Thread: Dangers of Excess Alcohol Consumption

My wife's BIL died a couple of days ago from end-stage liver disease. He was in his mid-40s but had lived a life of hard drinking. As long as 8 years ago he was in and out of hospitals suffering from extreme ascites (swelling due to dying liver cells). At times he would go into comas but always managed to pull through. As soon as he was well, he would start going back to his drinking. Everyone was amazed that he lived as long as he did.

He is survived by a wife (my wife's youngest sister) and a 14 year-old son.

I can only hope in his rebirth that he is better off than he was in this life.

Santi,

RickThai

I fell out of a moving taxi once when drunk, that nearly killed me.

Plus you miss a lot when you're pissed and/or stoned. I think the term arrested development should apply.

No age at all mid 40,s feel sorry for the family he has left behind.

How,s that tune go ?

Some drink to remember ,some drink to forget

I ain't drunk, I've been drinkin _Pigboy Crabshaw

A common refrain here in LOS.

The missus' girlfriend in CM just lost her youngest brother to exactly the same disease - same age too. It's that rot-gut lao cow these guys drink that does them in.

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

It's that rot-gut lao cow these guys drink that does them in.

Nonsense, it's the alcohol content.

Rebirthing as an alcoholic as we speak.

Rebirthing, indeed.

Millions would disagree but I never did accept the classification of alcoholism being a disease. It might just be in the USA and the AMA (I think) made it so as a means to enlist another money-making medical program. I see it more a suicide mission than a disease. It being nothing more than the result of a personality default like a sense of entitlement or simply what a habitual person does. I mean is shop till you drop a disease? How about drinking twelve Cokes a day, smoking, wife beating? At what point does a repressive, self-destructive habit become a disease? I like to wank but I know when to stop.

Couldn't agree more, alcoholics get there by lack of will power, our old mate BG was a case in point.

Described himself as an non drinking alcoholic, he hadn't had a drink for 30 yrs .

Originally Posted by peterpan

Couldn't agree more, alcoholics get there by lack of will power, our old mate BG was a case in point.

Described himself as an non drinking alcoholic, he hadn't had a drink for 30 yrs .

Alcoholics get there by great dedication and strict adherence to a regime of neglect of all things sensible.

They stay there by a lack of will power.

Originally Posted by Camel Toe

Millions would disagree but I never did accept the classification of alcoholism being a disease. It might just be in the USA and the AMA (I think) made it so as a means to enlist another money-making medical program. I see it more a suicide mission than a disease. It being nothing more than the result of a personality default like a sense of entitlement or simply what a habitual person does. I mean is shop till you drop a disease? How about drinking twelve Cokes a day, smoking, wife beating? At what point does a repressive, self-destructive habit become a disease? I like to wank but I know when to stop.

Self-induced will conditions.
Often forced upon as "diseases".

Define an alcoholic, someone who drinks wine everyday with their meal. Someone who works all week in a shitty job, then gets a skin full on Saturday night. Or someone like me who has worked all his life, but now finds he can sit in a patio each night pouring cold ones down his throat and loving it. Jim

Originally Posted by crocman

Who determines when he is cured and when his payments stop?

An alcoholic is never cured. In the sense that one single drink may put him back on the alk. Keeping dry over a long time can however cure the negative side effects.

I have talked about it with a dry alcoholic. He fought for keeping dry almost every day. On a good day he could do good work. But there were days where fighting to keep dry was all he could manage.

I think that some Thais are starting to get the message about the dangers of alcohol. A SIL is one of those that once she starts, she can't stop. Her husband is in the hospital now suffering from medical problems associated with drinking. As recently as a couple years ago most in the family were hard drinking. But, every night for the last week I've attended their large dinner parties. During those parties, a total of 4 beers (and no hard stuff) were consumed, all by the same two people. Most are now abstaining.

I'm currently having an overdue break from the drink. I went 2 weeks a while back without a drop and didn't have much trouble. Got the sweats then now and then, and my sleeping patterns altered, but they soon settled.
I slipped back to having a couple of cans a day, ( on the quiet! ). Gradually, I was quickly back to finishing off the whole 4 pack. last week I had reminders that I need to reign myself in again.
5 days in now, and no worries at all !! In fact, feel good so far. Hoping to make a serious go of it now. .

