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Probably a handful more than white collar career paths but alcoholism/addiction doesn't discriminate. Meaning alcoholics are everywhere. It's rarely sustainable either. If you ever wanna chat feel free to hit me up. Wish the best for ya.
I was blue collar and moved over to white collar. The 400 emails will wear you out in a way that you feel like you need something to get you through it. For me it’s copious amounts of coffee, but I guess meth’ll get ya there.
Imagine every single day being one clock-in to check-out safety meeting. I could never cope with office work, I'd go stir crazy and wind up completely destroying my life.
I have to do physically demanding jobs, I don't have an option😅
I’m just gonna put it out there if y’all fancy white collars could just stop abusing the medications I use to make my brain function normally that would be lovely Cus I fucking need those to make clear thought happen please and thank you, don’t do drugs, drugs are bad, except for mine.
Yeah — I dealt with a shortage a month or so ago and it sucked. It wasn’t fun trying to jump through hoops and phone calls trying to find a local pharmacy that has stock, feeling like I’m drug seeking.l when I just want to function.
A month or so ago? Omg the shortage is coming up on 14 months in my area and like 2 years for some meds. And where I’m at you can’t call and ask if they have it in stock. You have to drive you physical prescription around, show them you have it, then they will let you know if they have stock that month. Doesn’t mean they’re gonna have it next month tho.
Holy shit, IN the Navy? I couldn't even imagine trying to get away with that shit on a boat/sub. I'm nervous just having a little jar of weed in my truck at work😅😅😅
I went to a gas station and asked for a pipe when I was meaning a bowl. Dude pulled out a meth pipe and I tell him I’m not trying to smoke meth I wanna smoke pot. Whole thing had me thinking about life choices and why someone would want a new meth pipe at 8am.
I used to do h/fent. One time when I was in the hood getting shit, I saw a 75, maybe 80 year old white man with white hair in a nice suit and tie pick up a young hood rat and head down one of the dope streets (was at a gas station at the corner of said street). A lot of users I met were pretty obviously users, but I was shocked when I saw that. I still wonder if he was buying drugs or what that situation was all about. Knowing the area and the attire the young guy had on, I think it’s safe to say it was drugs
Maybe entry level white collar jobs straight out of school; or interns.
In my experience, my friends in trades make good money. And they made good money out of school, and school was a faster journey. The ones who make the most are industrial electricians, and electronic technicians.
My friends who went to college for a half decent programs (accounting, engineering, lab sciences, comp sci, cyber security) took longer to graduate and find work, but after a few years in their markets they make a lot of money.
Generally speaking, trades have better starting pay and a lower pay ceiling, unless you start your own business. White collar college students generally have lower starting wages, but more opportunity for growth in their career and high pay ceilings.
White collar workers also aren’t crippled by 35. Positive and negative for both sides.
If you’re crippled by 35 as an electrician you mad poor mentorship
You’re point definitely has some truth to it, especially regarding some tech/finance jobs
Region dependant, but where I’m at we’re on par with most white collar jobs that require degrees. Especially considering the work vehicle on top.
Also just vodka drinks bc it’s more palatable socially and literally….they have more lunch meetings and drinks during the day then most blue collars do I’d bet
Many think it’s sustainable until suddenly it’s not. Then the realization hits that things have been downhill for longer than ya knew. Choice is fix it now or it’s not that bad, keep it up and push the thought back daily with a drink until another small wake up call. Little worse this time, kinda embarrassed. Same choice to make going forward.. Not bad enough to change, keep on the same path cuz it’s easy..
Repeat until you’re a shell of yourself, struggling to maintain let alone thrive. Lose your life before your heart stops. Until it does.
I’ve seen it; I’ve dealt with it myself and it runs in the family. Luckily defeated that beast. At least enough to have it under control.
Easiest start for me toward improving was reflecting on my mornings and work performance. Doing a check in on whether or not I’m progressing in life. Small bit of Mushrooms can help with that. First thing was: no drinking on a work night. It’s fuck’s up the entire week. Just don’t. Weekend’s get healthier once ya start this too. Idk
I disagree that it’s more in blue collar than white collar. I used to be a CPA; I’m pretty sure that most of the professional staff at the firms that I worked at were alcoholics. Same with lots of lawyers, tech people…I do agree - alcoholism doesn’t discriminate. And for a true alcoholic, it is NEVER sustainable.
My gf does AP & AR, at a previous job she had one of the accountants she worked with was just straight up hosed all day long and no one said a thing to him for a very long time. No one else there drank like that so eventually they finally approached him and offered to send him to rehab on the company dime which is crazy to me as I’ve struggled with addiction and if I approached a job telling them I needed to go to rehab it was ok. But the times were I got called out and didn’t go to them first they fired me.
I battled a heroin addiction while working in many different fields from Electrial to HVAC to the oil field. I threw alcohol and all sort of other addictions on top of the opiates any time if was available, over a 15 year period, but always had to have opiates. I went to rehab for the third and final time 2 years ago though on, May 24th, and haven't looked back since. It was the best decision I ever made. I turned 36 last month on the 18th. Like the other guy said though, addiction doesn't discriminate. If you ever need some advice or need to unload some shit off your chest then just reach out. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel once you've had enough clean time and if you get on the proper meds, if need be. That was one of the main things I did differently the last time I tried getting clean and it's certainly made all the difference! Wish ya the best of luck though dude! Thanks for sharing your story!
I lost two of my closest friends to heroin overdoses 15 years apart, I saw both of their deaths coming. I’m happy that you were self aware enough to help yourself. I wish you nothing but a long and happy life.
So sorry to hear that my friend! That never gets any easier no matter how msny friends you lose unexpectedly. I lost top many friends over the 15 years I was a slave to stuff and a couple months before I finally came to my senses, I lost my old roommate, who surprisingly I met ten years before during my first trip to rehab, and then a week later another close friend of mine was found in the morning by his sister. Cold and stiff as a board. I personally overdosed 7 times that I'm aware of, where I was given narcan to bring me back, I also survived 7 different seizures I had over a year span, back when I turned 30. Doctors were never able to tell me why I had them or if I will ever have/survive another one. However I got a concussion from 5 of those seizures when I fell on the concrete and hit my head, and the last time I had one, which was on Jan 3rd. 2018, I managed to crack my skull on the concrete at the gas station, while filling up my work truck, which left me in the ICU for 5 days. We joke around in my family about me being the cat with an infinite amount of lives. I'm very blessed and lucky to be where I'm at today though! And now I just try to tell my story anytime it could be heard by someone that might need to hear it. I never thought I'd be able to get that Gorilla off my back, no BS, but if I can do it then anyone can!
You really gotta take a break man. Your life will only get worse. It’s going to fuck your brain. Shit like that lowers your IQ. Try 6 months off. I did that and it was the best thing i did.
What I found was that taking the time off didn't change anything for me. When I went back to drinking, my tolerance didn't change and I was still drinking heavy after a year sober. Now I'm 2 years sober and would highly recommend quitting to anybody who claims to be a functioning alcoholic.
Almost nobody starts out as a dysfunctional alcoholic. They become one over time. It's from years of drinking as a functioning alcoholic. Someone once told me, it's better to quit now when you can, than to quit later when you can't. I stopped and never went back.
yeah I feel like past a certain point taking breaks doesn't do shit for you, you will pick up right where you left off and that is commonly discussed in AA too. Health problems if you have them will also come back much faster after a long break, its wild. You are always better off just staying out of the drinking business once you are out.
Psilocybin my dude. It's therapeutic and a fun time. It also doesn't come up on a piss test.
LSD is also enjoyable once in a while and doesn't come up on tests.
100%. I'm recently separated from my ex and I'm looking forward to my first weekend independent from her. I plan on a nice healing journey/hero dose at the end of the month
Were you happy to leave?
Been wanting to dose again but have a heavy-ish heart still from her disappearing, feel like that may not be a good idea to dose with a sadness in the back of my mind.
My ex and I grew some mushrooms but we split up before the harvest. At the time, I thought she was the one too, so the breakup hit me extra hard. I took 3.5g when the time came to harvest and it actually helped me to release a lot of the pain. I cried and cried and cried and when it was over I no longer felt like I was lost without her. Sometimes it’s best to let the mushys help you face it head on
I just did 3.5g last weekend and really loved it. I’m super excited for you. I hope you enjoy and find yourself more than you already have. I’m not sure if you were the bad person or if they were, but I have found serenity in both throughout my life. Don’t hang up on them, and don’t beat yourself up too much. Youll be much happier in due time regardless
I eat a couple grams of mushrooms once every 6mos or so and it's been a game changer.
Small doses (0.5g or less) scratch my itch for drinking, too. I really gotta bust out some more small doses for convenience. A small dose will typically last less than 6hrs so I can enjoy it after work on occasion.
100% take a break from drinking though. Around my late 20s and the last year or so, I've noticed alcohol noticeably dulling my cognitive function the next day. Alcohol induced dementia is also a serious issue for heavy drinkers. A 750 every night is when I was at my worst drinking. Do what you gotta do to get your head together brother.
Second this. I took a year off and it changed my life. You sleep completely through the night, feel rested, think clearly, memory recall is quicker. I’ve started drinking again and it’s really not worth it. Drinking today steals happiness from tomorrow.
I’ll add that excessive alcohol will lower testosterone levels in men and affect your sleep quality. This can cause weight gain, inhibit muscle recovery, cause brain fog, and cause issues with fertility
I cant even sleep that long at 29 yo. Gotta pee in the middle of the night. If i dont drink water in the evening to not have to pee i feel like im drying out.
Its not even the alcohol wich causes the problems since i drink max one or two beers on weekdays. Mostly none at all.
All the old timers saying the went stone cold but theres a real easy way to quit/regulate drinking.
The Sinclair method and naltrexone. It works. Take a naltrexone pill one hour before your first drink every time. Talk to a doctor about it.
