Ever give up Booze?

[bobofthenorth]

Originally Posted by AnglaisInHull

- I had to order Virgin Marys because if I didn't have a drink in my hand everyone would try to force one on me,
- The conversation wasn't nearly as entertaining as usual,

When I used to have to attend business cocktail parties I would often drink tonic water with a twist of lime. It's not that bad a drink and it's sour enough that you aren't tempted to pound it back.

R.J.(Bob) Evans
www.bobandmarilyn.ca

[19thol]

worst twenty minutes of my life

[Ribbit]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Ahhah...!!
Ban Booze and Drugs.. they destroy lives...
No they don't.. its the weak ******** who need crutches all their lives who do that... but can't accept the responsibility..
"It was not my fault.. its Society..!!'
Bollocks..!!
Booze does not make ******** and bullies.. just makes em more visible by bringing out these normally hidden flaws..
A service to society..

Very true. There's a very tiny percentage of people that are naturally alcoholic (apparently they are missing an essential enzyme in their liver), and for whom alcohol is harmful.

Everyone else gets a significant boost from the pronounced bell curve of health advantage from drinking.

You know how we always get asked by Drs how much we drink these days? Well I always respond "Nowhere near enough for optimum health benefit" (because I don't - I haven't lived this long as a motorcyclist, by drinking). They usually smile broadly (they know), and don't follow it up. After all it's why beer was never rationed during WW2 in Britain - it's far too important a contributor to the diet.

Well one day, I had the same question from a Specialist, and I gave the usual response. Instead of smiling and moving on, he asked "Well how much DO you drink?" As I average about a bottle of wine a month, that's what I told him.

He followed that up by asking how much I would like to drink, and I replied "Well if I could get it up to a glass of wine a day, I think it would be a significant improvement".

His response was "Now you listen to me! You drink TWO glasses of wine a day, not one, because TWO glasses of wine a day, is TEN TIMES better for you, than ONE glass of wine a day!"

He wasn't wrong either, and two glasses of wine a day, is still well short of optimum.

For those of us that have the essential enzyme in our livers (that's something like 95% of us), the health benefits are so large, alcohol should be subsidised (it would save a fortune for the health services).

Of course that doesn't apply to methanol.

A friend's dad confirmed this (plus I've had loads of confirmation over the years for other sources), a Specialist that started drinking Gin and Tonic when a surgeon with the Chindits behind enemy lines in Burma in WW2 (for anti malaria purposes, and he got the taste for it), and like most in the medical profession that know the truth, he shifted a fair bit of alcohol a day (averaged a half bottle of gin in 2 x the volume of Tonic, every single day). Doctors and nurses really do shift a lot of alcohol don't they? Ever thought about why? Politicians tend to shift vast quantities of alcohol too, in their heavily subsidised bars, while apparently it is bettor for 'us' not to follow their example. That's how it was in the Soviet Union too - all the best quality alcohol went to 'The Party' (and boy did they enjoy lots of 'Parties').

Anyway, at age 74, Teddy was so fit on retiring from the hospital he'd worked, that the British Army approached him to go back in for a 5 year stint, as they were short of surgeons somewhere. Teddy did that with no problem too, and loved every minute of it.

I haven't seen Teddy for a while, I hope he's still with us.

[Canibul]

Heck, if I could drink responsibly I'd be shitfaced right now.

Actually, I think I became allergic to alcohol. I kept braking out in handcuffs.


The latest opinions from medical people that I've been seeing are that there are NO benefits to drinking, not even a single drink. All the numbers were skewed in the studies due to the way the statistics were gathered.

[Ribbit]

Originally Posted by bobofthenorth

When I used to have to attend business cocktail parties I would often drink tonic water with a twist of lime. It's not that bad a drink and it's sour enough that you aren't tempted to pound it back.

R.J.(Bob) Evans
www.bobandmarilyn.ca

I'm a fan of just tonic too.

[Ribbit]

Originally Posted by Canibul

Heck, if I could drink responsibly I'd be shitfaced right now.

Actually, I think I became allergic to alcohol. I kept braking out in handcuffs.


The latest opinions from medical people that I've been seeing are that there are NO benefits to drinking, not even a single drink. All the numbers were skewed in the studies due to the way the statistics were gathered.

You don't think they get the excuse to slam taxes up, without rigging studies, do you?

Heck even subsidised booze for themselves doesn't cover the Caviar and Lobster at the Parties . . . .

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Ribbit

I'm a fan of just tonic too.

I prefer Schweppes Indian Tonic...
Hooked on the quinine...

[svmariane]

Wow. Hit the bunk for some shut eye and by morning the thread climbed to seven pages & 90+ posts. Even from one of our lurkers!

Originally Posted by smacsdesign

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.

As for the various stances taken by a few contributors about drinking...

Drink, don't drink - your call. Me, I'll be more aware and more of a friend should somebody I know say they're going sober. No questions asked. Just support. That was sort of the point I wanted to make in the OP.

Now as for the rest of you hair-brained ijiots

Originally Posted by PuttingDoctor

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

A wee bit testy? A bit? Nah.... That's pretty much my normal. And I DID mention that the dry spell was over.

Aboard Mariane, it's "two beers a day when underway", as the saying goes. Such a comedown from the British Naval forces routine of days gone by. In port, the Engel 12VDC fridge is always half full of beer. My wife needs that as a cool-sink to keep food-stuffs fresh.

But, you know, it's THERE and probably against the law to let beer go bad, so..... "Honey, I'm off on a beer run to restock the Engel! Yes.... Again!"

