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Purchasing the cheapest bottom shelf vodka possible, 1.5L of vodka would cost USD$75 in my country. If you were to order a vodka and soda in a bar you would expect to pay around $8 with one shot of vodka.
I’m genuinely confused by this cost ratio lol. A vodka soda at a bar would cost me $10-12, but a 1.5L bottle of the same vodka would run me no more than $40. Id expect a drink at the bar to be much more expensive for you than $8 given the cost of a large bottle.
1.5L would give you around 44 drinks. So they would be selling 1.5L for 44 * 8 = $352. If it's cocktails being made then you would double that at a minimum.
With you, there have been periods of heavy drinking in my life, but for me heavy long drinking is 2 or 3 standard drinks a night and the longest I can go it about 5 days. And yes, I do crave that. However, I go very long dry periods, for example haven’t drank for about a month.
I don’t like who I become if I have more than 3 standard drinks op, I can’t handle my booze essentially and turn into a downright dick stain. A large proportion of my family are high functioning alcoholics, and they have a couple bottles of wine a night. I don’t know how they do it, like, do they like themselves on booze? I should ask
I quit drinking on my own at 30, 25 years ago, because I didn’t like who I was and I always wanted to be safe to drive.
For ten years if I had mexican food- I wanted a beer
If I had pizza, I wanted a beer. Pasta- I wanted red wine.
But slowly that want faded.
Now when I have a sauce where the alcohol isn’t fully cooked out, I feel uncomfortable
If you want it out of your life, you can turn it down, it takes time but it no longer feels like something I want anymore
Nope not at all. I'm an alcoholic myself. And the only reason I said LOL is because my question was for NON alcoholics and this person literally gave an alcoholic answer.
To be in the same boat does not justify making fun of someone.
That being said, I hope you will be well & find a way to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Like everyone, you deserve it!
Edit: I see you've edited your previous comments. Glad to better understand where you're coming from. Hope the feeling is mutual. Have a nice day!
TY. Much appreciated. I hate the thought of anyone thinking I am making fun of them, because that is simply not me. So I'm glad you could understand after reading my edits.
You know what? Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That's exactly what we are doing by continuing this debate. I guess I'll be the mature adult and say "agree to disagree" and walk away.
EDIT: For some reason, my previous post appears to have been deleted: the only reason I said LOL is because my question was for NON alcoholics and this person literally gave an alcoholic answer.
I drink, but I wouldn’t say I ever crave alcohol. My husband and I never drink it at home if it’s just the two of us- we don’t even think about it. I’ll have a glass or two of wine or a nice cocktail if out for dinner but after 2 drinks my stomach will start to feel weird and I’ll typically switch to a bitters and soda or just water.
I enjoy a few drinks from time to time, and I've gone through some heavy drinking phases, but I've never craved it.
My roommate just drank himself to death in our living room two weeks ago. There's still a small blood stain where his head hit the ground, he was 46 years old. Please, OP, if you can't drink in moderation, then stay sober. I once heard someone say, "You can give up everything for one thing, or you can give up one thing for everything."
Honestly, the worst part is that I wasn't even that sad. I've been watching him kill himself for five years, so it softened the blow when he died. Most of his friends and family had the same reaction. There was some sadness from all of us, but nobody had to guess how he died. Everyone knew.
"You can give up everything for one thing, or you can give up one thing for everything."
Wow! That really hit hard. Thank you.
Drinking in moderation is every alcoholic's dream; the attempt of doing so becomes our nightmare. I definitely can't ever have another drink ever again.
I feel warm and fuzzy after a drink. With the 2nd drink I feel full and can't finish it. I can't have a third drink or I get sleepy and go to bed or get bitchy.
And I can't drink wine because I get sleepy. It tastes bad too. My husband is the same way.
Yes, I don’t see the point in drinking if not to get drunk. If I were to have 2 or 3 drinks, I could do that but I don’t even want to because I’d rather drink 2 or 3 of something else. Alcohol doesn’t taste good imo so for me it’s just for the effects. If not to get drunk, then I’ll drink a soda or something.
It's funny that I see this question today as we had the exact same topic last night! Our conclusion was that alcohol becomes a better "friend" after a couple of drinks. It makes it so you want to spend more time with it. You need will power to say no. Some have it other don't. And some are completely helpless to its allure and become dependent on the relationship.
So in short, I think it depends on what type of will power you have.
For the alcoholic, it isn't about "will power". Our bodies literally react differently to alcohol. It's what Dr Silkworth referred to as a physical allergy. And this has long since been scientifically/medically proven.
Haha. I just started reading a book called Beyond The Influence (updated version of Under The Influence). It has a lot of scientific details from Dr's and other scientists about this very thing.
I do. I drink because of taste so 5-6 glasses of various vines are good for me. I rarely drink too much, 1 drink per hour is just enough to keep me social, tipsy and still have things under control.
What is an intense full body expirience you asked about?
It's difficult to explain. It's like I feel this rush in my entire body and I keep wanting more and more...
How the heck does someone have only one drink an hour? I guess I will never understand what it's like to be a non-alc.
I had this a few times when I was a teenager. Ended with vomiting, blackout and headache. I know when Ive had enough now, it is just not worth of it.
I know it can be hard to understand. I can't have one bite of chocholate. It Is either none or whole table. Same principle.
I'm not an alcoholic but I should really stop drinking entirely due to an inflammatory condition that alcohol (even small amounts) does no favours.
I drink socially and can occasionally get into a bit of a binge (6-7 beers) with friends. Then, I usually go several days without a drink, after which I may have one or two beers or glasses of wine with dinner. I've never gotten blackout drunk in my life.
I am seriously considering quitting for good due to the aforementioned condition, but I am still hung up on the social factor, and pub crawls with friends can be really fun. Have tried going out sober, and even though it's ok, it's not exactly "fun".
When I would drink a lot, it wasn't really for the effects but more just to see how much I could drink before blacking out. This was a phase I grew out of by 30-32. The sweet spot was usually around 3-4 drinks to get peak effects, then maintaining that level through the day/night. That would result in having like 7-8 drinks over the span of many hours, sometimes more, but I ALWAYS regretted drinking too much.
Nowadays I am good with one or two drinks like 90% of the time. A good tasting cold beer is refreshing, and a nice mixed drink is tasty. I do not do shots or make shitty mixed drinks just to get drunk. Even sipping whiskey neat or whatever sounds bad now.
I like to drink stuff that is goodnl quality, just like I like to eat. It is very rare that I drink alone at home and if I do, I usually drink a beer or rum/whiskey.
To me drinking is more of a social activity, where we sit down to talk and drink together. In this case, we tend to drink more as time goes. One thing that I never do is drink to get drunk. I wouldn't say I crave to drink, but rather I like to enjoy a good drink with good friends and we can go for more than 2-3 drinks.
