Talk About Alcohol (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyU]

I'm a weekend drinker, may have a few too many(weekend) if the wife and I sit up and watch a couple movies.

But this past weekend, went out with a buddy of mine who is going through a separation. Woke up on his couch, not knowing where I was. Checked my phone only to see that my wife had called 4 times, and texted me at last that many times.

I was in trouble when I got home, but she was glad that I didn't try and get behind the wheel.

3 day hangovers are the worst.

I remember when I was in my 20s the hangover was over by noon, but 3 days? Even for an older person that seems excessive. How much does one have to drink to be hungover for 3 days?

 

[skol asylum]

I don't drink much because I finally realized long ago it's largely not worth it as I have a low tolerance of alcohol giving me stomach issues and pounding headaches. Plus I'm just old and don't go out and party.

 

[3C's]

I've consumed a lot of beer the last two decades under the guise of being a craft beer geek. Pretty much no more barrel aged or bourbon beers.

This is really tough for me. I still absolutely love drinking a really good barrel aged stout. I prefer it to eating dessert.

I've got about 5 or 6 750ml bottles out in the garage and this is just tempting me to crack one open.

 

[Terminalxylem]

respectfully what drives our apparent collective need to be altered it is fascinating to me take that to the bank brohans

I'd say stress (financial, work, relationship, etc.) and then there's also peer pressure. You'll note that many in here, including me, mention drinking as a way to wind down. It's just a heck of a lot easier to do that then to spend 20 minutes meditating or 30 minutes exercising to potentially get a similar effect.

For me at least, the effects are very different. And it’s really easy to walk for 30 min-hour, even on busy days.

 

[AAABatteries]

respectfully what drives our apparent collective need to be altered it is fascinating to me take that to the bank brohans

I'd say stress (financial, work, relationship, etc.) and then there's also peer pressure. You'll note that many in here, including me, mention drinking as a way to wind down. It's just a heck of a lot easier to do that then to spend 20 minutes meditating or 30 minutes exercising to potentially get a similar effect.

For me at least, the effects are very different. And it’s really easy to walk for 30 min-hour, even on busy days.

Meaning alcohol doesn’t help?

 

[Terminalxylem]

For those of you who acknowledge you need to cut down alcohol consumption, but haven’t thus far, what would it take to change your mind/compel you to action?

Blood tests saying I'm outside the normal range on a few key metrics and it's almost certainly because of alcohol consumption.

-this time last year

I’m not sure such metrics exist, at least unequivocally due to alcohol.

What did you have in mind - liver tests?

I rely on the blood work testing for liver enzyme levels and in answer to your question about what would it take to cut down that's pretty much it.

I used to drink a lot of whiskey, probably 4-6 a night on weeknights and some good heavy pours, a little more on weekends. Had my first full on physical at this time and my doc told me my enzymes were high and I made a drastic cut back immediately. But I did not quit, just moved over to trying to drink more red wine instead of whiskey and cutting it down to initially 2-3 before building it back up to the 3-4 range. That was right around 15 years ago when I was in my late 30's. Since then I get an annual physical and everytime the nurse calls me with my results she says the same thing "doc says whatever you are doing keep doing it".

If I get another bad blood test or anything my doc tells me that's not generic in nature but specific to my health saying it's causing issues I would cut back or even eliminate. Otherwise not seeing an issue or reason to, I'm not gaining weight, can't even remember the last time I was sick, low blood pressure, low resting heart rate,etc,etc. If/when those things change so would my drinking habits.

I applaud those who recognize an issue and cut back. My dad was an aclcholic and it wrecked havoc in his life and likely ultimatly cost him life and that still did not impact me like the 3 years I worked in a liquor store when I was trying to put myself through college. I used to refer to the drive through line as the "trail of tears", drinking like most of my customers did is no way to live life. Ideally alchohol should be a complement to life and the things you enjoy, not what your life is centered around.

Have you talked to your doctor about your current alcohol consumption, specifically?

