Addiction is something I’ve struggled with immensely

But I have so much empathy for alcoholics. My demons were prescribed. I don’t have to see it every day in the store or on TV.

Real talk…y’all are the real ones. Seriously.

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Graylight · 51-55, F Best Comment

Yes! Finally! Someone who recognizes we're the [i]best [/i]addicts!

Seriously, though, there's no easy addiction. Alcohol presents a tricky problem because of its ubiquity and the culture behind it, more than anything. True, it's everywhere. Grocery stores, drug stores, rest stops, restaurants, recipes; hell, there are near churches built full of the stuff. Rows and rows and rows of promising adventure. It's on planes, in movie theaters, at sporting and concert events. It's in mouthwashes and medicines and flavor extracts. It's [i]everywhere[/i]. Can you imagine driving past a 16-wheeler with a giant colorful add for heroin along its side?

More insidious, though, is the culture that accompanies it. Alcohol is the only drug that people try to convince us will make us stronger, more alluring to the opposite sex, able to enjoy the good life, create power lunches, relieve a workout, ease a heart, gladden a soul. We use it for holidays, gatherings, parties, religious ceremonies. Alcohol is the only drug we're enthusiastically and exhaustively encouraged to indulge in and it's the only drug wherein non-users are shamed or left out if they don't join in. We use it to pump ourselves up, to make ourselves more social, to ease our minds, to comfort our souls, to put ourselves to sleep.

Alcohol kills more than all other addictions combined. That's changing with the advent of the Age of Fentanyl, but it's still true. And yet we still host TikTok channels showcasing those who've had too much, we deny monies to treatment and harm prevention and we use it as an excuse for any number of bad behaviors. Until we get serious about addiction in general, it will always have the upper hand in the Next big Thing to kill people.

Graylight · 51-55, F

@Graylight Thanks for BC. Stay safe and keep to the well-lighted pathways.

BlueVeins · 22-25

I hate how acceptable it is to publicly shit all over smokers. Like yeah obviously smoking is a bad habit, but treating it as some individual moral failing is really diseased.

MethDozer · M

@BlueVeins I'm a smoker and I can honestly say I get where a lot of it comes from. A lot of smokers kinda have no couth about their habit and will light up anywhere reguardless of who it is blowing in the face of. I mean outside of a bar or club just de with it. But a restaurant or store or somewhere that isn't a party move away from the doors and windows ffs

ScarletWitch · 26-30, F

I can't imagine anyone who is an alcoholic and has GERD. I like to drink occasionally but I'm not allowed to tbh. And I wouldn't be surprised if many alcoholics got gerd from vomiting so much they flip their tummy and cause ulcers.

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ScarletWitch · 26-30, F

@ChiefWalksWith40oz I have gerd as well and how do you handle it and what do you do to make it better?

ChiefWalksWith40oz · 26-30

@ScarletWitch honestly I just had to change my diet. Being Mexican its tough because spicy food is everywhere & I want it but I gotta be careful.

After I stopped drinking every day, it got waaaay better. I used to have heartburn all day every day & now it's only sometimes. When it gets really bad there's really nothing I can do because nothing really helps it anymore. I just deal with it until it goes away.

So I'm careful with soda, juice, or anything that makes it worse, especially at night.
I rarely drink energy drinks or coffee anymore.
Food is easier on me than drinks, so I have more freedom with eating but
the typical stuff, I guess be careful for. Especially with greasy or spicy. I can only do low or medium spicy. Too spicy is instant chest/stomach pain.

That's about it so far. I'm only 25 so I've only had 8 or 9 years of experience so far. I'm sure it'll progress as I age lol

Graylight · 51-55, F

@ScarletWitch No problemo. Alcohol can cure that. First, you can look forward to esophageal varices, which is essentially uncontrolled and deadly bleeding from the base of your esophagus; traditionally, it has a 50% survival rate. That's typically after blood has started to literally leaked from every internal organ and begins to seep into your skin. This comes shortly before loss of autonomous function, coma and death.

Not to minimize your condition in any way, but enough alcohol and you'll be on your knees praying GERD all you have.

pride49 · 31-35, M

According to rehab once an alcoholic. Always an alcoholic. And the only way to cure is with dumbass religion. Instead I've been trying to find meds to cure it... Depression I mean, Unsuccessfully. So far tried over ten depression meds. Nope. Nothing. Just unwanted side effects. And I can't stand the hangovers anymore so it keeps me off of it

EasyFriend

I have an addictive personality and have struggled with alcohol, drugs, smoking... but my sexual addiction was once so strong I literally never said no to anyone. Found myself doing incredibly risky stuff. That took a lot of work to get any control over.

Graylight · 51-55, F

@EasyFriend We call an "addicitve personality" impulse control.

EasyFriend

@Graylight yes I suppose.

Jinxie · 51-55, F

It was hard in early recovery to go in stores or even drive down the street the store was on that I bought alcohol.
Eventually seeing alcohol, being at parties wasn't an issue. Alcohol wasn't the issue, it's my thinking.

Spoiledbrat · F

I've never drank that much tbh. But lately I've had a few drinks every month ot two. Which is kind of weird for me.

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Human1000 · M

I am a functioning alcoholic, so have sympathy with addicts of all sorts. I do believe I’m responsible for it, though.

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