I'm Moving To Thailand In The Future

[thaifever2007]

I love to drink beer, especially on hot days/nights when sitting in a bar in Pattaya. I can sit there all day or bar hop all night. Usually, I drink about 10 beers each day during my vacations. When I get home, I'm back to my routine. Drink about 7 beers, 3 times/week. I have it under control at home. Working everyday helps keep me out of trouble. When I retire and move to Thailand, I'm afraid I'll drink too much. No job, hot weather, and many beer bars. What do you guys think? Will I become an everyday drinker and an alcoholic? Some say I am one now.

[jumnien]

Becoming an alcoholic is the best thing that ever happened to me! I've been sober now 14 years and 12-step Thailand is the center of my adventurous life. Being an alcoholic in a foreign country offers one an experience not available to the average traveller. There are AA meetings in many places and the connections with new friends is fantastic. Hurry up, now, increase your drinking and get into AA!

[Geekfreaklover]

I may be way of the mark here, but I think being an alcoholic is a mixture of genetics and exposure to alcohol. Being alcohol dependant is something completly different. You can be an alcoholic without being alcohol dependant and vice versa.

I've know people to drink ten pints a day for twenty years and stop without any problem. Other people hit the booze hard for a month and they are hooked for life.

Just thinking out loud. To answer the OP's question it helps if you have some kind of way to use your time other than hitting the bars all day. A hobby, work, something besides drinking.

[tomartoh]

Chances are you will very likely become an everyday drinker. You already admit to liking drinking and obviously the lifestyle that goes with it.

But it all depends an whether you can find the lady to keep you off it and the activity to keep you away from it. Depends on yourself, what do you want to do with your life???

My friend has just gone into hospital to see if they can help him stop. He says hes not an alcoholic as he doesnt start drinking in the morning like a lot of others. I ask him if that matters as most days he gets so pissed he pisses himself. Anyhow, he has realised that he is in a mess and is now trying to do something. Problem is there is no cure for being an alcoholic so only thing is to not lose control along the way

Best of luck mate, but you wont be short of all day drinking buddies in Pattaya [or a lot of other places]

[brianmarinus]

Hello!

I just read your message-and I can tell you this-I was a alcoholic when I was in Denmark-drunk every day-20+30 beers and a botle or two of vodka-it was my whole life and I only think about being drunk every morning.

Now I am In Thailand and have found a good nice and caring woman and a good life whit her and her family and I can drink once or two times in a week,whitout any problems-to go here is the best thing I ever don to myself-so I will say-go for it and then it is up to you what way you choose-but as it is for you now-you are a alcoholic allready.so I think,it can only be better.

Brian

[britmaveric]

Only question you need to ask yourself does your life focus on alcohol? If yes - you will have a problem. If no then no worries.

[neverdie]

Ohh another quality individual for thailands expat circles.

Perhaps another 7/11 steps man

[elliss]

Only question you need to ask yourself does your life focus on alcohol? If yes - you will have a problem. If no then no worries.

when i,m in the UK , i drink maybe four pints a week .

in thailand , i drink that amount every night ..

something about the place ,, burp

you will be a full blown piss head in no time .

[BkkMD]

drink up!

cheers

[MAJIC]

Agree with the poster who said Acholism is primarily in the Genes.

In Thailand we have the time and the money as its so cheap and most Socialising is done in the Bars.

Whenever I go back to the UK for a spell its amazing how quickly I realize that my Thailand drinking habits (on and off all day, everyday) have got to stop, purely on the exorbitant costs alone, a mere 3 pints a day in the UK will set you back £10 a day x 30 days = £300 a month 6 or 8 pints a day men are into serious money per month, £600 - £780.And if you smoke 20 a day add another £150 + a month.

Most of my Foreign friends are the same on trips back home,Scandanavians in particular who go back to work are even more conscious of the financial need to stop drinking and get down to earning enough money for the next six months back in Thailand spell.

So to the original Poster Thailands social life will certainly encourage you to drink more,you're never far from a beer outlet in Thailand,and when you get back home you will soon know if you have become an Alcholic,who cant live without drinking everyday or not!

