Ever give up Booze?

[notiesbob]

Given up almost entirely - people think we like rum so guess what we have a closet full of? My wife likes an occasional Corona after a race with the rest of the crew, my bev of choice is club soda because I like it. We have a not so in the closet boozer on our race crew - likes to slam one back on arrival when "nobody is watching", needs another once we are over the finish line or before, another at the clubhouse, maybe 2, posts regularly on FB about a Saporo and 2 fingers neat every night, and also has a pain killer reliance. We've had a teen crew member for 4 years since he was 13. We keep a small bottle of Grand Marnier aboard for medicinal purposes but for some reason it never gets opened until that last sail of the year.

I see a lot of people with addiction problems - over drinking, over smoking, over eating, over abusing, over working, over playing - they've not achieved a balance in their lives and I find they are not the greatest people to be around. I guess I fall into the not so entertaining category, but I'm entirely ok with that.

I love a good glass of pino, but thats like 5 times a year. AND I work for a living, no licence = no job = no sailing = NO FUN

[smacsdesign]

Originally Posted by carstenb

I don't have a drinking problem. I drink, get drunk, fall down - no problem

Why is this the first forum discussion I`ve responded to? Love reading them but this one touches my heart! On a one month hiatus right now. Looking forward to getting back to it.

[skipmac]

Never been a serious drinker. A beer or two occasionally, good glass of wine with a good meal, a rare gin and tonic when I get really wild or have a very long flight somewhere. Probably averaged 5-10 drinks in a year.

Not giving up booze but seems like booze might be giving up me. Almost every time I drink anything alcoholic I very quickly get a splitting headache. Sometimes lasts 24 hours or more and aspirin barely puts a dent in the pain. Kind of takes the fun out of it.

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by svmariane

Anyway, I discovered the only thing {besides boats} I had in common with the people I drank with was drinking. And my experience was that people constantly tried to get me to drink. "One beer doesn't count" they'd say. Yeah. Right. Ever hear the expression "One is too many and a thousand isn't enough"?

But continuing on the sober path means you slowly end up not being invited to social occasions. It seems you're not as much fun anymore. It's like going through a divorce... you have to get a new set of friends.

I had the same experience. Quitting drinking was an eye opener for finding out who my real friends were. One of my best friends told me to not call until I started drinking again!

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Not giving up booze but seems like booze might be giving up me. Almost every time I drink anything alcoholic I very quickly get a splitting headache. Sometimes lasts 24 hours or more and aspirin barely puts a dent in the pain. Kind of takes the fun out of it.

Bingo, as a kid I used to get drunk once and a while, and I mean falling down drunk.
Now if I drink very much, before I even get close to drunk, I get a headache, and a bad headache too. I wonder how my Brother did it?

[roland stockham]

Nothing wrong with a social drink or even one on your own if you enjoy it. Drink has an important place in many cultures and almost all has some equivalent. That said take heed of the safe drinking limits, if you exceed then you damage your body. If you find you social set is pushing more than that on you take it as a warning. Frequently people with a drink problem encourage other to over-consume with them in order to validate their own drinking. Don't collude with them it wont help either of you.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

I've never been much of a drinker but I'm thinking of taking it up as a new hobby. Any advice? Not sure I can afford it though on my cruising budget.


S/V B'Shert

Stay away from Australia...
I was there when the Oz$ was strong and a beer was $9 a bottle
0.75cl Brandy $40+/bottle.. same with rum..
Same money in Portugal..
3 beers in a bar or a 6 pack in the super..
Maceira brandy and Anjou rum.. 11euro/bottle..
Havana Club 12anos 15euro...

[bobmcd625]

Over two years ago my wife and I gave up booze all together for medical reasons and have not touched a drop since. Still go to yacht clubs, sail, boozy Norwegian Club of San Francisco and order straight tonic (Ginless Tonic), Virgin Marys or Ginger Beer. Hardly anyone makes any comments. It's our choice and they all respect it. More and more reports are coming in about the risks of even moderate alcohol intake. I am not preaching. Just reporting. Caveat Emptor. It's your life.
Fair winds and calm seas!!!

[PuttingDoctor]

Originally Posted by svmariane

So one month I decided to quit drinking booze.

Not forever, mind you. Just taking a bit of a break. Here's a few thoughts about the experience.

I think that most people only expect someone to quit drinking if they have a serious problem, and it's gotten really bad. But that's simply not always true. Could be something as basic as living on a fixed income and the powers-that-be raise the sin taxes beyond comfort level. Could be that booze would adversely interfere with some prescription medication. Could be that... Hey, you know what - It's actually none of their bleeding business. Why did I feel the need to explain? Silly, that.