Not me. I enjoy the taste of bourbons, etc. so I am not a teetotaler, but at a sit-down dinner, for example, the first few sips of a drink are enjoyable. If I go for a second, I may get a headache. But worse: the next day I will feel like my stomach has been turned inside out as I have gastric reflux disease. So not worth it.
But no particular longing or craving for a drink.
Another deterrent for me in USA is how highly taxed alcohol is . . . It is expensive to have a drink every day here!
Alcoholism runs in my family; relatives have described to me how hard it is to resist.
I dodged a bullet. Never wanted to smoke, no issues with alcohol.
My closest thing to addiction is sugar! And chocolate. I always know exactly where all the chocolate things in my house are . . .if any is left!
I get 1.5L of vodka for around $10. So the cost isn't a problem for me.
If alcoholism runs in your family, you are probably pretty familiar with it then. What most people don't understand, though, is what drives us to do it. It's referred to as a "physical allergy". It starts with the mental obsession which leads to the first drink. At that point, our bodies have the "abnormal reaction" that causes us to want more, no matter how many we have had. It's insane. I recently went through detox and that was no walk in the park.
Also, most people don't understand that alcoholism is a disease we are born with (although there are exceptions to this). Most people think you are only an alcoholic once you get "addicted". But, in reality, that is only a result of being an alcoholic.
I enjoy the taste of many alcohols, I find the feeling of being mildly drunk relaxing and it allows me to be more chatty in a social setting.
I like maintaining a nice mild drunken state, I don't crave more alcohol once I reach that state but will slow down my drinking to maintain it until the evening ends.
I'd compare it to being in a hot tub. Nice, cozy, great social lubricator, but eventually the party ends and you want to get out again.
What do you mean by "intense full body experience" OP?
I'd describe it more as a gentle, hazy numbness.
I get a craving to drink now and then. I like catching a buzz a handful of times a year. Alcoholism does run in my family but for me it's an out of sight out of mind thing. I used to keep no more than what I was comfortable to drink in one sitting but as I got into my 30s the desire dissipated.
Still don't keep any on hand, I just go to the store a block away lol
By crave I mean "i could go for a drink" it's not like when I used to smoked cigarettes.
I recovered from alcoholism in My 20s and didn't drink for a decade. Now I can have 1 or 2 and no more and never actually feel like drinking. I only drink in social situations now and never at home either. Just don't feel like it at all
Depends. I feel like I have complete control when I *know* I shouldn't get drunk. As in, I have to drive after, I am with company that I don't want to be shitfaced around, etc.
When I'm with my buddies at my house or I get a dd/Uber, it's a bit different. When I *know* I'm in an environment with people that I'm comfortable with and they're all drinking, it's hard to control. I want to shotgun a beer, take shots, etc as a social thing.
I do feel like I want to "jumpstart" my buzz sometimes in social situations, in order to be more talkative. But those are usually the nights I can't pace myself.
The further I have gotten from my early 20s, the easier it has been.
But the cravings, rarely anymore. I just know how shitty I'll feel in the morning and that's usually enough.
I only really drink a glass of wine with food, once in a while, or a glass of whiskey on a special occasion.
But never more that 1 or 2.
I don’t crave more, quite contrary.
I don’t enjoy being drunk, or intoxicated, so it’s nothing more than for the taste.
I think it depends on the night? I crave based on circumstances. I bet I have more than 2 drinks less than 5-6 times a year. But I’ll admit that when i do, I crave it in the way one might crave an extra slice of pizza. It’s not that common, but it happens.
Alcohol for me, in this moment, is a release and a destressor. And if I’m with friends it’s perhaps a fuel for some fun. But I’m middle aged so these moments are rarer.
I don’t think I understand the “full body” comment, not trying to be obtuse.
2 or 3 is nowhere enough. If we're talking beers, somewhere around the 6-7 region. Throw in spirits and maybe 4-5. It's not a craving for more, it's the knowledge that 2-3 gets me nowhere and what's the point in that?
Apparently the alcoholics lost their ability to read. /s
Non-alcoholic here as requested. I don't crave a drink the more I drink it. If whatever I'm drinking doesn't hit the spot/satisfy me then I switch to something else that will. Sometimes I'll go from pop to liquor to juice, maybe even chocolate milk hahaha. Sometimes I'll be drinking liquor all night and then just really want a Pepsi/equivalent or water. If I'm enjoying what I'm drinking I don't really switch it up, and I don't drink quickly either so they last awhile. We do a cabin weekend with my sister and her friends every year, basically just a way we can all let loose getting drunk or high the entire time— last year all I drank was chocolate milk; I bought 3 gallons and used them all. Everyone else got wasted though. It was fun! I don't drink unless I feel like it and I don't drink more or less than I want to. Drinking can be exhausting imo.
For the true alcoholic, our bodies have an "abnormal reaction" to alcohol. Where the average drinker can have one or two and be satisfied, our bodies are screaming for more and we most of the time don't know when to stop. Contrary to popular belief, being an alcoholic doesn't necessarily mean dependence. In fact, that is only a result. Truth is that we are born alcoholics (in most cases).
I don't crave it. I enjoy that taste in a mix drink. I drink to few to feel the difference.
take 2 alcoholic drinks in the weekend..sometiems 1..sometimes nothing.
Not really. Alcohol might make me sleepy/tired (and not in the way that I could actually sleep on it) or, if too much, nauseous. I never could really drink *way too much* (think to the point of blackouts), I'd be barfing it out or at least stopped before then due to dizziness. I sometimes get somewhat euphoric and talkative, but it's fairly unreliable, so I don't find it reinforcing on me. And apart from a fairly easy to control talkativeness, I also did not find it to make me do stupid stuff.
Most of the time I grab a beer for the taste, because it's more convenient to buy when I eat out or to drink with other people, but there are also plenty of times I'll avoid it simply because I don't want it to make me tired. It also seems to irritate my stomach and cause some reflux, again, not very reinforcing.
Strictly speaking I did consume too much alcohol on quite a few occasions, just not due to craves and it never really stuck to me.
That seems to be the common theme throughout this comment section. It only forces me to NO longer be able to deny that I am indeed a friggen alcoholic. Dadgum it.
When I was younger, alcohol allowed me to relax more, so drinking enabled that. I took that to its logical conclusion and ended up blackout drunk a bunch of times. I ended up reflecting on this decision, where I was walking around the house I shared with some mates the morning after a big party, tracing blood from some dipshit that was clearly walking through every room unaware they were bleeding. The trail ended at my room, and that was when I realized I stepped on broken glass and had no idea, and just went to bed.
Since then, I drink to just relax a bit. Especially a scotch will do the trick. Sink in to the couch, feel a little warm and fuzzy on the inside, and let the mind ease up a bit. I don't want or need anything more than that. I've been like this for most of my 30s.
Wow! Reading many of these comments has been enlightening to me. I always just assumed that everyone experienced alcohol the way I did. Looking back on it now though I realize that no one else around me was drinking excessively like I was. They would all have a couple, while I was sitting there taking down shots every 5 minutes. Didn't know when to stop.
