Alcohol


Hit it real hard after my brother died. Told my wife one day I think I’ve been drinking too much, I need to stop. Go through phases where I’ll have a couple/few beers a night for a week or so. Then just get disinterested.

Scary stuff, lots of brave people on here admitting they have issues.
 
Just curious, have you found there are other things that you can't moderate on as well?
Not to answer for Sammich, but he and I have the same allergy, the answer is yes.

Moderation isn’t in my vocabulary, especially when it comes to things like drugs, alcohol, women… I’m all gas - no brakes.
 
Not directed at me but from a family of the same I totally do. Tobacco, alchohol, drugs (ive never used any type of drugs but definitely a family trend, certain foods, hunting (sounds dumb but I don't moderate much of anything it's either an obsession or a dead issue). Addictive personality.
Makes sense. I just don't know if there is a name for it. I have known guys that have this trait with all kinds of stuff, like wood working or trap shooting or whatever. They buy a bunch of expensive gear and spend a ton of time trying to master it. Then they get bored and move on to the next thing. I guess it is healthier than alcohol for sure, but seems odd to me. However, maybe someone would look at me and say I spend an unhealthy amount of time on X or Y.
 
Younger years & a decade long first marriage had me a disciple of the good time Charlie church...burning both ends, livin'/workin'/playin' hard. Wish I could say remarriage stopped it . . . almost blew it again.

Woke up, moderated, put it in the rear view. Enjoy a couple glasses of wine with my lovely wife, rarely hard liquor nowadays, but never a beer drinker. My dad used to say whiskey and philandering were two things you could get so far behind on and catch up the quickest. Smartest man I've known, but thought I was smarter.

One of the toughest things was lecturing my teenage kiddos...and facing what a flippin' hypocrite I was.
 
……One of the toughest things was lecturing my teenage kiddos...and facing what a flippin' hypocrite I was.
Right there with you. Been trying to cut down on the evening beers because I don’t want my teenagers thinking that it’s the best way to spend their time doing every night.
Gawd it’s hard tho…
 
Not particularly hunting related, but I graduated 8th grade with about 20 other boys. I graduated high school with about the same. Of guys in my class who I went to K-12th grade with, which were all mostly the same folks, 5 are dead. When I think about all the ones who came and went, it really pans out to be about 15-20% of the boys I went to grade/high school with, are gone. 4 of the 5 of those deaths related to alcohol. Other's I grew up with are still here, but have had relationships collapse due to the drug. I am not even 40.

Got the news today that another one of my friends who I hadn’t seen in a few years is in the ICU with organ failure.

Alcohol is strange. For many, me included, it is part of the lighter times in my life. It’s absolutely a part of fishing and hunting camp. It’s never been a problem beyond self-induced misery. But for others, it tears worlds apart, and even ends worlds, and 20 years ago I would’ve never predicted for whom this would be the case.

Obviously, society has seen that prohibition causes more harm than good, and I wouldn’t want it. But I could see myself 100 years ago in the 19-teens, without the foreknowledge of what prohibition would bring, thinking that the world would be a better place without alcohol.

I know it’s not really hunting related, but venues to anonymously muse on things with likeminded people are lacking, and HuntTalk is that place for me.
I'm a recovering addict and alcoholic myself. Been clean and sober for 19 years so I'm heavily biased against anything addictive being legal. But I haven't really thought it through. I'm not even exactly sure why so many people say that prohibition was worse and I certainly don't get people who want to legalize drugs of any kind.
 
Back in 1971 the drinking age was dropped to 18 (another negative legacy of the Vietnam War). Shortly afterwards I became of age and went ape with it. Army slowed me down a lot but I picked up the pace when I went back to college after being discharged. It got pretty bad. Dad's dad and Mom's mom were both alcoholics who let booze end their lives early. Dad wasn't about to stand by and let me do it too. He came downstairs in his underwear as I was leaving after a long weekend to return to U of M in Missoula. He gave me the lecture about drinking too much and I was in denial od course. "Listen Dad, I cleaned my truck for a date Wednesday night and every beer can from the weekend is tossed in the back [I'm no litterbug!!]. I can count them up if it'll make you feel better." He handed me a garbage bag. Ten minutes later I returned ... silently.
"Well? How many?"
"57."
"Stop drinking for a month. If you can do that, I'll never say another word to you about it."
I quit for six months. After our daughter was born my late wife developed epilepsy. She couldn't drink anymore so I stopped. Maybe a glass or two over the holidays. I have never kept any booze or beer in the house except for visitors. I battle with depression and alcohol is a depressant. One beer is now my limit. Period. Have trouble at work or at home? Don't drink. It will only make things worse.

Edit: FYI Dad was no tea-totaler. Far from it.
 
Younger years & a decade long first marriage had me a disciple of the good time Charlie church...burning both ends, livin'/workin'/playin' hard. Wish I could say remarriage stopped it . . . almost blew it again.

Woke up, moderated, put it in the rear view. Enjoy a couple glasses of wine with my lovely wife, rarely hard liquor nowadays, but never a beer drinker. My dad used to say whiskey and philandering were two things you could get so far behind on and catch up the quickest. Smartest man I've known, but thought I was smarter.

One of the toughest things was lecturing my teenage kiddos...and facing what a flippin' hypocrite I was.
Ken, you are the voice of wisdom...your kids and grandkids are lucky to have that.
 
Michelob Ultra is low calorie and tastes fantastic. How's the weight loss program coming along? Can we give you an attaboy yet?
I wouldn't drink that shit if you threatened to shit on my campfire and im serious🤣. But on another serious note thanks for asking I'm only two weeks in but I'm down 14 lbs this morning so i guess maybe idk.
 
My cousin drinks like 8 beers a night every night. He's almost 2 months older than me, but at this rate, I'll be surprised if he makes it to 40. He always has an excuse to be drinking.

His girlfriend dumped him recently, in part because of all the drinking. On a weekend up north, he'll go through 2 30 racks of Busch. Our grandpa had a problem with alcohol for awhile. But my cousin refuses to see the issue.
 
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