Alcohol. How can you resist?!
Replies
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Someone tell me this is just a sad attempt at a joke. Please??
Drinking 6-7 days a week, considering prescription drugs for a buzz?! Sounds like you need to get yourself a hobby, and FAST!
I really think you have a serious issue here and could be greatly helped by AA or therapy. Seriously. If you can't find something in your life to occupy your time other than alcohol, you need to go grab yourself a 'What to do when I am bored" book that they probably sell at any KIDS book store. Get creative! Do something! Get a life (in the most serious sense of the term)
Urgh. People sometimes.
And as far as "How can you resist?!" well, simply put, YOU JUST DO. Don't buy it. Don't pick it up. It is called willpower.
Dude! Brutal! This is not a 'sad attempt at a joke' this is a very legit question that this guy actually wants helpful responses to. Your post was very judgmental and harsh and that is not helpful at all. No need to be so contempt about it, I don't find it so hard to believe as I've been in that situation before, it's real.
Please take some time to think about someone's situation before posting venomous responses.
Oh trust me, I thought about it. My dad used to be alcoholic. I get it.
Sometimes people need a 'brutal' slap in the face wake up call to know that change is needed. He asked. I told. I get sick of people sugar coating their responses for the sake of being unoffensive or "politically correct". We gotta learn to say it like it is!
None of us were born with a glass of water in our hands, nor with a can of beer. Somewhere along the line we each have made our choices as to which lifestyle we will choose. It is really ALL about choices.
Ok, so just dont go to the gym for 2 weeks. See if you can manage that. I bet it would drive you insane. But just do it.....or not do it, in this case, if its so easy!
If you dont exercise for 2 weeks, I wont drink for 2 weeks. Lets see who wins!0 -
hey, friend. you are obviously a drinker. whether or not you are an alcoholic is your business. your candor is appreciated even though it is obviously stirring up over-the-top responses from people (especially those whose parents were alcoholics). here are some ideas if you want to continue to drink on a semi-regular basis but are seeking ways to improve your situation (some similar to those mentioned before but hopefully they will balance out the puritans.
1. fun, bad-*kitten* exercise. you probably just haven't found the right kind for yourself. it took me almost 40 years to discover mountain biking and it is now my biggest positive addiction.
2. try low-cal beers. at first they will seem weak and pointless but you'll get used to them. i think they're great. esp. bud select 55 and miller 64.
3. don't start drinking until the evening. it is easy to get started around noon on the weekends but there is almost no good reason to be pounding beer after beer for 10 hours. you won't even truly enjoy them after awhile. you'll just be doing it compulsively. think about happy hour. even people who live to drink often do something stimulating during the day and don't drink 'til the evening.
4. try smaller portions. can't really do that with beers but if you are a booze drinker, pour yourself half a shot instead of the whole deal. your brain will be just as satisfied. a shot and a brew is still a shot and a brew for your habitual brain, even if they're smaller and lower cal.
5. start really savoring and enjoying and paying attention to what you drink. hold it up to the light and see its color. smell it. get a mouthfeel. all those things they teach you at breweries and wineries. meditate your beer. you'll start to realize when you are really enjoying it and when it is just something to do that isn't even really doing it for you. you'll be surprised how much more enjoyable drinks are when you are having them in moderation than when you're just doing it compulsively.
6. get clear about what you are gaining by drinking and what you are losing. how is affecting your relationships? your motivation? your budget? that stuff is damn expensive! cutting down (at least) is advisable for almost every drinker.
7. are you an artist who is afraid of actually creating? many people are who don't even consider themselves artistic. i think that a ton of unhappiness in this world is people who have a calling to express themselves creatively but are too afraid to act on it. so many artists over-rely on drink and there is no way to completely elimate suffering from your artistic journey but actually working on something, actually creating (even if it woodwork or needlepoint or something others might not really consider 'artistic') is the best cure for most of what ails you.
8. you could try legalized marijuana if that is an option but marijuana (while it seems to be a lot healthier and cheaper than booze) probably won't help much since it makes most beer drinkers want to drink
9. meditate. a tough practice at first but I find that meditation (closing your eyes and learning little-by-little to clear your mind) is a great way to learn that boredom is just an excuse. if experienced meditators can be happy with an hour or more of doing absolutely nothing, then anything can be stimulating and enjoyable, as long as it is not something that is actually killing our spirit, like hours on end of TV we don't even care about.
i have a friend who is totally sober after years of drinking and he once told me that if i really love drinking then, if possible, i should be careful and responsible wth it so i don't have to get to the place of never being able to have a drink again. time will tell if this is possible or if i am just delaying the inevitable but when i think "moderate drinking or none at all?" the choice is easy for me.
hope that is helpful, my man.
mm
Great advice there. Thankyou I'll try some of that.