Also, have you considered the possibility the damage you incur won’t be reversible, such that by the time it is clinically apparent, even quitting won’t allow you to regain health?

I’m not saying this necessarily applies, btw, just pointing out waiting for abnormal bloodwork, or overt sign/symptoms of alcohol damage might be too late.

 

[AAABatteries]

@Terminalxylem - has there been any studies about when you drink over the duration of your life? Meaning, I drank very little in my 20’s and progressively more each decade. I’m anticipating being about the same or cutting back some in my 50’s (which starts in May). I’m just wondering if you drink the same amount over those years but the amount is more earlier or later on that it makes a difference. Just wondering if a younger system can handle it better or regenerate over time.

 

[Zow]

I'm a weekend drinker, may have a few too many(weekend) if the wife and I sit up and watch a couple movies.

But this past weekend, went out with a buddy of mine who is going through a separation. Woke up on his couch, not knowing where I was. Checked my phone only to see that my wife had called 4 times, and texted me at last that many times.

I was in trouble when I got home, but she was glad that I didn't try and get behind the wheel.

3 day hangovers are the worst.

I remember when I was in my 20s the hangover was over by noon, but 3 days? Even for an older person that seems excessive. How much does one have to drink to be hungover for 3 days?

Well...

This past week I had a six-day golf tournament (and golfed the day prior). So, I drank for six days. To be clear, but for two nights - the Calcutta dinner and one night out with family, I drank only during golf then hydrated in the evenings and got sleep. But, even then by day six I felt noticeably worse. While my quantity of sleep was fine, the quality was atrocious. So, yeah, after six days of running several drinks through my system - which is something I do maybe once or twice a year at most - it takes about 2-3 days to feel "normal" again. I think it's mainly fatigue from sleep deprivation, the liver recovering, and some measure of alcohol withdrawal (which is one of the worst withdrawals per my understanding from seminars on addition). But, yeah, these get increasingly worse and longer as I get older.

 

[Terminalxylem]

respectfully what drives our apparent collective need to be altered it is fascinating to me take that to the bank brohans

I'd say stress (financial, work, relationship, etc.) and then there's also peer pressure. You'll note that many in here, including me, mention drinking as a way to wind down. It's just a heck of a lot easier to do that then to spend 20 minutes meditating or 30 minutes exercising to potentially get a similar effect.

For me at least, the effects are very different. And it’s really easy to walk for 30 min-hour, even on busy days.

Meaning alcohol doesn’t help?

Correct. Don’t find it relaxing, or fun, at all.

Like taking a Benadryl - groggy and a little less coordinated. Not pleasant sensations. Drinking more intensifies those effects, without anything else occurring to offset the badness.

Obviously, YMMV.

ETA I’m fortunate to rarely experience prolonged stress. I don’t perseverate on bad stuff, or have trouble “turning down” my internal monologue. And I seldom feel the need to “wind down”. If so, I prefer physical exhaustion (employing exercise of my choosing) over relaxing, 9 times out of ten.

 

[Zow]

@Terminalxylem - has there been any studies about when you drink over the duration of your life? Meaning, I drank very little in my 20’s and progressively more each decade. I’m anticipating being about the same or cutting back some in my 50’s (which starts in May). I’m just wondering if you drink the same amount over those years but the amount is more earlier or later on that it makes a difference. Just wondering if a younger system can handle it better or regenerate over time.

I'd add an additional layer to this based on a discussion I head with a doctor awhile back (over drinks, not coincidentally). He posited that it is very, very bad to consume two (2) drinks per day on a daily basis over time and will likely take literal years off one's life. He distinguished this behavior from one drink per day (he claimed that, for our liver/system, there is a massive difference between one drink and a second drink) and a binge drinking session say, once per week. Obviously never drinking is the most healthy option, but he claimed that the multiple per day even if to not get drunk was significantly worse longevity health-wise than binge drinking or the one per day (which my nearly 100 year old grandmother has done since her teens).

Do any studies back up the above?

 

[menobrown]

Have you talked to your doctor about your current alcohol consumption, specifically?

