theprotester Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Alcohol is a depressant Alcohol has various effects depending on intake. The first effect for 99% of people is a stimulant. It's once you continue drinking (in one session) that the depressant properties take over. For long term alcoholics, the body pains are mainly due to closing of the capillaries, that's why after a few drinks of high gravity booze we feel better, the blood is thinned and creates the illusion of health associated with intake. I'm just talking for me. We're all different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morton Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 The mood altering effects may or may not fit the term or idea of a depressant, but if I understand correctly the central nervous system is indeed depressed by the effects of alcohol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redeyedanimal Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 It is also believed that thinking becomes more clear after a standard drink, but we all know what happens when you get 5+ deep... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fat ralphy Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 The misconception that alcohol is a stimulant is because it breaks down inhibition. You drink, you loosen up and are more likely to do things that you may not regularly.....approach a female, step to some dude you got beef with etc. Drinking quickly tends to make people act wildly etc....whiteboy wasted. Alcohol is a depressant. It's effects on the central nervous system are depressive, heart rate slows etc. Keep in mind we are talking straight alcohol, not FourLoko or Vodka Redbull. Because caffeine is a stimulant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theprotester Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Both sides of the argument will say it's about levels of intake. It is strictly speaking a central nervous system depressant, but in small quantities for example the first drink or so, the ethanol will encourage the release of dopamine. Which is where the 'inhibition' comes in. At that stage, the effect is a stimulant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redeyedanimal Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 Started feeling a lot better, taking Chinese/Eastern meds for my liver, kidneys and stomach that have no side effects, only keep the body in balance and promote proper function. I can offer suggestions to anyone interested, but only in reference to how they have helped me, I am not a doctor or practitioner and cannot say they will help you in the same way. That being said, I felt better and I fell off the wagon after one week. Currently drinking a beer, and I know it's not a good idea, and will take me back to where I was a month ago, and for some reason I'm still gonna finish this beer and have a couple more. Cunning, Baffling, Powerful. I'm sure I'll be in here bitching about how much shit sucks again soon. Because I'm a stupid fuck that likes hard knocks apparently. I got completely detoxed and went back again. But that's the story of the group I suppose, it just sucks to realize it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayWORD? Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 ^^it could have been me that just typed that. except the chinese med shit, but i might have to try that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 Someone kept offering me shots the other day (they were buzzed and we hadn't seen each other in a while) and I turned them down every time....I don't know who was more surprised, me or them. Now I'm slowly trying to cut out cigs....not as easy due to stress but probably not impossible. Chinese medicine (aka TCM) is good for rebuilding liver function, but some of the herbs are fairly potent and can cause side effects. If you can get some kind of advice before taking them it's usually for the best. Not disagreeing with you, red, but I recommend caution to anyone looking into herbal remedies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morton Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 My girlfriends sister is a scientist who used to test alternative medicines, she said that it was pretty common to find some nasty shit in Chinese herbs and whatnot, I would be careful. I used to party with this girl that was big on milk thistle for after drinking, she would drink all night and do big choppers and then go on about how the milk thistle was a must for health. I always recommend the Allan Carr book for quitting smoking, been over two years since I read it and quit. "How to Quit Smoking the Easyway" is the title. One of the moms brought margaritas to my kids little league game tonight, was the first time in while that anyone offered me a drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 Gotta love those milk thistle people. What about not beating the shit out of your body five nights a week? Cutting back to one or two nights would help as well. Reading books about TCM is tricky because most of the English language books on the subject are written by the companies that market the herb compounds, so they aren't exactly unbiased. If you can get some advice from a naturopath or acupuncturist you'll be much better off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redeyedanimal Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 I have the advice of a practitioner with about 30 years experience, who sends her medicines to an lab analysis before suggesting anyone use them. She has found Seven Forests brand to read 100% pure, no fillers. That is why I had that disclaimer in my post, I cannot suggest anything to anyone, because I am a patient, not a practitioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 That settles that, I suppose. When I worked at a health food store it was around the same time ma huang (ephedra) was all over the news...I would tell people we didn't carry it and wouldn't order it no matter what the demand was because it was dangerous, and usually the next question would be "So if you don't have it where can I buy it?" If you saw the people who were asking you'd understand why I'm shaking my head as I type this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayWORD? Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 if this is a stupid question i apologize. whats your take on quitting smoking and quitting drinking. meaning, is it best to conquer one before the other? (i know everyones addictions and personalities are different) in the near future id like to completely cut off smoking cigs but they are sorta a coping mechanism for me when i get stressed from not having a drink. i smoke like a chimney when i drink also. honestly, the thought of giving up both cold turkey right now is driving me borderline suicidal, so im thinking just try to cut down the cigs while quitting the booze. then when im successful at the latter, ill try to wean myself off completely. thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redeyedanimal Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 People in my family have tried to quit both cold turkey, and tend to go back to both within days because they have no stress relief/crutch. There is no harm in trying to minimize usage, but understand the mentality of addiction goes for all things for a lot of people. Nobody can answer that question for you, but I bet you have a good idea what is best for you by this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayWORD? Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 yea theres no fuckin way im doing both cold turkey. if you did props. im over here pulling my fucking hair out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redeyedanimal Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 dude, I can't stay off the bottle for longer than a week yet. But I'm tryin to fake it till I make it. I used weed and alprazolam to help me not think about booze the first two days, then went cold turkey on everything. And then I fell off the wagon. My story is a long one, and is starting to get really old... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayWORD? Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 i meant you, as in the people on here in general. morton was talking about alan carr earlier, ive checked him out on youtube. shais talked about cutting back smoking too. stay up rea, definitely wasnt comin at you bro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morton Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Dude looks like kind of a tool on youtube but the book is pretty kill. I quit drinking for about a year before I quit smoking, there is more than one path I am sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brickos Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Looks like I'm going join you nugras in this thread... New bird in Brickos' life thought being English, Brickos' drinking habit could be tolerated. She was wrong. Need to pull my head in... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shai Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Well, best of luck to you, Brickos. I'd suggest riding whenever the urge comes over you, just not to the nearest bar. Redeye, I think you mentioned once that you work in the restaurant business...if so, it's probably gonna be harder for you to chill out on the drinking without some kind of added support. I'm not one to suggest meetings, but it might be what you need at this point. If you decide to go that route, shop around and find a group you can hang with...I can't promise that it will solve everything but it's worth a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redeyedanimal Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Yeah dude, been in the kitchen for a decade now, and it's going to be my career. But I'm in a different style environment now that doesn't revolve entirely around booze and drugs. It's pretty cool. I've been looking into meeting, i'm no strangers to meetings but am in a new town, a bigger city, and it's harder to find that sense of community here. I have an old friend down here though that wants to go to meetings for the first time, if I can get him to come with me it could help us both. My bad sayWORD, definitely did not mean for that to come off as offensive, but I can understand how it did. It was not my intention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhMyGosh! Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 ^^^ As I have said numerous times in here...going to meetings and practicing the principals ive been able to learn there...has been the only thing that has kept me from returning to the life I used to live...and as a result of that, I have been able to stay sober. The catch is that things had to get bad enough to where I was willing to give anything a shot. 'if you are willing to go to any lengths, then you are ready to take certain steps.' For me, everything got so old..and I was so tired of it..and I had exhausted all of my options and I didnt know how not to feel the way I felt. If you do decide to give meetings another shot, I would highly suggest taking some of the suggestions that people say at them. Simply sitting there and listening wasnt enough for me to feel better. Swallow your pride, get some phone numbers and call people. Even if its just to say that you think meetings are stupid and god is dumb. At least it shows you can be honest with another person...which took me a long time to be able to do..even about the most trivial of stuff. Best of luck to you man. And I promise you, based on my own experience, that things will get way better than you can believe as long as you stay sober and do the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fat ralphy Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 glad to see the thread is pretty active. i am sitting in a Alcohol and Drug studies course....just a few courses shy of becoming a certified drug and alcohol counselor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PITOFZOMBIES Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 ^^^ That's pretty rad. I knew you were working on something to that effect, but didn't know that you were almost there. I would love to pursue something like that, potentially down the road. I've been contemplating hitting up a meeting, just for old time's sake. No real reason beyond kind of longing for someone talk about shit with. I have a few homies who are sober, but i'm not sure they totally 'get it,' if that makes sense. They don't typically have much profound insight into the subject, and their little bit of understanding usually falls short of anything i feel like going out of my way to hear. I'm fairly sure one just goes to meetings to socialize, as he is near many young adult groups, and he has alluded