The sobriety club

[John Beef]

Actually the only time I fancy a beer is after a long hot day in the garden, when I'm knackered I like nothing more than a cold beer. So occasionally I have one. I probably drink about 6 pints of beer a year and maybe 2 glasses of wine and the odd shot of brandy in my eggnog towards the end of the year.

This is where I'd like to be.

Dang, that sounds crazy. I feel stupid for asking but are you keeping your doctor on the loop on this? It almost sounds like there is an injury that's gone undetected or it was more damaging than they realize?

Yeah, I've got a metric shipload of Dr follow ups scheduled. There have been several symptoms that have cropped up since I left the hospital that I think are related to not getting the good drugs they have there. They had me on 3 kinds of anti-nausea there, whereas I only have one at home.

Well, hey I'm glad I started this thread.

My Ukrainian girl friend doesn’t understand, but I’m not flexible about this.

Haha, my wife's friend "A" is Russian and we've partied with them many, many times along with another Russian couple we've known for years since our oldest kids were in preschool together (and now in 6th grade together). They actually have the exact same birthday. Anyway, yeah, those folks know how to put some booze down.

 

[HANGAR18]

I'm 42 and basically since I was 17 I've been drinking regularly, often to excess. It hasn't been all bad. I've worked the same place 19 years and people there like me enough. I've been raising my kids, I don't miss appointments because of alcohol, never day drank unless I was in Vegas or something.

Drinking just seemed to hand in hand with band activities, though.

Anyway, over the weekend I was at my wife's friend's house (all her A) for A's 40th Birthday party. They have a gorgeous house in Paradise Valley which is where the lawyers and professional sports guys live. I had given a "power red" on Thursday, which is where they take the double the red blood cells and pump the plasma and such back into you. You can only do it a couple times per year. I have O Negative so I'm a universal donor and feel a sense of responsibility to give regularly.

However, that really screwed up my drinking. After what I thought was pacing myself, I stumbled over a short retailing wall about a foot high and fell five feet right onto a concrete pad. Got knocked out, fractured my skull, A couple of my vertebrae were damaged but not broken. I had to go to the hospital for two days. My headaches are constant and nausea is random.

Anyway, just kinda thinking about not drinking again, ever.

Anyone else sober?

I drink alone.
One and done. I do not enjoy the sensation of being intoxicated at all.
I also prefer to drink at home as there are many advantages for doing so.

 

[bodia]

I drink alone.
One and done. I do not enjoy the sensation of being intoxicated at all.
I also prefer to drink at home as there are many advantages for doing so.

I with you. One drink limit if I’m out. If I am at home, I may have a couple more. I had a really close call many years ago on a Kentucky golf trip with the fellas. Blew a .097 when the limit was still .1. Too close for comfort. Even worse, I didn’t think I was even buzzed.

 

[gush]

I with you. One drink limit if I’m out. If I am at home, I may have a couple more. I had a really close call many years ago on a Kentucky golf trip with the fellas. Blew a .097 when the limit was still .1. Too close for comfort. Even worse, I didn’t think I was even buzzed.

My wife and I will go out sometimes and party hard! I love to have a good time but we only do this when alternate transportation is available like taxi or uber.

We do not drink and drive ever, not on our HD either.

I like a good buzz when we are in party mode but I will not get to a point where I don't have control. I'm very uncomfortable with that. My wife will cross that line when conditions permit which is another reason I won't.

Hats off to John for sharing the experience. There are plenty of good folks on here that will support John Beef if needed. Myself included.

 

[Casi1]

I'm 42 and basically since I was 17 I've been drinking regularly, often to excess. It hasn't been all bad. I've worked the same place 19 years and people there like me enough. I've been raising my kids, I don't miss appointments because of alcohol, never day drank unless I was in Vegas or something.

Drinking just seemed to hand in hand with band activities, though.

Anyway, over the weekend I was at my wife's friend's house (all her A) for A's 40th Birthday party. They have a gorgeous house in Paradise Valley which is where the lawyers and professional sports guys live. I had given a "power red" on Thursday, which is where they take the double the red blood cells and pump the plasma and such back into you. You can only do it a couple times per year. I have O Negative so I'm a universal donor and feel a sense of responsibility to give regularly.

