I'm Moving To Thailand In The Future

[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

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.

I was able to quit for 2 months. Back to drinking usual. I buy an 18 pack of beer on the weekend and I drink at home. I have it under control right now, but it will only get worse in the future.

What do you do with an 18-pack at home?

For me, I go to the pub and imagine I have a social life, adventures, a wild and wacky lifestyle.

Wild and wacky credit card bills, anyway...

Not tonight, though; I'm just off to bed...

SC

[49337]

i drink a lot too when i go to thailand and everywhere else for that matter. i went for rehab and i am cleared of any drinks since febuary.hope this is helpful

[StreetCowboy]

i drink a lot too when i go to thailand and everywhere else for that matter. i went for rehab and i am cleared of any drinks since febuary.hope this is helpful

Well done!

SC

[chargers2011]

Here in America, on the weekends, I go out and about during the day. At night, I drink my beers and watch sports. I find going out to the bars in America kind of boring (or maybe, I'm boring). I'll be going to Thailand soon. There, I love going to the bars. I'll be bar hoping every night and drinking on average 10 Singhas. The bars are a lot of fun in Pattaya/Bangkok. American bars suck, unless you're a young 20 something or a regular old alcoholic barfly.

[ding]

In that case I'm sure no one will object if I say that some estimates of AA failure rates are as high as 95%. Even the 'successful' ones merely replace one dependency with another, albeit a less damaging one.

"Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path". Most do not, up to them.

Bill W said he would change the word 'rarely' to 'never' - if he could change one thing.

Edited December 30, 2011 by ding

[ding]

I almost always enjoy your posts SC, and usually find them entertaining as well as constructive. I also am averse to petty bickering on any forum, especially this one. But if missgrin finds that willpower works that's great even though it's diametrically different from AA ideology. My initial question remains the same - are AAers afforded special priveleges on this forum?

All I ever hear is, 'Our hats are off...' to those who quit and stay quit, living good lives - no matter HOW they quit without AA.

My hat's off to missgrin 100% fwiw.

[OLDAUSSIE]

....

I think the emphasis is more on constructively sharing experience, and less on futile bickering amongst ourselves. I've not foiund anyone that got sober by pointless bickering, but I've met a few that went to the pub in preference to it

SC

I almost always enjoy your posts SC, and usually find them entertaining as well as constructive. I also am averse to petty bickering on any forum, especially this one. But if missgrin finds that willpower works that's great even though it's diametrically different from AA ideology. My initial question remains the same - are AAers afforded special priveleges on this forum?

I think that there is no harm in sharing the futilities of our unsuccessful struggles. THere is no harm in saying what we tried, in vain. The ill-will starts when people start suggesting that one method or another will not work for someone else...

SC

In that case I'm sure no one will object if I say that some estimates of AA failure rates are as high as 95%. Even the 'successful' ones merely replace one dependency with another, albeit a less damaging one.

Well maybe I am one of the lucky ones. I have not had a drink for 32 years thanks to AA and the old timers who helped me through the difficult times of early sobriety.

[StreetCowboy]

...

I think that there is no harm in sharing the futilities of our unsuccessful struggles. THere is no harm in saying what we tried, in vain. The ill-will starts when people start suggesting that one method or another will not work for someone else...

SC

In that case I'm sure no one will object if I say that some estimates of AA failure rates are as high as 95%. Even the 'successful' ones merely replace one dependency with another, albeit a less damaging one.

Well maybe I am one of the lucky ones. I have not had a drink for 32 years thanks to AA and the old timers who helped me through the difficult times of early sobriety.

I'm in the 95%, I'm afraid. I reckon the only way AA will work for me is if I thoroughly follow their path.

SC

[GrahamF]

...

I think that there is no harm in sharing the futilities of our unsuccessful struggles. THere is no harm in saying what we tried, in vain. The ill-will starts when people start suggesting that one method or another will not work for someone else...

SC

In that case I'm sure no one will object if I say that some estimates of AA failure rates are as high as 95%. Even the 'successful' ones merely replace one dependency with another, albeit a less damaging one.

Well maybe I am one of the lucky ones. I have not had a drink for 32 years thanks to AA and the old timers who helped me through the difficult times of early sobriety.

I'm in the 95%, I'm afraid. I reckon the only way AA will work for me is if I thoroughly follow their path.

SC

SC, might be worth giving it a shot, what have you got to lose? Anyway, I really do hope that you find something that works for you, whatever it might be!

[StreetCowboy]

... I'll be going to Thailand soon. There, I love going to the bars. I'll be bar hoping every night....

[sC: My bold]

I know exactly what you mean... I do that wherever I am, though usually in vain, unless at great expense.

SC

[55Jay]

I can say with that coming to Pattaya would be like throwing petrol onto a fire.

In my home country I can go months without even touching a drink. Go forward a few years and here I am in Pattaya and being drunk is as regular as having lunch each day. Dinner is of course often missed due to being intoxicated or at best is a doner or a few kebab sticks on Walking Street.

The problem here is that everything revolves around alcohol and sex.

For those that think there is plenty to do here that is right but unfortunately everythign revolves around alcohol and sex.

Sure, if you hang around Walking St.