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Drinking was the only thing that saw me through the tough times
Recoil Magazine ^ | February 20, 2007 | 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


TOPICS: Humor
KEYWORDS: humor; notserious
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To: zerosix

Booze...A great buddy but a terrible master....
There was a time I was up to two cases of Beer a week. I was bombed most every night.
It took a lot to snap out of it. I can now go a long time between drinks, and when I do, it is because I want to have a drink, insteading of needing to have a drink.
I always fear that going back to that is only one bad time away.
For all those fighting to stay sober, keep the faith. for all those who are drunk, find the faith.


21 posted on 02/20/2007 6:16:58 PM PST by Yorlik803 ( When are we going to draw a line a say"this far and no farther")
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To: zerosix

It's a joke. Didn't it seem a little over the top? I always want to drink when I'm already in a good mood. When times are tough I never wanted to drink, cause in the morning the problems will still be there, and on top of that I would feel physically miserable too.


22 posted on 02/20/2007 6:34:15 PM PST by Mr. Blonde (Like I always say, there's no "I" in team. There's a "me" though, if you jumble it up.)
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To: Yorlik803
You might just consider giving up "the booze" all together, since you fear "going back is one bad time away."

All alcohol is a drug and life drug-free is a life worth living.

23 posted on 02/20/2007 6:46:36 PM PST by zerosix
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To: Graybeard58

"coming up on 26 in July"

"OMG! Me too...June 29:)"

"16 years this past December"

"July 7 will be 26 years sober"

Y'all make me feel like a piker. It'll be three years this August. I like my sobriety. Mr. Hyde is much better to live with. That damn Jekyll was a real thorn in my ass. Got to where he just completely took charge.


24 posted on 02/20/2007 7:09:49 PM PST by Ozarkie
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To: Graybeard58
Drinking helped me through a horrible divorce! It was a great comfort to me. Just because some people abuse it doesn't mean it doesn't have a use.

Fortunately I'm not an intemperate dope, or Irish, so it never caused me trouble socially, work, or healthwise.

Of course I'm re-married to the Best Wife in the World, so I don't have to drink so much now....

Enjoying a big mug of Guinness right now.

25 posted on 02/20/2007 7:18:51 PM PST by Cogadh na Sith (There's an open road from the cradle to the tomb.)
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To: Gay State Conservative
Hey,Mr Andrews,they have a saying in AA that goes something like "my worst day sober was better than my best day drunk.....

Don't get all Carrie Nation on us. I know people who had to quit drinking 'cuz they couldn't be trusted to have just one, or even ten.

Of course you couldn't trust them sober either....

26 posted on 02/20/2007 7:22:38 PM PST by Cogadh na Sith (There's an open road from the cradle to the tomb.)
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To: Cogadh na Sith
Enjoying a big mug of Guinness right now.

Ataboy! If yer gonna do it...do it right.

27 posted on 02/20/2007 7:32:29 PM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Res firma mitescere nescit.)
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To: xcamel

Both drinking and smoking were a couple of 'habits' that have lingered with me since my late teenage years. Now after turning 30 I see how these, what used to be 'habits', can quickly turn into serious issues. I recently dumped the smoking, and in the coming months drinking will be next to go. I hate to give them up as I enjoy both, but you can't do such things forever. They have never caused me any problems, health or otherwise, but I think it is best for me to quit while I'm ahead.


28 posted on 02/20/2007 7:32:41 PM PST by KoRn
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To: Graybeard58

Few seem to have caught on that Recoil is an analogue to The Onion.


29 posted on 02/20/2007 7:32:47 PM PST by jaime1959
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To: Cogadh na Sith; Bloody Sam Roberts

mmmmm Guinness!


30 posted on 02/20/2007 7:34:07 PM PST by KoRn
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To: jaime1959

This was supposed to be humorous:

TOPICS: Humor; Click to Add Topic
KEYWORDS: HUMOR; NOTSERIOUS;

I thought it was a funny story and as noted I am a recoverig alcoholic.


31 posted on 02/20/2007 7:39:21 PM PST by Graybeard58 (Remember and pray for SSgt. Matt Maupin - MIA/POW- Iraq since 04/09/04)
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To: xcamel

24 years sober here....

Amazing, this young man has a long hard road ahead.


32 posted on 02/20/2007 7:42:51 PM PST by PSYCHO-FREEP
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To: Graybeard58
I thought it was a funny story and as noted I am a recoverig alcoholic.

Yeah, but it brought out the FR Temperance League....

33 posted on 02/20/2007 7:45:08 PM PST by Cogadh na Sith (There's an open road from the cradle to the tomb.)
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To: tacticalogic
Yes other things give me migraines too but the alcohol intolerance is something else. Some people can't metabolize alcohol and it is toxic to them. I think I am one of those and my father was too.
34 posted on 02/20/2007 7:56:43 PM PST by Ditter
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To: gate2wire
LOL...

Let Hillary take away your booze "For the Common Good"

35 posted on 02/20/2007 11:53:14 PM PST by rawcatslyentist (This most beautiful system could only proceed from the dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being)
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To: Graybeard58

reminds me of Merle Haggard's "The Bottle Let Me Down".


36 posted on 02/21/2007 11:30:48 AM PST by Rakkasan1 ((Illegal immigrants are just undocumented friends you haven't met yet!))
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To: Ozarkie
Y'all make me feel like a piker. It'll be three years this August. I like my sobriety. Mr. Hyde is much better to live with. That damn Jekyll was a real thorn in my ass. Got to where he just completely took charge.

pssssst! jekyll was the doctor, hyde was the monster ;)
37 posted on 02/21/2007 11:44:30 AM PST by absolootezer0 (stop repeat offenders - don't re-elect them!)
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To: Graybeard58

http://www.moderndrunkard.com/


38 posted on 02/21/2007 11:48:47 AM PST by WhiteGuy (GOP Congress - 16,000 earmarks costing US $50 billion in 2006 - PAUL2008)
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To: Graybeard58

I used to be a full time drunk. It was costing me a fortune, not only for the alcohol itself, but in lost productivity. So now I put all of the money that I was spending on booze in a jar and at the end of the week I use it to buy myself something nice. Something like heroin or crack.


39 posted on 02/21/2007 6:42:04 PM PST by Jaysun (I've never paid for sex in my life. And that's really pissed off a lot of prostitutes.)
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To: WhiteGuy

That website looks to be on the fritz.


40 posted on 02/21/2007 6:44:37 PM PST by Jaysun (I've never paid for sex in my life. And that's really pissed off a lot of prostitutes.)
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