However, that really screwed up my drinking. After what I thought was pacing myself, I stumbled over a short retailing wall about a foot high and fell five feet right onto a concrete pad. Got knocked out, fractured my skull, A couple of my vertebrae were damaged but not broken. I had to go to the hospital for two days. My headaches are constant and nausea is random.

Anyway, just kinda thinking about not drinking again, ever.

Anyone else sober?

I remember an episode in my junior year of college... I was so drunk/sick that I still don’t know how I made it home without hurting myself or others. I misunderstood the tiny bubbles in ‘good’ champagne and how they were different from shots of tequila. All in all, I consider that night to be a sign from above to make better decisions because I might not be so lucky next time.

I hope that you heal quickly.

It will be okay.

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

Ironic that the threads "Let's Talk about Beer" and the "Sobriety Club" are together at the top of the General Forum.

I guess it's all about moderation...

P.S. John - hope you made it through the weekend ok.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Ironic that the threads "Let's Talk about Beer" and the "Sobriety Club" are together at the top of the General Forum.

I guess it's all about moderation...

P.S. John - hope you made it through the weekend ok.

I noticed that prior to me posting this, they were still right together.

And yeah, it's all about moderation. My wife has a brother than is an alcoholic. Hasn't drank in 20+ years now. At AA meetings that she attended with him, they said there are many kinds of people with alcohol problems, and they told them that if someone drinks even one beer every day, they are an alcoholic. I strongly disagree with this, and I drank several beers almost every day at the time, but NEVER got drunk. A light, controllable buzz was all I wanted and beer allowed me to do that. No surprise "oops I drank too much" buzz resulting from shots, etc. I could always go at my own pace with beer. I had a friend who wouldn't drink all week, but when he did, he wouldn't (couldn't) stop until he didn't remember where he was, what he did, etc. I know other people who would drink a 12 pack or more every day. In fact, one friend drank a 12 pack but spaced over 5-6 hours and I swear you wouldn't even know he'd been drinking. But my wife saying that my couple beers a day made me an alcoholic made me mad. She new for a fact that even in our dating days, she hadn't seen me drunk more than one time and that was not stupid drunk.

I still know people who have one or two glasses of wine a night. One guy I do business with says he has a martini every night when he gets home form work, but only on weekends does he ever drink any more after that. Tolerances are different for everyone, but drinking a lot builds that tolerance and makes people think they aren't drinking too much when in fact they are. So, caution and moderation are the key. IMHO.

 

[John Beef]

Is all that from the head injury or is it from detox too? Seriously, my heart goes out to you, buddy.

I had more time to reflect on this, and don't think I was detoxing. My routine was drink a few each Thursday through Sunday, and not drink at all Mon-Wed. So, that's something. I would occasionally be irritable on Tuesday, which could count as a mild detox.

Thanks for the support, everyone. I made it thought the weekend OK. Ran out of my headache meds this morning, though. Got aDr. follow up this afternoon. Hoping to get cleared to work and drive.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Ironic that the threads "Let's Talk about Beer" and the "Sobriety Club" are together at the top of the General Forum.

I guess it's all about moderation...

P.S. John - hope you made it through the weekend ok.

Is it not also ironic that we’re taking about moderation on a PRS fan site!

Yes you all know who you are!

 

[Black Plaid]

Is it not also ironic that we’re taking about moderation on a PRS fan site!

Yes you all know who you are!

There are only 2, maybe 3 more I need for my collection, I swear!

 

[Tucson Thump]

Is it not also ironic that we’re taking about moderation on a PRS fan site!

Yes you all know who you are!

Please, Please don't go all "Auntie" on us, unless you're going "Auntie Mame"

 

[Sybo]

I battled that Effin demon for 40 years.... one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and so is dealing with life’s crap without booze. Almost 4 years now.. Thank God! Best of luck friend and glad it wasn’t worse.

 

[Walnut Wacked]

Ouch, that sounds painful and a horrible experience. I do not have a problem with people who drink as long as they stay off the highways. Some folks can go have a drink or two, have a good time and go home, others get obnoxious, starts fights, in general have no business drinking alcoholic beverages what so ever. I am the ladder and have given up drinking. Its been decades since I so much as had a beer. Some can drink, others not so

 

[markie]

I battled that Effin demon for 40 years.... one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and so is dealing with life’s crap without booze. Almost 4 years now.. Thank God! Best of luck friend and glad it wasn’t worse.

