[Uncle Erik]

I drank too much in undergrad. What changed things was a checkup where my blood pressure was elevated - at the high end of normal. The doc told me to knock it off, so I decided to quit for the summer. And I did. It was pretty easy and the blood pressure dropped to 110/70, where it still is.

I do drink, but not much. Maybe 3-4 drinks per month. Sometimes none. What did it for me was getting snotty about alcohol - I deliberately developed very expensive tastes. The cost cuts you back on volume and the quality makes you savor it. I can have one glass of something pricey and enjoy it all night, be sober and feel fine the next day.

Anyhow, it worked for me and might be worth a try. Get the really good stuff and learn to refuse anything less. It's not just snobbery, it's good for you.

 

[Punnisher]

I've never had a drinking problem, but one thing that prevented me from developing one was realizing that getting drunk serves no purpose, and is never enjoyable. So many people make it a goal to get smashed, and what for? You end up with a hangover that could potentially last days, and forget what happened the night before.

It's one thing to have a few drinks socially, but something else to make it a sport. I drink beer for the taste, and not to get wasted. Take Erik's advise, drink because you enjoy the taste, and get the good stuff. Life is too short to drink cheap beer/liquor.

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by synaesthetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would also like to say the words "social epidemic" is utterly disgusting and merely a statist method of defining a characteristic that is unpleasant or embarrassing to a given government.

Disgusting? When is the last time your children went out to their own sandbox to play at 9:00 in the morning, only to find a 30-year-old drunk passed out in it with a bottle of booze in his hand? Like I wrote earlier, the situation here cannot be understood unless you see it for yourself. I will make the assumption that you don't know anything at all about Finnish culture (my apologies if I'm wrong). By the way, the 30-year-old man I had to haul out of my kids' sandbox was recently murdered in an alcohol-fueled fight which I read about in the local newspaper.

For a start, have a look here. Then, understand that this and this are normal things to see here. I'm guessing it would be something of a novelty to see such things anywhere near Oral Roberts University

(and yes, I've visited Tulsa).

To say that I called the drinking problem in Finland a social epidemic from a "statist" point of view is absurd. I have three children, and have to do my best to raise them in such a way that they manage to avoid becoming a part of this problem that they have already seen enough with their own eyes. They have already become accustomed to steering their bicycles clear of drunken men weaving along or falling down on the public pathways, and to dismissing all the half-dead-looking people passed out in conspicuous places as simply being "drunks."

 

[frozenice]

To the OP why don't you try something like kung-fu. It won't help you when you're that liquored but it will give you something to do on a Friday night. Might help with the self-confidence part and remember to shop around first though.

 

[Ttvetjanu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frozenice /img/forum/go_quote.gif To the OP why don't you try something like kung-fu. It won't help you when you're that liquored but it will give you something to do on a Friday night. Might help with the self-confidence part and remember to shop around first though.

I've done 3 years of muay thai and 3 years of tae kwon do. I train 3 times a week. The confidence issue was more concerning female company.

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ttvetjanu /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am a 20 year old student and I've noticed that whenever I drink, I drink too much. It's not the frequency of drinking but the amounts I drink. Alcohol is nothing new for me, I started drinking as a 16 year old, and to be honest, I havent previously had this problem. It is a much more recent problem, about last half a year has been really bad. I only drink socially, never alone. I don't really get hangovers, only slightly dizzy the next morning. I probably drink a lot because of a mediocre self asteem. I don't have any problem with my family, or friends, I've had a good childhood and so on. I am not depressed (although probably a bit lonely). I am not stupid, so I've tried all obvious things. I am not shy but I do have some difficulty getting girls. I have bad self control (obviously). I've tried counting bottles, mentally agreeing that I would stay at a certain amount, only taking a certain amount of bottles and many other things, but eventually I either lose control, get drinks from friends or think that I am too sober and start accelerating the amount of drinks, which eventually spirals out of control. So much that I tend to have very little memory of the later hours. This morning I woke up all bloody and had some faint memories of a fight, I had a note from the police in my pocket which contained the contact information of the person that attacked me. I've never been in a fight before. So. I've now opened myself to a forum full of complete strangers. Any innovative solutions would be nice. Writing this is probably a good start. Thanks

Stop drinking period. Try and rationalize it by other means mentally if you can. (i.e. I cannot afford it, or become more active and work out more)

There is little chance it shall get any easier for you if you have already recognized a problem. It may be a health concern sooner than later if that means anything to you, not worth it. Good luck

 

[Austin 3:16]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ttvetjanu /img/forum/go_quote.gif The confidence issue was more concerning female company.

Don't let the bad apples spoil the bunch. There are good women out there. It's when you stop hunting you'll find them.

 

[Febs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ttvetjanu /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will try to go for a alcohol free month. If the month will go well I will try to extend it as far as possible. If I am not able to go a month I will talk seriously with my friends and concider professional help. I will only limit myself to 5 drinks when the month is over, trying to make them last the entire evening/night instead of drinking them all in 1-2 hours.