to such reasoning, although he probably would deny it. I'd almost like to swing by the group i used to attend, just to let 'em know i'm still handling shit despite my disappearance. Maybe also let them know why i stopped coming, so they're aware that arrogance can scare people off. I don't know. Maybe i'll leave it alone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morton Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 I would let sleeping dogs lie with that last bit Pit telling thumpers to tone it down is like telling people in active addiction to clean up, it might be just what they need to hear but they just wont get it. Don't be one of those counselors that brags about their past to develop credentials with wayward youth ralphy, lol, I used to hate those dudes, " I used to grow buds the size of your arm kid". Funny the way the mind works, sometimes I find myself concocting these elaborate justifications for relapse. The one I was working on yesterday revolved around hiking, which I have been getting into lately, I was thinking about how mosquito season is coming and that I should probably smoke a cigar to keep the bugs down and then from there I was thinking that consuming nicotine would probably be kind of a relapse and if I was going to do that I might as well bring along some scotch to go with the cigar, some herb to go with the scotch and some pills to calm me down if the herb made me nervous or to aid in case of back country medical emergency. It was like I could do all that or just wear a long sleeve shirt with some deet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yomommasaho Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 long time since ive been back here.. i used to scope this thread because i wasnt sure if i had a problem and my grandfather (died 25 years sober, everyday of my life) used to like to go to AA meetings and i went to a ton with him. I basically concluded ive made some mistakes while drinking, but im probably not an alcoholic. time may tell otherwise tho.. but right now, ive got a pal, who i met just a few years ago but has become a regular "drinking buddy" as they call them in the rooms, though our friendship hasnt been based solely on going out to drink, its been the most common activity. hes also the reason i started doing more blow, because he was about that shit too, especially at the end of the night when we're both tanked, always lookin to cop. i'd do it and forget about the shit the next day, i dont crave it, shit, i dont even like it that much, but some nights he said hed pick up more and keep doing it into the late hours of the morning.. this is a dude who, on paper, has his shit together: bachelors degree, working in insurance, making like >$85k per year, clean cut, well spoken, the whole shit.. but this past weekend, when i wasnt even around, he started off with beer and pizza for a pals birthday, then ran into this other cat who wanted to do some blow, that cat suggested they hit the casino, my boy blew his entire savings on gambling, got left at the casino with no money, took a cab back (like $120 cab ride) and proceeded to take out advances on his bank account.. to get a handle of vodka and some more blow.. which he finished it all by sunday afternoon.. after spending the whole weekend being like "dude, where the fuck you at?"he finally reveals to me how he just crumbled and is feeling just distraught about this shit. ive been trying to motivate him on some self control, self discipline shit, the things that have saved me from the pitfalls of substance abuse.. but its looking like this dude is truly powerless against his drinking, and thats a sad, scary fact for both of us to face. he's got an appt to check into an outpatient facility, and ive told him, i get tired of hitting the bar every friday anyway man, i dont mind kicking it with you and laying low, saving some money instead, but im trying to wrap my head around how hes gonna accomplish this. the fact is, drinking has been a core aspect of his social life, but now hes being faced with something that sets him apart from the rest of us.. he feels humiliated. i try to tell him fuck the cats who pass judgement, ive got your back and so do the people who count, and thats what really matters, but then comes that old saying "getting sober is easy. stayin sober's the hard part" just figured id share this developing story, if anyones got advice/comments, im all ears.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theprotester Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 You're doing the right things, but in my short years I've made the decision that you can only help people that want to help themselves. The hardest part for me of sobering up is the clarity of knowing exactly how much you hate the person you are when you drink. Which scares the absolute shit out of me and the only way of numbing the fear is with another empty bottle. People always say acknowledging the problem is the hard part, I'm not so sure. I'm not really helpful here. As always I've managed to type an answer in this thread that relates to me and not exactly what you're asking. Fuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redeyedanimal Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 "Why do we fall down Bruce? We fall down to learn how to get back up..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yomommasaho Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 awwww nigga, u corny asa muvafucka for that. funny thing is i thought about that line when thinking how to address this shit. protester, im not expecting answers. if there were answers, permanent solutions, muvafukaz wouldnt be "recovering" for the rest of their lives, theyd be "cured". if youre "cured", youre in denial or you were never an alcoholic in the first place. thats why theres meetings, so you can go, listen to what others have to say, talk when you need to get something off your chest or get some help, or just feel better knowing youre not alone in the struggle. that being said, the best i can do for him is to be there for him and help him maintain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theprotester Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 It's true. There's no cure. I'll always be an alcoholic, just an alcoholic that doesn't drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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