Yes and in the consult she does not ever say "keep that up". She will usually ask why(as well with my cannabis consumption) , and recommend dropping it a drink or two and/or having 1-2 non-drinking days. Which is something I termed earlier "generic advice", it's not in any way particular to my charts. I always respond to her that I have made cutbacks previously as recommended by her(she is my same doctor who told my liver readings were bad and to cut back around 15 years ago) and will again if something shows up in my tests that indicates it's needed.

It's after my blood work comes back that I get the message relayed to her through the nurse to "whatever I'm doing keep doing it".

I just put more stock in how alcohol impacts me then how it impacts the average person and tend to be a little more dismissive of one size fits all "generic" type advice.

Also, have you considered the possibility the damage you incur won’t be reversible, such that by the time it is clinically apparent, even quitting won’t allow you to regain health?

I’m not saying this necessarily applies, btw, just pointing out waiting for abnormal bloodwork, or overt sign/symptoms of alcohol damage might be too late.

No I can't say I give going past the point of no return much thought. The liver is of course known for it's ability to repair itself and I just think staying on top of it with physicals/bloodwork especially without of any other signs of bad health is a "safe enough" method to undertake to not put the liver past a point of no return. Fool proof? No of course not but I think all things considered it's a prudently safe enough approach for me to take in an effort to try and add more enjoyment to my life instead of just not doing something because one day it might be an issue. It feels low risk to me, but not risk proof.

 

[Terminalxylem]

@Terminalxylem - has there been any studies about when you drink over the duration of your life? Meaning, I drank very little in my 20’s and progressively more each decade. I’m anticipating being about the same or cutting back some in my 50’s (which starts in May). I’m just wondering if you drink the same amount over those years but the amount is more earlier or later on that it makes a difference. Just wondering if a younger system can handle it better or regenerate over time.

Don’t know specifically, but in general, younger bodies, and body parts are more resilient.

 

[need2know]

I need to cut back more. But don't want to yet. But know it's coming. I'm younger then most of you. I've started a bit but it's tough.

Sadly cannabis not an option as I would jump to that immediately

 

[snellman]

Recovering alcoholic here. Most likely would have drank myself to death if I hadn’t stopped. I just don’t have an off button

I was definitely 14+ for 25 years.

I’ll be three years sober next month.

Happy Early Birthday!

 

[Terminalxylem]

Have you talked to your doctor about your current alcohol consumption, specifically?

Yes and in the consult she does not ever say "keep that up". She will usually ask why(as well with my cannabis consumption) , and recommend dropping it a drink or two and/or having 1-2 non-drinking days. Which is something I termed earlier "generic advice", it's not in any way particular to my charts. I always respond to her that I have made cutbacks previously as recommended by her(she is my same doctor who told my liver readings were bad and to cut back around 15 years ago) and will again if something shows up in my tests that indicates it's needed.

It's after my blood work comes back that I get the message relayed to her through the nurse to "whatever I'm doing keep doing it".

I just put more stock in how alcohol impacts me then how it impacts the average person and tend to be a little more dismissive of one size fits all "generic" type advice.

Also, have you considered the possibility the damage you incur won’t be reversible, such that by the time it is clinically apparent, even quitting won’t allow you to regain health?

I’m not saying this necessarily applies, btw, just pointing out waiting for abnormal bloodwork, or overt sign/symptoms of alcohol damage might be too late.

No I can't say I give going past the point of no return much thought. The liver is of course known for it's ability to repair itself and I just think staying on top of it with physicals/bloodwork especially without of any other signs of bad health is a "safe enough" method to undertake to not put the liver past a point of no return. Fool proof? No of course not but I think all things considered it's a prudently safe enough approach for me to take in an effort to try and add more enjoyment to my life instead of just not doing something because one day it might be an issue. It feels low risk to me, but not risk proof.

So, if I’m understanding correctly, your doctor has implicitly condoned drinking 3-4 alcoholic beverages daily, and a few more on the weekend, knowing your liver tests were elevated from too much booze in the past?