I feel your pain Brudah. Keep up the good fight. It gets better & one day you will find that your life has become soooo much better!

 

[Sybo]

I really must say it is not an issue anymore!!!!!!

 

[rbert0005]

Went by 28 years in July.
Much better off for it.
Bob

 

[CandidPicker]

I cut back on my drinking because every morning I found myself freaking out after waking up in a strange woman’s bed.

“Dude, you’ve woken up with your wife every morning for a zillion years.”

“That’s what drove me to drink!”

Q: What's the first thing a guitarist does when he rolls over in bed in the morning?

A: Introduces himself.

 

[frankencat]

29 years. I wouldn't be here today if I didn't quit. One day at a time.

 

[mark cassidy]

I'm gonna add my story here because it may have some relevance. I'm in my 60s and I have been drinking since I was 14 back in the northeast of the UK where I grew up. I like beer. It has been many years since I drank any hard liquor, not because of any blah blah blah, just because I lost the taste for it. Anyway, long story etc, I worked up in Maryland for a few months couple years back for my company and spent a great deal of time climbing stairways and ladders to help get the plant commissioned. I am in fairly decent condition and enjoyed the work, except that I came away from the job with a very sore left knee. the issue was exacerbated by further stints in Los Angeles and then Corpus. Went to the doc back in Houston and they looked at the knee but also, because of my age and because they all love to make money, they did blood work. Called me back in to tell me that my cholesterol was off their chart and, oh by the way, you have rampant Type II diabetes. Scared the bejaysus out of me! Also, to put it mildly I am terrified of meds of any type. But I had no choice. What I did do though, was to go off the beer completely for the first three months of the meds. I also walked 6 - 8 miles / day, which I was able to accomplish because, finally, I was assigned to the office here for a longish period of time. My numbers for both ailments came back into manageable range and I lost 40 pounds. I'm back on the beer but only at weekends and in - seriously - moderation. I reached the age I'm at without pretty much ever having had to go through a medical crisis - as I write this I am tapping my forehead, as in touch wood! - but the whole diabetes cholesterol thing, I mean shook me up. Point is, after this long story, why wait to go through a crisis. Change your bad habits anyway. Not addressing anyone in particular here. I'm just saying, life is too precious, your family is too precious, your guitar playing is too precious, to risk losing it all. I worked overseas for many, many years and my code of living strictly followed the last verse of Roadhouse Blues by the Doors. Not anymore. Thanks for letting me tell this story!!!!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I'm gonna add my story here because it may have some relevance. I'm in my 60s and I have been drinking since I was 14 back in the northeast of the UK where I grew up. I like beer. It has been many years since I drank any hard liquor, not because of any blah blah blah, just because I lost the taste for it. Anyway, long story etc, I worked up in Maryland for a few months couple years back for my company and spent a great deal of time climbing stairways and ladders to help get the plant commissioned. I am in fairly decent condition and enjoyed the work, except that I came away from the job with a very sore left knee. the issue was exacerbated by further stints in Los Angeles and then Corpus. Went to the doc back in Houston and they looked at the knee but also, because of my age and because they all love to make money, they did blood work. Called me back in to tell me that my cholesterol was off their chart and, oh by the way, you have rampant Type II diabetes. Scared the bejaysus out of me! Also, to put it mildly I am terrified of meds of any type. But I had no choice. What I did do though, was to go off the beer completely for the first three months of the meds. I also walked 6 - 8 miles / day, which I was able to accomplish because, finally, I was assigned to the office here for a longish period of time. My numbers for both ailments came back into manageable range and I lost 40 pounds. I'm back on the beer but only at weekends and in - seriously - moderation. I reached the age I'm at without pretty much ever having had to go through a medical crisis - as I write this I am tapping my forehead, as in touch wood! - but the whole diabetes cholesterol thing, I mean shook me up. Point is, after this long story, why wait to go through a crisis. Change your bad habits anyway. Not addressing anyone in particular here. I'm just saying, life is too precious, your family is too precious, your guitar playing is too precious, to risk losing it all. I worked overseas for many, many years and my code of living strictly followed the last verse of Roadhouse Blues by the Doors. Not anymore. Thanks for letting me tell this story!!!!

North east of UK, would Newcastle Brown be your tipple?