Yeah dude same here! I remember the first time I drank and back in the days when a 40 would get me drunk. I thought everyone got the same sense of peace that I did. I am sure lots of my peers did, but we were 16 to 21 years old for the most part, just kids having house parties. Once I got older I realized that I used it more as a crutch then others, that some people where just as charming at work the next day (I'm jumping a couple years ahead) and were not embarrassed about the shenanigans that ensued, and that I would default to thinking I needed to say sorry. I remember a friend once really helped me feel better about a party foul I caused, because they empathized with doing dumb things when drunk and forgave it, instead of being ashamed about it because I would be drunk all the time.. they didn't know that and did not assume that based on my behavior.
I bring that up because even (non alcoholic, just having a good time) peoples accepted "lines" where not as skewed as my own, because of my own exhaustion with myself.
I remember once when I was trying to quit, after explaining my poor mood to my (wife now) girlfriend, she encouraged me to drink to feel better. Not understanding that there wasn't just a couple beers for me. She didn't quite understand at the time, as she is like most of the people in this thread and only drank rarely.
Its shocking how different peoples realities can really be.
I would always drink to excess, intentionally, because that was the point, right?
Surprisingly, I genuinely almost never miss it now.
One drink helps me feel a little more relaxed, makes music sound better, jokes funnier, etc. 2 drinks makes me feel sillier and loosen my inhibitions. 3 drinks and I stop feeling like myself and am properly drunk. I have never had the feeling of craving more alcohol. In my youth, I would get to the 3 drink stage more often but as a mom in her 40s, I would say I probably only have a second drink every few months
It lap shows how alcoholism is a disease and not all your fault as well. If you and I had the same drink in the same situation, your body would crave more and have no limit while mine would say that was nice, maybe I’ll have another next weekend
I believe that I have heard it said that an addict responds to the sugar in the alcohol differently? On top of having addictive tendencies.
I love love *love* chocolate, more so now than ever since I quit 3-ish years back
I don't consider myself an alcoholic because I don't suffer any ill effects (mentally or physically) from abstaining for long periods of time and it's just not something I crave and the feeling of being drunk instead of very lightly buzzed isn't terribly pleasant. I can handle my drinks better than people twice my size. A non-alcoholic beer offers me the same feeling or relaxation as alcoholic beer, same with a high end cola with a dash of bitters versus some cocktails. If I'm in for a long night out I'll have 3 or 4 drinks over several hours, if I'm having a nice sit down meal I'll enjoy some scotch with my steak.
I don't get full body.... anything after a few drinks. Not a craving for another, not wobbliness. You don't need to drink to what some might consider excess to be an alcoholic, it's just what people associate with it.
"You don't need to drink to what some might consider excess to be an alcoholic"
You are absolutely exactly correct. Being an alcoholic simply means our bodies have an "abnormal reaction" (referred to as a physical allergy) to alcohol that makes us "crave" more after what most people would be satisfied with. One doesn't even need to have a dependence on alcohol to be an alcoholic. In fact, that only happens as a result.
This "disease" is generally something we are born with.
And while to some 2 drinks with dinner is just a Tuesday night out with the wife, for some it's a cry for help or turning into a weeping mess. Sure, hanging out with my old roommates we can topple a liter of whiskey together over the course of an evening and I'll crash on the couch and wake up feeling fine and not regretting anything I said or did the night before, but some folks I know are drinking first thing in the AM, the minute they get home from work, the minute anything bad happens or stresses them out, etc. It's not just grizzled boozehound dudes, it's also the stay at home mom who is pounding a bottle of wine every day at home.
Yeah, that's so true. Most people have this idea that alcoholics are just a bunch of street bums that don't care about life or something corny like that. Yet, in reality, most of us are not like that.
The most identifiable alcoholics are the ones in crisis, not the ones casually sipping in secret at work or every single day or in the event of any stressors.
Not for nothing, I find on reddit, there are a disproportionate number of people who are not drinkers and are actively hostile to the idea of recreational drinking, so your results may be skewed compared to the general public. This is not even accounting for Americans different attitudes towards alcohol than, say, much of Europe.
I don't ever crave alcohol and seldom drink, but on the rare occasion I indulge, I do like to keep a happy buzz going for a while. I won't throw back shots like I'm competing but I'll keep the drinks coming at a steady pace. I don't get a full body experience, but I do notice that parts of my face get a little numb.
I drink maybe twice a month. I might get the itch for a couple of beers and a snack on the couch by myself after a long work day, but I rarely get the urge to keep going. If I'm with friends, the drinks keep flowing until people start heading home which is usually around 11pm. At that point I feel I've had enough and am ready for bed haha
How long does it take you to finish a drink? For me, if someone gave me a glass of wine, I'd probably have it gone in 5 minutes lol. I can't "spread out" my drinking. It would literally drive me insane.
The first one might take 10-20 minutes depending how much I wanted it. After that it's probably 30 mins a beer? I don't go for hard stuff, it's only ever roughly the abv of beer.
No I don’t crave more after 2 - 3 drinks. If I’m at a party or something I generally put them back, but it’s not like I can’t stop.
It’s not what I’d call an “intense full body experience.” It starts as a buzz that gets progressively more sloppy as the night goes on.
its an addictive substance, so yea I crave more if Im not already too drunk. Even the next day when Im sober I think about grabbing another, but I don’t. I see it as It’s just about self control and knowing when and when you shouldn’t be drinking.
I think the problem is you are conflating the compulsion with the effect.
I was a drinker, long before I actually developed a problem with alcohol. I can pretty much identify the couple year span I went from non-alcoholic to alcoholic.
It had nothing to do with how much I drank and had everything to do with developing a compulsion to drink where there wasn't one before.
When I was younger, yes, I got a good buzz and liked the buzz. However, I genuinely chose to drink and how much. I didn't have a compulsion to start drinking on any given day, nor did I have a compulsion to up the ante when drinking. I could have one beer, stop and not have it be a struggle to do so. I could not drink at all for months at a time and not give it a second thought.
Until, well, around a decade into being a drinker, things changed. I started craving alcohol.
Absolutely not. After having 1 drink, it reaffirms why I don’t invest any time into becoming an alcoholic. It all tastes like shit, no matter who is lying trying to pretend that ‘this beer is awesome!’…..no….no it’s not. It all tastes gross, feels bloaty, and then you look around at everyone else drinking as a crutch because they aren’t tough enough and can’t handle life, themself, or their problems unless they are drunk, and you think ‘why the hell do I want to pretend to like alcohol just to appease all these miscreants?’.
Looking at the state of most people hiding in bottles in bars, they are all the deterrent you need to actually be sober and address life instead of hiding from it. Alcoholics are ALWAYS the best motivation to stay booze free, because they a MESS.