 

[General Malaise]

Thought this was a judgment free zone.

 

[AAABatteries]

Thought this was a judgment free zone.

Except for Lambskin and his White Claws.

 

[MAC_32]

I voted 7-13... some weeks it's way less than that, some, way more... I am a 100% a social drinker.. I hardly ever have beer in the fridge at my house, I don't like hard liquor except vodka and that has to be mixed with juice. If I'm golfing, I'm drinking. If I'm at the casino, I'm drinking.. If I'm watching a sporting event on tv with buddies, I'm drinking. If I'm sitting at home, not drinking.

Some people justify heavy drinking being OK if you’re in a social setting and not drinking alone, as if one is somehow better than the other. There is no difference. Probably safer to drink at home If you’re going to have too much.

We had our first kid in 2010. From then until covid I was not a social drinker. The rare times we were in social settings with alcohol we didn't have much because if the kids were with us we had about 90 mins tops in us and if they weren't then we were running up a babysitter tab on a teenager that needed to be home ~10 or 11 anyway. During those years I definitely had more drinks at home. If I had 20 drinks in a month I probably averaged < 5 out is why though.. And this is where the bourbon/wine, back deck, and music habit started.

Post covid we found ourselves being invited to more social events. A LOT more social events. Once my clothes stopped fitting I saw our primary care then began to inventory just how much alcohol we were consuming. To counter we've significantly cut back on what we have at home and decline more invitations to go out. Has nothing to do with out being better than home. It solely has to do with not wanting to drink too much alcohol, so we changed our ratios.

 

[menobrown]

Have you talked to your doctor about your current alcohol consumption, specifically?

Yes and in the consult she does not ever say "keep that up". She will usually ask why(as well with my cannabis consumption) , and recommend dropping it a drink or two and/or having 1-2 non-drinking days. Which is something I termed earlier "generic advice", it's not in any way particular to my charts. I always respond to her that I have made cutbacks previously as recommended by her(she is my same doctor who told my liver readings were bad and to cut back around 15 years ago) and will again if something shows up in my tests that indicates it's needed.

It's after my blood work comes back that I get the message relayed to her through the nurse to "whatever I'm doing keep doing it".

I just put more stock in how alcohol impacts me then how it impacts the average person and tend to be a little more dismissive of one size fits all "generic" type advice.

Also, have you considered the possibility the damage you incur won’t be reversible, such that by the time it is clinically apparent, even quitting won’t allow you to regain health?

I’m not saying this necessarily applies, btw, just pointing out waiting for abnormal bloodwork, or overt sign/symptoms of alcohol damage might be too late.

No I can't say I give going past the point of no return much thought. The liver is of course known for it's ability to repair itself and I just think staying on top of it with physicals/bloodwork especially without of any other signs of bad health is a "safe enough" method to undertake to not put the liver past a point of no return. Fool proof? No of course not but I think all things considered it's a prudently safe enough approach for me to take in an effort to try and add more enjoyment to my life instead of just not doing something because one day it might be an issue. It feels low risk to me, but not risk proof.

So, if I’m understanding correctly, your doctor has implicitly condoned drinking 3-4 alcoholic beverages daily, and a few more on the weekend, knowing your liver tests were elevated from too much booze in the past?

I guess that's one way to put it but it's the type of medical opinion I want which is to say applicable to me instead of how a study says alcohol impacts the average person. I want to know how it impacts MY health. I'd look for another doctor if this was not the case.

 

[Wrigley]

I'm a weekend drinker, may have a few too many(weekend) if the wife and I sit up and watch a couple movies.

But this past weekend, went out with a buddy of mine who is going through a separation. Woke up on his couch, not knowing where I was. Checked my phone only to see that my wife had called 4 times, and texted me at last that many times.

I was in trouble when I got home, but she was glad that I didn't try and get behind the wheel.

3 day hangovers are the worst.

I remember when I was in my 20s the hangover was over by noon, but 3 days? Even for an older person that seems excessive. How much does one have to drink to be hungover for 3 days?

yes

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Thought this was a judgment free zone.