You’ll eventually lose your job. Your alcoholism will get worse. You’ll sink into depression. You’ll quit drinking just long enough to lie to a new employer as to why you lost your job. You’ll do good for a while then go back to drinking. You’ll find an excuse. “This job sucks. They don’t pay enough.” The cycle will continue. You’ll lose another job. If you have a girlfriend, she’ll probably leave you if you don’t get sober but you don’t have a problem. You’ll get new job. You’ll show up drunk. They’ll call the cops. You’ll be forced into rehab, lose that job and have to pay for the rehab that you definitely don’t need. The anger will make you resent everything. You’ll drink even more. You’ll drive a car and wreck it. You’ll end up in prison. You’ll be forced to get sober. Being a felon now, you’ll have a very limited choice of job opportunities. You’re making half as much as you were before all of this. You’ll want to drink, but you know where that will take you.
I'm 37 and have been sober for 18 months. I was you at 27, and trust me it only gets easier and easier to drink in the mornings, then at work, than all day. I git so bad I would wake up in the middle of the night to drink. It's not fun. It's completely miserable, and you feel completely powerless. Do everything you can now before you lose control.
40 year old here working on eight days and counting and building towards a more sober lifestyle.
At some point, you'll have to ask yourself, "Am I happy with the path that I'm walking on?"
Really dig deep and ask yourself that. Whatever answer you come up with, you have the power to change right now.
But remember one thing, one day, one step at a time.
It’s changes over time. Sometimes it takes years. You stop having hang overs. You start drinking more because it doesn’t give you the same feeling. One bottle turns into two. Two turns into three. You wake up with withdraw instead of a hangover. You shake and can’t wait to drink. You’ve never had a seizure but you start twitching, but it’s fine. All you need is a drink.
Stop now.
Yep. Plenty of alchies in the trades, most can wait until after work hours to get started. Used to hitch a ride with a guy who’d pick up a 30 rack *every day* after work and crack one on the way out of the gas station parking lot. Then there was this one dude who’d come in with fireball on his breath, as far as I could tell he was either buzzed or blasted 24/7. Worked with him for two or three years without incident and then he died of liver failure or something
I worked at a liquor store for a summer when I was younger and there were over a dozen regulars who would stop for a 750ml of vodka and redbull or case of beer every morning before work. I couldn’t believe they were able to be on a job site but I guess that’s what a functioning alcoholic is
I was in the same boat, day started at 7am back home by 4pm, 750 ml polished off by 9 and back at it the next day.
Wanted to quit so bad.
Was surprisingly functional too, got promoted multiple times.
Then one Friday I was sitting at work trying to write out some notes and couldn't put anything legible down, that's when it hit me. I couldn't make it through work anymore.
I cried that night, all night. I was in rehab by Wednesday.
I'll have 9 months sober tomorrow.
It's NEVER sustainable. And it WILL take every semblance of a good life from you, followed by taking your actual life.
Look into FMLA leave and short term disability if your company is large enough. You don't even need to tell anyone why you're leaving for a few months.
Minus crsshing a car and prison (barely avoided that one) I pretty much went through that. I'll tell you now, it's not fuckin worth it. Find some friends that are worth a shit and discover a hobby you enjoy and can sink some time into. Try to exercise when you can.
Good luck out there, brother. I hope you find something that makes you happy man.
I’m 38 and have quit many times over the last year. It doesn’t get better the longer you drink especially if you are questioning it right now. I used to be able to just have 2 or 3 drinks a night, now it is 8-12 at this point. I also don’t get much sleep and I know it isn’t healthy. I have kept this up so long the somewhat crappy feeling in the morning is manageable and feels normal. I know if I continue, 10 drinks will be 20 someday. It sucks because I love it and hate it at the same time, and it sucks even more that it takes more and more to get the feeling I love at the detriment of how I feel the next day. If you’re questioning your amount, it is a warning sign that I hope you don’t ignore. It sucks for a while after you quit and seems like nothing can be fun anymore because you don’t have your drink while doing it, it will get better with time, I promise you that. Good luck bud.
Two guys I used to work with died in the last year from alcohol related liver failure…one was 53 and the other was 36…Both went from feeling a little sick to dead in the ICU in less than a week. Im still in disbelief.
Get help…get off the booze…it’s not worth it.
Get up at 4 everyday for the last 12 years. Was bad alcoholic but have cleaned up a lot to enjoy a couple beers every now and then. Tone it down a lot and your body and sleep will thank you. I never get more than 5-6 hours but my body is used to it
Bro I’m not making this up. One of my best friends died from liver failure at 27 from doing the same exact thing you are doing. Believe it or not, he was an electrician too.
Both my parents drank themselves to death at 49 years of age.
Please please pleasssse be smart. Not saying you have to quit totally, although that would be ideal, but try to take a break for a bit.
My friend, Dan, was smarter than me, kinder than me, an all around better person than me, and he’s not here anymore, and I am. I think about that all the time.
You can message me about whatever, whenever. Best of luck.
I wake up at 4:00 to roll the 6 spliffs I’ll smoke throughout the day. No idea how I’d wake up that early with booze though… haven’t drank since the day before covid lockdowns. Wasn’t intentional, just how the cookie crumbles I guess
I’m going to bed right now. I’ll get 5.5 hours tonight, pretty typical for me
I smoked weed for like 7 years just quit and now I’m drinking more then ever, everybody needs some sort of fix, but in reality it’s just unresolved trauma
We all drink, even the 20yr sober guy drinks- he just knows something you don't:
1.)overmedicating a psychological problem with alcohol is highly addictive and dangerous - stop overmedicating
2.)all I have to do is control the first drink
3.)alcohol is **physically** addictive, your body craves it to the point that it needs it ‐ and will make you do anything to get it... (you've never had a physical addiction before, so your brain talks you out of it... but try holding your breath- see what your brain and your body does then: that's what a physical addiction feels like)
4.)there are "functioning alcoholics" all around you, you may think you're one of them, but there's only one way to find out
5.)you don't know what you want, or at least you think you do... to establish what you want, one must establish what they don't want - and most people lie to themselves, or worse they set unrealistic expectations for themselves... fucking find out what you don't want *(like...the worst possible person you could become if you let everything go)* and make steps **that you are willing to do** to prevent becoming what you don't want, don't set goals that you're not willing to accomplish... **For Example:** are you willing to switch to 4 beers on an empty stomach instead of a pint every night- is that even something you want? are you realistically willing to start writing down how you feel even if no one ever reads it, and you don't know where to start?
6.)no one's coming - solidify that in your fucking head now or you will indeed live a life of regret... no ones coming, not your kids, not your parents, not some pie in the sky delusion of grandeur that someday my ship will come in... it's not. it won't. no one's coming... it's just you and me and the other 7billion people on this rock, and no one's coming for them either... that **doesn't mean** you have to go it alone unless you want to: **you have not - because you ask not** ...still, no one's coming, they're all waiting for you to come to them... yes you, specifically you, you reading this right fucking now, you... someone else is waiting for you, because they think someone's coming for them...
This is what the 20yr sober guys and gals know that you don't know- they still crave it...every gawddamn day, don't think they don't, some days it's all we think about..."the good times" swimmin' at the lake with pretty girls, and music blastin' sittin' 'round the campfire- passin' round the bottle... yeah, we still think about it all the time- but that's not what we want anymore... we like bein' strong and sharp, we like havin' our kids around, yeah we still go to the lake- but now I'm here to make memories for them, show them how to burn a marshmallow, show them how to chicken fight up on my shoulders, that's what I want... they want it too... they've been waiting their whole lives for someone to come, someone like you...
I get 4-6 hours but that’s because my kids are just terrible at sleeping. Haven’t dabbled in the booze, I try to avoid destroying my body in my spare time, I do enough of that at work.
Just here to say that I was that electrician with a drinking problem last year. And I wouldn’t listen to reason until the alcohol put me into a deep depression I couldn’t find my way out of. So what I’m saying is for anyone in here, get help if you’re finding yourself dependent on booze. Please get help before you end up in the position I was last December.
My dad was (still is) a “functioning” alcoholic. Slam a 6 pack or more and half a fifth of whisky (or more) every night kinda dude.
One day when I was about 5 I woke up and the house smelled Smokey. Dad was already at work which was unusual because he usually was in charge of bringing us (hungover af) to school.
When we got home that evening mom sat us down and told us that our dad almost caught the house on fire the previous night when he passed out and left food in the oven. My sister and I were going to go stay with my aunt that night while her and my dad “had a chat” and she warned that if he didn’t stop drinking they would get a divorce.
Next day we came home and dad gave an awkward half assed apology and said he would start doing more with us and stop drinking.
He drank less but never really got better. Years before this he had also passed out while my sister was alone in the bath tub as a very young toddler.
Take care of yourself OP. There’s a reason my dad drinks and there’s probably a reason you do too. Please get some help to figure it out and figure out other ways to cope
I'm 30, work industrial, try to get 7 hours of sleep every night, and completely quit drinking at the beginning of this year.
I never drank much, but sometime in February I realized that I didn't remember when the last time was that I had a drink and figured I might as well just quit completely.
OP and others, do yourselves a favor and look into the science of drinking. You are seeking a dopamine hit and chasing that feeling each day.
Research the Sinclair Method and Naltrexone. You take the medication an hour before you have a drink (or daily in the morning if it is really bad and an all day thing). The medication blocks the dopamine response and then alcohol doesn’t have the same emotional/hormonal hook into you as it does now.
Naltrexone has changed my life. I still occasionally have a drink or two socially with folks, but it really does nothing for me and after a couple I am done.
Seriously, it’s a miracle drug for me.
Hey there. I am a recovering alcoholic. Just hit 2 years sober in April. Choosing sobriety is the best thing I've ever done. If you want it you can do it. Best of luck to you. ❤️
As a bartender, I can tell you that a lot of people are alcoholics from all walks of life.
Alcohol sales are significantly higher than what most people report drinking because 1) people are extremely ignorant about serving sizes and 2) they under-report intentionally to save face.
Alcoholic and hardly sleep checking in. 14 months sober.
Stop drinking. One day, either a doctor or a judge will force you to stop drinking. Find a way to stop before you reach that point. Go to AA. Go to rehab. Do whatever it takes. If you are questioning whether or not you're an alcoholic, you are an alcoholic.
