Josh Hamilton relapse?

[Flyman]

And he said he is hurt by some of the words spoken and written about him. Um, dude, you are in a spot light profession making millions of dollars so too fxxking bad.

Yeah, I'll get flamed for my lack of empathy but I just don't feel empathetic. And he talks about delaying contract talks!? I'm even more empathetic now

So he's supposed to like the things being said about him? Whatever. Just because he has the fame he has doesn't mean he has to like the things people write about him, even if it's his fault. And he has every right to voice that.

[virgonomic]

What's the big deal here? He stayed sober for years, so why is it catastrophic that he had a few drinks ONCE?

I don't have any experience with alcoholism so someone might be able to enlighten me, and I don't mean to come off as insincere. Are problem drinkers sentenced to a live of sobriety, with mo middle ground?

[Mithrandir]

What's the big deal here? He stayed sober for years, so why is it catastrophic that he had a few drinks ONCE?

I don't have any experience with alcoholism so someone might be able to enlighten me, and I don't mean to come off as insincere. Are problem drinkers sentenced to a live of sobriety, with mo middle ground?

My thought is that yes some are sentenced to a life of sobriety as one drink may lead to full blown relapse. I guess it depends on the individual. I have no experience but just heard this was true.

[virgonomic]

My thought is that yes some are sentenced to a life of sobriety as one drink may lead to full blown relapse. I guess it depends on the individual. I have no experience but just heard this was true.

Ok, that makes sense. "Falling off the wagon" as they say. Drinking can make you relapse into the urges, habits and lifestyle that gripped you as an alcoholic. I get it now.

[Gregg]

My thought is that yes some are sentenced to a life of sobriety as one drink may lead to full blown relapse. I guess it depends on the individual. I have no experience but just heard this was true.

A couple of things from one who has experience:

To the recovering person it is not "sentenced to a life of sobriety," it is the gift of sobriety.

To be sure I never met an alcoholic that wanted to drink "normally." We really want to drink the way we want to drink without the consequences. After a while the way we drink has too many consequences. We become a slave to the drinking lifestyle. Hence it is a gift once we get some success with it.



One drink is a full blown relapse. It may not carry the momentary consequences of a full blown drunk fest, but it is a real sign of something gone wrong. An example of this is why would Hamilton risk millions of dollars, a career he loves, and possibly the support of family and friends for one drink? Or one night of drinking. It is because he is an alcoholic and that is normal behavior.

If the object of the alcoholic is to quit drinking it will never be easier to do than right now. That is not to say it is easy, but it only gets harder the more we drink or the more we relapse. I may feel like drinking today, but if I do not tomorrow will be easier to stay sober than if I fall today. Some days are tough, but in the long run it truly does get easier. Even to this day, there are occasions that I feel like drinking. They are few and far between. And always I am grateful the next day that I did not fall.

When I was drinking I thought about drinking everyday. Where was I going to go, was it going to be Gin or Scotch, did I have the funds or where could I go that takes checks (to buy a few days before payday). Today, I go months without thinking of drinking. Writing this, I am reflecting on drinking, but it is not the same as thinking about drinking. I have no desire to drink writing about this.

I am free. I do not want to go back to the old ways.

When recovering people understand this they have a much better chance of being successful.

[Mithrandir]

Good stuff Gregg.

[DMT]

Good stuff indeed...7+ weeks of sobriety for me, longest stretch since I started drinking at 14.

[BuckyBuckner]

Thanks for sharing Gregg. Keep fighting the good fight.

[Gregg]

Good stuff indeed...7+ weeks of sobriety for me, longest stretch since I started drinking at 14.

Woo hoo!

And thank you gentlemen for the kind words.

[virgonomic]

A couple of things from one who has experience:

To the recovering person it is not "sentenced to a life of sobriety," it is the gift of sobriety.

Thanks to you, DMT and any others who are battling this, for giving your important insight and tolerating my ignorance.