But lots of folk reacted by saying something like: "Oh really? I don't recall ever seeing you drunk." They would then look at me funny for a moment and say, "Oh. I get it. I've never seen you sober before this, have I?"

Anyway, I discovered the only thing {besides boats} I had in common with the people I drank with was drinking. And my experience was that people constantly tried to get me to drink. "One beer doesn't count" they'd say. Yeah. Right. Ever hear the expression "One is too many and a thousand isn't enough"?

But continuing on the sober path means you slowly end up not being invited to social occasions. It seems you're not as much fun anymore. It's like going through a divorce... you have to get a new set of friends.

So I started telling folk that I'd switched to weed and that yes, I'm high right now. That, in a country where one little rollie will fetch a year in jail.

My situation eventually returned to normal - give me that "Cold One" when the sun gets beneath the yardarm! And you know what? Next visit to the boatyard I might just move that flipping yardarm a few meters higher up the mast!



Lessons Learned: Much respect and total acceptance of anyone else's decision to quit the booze. They need a friend. The LAST things they need are additional problems from inept acquaintances.

hummmmm.... seems you get a wee bit testy when you dry out too...

I quit drinking beer some years ago.... lost 18 lbs. We called it the bourbon diet. I've stuck with it since. My daily medication is a very able blood thinner, paint thinner and I'm much thinner for not mixing it with anything other than a social setting from time to time. Jimmy Buffett / Alan Jackson come to mind... "It's 5 o'clock Somewhere!"

Cheers!

[fatherchronica]

I want to add that I have not experienced being left out since I quit drinking. I was left out because I'm a jerk long ago, but my wife's personality forces folks to abide me to include her.

[astokel]

I used to drink a lot. Never before or at work though. I never lost a days work because of a hangover, never hit a women or even not remember what I was doing the night before. I never did stupid things I might have regretted later.

One day my doctor did a blood test and told me my liver function was down so I quit drinking for a while. It was at that time I starting to wonder if I was an alcoholic. I also freaked myself out with Dr Google's list of withdrawal symptoms (none of them happened). Apparently there is such a thing as a functioning alcoholic; someone who drinks at a high level and doesn't have the usual symptoms of alcoholism.

I am now back to drinking socially because I enjoy it but there is no question that there is a connection between sailing and drinking. Canada is legalizing cannabis, so I was thinking of going back to my drug of preference.

[Tayana42]

Originally Posted by lesterbutch

Tayana-42 Don't do it you could end up like Liam Wald and Elk said and worse you might want to show everyone how well you can dance!

Not enough booze in the world to make me dance well!


S/V B'Shert

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by RainDog

I had the same experience. Quitting drinking was an eye opener for finding out who my real friends were. One of my best friends told me to not call until I started drinking again!

Most of my 'drinking' is done in transit in places like Shelter Bay, Marigot, Peter's in Horta.. blah blah..
For example Shelter Bay...
Working in a sweatbox marina while waiting to Go leads to evenings at the bar/restaurants as its to hot to cook at the end of the day.. leads to after dinner drinks with an interesting mix of fellow travellers.. usually there till well past closing at 0100 as guitars appear.. a talented drummer improvises with a borrowed bucket, bottle and glass.. folk drift in and out.. tour various boats.. some on booze.. some on juices..
Top bill for a night.. $179-ish... never be the last to leave the table..
I'm allergic to vitamins...

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by RainDog

I had the same experience. Quitting drinking was an eye opener for finding out who my real friends were. One of my best friends told me to not call until I started drinking again!

Have seen and experienced similar situations although not so extreme as you. Certainly didn't find it as much fun in some gatherings when all the rest were drinking a lot and I wasn't.

It was occasionally interesting to stay totally sober when I was attending business conferences and all around were party hearty. Used to pick up a lot of information from customers and competitors when they developed alcohol induced loose lips.

At one of these conferences I met with an old friend at the end of the day. We have gotten together for a beer or two over the years but this time he had a serious dinner meeting coming up and abstained while I had one drink. I actually felt fuzzy headed and a bit awkward during our conversation. Not that he said or did anything at all but the contrast was very noticeable.

Another alcohol observation; traveling overseas, like too many Americans, my language skills are not that great. I have found that one, light drink makes it a lot easier to communicate in my limited Spanish and French. Guess I am less concerned about perfect grammar and accent and just say what I want and let it go. However, if I have two drinks my foreign language skills start to deteriorate. If I ever go as far as three drinks I can no longer even speak English.

Seems like I'm a pretty cheap date.

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by astokel

Apparently there is such a thing as a functioning alcoholic; someone who drinks at a high level and doesn't have the usual symptoms of alcoholism.

Yet one of my friends was an alcoholic. Didn't show any symptoms or hidden evidence to us until after she was dead.