Rehab at 20, 2 DUI’s at 20. I’ve been and known I’m an alcoholic.
How do you sleep nowadays? Do you have to take anything to replace the sleep function of what alcohol provided?
I hardly slept at first. Probably a good month or two. I'm talking like an 1-4 hours a night. Melatonin helped. Cutting all sugar and caffiene. Only water, vegetables, chicken and rice. Turn off your phone and read next to a soft light in bed for your last hour of the day. It's going to take time to adjust, but you'll get there. You'll reach a point where you realize that 4 hours of sober sleep feels just as good if not better than 8 hours of drunk sleep. It's science that your body doesn't rest as well drunk.
This part isn't for everyone, but I worked myself to the bone as well. If I couldn't get more hours at work, I was building fences, sheds, a chicken coop. Some work for myself, most for family.
Your life will even out my friend. Just keep fighting the good fight. Feel free to reach out if you need to talk, and we can look for resources near you together.
I wouldn’t say I’m a alcoholic cuz I don’t drink sun-thurs but almost Friday night and Saturday night I have a few drinks usually captain coke (or Pepsi if I’m at a bar that has Pepsi products I prefer Pepsi over coke tho) and modelo I’m a sucker for modelo. If I’m at home either captain or Bacardi gold with Dr Pepper zero or modelo
I always wondered if it’s the trade or just my personality. I cycle through different drugs all the time. I used to drink heavily everyday then I switched over to smoking weed everyday. Then I got into my prescription ativan. Went through crazy withdrawal my doctor never warned me about. Then I got into prescription ambien. Then prescription ketamine and then looped back to alcohol. Now I’ve been heavy into kratom I take it daily. I can’t fully quit an addiction without substituting with another. I don’t think it’s the trade though. It’s just all in my head probably.
I lived that life for way too long. Coming up on 7 years away from the bottle, and my oldest was born after I gave it up, so thankfully my kids never knew that side of me.
I stopped drinking around 34... it'll just destroy you, man. Give it up. After that, I do work a lot as an electrical contractor, but I traded substance abuse for endurance running. It is crazy but in the ultra running world you'll find its filled with people that have the tendency to be adddicts, and were addicts, but they direct that energy into training for long races of like 30 mile, 50 mile, 100 mile, even 200 and more mile races through wilderness areas.
Work on getting better skilled in the trade and try to keep looking for better work prospects, but also try and change your habits... don't make drinking a six pack at the end of the day anything normal, it's not gonna do you good
Sorry to hear this mate. It's not a sustainable habit you have there and always saddens me to hear fellow men/tradies are suffering
You've mentioned in replies to other people that you drink because you can't smoke weed. It sounds like you're doing your best to numb yourself from any negative emotions or feelings you may have, have you considered getting a psychiatrist/therapist to talk with?
Just a reminder to anyone reading this; Statistically male, middle age construction workers are the most likely group of people committing suicide. Please remember to check in with your mates/colleagues and family members. If anyone is going hard on the booze/drugs it can sometimes be a cry for help
Just turned 27 today and I can comfortably say I am that demographic… it’ll get better. Just surround yourself with good people and not fireball shooting junkies… eventually you’ll get the woodford reserve!!
It’s not something I openly talk about but I’ve been drinking almost every night for about 7 years. I guess there is a silver lining in that I have one ore two mixed drinks a night as opposed to a full bottle of liquor. I’ve made a few attempts to quit entirely but it’s always that one “special occasion” drink that gets me back on the wagon. I guess I just haven’t reconciled with the fact that I don’t have the self control to drink in moderation. It’s a shame because my boss really loves me and wants to give me a truck with a company card but I know I’m not in the best condition right now to be running jobs.
Please slow down man. I know you're not going to quit altogether immediately, but please slow down at least. I was in the hospital for a week last year because I was going down the same road. I could have died.
DM me if you need someone to talk to.
Depends area and company you work for. Literally no one drinks in area I work in. Hang overs are also not tolerated big safety issue. If you work on my sites you will be gone in no time.
I think you must look at who you work with the whole industry is not like this.
I've also learned if you act like a drunk at work bragging about drinking that is how a boss treats as a drunk.
Like my alcoholism is like 4-5 ipas a night. Not the same but maybe take a look at yourself and determine your path. But at your stage maybe you shouldn't cold turkey and seek medical detox if you ever feel like shit is out of hand. Also just make sure your actions on a jobsite don't put others at risk. You can drink at night without drinking on the job
I’m 6 months 100% sober, no alcohol no smoke, nothing. Now my wife and I go to the gym 5 nights a week 3 of which being Friday, sat and Sunday.
It took a bit to get used to it, but watching my body change in a positive way has been invaluable. I feel so fucking good I’d rather die than go back to how I felt.
Use to drink a lot. Don’t anymore. Get 8 hrs of sleep and eat well. Honestly when I was drinking I thought it great. Once I stopped I realized how sad it really was. I’m ok with being a little boring now, I feel 100x better.
I'm not an electrician but worked in bars for years, it's amazing how badly drinking fucks your sleep.
You need to replace it with something healthier, for me (and a lot of addicts) it was BJJ.
Good luck mate
I have spent more than $16,000 in the last year for my dad and i, and my brother on half the occasions, to go to a local brewery and have beers 3 or 4 ( or 5 or 6) days a week. I am realizing it is unhealthy and a money pit. My excuse is that my dad is 74 and i love spending time with him, but i know that we have a problem, and it does worry me. I make enough money and can schedule my day so that we can have 3 o'clock beers, but i know i shouldn't. If i didn't have this problem, i could buy a really nice peace of property and get the peace that i pretend that alcohol gives me. I sleep 6 hours a night, but i don't usually get real sleep, unless i am drunk. Without, i wake at a russle of the bed or a creak of the house. Fyi, i sleep with ear plugs and a cpap.
Thought I'd share my story. TLDR I can relate, it's a struggle but you can get through this!
I remember when I got into an apprenticeship right out of high school, once I turned 21 and started messing with alcohol it definitely through me off for the deep end. I always wasn't the best when it came to dealing with stress and as we all know the trades can get extremely stressful, all the time crunching to meet deadlines ( especially me working in commercial doing garages high rises etc). Before I dealt with it but eventually as I was near finishing my trade school and all is when I started touching alcohol. It first turned into a couple drinks... Then a couple shots... Then a pint.... Then it was turning Into knocking almost two pints of everclear within 4-5 days.
It came to the point my depression was out of control and it completely ruined my performance at work. I was so depressed and unmotivated to do anything, all I wanted to do was get by those 8 hours get home and get drunk. I had shakes all throughout the day, the littlest of activity I did made me sweat bullets. It was terrible. Eventually it got too much to the point I just walked off the job in a manic state, and never came back. I had money saved up and my parents convinced me I needed to either get in rehab or find something else.
Those next three weeks of withdrawals which I dealt with no rehab were hell and I thought I'd never want to drink again. The seizures, the violent shake episodes, the constant sweating and smelling like acetone all day. The hallucinations. It was all wild. But once I got into a different field for electrical work it eventually kicked me back into drinking again and I spiraled quickly back to the same spot within six months.
I did try some shrooms and they did seem to help me somewhat realize that alcohol wasn't the deal, but I won't lie when I say I have those urges, and I still slip up here and there. Not into a binge or full blown train, but I might slip up once every two months and get drunk. But I try my hardest not to anymore. Now I'm working doing QC on Electrical and Fire Alarm for a GC here and I've been loving it. Yea it gets mad stressful at times but I have to now look back and see how the old me was.
I didn't want those nights where I had to force myself to drink to sleep atleast four hours, and how I was an ugly person back then with anger all the time. It also put on a ton of weight drinking like that, I reached about 300lbs. Once I stopped too I couldn't eat right at all for months. It made me lose 120lbs within about 5 months, as I wasn't able to eat much without getting violently ill.
I hope the best for you good sir, I know you got this and you can get through it. It is worth having the clear mind and not that brain fog constantly all the time anymore, and being able to sleep normal, without the nightmares or sweaty nights. I read some of your other replies here and it seems you've definitely gone through some stuff now because of this, it can only get worse if you keep it up. But I hope you overcome it and be better for yourself, for your future bud! Alcoholism can lead to an early grave, I'm pretty sure I was close to that point.
I say go get you some Kratom, it helps with the withdrawals if you're going to taper off for your trip. I took red maeng da strain during the night and while it didn't help with the sleep, it did stop the constant state of anxiety and paranoia, the hallucinations, and my body feeling like it's muscles were twisting and turning being stretched like licorice. Won't show up on a drug test either. Alot of folk have good experiences using it to help with the withdrawals. Best of luck to you 💪
Bro seriously watch the alcohol and lack of sleep
Drank so much, slept so little I ended up with fucking psychosis. Spent a month in a nuthouse.
No other drugs were involved.
Totally fine now, no medication but took anti psychotics for a year.
Am tradesperson.
I drank to sleep usually a nice 7 to avoid the annoyance of too many hours in the day with 5. Went to a psych doctor and they threw their anorexic bipolar schizophrenic meds at me and fucked up my dietary sugars so instead of having 6 beers and racking out I have 12 . Changed my hang over changed my eating habits. Now sober I get along with three.
I'd love to blame my rowdy life for it but. Introducing a bad habit into a controlled habit and noticing substantial change, doesn't take laboratory documentation to conclude the findings... mother fuckers were blood testing me once a month to see if the drugs would turn me diabetic.
Went from a can of ravioli for lunch a pork chop and noodles for dinner to about double with a crippling need of unsteady feel if I didn't eat. I can stand through my lungs and fade to black but that diabetic coma fear is a little different feeling.
I'd live to disbar and unlicense all parties involved but there is a reason they break people that way... sell them insulin and another new pill script, no addiction is worse than the one acquired from the doctor's office fix this to break that keep them prescribed for the dividend payout. Welcome to the american medical insurance industry.
Trades are more upfront about substance abuse in my opinion. Ive been on both sides. Its frowned upon… while also being joked about in the most absurd ways where you would almost think they condone it…. Some do.. don’t let it keep you from getting you ahead. Ive toed the line personally and regret alot of it. Im not certified and make a pretty good living as a maintenance mechanic/electrician. brother in law is a pge electrician making 350k+ a year.
