A little poll if you will...

[aihflvt]

A little poll if you will...

I could go through a full fifth of vodka over the course of an afternoon and evening. That put me past that magical point where my brain could tolerate more alcohol than my liver and kidneys could process overnight, and I started waking up still completely hammered and feeling like crap, so I'd take a hit and the process would repeat itself all over again. I was beyond the point of waking up hungover but at least sober. I tried stepping down from the vodka on beer and wine, but I'd just drink a 1.5L bottle of wine or 12-15 beers. In hindsight, for the amount I drank, my detoxes could have been much, much worse.

[Sunbeam]

A little poll if you will...

Enough to make my health problems worse over time. Enough to prevent me from going places and doing things I want to do. That's too much.

[briseus]

A little poll if you will...

Thanks for everyone's input. And it is true. I am just plain curious and interested in what resulted of people's addictions. I will search more of the forum as well before starting a copycat thread.

It's definitely true. Lots of people continue drinking because they simply do not see the damage they are causing internally. I was one of those people. Until I began researching and realizing that I am doing more harm then good. It is a poison. So it obviously can't be good for me if I continue on drinking.

Just hate having to deal with such a shitty addiction.

[mama bear]

A little poll if you will...

12 to 15 beers every night...would drive to get more....the thought makes me shudder
I have dinged so many cars, hit so many mailboxes, fallen, gotten stictches, sprained ankles,
constant upset tummy, mad husband
it just isn't worth it.....
hubs still drinks almost every day, but I cannot do that...I am an alcoholic......
mine escalated after LOTS of financial stress and gastric bypass surgery......40% of the people that have that done become alcoholics.......wish doc would have told me that

[Cinders]

A little poll if you will...

I had gastric-bypass surgery, too, Mama, and once I started drinking again, it was an immediate addiction. I simply could not stop.

As to how much, I am like Zenners, if I was awake, I was drinking.

Life did become completely unbearable.

When I determined to quit, I did go from being a daily drinker to a serious binge drinker. When I did drink, the game was on.

Cindi

[K9Lover]

A little poll if you will...

Hi Bri!

I generally had a 12 pack of beer every week night. More on weekends, maybe 15 or 16. Sometimes I would switch to Rum and Coke, and I was VERY carefuly to measure the rum in a shot glass, because I'm not a drunk ya know? :H

I have these little round magnets on my refrigerator, and to "check" myself, I would line one up every time I had a shot. Well....in the mornings I would be horrified to see 9 or 10 magnets all lined up...and that's assuming that I didn't "forget" to count one or two!

It's sad how I thought I was OK because I was "counting" my drinks or limiting myself to a 12 pack or 8-9 shots (GULP...that's scary).

Not to mention all the times I drove when I shouldn't have....

Being sober is so much easier!

K9

[LibraryGirl]

A little poll if you will...

I binged drank all through my 20s and 30s...but generally kept it to the weekends. I was highly functional and didn't have any drawbacks physically overall. That is, I endured hangovers, sure, but I was back to "normal" by Monday. I thought drinking was FUN and weekends revolved around it.

In my late 30s I started drinking a bottle of wine most nights. Then after I met my ex, I eventually switched to his favorite, rum, because it was easier than buying myself wine and him rum, and cheaper. We would split a 1.75 liter a night. That was pretty standard right up until I quit in February. I had not had more than a couple of nights AF in over 10 years before this year. Pretty scary!

[mama bear]

A little poll if you will...

after my second child, I never lost the weight
it's sad to admit, but my marriage was dying a slow death cos my weight really turned my husband off
rather than feel sorry for myself(which i did plenty...trsut me)
I got mad and used some 401K money and "treated" myself....
I was not obese, not did I have medically induced weight issues, but my self-esteem was in the toilet
I was hovering around 250 lbs
I have lost 100 pounds and feel much better about myself
but the AL issue is a "real" issue
we trade food for comfort and turn to booze....

[briseus]

A little poll if you will...

I agree that being sober is a lot easier then being a drunk and planning your next drink. I need to keep reminding myself that this is NOT easy and there is going to be work that I need to do to keep on the sober path. I just hope it isn't always a struggle...right?