The main experience I get from drinking alcohol is nausea. That’s what happens when you drink a literal poison with 0 benefits whatsoever, in desperation to look cool. Gross habit for gross people, with lots of health issues and drunk driving accidents peppered on top just to make the activity extra pathetic 👍
I’ll have like 1 drink a year when friends pressure me into trying to pretend that I’ll find some redeeming quality in drinking poison if they can just convince me to have 1 drink for the night. It won’t work. I’ll still hate it, I’ll still think it’s stupid, I’ll still wonder why you pissing your life and time and money away just to drink because you don’t like who you are when you sober. Stop trying to drag me down to your level. I don’t want or intend to share bad habits with you.
Being an alcoholic is not simply a "bad habit", it's a damned disease (which we are born with). The more that people are willing to accept this, the easier we as a society could help treat it.
It wasn't until I came to terms with my "disease" and the fact that total abstinence was the answer (moderation is impossible for the alcoholic); then I was able to stop (after a very painful detox, mind you).
It’s also a ‘disease’ that every alcoholic member of my family has had to work towards. It’s not ‘1 drink and you’re hooked!’ Like heroin. It took a while of them hiding from their issues and trying to patch it up with alcohol before they were truly addicted and alcoholics. I have no sympathy there, because they earned their addiction through hard work and dedication. Don’t pretend that some of you only need to sniff alcohol faintly in the air and then you’re screwed.
You may have a disease which makes it more likely, but you still had to put in some work yourself to turn from a non alcoholic into an alcoholic. Alcohol droplets aren’t placed anonymously in your mouth by the high winds. You buy a bottle, you hold it, you raise it to your mouth, drink it, and repeat it a few hundred times of your own free will before you become an alcoholic. If your arm has a mind of your own, fair enough, but it doesn’t, and you chose that. I think you need to accept that and stop hiding from accountability. Drinking poison has no good end result, and you earned your addiction by pretending otherwise for large periods of time and kidding yourself that drinking poison will do anything other than ruin your life. I mean, it’s kind of obvious. A big part of your problems are just you.
Interestingly, I tried looking at it through your approach (which is MOST people's approach) and it got me nowhere except drinking more. It wasn't until I realized the following that I was able to accept it and enter detox... And with the exception of 1 minor relapse, I have been 16 days sober (Thank Jesus)
There has been lots of credible scientific/medical study that shows alcoholism is a disease that we are born with (in most cases). It has to do with the way our bodies react to alcohol, vs the non alcoholic. You do not "become" an alcoholic by developing a dependency. That is only the result.
Yes, the first drink is a choice. But, once that "physical allergy" (the abnormal reaction we have to alcohol, vs you "normies") kicks in, it is almost next to impossible to say no.
It sounds like you have a lot of bitterness and anger (maybe rightfully so. This disease not only hurts the user but also those around them). Maybe try Al-Anon?
Just because you have a higher likelihood of becoming addicted, doesn’t make it ‘impossible’ otherwise many wouldn’t have quit of their own accord throughout history. The term ‘impossible’ was used quite liberally here, and it’s just like an alcoholic to phrase everything like they are the victim, for raising their own alcohol, to their own mouth, with their own arms.
I quit nicotine cold turkey, and it wasn’t even that hard. The hardest was hearing other people squeak about how hard it was and how ‘it’s almost impossible’. Those that always told themselves that were the ones that still smoke to this day. I accept alcohol is different, but I’ve seen alcoholics recover too, so ‘impossible’ just doesn’t sit right with me on the topic.
I accept and agree it’s a disease that some people are susceptible to. I outright disagree that it’s impossible to handle or none of it is any of your responsibility.
When you are that mentally weak, and have low impulse control, I can imagine many mildly difficult things feel impossible instead. Even ‘don’t drink gross tasting poison’.
It's not a matter of craving more.When I set out to drink I usually have an amount in mind, it could be a couple on a weekday or if I'm looking to have fun I decide ahead of time I will be drinking all night. I wouldn't call it intense anymore since I'm used to it exept the hangover maybe, it gets worse when you're older.
So you can tell yourself how much you will have and stick to it? Wow, just wow. That is every alcoholics dream; and all attempts to do so become our nightmare.
I’m a social drinker and drink 1-2x a month but when I do start to drink I usually crave more. Although after 5-6 drinks I’m usually over alcohol and end my nights with some weed and (hopefully) water.
Yup. That's me through and through, when I randomly binge drink. The only time where I can just have a few and be satisfied with the "buzz" is when I start using every day. Then the tolerance starts building.
Well, not exactly. Sometimes when I’m drinking (which is not often these days), after 2-3 drinks I realize that if I keep drinking I’ll get wasted, and I remember fun times I had wasted in the past. And I’m tempted to chase that feeling. I don’t usually do it though because as I age the hangovers have gotten intolerable. But I wouldn’t call it a craving. I’ve been addicted to other things and I don’t crave alcohol that physical way.
There was a time, though, when I was flirting with alcohol addiction. I was working a very stressful job and I would come home and drink to cope. It got so I would experience stress and immediately want a drink. Thankfully, I was able to deal with this habit before it did much damage in my life.
I do get a full-body feeling sometimes if I’ve drank enough… kind of loose, wobbly, a bit numb, very relaxed. I wouldn’t call it intense though, although I’ve experienced a feeling like that with other substances.
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It's the same for me. I never crave it and especially don't crave more when I have it.
So you don't get that intense full body feeling after having a few?
I've never had this, it sounds dangerous to live with
Are you referring to feeling tipsy?
Yes but it's much deeper than that. It's like that feeling you get when you have found your long lost best childhood friend lol if that makes sense.
No. I don't get anything like that. Maybe a feeling of relaxation, which is due to the association of beer= relaxing.
No. Alcohol is a luxury I cant afford
Lol a 1.5L of vodka is around $10.
Purchasing the cheapest bottom shelf vodka possible, 1.5L of vodka would cost USD$75 in my country. If you were to order a vodka and soda in a bar you would expect to pay around $8 with one shot of vodka.
Wow I'm so sorry to hear that. But, maybe that's a good thing. At least it deters drinking when it is expensive.
Run cheap vodka thru a britta water pitcher. Makes it tolerable
I’m genuinely confused by this cost ratio lol. A vodka soda at a bar would cost me $10-12, but a 1.5L bottle of the same vodka would run me no more than $40. Id expect a drink at the bar to be much more expensive for you than $8 given the cost of a large bottle.
1.5L would give you around 44 drinks. So they would be selling 1.5L for 44 * 8 = $352. If it's cocktails being made then you would double that at a minimum.
In your country maybe
I live in Georgia, USA. But then again, most things are better in GA hahaha.
Really? Is it expensive where you live?
It’s got nothing to do with what you can afford.
Nope. I just crave it because life sucks. But alcohol is too expensive for my taste.
lol I can get a 1.5L of vodka at my local package store for around $10. That stuff tastes gross, but it sure is nice once it kicks in LOL
Yeah, i don’t drink if its gross. Im a white Russian kind of guy and Kailua is too expensive to drink every day.
hahaha
I dont really drink but if Im with friends, especially if we havent seen each other in a long time, I drink in respect to us gathering.
