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Post by billhammond on Oct 9, 2006 12:09:49 GMT -5
Admiral Zum-Zum had these scary eyebrows. When you walked past portraits of him, they followed your progress.
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Post by david on Oct 9, 2006 12:10:00 GMT -5
Hey Bill, Well your wisdom score went way up in my book. It takes a very smart person to recognize a problem before a traumatic event. I too was getting into the multiple drinks in the evening routine and quit. I had other motivations, not the least of which were my family. My kids and wife have said that I am alot nicer since the change. That hurt and continues to inspire me. Well done and stick with it.
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Post by dradtke on Oct 9, 2006 12:40:20 GMT -5
Be careful with that free Goodall offer, Bill. Others may live far away, but I'm close enough to swing by. Should I just pick out my own at the Podium and put it on your account?
Have you heard about AAAAA? If you're too drunk to drive, they tow your car for you.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2006 12:49:12 GMT -5
I want a Goodall, Bill. I want the nylon string one.
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Post by timfarney on Oct 9, 2006 13:04:40 GMT -5
OK, Bill really opened up there. It was courageous and admirable. And we all gave him our support. Even me. Can we start abusing him again or is it too soon?
ok...ok...I can wait awhile longer...
Tim
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Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2006 13:17:41 GMT -5
We can abuse you for awhile, Tim. How about it? So how many guitars have you been through in the last year?
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Post by theevan on Oct 9, 2006 13:32:58 GMT -5
How about your hallowed basement, Bill? Can I have the beer signs? Thanks, but you can keep the shag.
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Post by billhammond on Oct 9, 2006 13:35:45 GMT -5
How about your hallowed basement, Bill? Can I have the beer signs? Thanks, but you can keep the shag. Yup, you can have all the Leinie memorabilia, and I will even throw in two very cool Leinie shirts (brand new) and a whole bunch of glass Leinie and Sleeman empties!
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Post by sekhmet on Oct 9, 2006 13:36:17 GMT -5
Wren, as I understand it, Thompsons aren't quite good enough for some people from North Carolina.
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Post by TDR on Oct 9, 2006 13:40:23 GMT -5
I guess there are some things I don't understand about alcoholism. Is it a behavior or a lifetime status?
How can people say, "I'm an alcoholic and I haven't had a drink in five years"? Seems like if you aren't a drinker, you can't be an alcoholic.
And if you are an occasional drinker, and tend to get a little too buzzed sometimes, does that make you an alcoholic? Sounds like Bill's habit was to get a little too free with it a little too often. We might have all been there at one time.
I'm sure I have been, but I never thought I was an alcohlic or needed treatment for dependency. Just needed to change my behaviors.
Good onya for getting on it, Bill. Obviously you have way too much going for you to slip off into darkness.
Is there supposed to be some heretable alcoholism gene that passes down, or is it just the example that does it?
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Post by billhammond on Oct 9, 2006 13:50:06 GMT -5
Well, there are studies that suggest genetic predisposition and there are even more that conclude that environment is a stronger factor.
But I grew up in Wisconsin, for crying out loud, where Germans settled and some residential Milwaukee neighborhoods have a tavern on each corner of a typical intersection. My dad was a semi-swashbuckling aviator and he and his cronies rarely gathered without beer being involved. Mom and Dad had cocktails before dinner and sometimes during. I played in a rock band at age 17 in bars where you only had to be 18 to drink as much beer as you wished.
But when the patterns you experience in adulthood become set, it's hard to break out of them. I got to the point in the past year where I had to WORK at not drinking, because I routinely drank so frequently and as part of my post-workday itinerary that it was an ingrained activity. And that, I think, served to encourage me to drink with even more relish and fervor when I did elect to do so after a fairly lengthy period of not drinking.
As Roy said, so wisely, what you are fighting is the desire to drink, not the occasional or frequent drink itself. It's an addiction, a pattern, a chemical, an abnormal (to the body's needs) behavior.
