Hi, My Name is Ned and I’m a Drug Addict

This is the reason why Alcohol is forbidden in Islam. The Quran says:

(They ask you about alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men.'')﴿2:219

Originally posted by Kamza
This is the reason why Alcohol is forbidden in Islam. The Quran says:

(They ask you about alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men.'')﴿2:219

Sure, Muslims may not drink, but they make up for that in other ways. I should know, I spent a month in Kashmir and was never so peacefully altered before in my life. Wish I was back there. Some of my most treasured memories. The call to prayer was one of the most mystical things I have ever heard.

* Ned

reply to post by headb


Thanks, You raise an interesting point about never drinking when you're feeling down.

I agree that drugs tend to amplify your moods. It then becomes a kind of vicious cycle, where you are always feeding the emotions that keep you trapped in your pain and trauma.

Generally speaking I'm a happy person and a happy drunk, so in some ways that makes it difficult to abstain from this delicious poison.

* Ned

It's not that addictive at all. Not like smoking is.

Originally posted by nimbinned
Yes, this drug I speak of is alcohol. Legal in nearly all countries, but ever so dangerously addictive. Don’t fool yourself if you think that you can drop it, once you’ve started using. Once it’s in your blood stream it’s there forever.

Peace

* Ned

I come from a long line of hard drinkers. I myself used to hit it pretty hard then one day just stopped. I did not make a conscious effort to. I just didn't want it anymore. And for years I never touched it. After several years I did buy a six pack and opened only one. The rest actually say in a cabinet for a long time. My wife used to for cooking.Many of the people I know do not drink enough to get over the legal limit. Saying it can't be done i simply an untruth. Sure, many will drink enough to pass the .08-.10 it takes to be illegal to drive But if they have any sense they will not drive in this situation. A little time without an adult beverage and solve this. Out bodies process 1oz 100 proof liqueur or one 12 oz beer an hour. It's not hard to get back to legal, unless you are a problem drinker. Not all people that drink alcohol fall into this category.

What I'm getting at is yes it is a drug. And, if your family has a history of alcohol abuse it can make one more likely to be an abuser yourself. But it is still the decision of the individual to make it a habit or do the weekend warrior binge thing. If one wants to stop all the have to do is stop. It's no impossible. We just needs to want it bad enough. We only fail at something when we stop trying. It's not heroin or eve tobacco we are talking about here. It's alcohol, and most people are not addicted just because they take a drink now and then.

It's not in your system forever. The idea of it might stay in your head but your body removes it pretty quick.

It took guts to admit what you have and I commend you for it. No matter the path we take to break away for a bad behavior we have to first understand that it is a problem that we want to change. I really don't like the 12 step programs but many use it and do well. I just don't see it as the best option for everyone no matter what the friends of Bill W. say. But whatever path one makes to gain control over the situation we have to understand we are trying to fix a problem. That takes admitting that one exists.

reply to post by nimbinned


I'm not saying this is your case , I just remembered something about my life ! I always considered myself a happy person and a happy drunk ( unless there was tequila involved !! ) it wasn't until I sobered up and started having long discussions with my kids , who are grown up now , about how they saw me when they were young and also talking with family and friends . I wasn't the person I thought I was , I was far from the happy go lucky guy who was the life of the party !! I was very blaming and resentful , you couldn't talk to me till my hangover was gone after 4 or 5 beers ! I usually started the party in a good mood but either someone had to get me home or put me up for the night because I passed out or if I blacked out I would hear about it next day what an A- hole I was ! Just wanted to share that were not always who we think we are in the throws of addiction !

reply to post by nimbinned
I have been clean and sober for roughly 24 years. I am came down a rough road full of mental anguish. There is gonna come a day when you will need to make the life or death decisions and it all is going to come down to which one of you, are you going to listen too. I wish you well. Keep fighting the good fight,and don't give up trying.
Peace

I used to be a really bad drinker. But I stopped and everything in life improved pretty well immediately. The "tight" feeling you speak of will start to go away by itself after some time with no alcohol. It won't happen the first day. But all the things you thought you could feel or be only with alcohol will start to happen when you're sober - if you stay away from drinking and stick with it. If you want to quit, you quit, if you don't, you drink. Your decision and no "disease" is going to make you take that first sip, though it does make you have the urge to not stop once you've taken the first sip - but the first sip - that's your responsibility.

Originally posted by rick004
reply to post by nimbinned

 

I'm not saying this is your case , I just remembered something about my life ! I always considered myself a happy person and a happy drunk ( unless there was tequila involved !! ) it wasn't until I sobered up and started having long discussions with my kids , who are grown up now , about how they saw me when they were young and also talking with family and friends . I wasn't the person I thought I was , I was far from the happy go lucky guy who was the life of the party !! I was very blaming and resentful , you couldn't talk to me till my hangover was gone after 4 or 5 beers ! I usually started the party in a good mood but either someone had to get me home or put me up for the night because I passed out or if I blacked out I would hear about it next day what an A- hole I was ! Just wanted to share that were not always who we think we are in the throws of addiction !