Speaking of port, I read somewhere that it's called Port Wine because that's what to drink when getting ready to be shanghaied. {Was on the internet so must be true!} But I haven't had Port Wine since they served it in business class on long-haul trans-ocean flights back when smoking was allowed - so it's been awhile. 1995? 96? Can't recall. And hey! SaltyMonkey??? No comments please about lost-forever brain cells 'cause of the booze, right mate? Yeah.... I know, but try to hold back, k?



Well. Damn social media.... So easy to let loose personal info!

Originally Posted by 19thol

worst twenty minutes of my life

What? Reading this thread or was that on topic?

[a64pilot]

On the headache thing, not a hangover, but give me several beers, several glasses of wine or several drinks and before I get drunk I get a smashing headache.
Hangover was the next morning comes from I believe dehydrated brain tissue?

My wife got drunk once, years ago when we were kids, commode hugging drunk, being a loving husband I was holding her head. I had very curly hair back then, pretty much a "fro" . Got too close to the bathroom heater apparently and set the fro on fire.
Smell of burnt hair really helped her nausea.
She has never been drunk since, called one trial leaning I believe.


Sent from my iPad Pro using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[svmariane]

Originally Posted by Canibul

Heck, if I could drink responsibly I'd be shitfaced right now.

Actually, I think I became allergic to alcohol. I kept braking out in handcuffs.

Are you deliberately trying to get this shifted over to http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ad-145284.html ??

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by svmariane

Are you deliberately trying to get this shifted over to http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ad-145284.html ??

I'm enjoying the thread. Very interesting topic to me. I started drinking at 3. Basically quit at 54, although I'll drink a flute of champagne in toasts at a wedding, or have one at midnight on New Years. Looking back, I wish I had quit at 4.

[powsmias]

Originally Posted by zeehag

ok so.
i used to drink socially. then i was diagnosed with the d word (diverticulosis) and ischemic colitis, both,. yaaay fun.
not
and so i eat what i want unless it gives me pain, and i drink what i want , unless it gives me pain.
the last drink i had was a coupla shots of kraken with milk back. two years ago, and barfed 2 hours later. seems old dying guts hate booze--is too caustic. ok.. so we live longer and be more of a hermit than before, but it works. wasnt invited to a lot of things before--am not now--- what is difference other than not having idjit friends falling down dronk on boat and leaving their messes behind? rodl.. so i found a way to clean house better-- no one here but me n gato.
i donot nor did i ever enjoy being in the company of dronks. nothing to talk about other than mumbles and pukes. oh yes and THEIR misadventures in which they were fine until they were dronk...always the same old *****..PAST HISTORY!!! nothing intelligent as they slosh their brains to death with poisons.. is not so fun to watch.
seems i passed these drunks back when i was 20 and didnt like the environment in which they played. err stumbled.
NO i do NOT miss it!!
and my question is--why do y'all drink so much?? out here it is gorgeous and no one to mess with yer head. why keep the head messed?
i donot see the attraction to fuzzbrain or the importance of same, when it comes to sailing.

I can't hang with them either.. lost my two brothers three years ago within two weeks of each other. they lived on tequila and vodka. no talking to them. broke my heart, still is. i drink wine with dinner and have a few beers but not for the buzz. I have severe scoliosis, 60 degrees up top and 35 lower. play pool 8 hours a day, half a million miles on motorcycles and roll one up now and then. hell, i smoke everyday, not excessive, just to take off the edge. no one ever died from weed. begged my brothers at times and almost in tears writing this. wake up if you know it got ya, it's not too late. all the best but you're leaving people that love ya in hell. they're the ones that live with the memory. pretty sad **** when you see their kids and grandkids

[Udacha]

I gave up booze a few years back when the doctor told me how messed up my back and neck are from 35+ years of drywall and framing construction and he put me on some strong pain meds. I'm pretty sure I was self medicating with Vodka. I might have a drink every now and then with a group maybe 3 or 4 times a year, probably wouldn't refuse a nice drink at sun down on the deck though when we head out.

I lost my best friend of 25 years a couple years back. We were professional drinkers back then with lots of stories and I miss him. He started not feeling well and by the time he went to the doctor it was too late. His liver was terminal, maybe a couple months to live, his adult daughter wanted to take care of him but he didn't want to be a bother or run up any medical bills so he took his life. Very brave thing to do


Mike

[SaltyMonkey]

Lots of stories here. Lots of heartbreaking stories. Thank you all for sharing this.

[Nikki S]

Wow, popular topic. Does that mean it's a common issue? So we can all support each other when we need quit booze for a bit?

I regularly give up booze temporarily because after so many days, weeks or months, my liver starts to get sluggish, the hangovers compound, i feel generally slower, tireder, unfitter and down in the dumps.

I find that if i just grab a large glass of water, put some lemon and ice in it, or put it in a wine glass, and don't really mention it, nobody tries to push alcohol. if they offer me a drink, i just say something like - "i just need a glass of water first", or "im on the water right now". When everyone else gets drunk i tend to start thinking, geeze is that what im like too, when i drink? If it's not that inspiring or behavior to be proud of, then it's easy to go to bed at that point. If it does look like fun, well, I try to channel a couple of the craziest funnest brothers I've ever met. in the 90's, when we were in our 20's, they didn't drink and yet they were the life of the party........I'm not like them, but it helps me relax and be merry to remember their sober antics. Sometimes I feel socially awkward and want alcohol to help me, but it's taken me 25 years to realise in those moments alcohol actually doesnt work and in the long run, if i don't drink, i always feel better the next day.

here's to you .