Except for Lambskin and his White Claws.

I mix in quite a few High Noons too although not really thrilled that they have a Dave Portnoy special edition

The alcoholic Topo Chico are a nice summer option

The Absolut ones are good too but IIRC they have a higher sugar content so I try to stick to the low cal seltzers

Don’t really care for Truly or Nutrl, will drink them but rarely buy them unless there’s a special flavor or coupon or something

 

[Terminalxylem]

Thought this was a judgment free zone.

I didn’t say anyone’s drinking habits were good or bad

Admittedly, I wouldn’t expect any doctor to condone that much alcohol consumption, especially given the family history.

 

[Terminalxylem]

@Terminalxylem - has there been any studies about when you drink over the duration of your life? Meaning, I drank very little in my 20’s and progressively more each decade. I’m anticipating being about the same or cutting back some in my 50’s (which starts in May). I’m just wondering if you drink the same amount over those years but the amount is more earlier or later on that it makes a difference. Just wondering if a younger system can handle it better or regenerate over time.

I'd add an additional layer to this based on a discussion I head with a doctor awhile back (over drinks, not coincidentally). He posited that it is very, very bad to consume two (2) drinks per day on a daily basis over time and will likely take literal years off one's life. He distinguished this behavior from one drink per day (he claimed that, for our liver/system, there is a massive difference between one drink and a second drink) and a binge drinking session say, once per week. Obviously never drinking is the most healthy option, but he claimed that the multiple per day even if to not get drunk was significantly worse longevity health-wise than binge drinking or the one per day (which my nearly 100 year old grandmother has done since her teens).

Do any studies back up the above?

Longevity and alcohol intake is a controversial topic. Specifically, there are studies suggesting moderate consumption extends life, relative to teetotalling, or heavy consumption.

Many of the studies showing increased mortality among non-drinkers were flawed, however, as they included former heavy drinkers who’d quit, often because of drinking sequelae. Additionally, people who are sick/debilitated for any reason tend to drink less, or not at all.

A recent meta analysis excluding “sick quitters” showed lowest all-cause mortality among those who drank 1/2 serving of alcohol per day. They had ~20% lower risk of dying than abstainers, and less risk than drinkers who imbibed more than 1 serving/day.

Moreover, there are specific alcoholic beverages (red wine) which may promote living longer, possibly as a consequence of resveratrol in grape skin. But resveratrol can be ingested independent of alcohol intake. FWIW, resveratrol appears to activate longevity pathways in vitro, though human studies have been inconclusive.

Concerning your question, I’m fairly certain binge drinking adds further risk to the equation, but I don’t know offhand how it compares to more regular consumption. Never heard about the distinction between 1 vs. 2 drinks daily, either. In the above meta analysis, those who drank 1 drink a day were slightly less likely to die than those who drank 2, but still less than nondrinkers.

All that said, the World Health Organization official statement on alcohol intake is as follows: “No level is safe.”

 

[AAABatteries]

Thought this was a judgment free zone.

Except for Lambskin and his White Claws.

I mix in quite a few High Noons too although not really thrilled that they have a Dave Portnoy special edition

The alcoholic Topo Chico are a nice summer option

The Absolut ones are good too but IIRC they have a higher sugar content so I try to stick to the low cal seltzers

Don’t really care for Truly or Nutrl, will drink them but rarely buy them unless there’s a special flavor or coupon or something

This isn’t helping your case.

And in all seriousness, no judgement from me - my SIL drinks the crap out of that stuff. I just don’t care for it at all. I’m not a club soda guy either.

 

[urbanhack]

This has also hit home recently as my sister had a life changing event due to alcohol abuse. She hit rock bottom this past summer and ended up in the hospital for weeks with liver damage and neuropathy in most of her body. It's taken forever to get all of the full test results and final diagnosis but we just found out this week they are starting the process to get her a liver transplant. They said if she takes one more drink or something else happens where it puts strain on her liver that it could be fatal.

