Topic: Alcohol Issues - The Carl van Riel Memorial Thread

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

I’ve been climbing on ecstasy.

 

[redbyrdz]

I’ve been climbing on ecstasy.

Did you get high?

[spen71]

It really is. I had to go out of the way to find it, I was up in Ormskirk/Lydiate ways. There are a few pubs there like that but it is a little out of the way for me usually. Luckily I've got family there so now and then it is nice to have a few quiet ones without dickheads about.

I'm working in a pub at the minute myself, up in Chester on weekends. It is Dixie Dean's old place. No pool table, no TV installed yet (my mate has just taken it over) and the décor is still in the 1800's but the atmosphere on some nights is fantastic. Young, old, couples, students, non-drinkers pop in for a lemonade. Much, much better than most of these poser places you get now and touch wood, I've yet to see any trouble or anything too rowdy.

I'll get my head kicked in this weekend now. You watch

The Dublin Packet?

[Peabee]

Did you get high?

Haha.   

I did nearly die. 

[Billy The Kid]

Christmas day is a hard day to stay sober

I'd love to get absolutely leathered and watch a ball of DVD's

[IrishSu]

Christmas day is a hard day to stay sober

I'd love to get absolutely leathered and watch a ball of DVD's

You're a very strong person, you'll manage the next few hours. Sending you strength and best wishes.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Christmas day is a hard day to stay sober

I'd love to get absolutely leathered and watch a ball of DVD's

Stay strong Billy

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

Christmas day is a hard day to stay sober

You can do it lad. Just remember alcohol is an evil poison which is a massive burden on society,

[Billy The Kid]

You're a very strong person, you'll manage the next few hours. Sending you strength and best wishes.

Stay strong Billy

You can do it lad. Just remember alcohol is an evil poison which is a massive burden on society,

Sound out lads. I'm grand. Went over to my mothers for dinner. Had a good day

Hope ye had the same

[Tesco tearaway]

Brilliant! Nice one mate 

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Good and glad to hear that mate

[pezzzer]

Sound out lads. I'm grand. Went over to my mothers for dinner. Had a good day
 
Hope ye had the same

I had a tough Xmas morning, I couldn't help but remember the joy of waking up early and cracking straight in to my first massive glass of wine then on to the vodi from 11am ish and bunging on the tv and YouTube and celebrating another great year and having all the good thoughts about what I'd be doing that year, good memories........
Reality was that first massive glass of wine was needed for the hangover from where I'd caned it on Xmas eve after work and I needed it so I could sound sober when talking to my daughter and mum on the phone, by 1pm I was zonked out and going from blackout to awake and panicking  about what I'd drank or said before I blacked out then pouring another massive drink to calm me down and so it would continue until the week had passed me by, again...
The trouble with memories are we always cherry pick the good bits, nowadays I try to delve deeper and that keeps me centred.
Well done to all of us for staying sober for our 24 hour plan.

[GrandOldAuntieHelenVanriel]

I also think it's worth pointing out that sky divers, horse jockey's and hurlers aren't known for abusing security staff, starting fights in take aways, chucking litter wherever the fuck they please, vomiting in taxi's, pissing in the streets, desecrating lavatories and partaking in whatever other anti social cuntery their drunken stupor may cause.

Also, if my 19 year old daughter goes out with her friends for a night on the town, it's not jockey's or hurlers that cause me to worry about her safety. Nor is it the park bench type of drunk who begs for change in the high street doorways. It's people from all classes of society who have been culturally hypnotized into believing that acting like a complete and utter fucking degenerate is excusable on the grounds that they were simply "having a good night out" 

Alcohol is unquestionably and without doubt the biggest fucking scourge that society has ever inflicted on itself. Period.

Absolutely Totally and 110% agree with this Billy.

I had a conversation with my uncle (in law) recently and he’s a smoker. The family were in debate about smoking and drinking and drugs etc etc etc...he made a very good point..... he now feels like a criminal when he goes to buy his tobacco...it’s hidden behind locked shutters and all so very cloak and dagger....yet the Alchohol in all its glory and accessible for all to see is across Aisles and Aisles floor to ceiling in the the very same supermarket...his point being that not once, never ever, has he felt, after a few roll ups the inclination to abuse the general public, spew in someone’s doorway, offend women, or men, piss against any wall he comes across and so forth yet here we are. He has not brought the family to its knees through smoking, he’s not lost his job or driving licence through smoking and he’s not told countless lies to hide the fact he smokes....it was a very enlightening debate to be fair and even though I’m not a smoker and never have been I can hand on heart say if I had to choose one or the other it would be tobacco every.single.time
Xxx

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

Absolutely Totally and 110% agree with this Billy.

