Maybe I should consider myself lucky that rare now is the occasion I view alcohol in a positive light. The trouble drinking has caused in my own life, the trauma experienced by my family, and the constant struggle I see from others in my advocacy overwhelm any craving or thoughts of alcohol having even a slight social benefit.
It wasn’t always this way, in early sobriety I longed to be “normal”, to have a life that involved coming home from a hard day’s work to a nice cold beer. In my mind alcohol was both a staple and a panacea, as if all things goods were fermented, not earned. Long after the physical craving for alcohol vanished the mental and emotional desire remained. It was indicative of my pathetic life as an alcoholic; that I still desired to drink despite the damage it had caused- mainly because it was the only reward my brain even recognized! Maybe my rather jaded view of drinking these days is the sign of a healthy recovery, knowing the risks and dependable negative results by far outweigh any benefits. It’s as if those pages of my mind have been stripped and replaced with a healthier, more wholesome edition… ergo, a new term for TDA: The J Geils Effect(Get it?).
The well known era of prohibition brought about by the 18th amendment was named The Noble Experiment by President Hoover, but the government also started a less noble initiative during this historic time that for the most part bypassed historic scrutiny.
Frustrated that people continued to consume so much alcohol even after it was banned, federal officials had decided to try a different kind of enforcement. They ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols manufactured in the United States, products regularly stolen by bootleggers and resold as drinkable spirits. The idea was to scare people into giving up illicit drinking. Instead, by the time Prohibition ended in 1933, the federal poisoning program, by some estimates, had killed at least 10,000 people… Although mostly forgotten today, the “chemist’s war of Prohibition” remains one of the strangest and most deadly decisions in American law-enforcement history. As one of its most outspoken opponents, Charles Norris, the chief medical examiner of New York City during the 1920s, liked to say, it was “our national experiment in extermination.” ~ Slate Magazine
Now left out of this story is the fact that those producing stealing and then producing “renatured” alcohol are the true killers here. So is the fact that most knew the risks involved in drinking bootleg whiskey during prohibition (or any era) and drank it despite the danger. I’m not condoning this desperate past action of the federal government caused by passing laws that they had no plan, ability much less the will to enforce, just commenting from a different perspective.
Its interesting history and a good read regardless of how one interprets it… enjoy it and have a safe and sober weekend!
Not since writing a post on Blow, the powdered energy drink marketed as if it were cocaine complete “with a mirror and a credit card to cut the stuff, all packaged in a Styrofoam container made to look like a brick of cocaine” have I seen a more distasteful product thanDrank, the “anti-energy drink”.
Drank, the anti-energy drink sold at convenience stores, is generating concern among Dallas-area mental health experts who say it’s made to resemble popular illegal homemade cough syrup concoctions known as “purple drank.” ~ Dallas Morning News
I’m not asking to make Drank or Blow illegal or punish those that use such disreputable marketing techniques, but hopefully most distribution channels will have the class not to carry such asinine products.
Just in case your still in the dark about what real purple drank is I’ve reposted a TDA story on the topic:
Q: What’s worse than an isolated bunch of fools drinking prescription cough syrup with a chaser?
A: The much larger group of fools that follow suit under the false assumption that emulating this ignorance is somehow empowering.
Hopefully the popularity of Purple Drank is beginning to wane considering recent deaths and admissions of addiction by industry promoters. Of course it’s nothing new, drugs and alcohol have always seemed to be part of the music scene’s mystique and similar behavior occurring from fan adoration often follow suit.
For me it was Paul Stanley’s of Kiss fame screaming promotion of “al-kee-hol” that was a directive to drink and “be cool”, but the idea of drinking cocktail cough syrup just seems a little bit lame from my viewpoint. Regardless of how stupid this may sound the drink has become such a part of the culture that even commercial knock-offs are trying to horn in on the popularity with a legal version of the purple potion.
I think that one of the lures of this concoction is that because it is consumed as a cocktail, that people misinterpret its narcotic nature and addiction potential. Even those who have openly admitted their problem seem oblivious to the danger. Of course in rap star Lil Wayne’s case, it also seems that utter stupidity plays a role in this matter.
