The Bad Ass Canadian said:
I'm guessing you're not such a heavy drinker if one instance of getting sick has turned you off from booze.
Yeah, I agree with you there. As for your sad depiction....I have seen my father do similar things. I have seen him down more booze than I thought was humanly possible.
Growing up with these observations...I must say that I have not met many hardcore / or what I call 'true' alcoholics like that. When I do see them, they clearly, not getting by very well in life.
I have seen those who demonstrate the tendencies to go down that road. I also see many people who abuse alcohol....as well as those who drink irresponsibly. To me, each of these are all very different.
I really do not know much about alcoholism (technically speaking)....but recently I've been tossing around the idea of how some can be emotionally addicted (using alcohol as a coping mechanism) versus physically addicted, and both.
In the case of my father, he was supposedly addicted from the get go. He was frequently given whiskey, at a very young age, and I wonder how much this influences the chances of developing a real physical addiction. Versus someone who goes through a bad divorce and ends up drinking a lot for 5 years. Or someone who hasn't grown up out of their teenage 'party mode'.
Anyways...I know a lot of people that call themselves alcoholics...but to me, they often appear to be suffering from emotional issues foremost...and looking for a substance to abuse.
Similar to smoking...I sometimes wonder about those who quit 'cold turkey'...and I question how addicted they actually were. Considering that we can each be addicted in different ways...and to varying degrees to any substance.
For me, I'm going to need to be institutionalized to quit smoking...and drinking feels way to f*cking right. If I could always have 5 drinks in me, all of the time, everything would be very perfect. And knowing that scares the hell out of me.
As for the dating scene....it has been personally important to me, that I form relationships with those who do not demonstrate an inclination for alcohol.