 

[JohnnyU]

This has also hit home recently as my sister had a life changing event due to alcohol abuse. She hit rock bottom this past summer and ended up in the hospital for weeks with liver damage and neuropathy in most of her body. It's taken forever to get all of the full test results and final diagnosis but we just found out this week they are starting the process to get her a liver transplant. They said if she takes one more drink or something else happens where it puts strain on her liver that it could be fatal.

Thanks for posting this and I wish the best for your sister. My wife’s best friend recently lost her daughter to alcoholism and she was in her late 30s. She came home from work one evening and was making macaroni and cheese and just fell over dead. An autopsy confirmed alcohol played a major factor. She was a vodka girl and drank daily. Very sad story.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Thought this was a judgment free zone.

Except for Lambskin and his White Claws.

I mix in quite a few High Noons too although not really thrilled that they have a Dave Portnoy special edition

The alcoholic Topo Chico are a nice summer option

The Absolut ones are good too but IIRC they have a higher sugar content so I try to stick to the low cal seltzers

Don’t really care for Truly or Nutrl, will drink them but rarely buy them unless there’s a special flavor or coupon or something

This isn’t helping your case.

And in all seriousness, no judgement from me - my SIL drinks the crap out of that stuff. I just don’t care for it at all. I’m not a club soda guy either.

Next you’re gonna thumb your nose at the glass of pumpkin spice rumchata I had the other night

 

[AAABatteries]

I have to wonder if I had started drinking earlier and more heavily sooner in life if I may have developed dependency and/or bigger health issues.

Grew up in a very religious/conservative household where drinking was a "sin". I had very little alcohol until my 30's. Only been drunk in the way people usually think maybe 10-15 times in my life (trouble walking, getting sick). Never had a single instance of not remembering things, waking up not knowing what went on, etc.

But, in my 30's I developed a taste for alcohol and it's developed over the years - anybody who's paid attention around here knows I take my drinking semi-seriously so it's almost as much fun and scientific for me as trying to get buzzed. I have paid attention to how I use it with stress - that is something that concerns me and I stay on top of.

 

[3C's]

I've consumed a lot of beer the last two decades under the guise of being a craft beer geek. Pretty much no more barrel aged or bourbon beers.

This is really tough for me. I still absolutely love drinking a really good barrel aged stout. I prefer it to eating dessert.

I've got about 5 or 6 750ml bottles out in the garage and this is just tempting me to crack one open.

The bourbon barrel stout was mighty fine last night. That one was a 500ml bottle though so I count that as cutting back.

 

[Joe Bryant]

This has also hit home recently as my sister had a life changing event due to alcohol abuse. She hit rock bottom this past summer and ended up in the hospital for weeks with liver damage and neuropathy in most of her body. It's taken forever to get all of the full test results and final diagnosis but we just found out this week they are starting the process to get her a liver transplant. They said if she takes one more drink or something else happens where it puts strain on her liver that it could be fatal.

I'm sorry GB. Hang in there.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Grew up in a very religious/conservative household where drinking was a "sin".

I always think this is interesting. Obviously, this was AAA's experience but I don't see much of this today. And I live in the South and my religious faith is a big part of my life.

There are certainly some churches where drinking and gambling are frowned upon. But it seems like it's a smaller and smaller number each year. As far as a "sin" goes, the bible is pretty clear about not being drunk or abusive with alcohol. But Jesus was a regular wine drinker. His first public miracle was turning water into wine to celebrate a wedding.

 

[wlwiles]

This has also hit home recently as my sister had a life changing event due to alcohol abuse. She hit rock bottom this past summer and ended up in the hospital for weeks with liver damage and neuropathy in most of her body. It's taken forever to get all of the full test results and final diagnosis but we just found out this week they are starting the process to get her a liver transplant. They said if she takes one more drink or something else happens where it puts strain on her liver that it could be fatal.

It absolutely sucks to have family going through that and feeling that you can't help them, because any way you help you may be enabling them. I resonate so much with this - thanks for putting this out there because you are not alone GB.

