Quote from: Jojo on August 19, 2020, 01:21:07 AM
Allow me to derail. Tonight George played "...Sweeter than Wine...". I am a recovering alcoholic. I stopped drinking after about 10 years drinking to get drunk. I drank too much, too fast. I drank whatever I wanted. Beer, hard liquor, spritzers, champagne, but I stopped drinking wine for a while when my ergonomic bottle opener went missing. After a while, I missed wine horribly, but in those days could never find twist tops and my handy wine opener was nowhere to be found. I can't use the spiral bottle openers.
One night I found a large bottle of wine with a twist top. Too bad I already had my allotment of about 5 strong hard drinks for the night. But after months without wine, I decided to drink it even though I had just tossed back a lot of alcohol and needed to get home (one mile) before it "hit me". My dog was with me. I could not stop drinking and finished the whole bottle of wine, 2 servings in the car and the rest in the kitchen.
I blacked out fast. But I went in and out of "passing out" for hours and hours through the night. Each time I woke up, I could hear that I was having difficulty breathing. I worried I might die. I didn't know what alcohol poisoning was. Each time I woke from "passing out", I freaked out because each time I couldn't remember if my dog made it home with me. And each time I took a few minutes to mentally re-trace my steps and remember that yes, indeed, he did make it home with me.
After several of these tortures, I decided to eat some refried beans. I knocked over a tall cabinet and prayed it didn't fall on any of my 3 beloved, cherished cats. I knew I was virtually helpless to lift it up and could barely breathe or function. If it had fallen on them, they might have been very injured or died and I don't think I would have taken the necessary steps to care for the problem.
I finally got the cold beans into me and promptly projectile vomited. I knew I would have to clean it up, but I could barely function. I went back to bed and "passed out", waking only to projectile vomit 5 or 6 more times. I'm lucky I didn't die.
The next day my heart was beating very weakly, but I was able to breathe normally. I was employed full-time and because of the commute and schedule, it took me 2 weeks to wash all the vomit off the walls and furniture.
I haven't drank since that night. My pets were all safe, no thanks to me. I decided the welfare of my pets was more important than my addiction, plus I wanted to live, not die. I prayed a lot. After stopping drinking, I had a lot of pancreas pain and cold sweats whenever I got hungry. I didn't know what to do so I ate a lot of ice cream. After a year of that, I was able to give up the ice cream. But, pancreas pain was still a concern for a long time. Sometime pancreas pain can be fatal but this was in 2006/7 so I guess I survived. But I worried.
I attended AA for a few years. I had a very bad craving in my 6th year, but it passed.
These are the things I think about when George plays songs that mention alcohol, like "This Magic Moment" tonight and "More Than a Feeling" and even "Whiter Shade of Pale", and others. This is my contribution to George Noory Is A Derailed Train Wreck.
damn and here I thought you were so normal.
but it's a good reminder that even those people you really think have their shit together may be battling some demons.