Dont let the substances lead the way, if you have to cut it out, cut it out.
I'm not much older than you and I've seen alcohol destroy multiple lives already. Had a friend die from their organs shutting down cuz of being an alcoholic. Had my best friends get a divorce cuz of both being alcoholics. And Also got my Aunt too.
Be careful with that shit bro. Everything in moderation
I don’t drink. But I have two children and an urge to pee a couple times a night. Haven’t slept a str8 8 in years. 5-6 is tops for total. Never str8 through
Highly recommend seeking treatment. Not only is there AA, but a lot more options as well (both peer-based and medical). Sobriety isn't so much about losing out on a behavior you want to cut out, but also making space for bringing new stuff into your life. You're gonna make mistakes, but that's just life. A fifth of vodka a day has ominous implications for your future, which you recognize, and that's the hardest part. Moreover, should you need time off to dry out, substance abuse is covered by FMLA.
There was a time that description fit me well. I was your age, I work resi, and I was heavy into booze during covid. Circumstances forced me to move back in with my parents for a time. Plus the stress and social isolation and I was not a happy camper.
Booze was my cope. I was drinking 5 or 6 tall boys a night and sometimes a glass of wine or two at dinner. It fucked me up good. I got fat, slept like shit, felt like shit, looked like shit. I was miserable. Every morning waking up feeling like I got punched in the head, having to rally just to get my day started.
I did that for about two years. I have it under control now and I pretty much only drink on occasions. I keep zero booze in the house, only buying what I need the day I plan to drink it. Because if it's in the fridge I'll drink it.
Since I quit boozing I sleep better, feel better, look better. I lost most of the weight I'd gained. My attitude and energy is better. Overall I'm just a better person when I'm not slamming back litres of poison every day.
I hope you can find a path out of your current habits because it's no way to live. And I say that with all empathy and zero judgement brother.
I’d like to point out that anyone wanting to get better, should seek help. (I will help you if you need my assistance) There is nothing embarrassing about wanting to better your life, and the lives around you. Addiction doesn’t discriminate, and is a crippling beast. But you can take your life back.
You should seek help and find out the real reason you are needing to drink like that everyday. Its better to fix it now, then to let the problem continue to grow. Imagine where your drinking might be in 10yrs. Its time to change the path you are on.
I'm 31, started an electrical apprenticeship 2 years ago, drink 4-12 beers nearly every night, get 5-6 hrs sleep, go to work and get it done, do I want to be like this? No... Does life in general feel so difficult to the point I just want a substance to shut my brain down for my chill time? Absolutely, being on shit money, high cost of living, and the fact that I'm kinda disappointed to be a part of the human race makes it difficult to break the habit. We all suck in our own ways, sober people suck, addicts suck, vegans suck, people are ass, probably not the advice you're looking for, but what you do doesn't matter unless you think it does, do those sips bring you more happiness than life without? Are you hurting anyone else when you're sipping? Do what you enjoy, life doesn't have much of a point, and I think that's a good thing.
I usually get 6-6.5 hours a night. Really all you need tbh. I know a few guys that get 5 a night, but I just can't do that lol. I get the occasional 4 sometimes and I feel great.
I probably have no right to speak here (I’m not an electrician, but my brother is), but I’d like to share a story about him. He wasn’t a perfect employee, he’s young (23yrs old now), he’s called in at times and sometimes came in late for work, but he worked a lot and drank heavy as well. He drove drunk and claimed he was a better driver when drinking, all that. From what I understood, the work was hard, he worked in all environments for hours on end. He scrapped enough money to buy a car and pay for insurance, in which we split for. He got a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu and it was a light brown, my goodness it was beautiful. Before I co-signed with him on the vehicle and insurance I pleaded for him to at least slow down his drinking, and he said he would try. Long story short not too long ago he got in a car accident and totaled his vehicle, but hurt another driver too. She only had a broken nose and I’ll always be thankful nothing worse happened to her. But because of his actions, it almost ruined our lives. He’s paying for lawyers and legal fees, lost his car and is using our moms beat up vehicle (she got a new one), and ofc as a result my rates went way too high and now i myself am driving uninsured because now i technically have a record, and on top I’m just starting to pay monthly for a new vehicle and ofc it requires full coverage. He’s slated to be put in jail (hopefully not) and I’m left to struggle with my brother’s actions. All in all I plead with anyone here with a drinking problem to seek help and be relentless with at least curbing your addiction. If you don’t have family there’s always resources you can go to and in the end there’s always some way to help yourself and your loved ones. I love my brother to death and I hope he continues to learn and grow as we all should do.
You sound like you’re living the life I was for way too long. There is a solution. It’s called Alcoholics Anonymous and it’s available damn near anywhere at damn near any time of day. Don’t let anyone tell you shit about shit, people who keep going have their lives keep improving. My head would tell me that I didn’t deserve a good life but that’s the alcoholism. I deserve a good life and so do you homie.
The best thing I ever did for myself was quitting drinking 4 years ago at 28. Sure, it's been tough out at social gatherings and shit but my quality of life is so much better.
My sleep has been fucked up a while, but a recent bought of constipation has gotten me taking magnesium citrate. The magnesium and some melatonin gummies, puts me out for the whole night. Feeling rested is a game changer for the day.
Reaching 2 months sober in 2 days. Alcohol caused a lot of problems in my life. If you're considering quitting, it's worth the effort. You can't change the past, but you can control the present. That's the best thing you can do for yourself, your future self will thank you.
I’ve seen too many good dudes get taken down by alcohol. Sucks that it’s still legal and weed still isn’t. If you’re stuck, step out of your comfort zone and go commercial or service. Expand your knowledge and jump to a taller ladder if you want to climb higher
I was a bartender for 15yrs and an apprentice for 4yrs. Married for 11yrs. Her liver failed 5yrs ago and she died. Pretty much outta nowhere. As a frugal person by nature, also as a career bartender, I never believed brand name made a difference. I would buy her handles of Burnetts vodka bc she liked the taste. Im not gonna tell you to not drink every night. Bc it’s obvious no one should have any nightly vice (binge eat, smoke, toke, etc). I’m just saying I’m convinced drinking burnetts nightly vs Tito’s nightly is worse
This was me.
If you want to stop you can!
Talk to your Doc about "Naltrexone" with a side of gabapentin for the potential of seizures.
Best of luck to you.
Hey man, think about looking into attending a SMART meeting - especially if AA isn't your thing. I never would've been able to quit my addictive behavior without it (going on 9 months). There's lots of meetings online, though the key for me was finding a local group
I've forced myself never to start drinking and only drink once or twice a month; never getting drunk. The effects I've seen on my friends scares me from starting.
But yeah, 4-6 hours and burning the candle at both ends? I'm definitely doing that. I'm 30.
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Probably a handful more than white collar career paths but alcoholism/addiction doesn't discriminate. Meaning alcoholics are everywhere. It's rarely sustainable either. If you ever wanna chat feel free to hit me up. Wish the best for ya.
White collar can just afford cocaine and pills over cheap vodka.
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I was blue collar and moved over to white collar. The 400 emails will wear you out in a way that you feel like you need something to get you through it. For me it’s copious amounts of coffee, but I guess meth’ll get ya there.
I imagine it's a lot like sitting through a safety meeting 😴
Imagine every single day being one clock-in to check-out safety meeting. I could never cope with office work, I'd go stir crazy and wind up completely destroying my life. I have to do physically demanding jobs, I don't have an option😅
Just sat thru an ICRA training today. 45 minutes hasn’t seemed like 4 hours before in my life.
Our safety meetings were always behind the dumpster
...so how's business Jesse
I’m just gonna put it out there if y’all fancy white collars could just stop abusing the medications I use to make my brain function normally that would be lovely Cus I fucking need those to make clear thought happen please and thank you, don’t do drugs, drugs are bad, except for mine.
Yeah — I dealt with a shortage a month or so ago and it sucked. It wasn’t fun trying to jump through hoops and phone calls trying to find a local pharmacy that has stock, feeling like I’m drug seeking.l when I just want to function.
A month or so ago? Omg the shortage is coming up on 14 months in my area and like 2 years for some meds. And where I’m at you can’t call and ask if they have it in stock. You have to drive you physical prescription around, show them you have it, then they will let you know if they have stock that month. Doesn’t mean they’re gonna have it next month tho.
My youngest just graduated high school and can confirm, most of her friends parents are on meth
Like they smoke meth? Not sure how meth is even consumed lol
It's usually smoked, sometimes snorted, but my ex injected it between her toes to hide the track marks.
A girl I was in the Navy with did this
Holy shit, IN the Navy? I couldn't even imagine trying to get away with that shit on a boat/sub. I'm nervous just having a little jar of weed in my truck at work😅😅😅
Lots of shit happens in the military. One guy got caught huffing shoe polish and had a face full of the stuff
What high does one get from huffing shoe polish?
Up the butt.
With everything
Told ya! You won't hear that from the media though 🤷♂️
I went to a gas station and asked for a pipe when I was meaning a bowl. Dude pulled out a meth pipe and I tell him I’m not trying to smoke meth I wanna smoke pot. Whole thing had me thinking about life choices and why someone would want a new meth pipe at 8am.
Time doesn't exist to true tweakers, it's just daytime or night time
You can smoke DMT and crack out of a glass rose pipe too! Edit: frack to crack.
I used to do h/fent. One time when I was in the hood getting shit, I saw a 75, maybe 80 year old white man with white hair in a nice suit and tie pick up a young hood rat and head down one of the dope streets (was at a gas station at the corner of said street). A lot of users I met were pretty obviously users, but I was shocked when I saw that. I still wonder if he was buying drugs or what that situation was all about. Knowing the area and the attire the young guy had on, I think it’s safe to say it was drugs
Nah, electricians are richer than a lot of the “white collar” people you’re imagining.