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Post by SteveO on Oct 9, 2006 13:57:52 GMT -5
I guess there are some things I don't understand about alcoholism. Is it a behavior or a lifetime status? How can people say, "I'm an alcoholic and I haven't had a drink in five years"? Seems like if you aren't a drinker, you can't be an alcoholic. And if you are an occasional drinker, and tend to get a little too buzzed sometimes, does that make you an alcoholic? Sounds like Bill's habit was to get a little too free with it a little too often. We might have all been there at one time. I'm sure I have been, but I never thought I was an alcoholic or needed treatment for dependency. Just needed to change my behaviors. Good onya for getting on it, Bill. Obviously you have way too much going for you to slip off into darkness. Is there supposed to be some heretable alcoholism gene that passes down, or is it just the example that does it? OK let me see if I can Answer this one.... what is the difference between a Drunk and an Alcoholic?? and Alcoholic as a plan....the drunk does not have a plan or a problem... you say How do you know this??? I say, Just ask the Drunk He will tell you.... OK on a more serious part..... Alcohol...is just that to most people and alcoholic has an allergic reaction to Alcohol.. he breaks out in an allergic reaction.... For Me, and Just Me.. Alcohol turns into a Ketone in my body and that is poison to me..... you see I have crossed over the line.... so I can not partake ever again.... you can have a cucumber...and you can have a pickle.... once a cucumber is a pickle it can never be a cucumber again
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Post by loopysanchez on Oct 9, 2006 14:02:43 GMT -5
Bill, I know it must take some brass ones to look yourself in the mirror and take the step you've taken, then share your decision with all of us. I know exactly the situation you describe of having a lot of alone time, and using a bottle to help pass it. "Life's pretty good, why don't I add some spirits to the evening and celebrate it", I'd tell myself. Heck I'd go through a 6 pack on a weeknight just to make the shows on TV seem more entertaining. I was that way from the time I could buy it when I turned 21, until some time after I met my wife around 6 years ago at age 26. When she started expressing some concerns as to the regularity of my alcohol intake (maybe 2 nights a week, but that's 2 too many for me), I took a step back and vowed to cut it the hell out. Having a son around that same time sealed the deal, since I never wanted him to see me in any kind of chemically affected state of mind. (I was never mean or angry when I drank like that, quite the opposite, really; but I just didn't want him seeing me acting like two different dads depending on whether I'd emptied a bottle of wine that night or not. I think for me it was more a matter of becoming an adult and acting responsibly than it was fighting off any demons of addiction; I didn't crave it or think about it all day and night once I stopped the indulgence, and I find I can have a beer or a glass of wine now without instinctively reaching for the next one. I'm lucky as hell in that respect, because a few more years of doing things the old way could've easily left me at a point where I didn't have much choice in decisions like that.
Anyway, you've got my eternal admiration for doing what you've done, and I think you can already tell that you've got a ton of friends here and elsewhere that will always be ready to listen whenever you need an ear. Sorry for extending this thread even further against your wishes to now talk about something else, but I got here a little late and felt I would've been remiss in not offering my own story and encouragement.