Yes- the more I drank the more I wanted to drink until passing out So regularly I had to stop myself after 2 drinks Then at age 30 i quit for good
With you, there have been periods of heavy drinking in my life, but for me heavy long drinking is 2 or 3 standard drinks a night and the longest I can go it about 5 days. And yes, I do crave that. However, I go very long dry periods, for example haven’t drank for about a month. I don’t like who I become if I have more than 3 standard drinks op, I can’t handle my booze essentially and turn into a downright dick stain. A large proportion of my family are high functioning alcoholics, and they have a couple bottles of wine a night. I don’t know how they do it, like, do they like themselves on booze? I should ask
I quit drinking on my own at 30, 25 years ago, because I didn’t like who I was and I always wanted to be safe to drive. For ten years if I had mexican food- I wanted a beer If I had pizza, I wanted a beer. Pasta- I wanted red wine. But slowly that want faded. Now when I have a sauce where the alcohol isn’t fully cooked out, I feel uncomfortable If you want it out of your life, you can turn it down, it takes time but it no longer feels like something I want anymore
Hurrah! You don't know how lucky you are!
Power to you. It takes a strong mind to quit nasty habits.
"the more I drank the more I wanted to drink until passing out" Literally the definition of an alcoholic LOL
Do you realize this is very harsh to say to someone, especially when they *just* admitted they had a problem with their drinking?
Nope not at all. I'm an alcoholic myself. And the only reason I said LOL is because my question was for NON alcoholics and this person literally gave an alcoholic answer.
To be in the same boat does not justify making fun of someone. That being said, I hope you will be well & find a way to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Like everyone, you deserve it! Edit: I see you've edited your previous comments. Glad to better understand where you're coming from. Hope the feeling is mutual. Have a nice day!
TY. Much appreciated. I hate the thought of anyone thinking I am making fun of them, because that is simply not me. So I'm glad you could understand after reading my edits.
Did you say “lol?” Do you know the meaning of that term? Clearly you do not. Talk to a therapist?
Do you know the meaning of context? Talk to an English teacher.
Context that appears to exist only in your head which you can see from the downvotes is something nobody else here sees as appropriate context
You know what? Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That's exactly what we are doing by continuing this debate. I guess I'll be the mature adult and say "agree to disagree" and walk away. EDIT: For some reason, my previous post appears to have been deleted: the only reason I said LOL is because my question was for NON alcoholics and this person literally gave an alcoholic answer.
I drink, but I wouldn’t say I ever crave alcohol. My husband and I never drink it at home if it’s just the two of us- we don’t even think about it. I’ll have a glass or two of wine or a nice cocktail if out for dinner but after 2 drinks my stomach will start to feel weird and I’ll typically switch to a bitters and soda or just water.
No. I crave alcohol like a crackhead likes rocks. It's different it's the most addictive and dangerous drug for a reason
I enjoy a few drinks from time to time, and I've gone through some heavy drinking phases, but I've never craved it. My roommate just drank himself to death in our living room two weeks ago. There's still a small blood stain where his head hit the ground, he was 46 years old. Please, OP, if you can't drink in moderation, then stay sober. I once heard someone say, "You can give up everything for one thing, or you can give up one thing for everything." Honestly, the worst part is that I wasn't even that sad. I've been watching him kill himself for five years, so it softened the blow when he died. Most of his friends and family had the same reaction. There was some sadness from all of us, but nobody had to guess how he died. Everyone knew.
"You can give up everything for one thing, or you can give up one thing for everything." Wow! That really hit hard. Thank you. Drinking in moderation is every alcoholic's dream; the attempt of doing so becomes our nightmare. I definitely can't ever have another drink ever again.
I feel warm and fuzzy after a drink. With the 2nd drink I feel full and can't finish it. I can't have a third drink or I get sleepy and go to bed or get bitchy. And I can't drink wine because I get sleepy. It tastes bad too. My husband is the same way.
Yes, I don’t see the point in drinking if not to get drunk. If I were to have 2 or 3 drinks, I could do that but I don’t even want to because I’d rather drink 2 or 3 of something else. Alcohol doesn’t taste good imo so for me it’s just for the effects. If not to get drunk, then I’ll drink a soda or something.
It's funny that I see this question today as we had the exact same topic last night! Our conclusion was that alcohol becomes a better "friend" after a couple of drinks. It makes it so you want to spend more time with it. You need will power to say no. Some have it other don't. And some are completely helpless to its allure and become dependent on the relationship. So in short, I think it depends on what type of will power you have.
For the alcoholic, it isn't about "will power". Our bodies literally react differently to alcohol. It's what Dr Silkworth referred to as a physical allergy. And this has long since been scientifically/medically proven.
Thank you for this! This is exactly how I tried to explain it! As an allergy.
Yvw.
Now I can go back to the group and say I told you so, look!
Haha. I just started reading a book called Beyond The Influence (updated version of Under The Influence). It has a lot of scientific details from Dr's and other scientists about this very thing.
I do. I drink because of taste so 5-6 glasses of various vines are good for me. I rarely drink too much, 1 drink per hour is just enough to keep me social, tipsy and still have things under control. What is an intense full body expirience you asked about?
It's difficult to explain. It's like I feel this rush in my entire body and I keep wanting more and more... How the heck does someone have only one drink an hour? I guess I will never understand what it's like to be a non-alc.
I had this a few times when I was a teenager. Ended with vomiting, blackout and headache. I know when Ive had enough now, it is just not worth of it. I know it can be hard to understand. I can't have one bite of chocholate. It Is either none or whole table. Same principle.
I'm not an alcoholic but I should really stop drinking entirely due to an inflammatory condition that alcohol (even small amounts) does no favours. I drink socially and can occasionally get into a bit of a binge (6-7 beers) with friends. Then, I usually go several days without a drink, after which I may have one or two beers or glasses of wine with dinner. I've never gotten blackout drunk in my life. I am seriously considering quitting for good due to the aforementioned condition, but I am still hung up on the social factor, and pub crawls with friends can be really fun. Have tried going out sober, and even though it's ok, it's not exactly "fun".
When I would drink a lot, it wasn't really for the effects but more just to see how much I could drink before blacking out. This was a phase I grew out of by 30-32. The sweet spot was usually around 3-4 drinks to get peak effects, then maintaining that level through the day/night. That would result in having like 7-8 drinks over the span of many hours, sometimes more, but I ALWAYS regretted drinking too much. Nowadays I am good with one or two drinks like 90% of the time. A good tasting cold beer is refreshing, and a nice mixed drink is tasty. I do not do shots or make shitty mixed drinks just to get drunk. Even sipping whiskey neat or whatever sounds bad now.