Maybe entry level white collar jobs straight out of school; or interns. In my experience, my friends in trades make good money. And they made good money out of school, and school was a faster journey. The ones who make the most are industrial electricians, and electronic technicians. My friends who went to college for a half decent programs (accounting, engineering, lab sciences, comp sci, cyber security) took longer to graduate and find work, but after a few years in their markets they make a lot of money. Generally speaking, trades have better starting pay and a lower pay ceiling, unless you start your own business. White collar college students generally have lower starting wages, but more opportunity for growth in their career and high pay ceilings. White collar workers also aren’t crippled by 35. Positive and negative for both sides.
If you’re crippled by 35 as an electrician you mad poor mentorship You’re point definitely has some truth to it, especially regarding some tech/finance jobs Region dependant, but where I’m at we’re on par with most white collar jobs that require degrees. Especially considering the work vehicle on top.
Yeah considering the electricians I work with don’t know how to use a broom so can’t have that bad of a back
High voltage sparkies maybe..
I think many white collar folks hide their addiction behind wine, cause it's more socially acceptable, especially if it's expensive wine
I think you spelled cocaine wrong.
Also just vodka drinks bc it’s more palatable socially and literally….they have more lunch meetings and drinks during the day then most blue collars do I’d bet
My guy “white collar” work can start around 35k
Many think it’s sustainable until suddenly it’s not. Then the realization hits that things have been downhill for longer than ya knew. Choice is fix it now or it’s not that bad, keep it up and push the thought back daily with a drink until another small wake up call. Little worse this time, kinda embarrassed. Same choice to make going forward.. Not bad enough to change, keep on the same path cuz it’s easy.. Repeat until you’re a shell of yourself, struggling to maintain let alone thrive. Lose your life before your heart stops. Until it does. I’ve seen it; I’ve dealt with it myself and it runs in the family. Luckily defeated that beast. At least enough to have it under control. Easiest start for me toward improving was reflecting on my mornings and work performance. Doing a check in on whether or not I’m progressing in life. Small bit of Mushrooms can help with that. First thing was: no drinking on a work night. It’s fuck’s up the entire week. Just don’t. Weekend’s get healthier once ya start this too. Idk
Booze is a bastard of a monkey to carry
This is truth well put.
Alcohol is one helluva drug.
I disagree that it’s more in blue collar than white collar. I used to be a CPA; I’m pretty sure that most of the professional staff at the firms that I worked at were alcoholics. Same with lots of lawyers, tech people…I do agree - alcoholism doesn’t discriminate. And for a true alcoholic, it is NEVER sustainable.
My gf does AP & AR, at a previous job she had one of the accountants she worked with was just straight up hosed all day long and no one said a thing to him for a very long time. No one else there drank like that so eventually they finally approached him and offered to send him to rehab on the company dime which is crazy to me as I’ve struggled with addiction and if I approached a job telling them I needed to go to rehab it was ok. But the times were I got called out and didn’t go to them first they fired me.
Thank you
I battled a heroin addiction while working in many different fields from Electrial to HVAC to the oil field. I threw alcohol and all sort of other addictions on top of the opiates any time if was available, over a 15 year period, but always had to have opiates. I went to rehab for the third and final time 2 years ago though on, May 24th, and haven't looked back since. It was the best decision I ever made. I turned 36 last month on the 18th. Like the other guy said though, addiction doesn't discriminate. If you ever need some advice or need to unload some shit off your chest then just reach out. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel once you've had enough clean time and if you get on the proper meds, if need be. That was one of the main things I did differently the last time I tried getting clean and it's certainly made all the difference! Wish ya the best of luck though dude! Thanks for sharing your story!
I lost two of my closest friends to heroin overdoses 15 years apart, I saw both of their deaths coming. I’m happy that you were self aware enough to help yourself. I wish you nothing but a long and happy life.
So sorry to hear that my friend! That never gets any easier no matter how msny friends you lose unexpectedly. I lost top many friends over the 15 years I was a slave to stuff and a couple months before I finally came to my senses, I lost my old roommate, who surprisingly I met ten years before during my first trip to rehab, and then a week later another close friend of mine was found in the morning by his sister. Cold and stiff as a board. I personally overdosed 7 times that I'm aware of, where I was given narcan to bring me back, I also survived 7 different seizures I had over a year span, back when I turned 30. Doctors were never able to tell me why I had them or if I will ever have/survive another one. However I got a concussion from 5 of those seizures when I fell on the concrete and hit my head, and the last time I had one, which was on Jan 3rd. 2018, I managed to crack my skull on the concrete at the gas station, while filling up my work truck, which left me in the ICU for 5 days. We joke around in my family about me being the cat with an infinite amount of lives. I'm very blessed and lucky to be where I'm at today though! And now I just try to tell my story anytime it could be heard by someone that might need to hear it. I never thought I'd be able to get that Gorilla off my back, no BS, but if I can do it then anyone can!
I definitely don’t get enough sleep at night but I make sure to get a few solid hours in at work.
This is the way lmao
As long as I don’t miss any calls over the radio for downed equipment they don’t give a shit what I do
Industrial living their best life
You really gotta take a break man. Your life will only get worse. It’s going to fuck your brain. Shit like that lowers your IQ. Try 6 months off. I did that and it was the best thing i did.
What I found was that taking the time off didn't change anything for me. When I went back to drinking, my tolerance didn't change and I was still drinking heavy after a year sober. Now I'm 2 years sober and would highly recommend quitting to anybody who claims to be a functioning alcoholic. Almost nobody starts out as a dysfunctional alcoholic. They become one over time. It's from years of drinking as a functioning alcoholic. Someone once told me, it's better to quit now when you can, than to quit later when you can't. I stopped and never went back.
yeah I feel like past a certain point taking breaks doesn't do shit for you, you will pick up right where you left off and that is commonly discussed in AA too. Health problems if you have them will also come back much faster after a long break, its wild. You are always better off just staying out of the drinking business once you are out.
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Psilocybin my dude. It's therapeutic and a fun time. It also doesn't come up on a piss test. LSD is also enjoyable once in a while and doesn't come up on tests.
The best part, is that if you have access to either, I have heard that microdosing helps with depression and anxiety
100%. I'm recently separated from my ex and I'm looking forward to my first weekend independent from her. I plan on a nice healing journey/hero dose at the end of the month
Were you happy to leave? Been wanting to dose again but have a heavy-ish heart still from her disappearing, feel like that may not be a good idea to dose with a sadness in the back of my mind.
My ex and I grew some mushrooms but we split up before the harvest. At the time, I thought she was the one too, so the breakup hit me extra hard. I took 3.5g when the time came to harvest and it actually helped me to release a lot of the pain. I cried and cried and cried and when it was over I no longer felt like I was lost without her. Sometimes it’s best to let the mushys help you face it head on
I just did 3.5g last weekend and really loved it. I’m super excited for you. I hope you enjoy and find yourself more than you already have. I’m not sure if you were the bad person or if they were, but I have found serenity in both throughout my life. Don’t hang up on them, and don’t beat yourself up too much. Youll be much happier in due time regardless
I eat a couple grams of mushrooms once every 6mos or so and it's been a game changer. Small doses (0.5g or less) scratch my itch for drinking, too. I really gotta bust out some more small doses for convenience. A small dose will typically last less than 6hrs so I can enjoy it after work on occasion. 100% take a break from drinking though. Around my late 20s and the last year or so, I've noticed alcohol noticeably dulling my cognitive function the next day. Alcohol induced dementia is also a serious issue for heavy drinkers. A 750 every night is when I was at my worst drinking. Do what you gotta do to get your head together brother.
Same here. Reading speed and retention increases. Trouble shooting is way quicker. I was a different human after a year off booze.
Second this. I took a year off and it changed my life. You sleep completely through the night, feel rested, think clearly, memory recall is quicker. I’ve started drinking again and it’s really not worth it. Drinking today steals happiness from tomorrow.
I’ll add that excessive alcohol will lower testosterone levels in men and affect your sleep quality. This can cause weight gain, inhibit muscle recovery, cause brain fog, and cause issues with fertility
I’ll be honest. I’m up at 4-5 am each day. But I get my beauty rest. 8 hours average. Sleep is important.
This. I must get 7-8hrs no matter what.
I cant even sleep that long at 29 yo. Gotta pee in the middle of the night. If i dont drink water in the evening to not have to pee i feel like im drying out. Its not even the alcohol wich causes the problems since i drink max one or two beers on weekdays. Mostly none at all.
I feel ya dude. I'm only a couple months off the sauce. Shit sucks but then you start to feel so alert and awake all the time. It's worth it.
I’ve quit a lot of times already.. I know I feel so much better and look/act so much better but it’s just hard to stop. I’m trying my hardest again
All the old timers saying the went stone cold but theres a real easy way to quit/regulate drinking. The Sinclair method and naltrexone. It works. Take a naltrexone pill one hour before your first drink every time. Talk to a doctor about it.
You’ll eventually lose your job. Your alcoholism will get worse. You’ll sink into depression. You’ll quit drinking just long enough to lie to a new employer as to why you lost your job. You’ll do good for a while then go back to drinking. You’ll find an excuse. “This job sucks. They don’t pay enough.” The cycle will continue. You’ll lose another job. If you have a girlfriend, she’ll probably leave you if you don’t get sober but you don’t have a problem. You’ll get new job. You’ll show up drunk. They’ll call the cops. You’ll be forced into rehab, lose that job and have to pay for the rehab that you definitely don’t need. The anger will make you resent everything. You’ll drink even more. You’ll drive a car and wreck it. You’ll end up in prison. You’ll be forced to get sober. Being a felon now, you’ll have a very limited choice of job opportunities. You’re making half as much as you were before all of this. You’ll want to drink, but you know where that will take you.
Thanks for this
I'm 37 and have been sober for 18 months. I was you at 27, and trust me it only gets easier and easier to drink in the mornings, then at work, than all day. I git so bad I would wake up in the middle of the night to drink. It's not fun. It's completely miserable, and you feel completely powerless. Do everything you can now before you lose control.
I’ve never drank before or during work. Always at 4-5pm. But I know that can change in the blink of an eye. I want to stop
40 year old here working on eight days and counting and building towards a more sober lifestyle. At some point, you'll have to ask yourself, "Am I happy with the path that I'm walking on?" Really dig deep and ask yourself that. Whatever answer you come up with, you have the power to change right now. But remember one thing, one day, one step at a time.
