John Andrews
Posted on 02/20/2007 4:47:42 PM PST by Graybeard58
Like many people, my life has not exactly been a bowl of cherries. From childhood family problems to my own marital difficulties, from my teenaged struggle to find meaning in my existence to my recent financial woes, it seems like every day of my life has offered little more than a 24-hour struggle to avoid complete mental breakdown.
Through it all, there's only been one thing I could count on - one companion that's always been at my side, one friend that's never led me astray: alcohol. Yes, for much of my life, drinking was the only thing that saw me through the tough times.
I was barely out of my youth the first time drinking alcohol helped me make it through a particularly difficult period. It was my fifteenth birthday, in fact, and my father had gone a little overboard with my birthday spanking, if you know what I mean. No, it wasn't the first time he'd hit me, but I was determined to make it the last. That night, as I gathered my belongings and prepared for my premature escape into the world of independence, I found a half-full bottle of my father's whiskey. Although I didn't care much for the taste, I hastily guzzled it down in celebration of my pending liberation.
To make a long story short, I didn't end up running away from home that night. Instead, I ended up passing out on my bedroom floor. And you know something? In the harsh light of that April morning, I realized that running away from home was not such a great idea. It turned out that drinking had helped me both forget about my father's physical abuse and deter me from making a big mistake in running away.
I've been drinking my problems away ever since.
In fact, looking back on all these years, I think it's safe to say that by now, if it hadn't been for drinking, I probably would have ended up on skid row, in jail or even dead. With as much shit as I've had to go through in life, as many nights as I've been on the brink of emotional and mental collapse, it's perfectly reasonable to envision myself having resorted to some sort of self-destructive behavior instead of just crawling inside the bottle for a few days. It's pretty hard to cause yourself harm when you have zero control over your basic motor functions.
With alcohol being so readily available, I often find it hard to believe that so many people turn to self-destructive activities like listening to rock music or overeating whenever one of life's little hurdles puts them back on their heels. Equally confusing are the ideas of going to a psychiatrist or joining a support group. Whenever I need to find someone to listen or a group of people with similar problems, I needn't look any further than the closest pub! You'd be suprised how many others use the bottle as their pillar of strength.
Well, no matter what remedy you choose to combat this cancer called life, remember: like a hangover, the tough times will pass
John Andrews
Being sober for nearly 22 years... word escape me.
Sobriety ping
I'm coming up on 26 in July.
Having just spent the last 10 years with a non-functioning, closeted, binge drinker who couldn't stop even when the Grim Reaper holds her by her barely functioning kidneys and liver, I say.....
damn...I don't know what to say
OMG! Me too...June 29:)
16 years this past December.
Beer is my anti-drug.
June 29th will be my 62 b/day.....July 7 will be 26 years sober.
Well...my birthday is in November. But my sobriety date is June 29, 82:)
I still shake my head at the wonder of it...
Poor guy! I don't drink, never did. It makes me sick right away, like immediate headache. There is a name for that, I can't remember but it is like being allergic.
A truly tragic way to spend one's life. We can only pray that this man seeks the "true" help he needs - and soon.
19 years in September
Drinking cost me my job, my house, ended my marriage, made me lose my family...But I think I'll give it one more chance.
Do you get photo-sensitive and nauseous? Alcohol is a common trigger for migaines.
Sounds just like the socialists making excuses for the shattered nations, and populations.
What? Are you calling me a socialist? Damn, I'd better have a drink.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.