My Personal Tale of Alcoholism: Let's Get Some Beer, Dude!

I think it is strange how our thought processes can become so distorted through alcohol. I recently stopped drinking and it felt like my mind was clearing up a little bit each and every day. Back in the day, while I was still drinking, my friends would always say, "Hey, lets get some beer, dude!" And, surprisingly enough, I always replied with, "Heck yah!" The irony lies in the fact that "some beer" quickly became LOTS of beer. We would scarf down a 24-pack of beer in a heartbeat.

Did my behavior constitute me as an alcoholic? I am not sure, but I certainly did drink a lot. After ten years of heavy drinking, I suddenly realized that it had become too much. My daily plans revolved around my drinking habits. I would have rather gone out and got drunk than spend a sober evening on a date. And I felt like I was fine because I avoided liquor. I stuck with beer because I enjoyed the taste, or so I thought. It never occurred to me that I had a problem. My judgment was too clouded for me to come to that realization.

Then just the other night, I had the opportunity to reminisce with an old drinking buddy. During our conversation, I had an incredible revelation hit me right smack in the face. I talked to my friend about how crazy it was that we would crank out a 24-pack of beer in just one night. Then, I turned right to him and said, "Ted, I purchased a 24-pack of Mountain Due the other afternoon. Never could I imagine myself sitting down and chugging the whole case in just one night. Yet, I use to do essentially the same thing with beer." It was during this conversation that it hit me. During the many years that I drank 12 and 24 packs in just one night, I obviously was not thinking clear at all. In fact, I wasn't even close to thinking clearly. My mind was too clouded.