Nov 4th of 2014 was my last drink, the next 5 days I spent in ICU. I remember none of the 5 days. From there I went into Origins Recovery Center for the next 30 days. I had let the drinking get the best of me and was physically dependent on alcohol. I would go into withdrawals within 3 to 4 hours of my last drink. I was drinking a gallon and a half of Whisky a week.

I try not to be a azz about drinking but I do try and warn some who might be headed the direction I did. I most certainly didn't start out to be a physically dependent alcoholic but that's where I ended up and it damn near killed me. A drink every now and then is no problem, even a few, When it comes down to daily drinking you might want to step back and take a look at yourself, that's step 2 of the 3 steps into becoming a physically dependent alcoholic.

1. Social addiction. If everybody else is drinking you're drinking. Tend to only go out with those who do drink.

2. Mental addiction. If you start drinking as soon as you get home and drink until you hit the rack.

3. Physical addiction. At this point the drinking is in control and it completely rules your life, everything revolves around drinking.

Y'all just keep an eye on yourselves, I don't want anybody to go through what I did. If you feel you need help then don't be afraid to ask for it, interestingly enough that's the hardest part about sobriety. Anybody needing help just give me a PM, I'll get you headed in the right direction. I've helped allot of people get through this, mostly VET's and LEO.

Congrats on you effort Hwy_ Man.

I'm currently halfway through a self imposed 30 day no booze period. I felt like I was drinking too much since March and decided to put it down and evaluate, plus I started keto. Keto and beer don't exactly work. 3 things I have decided since not drinking for 15 days first being that I definitely was drinking too much, second I feel a lot better earlier in the morning, third my grocery bill has gone down considerably not buying a case of beer every trip.

Been there myself a few times i hate to admit it but it did make me who i am today and feel like i lost a lot of memories and time from being so into my addiction . Now if i drink one i'm buzzed and don't want anymore and just isn't worth it .Alcohol can be a mean thing and should almost should be more regulated than most drugs IMO!

About the time I hit 30 I decided I would rather feel great all day instead of just part of it. I don't miss it at all.

The headaches with wine are likely a sensitivity to tannin. Red wines particularly Cabernet, Bordeaux, and Burgundy tend to be high in tannin.

Might drink one or two times per month. I drank plenty in my 20 to 30's like some of you guys mentioned. It definitely takes a little longer to get my feet back under me when I do drink. I like the buzz so you won't catch me having one or two beers with dinner.

Why would you want to do that? I'm not quitter.

I’m gonna walk out to the barn workshop and get a beer. Right now. Mouth is watering in anticipation.

Back in a mo.

Good reward for a hard days work!

Got two Dos Equis. aka ‘toe suckies’. Yay me...

Good choice!

I don’t know whether it was the two guys heads detached from their body or the guys brains on the pillar of the car door jam, or this guys gut’s running from his living room to his garage; but one of those keeps me from drinking.

I quit just because once I start, I don't stop. Not sure if I can, but I don't until I become unconscious. With the assistance of the VA hospital, I finally managed to stop before I started again a little over 5 years ago. I can't drink just one, but I seem to be able to drink zero one day at a time. I do still avoid places and people that might tempt me.

I feel sorry for those that say that once they start they can't quit. If that is the case you need to quit.

There in lies the problem, not only is quitting extremely hard to do it can be deadly if not done right.

The scary part is that I wasn't always like that. I'm not even sure when things changed. I just noticed one day that I wasn't able to just take it or leave it like before. I was in control for many years and then one day I realized I wasn't anymore.

It’s kinda like potato chips sometimes, you can’t have just one.

I have been drinking since high school and really never stopped, unless had the flu. About 4 years ago I did stop for about 4 months to test myself, it was easy to stop.. I am 52 now and have been on the wagon for about two weeks, just another test.

I do not allow anything to control me.

If you ever fail that test, you are already at the point of heap big trouble.

Yep! It's just that easy and fast, pretty frightening.

I

I am safe here, again even during my "evenings" it does not control my job marriage or personality. All in moderation of course. Now my liver or kidneys might disagree.

I guess you can say I am a Professional.
I believe it is how you are wired, some people are weak, I for one am not.

Said the same thing many times in my life, it held true for many decades and then one day it didn't.

Origins Recovery Center is not a cheap place to go but I believe it to be the place to go, 30 days was a little over 50,000 bucks. I won't give names but there was several professional athletes there including 1 heavy weight boxer who I've seen fight a few time (He's the one got me into weight lifting. A Professor from UT, a lawyer from Houston and a couple of actors. The rest were all professionals in their own fields. One thing we could all agree with is having once said we were much stronger than addiction. Yet there we all were.

I'm just telling folks to keep an eye on themselves, addiction doesn't care who you are or how strong you think you are.

I like to drink

OMG, low nipple boy! I thought you would never post that picture again!