I just don't understand how we drink and drink and drink and feel like we don't have a problem.
A few months ago I asked an acquaintance of mine how much she drank. She said maybe once a month or once every two months. I was mind-blown.

Mama, I hear ya.
The past 2 years, when my alcoholism got progressively worse I gained 50lbs. My boyfriend is turned off by this as well...even though he says he isn't we haven't been intimate in the past six months (and we're 26!) so needless to say, I feel like shit about myself and yes, throw myself pity party's as well as drink to make the feelings go away.
Going back to the gym today...and I really want to lose this weight and prove (especially to my boyfriend) that I can be sober.
I asked him yesterday to help me stay sober - at least until my doc appointment - he said he would...but I have said things like this so many times to him that no wonder he has his apprehensions about it...
He always say's to me that I have to do it...
And he's right. I can't rely on anyone else...I need to rely on myself.

[Tipplerette]

A little poll if you will...

Hi briseus, glad you started this thread; I'm always curious as to what people drank, how much and how long they've been living the sober life. I do know that what your boyfriend says is true. I have tried to quit for my alcoholic son, for the safety of my granddaughter when she visits us at the lake, etc. but have never been successful.

I am on day six tonight and feel like I've accomplished a lot this long weekend by being at the lake house with everyone drinking and drunk. I took so much pleasure in just being there and not lost and fumbling.

Normally I would have drank close to a bottle of red wine myself and maybe more since it was the weekend. On weekdays I normally drank a little less but I drank red wine daily for ten years. I have had about 15 days AF as a personal record.

Hope you are successful this time 'round. Hope I am too. All the best.

[TheSunFlower]

A little poll if you will...

A six pack of light beer almost every night. 12 pack on weekends. Never on Sunday. When I went to a party I always drank faster and more than anyone else. I never found any of you alkies out there to drink with. So I mostly drank at home. I am starting over again, but the bits of days AF I get show me that life is so much better without it.

Problem? What problem? Most people claimed drinking light beer was like drinking water. In the last 8 years I never drank wine or the hard stuff. So I was just fine. Not!

[briseus]

A little poll if you will...

Tipplerette: Congrats on your sober time. It always feels great. Day 1 is always so so so hard but as soon as you wake up sober on day 2 you feel like you are on top of the world. I really think we can get this...beat this thing. Just gotta take it one day at a time. My personal record was 17 days back in September of 2011. We will get to 30 then 60 then 90 then a year! Just gotta keep at it.

Sunflower: I agree with you - I was the first one hammered at parties...and could never find anyone that could drink like me so I drank at home as well. For me it was white wine though. And it's so true. Life without alcohol is so much better. We just fail to remember this when that stupid addictive voice rears it's ugly head...the cravings do pass though.

We can do this!!

[Kradle123]

A little poll if you will...

Hi Bri:

I'm also glad you started the thread. It's really just information that people put in Their personal Story's in the Story Thread anyway but this is kind of the Cliff Note version !
Knowing other's experiences helps me feel less alone in this incredibely lonely place I created and I certainly couldn't believe how similar most of the people here were to me in their AF journey. I mean i was REALLY was shocked.

To be honest, I continue to be I am grateful for people's honesty and experience.

Anyway, will post my foray as well but Sedona is not feeling well and Im getting the mommy come lay in the bed wih me shouting from he bedroom!

:l

[COSGringo]

A little poll if you will...

my worst of times half to full bottle of vodka a day. started with beer when young. been drinking 20 years consistently. pretty sober now but that's because of baclofen. typing lousy now as i am watching the fires burn down things around here.

[briseus]

A little poll if you will...

I hear ya Kradle...that is why I asked so early in my first attempt at sobriety almost a year ago...(wow. a whole year - but who was I kidding - I didn't plan on stopping anytime soon at that time...people just told me I needed to stop and I simply wasn't ready then)...and I felt so alone...so knowing that I wasn't the only one had me feeling a little better...because I wasn't the only one. And I wasn't a lost cause.
Hope you're little one is feeling better soon.

Cosgringo - curious - that is hard hard liquor...do you run into any health problems along the way from heavy drinking?
Fire? Stay safe! Lots of forest fires going on around the world...even in Southern Canada (which is super weird for us).