“I saw a doctor – he gave me pills, told me, ‘This is what you take to get off it,’” Wayne said. “I never tried them. If them b***hes work, then I probably gotta start. Other than that, it’s gonna be hard. What a n*gga told me to do is start lessening my amount. So what I do, I tell motherf*ckers as to pour it for me instead of me pouring it…I be patient.’” As told to Vibe Magazine (May 2008 Issue) ~ 411Mania
No matter the culture, genre, or timeframe though, it seems drugs and alcohol remain stylish but stupid and tragically hip.
The ARM-ME blog brought to my attention today that the first draft of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V (DSM-V) has been released. This is the guide published by the American Psychiatric Association that provides standard criteria and terminology to be used by doctors to diagnosis their patients… and much, much more. It will legitimize conditions and qualify them for insurance payment while confusing other issues leading to denial of coverage. It will help in reducing the stigma of certain conditions and stir up controversies that will lead to new discrimination. It will also be used as a perverted support in cases of convenient victimization and the rationalization of unacceptable behavior. It can be a milestone for improving the quality of life for thousands and yet will surely lead to over-diagnosing, over-prescribing, and the repercussions that follow.
Relative to TDA, there will be significant changes in the way the new DSM categorizes addiction and dependence. I find it mildly disturbing that the article referenced by the ARM-ME blog has a few comments by Stanton Peele, who it seems over the years has juggled the use of these terms solely on the basis of what will best further his career or increase book proceeds. An anonymous responder to a recent Stanton Peele article in Psychology Today raises this very point.
My point remains that Mr Peele holds himself out as a medical authority and is advising people with active alcohol problems that they alone can control the issue. He tells them what they want to hear. The sad fact is that those most at risk are also the most likely to heed his advice. Mr. Peele knowingly blurs the line between problem drinker and alcoholic and then provides generic unfounded advice… Mr Peele makes his living pushing his moderation mantra. If you look at his other web sites you will see he is pushing his own recovery program for people to pay him.
Good thing the final draft will not be complete until 2013 and only after a thorough peer review. In the end though, I doubt seriously there will ever be a good definition for addiction since it is such an encompassing affliction that very few professionals ever look beyond their specialty or discipline to get the bigger picture.
In the past I posted an updated introduction every so often for new readers, but with the new format a “Meet TDA” is available so now all you have to do is click on the tab above. You have probably already guessed by the site name that yes I am a recovering alcoholic, clean and sober without relapse since the fall of 94’ and I keep feeling better every day. I am proud of my recovery and often share this fact not as a boast, but in an attempt to lessen the stigma and encourage others to share in this confidence or feel more inclined to seek help. I started the blog back in March of 2007 and it has been updated daily with very few exceptions since- it has become a big part of my recovery.
I consider most substance addictions as birds of a feather, not making great distinction between drug addicts and alcoholics. It is my belief that any step toward recovery is a smart step and I support most programs including AA, NA, MA, religious groups, self-styled, and rehabs. I am a member of a substance abuse task force, hold a recovery class every week at a local methadone clinic, always have at least one or two alcoholics/addicts to which I act as a sponsor, and of course there is TDA. I have found through my efforts of attempting to help others that my own spirituality, confidence, and appreciation of life greatly increases.
Addicts and alcoholics have the same foibles and frustrations as everyone else, but the negative repercussions that result from these are usually exponentially greater for those whose coping skills have been limited to drinking and drugging. The key is to know oneself better, understand what pulls the trigger, and to adapt one’s lifestyle and actions into a preventative maintenance program. And it’s not only about staying sober; when these lessons are applied in other aspects of life (business, relationships, parenting) combined with the confidence gained in recovery , one cannot but help to feel empowered.
In recovery, I have discovered that the very act of reining in my disease has enabled me to become a much better person ergo, The Discovering Alcoholic. I am many things; husband, veteran, advocate and blogger but most first and foremost an alcoholic since this condition has affected all aspects of my life.
So hello my name is Gavin, and I am The Discovering Alcoholic.
On my way home from business in Charlotte last week I picked up a JR Pass from a Japanese Travel Agency in Atlanta because they are not available online. The 2 week pass is good for all JR lines, Japan Railway Network, and even the bullet trains except for the express Nozomi line out of Tokyo. While the upfront cost of the pass may seem a little steep, the savings over the two weeks I plan to spend in country make it a real bargain. Not only cheaper though, the flexibility in travel and the ability to alter my plans without worry of costs or schedules will be extremely liberating. I’ll be able to stay over and explore or move on at will during the trip only bound by the anchor hotel reservations at the beginning, middle, and end of my stay.