This is a great post. Most people don't seem to realise how conditioned to alcohol we are. People do stupid/dangerous things - oh it's okay, actually it's funny, he/she was drunk, I know let's encourage more of the same behaviour for our entertainment.

It's staggering how much pressure this society puts on people to keep drinking, regardless of the warnings from medical professionals and emergency service personnel.

For most this only becomes apparent when they stop drinking.

[damomad]

I had a good think about this walking home from work. My attitude towards smokers is unfair when compared to drinkers. Half of it is to do with how I was brought up, family full of smokers, my mum drilled it into me how bad it is. Of course there was no issue with me drinking my face off growing up though.
 
Even when I see smokers standing outside our building, I'd think how could they be so stupid to do that to their health when I'd have no issue destroying my liver on a weekend.

I hate even touching a cigarette packet these days, those images are horrific. Should they put them on alcoholic products too? Imagine a world where there are no glasses in pubs, just cups with images of drink driving crashes on the side. It would be OTT but its no different from what smokers have to put up with.

[So… Howard Philips]

This is a great post. Most people don't seem to realise how conditioned to alcohol we are. People do stupid/dangerous things - oh it's okay, actually it's funny, he/she was drunk, I know let's encourage more of the same behaviour for our entertainment.

It's staggering how much pressure this society puts on people to keep drinking, regardless of the warnings from medical professionals and emergency service personnel.

For most this only becomes apparent when they stop drinking.

What really pisses me off is when someone uses the fact they were pissed off their heads as mitigation for an assault. You know "He wouldn't do this normally. It was the alcohol what did it" and gets a lighter sentence.

If you've got the time and money to get shit faced and violent then it should lead to any sentence being doubled.

[Johnnyboy1973]

What really pisses me off is when someone uses the fact they were pissed off their heads as mitigation for an assault. You know "He wouldn't do this normally. It was the alcohol what did it" and gets a lighter sentence.

If you've got the time and money to get shit faced and violent then it should lead to any sentence being doubled.

Being drunk is never mitigation.

Alcohol is treated by the judiciary as an aggravating factor, not a mitigating one.

[Billy The Kid]

I was going to make a new thread for these, to help inspire people to make a few new years resolutions with alcohol. I'll just leave them in here for now. For those of you lurkers who've been considering quitting, get a load of these pictures


9 Months Sober





7 Weeks Sober





10 Months Sober





1 Year Sober





18 Months Sober





3 Months Sober





18 Months Sober





8 Months Sober





6 Months Sober

[So… Howard Philips]

Being drunk is never mitigation.

Alcohol is treated by the judiciary as an aggravating factor, not a mitigating one.

You may be right but you still see it being trotted out.

Certainly worked for that female medical student who stabbed her boyfriend or it might have been that she came from a "good" family.

[Billy The Kid]

The reason I said I'd post those pics is because a mate of mine finally decided to quit at the end of October

He's already a stone and a half lighter, and up about £1000 - and its only been 8 weeks

Kind of helps you to realize just how enslaved modern society is to alcohol and the negative consequences that go with it

[Johnnyboy1973]

Certainly worked for that female medical student who stabbed her boyfriend or it might have been that she came from a "good" family.

It didn't.

Her sentence was well within the applicable sentencing guidelines for her charge, irrespective of the twitterati who could muster little other than,

"If she was working class blah blah."

[Johnnyboy1973]

Own up Bill, which one is you?

[Billy The Kid]

Own up Bill, which one is you?

I'm the good looking brunette in the NFL shirt

[Slightly Less Mediocre Baron Bennekov]

I was going to make a new thread for these, to help inspire people to make a few new years resolutions with alcohol. I'll just leave them in here for now. For those of you lurkers who've been considering quitting, get a load of these pictures

Inspiring and scary at the same time, Billy. I'm not struggling with alcohol addiction but I've been a chubby bordering on fat bastard ever since I stopped playing footy due to a knee injury in my mid 20's, I'm 44 now mind. I've decided that January is dry January but these pics might very well extend the drought... 

[Billy The Kid]

Inspiring and scary at the same time, Billy. I'm not struggling with alcohol addiction but I've been a chubby bordering on fat bastard ever since I stopped playing footy due to a knee injury in my mid 20's, I'm 44 now mind. I've decided that January is dry January but these pics might very well extend the drought... 

Even if you only did 8 weeks sober, ate well, and worked out twice a week, at least 2 stone would drop off you Tom

[Sudden Death Draft Loser]

Even if you only did 8 weeks sober, ate well, and worked out twice a week, at least 2 stone would drop off you Tom

Amazing transformations, the common theme being the amount of weight they've lost.