[ding]

The fact that you ask makes me think you don't have a problem. If you start defending your drinking increases or bad acting, then maybe take a look at it. But denial is the prime symptom of alcoholism. Cheers!

[NaChampain]

The fact that you ask makes me think you don't have a problem. If you start defending your drinking increases or bad acting, then maybe take a look at it. But denial is the prime symptom of alcoholism. Cheers!

As everyone here said already. You are what you want yourself to be and then you become that even more. We all wrestle with inner demons - what we want, what we can get, what we should get or not.. There are so many demons out there. Hence, you can focus on things to make you happy, so that you don't feel unhappy or extinguish stress to make you not feel unhappy. A bit strange, but you may get it if you have thought about budhishm. In Thai it's called Dap Tuk - that really is the main issue in buddhism.

[ding]

I have no idea thaifever2007. Seems like you don't have a problem, but there are many styles and orders of magnitude for any addiction. If it becomes an addiction you will not regain control -ever. If you can regain *and retain* control, then drink up for a bit if you want.

Some drunks are maintenance style, some are binge style drinkers... and then there's guys like me that drank like a pig no matter <deleted> what -STAND BACK IF YA DON'T WANT ANY ON YA!

AA is always there for ya if it's an issue, and it's free.

[mommysboy]

I'd say you already are an alcoholic!

So coming over to Thailand might save you heaps of money.

I think it is more a question of are you happy with your lifestyle?

Personally, I never trust anyone without one good old fashioned addiction.

[CMFarang]

People who are not alcoholics do not worry about their drinking, but then again , neither do alcoholics.

Come to Thailand , drink all you want.. Get a teen girlfriend.. Build her mother a house.. Do all the great things so many others that come here do..

If you have an alcohol problem , there is always AA.

If you have a girlfriend problem , there are always plenty more that would love to spend you $$.. If you have a problem with anything there are always SOLUTIONS..

I love watching the SOLUTIONS that many of the people who do not ask for advice come up with.. Entertainment at its best here ..

You are asking for advice, you keep that attitude , and you should fair well here ..

Just be aware of who you ask. An Alcoholic may be sober but Crazy as a Loon anyway..

Be careful, investigate, choose a good mentor or two , and walk slowly.. :jap:

Happy travels , and bring those street smarts with you..

[StreetCowboy]

People who are not alcoholics do not worry about their drinking, but then again , neither do alcoholics.

Come to Thailand , drink all you want.. Get a teen girlfriend.. Build her mother a house.. Do all the great things so many others that come here do..

If you have an alcohol problem , there is always AA.

If you have a girlfriend problem , there are always plenty more that would love to spend you $$.. If you have a problem with anything there are always SOLUTIONS..

I love watching the SOLUTIONS that many of the people who do not ask for advice come up with.. Entertainment at its best here ..

You are asking for advice, you keep that attitude , and you should fair well here ..

Just be aware of who you ask. An Alcoholic may be sober but Crazy as a Loon anyway..

Be careful, investigate, choose a good mentor or two , and walk slowly.. :jap:

Happy travels , and bring those street smarts with you..

Ignore the advice - do it your own way. If it was good enough for Frank Sinatra, its good enough for you. You need to make your own mistakes, because no-one else will make them for you.

Or at least remember that advice is to be heeded, not followed.

And then post about it, and give us all a laugh!

SC

[MrRichard2009]

Heavy drinking and alcoholism are not the same you will probably be a heavy drinker but alcoholism is defined by the inability to stop when the booze is harming your life and you chose the booze, that doesn't mean heavy drinking is healthy ! ....... However if you can maintain your life without any troubles you may just fine.

[aussiebebe]

I don't think the guy will become an alkie by moving to Pattaya but drinking is like the flesh trade; if patonizing the bars becomes acceptable, where is the limit? Specifically BEWARE of the mid-afternoon drink, years of research has led me to the conclusion that this is the beginning of the end, the edge of the precipice and the nail in most guys' coffins. A drink with the evening meal is fine; a beer with lunch, fine; but mid-afternoon is just the precursor to 3)mid-morning, 2)breakfast 1)liver failiure.