I have a younger brother who is probably going to hit this stage and I'm afraid it's going to be very soon. Divorced, barely ever sees his kid, debt piled to the ceiling, can't keep a steady job, hospitalized twice for pancreatitis, the list goes on and on. I've tried for over a year to convince him to go to rehab or detox medically and he won't budge. He has the detox pills from a doctor the last time he was hospitalized, but won't take them because the doc told him if he mixed the pills with booze it would kill him. At this point I hope rock bottom for him means he runs out of $$ and can't buy booze/food or loses his apartment and he calls me with nowhere to go. I pray every day that rock bottom doesn't come in the form of a DUI or him wrecking his car and hurting someone else.

I constantly think about my own drinking because of him. I've posted my own "drinking story" a couple pages back, I set rules for myself and follow them stringently, but it still feels hypocritical when he calls me on the phone at 9 pm while I'm sipping a whiskey and at the same time trying to convince him to give up drinking.

 

[DocHolliday]

I started drinking when I was 14 and it was common to get drunk a few times a week. I was knocking back 10+ beers with friends on school nights. I drank hard until I was about 40 years old and have decreased the drinking steadily each year due to stomach issues and hangovers lasting the entire next day. Now, I only drink 1 to 2 drinks in a month and sometimes go months without any alcohol. I don’t miss it and feel a lot better. I really like the taste of beer and whiskey/bourbon but drinking now is about enjoying the taste and not about getting drunk to have fun. I changed my mindset that I put in place in my teens about social events. You don't have to be drunk to enjoy concerts, bars, parties, holidays, etc


I still have a few friends that get hammered a few times/month. One of my friends has been a raging alcoholic for the last 10 years. Most of us quit hanging out with him because he became a belligerent drunk and would drink until he passed out almost daily. Many of us begged him and his wife to get him help for years but now it doesn’t matter. Sadly, he was driving drunk and killed a young man in a car accident a couple of months ago. That was his third DUI in 12 months and he is going to be behind bars for years. His wife asked my wife and I to write a letter on his behalf to try to get leniency. We politely declined. She will never talk to us again but I believe he deaserves everything he gets. I almost started a thread about the situation when it happened because it was shocking, maddening, and sad. I am still so mad at him for turning into that mess.

Hopefully, my story above reminds everyone to never drink and drive and to do what you can to stop everyone from driving drunk.

 

[JohnnyU]

In Lexington, Ky years ago, cops would go around to bars and mark tires with a fluorescent mark, so when they are driving home late at night other cops know who has been at a bar.

 

[Schmeabs]

I voted hardly drink at all as I probably average 2-3 drinks a month and those are only on social gatherings. I just don't like the taste of beer and it makes me feel bloated. I do wonder if switching to hard alcohol like bourbon would be better.

 

[AAABatteries]

Grew up in a very religious/conservative household where drinking was a "sin".

I always think this is interesting. Obviously, this was AAA's experience but I don't see much of this today. And I live in the South and my religious faith is a big part of my life.

There are certainly some churches where drinking and gambling are frowned upon. But it seems like it's a smaller and smaller number each year. As far as a "sin" goes, the bible is pretty clear about not being drunk or abusive with alcohol. But Jesus was a regular wine drinker. His first public miracle was turning water into wine to celebrate a wedding.

Also, this was 30-45 years ago now. I definitely think these have changed drastically in the time since but it was definitely a “bad” thing.

 

[nirad3]

Went bowling with my department for "team building" last night, and as a rare occurrence "only" had two beers. I was driving plus we were only out for a few hours. But that went against my "all or nothing" drinking behavior. I was drinking IPAs so I actually got a very slight buzz. I guess I'm turning into a lightweight!