Great comments Rick. I often wonder what my 4 year old daughter thinks of me when I'm drinking. We have a lot of fun and joke around a lot, but will she see that as the 'real' me when she is older or just some kind of silly behaviour from a drunken fool ?

Ned

reply to post by nimbinned


I hear Ya !! My youngest from my second marriage is 7 and I am so grateful that she will hopefully never see me drunk ! She was 2 when I sobered up and we have a lot of great times together !!

You will get no opposition from this end. My family history has its share of victims, taken by their lust for alcohol. My real grandfather, whom I never met, I found out met his end in an alley in Chicago, drown in his own vomit after drinking himself unaware. I, myself, have never been much of a drinker, but I would be a liar if I said I didn't enjoy partaking of a drink or three. In my case, however, another family trait ensured that I would not get hooked on alcohol. I have severe degeneration of the disks in my spine, particularly in my c-spine (neck area). Due to the medications I take to keep me functional, through the pain, I cannot drink alcohol. There have been times where I would give nearly anything for just a single Jack & Coke - my drink of choice. Alas, because of my medication, I cannot have one... and have not had one in approaching a decade, now. And oh, what I wouldn't give, to have a fresh beer to go along with my steak! But, nope... it's Mountain Dew, for me. It sucks living with the condition I have, but at times I do believe that it has saved me from meeting my end in an alley in Chicago... which happens to be my favorite city.

Any unnecessary substance is only as addictive as a mind is weak. Calling human weakness a disease has always baffled me a bit, as it is a completely different thing than getting say Lyme disease from a tick, and probably deserves a term all its own.

reply to post by jeantherapy

Perhaps you can do a bit of research before making a comment like that and maybe fill us in with some of your experience in addiction and recovery , then we can debate it further !

reply to post by rick004


When I was 19 I drank excessive amounts of alcohol every night, would vomit everywhere. Forgot what I did, black out, miss work, etc. It got to be that I realized I had goals and that a healthy body would be required to achieve them, so I stopped. Now I can have a beer, two scotches, whatever - and stop whenever I like. I'm secure enough with myself that I can resist any amount of peer pressure to "party." But that's all it was, excessive partying - I didn't have a disease, I wasn't confident enough to assert myself in terms of what I consider acceptable behavior. It's about an individual taking responsibility for their own actions and admitting that the change must come from within, instead of blaming it on some external source, like a made up phantom or disease. Why must humans always invent a scapegoat instead of having the guts to say "I screwed up, this is all on me and now I must change to fix things" ???

reply to post by jeantherapy


There is documented evidence that it changes your cells OVER TIME. Look back a few pages I posted a link to info about alcohol addiction.
You didn't drink for years. That is great for you. I'm glad were able to stop before it became a problem.

I'm close to identical twins. Both drank for over 20 yrs. Daily heavy drinkers.
One quit and feels awesome, but it took a lot to overcome. Diet changes and distractions.
The other still drinks.
He feels like crap when he doesn't drink.
I'm waiting for the next 4am call from either the hospital or police.
I've had to pick him up from both.
We've told him the crappy feeling passes as long as you stop but he doesn't. After 20 yrs the cells in his body adjusted to the alcohol. It makes it harder to stop.
I had seen this at work a lot.
The "water on the brain" affect. I had a guy tell me "You know I didn't always sound like this" slurred speech.
"I know I sound stupid" Anyone else would've assumed he was mentally retarded. Alcohol slowly changed him over time.

So of course you aren't gonna think it's a problem because you overcame it after a little while.
Well just picture being in your 40's and that you had drank the whole time.....think it would be easy to quit then?

reply to post by jeantherapy


I don't believe you to be an Alcoholic , your like a lot of teens who liked to party then decided they had enough ! I don't blame alcohol or anyone for my actions or problems I have but I do believe alcoholism is a disease every bit as much as diabetes , it is chronic , fatal , can be treated with different therapies .

reply to post by rick004


Wow, now alcoholic gets a capital A. I've never understood this romanticized view of alcoholics - they're just a-holes. Now you can categorize all the different types of a holes, give them cool names and blame their condition on a disease. Unless you're truly possessed of a deficient brain you ultimately choose what kind of person you are.

reply to post by jeantherapy


Yeah you're right !! And there is a few A- holes in this group too ! No matter where You go there's always a few that will spoil the bunch ! You still didn't mention what experience you have in addiction or recovery besides being a rotten teen !

reply to post by rick004


This place is very strict on not discussing illegal activities, that's why you're not getting more detailed information about my personal activities.