I think the guy's problem is retirement not drink. I get his feeling about work keeping him in control, I get the same way about food; when I'm on vacation my weight spikes way up as I'm a lazy slob, when I'm working I don't have time to eat a KFC bucket and family-pack of Mr Donuts for breakfast, plus I can't sit in my La-Z-Boy all day at work - so I can fight the bulge at work simply by turning up. Retirement being better than work is a myth, you've always gotta have something more to do with life and it's got to be more than teeing up the next ball.

[corkman]

Living in Thailand is not the same as holidaying here.

When I'm on hols, anywhere, not just Thailand ...... I usually spend the entire time in the pub.... go out on the pi$$, stay out late, stay in bed most of the next day, get up, eat and repeat cycle..... its what most people do.

Since I've been married, the cycle has broken somewhat and so we go on sight seeing tours and that ...... but again, this is holiday behaviour.

What I would say to you is this: if work is the only thing keeping you out of the pub at home, then when you retire you will be in the pub every day...... whether you are in Thailand or home....

It is certainly easier to spend long periods of time in the bar here - the women of course only enhance the lure..... and its cheaper..... and generally a really fun place to be. So the temptation is going to be even greater. The second thing to consider is that presumably you have family etc. at home and other interests which occupy your time ....... out here you will likely have no such interests, and so that will exhasperate the matter.

I would urge you to consider what your motives are for choosing Thailand as your plce of retirement? Consider what it is you intend to do with your life out here? I know lots of young guys out here that run bars or divings resorts or that sort of thing, and they find it very hard to stay out of the pub, because they find it difficult to have other interests ..... and they constantly have friends and family and customers coming through..... and their expat friends have visitors also, so there is a constant stream of social events to attend.

When you say retire, I do not know how old you are ..... but consider also that it is difficult to get even the most simple of things done in Thailand - such as getting an internet connection installed, or shopping around for car insurance..... I have my Mrs. to do this for me and I speak a bit of Thai ...... repsectfully, for an older person this may be more challenging which may give way to "I can't be bothered, I'll just go down to the local and have acouple of beers instead".....

Compiling all these factors, and from what you describe, yes I do think there is a strong chance that you will drink heavily and regularly. Whether that makes you an "alcoholic" or not is another question - whether you "need" to drink 10 beers per day or not is irrelevent, if you fully intend to drink them regardless.

Edited November 7, 2010 by corkman

[chargers2011]

I've been drinking for 23 years and a functional alcoholic for about 15 years now. I don't drink everyday. I usually just drink on my days off. When I was single, I didn't worry about my drinking (one of the good things about being single). Now I have to keep it under control because I have a wife and a young boy. I know when I get drunk, my wife looks at me and thinks "what a loser". Last week, I decided to quit drinking until my next vacation to Thailand in November. I've never quit drinking before and I'm sure it won't be easy. I want to drink again, but I want to do a better job of being under control. I want to keep it under 6 beers/day on my days off and during vacations. I'm going to do my best to control it, because I don't want to be like my sister and two brothers. They can't drink at all because they became alcoholics to maximum.

Edited March 11, 2011 by chargers2011

[StreetCowboy]

I've been drinking for 23 years and a functional alcoholic for about 15 years now. I don't drink everyday. I usually just drink on my days off. When I was single, I didn't worry about my drinking (one of the good things about being single). Now I have to keep it under control because I have a wife and a young boy. I know when I get drunk, my wife looks at me and thinks "what a loser". Last week, I decided to quit drinking until my next vacation to Thailand in November. I've never quit drinking before and I'm sure it won't be easy. I want to drink again, but I want to do a better job of being under control. I want to keep it under 6 beers/day on my days off and during vacations. I'm going to do my best to control it, because I don't want to be like my sister and two brothers. They can't drink at all because they became alcoholics to maximum.

Best of luck, mate. Make the most of your sobriety, and you might not want to go back...

Your health will benefit, though you might not notice it at first, and you'll be able to get more done; I'd have never got the job I'm in now if I'd been drinking - I'd not have been so positive and fresh at the interview, even if I had had nothing to drink on the plane over... just the general lethargy of too many late nights would have taken its toll.