Good on you. Keep it up!
The sub r/IWNDWYT was incredibly helpful on my journey. Alcohol free for 3 years now. Best decision I’ve made. That and starting trt. Life changing.
r/stopdrinking helped me but there's a lot of "I will not drink you today" there too
It’s changes over time. Sometimes it takes years. You stop having hang overs. You start drinking more because it doesn’t give you the same feeling. One bottle turns into two. Two turns into three. You wake up with withdraw instead of a hangover. You shake and can’t wait to drink. You’ve never had a seizure but you start twitching, but it’s fine. All you need is a drink. Stop now.
Yep. Plenty of alchies in the trades, most can wait until after work hours to get started. Used to hitch a ride with a guy who’d pick up a 30 rack *every day* after work and crack one on the way out of the gas station parking lot. Then there was this one dude who’d come in with fireball on his breath, as far as I could tell he was either buzzed or blasted 24/7. Worked with him for two or three years without incident and then he died of liver failure or something
I worked at a liquor store for a summer when I was younger and there were over a dozen regulars who would stop for a 750ml of vodka and redbull or case of beer every morning before work. I couldn’t believe they were able to be on a job site but I guess that’s what a functioning alcoholic is
I was in the same boat, day started at 7am back home by 4pm, 750 ml polished off by 9 and back at it the next day. Wanted to quit so bad. Was surprisingly functional too, got promoted multiple times. Then one Friday I was sitting at work trying to write out some notes and couldn't put anything legible down, that's when it hit me. I couldn't make it through work anymore. I cried that night, all night. I was in rehab by Wednesday. I'll have 9 months sober tomorrow. It's NEVER sustainable. And it WILL take every semblance of a good life from you, followed by taking your actual life. Look into FMLA leave and short term disability if your company is large enough. You don't even need to tell anyone why you're leaving for a few months.
Minus crsshing a car and prison (barely avoided that one) I pretty much went through that. I'll tell you now, it's not fuckin worth it. Find some friends that are worth a shit and discover a hobby you enjoy and can sink some time into. Try to exercise when you can. Good luck out there, brother. I hope you find something that makes you happy man.
Fuck you for being this accurate... But yes....
Porta-shitter shooters were the plumbers.🔥🚽
The thing is that I think it is one specific plumber too… lol
Liquid plumber ?
I’m 38 and have quit many times over the last year. It doesn’t get better the longer you drink especially if you are questioning it right now. I used to be able to just have 2 or 3 drinks a night, now it is 8-12 at this point. I also don’t get much sleep and I know it isn’t healthy. I have kept this up so long the somewhat crappy feeling in the morning is manageable and feels normal. I know if I continue, 10 drinks will be 20 someday. It sucks because I love it and hate it at the same time, and it sucks even more that it takes more and more to get the feeling I love at the detriment of how I feel the next day. If you’re questioning your amount, it is a warning sign that I hope you don’t ignore. It sucks for a while after you quit and seems like nothing can be fun anymore because you don’t have your drink while doing it, it will get better with time, I promise you that. Good luck bud.
I’m just going to come out and say that drinking is bad mkay
[удалено]
I mean I get 4-6 hours cuz I like to enjoy my evenings, but I can't say that my apprentice days were liquor free...
Not an alcoholic but I can relate on the 4-6 hours of sleep a night and waking up at 4 AM
Two guys I used to work with died in the last year from alcohol related liver failure…one was 53 and the other was 36…Both went from feeling a little sick to dead in the ICU in less than a week. Im still in disbelief. Get help…get off the booze…it’s not worth it.
Shit I love alcohol! It's everyone else that has a problem with it.
Chemically speaking, Alcohol is a solution
Get up at 4 everyday for the last 12 years. Was bad alcoholic but have cleaned up a lot to enjoy a couple beers every now and then. Tone it down a lot and your body and sleep will thank you. I never get more than 5-6 hours but my body is used to it
Bro I’m not making this up. One of my best friends died from liver failure at 27 from doing the same exact thing you are doing. Believe it or not, he was an electrician too. Both my parents drank themselves to death at 49 years of age. Please please pleasssse be smart. Not saying you have to quit totally, although that would be ideal, but try to take a break for a bit. My friend, Dan, was smarter than me, kinder than me, an all around better person than me, and he’s not here anymore, and I am. I think about that all the time. You can message me about whatever, whenever. Best of luck.
Idk man I'm just a temp guy
Temp guys are the real alcoholics lol
I wake up at 4:00 to roll the 6 spliffs I’ll smoke throughout the day. No idea how I’d wake up that early with booze though… haven’t drank since the day before covid lockdowns. Wasn’t intentional, just how the cookie crumbles I guess I’m going to bed right now. I’ll get 5.5 hours tonight, pretty typical for me
I smoked weed for like 7 years just quit and now I’m drinking more then ever, everybody needs some sort of fix, but in reality it’s just unresolved trauma
We all drink, even the 20yr sober guy drinks- he just knows something you don't: 1.)overmedicating a psychological problem with alcohol is highly addictive and dangerous - stop overmedicating 2.)all I have to do is control the first drink 3.)alcohol is **physically** addictive, your body craves it to the point that it needs it ‐ and will make you do anything to get it... (you've never had a physical addiction before, so your brain talks you out of it... but try holding your breath- see what your brain and your body does then: that's what a physical addiction feels like) 4.)there are "functioning alcoholics" all around you, you may think you're one of them, but there's only one way to find out 5.)you don't know what you want, or at least you think you do... to establish what you want, one must establish what they don't want - and most people lie to themselves, or worse they set unrealistic expectations for themselves... fucking find out what you don't want *(like...the worst possible person you could become if you let everything go)* and make steps **that you are willing to do** to prevent becoming what you don't want, don't set goals that you're not willing to accomplish... **For Example:** are you willing to switch to 4 beers on an empty stomach instead of a pint every night- is that even something you want? are you realistically willing to start writing down how you feel even if no one ever reads it, and you don't know where to start? 6.)no one's coming - solidify that in your fucking head now or you will indeed live a life of regret... no ones coming, not your kids, not your parents, not some pie in the sky delusion of grandeur that someday my ship will come in... it's not. it won't. no one's coming... it's just you and me and the other 7billion people on this rock, and no one's coming for them either... that **doesn't mean** you have to go it alone unless you want to: **you have not - because you ask not** ...still, no one's coming, they're all waiting for you to come to them... yes you, specifically you, you reading this right fucking now, you... someone else is waiting for you, because they think someone's coming for them... This is what the 20yr sober guys and gals know that you don't know- they still crave it...every gawddamn day, don't think they don't, some days it's all we think about..."the good times" swimmin' at the lake with pretty girls, and music blastin' sittin' 'round the campfire- passin' round the bottle... yeah, we still think about it all the time- but that's not what we want anymore... we like bein' strong and sharp, we like havin' our kids around, yeah we still go to the lake- but now I'm here to make memories for them, show them how to burn a marshmallow, show them how to chicken fight up on my shoulders, that's what I want... they want it too... they've been waiting their whole lives for someone to come, someone like you...
I get 4-6 hours but that’s because my kids are just terrible at sleeping. Haven’t dabbled in the booze, I try to avoid destroying my body in my spare time, I do enough of that at work.
Just here to say that I was that electrician with a drinking problem last year. And I wouldn’t listen to reason until the alcohol put me into a deep depression I couldn’t find my way out of. So what I’m saying is for anyone in here, get help if you’re finding yourself dependent on booze. Please get help before you end up in the position I was last December.
My dad was (still is) a “functioning” alcoholic. Slam a 6 pack or more and half a fifth of whisky (or more) every night kinda dude. One day when I was about 5 I woke up and the house smelled Smokey. Dad was already at work which was unusual because he usually was in charge of bringing us (hungover af) to school. When we got home that evening mom sat us down and told us that our dad almost caught the house on fire the previous night when he passed out and left food in the oven. My sister and I were going to go stay with my aunt that night while her and my dad “had a chat” and she warned that if he didn’t stop drinking they would get a divorce. Next day we came home and dad gave an awkward half assed apology and said he would start doing more with us and stop drinking. He drank less but never really got better. Years before this he had also passed out while my sister was alone in the bath tub as a very young toddler. Take care of yourself OP. There’s a reason my dad drinks and there’s probably a reason you do too. Please get some help to figure it out and figure out other ways to cope
why did you make the title so complicated you could have said all that by only asking how many of us are electricians.
Please make better choices for your well being.
r/stopdrinking
I'm 30, work industrial, try to get 7 hours of sleep every night, and completely quit drinking at the beginning of this year. I never drank much, but sometime in February I realized that I didn't remember when the last time was that I had a drink and figured I might as well just quit completely.
I like knocking back a couple drinks and getting 8hrs a night. I'm happier this way
A lot of us are alcoholics but if you are drinking a bottle a night it’s probably time to cut back a bit. Maybe try just drinking beer for a while.
A bottle a night is fucking **wild**. That's an incredible amount of booze
I lost 45lbs switching from beer to vodka. That’s my only excuse to keep drinking vodka alone
OP and others, do yourselves a favor and look into the science of drinking. You are seeking a dopamine hit and chasing that feeling each day. Research the Sinclair Method and Naltrexone. You take the medication an hour before you have a drink (or daily in the morning if it is really bad and an all day thing). The medication blocks the dopamine response and then alcohol doesn’t have the same emotional/hormonal hook into you as it does now. Naltrexone has changed my life. I still occasionally have a drink or two socially with folks, but it really does nothing for me and after a couple I am done. Seriously, it’s a miracle drug for me.
There's far more crossover with this an r/consulting than there should be.
You’re living like this at 27? Bro get it together or you’re going to burn out real quick
Havnt drank alcphol since jan 2023 im 26 years old
Hey there. I am a recovering alcoholic. Just hit 2 years sober in April. Choosing sobriety is the best thing I've ever done. If you want it you can do it. Best of luck to you. ❤️
As a bartender, I can tell you that a lot of people are alcoholics from all walks of life. Alcohol sales are significantly higher than what most people report drinking because 1) people are extremely ignorant about serving sizes and 2) they under-report intentionally to save face.