Cheers0 -
I'm not fishing for an arguement (some of you), I'm only fishing for helpful advice, case studies etc. And was wondering what most people did for 'a buzz'.
I guess for me then, sex.0 -
Someone tell me this is just a sad attempt at a joke. Please??
Drinking 6-7 days a week, considering prescription drugs for a buzz?! Sounds like you need to get yourself a hobby, and FAST!
I really think you have a serious issue here and could be greatly helped by AA or therapy. Seriously. If you can't find something in your life to occupy your time other than alcohol, you need to go grab yourself a 'What to do when I am bored" book that they probably sell at any KIDS book store. Get creative! Do something! Get a life (in the most serious sense of the term)
Urgh. People sometimes.
And as far as "How can you resist?!" well, simply put, YOU JUST DO. Don't buy it. Don't pick it up. It is called willpower.
Dude! Brutal! This is not a 'sad attempt at a joke' this is a very legit question that this guy actually wants helpful responses to. Your post was very judgmental and harsh and that is not helpful at all. No need to be so contempt about it, I don't find it so hard to believe as I've been in that situation before, it's real.
Please take some time to think about someone's situation before posting venomous responses.
Oh trust me, I thought about it. My dad used to be alcoholic. I get it.
Sometimes people need a 'brutal' slap in the face wake up call to know that change is needed. He asked. I told. I get sick of people sugar coating their responses for the sake of being unoffensive or "politically correct". We gotta learn to say it like it is!
None of us were born with a glass of water in our hands, nor with a can of beer. Somewhere along the line we each have made our choices as to which lifestyle we will choose. It is really ALL about choices.
Ok, so just dont go to the gym for 2 weeks. See if you can manage that. I bet it would drive you insane. But just do it.....or not do it, in this case, if its so easy!
If you dont exercise for 2 weeks, I wont drink for 2 weeks. Lets see who wins!
Sounds good to me! It would be a great break for both of us! Game on!
I love that you are targeting my response when it really isn't all that different from what others are saying, it was just more to the point. It's all good though. We all, for sure including me, take in what we want from any response and reject the rest. All the best in your quest for the answer you want and the lifestyle you are seeking.0 -
Cannabis and soda water.0
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deleted double post0
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If you are seriously considering drugs as an alternative and need a buzz, you need to seek help. The above posters are correct, you need a 12 step program of some sort to help you move away from drinking.
Surely everyone needs a buzz from something?
Um, just the occasional roller coaster "high" or good music or time with my loved ones.
Seriously, I hate that alcohol buzz feeling. It makes everything slow and warm and not "real." I can't stand the "buzz" from drinks like RedBull either--nasty.0 -
Why exactly do you need a "buzz"? You seem very concerned with getting some sort of stimulant other than just living life. Are you keeping yourself truly occupied, mentally and physically? If not, find some hobbies that don't include stopping to get a drink. You're so used to drinking that you're revolving your life around the unnatural buzz it gives. Most people around the world don't get this buzz every day, and you too can live like this. You don't seem to WANT to drink as much as you do. It seems to preoccupy your mind a lot. You plan your day around it. Think of all the things you could be doing instead. Think about how much better with yourself you'll feel if you drink less.
To drink less, you'll have to learn self control. You have to say no when someone wants to stick a drink in your hand, and when you want to reward yourself with a beer for doing something you'll have to teach yourself to refrain instead. It's going to be a learning curve, and it might be hard while you adjust. But if you keep yourself occupied, it should go easier.
Maybe you don't want to eat because your body and mindis so used to doing things this way. You have to re-teach your body. You can do it.
Replacing one drug (alcohol) with another, doesn't solve your problem, by the way. It wont change things or make you happier. It's just replacing one bad for another, different bad. You need to learn to live without this buzz you keep seeking, not to replace it with some other unnatural high. Otherwise nothing will change.0 -
Someone tell me this is just a sad attempt at a joke. Please??
Drinking 6-7 days a week, considering prescription drugs for a buzz?! Sounds like you need to get yourself a hobby, and FAST!
I really think you have a serious issue here and could be greatly helped by AA or therapy. Seriously. If you can't find something in your life to occupy your time other than alcohol, you need to go grab yourself a 'What to do when I am bored" book that they probably sell at any KIDS book store. Get creative! Do something! Get a life (in the most serious sense of the term)
Urgh. People sometimes.