See you in November!

SC

[chargers2011]

I've been drinking for 23 years and a functional alcoholic for about 15 years now. I don't drink everyday. I usually just drink on my days off. When I was single, I didn't worry about my drinking (one of the good things about being single). Now I have to keep it under control because I have a wife and a young boy. I know when I get drunk, my wife looks at me and thinks "what a loser". Last week, I decided to quit drinking until my next vacation to Thailand in November. I've never quit drinking before and I'm sure it won't be easy. I want to drink again, but I want to do a better job of being under control. I want to keep it under 6 beers/day on my days off and during vacations. I'm going to do my best to control it, because I don't want to be like my sister and two brothers. They can't drink at all because they became alcoholics to maximum.

Best of luck, mate. Make the most of your sobriety, and you might not want to go back...

Your health will benefit, though you might not notice it at first, and you'll be able to get more done; I'd have never got the job I'm in now if I'd been drinking - I'd not have been so positive and fresh at the interview, even if I had had nothing to drink on the plane over... just the general lethargy of too many late nights would have taken its toll.

See you in November!

SC

It's only been a week without a drink for me. You are right, I do get so much more done. I get to spend a lot more time with my boy and wife (although I still need my alone time). I exercise every day and I'm committed to getting rid of my beer belly by November. Also, things are much more easy going. I'm not in a hurry to get all family duties out of the way so that I can drink. I'm even going to start meditating. I'm 44 years old and I can feel my body deteriorating. Time for a change.

[RickThai]

Hello to all!

I went into End-stage-liver disease about 3 1/2 years ago. It took a liver transplant to save my life. What I found out about the liver, is that any and all alcohol kills liver cells. One drink a day or 12 drinks a day, it really doesn't matter, you are killing liver cells. The term 'alcoholic' is useless in my view. I had a substance abuse counselor state that "anyone who ever has had more than two drinks in a 24-hour period is an alcoholic". To me that just shows how ridiculous the term has become.

What is important is how much damage you are doing to your liver. (besides dying in a drunken wreck or killing someone else when drunk). My older brother has been a heavy drinker for almost 42 years (he's now 60). He still drinks heavily and brags about it, but the truth is, he will probably die a very pain-filled death in the next 4 or 5 years.

I went through all the pain of ESLD and was lucky enough to live and tell about it. The pain was enough for me to stop drinking cold turkey. No AA, no support meetings, no counselors. Just the memory of how mieserable I became.

So if you want to drink up and enjoy yourself, its your business, but remember, you can kill off your liver bit-by-bit and never experience any pain. However, once your liver gets so diseased that it doesn't function anymore, you'll start praying for death.

For me, the first symptoms was getting drunk on less and less alcohol. It used to take 12 or more beers for me to get drunk. Towards, the end, I could momentarily 'black out' on only a 6-pack. I would snap out of it and not feel drunk, but my liver was basically short-circuiting.

One day I drank 3 of my favorite beers (Newcastle Brown Ale) and was sick for 4 days. That's when I stopped drinking. However it was too late, within another year, I was too sick to work. I went to the doctor and was told that based upon my liver tests, I had a "40% chance of mortality with the next 90 days".

So my advice, is to enjoy your brews, but remember the more you drink, the quicker your liver will fail, and the quicker you will die.

Cheers.

Rick

Edited March 30, 2011 by RickThai

[powderpuff]

Thanks for that story. For some people drinking & stopping drinking is life & death. Cutting back is not an option.

[ThaiPauly]

Thanks for posting that Rick

Very infotmative....and scary

[davidA]

