200-375ml and 2-7 beers...

[Big A]

I know it'll take 5-6 months before I REALLY feel like I've turned a corner, but I'm feeling better after 4-5 days than I did last time I did 10 days (I wasn't in the right mind frame at the time)

It's been over a year since I've had a drink, and I still don't feel 100%, though given that you don't seem to have the hangovers like I used to get, hopefully your body will bounce back all that much quicker.

We don't realize the toll our body takes when we drink heavily for long periods, pretty much down to the cellular level. For me it never got to daily drinking, but by the time I quit, I didn't go more than 2 weeks without tying one on, and more often it was every weekend, and by the end I'd drink during the week every couple weeks. By heavy I mean a 175mL over the course of a weekend, and 1 to 3 6ers in between, sometimes I'd add another bottle if I started early on Friday. Not as much as your maintenance regimen factored week to week, but all at once, thus the horrendous hang-overs.

That said, life has never been so good, and in the last year I've been able to enjoy so many things, that would otherwise be tainted, if not ruined by a 3-4 day recovery period. I no longer "need" booze to have a good time, I'm myself all the time, and usually I get to be the happy part of my "happy drunk" personality without the drunk.

Good for you for nipping it in the bud Forrest, stick with it. We never think that we'll be the one to let it get out of control, but alcohol really can have a mind of it's own, and once it's in control it's too late.

[dsrtuckteezy]

i've had 5 beerz and have 5 more to go.

[Big A]

I don't know how much of an actual difference it has made, and it might be a lot to do with it finally cooling down, but I'm also a lot more inclined to get out and exercise lately. Since I've started keeping weird hours being off work so long, it's nice to get out into the cool morning air at 4am and go stroll around The Ballpark with no one around.

Drinking regularly can absolutely kill motivation, for one it interferes with testosterone production, which is a big factor in "whiskey dick." When a dude gets all superman and horny when he's drunk, that's all centered in the mind, and relaxed inhibitions, physiologically alcohol is another story.

Also factor in that alcohol metabolizes in the body into a cousin of formaldehyde, not into sugar as the common misconception states. So after a night of literally embalming ourselves, the body goes into overdrive repairing itself, with little energy left over to do anything else.

I do wish that I could be satisfied with having a glass of wine with dinner, but being that in my mind having just one or two is pointless, there truly is no point for me to drink anything alcoholic.

[talisman]

Drinking regularly can absolutely kill motivation, for one it interferes with testosterone production, which is a big factor in "whiskey dick." When a dude gets all superman and horny when he's drunk, that's all centered in the mind, and relaxed inhibitions, physiologically alcohol is another story.

Also factor in that alcohol metabolizes in the body into a cousin of formaldehyde, not into sugar as the common misconception states. So after a night of literally embalming ourselves, the body goes into overdrive repairing itself, with little energy left over to do anything else.

I do wish that I could be satisfied with having a glass of wine with dinner, but being that in my mind having just one or two is pointless, there truly is no point for me to drink anything alcoholic.

It's very rare for me to have one or two drinks. It's pointless. If I'm going drink, I'm going to DRINK, especially if I'm not in public. Of course, sometimes I might only have 2 drinks, however both of them are 4 fingers...

Honestly man, Danny and me were a little worried about you when we met up in Sacramento. I know you had been under a lot of pressure with all the moving and being away from family and friends. Glad to see it's all getting better for you.

[Big A]

It's very rare for me to have one or two drinks. It's pointless. If I'm going drink, I'm going to DRINK, especially if I'm not in public. Of course, sometimes I might only have 2 drinks, however both of them are 4 fingers...

Honestly man, Danny and me were a little worried about you when we met up in Sacramento. I know you had been under a lot of pressure with all the moving and being away from family and friends. Glad to see it's all getting better for you.

