Goodbye Alcohol.

[Chrome]

I was completely clean until I met my ex and didn't have a drop until I was 23. Before that I was quite active within the IOGT and often campaigned against any and all alcohol usage that wasn't medical. But after a while I felt I couldn't honestly say that I was able to morally defend my views which had grown rather extreme (I wouldn't even touch my current girlfriend if she had even tasted a drink and that scared me). So, I started trying out stuff here and there to at least be able to understand what I was refraining from. Took me a damn long while to find anything I wouldn't pour right down the drain but then a friend told me to taste his Laphroaig and I was stuck. Later that year at My soon-to-be girlfriends birthday party I was drunk for the first time in my life. Been drunk quite a few times since and I've learned to drink a lot more than whiskey. But I've never had a bad experience really, the first time ever that I was hungover was the day after this Christmas when an old friend and I shared a bottle of Ararat brandy. We emptied it and I had a bit of whiskey after that as well. Didn't feel very drunk at all and woke up feeling nothing at all. But on the bus on my way to grab some breakfast at the local mall, now that's an entirely other story.

[freakinacage]

Medical alcohol?

I bought my old man some Laphroag, shit that stuff is smokey, like licking a hearth!

[Chrome]

Medical alcohol?

I bought my old man some Laphroag, shit that stuff is smokey, like licking a hearth!

Yeah, as in not for intoxication but for the cleaning of wounds and such uses.

Yeah, it really is. And basically everything that was sweeter than that that I had tasted up until then basically made me gag.

[Dragonsreach]

I bought my old man some Laphroag, shit that stuff is smokey, like licking a hearth!

Really try Loch Dhu,(*) bought a bottle for my dad's birthday in 1998.
H*ll that tastes more than smokey, kinda charcoal/liquorice.

(* A black whisky now out of production but has a successor in Cu Dhub, and now developing a bit of a following.However it is an aquired taste I've been told. Cu Dhub means Black Dog in Gaelic )

[montka]

Ok I have to say that I have enjoyed drinking sessions with local rugby team on a few occassions as I took up the sport briefly and that was really good for the atmosphere and the raucous singing.

But I have a feeling that most of the bravado around large scale drinking is just covering up mental and emotional problems?

I have had severe mental illness problems and I know it would be a really, really bad idea for me to get drunk for the risk of getting depressed - I have a feeling that actually boozing makes everyone feel worse in the long run and I feel ashamed of the way it is an accepted part of British 'culture'.

I would like to know if people are having that good a time on the drink. I know I wouldn't be and my life experience tells me yes people are fragile and alcohol is VERY addictive.

I have been addicted to cigarettes numerous times and every time I quit it is like a physical/spiritual torture. I feel kind of horrified that millions out there are addicted to these substances - life feels much better being healthy

Basically, bottom line: there is a whole peer pressure 'culture' that says booze is fun/makes you fun. It isn't - unless you control it it will damage your physical/ mental health, possibly irreprably.

EDIT: I forgot to say the scenes of British towns on a Friday/Saturday night is particularly bad; people out of control screaming and sqwuaking, they are supposed to be adults, I have no respect for them at all, there is nothing funny about grown women who can't stand up straight. Also the levels of obesity it causes is messed up.

[gohkm]

I do agree there's a huge amount of peer pressure, the 'culture', as you refer to it, that potentially forces enjoyment of alcohol upon one. While I cannot speak for others, I'm primarily driven by taste and smell. For that reason alone, I've never really gotten into beer, but I really love the taste and scent of a good single malt - there's something about the scent that triggers a tremendous amount of dopamine in my brain.

That said, with the first tumbler, I seem to function better. Some of the best code, the best reports, I've written while under the influence. Problem arises when I hit the second tumbler. And it rapidly goes downhill from there. But I've never had the peer pressure thing shoved in my face, even in university days, as I prefer to drink whisky alone, with a good book.

I tried prepping a miniature once, after a couple of whiskies. Wasn't the best idea I've ever had.

