one constant. He had a strained on-off relationship with my wife and she is his only child, and the alcohol definitely played a part in it. As sad as it is to say, I know that alcohol will end up killing him and he doesn't even care.

But as many have said, it isn't just alcohol that can do this. Drugs, gambling, shopping, hell even video games or porn can have the same affect on a person's life. Everyone has a weakness, just for some that weakness is more dangerous than others.