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I haven't quit drinking (never had an issue with it, I'm more of a weed guy) but my dad finally just gave up drinking so I know it's no easy feat.
It’s civil, real, powerful, informative, and some people here have really opened up about some deeply personal shit.
I wasn’t expecting this sorta outcome for a topic like this. Anyone who loves alcohol could read it, feel judged, and lash out. Sobriety can often be as volatile as any other topic.
Well done y’all.
The Shop
The very nature of any addiction & the key to sobriety is acceptance that you’re not in control.
None of us are in control of whether addiction affects us or not. Genetics play a massive role. As well as trauma.
Lastly, we’d never suggest heroine, crack, or meth in “moderation”. Alcohol has a rich history of destroying lives. Enough so that it deserves respect for the destructive substance that it is just like any other narcotic.
Sorry to get all preachy. I know you meant well in your post. But suggesting moderation to anyone who might be struggling with addiction is really bad advice.
Alcohol, as soon as I find a couple of "go to " bourbons and scotch, I'll cut back even more on that. Been sampling a few different ones trying to find the right ones. Tequila, that moderates itself because I find myself going back to the more expensive ones and I only drink tequila in margaritas. Don't even care to sip on some 1942 and hard to bring myself to drink $20.00 home made margaritas! Beer, always have some Shiner bock in the fridge. A 12 pack goes a pretty long way unless company comes over.
I've never let anything come before paying my bills, even when it requires selling off all my motorcycles. Everything has always been secondary to the family or house, no way could I ever turn my back on those. Two jobs, three jobs, eat on the cheap, whatever it takes. No such thing as time off so never have I had work in moderation. Getting close to some early semi retirement so I'll hopefully have plenty of time to play then.
Genetics affect your threshold for addiction to drugs. Just like some are born with better livers than others.
That doesn’t change the fact that both alcohol & sugar are abusive to the liver. We all have the same reaction to alcohol (getting drunk) but different variables affect the severity. But the basic functions are still the same.
With enough abuse anyone can become a drug addict. With enough abuse anyone can create a diabetic state. As was the case with me. You could say I was born with “good” genetics in that my body handled carb abuse better than most. That doesn’t mean Im “different” in that carbs are good for me. My liver still had a reaction to high glycemic foods. And after many years, the abuse took its toll.
Did I inherit the alcoholism that runs in my family? Apparently not. Does that mean alcohol in moderation isnt doing damage to my body? Of course not. It’s damaging, I get drunk like anyone else, and abuse would probably lead to easy alcoholism. My leash is longer, that’s all.
Pit Row
I had to change everything from the ground up beginning with faith in and trust of a higher power.
All I can say is anyone who is trying to quit is that you can do it and that the gifts you receive will amaze you.
This is also my second go around with this. In my mid 20s I gave it up for 8 yrs but didn’t stay stopped, thought that because I was a older,married and had achieved some amount of success maybe I was over reacting on the drinking stuff... boy was I wrong..in a couple short yrs it owned me..now I never missed work , had employees etc , but when I’m drinking all my decisions seem to be bad and always center around feeding my ego.
Took about 4 yrs to hit bottom and was lucky to still have my wife and family.
This time is completely different, I do this with other people doing the same thing as me, getting through all of life’s emotions without a drink or a drug, now that makes me one weird fucker in this country ?
Greatful is something I feel every day
Also smoking weed has been hard for me in the past to not over indulge in so that’s another reason why I try not to start up on drinking frequently. Bad habits can be a bitch to get over. My worst is for sure staying up till the wee morning. Been doing it since like 2008. I think it’s mostly my nihilistic attitude like “what difference does it make?” that keeps me from changing.
The problem is I work 4 days then have 4 days off, so my off time is where my beer intake goes through the roof. If I have a few to many, it just sucks the fun out of riding the next day. The performance decrease is pretty damn noticeable. I eat clean, work out and at 40 years old I can count my abs, but at this point the high volume of beer on my days off is starting to get in the way if that makes any sense.
I've cut way back before and it was great. Even the beers I had seemed to taste way better.
Time for a change.
Cool thread.
part to my drinking. I don’t get rude or belligerent when I drink, but she wasn’t willing to invest in a future with someone who drank as much as I did. One night I was drinking and there was a little bit of drama and she said she wouldn’t have anything to do with me any longer. I still think about her everyday, and what I lost. So what did I do when she left? I drank to numb myself.
She’s moved on and is with someone else who doesn’t drink. Nothing good comes from abusing alcohol. It doesn’t just hurt the ones drinking, but it hurts the ones around us as well.
Used to be in the bar every night, and would prime my pump with my kegerator. Just drank the cheapest shit to get the most booze for my buck.
I used to feel like I was missing out on something if I didn't go out at night. Instead I missed out on a lot of things that actually matter in life. At 34 I'm definitely doing well, but I feel like I am about 7 years behind where I was capable of being. Alcohol made me pretty worthless for about 16 years. There's shitty days that everyone has, and I know damn well if I touch a drink it will turn my life upside down. These days instead of beer my go tos are caffeine, junk food, and hopefully a piece of ass from my wife. I would like to cut the junk food part out, I'm not gaining weight, but would like to find a positive replacement. Healthy food doesn't do it for me. I'll go a week low to no carb, and screw up for a few days. Usually it's family (inlaw) issues where the same 2 or 3 people want to be a dishonest pieces of shit, then I throw honesty at them and they can't handle the truth.
Why not try a goal of quitting for 30 days and see what happens? That way, it doesn't have to have the finality that you will never be able to enjoy a beer again. I don't think everybody that drinks a little too much is an alcoholic. But it will get you started down the road. You will most likely discover it isn't enhancing your life at all.
I was originally intending to have a 'dry' January, but swiftly realized that I didn't miss wine/spirits/beer sufficiently to start again. I'd not been heavy drinker to that point, so abstinence has been easy. I'm lucky in that I don't need alcohol to relax, as I lead a [relatively] simple life which revolves around my family, my work and my outside interests, and have no stresses to escape from.
I've no problem being in the presence of those who are drinking, and having traveled all-over the world my stance has been almost universally respected without issue (the exception being Russia, where the population actively distrusts anyone who's not heavily lubricated by booze).
To those who are making the first few steps on their personal journeys, good luck. The effort is worthwhile.
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