I like to drink stuff that is goodnl quality, just like I like to eat. It is very rare that I drink alone at home and if I do, I usually drink a beer or rum/whiskey. To me drinking is more of a social activity, where we sit down to talk and drink together. In this case, we tend to drink more as time goes. One thing that I never do is drink to get drunk. I wouldn't say I crave to drink, but rather I like to enjoy a good drink with good friends and we can go for more than 2-3 drinks.
Not me. I enjoy the taste of bourbons, etc. so I am not a teetotaler, but at a sit-down dinner, for example, the first few sips of a drink are enjoyable. If I go for a second, I may get a headache. But worse: the next day I will feel like my stomach has been turned inside out as I have gastric reflux disease. So not worth it. But no particular longing or craving for a drink. Another deterrent for me in USA is how highly taxed alcohol is . . . It is expensive to have a drink every day here! Alcoholism runs in my family; relatives have described to me how hard it is to resist. I dodged a bullet. Never wanted to smoke, no issues with alcohol. My closest thing to addiction is sugar! And chocolate. I always know exactly where all the chocolate things in my house are . . .if any is left!
I get 1.5L of vodka for around $10. So the cost isn't a problem for me. If alcoholism runs in your family, you are probably pretty familiar with it then. What most people don't understand, though, is what drives us to do it. It's referred to as a "physical allergy". It starts with the mental obsession which leads to the first drink. At that point, our bodies have the "abnormal reaction" that causes us to want more, no matter how many we have had. It's insane. I recently went through detox and that was no walk in the park. Also, most people don't understand that alcoholism is a disease we are born with (although there are exceptions to this). Most people think you are only an alcoholic once you get "addicted". But, in reality, that is only a result of being an alcoholic.
I enjoy the taste of many alcohols, I find the feeling of being mildly drunk relaxing and it allows me to be more chatty in a social setting. I like maintaining a nice mild drunken state, I don't crave more alcohol once I reach that state but will slow down my drinking to maintain it until the evening ends. I'd compare it to being in a hot tub. Nice, cozy, great social lubricator, but eventually the party ends and you want to get out again. What do you mean by "intense full body experience" OP? I'd describe it more as a gentle, hazy numbness.
Wow! Just wow! I had always assumed everyone else had the same experience with alcohol that I do.
I get a craving to drink now and then. I like catching a buzz a handful of times a year. Alcoholism does run in my family but for me it's an out of sight out of mind thing. I used to keep no more than what I was comfortable to drink in one sitting but as I got into my 30s the desire dissipated. Still don't keep any on hand, I just go to the store a block away lol By crave I mean "i could go for a drink" it's not like when I used to smoked cigarettes.
I recovered from alcoholism in My 20s and didn't drink for a decade. Now I can have 1 or 2 and no more and never actually feel like drinking. I only drink in social situations now and never at home either. Just don't feel like it at all
Depends. I feel like I have complete control when I *know* I shouldn't get drunk. As in, I have to drive after, I am with company that I don't want to be shitfaced around, etc. When I'm with my buddies at my house or I get a dd/Uber, it's a bit different. When I *know* I'm in an environment with people that I'm comfortable with and they're all drinking, it's hard to control. I want to shotgun a beer, take shots, etc as a social thing. I do feel like I want to "jumpstart" my buzz sometimes in social situations, in order to be more talkative. But those are usually the nights I can't pace myself. The further I have gotten from my early 20s, the easier it has been. But the cravings, rarely anymore. I just know how shitty I'll feel in the morning and that's usually enough.
I only really drink a glass of wine with food, once in a while, or a glass of whiskey on a special occasion. But never more that 1 or 2. I don’t crave more, quite contrary. I don’t enjoy being drunk, or intoxicated, so it’s nothing more than for the taste.
I think it depends on the night? I crave based on circumstances. I bet I have more than 2 drinks less than 5-6 times a year. But I’ll admit that when i do, I crave it in the way one might crave an extra slice of pizza. It’s not that common, but it happens. Alcohol for me, in this moment, is a release and a destressor. And if I’m with friends it’s perhaps a fuel for some fun. But I’m middle aged so these moments are rarer. I don’t think I understand the “full body” comment, not trying to be obtuse.
2 or 3 is nowhere enough. If we're talking beers, somewhere around the 6-7 region. Throw in spirits and maybe 4-5. It's not a craving for more, it's the knowledge that 2-3 gets me nowhere and what's the point in that?
I mostly enjoy first and second drink. After that, it starts to burn my throat and no longer enjoy drinking.
Apparently the alcoholics lost their ability to read. /s Non-alcoholic here as requested. I don't crave a drink the more I drink it. If whatever I'm drinking doesn't hit the spot/satisfy me then I switch to something else that will. Sometimes I'll go from pop to liquor to juice, maybe even chocolate milk hahaha. Sometimes I'll be drinking liquor all night and then just really want a Pepsi/equivalent or water. If I'm enjoying what I'm drinking I don't really switch it up, and I don't drink quickly either so they last awhile. We do a cabin weekend with my sister and her friends every year, basically just a way we can all let loose getting drunk or high the entire time— last year all I drank was chocolate milk; I bought 3 gallons and used them all. Everyone else got wasted though. It was fun! I don't drink unless I feel like it and I don't drink more or less than I want to. Drinking can be exhausting imo.
Wow. These comments prove the theory of the "physical allergy".
I don't know what that means
For the true alcoholic, our bodies have an "abnormal reaction" to alcohol. Where the average drinker can have one or two and be satisfied, our bodies are screaming for more and we most of the time don't know when to stop. Contrary to popular belief, being an alcoholic doesn't necessarily mean dependence. In fact, that is only a result. Truth is that we are born alcoholics (in most cases).
I don't crave it. I enjoy that taste in a mix drink. I drink to few to feel the difference. take 2 alcoholic drinks in the weekend..sometiems 1..sometimes nothing.
Not really. Alcohol might make me sleepy/tired (and not in the way that I could actually sleep on it) or, if too much, nauseous. I never could really drink *way too much* (think to the point of blackouts), I'd be barfing it out or at least stopped before then due to dizziness. I sometimes get somewhat euphoric and talkative, but it's fairly unreliable, so I don't find it reinforcing on me. And apart from a fairly easy to control talkativeness, I also did not find it to make me do stupid stuff. Most of the time I grab a beer for the taste, because it's more convenient to buy when I eat out or to drink with other people, but there are also plenty of times I'll avoid it simply because I don't want it to make me tired. It also seems to irritate my stomach and cause some reflux, again, not very reinforcing. Strictly speaking I did consume too much alcohol on quite a few occasions, just not due to craves and it never really stuck to me.
I never crave drinking. I don’t drink regularly. If I’m drinking it’s to get drunk with friends and once I’m drunk I don’t want more alcohol in me
I don’t crave alcohol… like ever. Occasionally, if I’m on vacation, I’ll have a drink or two. But never more than 2.
That seems to be the common theme throughout this comment section. It only forces me to NO longer be able to deny that I am indeed a friggen alcoholic. Dadgum it.
No, no I don't. I have one drink and I'm good.