This kind of travel would have been impossible for me back in my drinking days – or any addict that could not risk straying from their proven sources (alcohol may be easy to find, but a drunk’s support structure is not). For all the chaos in my life back then, I always had a plan and several fall back options including meds to satisfy my addiction. Back then I wouldn’t have traveled on my schedule or anyone else’s for that matter, I was enslaved and forced to follow the schedule of my addiction.
It’s a big file, but click on this link to see a full size map of the JR Rail lines this pass covers.
On the weekends I usually look for bizarre or embarrassing stories to raise alcohol abuse awareness in a lighthearted manner seeking a break from the seriousness of most TDA topics.
It’s headlines like these that I usually click on, but if you have already peeked you know that these all go back to the same story… and it is anything but funny. William Eugene Davis drunk a half gallon of vodka and then proceeded to shoot his own family killing both his sisters and an in-law. Still reeking of alcohol, he was tracked down by his scent by a blind man who subsequently beat him unconscious. His lawyer now says he was too drunk at the time and did not have the capacity to commit the crimes.
My apologies if I’ve brought you down on the weekend. If you need cheering up and a break from reality, click this link to a vodka ad where alcohol makes everyone super funny and devastatingly sexy.
Thank you author and speaker Lisa Frederiksen of Breaking the Cycles for this regular series sharing her decades long experience of dealing with family alcoholism and alcohol abuse. Click here to see the rest of the series.
This is a common question of many family members with a loved one who has entered a treatment program or started AA or promised to really stop this time.
The short answer to the question is, “You can’t.”
And, it’s this short answer that runs counter to everything a family member believes — beliefs generally anchored in the notion that a person can stop if only they wanted to badly enough.
So what’s a family member to do?
As counter-intuitive as it sounds, the best ‘thing’ a family member can do to help their loved one succeed in recovery is to help themselves. To help family members who are new to this whole ‘thing’ get started, I thought I’d repeat one of my previous posts below titled, “The World of Enmeshment.”
There is a reason why practicing alcoholics seem to have all the bad “breaks” and are remarkably talented drama queens; they are seeking ways to justify the existence of their disease. Always in a frantic damage control mode that more often than not sucks in family and friends, the alcoholic will habitually nurse minor issues until they a raging situation with a comforting and concealing fog of distress.
Main Entry: self–jus•ti•fi•ca•tion
Pronunciation: \ˌself-ˌjəs-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən\
Function: noun
Date: circa 1775
: the act or an instance of making excuses for oneself
Normal people make excuses to others, but alcoholics have to make excuses first to themselves. It’s indicative of the transformation from abuse to addiction. It is the break from sanity when one becomes illogical and even self destructive not just in the act of drinking, but in developing a lifestyle and mental state that in twisted sense justifies this manner of existence.
An alcoholic needs to justify who they are, how they got there, and most importantly what measures need to be taken to facilitate that next drink.
The early 90’s drunk TDA was in love with Bobbie Brown, this one not that one! I would have never admitted at the time, but in hindsight I have no doubt that despite my obvious machismo I would have chosen a lifetime supply of booze over the sweet Ms Cherry Pie. Speaking of things sweet and sugary, TDA researcher Zentient sent this link in that describes recent research that suggests a relationship between a child’s sweet tooth and a proclivity towards alcoholism.
The results, however, don’t mean a child who likes ultra-sweetened foods will become an alcoholic. It’s just a link between sweet preference and family members with alcoholism. “At this point, we don’t know whether this higher ‘bliss point’ for sweets is a marker for later alcohol use,” Mennella said.~ Yahoo News
Don’t go locking up the treats from your kids though, because I can honestly say I never had much a sweet tooth until after I had quit drinking and discovered the magic of black coffee and a sugary contrasting dessert.
Maybe I should consider myself lucky that rare now is the occasion I view alcohol in a positive light. The trouble drinking has caused in my own life, the trauma experienced by my family, and the constant struggle I see from others in my advocacy overwhelm any craving or thoughts of alcohol having even a slight social benefit. 