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Post by TDR on Oct 9, 2006 14:30:57 GMT -5
Bill, I hear you about the environments we hang out in and how they encourage us sometimes. I have had to change my social scene more than once to get away from the bad habits. Not that we can always blame our habits on others. I'm not sure about SteveO's notion that an alcoholic is someone who has an allergic reaction to alcohol. I wonder what an MD would say about that. Is that right? I don't think I've ever had a "blackout" or been unable to remember what happened last night. I have had the room swirling when I layed down, and I have puked, and I have had a nasty friggin hangover. Buit not lately and I hope not ever again. And I haven't missed work or had my partner say, "we have to talk about your drinking". Here's a list of warning signs thay tell you to use to see if you think you have issues. 'Course if you see stuff that isn't there, you might have a whole different thing going on. 1. Do you ever drink heavily when you are disappointed, under pressure or have had a quarrel with someone? 2. Can you handle more alcohol now than when you first started to drink? 3. Have you ever been unable to remember part of the previous evening, even though your friends said that you did not pass out? 4. Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable if alcohol is not available? 5. Do you sometimes feel a little guilty about your drinking? 6. Are you in more of a hurry to get your first drink of the day than you used to be? 7. Has a family member or close friend ever expressed concern or complained about your drinking? 8. Have you been having more memory 'blackouts' recently? 9. Do you often want to continue drinking after your friends say they've had enough? 10. Have you sometimes failed to keep promises you.made to yourself about controlling or cutting down on your drinking? 11. Have you ever had a DWI (driving while intoxicated) or DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) violation, or any other legal problem related to your drinking? 12. Are you having more financial, work, school and/or family problems as a result of your drinking? 13. Has your physician ever advised you to cut down on your drinking? 14. Do you sometimes stay drunk for several days at a time? 15. After periods of drinking do you sometimes see or hear things that aren't there? That excerpted from the NCADD 'self test'. And this shows how xrays reveal the effects of too much boozing:
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Post by billhammond on Oct 9, 2006 14:40:23 GMT -5
Teeder -- I was asked 20 questions for my assessment last week, and they were overall "milder" than those you posted -- they asked about seemingly less worrisome traits than some of those on your list. In any event, I answered as honestly as I could, and wound up saying yes to 14 of 20.
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Post by t-bob on Oct 9, 2006 14:48:09 GMT -5
Hello, I'm Bob and I'm an alcoholic/addict. If nothing else, this discussion about alcoholism will cause one more person to examine and confront their drinking/using habits. I still hang around bars, lounges, and pubs, if there's something else there for me (like sports events, food or music). I like the atmosphere. Some of us can't or won't do that. There's a ton of booze and wine in our house as well. Safe journey, Bill.
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Post by TDR on Oct 9, 2006 14:50:36 GMT -5
I eliminated some of the NCADD questions like, "Do you get the shakes" and "Do you start your day with a drink", because they seemed to be aimed at the advanced case.
I suspect there is a pretyy big gray area that some of us would begin to meet the criteria for, between a social drinker who is doing a little more than the ususal... and a heavy drinker headed towards a dependency.
I'm sure awareness and caring about your health and relationships is what keeps us from sliding off. Strength, brother.
You done good. Wanna go have a beer and celebrate?
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Post by billhammond on Oct 9, 2006 14:52:57 GMT -5
I eliminated some of the NCADD questions like, "Do you get the shakes" and "Do you start your day with a drink", because they seemed to be aimed at the advanced case. I suspect there is a pretyy big gray area that some of us would begin to meet the criteria for, between a social drinker who is doing a little more than the ususal... and a heavy drinker headed towards a dependency. I'm sure awareness and caring about your health and relationships is what keeps us from sliding off. Strength, brother. You done good. Wanna go have a beer and celebrate? I like that O'Douls Amber, not half-bad
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Post by TDR on Oct 9, 2006 14:55:59 GMT -5
Somebody likened those alcohol free beers to showering in your rain gear. Never tried them, are they really drinkable?
About those less worrysome questions... I don't know. Scientology does that to try and rope you in.
Have you ever had self doubts?
Have you ever done something you were guity about?
Have you ever wondered if others were more gifted than you are?
Have you ever suspected you weren't part of the "in" group? Did you wonder why?
Do you ever lie awake pondering your future?
Are you angry sometimes?
Yada yada. Anyone who is honest is going to answer yes. After five pages you get to feeling exhausted. Then the "advisor" comes in and looks it over like some kind of MD and nods sagely, saying, Hmmm and mhmm. And they sign you up, if you're putty enough.
I'm sure AA has figured it out. Not that they're a bad thing or don't help folks. Just I wonder if sometimes they don't have people transfer their dependency from one thing to another. And maybe if you asked yourself if you are really a dependent type personality you'd find the answer is no not so much.
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Post by SteveO on Oct 9, 2006 14:58:43 GMT -5
There are those that are considered fuctioning alcoholics....I was not one of those... and that's ok on both parts......denial is a strange thing.....it can be the root to a lot of problems..... it is powerful, cunning and baffling.....
Being Honest ,Openminded and Willing is the whole key to all of this=HOW it works
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