[Dragonsreach]

Alcohol and it's abuse is a huge problem in the UK.
The trend to "Binge Drinking" and its sociological roots and effects are far to complex an issue to go into here.
I'd need several years catch up study on Sociology before I'd even feel qualified to Start to discuss the implications of the UK's Friday night Booze Bargain Binges.

If anyone of us can give best examples of the implications I'd suspect it's freackinacage due to his NHS and Emergency room experiences at weekends.

[freakinacage]

Ha! I had already clicked reply by the time I had read the bit about me!! Yeah we get all kind of shit from drinking, most of it the common stupid injuries that every one knows about. You wouldn't believe the amount of people in their 30's with Alcoholic Liver Disease now. It's pretty scary as it fucks you right up and you used only get it very rarely but in older people. People think "it'll be ok" but you'd be surprised how much damage it can do. But then again people still smoke, which goes to show how stupid they are...

[montka]

I feel pity for people on drink and/or fags really.

Rationally it is 'stupid', but the degree to which these chemicals affect one's willpower is staggering.

You can moralise about it and say how thoughtless people are being, or you can see addicts as let down by society somehow, or just significant numbers of people have poor willpower.

I think it's the last one. It takes iron will power to resist addictive substances once you associate them with good times or stressrelief.

[blueshift]

When I paint models drunk I always do basecoating because I kind of get lost in it and don't find it nearly as dull as normal. Also, I'm a bit more ferocious when I drink and this helps the basecoating along nicely. Especially with 2 stompas and 2 baneblades -_-

Then I try to wetblend and I just say "oh forget it" and leave a paint pot open all night :/

[ChemicalFencer]

I do like a drink now and then, and I try (and succeed) on limiting myself and knowing when to stop. I'll have a glass of wine, or a G&T with my dinner on occasion. However there are those few time when I have gone past reasonable.

One time (about 2004) I was down South somewhere. I was on a training course. We all went out on the pop. I had 2 beers in one place, and a Jack and Coke in the next, I swear that is all I had. I woke up in A&E the next morning. Apparently I was found passed out on a park bench in Basildon, the person who found me was very nice in calling the Emergency Services. I had all my money, cards, and kidneys so I think I was pretty lucky. The nurses in A&E weren't best pleased, and weren't the nicest to me. I can understand why. I have my suspicions as to what has happened and I'm glad that it didn't.

The time before that - Christmas 1998. The whole family were out on the pop down at our local. Drank lots - I was young at the time and was in good drinking form (I was a student after all). We all got back home and carried on. I remember pouring myself a very large (to the brim large) glass of Jack and promptly downed it. I don't remember much after that but the next morning I felt fine (I didn't get hangovers back then). My mum asked how my head was - don't get hangovers mum! "No," she said, "the back of your head!". I had an almighty lump on the back of my head. After the Jack downing (and some more Jack downing) I had an imbalance issue and fell backward cracking my head against the door frame on the way down. To this day I still have a dent in my head.

I'm not the biggest Jack fan any more, although I'm ok with it. Those 2 were the most worrying drinking related incidents I have had.

Like I said, I know when to slow down and/or stop now - I hate it when I loose control.

Alcohol (in my opinion) is to be enjoyed. Its not there to get wrecked on.

In Qatar you must have a liquor license in order to buy some for home consumption. You have to be earning a certain amount to apply for one. Some of the workers cannot apply turn to cheap aftershaves (Blue Moon is one such product). It gets them high and drunk and is very dangerous and they will be unable to work for a couple of days. As montka, its a lack of willpower.

So that's my story.

Thanks for looking.

CF

[PegaZus]

In Qatar you must have a liquor license in order to buy some for home consumption. You have to be earning a certain amount to apply for one. Some of the workers cannot apply turn to cheap aftershaves (Blue Moon is one such product). It gets them high and drunk and is very dangerous and they will be unable to work for a couple of days.

Reminded me of a story my step-mother told of her grandparents. They ran a little store back in the 30's-50's time range (I don't know exactly when), but when the fall harvest festival would start, they'd have to go and take down everything that had alcohol in it. Otherwise, those too cheap to buy the real stuff would drink aftershave, perfume, etc. Nasty, nasty, nasty.