I appreciate the concern, I was worried about myself too, and finally took the steps needed to get right again. It got to a point where I was literally watching my own life from a third party perspective, and like the recurring nightmare I've had where I was frozen and unable to move, I was watching myself spiral out of control, with my livelihood (job) in the balance.

I share my experience to hopefully show that nobody is completely immune. I spent years in the gym, had plenty of self control with the diet, and a generally healthy outlook on life. Career was going better than I could have planned, no financial woes to speak of, and none of that kept me from going down the rabbit hole. Anyone that drinks a lot and/or regularly, for whatever reason, has just as real a possibility of it getting out of hand, so it's something to be aware of.

[Cooter]

Oh I've had some serious hangovers, but I've always been a blue collar guy, so it's a lot easier to put your head down and get your work done and sweat the poison out than if you're white collar and have to maintain a certain appearance...

If anything, the fact that I do get after it and sweat it out has been part of why I've been able to maintain all this time.

But I've had some benders for sure...

It's been over a year since I've had a drink, and I still don't feel 100%, though given that you don't seem to have the hangovers like I used to get, hopefully your body will bounce back all that much quicker.

We don't realize the toll our body takes when we drink heavily for long periods, pretty much down to the cellular level. For me it never got to daily drinking, but by the time I quit, I didn't go more than 2 weeks without tying one on, and more often it was every weekend, and by the end I'd drink during the week every couple weeks. By heavy I mean a 175mL over the course of a weekend, and 1 to 3 6ers in between, sometimes I'd add another bottle if I started early on Friday. Not as much as your maintenance regimen factored week to week, but all at once, thus the horrendous hang-overs.

That said, life has never been so good, and in the last year I've been able to enjoy so many things, that would otherwise be tainted, if not ruined by a 3-4 day recovery period. I no longer "need" booze to have a good time, I'm myself all the time, and usually I get to be the happy part of my "happy drunk" personality without the drunk.

Good for you for nipping it in the bud Forrest, stick with it. We never think that we'll be the one to let it get out of control, but alcohol really can have a mind of it's own, and once it's in control it's too late.

[BradM]

Make room on the wagon. I'm about to climb on.

[dsrtuckteezy]

Make room on the wagon. I'm about to climb on.

your liver already gave up!

[Chili]

...Even when tanked up pretty good I'll toss and turn. But when the sauce wears off, there's zero chance of sleeping any more. That may come at 2AM, that may come at 7AM...

Going to bed really drunk typically guarantees a shitty night's sleep for me. Exactly as you describe. Tossing and turning and then the eventual waking up once sober, usually somewhere between 3-5 AM. Nearly impossible for me to fall back to sleep after that.

[slow99]

Make room on the wagon. I'm about to climb on.

Wtf ... now what am I supposed to do to feel better about myself?

[BradM]

your liver already gave up!

Probably

Wtf ... now what am I supposed to do to feel better about myself?

I just landed a new job with a lot of responsibility and I'm going to make sure I'm sharp as a tack.

[slow99]

Probably



I just landed a new job with a lot of responsibility and I'm going to make sure I'm sharp as a tack.

Congrats!

[Cooter]

Make room on the wagon. I'm about to climb on.

Yet another sign that I'm on the right track! My multi-bro right here with me

[BradM]

Yet another sign that I'm on the right track! My multi-bro right here with me

I know dude, when I read this I couldn't believe it.

[jluv]

I gotta leave ya'll hangin'.

I drink a lot of Crown. It's kinda part of my being, in a way. I don't mind it for now.

Drinking has never caused problems for me, other than being overweight. And ya, that's an issue in itself, but it is rooted more in my love of food than booze. I partied way too hard with other substances many years ago, so where I'm at now is tame and prudent, the way I see it. I'm also lucky enough to get along fine without anything if and when it happens. Heck, same with smoking. I can make a pack of smokes last 2-3 weeks.

Good luck to all of you though. I think about going through that someday because I know I might find a need to. Maybe kids or whatever.