[Dench57]

Was drinking quite heavily in 2017. For the first time in my life I'm starting to get fat, have always been slim. Got a little pot belly and potato face developing. That bloated estrogenic look that so many men in their late 20s onwards have. Main incentive for me to cut down.

[So… Howard Philips]

Inspiring and scary at the same time, Billy. I'm not struggling with alcohol addiction but I've been a chubby bordering on fat bastard ever since I stopped playing footy due to a knee injury in my mid 20's, I'm 44 now mind. I've decided that January is dry January but these pics might very well extend the drought... 

Depending how bad you kneed injury was/is getting out walking as much as you can, take some fruit with you and avoid sugary drinks in your rucksack and the pounds will come off.

I'm not a fan of dry months. Either avoid alcohol or find a moderate rate which sits you.

[AndyInVA]

Was drinking quite heavily in 2017. For the first time in my life I'm starting to get fat, have always been slim. Got a little pot belly and potato face developing. That bloated estrogenic look that so many men in their late 20s onwards have. Main incentive for me to cut down.

just cutting out the shit and eatng moderately healthy makes a huge difference. No booze, no trans fats, no ice cream will make a big difference. Add exercise to that and weight falls off.

[damomad]

I'm the good looking brunette in the NFL shirt

She's the one who stood out for me, I'd take her for a drink (of tea) anytime!

Would love to see the difference in their bank accounts over that time too.

[Mumm-Ra]

I'm the good looking brunette in the NFL shirt

This changes everything. Call me

[Billy The Kid]

Would love to see the difference in their bank accounts over that time too.

That was one of the first things I noticed when I stopped drinking. My bank balance got a lot healthier very quickly

What does the average weekend drinker spend these days? A few pints in town of a Friday/Saturday night must cost at least £100?

That's before you add in taxi fares, nightclubs, kebabs, ciggy's and all the other shite that tends to go with it

My guess is it's got to be at least £130 per week? Which is roughly £500 a month. Which adds up to £6000 a year

Even if the average Joe quit for 2 years he'd have enough for a deposit for a house 

Mad like, isn't it?

[damomad]

Mad like, isn't it?

My mate was struggling to get 2 quid together for the bus earlier, it was fucking lashing. He would rather risk hypothermia, yet I know he blew 200 at the weekend on drinking and fuck knows what else.

You get caught in the cycle and just accept that you'll struggle to make ends meet just to be a big shot at the bar. Madness.

[Slightly Less Mediocre Baron Bennekov]

Even if you only did 8 weeks sober, ate well, and worked out twice a week, at least 2 stone would drop off you Tom

I might get complaints then mate. The missus will be struggling to find me then... Nah, I get your point. I'm just on the mend from a very fierce flu but my membership in the local gym is ready to get used again.

[dirks digglers]

Hi all.

A pretty interesting read. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jan/05/william-leith-alcohol-how-did-i-let-drinking-take-over-my-life

[AndyInVA]

I might get complaints then mate. The missus will be struggling to find me then... Nah, I get your point. I'm just on the mend from a very fierce flu but my membership in the local gym is ready to get used again.

thats just it though, you dont really need the gym. cutting out all the shit calories and doing even basic walking will make you feel so much better

[Peabee]

I might get complaints then mate. The missus will be struggling to find me then... Nah, I get your point. I'm just on the mend from a very fierce flu but my membership in the local gym is ready to get used again.

My missus does complain when I’m at “racing weight” when training (running).  She says I’m too boney when she uses my chest as a pillow while we’re watching TV.  I’ve been injured for a few months, so she has her pillow back at the moment. 

[Dench57]

Hi all.

A pretty interesting read. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jan/05/william-leith-alcohol-how-did-i-let-drinking-take-over-my-life

Very well written. That 'Long Read' series is really good.

"As the famous drinker Kingsley Amis once said, it’s not about being drunk, it’s about getting drunk. It’s about that magic moment of rapture on the way to somewhere else. The sweet spot – the exact moment when anticipation and reward are in perfect balance."

Thought that last line perfectly describes the reason I drink - that feeling.

[jason67]

Hi all.

A pretty interesting read. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jan/05/william-leith-alcohol-how-did-i-let-drinking-take-over-my-life

Good read that, cheers.

Mind you it puts paid to Billy's 'looking better' theory as the guy's been sober for 5 years but looks rough as fuck. 

[Charlie Adams fried egg]

Although if he's that rough now, imagine what he would have been like 5 years ago.

Really good article though and does make you think.