At home in the Uk i ran and owned a medium sized business,i didnt work as such but i used to go out and measure up and do all the quotations.We carried out work for quite big hotel chains and sporting outlets,my life centered around being 'social' i was always treating a client to dinner or sponsoring a golf day out,i'm sure you all know the sort of thing. Of course, alcohol (which i usually paid for was always present and in abundance.How ever it never became a problem to me because always made the excuse that i was driving or had to remain sober to see the "occasions" through.I never drank at home nor did i ever drink alone,i would,like most people walk down to my local 3/4 times a week and imbibe and at weekends my wife and i would go to a restaurant and enjoy some food and wine,but i always kept control and never went over the limits of the law. To cut to the chase i became a widower at 55 and as my daughter was grown and married i decided i would sell up(in total) and move to Thailand.then it all changed,i had no more responsibilities you see,i was able to drink as i saw fit ,and i saw fit every night,yes,i was lured by the Pattaya syndrome. I have to admit,the company of strangers was fun,the company of ladies was wonderful(although i swear i never went 'case' with a lady under 45 i had a daughter of 28) it got to the stage where i would be out til 3 a.m,up at 8 a.m and in the fridge looking for the first beer of the day at 8.05 am(chang normally) After 2 years of this i was a wreck,i realised i had to get some control back when i woke up on the outside bench of a bar on soi 6 havind wet myself and vomited all down my front,even the ladyboy trying to rob me ran away when i woke up(it was the rank odour that saved me).I got a taxi home(condio) and went to bed.when i awoke at 5 pm i went to the fridge for a beer only to see an empty fridge,in the course of one week i had drunk over 100 beers,3 bottles of sangsom,assorted bottles of vodka and even gin(i dont like gin)Over the next 3 days i had the sweats,halucination's (older readers will remember "lost weekend with Ray Milland) i saw my long dead parents and my deceased wife even paid me a vist,i was shaking and vomiting,pi$$ing and Sh!&&ing all at the same time,and i still wanted a drink. I refused entry to my cleaner,who after three days called a private doctor out to see me,the rest is history.now a year later i live as man and wife with the woman who saved my life(i thank God and Bhudda for 'Dow',my cleaner,who is 49) I have a job,i have a new house with a pool,several miles out of Pattaya,i am happy,have i stopped drinking? NO!!! but now its different,i have a few little responsibilities and i am as i was in England but i still admit,that about 5 p.m i want a beer soooo bad,so i have one,and then maybe 2 or 4 more,but thats it,there's no secret to this change,if i want a beer i have one,i am not limited to how many i can have (dont think i am under the strict control of a Thai woman) but ihave reverted back to a social drinker. I was lucky,i know that without stabilisation of the situation i would be dead by now.I been to hell and out the other side i do not fear being caught drink driving as i dont do it,my 'mea' is not scared of me and life is wonderful again.

[RickThai]

At home in the Uk i ran and owned a medium sized business,i didnt work as such but i used to go out and measure up and do all the quotations.We carried out work for quite big hotel chains and sporting outlets,my life centered around being 'social' i was always treating a client to dinner or sponsoring a golf day out,i'm sure you all know the sort of thing. Of course, alcohol (which i usually paid for was always present and in abundance.How ever it never became a problem to me because always made the excuse that i was driving or had to remain sober to see the "occasions" through.I never drank at home nor did i ever drink alone,i would,like most people walk down to my local 3/4 times a week and imbibe and at weekends my wife and i would go to a restaurant and enjoy some food and wine,but i always kept control and never went over the limits of the law. To cut to the chase i became a widower at 55 and as my daughter was grown and married i decided i would sell up(in total) and move to Thailand.then it all changed,i had no more responsibilities you see,i was able to drink as i saw fit ,and i saw fit every night,yes,i was lured by the Pattaya syndrome. I have to admit,the company of strangers was fun,the company of ladies was wonderful(although i swear i never went 'case' with a lady under 45 i had a daughter of 28) it got to the stage where i would be out til 3 a.m,up at 8 a.m and in the fridge looking for the first beer of the day at 8.05 am(chang normally) After 2 years of this i was a wreck,i realised i had to get some control back when i woke up on the outside bench of a bar on soi 6 havind wet myself and vomited all down my front,even the ladyboy trying to rob me ran away when i woke up(it was the rank odour that saved me).I got a taxi home(condio) and went to bed.when i awoke at 5 pm i went to the fridge for a beer only to see an empty fridge,in the course of one week i had drunk over 100 beers,3 bottles of sangsom,assorted bottles of vodka and even gin(i dont like gin)Over the next 3 days i had the sweats,halucination's (older readers will remember "lost weekend with Ray Milland) i saw my long dead parents and my deceased wife even paid me a vist,i was shaking and vomiting,pi$$ing and Sh!&&ing all at the same time,and i still wanted a drink. I refused entry to my cleaner,who after three days called a private doctor out to see me,the rest is history.now a year later i live as man and wife with the woman who saved my life(i thank God and Bhudda for 'Dow',my cleaner,who is 49) I have a job,i have a new house with a pool,several miles out of Pattaya,i am happy,have i stopped drinking? NO!!! but now its different,i have a few little responsibilities and i am as i was in England but i still admit,that about 5 p.m i want a beer soooo bad,so i have one,and then maybe 2 or 4 more,but thats it,there's no secret to this change,if i want a beer i have one,i am not limited to how many i can have (dont think i am under the strict control of a Thai woman) but ihave reverted back to a social drinker. I was lucky,i know that without stabilisation of the situation i would be dead by now.I been to hell and out the other side i do not fear being caught drink driving as i dont do it,my 'mea' is not scared of me and life is wonderful again.

