I think compare the following statements, and which of them might be from an alcoholic, and which are from somebody who just happened to drink a lot that time.
“I drank way more than I intended.”
“I intended to drink a lot, and I did.”
“I intended to drink a lot, (but I couldn’t actually have stopped myself, even if I wanted to).”
“I intended to drink a lot, but just wasn’t feeling it, so I stopped after 2.”
“It’s the one night a year I can really tie one on, but I sure pay for it later.”
Man, reading this thread makes me wish I could get drunk sometime. Not even for a buzz, just to see how it feels.
“I drank way more than I intended.” Me- 30’s and 40’s
“I intended to drink a lot, and I did.” Me- teens and 20’s
“I intended to drink a lot, (but I couldn’t actually have stopped myself, even if I wanted to).” Me- never in my life
“I intended to drink a lot, but just wasn’t feeling it, so I stopped after 2.” Me- now
“It’s the one night a year I can really tie one on, but I sure pay for it later.” Me- never
I didn’t experience my first hangover until I was in my mid-20’s and I’ve only had a handful of hangovers over my entire life. The next day “payment” has never really entered into my calculations.
People talk like a hangover is some horrible thing. I look at it as a day when I know I’ll feel better and better as the day progresses, which is a positive.
“I feel sorry for people that don’t drink, because when they wake up in the morning, that is the best they are going to feel all day-” Frank Sinatra
This is me. And why I have been mostly dry for over a decade. I don’t keep much alcohol in the house, and what I do keep is for cooking.
I don’t know WHY. If I have freely available alcohol in a social setting, I will inevitably get stupid drunk. And I recognize that, and see it as a problem, so I just abstain, aside from the occasional beer (if I bring home beer for making stew, which is the only time I have beer on hand…)