 

[The_Man]

I used to have 3 or 4 IPAs every night

Now down to 2 - 1 after work, hanging out with my wife as we make dinner, 1 during and after dinner

On occasion I'll have a third, but have found it to be a diminishing return, don't usually want to drink the full 12 oz and I usually have to wake up at some point during the night to use the bathroom

Thinking about this thread helped me not have that 3rd beer last night, when I was really on the verge. Instead I went to bed a little earlier than usual and slept through until morning without having to visit the bathroom - so good job, everyone. I'm going to try to set a hard limit of 2 beers per week night, that's my sweet spot, that 3rd is definitely not worth it

 

[JohnnyU]

Went bowling with my department for "team building" last night, and as a rare occurrence "only" had two beers. I was driving plus we were only out for a few hours. But that went against my "all or nothing" drinking behavior. I was drinking IPAs so I actually got a very slight buzz. I guess I'm turning into a lightweight!

Lightweight will keep you out of jail and keep your car insurance rates down on bowling night.

 

[Cowboysfan8]

Twisted Tea Light in a cup with ice ftw

 

[JohnnyU]

Twisted Tea Light in a cup with ice ftw

Sounds like a girly drink

 

[Ilov80s]

For those dealing with loved ones with problems, I know we've all heard this "they have to hit rock bottom" idea before but all modern research and thought is that this absolutely untrue. You should be doing everything possible to prevent them from hitting rock bottom. People can recover without totally bottoming out and for many rock bottom will be something they can't really come back from. There's also the idea of tough love or cutting them off until they come back and are ready. That's also generally bad advice if your goal is to help. We don't want to isolate them from their support system- that's a very bad thing. Also these ambush style interventions are generally not how you should approach someone.

 

[bryhamm]

In Lexington, Ky years ago, cops would go around to bars and mark tires with a fluorescent mark, so when they are driving home late at night other cops know who has been at a bar.

That's legal?

 

[Leroy Hoard]

In Lexington, Ky years ago, cops would go around to bars and mark tires with a fluorescent mark, so when they are driving home late at night other cops know who has been at a bar.

That's legal?

Interesting, never heard that one before. But cops do hang around bars near closing time enough where a local bar had people parking in the lot of the 24 hour restaurant across the street, so as to attract less attention on their exit. Some actually did eat the restaurant as was the custom back then.

 

[Cowboysfan8]

Twisted Tea Light in a cup with ice ftw

Sounds like a girly drink

I’ve never heard that before

I’m past the age of caring about that, and they are DELICIOUS

 

[3C's]

Twisted Tea Light in a cup with ice ftw

No can do man.


Ice machine is broke.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Grew up in a very religious/conservative household where drinking was a "sin".

I always think this is interesting. Obviously, this was AAA's experience but I don't see much of this today. And I live in the South and my religious faith is a big part of my life.

There are certainly some churches where drinking and gambling are frowned upon. But it seems like it's a smaller and smaller number each year. As far as a "sin" goes, the bible is pretty clear about not being drunk or abusive with alcohol. But Jesus was a regular wine drinker. His first public miracle was turning water into wine to celebrate a wedding.

Drinking is a big part of all social activities associated with Catholic churches in the upper Midwest. Virtually every fundraising event for our neighborhood church/school where my kids go involves drinking, often to ridiculous extremes. We had a trivia night a while back and every team table was set up with essentially a full bar, coolers, mixers, etc. One of our fundraisers is a pub crawl that always gets a bit messy. I bartend at our annual auction every year and we always pour out cases of booze during the event.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

In Lexington, Ky years ago, cops would go around to bars and mark tires with a fluorescent mark, so when they are driving home late at night other cops know who has been at a bar.

That's legal?

it sucks for the waitress who gets pulled over after a hard days work trying to get home from work (at a bar).

 

[ChiefD]

Twisted Tea Light in a cup with ice ftw

username checks out.

 

[Zow]

Went bowling with my department for "team building" last night, and as a rare occurrence "only" had two beers. I was driving plus we were only out for a few hours. But that went against my "all or nothing" drinking behavior. I was drinking IPAs so I actually got a very slight buzz. I guess I'm turning into a lightweight!

Lightweight will keep you out of jail and keep your car insurance rates down on bowling night.

I contrast, should you drink and drive at best you pay somebody like me several thousand to keep you out of jail.