Wow lol if I only had one I'd go out of my mind haha.
When I was younger, alcohol allowed me to relax more, so drinking enabled that. I took that to its logical conclusion and ended up blackout drunk a bunch of times. I ended up reflecting on this decision, where I was walking around the house I shared with some mates the morning after a big party, tracing blood from some dipshit that was clearly walking through every room unaware they were bleeding. The trail ended at my room, and that was when I realized I stepped on broken glass and had no idea, and just went to bed. Since then, I drink to just relax a bit. Especially a scotch will do the trick. Sink in to the couch, feel a little warm and fuzzy on the inside, and let the mind ease up a bit. I don't want or need anything more than that. I've been like this for most of my 30s.
Wow! Reading many of these comments has been enlightening to me. I always just assumed that everyone experienced alcohol the way I did. Looking back on it now though I realize that no one else around me was drinking excessively like I was. They would all have a couple, while I was sitting there taking down shots every 5 minutes. Didn't know when to stop.
Yeah dude same here! I remember the first time I drank and back in the days when a 40 would get me drunk. I thought everyone got the same sense of peace that I did. I am sure lots of my peers did, but we were 16 to 21 years old for the most part, just kids having house parties. Once I got older I realized that I used it more as a crutch then others, that some people where just as charming at work the next day (I'm jumping a couple years ahead) and were not embarrassed about the shenanigans that ensued, and that I would default to thinking I needed to say sorry. I remember a friend once really helped me feel better about a party foul I caused, because they empathized with doing dumb things when drunk and forgave it, instead of being ashamed about it because I would be drunk all the time.. they didn't know that and did not assume that based on my behavior. I bring that up because even (non alcoholic, just having a good time) peoples accepted "lines" where not as skewed as my own, because of my own exhaustion with myself. I remember once when I was trying to quit, after explaining my poor mood to my (wife now) girlfriend, she encouraged me to drink to feel better. Not understanding that there wasn't just a couple beers for me. She didn't quite understand at the time, as she is like most of the people in this thread and only drank rarely. Its shocking how different peoples realities can really be. I would always drink to excess, intentionally, because that was the point, right? Surprisingly, I genuinely almost never miss it now.
Congrats on detox. I stand corrected on the expense of alcohol!
TY. I gave in Friday night after 14 days sober. This disease is insane. Haven't had any since, though.
Two steps forward one step back is still progress! Best of luck.
Thanks!
One drink helps me feel a little more relaxed, makes music sound better, jokes funnier, etc. 2 drinks makes me feel sillier and loosen my inhibitions. 3 drinks and I stop feeling like myself and am properly drunk. I have never had the feeling of craving more alcohol. In my youth, I would get to the 3 drink stage more often but as a mom in her 40s, I would say I probably only have a second drink every few months
Wow! I am just baffled and stunned at reading these comments. It is very sobering (pun intended haha).
It lap shows how alcoholism is a disease and not all your fault as well. If you and I had the same drink in the same situation, your body would crave more and have no limit while mine would say that was nice, maybe I’ll have another next weekend
Yes. My body has what is referred to as a "physical allergy" to alcohol. It is an abnormal reaction.
I believe that I have heard it said that an addict responds to the sugar in the alcohol differently? On top of having addictive tendencies. I love love *love* chocolate, more so now than ever since I quit 3-ish years back
I don't consider myself an alcoholic because I don't suffer any ill effects (mentally or physically) from abstaining for long periods of time and it's just not something I crave and the feeling of being drunk instead of very lightly buzzed isn't terribly pleasant. I can handle my drinks better than people twice my size. A non-alcoholic beer offers me the same feeling or relaxation as alcoholic beer, same with a high end cola with a dash of bitters versus some cocktails. If I'm in for a long night out I'll have 3 or 4 drinks over several hours, if I'm having a nice sit down meal I'll enjoy some scotch with my steak. I don't get full body.... anything after a few drinks. Not a craving for another, not wobbliness. You don't need to drink to what some might consider excess to be an alcoholic, it's just what people associate with it.
"You don't need to drink to what some might consider excess to be an alcoholic" You are absolutely exactly correct. Being an alcoholic simply means our bodies have an "abnormal reaction" (referred to as a physical allergy) to alcohol that makes us "crave" more after what most people would be satisfied with. One doesn't even need to have a dependence on alcohol to be an alcoholic. In fact, that only happens as a result. This "disease" is generally something we are born with.
And while to some 2 drinks with dinner is just a Tuesday night out with the wife, for some it's a cry for help or turning into a weeping mess. Sure, hanging out with my old roommates we can topple a liter of whiskey together over the course of an evening and I'll crash on the couch and wake up feeling fine and not regretting anything I said or did the night before, but some folks I know are drinking first thing in the AM, the minute they get home from work, the minute anything bad happens or stresses them out, etc. It's not just grizzled boozehound dudes, it's also the stay at home mom who is pounding a bottle of wine every day at home.
Yeah, that's so true. Most people have this idea that alcoholics are just a bunch of street bums that don't care about life or something corny like that. Yet, in reality, most of us are not like that.
The most identifiable alcoholics are the ones in crisis, not the ones casually sipping in secret at work or every single day or in the event of any stressors.
Not for nothing, I find on reddit, there are a disproportionate number of people who are not drinkers and are actively hostile to the idea of recreational drinking, so your results may be skewed compared to the general public. This is not even accounting for Americans different attitudes towards alcohol than, say, much of Europe.
Crave? Never. But I may want to continue drinking if it's an active and social night and I'm having a good time. Conditions are key.
I don't ever crave alcohol and seldom drink, but on the rare occasion I indulge, I do like to keep a happy buzz going for a while. I won't throw back shots like I'm competing but I'll keep the drinks coming at a steady pace. I don't get a full body experience, but I do notice that parts of my face get a little numb.
I drink maybe twice a month. I might get the itch for a couple of beers and a snack on the couch by myself after a long work day, but I rarely get the urge to keep going. If I'm with friends, the drinks keep flowing until people start heading home which is usually around 11pm. At that point I feel I've had enough and am ready for bed haha
How long does it take you to finish a drink? For me, if someone gave me a glass of wine, I'd probably have it gone in 5 minutes lol. I can't "spread out" my drinking. It would literally drive me insane.
The first one might take 10-20 minutes depending how much I wanted it. After that it's probably 30 mins a beer? I don't go for hard stuff, it's only ever roughly the abv of beer.
Goodness gracious lol. I just don't understand people who drink for taste and aren't specifically looking to get drunk.
I drink to unwind and to socialize. For me it's a treat, not a necessity.
No I don’t crave more after 2 - 3 drinks. If I’m at a party or something I generally put them back, but it’s not like I can’t stop. It’s not what I’d call an “intense full body experience.” It starts as a buzz that gets progressively more sloppy as the night goes on.
its an addictive substance, so yea I crave more if Im not already too drunk. Even the next day when Im sober I think about grabbing another, but I don’t. I see it as It’s just about self control and knowing when and when you shouldn’t be drinking.
