Comments on: Who Else Wants to Know Why they Drink So Much?

By: 7 Things Australia Taught Me » The Displaced African

7 Things Australia Taught Me » The Displaced African — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:55:01 +0000

[...] Africans drink, a lot of the time it’s to relieve stress or as part of something social ( I wrote an article on this one a while back if you are interested). But no no no no, a lot of Australians drink for entirely different [...]

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:59:03 +0000

@Ben: Hello, welcome to the Displaced African. Hope you enjoy your stay, any feedback on how things can be improved is always welcome.
Personally, I am at a place where I came from an occasional drinker to a regular social drinker and now am completely off the alcohol because I realized that I was using it as a crutch and I didn’t like a lot of things about my relationship with booze.
That being said though, the point of the article was to cause one to stop and reflect on why they drink so that one can have better understanding on themselves…too many times we do things and don’t even know why.
I do agree though with your view that you have to control the bottle and NEVER allow the bottle to control you or determine your destiny.

By: Ben Mkamba

Ben Mkamba — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:24:14 +0000

Hi, I just stumbled on your blog and I must say I like the way you write.
That said, reason why people drink, do you mean why some people get totally wasted or do you mean just regular drinkers.
Personally I love my beer. Over the years I have had my fair share of different ales, stouts and lagers and enjoyed each new taste immensely. Do I get plastered ? Yes absolutely, but I am just as comfortable in a bar with a newspaper with a glass of house ale on tap as in the park during a barbecue drinking corona’s straight from the bottle.

frustration… need to meet females…socializing…and my favorite, so that I can tell those that offend me what I think of them..all are not applicable reasons.

I tend to think that apart from “problem drinkers” meaning those with a problem where the drink takes control, most people enjoy their alcohol.

All in all I think we need to drink responsibly, in moderation. Once the alcohol consumption gets to where you can’t hold a job, your family is miserable, and you have court appearances for DUI’s then you need a good hard look at your reason for drinking.

Just my 2 cents

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:47:02 +0000

@Caustic: Social proof and the social aspect are powerful ones aren’t they. I think perhaps we can take it as one of the measuring sticks of alcoholism when you begin to drink on your own when you started with other people.

By: Caustic Blonde

Caustic Blonde — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:45:09 +0000

I think most people start off drinking as a way to socialize. I know the only time I like to drink is when I am around friends. Unfortunately for a lot of people it becomes this ugly addiction that is difficult to break.

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:30:10 +0000

@Liz: I mildly touched on that in the article as a reward at the end of the day but we can definitely lock that one in too. Thanks for sharing about the book. Anyone who is interested can find it at:
http://www.eileenisalive.com/

By: Liz

Liz — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:31:46 +0000

You sort of covered this, but there’s also the “I deserve it” reason. I feel like that sometimes as I’m getting ready to cook dinner. I’ll have this glass of wine: I DESERVE it for getting through the day.

I recently came across a memoir, “Alive!” written by Eileen DeCelemente who found way too many reasons to drink. All problems in her life were solved with drink and drugs. In 20 years of recovery she learned how to spend time with people who are good influences, getting help, love, support of family and forgiveness. She even talks about kids and support services available to them when making decisions.

Boy, she’s confronted a lot in her life — and still is, as she’s currently struggline with alcohol-induced dementia.

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Tue, 20 May 2008 02:49:46 +0000

@seinlife: Thanks for doing some research. Seriously with readers like y’all my life is so much easier….:D
Now when psychological drugs get mentioned, my level of skepticism skyrockets. About four years ago, believing that I was depressed (but yet still very hopeful for the future….ironic really )I went to a clinic and asked for anti-depressants to get me through school.
The lady gave me a popular anti-depressant known as Xanax. When I studied Xanax and looked at the effects (isn’t the word side-effects just a semantic tool really…..they are all what the drug does to the body) of the drug there were some real shocking effects and weirdest of all, one of the effects, “Depression!”
That having been said though, I’ll give the articles a thumb through and write my thoughts in this comment thread.

By: seinlife

seinlife — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:50:01 +0000

some articles reporting a genetic link for alcohol addiction..
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20040526/researchers-identify-alcoholism-gene
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8739.php
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=2058

As far as treatment, not only can you do counselling but there are drugs you can take to supress the desire to drink – it works in some it does work with others. Just as there are drugs to take for diabetics which is also another genetic disease which african americans and african immigrants are more predisposed to.

By: Mwangi

Mwangi — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:06:09 +0000

@Kelly: Now alcohol tolerance being genetically linked, that I can back 100%. I watched a Discovery documentary where they compared the historic beer consumption of Westerners with the tea consumption of Asian people.
As a result, Westerners over time had developed a strong tolerance to alcohol, whereas Asians would get drunk quicker and get other symptoms such as flushed skin etc etc
I think if alcohol didn’t exist, your case would be far from atypical, way too many African women take themselves too seriously.
So that you can sleep? I have never heard that one before…..though I used to have a friend who after drinking for a couple of hours would always pass out for about an hour or two and wake up fresh as a daisy and sober as a judge.