I wish you luck. A damaged liver will never be completely "good as new", but by cutting back on your drinking you are probably adding at least a couple of years to your lifespan, but if you drink "2 or 4 more" on a regular basis, sooner-or-later it will catch up you. Make no mistake, alcohol kills liver cells, each and every time you have a drink.

I know I sound like a reformed "ho", but ask any doctor. With a good liver you can probably drink one or two drinks a night for70-80 years and die of other causes before your liver fails. With a history of heavy drinking, continuing to drink will only increase your odds of having liver problems before you die of old age.

Been there, done that.

Rick

[StreetCowboy]

At home in the Uk i ran and owned a medium sized business,i didnt work as such but i used to go out and measure up and do all the quotations.We carried out work for quite big hotel chains and sporting outlets,my life centered around being 'social' i was always treating a client to dinner or sponsoring a golf day out,i'm sure you all know the sort of thing. Of course, alcohol (which i usually paid for was always present and in abundance.How ever it never became a problem to me because always made the excuse that i was driving or had to remain sober to see the "occasions" through.I never drank at home nor did i ever drink alone,i would,like most people walk down to my local 3/4 times a week and imbibe and at weekends my wife and i would go to a restaurant and enjoy some food and wine,but i always kept control and never went over the limits of the law. To cut to the chase i became a widower at 55 and as my daughter was grown and married i decided i would sell up(in total) and move to Thailand.then it all changed,i had no more responsibilities you see,i was able to drink as i saw fit ,and i saw fit every night,yes,i was lured by the Pattaya syndrome. I have to admit,the company of strangers was fun,the company of ladies was wonderful(although i swear i never went 'case' with a lady under 45 i had a daughter of 28) it got to the stage where i would be out til 3 a.m,up at 8 a.m and in the fridge looking for the first beer of the day at 8.05 am(chang normally) After 2 years of this i was a wreck,i realised i had to get some control back when i woke up on the outside bench of a bar on soi 6 havind wet myself and vomited all down my front,even the ladyboy trying to rob me ran away when i woke up(it was the rank odour that saved me).I got a taxi home(condio) and went to bed.when i awoke at 5 pm i went to the fridge for a beer only to see an empty fridge,in the course of one week i had drunk over 100 beers,3 bottles of sangsom,assorted bottles of vodka and even gin(i dont like gin)Over the next 3 days i had the sweats,halucination's (older readers will remember "lost weekend with Ray Milland) i saw my long dead parents and my deceased wife even paid me a vist,i was shaking and vomiting,pi$ing and Sh!&&ing all at the same time,and i still wanted a drink. I refused entry to my cleaner,who after three days called a private doctor out to see me,the rest is history.now a year later i live as man and wife with the woman who saved my life(i thank God and Bhudda for 'Dow',my cleaner,who is 49) I have a job,i have a new house with a pool,several miles out of Pattaya,i am happy,have i stopped drinking? NO!!! but now its different,i have a few little responsibilities and i am as i was in England but i still admit,that about 5 p.m i want a beer soooo bad,so i have one,and then maybe 2 or 4 more,but thats it,there's no secret to this change,if i want a beer i have one,i am not limited to how many i can have (dont think i am under the strict control of a Thai woman) but ihave reverted back to a social drinker. I was lucky,i know that without stabilisation of the situation i would be dead by now.I been to hell and out the other side i do not fear being caught drink driving as i dont do it,my 'mea' is not scared of me and life is wonderful again.