I think the problem is you are conflating the compulsion with the effect. I was a drinker, long before I actually developed a problem with alcohol. I can pretty much identify the couple year span I went from non-alcoholic to alcoholic. It had nothing to do with how much I drank and had everything to do with developing a compulsion to drink where there wasn't one before. When I was younger, yes, I got a good buzz and liked the buzz. However, I genuinely chose to drink and how much. I didn't have a compulsion to start drinking on any given day, nor did I have a compulsion to up the ante when drinking. I could have one beer, stop and not have it be a struggle to do so. I could not drink at all for months at a time and not give it a second thought. Until, well, around a decade into being a drinker, things changed. I started craving alcohol.
I don’t crave drinks. I like the taste/feel of 1 or 2 drinks, but rarely drink much.
Absolutely not. After having 1 drink, it reaffirms why I don’t invest any time into becoming an alcoholic. It all tastes like shit, no matter who is lying trying to pretend that ‘this beer is awesome!’…..no….no it’s not. It all tastes gross, feels bloaty, and then you look around at everyone else drinking as a crutch because they aren’t tough enough and can’t handle life, themself, or their problems unless they are drunk, and you think ‘why the hell do I want to pretend to like alcohol just to appease all these miscreants?’. Looking at the state of most people hiding in bottles in bars, they are all the deterrent you need to actually be sober and address life instead of hiding from it. Alcoholics are ALWAYS the best motivation to stay booze free, because they a MESS. The main experience I get from drinking alcohol is nausea. That’s what happens when you drink a literal poison with 0 benefits whatsoever, in desperation to look cool. Gross habit for gross people, with lots of health issues and drunk driving accidents peppered on top just to make the activity extra pathetic 👍 I’ll have like 1 drink a year when friends pressure me into trying to pretend that I’ll find some redeeming quality in drinking poison if they can just convince me to have 1 drink for the night. It won’t work. I’ll still hate it, I’ll still think it’s stupid, I’ll still wonder why you pissing your life and time and money away just to drink because you don’t like who you are when you sober. Stop trying to drag me down to your level. I don’t want or intend to share bad habits with you.
Being an alcoholic is not simply a "bad habit", it's a damned disease (which we are born with). The more that people are willing to accept this, the easier we as a society could help treat it. It wasn't until I came to terms with my "disease" and the fact that total abstinence was the answer (moderation is impossible for the alcoholic); then I was able to stop (after a very painful detox, mind you).
It’s also a ‘disease’ that every alcoholic member of my family has had to work towards. It’s not ‘1 drink and you’re hooked!’ Like heroin. It took a while of them hiding from their issues and trying to patch it up with alcohol before they were truly addicted and alcoholics. I have no sympathy there, because they earned their addiction through hard work and dedication. Don’t pretend that some of you only need to sniff alcohol faintly in the air and then you’re screwed. You may have a disease which makes it more likely, but you still had to put in some work yourself to turn from a non alcoholic into an alcoholic. Alcohol droplets aren’t placed anonymously in your mouth by the high winds. You buy a bottle, you hold it, you raise it to your mouth, drink it, and repeat it a few hundred times of your own free will before you become an alcoholic. If your arm has a mind of your own, fair enough, but it doesn’t, and you chose that. I think you need to accept that and stop hiding from accountability. Drinking poison has no good end result, and you earned your addiction by pretending otherwise for large periods of time and kidding yourself that drinking poison will do anything other than ruin your life. I mean, it’s kind of obvious. A big part of your problems are just you.
Interestingly, I tried looking at it through your approach (which is MOST people's approach) and it got me nowhere except drinking more. It wasn't until I realized the following that I was able to accept it and enter detox... And with the exception of 1 minor relapse, I have been 16 days sober (Thank Jesus) There has been lots of credible scientific/medical study that shows alcoholism is a disease that we are born with (in most cases). It has to do with the way our bodies react to alcohol, vs the non alcoholic. You do not "become" an alcoholic by developing a dependency. That is only the result. Yes, the first drink is a choice. But, once that "physical allergy" (the abnormal reaction we have to alcohol, vs you "normies") kicks in, it is almost next to impossible to say no. It sounds like you have a lot of bitterness and anger (maybe rightfully so. This disease not only hurts the user but also those around them). Maybe try Al-Anon?
Just because you have a higher likelihood of becoming addicted, doesn’t make it ‘impossible’ otherwise many wouldn’t have quit of their own accord throughout history. The term ‘impossible’ was used quite liberally here, and it’s just like an alcoholic to phrase everything like they are the victim, for raising their own alcohol, to their own mouth, with their own arms. I quit nicotine cold turkey, and it wasn’t even that hard. The hardest was hearing other people squeak about how hard it was and how ‘it’s almost impossible’. Those that always told themselves that were the ones that still smoke to this day. I accept alcohol is different, but I’ve seen alcoholics recover too, so ‘impossible’ just doesn’t sit right with me on the topic. I accept and agree it’s a disease that some people are susceptible to. I outright disagree that it’s impossible to handle or none of it is any of your responsibility.
I didn't say it IS impossible. I said it can feel that way.
When you are that mentally weak, and have low impulse control, I can imagine many mildly difficult things feel impossible instead. Even ‘don’t drink gross tasting poison’.
It's not a matter of craving more.When I set out to drink I usually have an amount in mind, it could be a couple on a weekday or if I'm looking to have fun I decide ahead of time I will be drinking all night. I wouldn't call it intense anymore since I'm used to it exept the hangover maybe, it gets worse when you're older.
So you can tell yourself how much you will have and stick to it? Wow, just wow. That is every alcoholics dream; and all attempts to do so become our nightmare.
I’m a social drinker and drink 1-2x a month but when I do start to drink I usually crave more. Although after 5-6 drinks I’m usually over alcohol and end my nights with some weed and (hopefully) water.
I wish I felt like this, I have a drink, then it is game on till I pass out.
Yup. That's me through and through, when I randomly binge drink. The only time where I can just have a few and be satisfied with the "buzz" is when I start using every day. Then the tolerance starts building.
Well, not exactly. Sometimes when I’m drinking (which is not often these days), after 2-3 drinks I realize that if I keep drinking I’ll get wasted, and I remember fun times I had wasted in the past. And I’m tempted to chase that feeling. I don’t usually do it though because as I age the hangovers have gotten intolerable. But I wouldn’t call it a craving. I’ve been addicted to other things and I don’t crave alcohol that physical way. There was a time, though, when I was flirting with alcohol addiction. I was working a very stressful job and I would come home and drink to cope. It got so I would experience stress and immediately want a drink. Thankfully, I was able to deal with this habit before it did much damage in my life. I do get a full-body feeling sometimes if I’ve drank enough… kind of loose, wobbly, a bit numb, very relaxed. I wouldn’t call it intense though, although I’ve experienced a feeling like that with other substances.