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40 Days Without Booze

jdmoyer.com

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Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#61

Post by tjic »

reustle wrote: post #11

Great writeup. As someone who never drinks, and never has, it continues to sound like a drug to me and I want no part of it. That said, I still get questioned about my decision like I have 2 heads.

I never had a single drink for my first 40 years on the planet, and, yes, people absolutely look at you like you've got two heads.

I started drinking (about once a week) two years ago.

It's moderately nice from time to time, but I also think the decision to avoid it for twenty years of adulthood was a good one - I established who I am and what my coping mechanisms are for stress, and now it's a nice little social adjunct.

My advice: if you're even the least bit undecided about drinking, don't do it. You can always give it a shot later. Or perhaps you'll never drink; that's great too.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#62

Post by smsm42 »

a3voices wrote: post #47
ultimoo wrote: post #18

>> ...alcoholism is often linked to highly driven, ambitious, over-achieving personality types... I have come across this point multiple times in the past -- reading or conversing -- but never has a concrete source or study been cited. Not to say I don't agree with it -- anecdotal evidence is not always false. It is really true though? I consider myself very driven and ambitious and also have a drinking habit, but kn…

People who drink alcohol in moderation statistically make 10-15% more money. http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/drinking-statistic...

I'd say people that are capable of making responsible decisions and regulate their passions should be making statistically more money, so no wonder.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#64

Post by smsm42 »

edgarallenbro wrote: post #42
tomjen3 wrote: post #3

(I am reading this after two glasses of wine). Am I alone in thinking that he sounds like an addict? I mean, sure he didn't have a big issue sticking to his decision, but at the same time the list of changes is pretty significant.

No. Either we need a new word, or we have to start reserving the label "addict" for very serious cases. He experienced no withdrawal symptoms and was perfectly capable of taking a break from alcohol for 40 days. It is extremely misleading to compare this with, say, a heroin addiction. Look up the documentary Cold Turkey on YouTube to see what true addiction is like.

Addiction doesn't have to be physiological. Many addictions aren't.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#65

Post by [deleted] »

smsm42 wrote: post #22
reustle wrote: post #11

Great writeup. As someone who never drinks, and never has, it continues to sound like a drug to me and I want no part of it. That said, I still get questioned about my decision like I have 2 heads.

It is not "like a drug", it is a drug just like any other substances commonly called drugs. We just integrated it into our culture, and learned to live with it and accept the consequences of its use (on the societal level, personally it is still as capable of destroying lives as any other drug if abused). But it doesn't change neither chemistry nor biology nor physiology of what is happening. So if someone talks to y…

[deleted]

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#66

Post by jusben1369 »

akilism wrote: post #45

I was a heavy drinker, at some points a 6 pack a night, for well over 10 years and I quit cold turkey and have been sober for going on 5 years now. There was definitely a point where getting to bed was a task but I'm such a changed person emotionally and mentally than I was when drinking. Somethings are just not for everyone. The worst part was definitely seeing who my real friends were and who were just the people w…

Nice! Definitely a range of people who are only interested in you if you are interested in keeping the party/illusion going.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#67

Post by plg »

I know a lot of people who are similarly dependent upon (if not outright addicted to) exercise. Typically running although I've seen it with cycling and swimming as well. For these people if they don't get their exercise on schedule, they go absolutely nuts. There are many benefits to exercise but for many there are also big big risks, e.g. joint problems, soft tissue injuries, etc.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#68

Post by cclogg »

mumbi wrote: post #32
reustle wrote: post #11

Great writeup. As someone who never drinks, and never has, it continues to sound like a drug to me and I want no part of it. That said, I still get questioned about my decision like I have 2 heads.

Seeing as everybody seems to want you to drink, I would like to say that I commend your ability to stay away from substances of abuse. I, for one, cannot.

I've managed to pull off not drinking like the parent commenter (both because I don't like the taste and I just don't want to)... but unfortunately I love soda/sugar-drinks... which brings other problems lol.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#69

Post by bitops »

jere wrote: post #60

I've slipped into the habit of drinking almost every single night over the past few months and I'm currently trying to cut it out. It's harder than I thought it would be. Like the author said, I've never noticed any physical withdrawal, but I have a strong urge to have a drink every night (sometimes even in the middle of the day). This is one of the most stressful times of my life and it's so hard not to just say "fu…

Have you tried breaking up any of your usual patterns? It may be hard to do with schedules and workload, but just exercising 2 or 3 times a week can make a huge difference. I've found that 90 minutes of exercise per session is its own drug.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#70

Post by smsm42 »

corylehey wrote: post #19

I did the same thing last year, falling asleep was a lot harder. Its like a circus up there in the brain.

There are techniques to handle that. I haven't have too much experience in it but from what I heard in limited encounters with them, unless you have some physiological problem, you can learn to relax and get the circus under control pretty efficiently. Takes some work, of course, as any good thing does :) Drugs are an easier shortcut, that is true.
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