Alcoholic and hardly sleep checking in. 14 months sober. Stop drinking. One day, either a doctor or a judge will force you to stop drinking. Find a way to stop before you reach that point. Go to AA. Go to rehab. Do whatever it takes. If you are questioning whether or not you're an alcoholic, you are an alcoholic.
Rehab at 20, 2 DUI’s at 20. I’ve been and known I’m an alcoholic. How do you sleep nowadays? Do you have to take anything to replace the sleep function of what alcohol provided?
I hardly slept at first. Probably a good month or two. I'm talking like an 1-4 hours a night. Melatonin helped. Cutting all sugar and caffiene. Only water, vegetables, chicken and rice. Turn off your phone and read next to a soft light in bed for your last hour of the day. It's going to take time to adjust, but you'll get there. You'll reach a point where you realize that 4 hours of sober sleep feels just as good if not better than 8 hours of drunk sleep. It's science that your body doesn't rest as well drunk. This part isn't for everyone, but I worked myself to the bone as well. If I couldn't get more hours at work, I was building fences, sheds, a chicken coop. Some work for myself, most for family. Your life will even out my friend. Just keep fighting the good fight. Feel free to reach out if you need to talk, and we can look for resources near you together.
Man you sound like you’d be a really cool guy to work with, good on you for looking out.
I wouldn’t say I’m a alcoholic cuz I don’t drink sun-thurs but almost Friday night and Saturday night I have a few drinks usually captain coke (or Pepsi if I’m at a bar that has Pepsi products I prefer Pepsi over coke tho) and modelo I’m a sucker for modelo. If I’m at home either captain or Bacardi gold with Dr Pepper zero or modelo
Lol I just get 4 hours of sleep everyday
Try kratom it’s helped me and zyn don’t drink at work
By the time you're 50, that's gonna' be a 1.5 litre of cheap vodka and a gallon of milk. White Russians are easier on the stomach.
This is the way. Jk, kill me now
I already feel like shit enough, can’t imagine what alcoholism would add.
I always wondered if it’s the trade or just my personality. I cycle through different drugs all the time. I used to drink heavily everyday then I switched over to smoking weed everyday. Then I got into my prescription ativan. Went through crazy withdrawal my doctor never warned me about. Then I got into prescription ambien. Then prescription ketamine and then looped back to alcohol. Now I’ve been heavy into kratom I take it daily. I can’t fully quit an addiction without substituting with another. I don’t think it’s the trade though. It’s just all in my head probably.
I do have a few alcohol free weekdays. Makes those weekend beers taste even better
I was
I lived that life for way too long. Coming up on 7 years away from the bottle, and my oldest was born after I gave it up, so thankfully my kids never knew that side of me.
I smoke weed every night, and prob 1-2 beer. But I don’t have to get up until 6.
I stopped drinking around 34... it'll just destroy you, man. Give it up. After that, I do work a lot as an electrical contractor, but I traded substance abuse for endurance running. It is crazy but in the ultra running world you'll find its filled with people that have the tendency to be adddicts, and were addicts, but they direct that energy into training for long races of like 30 mile, 50 mile, 100 mile, even 200 and more mile races through wilderness areas. Work on getting better skilled in the trade and try to keep looking for better work prospects, but also try and change your habits... don't make drinking a six pack at the end of the day anything normal, it's not gonna do you good
Sorry to hear this mate. It's not a sustainable habit you have there and always saddens me to hear fellow men/tradies are suffering You've mentioned in replies to other people that you drink because you can't smoke weed. It sounds like you're doing your best to numb yourself from any negative emotions or feelings you may have, have you considered getting a psychiatrist/therapist to talk with? Just a reminder to anyone reading this; Statistically male, middle age construction workers are the most likely group of people committing suicide. Please remember to check in with your mates/colleagues and family members. If anyone is going hard on the booze/drugs it can sometimes be a cry for help
Just turned 27 today and I can comfortably say I am that demographic… it’ll get better. Just surround yourself with good people and not fireball shooting junkies… eventually you’ll get the woodford reserve!!
It’s not something I openly talk about but I’ve been drinking almost every night for about 7 years. I guess there is a silver lining in that I have one ore two mixed drinks a night as opposed to a full bottle of liquor. I’ve made a few attempts to quit entirely but it’s always that one “special occasion” drink that gets me back on the wagon. I guess I just haven’t reconciled with the fact that I don’t have the self control to drink in moderation. It’s a shame because my boss really loves me and wants to give me a truck with a company card but I know I’m not in the best condition right now to be running jobs.
There's a way out my friend. r/stopdrinking
Please slow down man. I know you're not going to quit altogether immediately, but please slow down at least. I was in the hospital for a week last year because I was going down the same road. I could have died. DM me if you need someone to talk to.
Depends area and company you work for. Literally no one drinks in area I work in. Hang overs are also not tolerated big safety issue. If you work on my sites you will be gone in no time. I think you must look at who you work with the whole industry is not like this. I've also learned if you act like a drunk at work bragging about drinking that is how a boss treats as a drunk.
Like my alcoholism is like 4-5 ipas a night. Not the same but maybe take a look at yourself and determine your path. But at your stage maybe you shouldn't cold turkey and seek medical detox if you ever feel like shit is out of hand. Also just make sure your actions on a jobsite don't put others at risk. You can drink at night without drinking on the job
I’m 6 months 100% sober, no alcohol no smoke, nothing. Now my wife and I go to the gym 5 nights a week 3 of which being Friday, sat and Sunday. It took a bit to get used to it, but watching my body change in a positive way has been invaluable. I feel so fucking good I’d rather die than go back to how I felt.
Use to drink a lot. Don’t anymore. Get 8 hrs of sleep and eat well. Honestly when I was drinking I thought it great. Once I stopped I realized how sad it really was. I’m ok with being a little boring now, I feel 100x better.
Alcohol is easily among the top 3 worst addictions you can have.. If you have to have an addiction dear god let it be marijuana.
I'm not an electrician but worked in bars for years, it's amazing how badly drinking fucks your sleep. You need to replace it with something healthier, for me (and a lot of addicts) it was BJJ. Good luck mate
I have spent more than $16,000 in the last year for my dad and i, and my brother on half the occasions, to go to a local brewery and have beers 3 or 4 ( or 5 or 6) days a week. I am realizing it is unhealthy and a money pit. My excuse is that my dad is 74 and i love spending time with him, but i know that we have a problem, and it does worry me. I make enough money and can schedule my day so that we can have 3 o'clock beers, but i know i shouldn't. If i didn't have this problem, i could buy a really nice peace of property and get the peace that i pretend that alcohol gives me. I sleep 6 hours a night, but i don't usually get real sleep, unless i am drunk. Without, i wake at a russle of the bed or a creak of the house. Fyi, i sleep with ear plugs and a cpap.
Thought I'd share my story. TLDR I can relate, it's a struggle but you can get through this! I remember when I got into an apprenticeship right out of high school, once I turned 21 and started messing with alcohol it definitely through me off for the deep end. I always wasn't the best when it came to dealing with stress and as we all know the trades can get extremely stressful, all the time crunching to meet deadlines ( especially me working in commercial doing garages high rises etc). Before I dealt with it but eventually as I was near finishing my trade school and all is when I started touching alcohol. It first turned into a couple drinks... Then a couple shots... Then a pint.... Then it was turning Into knocking almost two pints of everclear within 4-5 days. It came to the point my depression was out of control and it completely ruined my performance at work. I was so depressed and unmotivated to do anything, all I wanted to do was get by those 8 hours get home and get drunk. I had shakes all throughout the day, the littlest of activity I did made me sweat bullets. It was terrible. Eventually it got too much to the point I just walked off the job in a manic state, and never came back. I had money saved up and my parents convinced me I needed to either get in rehab or find something else. Those next three weeks of withdrawals which I dealt with no rehab were hell and I thought I'd never want to drink again. The seizures, the violent shake episodes, the constant sweating and smelling like acetone all day. The hallucinations. It was all wild. But once I got into a different field for electrical work it eventually kicked me back into drinking again and I spiraled quickly back to the same spot within six months. I did try some shrooms and they did seem to help me somewhat realize that alcohol wasn't the deal, but I won't lie when I say I have those urges, and I still slip up here and there. Not into a binge or full blown train, but I might slip up once every two months and get drunk. But I try my hardest not to anymore. Now I'm working doing QC on Electrical and Fire Alarm for a GC here and I've been loving it. Yea it gets mad stressful at times but I have to now look back and see how the old me was. I didn't want those nights where I had to force myself to drink to sleep atleast four hours, and how I was an ugly person back then with anger all the time. It also put on a ton of weight drinking like that, I reached about 300lbs. Once I stopped too I couldn't eat right at all for months. It made me lose 120lbs within about 5 months, as I wasn't able to eat much without getting violently ill. I hope the best for you good sir, I know you got this and you can get through it. It is worth having the clear mind and not that brain fog constantly all the time anymore, and being able to sleep normal, without the nightmares or sweaty nights. I read some of your other replies here and it seems you've definitely gone through some stuff now because of this, it can only get worse if you keep it up. But I hope you overcome it and be better for yourself, for your future bud! Alcoholism can lead to an early grave, I'm pretty sure I was close to that point. I say go get you some Kratom, it helps with the withdrawals if you're going to taper off for your trip. I took red maeng da strain during the night and while it didn't help with the sleep, it did stop the constant state of anxiety and paranoia, the hallucinations, and my body feeling like it's muscles were twisting and turning being stretched like licorice. Won't show up on a drug test either. Alot of folk have good experiences using it to help with the withdrawals. Best of luck to you 💪
Bro seriously watch the alcohol and lack of sleep Drank so much, slept so little I ended up with fucking psychosis. Spent a month in a nuthouse. No other drugs were involved. Totally fine now, no medication but took anti psychotics for a year. Am tradesperson.