And as far as "How can you resist?!" well, simply put, YOU JUST DO. Don't buy it. Don't pick it up. It is called willpower.
Dude! Brutal! This is not a 'sad attempt at a joke' this is a very legit question that this guy actually wants helpful responses to. Your post was very judgmental and harsh and that is not helpful at all. No need to be so contempt about it, I don't find it so hard to believe as I've been in that situation before, it's real.
Please take some time to think about someone's situation before posting venomous responses.
Oh trust me, I thought about it. My dad used to be alcoholic. I get it.
Sometimes people need a 'brutal' slap in the face wake up call to know that change is needed. He asked. I told. I get sick of people sugar coating their responses for the sake of being unoffensive or "politically correct". We gotta learn to say it like it is!
None of us were born with a glass of water in our hands, nor with a can of beer. Somewhere along the line we each have made our choices as to which lifestyle we will choose. It is really ALL about choices.
Ok, so just dont go to the gym for 2 weeks. See if you can manage that. I bet it would drive you insane. But just do it.....or not do it, in this case, if its so easy!
If you dont exercise for 2 weeks, I wont drink for 2 weeks. Lets see who wins!
Sounds good to me! It would be a great break for both of us! Game on!
I love that you are targeting my response when it really isn't all that different from what others are saying, it was just more to the point. It's all good though. We all, for sure in
cluding me, take in what we want from any response and reject the rest. All the best in your quest for the answer you want and the lifestyle you are seeking.
Well? You up for it or not?! I would rather have honest responses than smoke blown so trust me; i appreciate your honesty. All I'm trying to establish is ...... Can you practice what you preach? Its all very well saying, just do it, so I return the statement to you. You 'just do it'. Stop doing something that brings you pleasure because after all, if someone says 'JFDI', it must be easy!0 -
Most rx drugs have the added side effect of weight gain. You don't want to mess with them. I was on all kinds of anti-depressents but they are the reason I got fat in the first place. I felt a lot better when I stopped taking them.0
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I don't exactly recall the types of exercise you said you did, but my suggestion is do something high in cardio. Cycling, running, tennis, swimming etc or try a more competitive sport if competition helps you work harder. Like others said keep trying until you find something that you want to do.
Taking supplements is NOT the same as eating the real food. Yes it helps but your body needs more than what is provided in supplements alone. Once you start exercising more your body will crave certain foods. Give in and reduce the alcohol or change the alcohol to shots etc.0 -
Why exactly do you need a "buzz"? You seem very concerned with getting some sort of stimulant other than just living life. Are you keeping yourself truly occupied, mentally and physically? If not, find some hobbies that don't include stopping to get a drink. You're so used to drinking that you're revolving your life around the unnatural buzz it gives. Most people around the world don't get this buzz every day, and you too can live like this. You don't seem to WANT to drink as much as you do. It seems to preoccupy your mind a lot. You plan your day around it. Think of all the things you could be doing instead. Think about how much better with yourself you'll feel if you drink less.
To drink less, you'll have to learn self control. You have to say no when someone wants to stick a drink in your hand, and when you want to reward yourself with a beer for doing something you'll have to teach yourself to refrain instead. It's going to be a learning curve, and it might be hard while you adjust. But if you keep yourself occupied, it should go easier.
Maybe you don't want to eat because your body and mindis so used to doing things this way. You have to re-teach your body. You can do it.
Replacing one drug (alcohol) with another, doesn't solve your problem, by the way. It wont change things or make you happier. It's just replacing one bad for another, different bad. You need to learn to live without this buzz you keep seeking, not to replace it with some other unnatural high. Otherwise nothing will change.
This makes a lot of sense. Thankyou. Though to get rid of an unnatrual high, does that mean there are natural highs? (bearing in mind I dont seem to produce endorphins from things like exercise, sport etc.)
You're right though, I would like to drink less but I dont plan my day around it.
Take today for example. Had the day off work & my plan was to go to the gym & maybe do sone tidying in the garden. Instead, I read stuff on the internet, did some washing then went for a 30 minute walk (to the pub), had 3 beers, bought some food to cook for dinner then walked back. And here I am. So this was more of a spontaneous beer than a planned beer.