^ All the best Yory , used to be a drinker myself , more or less finished with it 10 years ago.

I ain't preaching to anyone , each to they're own , all I know is I,m a lot happier without it .

Think there is a fine line between being a functional alcoholic and a non functional alcoholic. I drink way to much and always have, but have never had a problem stopping for work or getting very fit for some activity planned.

Now out here there is not a lot of non alcohol related activities, tomorrow I will be attending the Ubon hash house harriers run [ a running club for drinkers with a running problem] A lot of beer will be drunk, it would be worthless attending if you didn't drink to excess.

So I guess what I am saying is nothing wrong with being a boozer as long as the drink is not your reason for life, but part of the enjoyment of life.

The trouble I see in rural Issan with the Lao Kow is that many only work 3 months of the year [rice ] and the booze fills in the other 9 months. The Low Kow becomes the reason for doing anything other than securing next years food supply. I can't get workers, but can wake around the village and see most of the able bodied men swinging in hammocks waiting the next death, wedding, festival etc to go on a bender and a good death goes for 4 or 5 days. Jim

Originally Posted by Camel Toe

Millions would disagree but I never did accept the classification of alcoholism being a disease. It might just be in the USA and the AMA (I think) made it so as a means to enlist another money-making medical program. I see it more a suicide mission than a disease. It being nothing more than the result of a personality default like a sense of entitlement or simply what a habitual person does. I mean is shop till you drop a disease? How about drinking twelve Cokes a day, smoking, wife beating? At what point does a repressive, self-destructive habit become a disease? I like to wank but I know when to stop.

Wow, another thing we agree on (scary). I've always believed alcoholism is just another addiction.

I believe, however, that alcoholism was classified as a disease primarily due to social pressure by political groups in order to lessen the social stigma.

(Similar to how homosexuality was pressured into not being a mental disorder.)


RickThai

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Think there is a fine line between being a functional alcoholic and a non functional alcoholic. I drink way to much and always have, but have never had a problem stopping for work or getting very fit for some activity planned.

Now out here there is not a lot of non alcohol related activities, tomorrow I will be attending the Ubon hash house harriers run [ a running club for drinkers with a running problem] A lot of beer will be drunk, it would be worthless attending if you didn't drink to excess.

So I guess what I am saying is nothing wrong with being a boozer as long as the drink is not your reason for life, but part of the enjoyment of life.

The trouble I see in rural Issan with the Lao Kow is that many only work 3 months of the year [rice ] and the booze fills in the other 9 months. The Low Kow becomes the reason for doing anything other than securing next years food supply. I can't get workers, but can wake around the village and see most of the able bodied men swinging in hammocks waiting the next death, wedding, festival etc to go on a bender and a good death goes for 4 or 5 days. Jim

Doesn't matter if you are "functional" or "non-functional", alcohol kills liver cells by the millions. If you are healthy enough, but continue to drink heavily, eventually your liver will be unable to regenerate enough healthy cells to replace the dying and/or damaged cells.

I once spent almost 9 months in End-stage Liver Disease. That is a very painful and miserable way to die. I was saved by a liver transplant, but the experience was strong enough that I never wanted to drink alcohol again. (Think of it as extreme adverse conditioning).

Good luck,

RickThai

I am sure I have complimented you on this before Rick ,, but it wont hurt to do it again ,, very well done mate !

Believe me I have seen some of the big probs its caused in my close family

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

I am sure I have complimented you on this before Rick ,, but it wont hurt to do it again ,, very well done mate !

Believe me I have seen some of the big probs its caused in my close family

Thank you, I appreciate your comments.

My older brother (who is 62) is currently on month 7 of his 6-months to live diagnosis (cirrhosis). Immediately after my transplant, I spoke with him about what was in store for him (He has a lifetime of hard drinking). His response was, "I have a tougher liver than you."

Now he is undergoing a very agonizing exit from this world. I truly wished I could have spared him (and everybody else) from this painful end.

Since he has no health insurance, the best he can get is a bit of palliative care.

Cheers,

Rick