The fact that you have not even stopped drinking and you are already bargaining with yourself to have "only" five drinks in one night when you resume drinking should tell you all you need to know.

You are an alcoholic.

Please, seek help now, before you do irreparable harm to yourself or to someone else.

 

[bundee1]

I believe an excess of anything is dangerous, both addictions and restrictions. Pace yourself when you drink, as others have said the goal isnt to get hammered, its to hang out with your friends. Alcohol is there to loosen inhibitions a little and to make conversation easier. Its not a social crutch or personality enhancer and it will become a problem sooner or later.

 

[Carmantom]

Wouldn't hurt to try an A.A. meeting. I'm sure you would find out in short order if you are one. I can assure you of one thing no ne is going to tell you if you are one. You might identify with someone and you might not.

 

[GordonFreeman]

You may not be an alcoholic now but if you still have the same problem when your thirty then you will be. Take it from someone who knows and has been to the gutter and back, drinking too much will never make you popular and will always have you hanging out with the wrong people. The cliche's you hear everyone parents saying are true. If they don't like you the way you are then they are not your friends. Be yourself and you will meet people who are genuinely interested in having you as a friend. As for women, women like confidence and they like funny. If you get turned down and get emotional about it because it took you 3 weeks to build up courage then you are ensuring yourself to failure. The more you get turned down the more you score. The more you score the closer you come to finding someone you want to be around all the time. Works in reverse too, find a girl who likes headphones and you don't want the guys to know she is a headphone geek, tell them to F off. Confidence, confidence, and more confidence. Just remember that getting slapped or told you are incompatible means you are on the right track. There is a guy in the threads who has a girlfriend who made him a Millet Amp, they are out there, you just need to do ALOT of shopping.

 

[kramer5150]

Wow that sucks, I can tell you what I did... I was a lot like you as a young 20 Y/O, in college. I just enjoyed drinking with my buddies. It was not uncommon for us to study our butts off during the week and just get hammered every friday night, and crash at my friends place. Strangely, once I turned 21 (Legal drniking age in CAL) the novelty just wore off. Somewhere around 21-22, It was a friends birthday party and someone handed me a costco bottle of Southern Comfort and I just sipped that thing all night, along with other drinks too.

At some point I passed out and I woke up on the couch. Someone took off my shoes and tucked me under a blanket. I have NO IDEA, how I ended up on that couch and no recollection of the night at all. I am (was) a "sleepy drunk"... the boring kind that just dozes off after a few too many.

That kind of scarred me a little. Right about that time I had my first really serious GF too, so it was time to kind of move on, and being young and in a relationship helped. It sucked kind of... I felt like I was really alienating my friends. But it was a conscious thing for me to do. I DEFINITELY did not want to get that drunk ever again. I mean my friends and I kind of hung out a little, but it wasn't so booze-centric after that.

It was a very confusing time of my life, but I think I managed it OK. I'm no psychiatrist, but I guess my solution was to block out the influences. I don't think this is the best solution, unless you can tolerate possibly loosing all your drinking buddies.

I still LOVE a good stout, porter or a small glass of amaretto after dinner. But now I limit myself to one glass or one bottle per week. Thats my little treat... sip it, savor it and enjoy it after a good work week or a successful week potty training the kids.

 

[MrEr1c]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would recommend: Don't drink AND drive. Don't drink alone and make sure there is somebody you can trust around.

Those two pieces of advice are the best that i can think of. I did not read the entire thread but i know I myself have/had a drinking problem it it HAS gotten me into a lot of trouble. Not just with the law but with schooling.

The first one is obvious.

If you do continue to drink, make sure you are always around a GOOD friend. Someone who will take all precautions, even if that means fighting you, to make sure you don't get into any trouble.

Take this from someone who has reached the dead end of the B.A.C. meter on more than one occasion.

Best of luck.

 

[GordonFreeman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrEr1c /img/forum/go_quote.gif Those two pieces of advice are the best that i can think of. I did not read the entire thread but i know I myself have/had a drinking problem it it HAS gotten me into a lot of trouble. Not just with the law but with schooling. The first one is obvious. If you do continue to drink, make sure you are always around a GOOD friend. Someone who will take all precautions, even if that means fighting you, to make sure you don't get into any trouble. Take this from someone who has reached the dead end of the B.A.C. meter on more than one occasion. Best of luck.

I need to add that I used to drive drunk, and I mean hundreds of times. Cop got me once when I was 16 and made me pour all my beer out and checked my address on my license and told me if he didn't see my Buick there he was gonna F me up! The laws are different now and you wont survive doing that, you post on a breathalyser nowadays and your dead. The ladies don't like a guy that cant drive, know what I mean?

 

[Ttvetjanu]

I have never even concidered driving drunk. As of people recommending AA, well, without going too much into religious discussion lets just say that being an atheist I cannot give myself to a "higher power".