However.....I'm not going to have any booze at home tonight & I may trudge my way though to Thursday without any. One step at a time......0 -
If you are a heavy drinker already, drugs legal or not, will only intensify your desire to drink or take over putting you in a worse position than you are currently in. Something intense that takes up your time and requires focus and concentration could certainly help. Although not exercise, video games might even be a substitute for some of the drinking or as someone mentioned earlier there could be some inner artist just waiting to escape on a project that could take its place or some of it at least. A sport or something you could do to get some exercise in at the same time might help in canceling out some of the calories. If all that fails and you still need a buzz stick to the hard liquors with 0 calorie mixers and you’ll get a much better buzz to calorie ratio.0
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Don't buy alcohol to keep in the house. If it isn't there you can't drink it. When you go out just think about what is more important to you: working a buzz or being healthier? If you don't care about your health (how you look is ALWAYS secondary to how you feel) then why are you here? Seriously... it is that simple.
I like to drink. I am nearly 45 years old and if I am not hurting anyone (drinking driving, drinking so much that I miss work or family activities, embarrassing myself by being sloppy, fall down, teetering drunk) then sorry, no crazed AA convert is going to tell me anything that I NEED to hear/know. I've lost a dear friend to AA and those people are CRAZY.
I busted out a tape measure a few days back and was HORRIFIED to see that I had a 30" waist... all from drinking too much socially. We are talking AVERAGE 3-4 drinks maybe 4-5 days a week. Average = some nights 2 drinks, some nights as many as 6 or 7. I have NEVER had a waist this thick. My fat and happy measurement was 27". So this was a big wake-up call to me. I won't be seeking the drink again until I get back to 27" (I am already down 1.5"). And when I get there I may just decide that I don't really WANT a drink again until I get back to my goal size of 25". And then I may just decide that 2-3 drinks ONE NIGHT per week will suit me just fine. Or maybe 1-2 glasses of red wine per night... Either way it's all about moderation.
I don't recommend AA to anyone because I've seen what it does to people. How about this, You Just Don't Drink? My husband quit drinking for 3 years - high blood pressure, too much bodyfat and bad state of mind when drinking led him to this decision. He just stopped. Now he just stays away from hard liquor and drinks a few beers or glasses of wine when we are out or even at home. It stops at 2/3 drinks 3/4 nights a week. ...or none at all.
The key is separating wants from needs.0 -
Thankyou for the advice given but I'm realising that seeking advice about alcohol alternatives from mostly super healthy, clean living dieters was the wrong place to look. I dont mean to offend anyone, far from it. I think most people here are wonderful & so supportive but I'm obviously not ready to join you....just yet!
The difference between "super healthy clean living dieters" and you, then, is what? It looks to me like there's people who drink because they choose to, and people who don't drink because they choose not to. Then you've got a variety of people who WANT to not drink, but find themselves doing it anyways. That sounds like how you described yourself, and my advice stands. If you really want to drink less, then drink less. If you want to quit but believe you can't, then you've got a problem. Maybe you're not ready to hear that. But if you don't want to quit, then, what do you want to know?
What did you want to hear? if you don't want to quit, don't quit. What's the problem?
And why on earth are you daring someone to stop exercising? As if it's equal to quitting drinking... That is just wierd.0 -
However.....I'm not going to have any booze at home tonight & I may trudge my way though to Thursday without any. One step at a time......
i wish i knew of a natural buzz! how great would that be?! even before i drank, i never felt that endorphin rush, or "runners high" when i was running. and one step at a time is something i have to constantly remind myself. i know i will never NOT drink, so i'm not going to kid myself saying "oh i'm gonna stop drinking." that right there will set me up for definite failure the next day. however, taking it slow is helping. each day i tell myself "not going to drink today, its just ONE day, i can do without it that long." or like yesterday, i said i wasn't going to, and before i even bought my wine, i thought for a long time about it. how good i'd been doing with my diet, how i would feel, how i'd feel this morning. not like "i want alcohol i'm gonna run out and get a bottle of wine" like i usually do. however, yesterday, i did have a bottle of wine, but not without actually thinking about it. i didn't feel bad this morning, i got right out of bed, and i feel like i didn't even drink last night. two weeks ago i would have felt like i was hit by the bus my kids take to school, then i'd come home and go back to sleep. i'm not doing that anymore, and i'm sleeping SO much better. its the little things like that that's really helping me.0 -
Though to get rid of an unnatrual high, does that mean there are natural highs? (bearing in mind I dont seem to produce endorphins from things like exercise, sport etc.)
Alcohol is a depressant or "downer". Alcohol gives you the opposite of a "high." The "buzz" is from the depressant slowing down your reflexes and lowering your inhibitions and your core body temperature. You feel warm on an alcohol buzz because your blood vessels open wider and more blood goes to your extremities or your skin and away from your core.
There are many things that can give you a natural high, including exercise (like the classic "runner's high"), love, roller coasters, etc. Lots of things have been mentioned here.
But since alcohol gives you the opposite of a "high" you'll never feel the full natural high while the alcohol is in your system.