I wish you luck. A damaged liver will never be completely "good as new", but by cutting back on your drinking you are probably adding at least a couple of years to your lifespan, but if you drink "2 or 4 more" on a regular basis, sooner-or-later it will catch up you. Make no mistake, alcohol kills liver cells, each and every time you have a drink.

I know I sound like a reformed "ho", but ask any doctor. With a good liver you can probably drink one or two drinks a night for70-80 years and die of other causes before your liver fails. With a history of heavy drinking, continuing to drink will only increase your odds of having liver problems before you die of old age.

Been there, done that.

Rick

To be honest, the thing that scared me the most, was not the realisation that drinking might kill me early, it was that drinking might make me old early.

I had the disheartening experience of seeing my dear old grandmother degenerate at a ripe old age through the ravages of time, and I thought - anything that helps me avoid that ,,,,

But I had a couple of stays in hospital, unrelated issues to alcohol or age, but many of my co-patients were people who had lived hard, with hard livers, and I realised that when we live hard, we don't die young, we die old, early. I hope there's young fellas read this....

Anyway, we choose our own life, and if we lived the back end of it first, we'd probably not have started out this way.,,

SC

[RickThai]

StreetCowboy,

There is a lot of truth in what you posted. Most people could probably drink moderately (6-12 beers a week) for their entire adult lives and not have any major issues with drink. However, drinking heavy and getting plastered (6-12 drinks in one night) adds up over time and does irrepparable damage to your liver. As you get pre-maturely old (as you stated), you have the option of stopping all drinking, or dying an early and painful death.

The real problem with dying from liver diesease is not that you die; it's how you die. Believe me ESLD is extremely painful with no end is sight (except for death).

Regards,

RickThai

[Johnniey]

Hello to all!

I went into End-stage-liver disease about 3 1/2 years ago. It took a liver transplant to save my life. What I found out about the liver, is that any and all alcohol kills liver cells. One drink a day or 12 drinks a day, it really doesn't matter, you are killing liver cells. The term 'alcoholic' is useless in my view. I had a substance abuse counselor state that "anyone who ever has had more than two drinks in a 24-hour period is an alcoholic". To me that just shows how ridiculous the term has become.

What is important is how much damage you are doing to your liver. (besides dying in a drunken wreck or killing someone else when drunk). My older brother has been a heavy drinker for almost 42 years (he's now 60). He still drinks heavily and brags about it, but the truth is, he will probably die a very pain-filled death in the next 4 or 5 years.

I went through all the pain of ESLD and was lucky enough to live and tell about it. The pain was enough for me to stop drinking cold turkey. No AA, no support meetings, no counselors. Just the memory of how mieserable I became.

So if you want to drink up and enjoy yourself, its your business, but remember, you can kill off your liver bit-by-bit and never experience any pain. However, once your liver gets so diseased that it doesn't function anymore, you'll start praying for death.

For me, the first symptoms was getting drunk on less and less alcohol. It used to take 12 or more beers for me to get drunk. Towards, the end, I could momentarily 'black out' on only a 6-pack. I would snap out of it and not feel drunk, but my liver was basically short-circuiting.

One day I drank 3 of my favorite beers (Newcastle Brown Ale) and was sick for 4 days. That's when I stopped drinking. However it was too late, within another year, I was too sick to work. I went to the doctor and was told that based upon my liver tests, I had a "40% chance of mortality with the next 90 days".

So my advice, is to enjoy your brews, but remember the more you drink, the quicker your liver will fail, and the quicker you will die.

Cheers.

Rick

I'd say the alcohol abuse counselor was wrong. It sounds like you are not an alcoholic. An alcoholic can not stop drinking without help.

I think it is irrelevant when an non-alcoholic talks about stopping without the use of AA. George Bush recently did this.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Johnniey