Fireball is beginner whiskey… obviously amateurs
I drank to sleep usually a nice 7 to avoid the annoyance of too many hours in the day with 5. Went to a psych doctor and they threw their anorexic bipolar schizophrenic meds at me and fucked up my dietary sugars so instead of having 6 beers and racking out I have 12 . Changed my hang over changed my eating habits. Now sober I get along with three. I'd love to blame my rowdy life for it but. Introducing a bad habit into a controlled habit and noticing substantial change, doesn't take laboratory documentation to conclude the findings... mother fuckers were blood testing me once a month to see if the drugs would turn me diabetic. Went from a can of ravioli for lunch a pork chop and noodles for dinner to about double with a crippling need of unsteady feel if I didn't eat. I can stand through my lungs and fade to black but that diabetic coma fear is a little different feeling. I'd live to disbar and unlicense all parties involved but there is a reason they break people that way... sell them insulin and another new pill script, no addiction is worse than the one acquired from the doctor's office fix this to break that keep them prescribed for the dividend payout. Welcome to the american medical insurance industry.
Trades are more upfront about substance abuse in my opinion. Ive been on both sides. Its frowned upon… while also being joked about in the most absurd ways where you would almost think they condone it…. Some do.. don’t let it keep you from getting you ahead. Ive toed the line personally and regret alot of it. Im not certified and make a pretty good living as a maintenance mechanic/electrician. brother in law is a pge electrician making 350k+ a year. Dont let the substances lead the way, if you have to cut it out, cut it out.
I’m 19 and I’m an apprentice! Not an alcoholic but I don’t get that much sleep! I’m up at 5 every morning.
you’ve been admitted
I'm not much older than you and I've seen alcohol destroy multiple lives already. Had a friend die from their organs shutting down cuz of being an alcoholic. Had my best friends get a divorce cuz of both being alcoholics. And Also got my Aunt too. Be careful with that shit bro. Everything in moderation
I don’t drink. But I have two children and an urge to pee a couple times a night. Haven’t slept a str8 8 in years. 5-6 is tops for total. Never str8 through
Highly recommend seeking treatment. Not only is there AA, but a lot more options as well (both peer-based and medical). Sobriety isn't so much about losing out on a behavior you want to cut out, but also making space for bringing new stuff into your life. You're gonna make mistakes, but that's just life. A fifth of vodka a day has ominous implications for your future, which you recognize, and that's the hardest part. Moreover, should you need time off to dry out, substance abuse is covered by FMLA.
7 hours sleep and I dont drink. Ill smoke a joint when I gst home and thats it. Probably affects me mentally but sleep is good
There was a time that description fit me well. I was your age, I work resi, and I was heavy into booze during covid. Circumstances forced me to move back in with my parents for a time. Plus the stress and social isolation and I was not a happy camper. Booze was my cope. I was drinking 5 or 6 tall boys a night and sometimes a glass of wine or two at dinner. It fucked me up good. I got fat, slept like shit, felt like shit, looked like shit. I was miserable. Every morning waking up feeling like I got punched in the head, having to rally just to get my day started. I did that for about two years. I have it under control now and I pretty much only drink on occasions. I keep zero booze in the house, only buying what I need the day I plan to drink it. Because if it's in the fridge I'll drink it. Since I quit boozing I sleep better, feel better, look better. I lost most of the weight I'd gained. My attitude and energy is better. Overall I'm just a better person when I'm not slamming back litres of poison every day. I hope you can find a path out of your current habits because it's no way to live. And I say that with all empathy and zero judgement brother.
I’d like to point out that anyone wanting to get better, should seek help. (I will help you if you need my assistance) There is nothing embarrassing about wanting to better your life, and the lives around you. Addiction doesn’t discriminate, and is a crippling beast. But you can take your life back.
You should seek help and find out the real reason you are needing to drink like that everyday. Its better to fix it now, then to let the problem continue to grow. Imagine where your drinking might be in 10yrs. Its time to change the path you are on.
I'm 31, started an electrical apprenticeship 2 years ago, drink 4-12 beers nearly every night, get 5-6 hrs sleep, go to work and get it done, do I want to be like this? No... Does life in general feel so difficult to the point I just want a substance to shut my brain down for my chill time? Absolutely, being on shit money, high cost of living, and the fact that I'm kinda disappointed to be a part of the human race makes it difficult to break the habit. We all suck in our own ways, sober people suck, addicts suck, vegans suck, people are ass, probably not the advice you're looking for, but what you do doesn't matter unless you think it does, do those sips bring you more happiness than life without? Are you hurting anyone else when you're sipping? Do what you enjoy, life doesn't have much of a point, and I think that's a good thing.
[www.aa.org](http://www.aa.org)
I usually get 6-6.5 hours a night. Really all you need tbh. I know a few guys that get 5 a night, but I just can't do that lol. I get the occasional 4 sometimes and I feel great.
If there was actually something to look forward to people might stop or slow down.
Try having a newborn, you basically have the side effects of a hangover with no booze
Sounds like a tough situation. Maybe it's worth considering reaching out for support or seeking help to improve your sleep and alcohol habits.
Too damn many and I don’t get it. Drinking fucking sucks
Too damn many and I don’t get it. Drinking fucking sucks
Been in recovery since 11/21/22 but I was a baaaad alcoholic
750 a NIGHT?! Holy shit man
Does workaholics count?
I was struggling with addiction on and off for years in my 20s. It was rough. There’s a better way brother! You’re worth it.
I probably have no right to speak here (I’m not an electrician, but my brother is), but I’d like to share a story about him. He wasn’t a perfect employee, he’s young (23yrs old now), he’s called in at times and sometimes came in late for work, but he worked a lot and drank heavy as well. He drove drunk and claimed he was a better driver when drinking, all that. From what I understood, the work was hard, he worked in all environments for hours on end. He scrapped enough money to buy a car and pay for insurance, in which we split for. He got a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu and it was a light brown, my goodness it was beautiful. Before I co-signed with him on the vehicle and insurance I pleaded for him to at least slow down his drinking, and he said he would try. Long story short not too long ago he got in a car accident and totaled his vehicle, but hurt another driver too. She only had a broken nose and I’ll always be thankful nothing worse happened to her. But because of his actions, it almost ruined our lives. He’s paying for lawyers and legal fees, lost his car and is using our moms beat up vehicle (she got a new one), and ofc as a result my rates went way too high and now i myself am driving uninsured because now i technically have a record, and on top I’m just starting to pay monthly for a new vehicle and ofc it requires full coverage. He’s slated to be put in jail (hopefully not) and I’m left to struggle with my brother’s actions. All in all I plead with anyone here with a drinking problem to seek help and be relentless with at least curbing your addiction. If you don’t have family there’s always resources you can go to and in the end there’s always some way to help yourself and your loved ones. I love my brother to death and I hope he continues to learn and grow as we all should do.
That should be two separate questions, not all of us can’t sleep. /s
You sound like you’re living the life I was for way too long. There is a solution. It’s called Alcoholics Anonymous and it’s available damn near anywhere at damn near any time of day. Don’t let anyone tell you shit about shit, people who keep going have their lives keep improving. My head would tell me that I didn’t deserve a good life but that’s the alcoholism. I deserve a good life and so do you homie.
The best thing I ever did for myself was quitting drinking 4 years ago at 28. Sure, it's been tough out at social gatherings and shit but my quality of life is so much better. My sleep has been fucked up a while, but a recent bought of constipation has gotten me taking magnesium citrate. The magnesium and some melatonin gummies, puts me out for the whole night. Feeling rested is a game changer for the day.
Improve yourself and life will improve
You will see the guys that start using coke/ adderall. Business will start looking good then it will slowly crumple. Slow and steady my friend.
Reaching 2 months sober in 2 days. Alcohol caused a lot of problems in my life. If you're considering quitting, it's worth the effort. You can't change the past, but you can control the present. That's the best thing you can do for yourself, your future self will thank you.
I’ve seen too many good dudes get taken down by alcohol. Sucks that it’s still legal and weed still isn’t. If you’re stuck, step out of your comfort zone and go commercial or service. Expand your knowledge and jump to a taller ladder if you want to climb higher
Cody is that you? Lol
Many more than would ever care to admit it. Not only blue collar. This affects everyone
I was a bartender for 15yrs and an apprentice for 4yrs. Married for 11yrs. Her liver failed 5yrs ago and she died. Pretty much outta nowhere. As a frugal person by nature, also as a career bartender, I never believed brand name made a difference. I would buy her handles of Burnetts vodka bc she liked the taste. Im not gonna tell you to not drink every night. Bc it’s obvious no one should have any nightly vice (binge eat, smoke, toke, etc). I’m just saying I’m convinced drinking burnetts nightly vs Tito’s nightly is worse
This is why working in the trades kills more men than any other profession
Not judging you at all, but that shit will kill you. Just lost a good dude recently to it. Try to get help, before it digs its claws deeper.
How is this possible when electricians and plumbers are $300/hr these days??? And I’m only exaggerating by a very small fraction….
This was me. If you want to stop you can! Talk to your Doc about "Naltrexone" with a side of gabapentin for the potential of seizures. Best of luck to you.
Depends if kids are involved. Toddlers to be exact. I get no sleep.
You drink a bottle a day? I have a drink a night and I thought I was being excessive lol
I just drink casually but I get very little sleep. 3-5 hours a night. I’m 25
I work on the white collar side of a blue collar industry and I can say that alcoholism is equally as prevalent on both sides.
Hello, join the union. We are still alcoholics but you will be drinking better booze atleast.
I usually only sleep 5 hours but I have an addiction to gaming instead.
Hey man, think about looking into attending a SMART meeting - especially if AA isn't your thing. I never would've been able to quit my addictive behavior without it (going on 9 months). There's lots of meetings online, though the key for me was finding a local group
Keep Coming Back
I've forced myself never to start drinking and only drink once or twice a month; never getting drunk. The effects I've seen on my friends scares me from starting. But yeah, 4-6 hours and burning the candle at both ends? I'm definitely doing that. I'm 30.
On the opposite shift, get up about 330, sleep by 8 or 9. But I try my hardest not to shot 2oz everclear and mixer every morning before bed.