Alcohol's buzz counteracts the natural "highs". Your use of alcohol is what is lowering the number of endorphins you produce.0 -
Its hard when your group of friends all drink a lot. I am very sociable. I decided that my health is more important then getting drunk. My thoughts are, when i am healthier i will be able to do more fun things other then get mashed. Plus i was getting so drunk i was being ill. On my weight loss journey, i started seeing that as a good thing so it needed to stop. Now i treat myself to a once a month blow out. I log everything i drink and now i have something to look forward 2. I still go out with my friends who are always rat arsed but i just drink diet coke. I realised i don't need to drink to be social, i also don't need to drink to have fun. When that penny drops for you thats the ultimate buzz! No hangover, pocket full of saved cash, remembering EVERYTHING from the night before, being able to look after the friend whos mashed and my final big plus point.. No horrid drunk photos of you when your already feeling low because of weight issues! Its win win all the way!!
Well said, couldn't agree more!0 -
I used to be the same way and yes, considered myself an alcoholic. I still drink 2 - 3 nights a week. And when I say "drink" I mean I get pretty damn drunk lol. But 2 - 3 nights a week is fine in my opinion. Try some pot instead!0
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Though to get rid of an unnatrual high, does that mean there are natural highs? (bearing in mind I dont seem to produce endorphins from things like exercise, sport etc.)
Alcohol is a depressant or "downer". Alcohol gives you the opposite of a "high." The "buzz" is from the depressant slowing down your reflexes and lowering your inhibitions and your core body temperature. You feel warm on an alcohol buzz because your blood vessels open wider and more blood goes to your extremities or your skin and away from your core.
There are many things that can give you a natural high, including exercise (like the classic "runner's high"), love, roller coasters, etc. Lots of things have been mentioned here.
But since alcohol gives you the opposite of a "high" you'll never feel the full natural high while the alcohol is in your system.
Alcohol's buzz counteracts the natural "highs". Your use of alcohol is what is lowering the number of endorphin you produce.
Excellent explanation!0 -
Well, whenever I drink, for some reason my weight loss totally stalls:grumble: . Then the next week (so long as I don't drink) I drop normally. For me, that is reason enough.:drinker:0
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ganja0
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Simple. I don't like the taste!
I only drink a few times a year, max. And that's in a social setting.0 -
you should do cocaine. lots of it. till your heart and wallet both bleed out. Please. we all have to make sacrifices to health and well being. giving up booze is usually a good idea for everyone involved. and the first part of this was sarcasm and not to be taken with any seriousness at all. 0
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Prescription Medication.0
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I know that heavy drinking is not sustainable for everyone but part of me says enjoy yourself while you can 'cos so many people die young.
And this may be you as well if you don't stop.0 -
I cant and I WONT give up my Adult Beverages. If you have kids you will understand why lol!!!
If I do have a drink. I usually enjoy on the weekends... I have cut it donw ALOT since I started my weight loss journey. I feel the only way your going to have success is to keep enjoying the things you LOVE.. but in Moderation of course :drinker:0 -
What if you try only drinking on weekends? Then one day of the weekend or during the week. Then eventually, just on special occasions?
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Smoking cures weight problems...eventually...0
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So, what's your goal? To have fun and be buzzed and live life to what you think is the fullest, or do you want to lose weight? As a friend of mine says "people ask me how I stopped smoking, and I tell them... I. Just. Stopped. Smoking." So, I look at it as one or the other. You either quit drinking, or you have one drink with friends and the rest is fizzy water or something.I agree with the others (and you, it seems) that you're a problem drinker. It would help to get into some sort of program like AA or Rational Recovery.
If your routine is drinking in the evenings, then find something else to do. Anything that breaks the routine. Go for a walk, pick a few projects you've let go around the house, visit a friend who isn't going to shove a drink in your hand, take in a movie at the theater, go to the gym, etc.
See, you'll find this funny (in a strange way!) But I do loads of work around the house, diy etc and my reward..........beer/wine. I go for a walk and theres beer. I see friends and its booze.
And 6 days out of 7 is a good week. Most of the summer has been 7 days a week. I did have 5 days off the other week but then a golf weekend came along & booze was here again!
I know that heavy drinking is not sustainable for everyone but part of me says enjoy yourself while you can 'cos so many people die young.
I have been to some of the best parties/festivals in the world. You know what? Not everybody there is buzzed. Some are completely sober, some are high on mushrooms, some are high on their post-yoga-meditation-workout-sunset-gazing-whatevers. Some don't need the clouded vision to have a good time. I love that.0
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