Is it Possible? Life with No Vices.

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I used to black out and really, really bad things happen. I believe I was addicted to drinking, or at least wasn't over the novelty of it. Now, I hardly drink to get drunk and only maybe have a beer or two about once a month or less. It's not hard to just stop. Especially when you get sick. I can't have one beer in the evening now without feeling it in the morning. It's great motivation to save your stamina and endurance for that one night you do feel like drinking, and jsut avoid it for the most part.
 
And to those who say "I never drank or smoke and I'm cool!" - that shit doesn't fly against inheriting the addiction gene. This has nothing to do with willpower (as you'll define it), society or culture. If your parents handed down a medical problem through genetics you'd see a doctor, but plenty of people wont go to therapy when handed physiological/psycological disorders.

You're right in part. Addiction runs very strongly on my Dad's side. The willpower for me is put toward not becoming addicted in the first place, or even giving it a chance. Willpower is definitely a part of avoiding and breaking an addiction, whether you've an inherited affinity toward addiction or not. While it definitely makes it harder, and it's always worth getting help with, you can't use 'I've got the addiction gene' as a crutch, either. You're not doomed to be addicted to something just because of your genes, even if you're currently hooked on something. Take children as an example. You hear countless stories of people quitting pot, booze, cigarettes, even harder drugs cold turkey when they found out they were pregnant, or were a father. That's pure willpower, even for someone with a family history of addiction.
 
My goodness, people are harsh. He's 22, he was/is in a fraternity. Drinking till you pass out/black out is normal behavior on most college campuses. Plenty of kids get through that without being an alcoholic. If you feel the drinking is a problem, and can stop, then by all means you should. Better to stop now if you can, then look back in 20 years and realize you threw away a good part of your life on drinking/drugs. My dad is what I would consider an alcoholic, and my mom's side of the family is littered with them. I like to come home after a 12 hour day sweating in the sun and have a couple beers to relax, then I stop and carry on with my daily responsibilities as a husband/father/homeowner. I rarely drink in the winter, just something about a cold beer on a hot day. I do like to drink, however I have seen the toll it takes on families, and absolutely will not allow that to enter my life. Also I would like to point out that even medical professionals recommend red wine and dark beers in moderation.
 
Um...is there any history of addiction in your family? "Blacking out" is a pretty good sign you have the gene. Also, the fact that you've tried to quit before and had to compensate by smoking more also is a good indicator that you are an alcoholic. That or you're self-medicating...I wonder if you've quit smoking and had a period of depression afterwards.

Something must have happened for you to realize that you cannot continue drinking the way you do. If it was a moment of clarity and you see you might be jeopordizing the future - that counts. I don't love jumping to conclusions (but based on what you've said) you might want to think about a therapist or joining AlAnon/Alateen. Just be aware of your options if you feel its serious.
There was a time when I self-medicated and probably had a problem. I don't feel that way anymore.

I drink maybe once a week, it's just with the ulcers the effects on my stomach last longer. Recently I've been going to the gym 3x a week and doing cardio everyday. I'm dead set on getting back in shape. This is just something that one, counters that goal, and two, has made me feel like crap for a day or two.

For those who don't know, I didn't drink from August to January, at all. I started again on my birthday. Not for the "need", but it was my last semester at school (my last semester of fun before life). Stopping is not the problem, I have my father's will power. I can do anything I want to.

I'm stopping at least until the end of my 12 week workout program for mere healthy living reasons. But IDK if I'll pick it back up after that, probably not.
 
I will like to say, I never have had a need for alcohol or weed. Never like a need for a cig. I drank and smoked because it was something to do. I quit that dumb shit. I'm more addicted to Cherry Limeade now more than anything, haha.

I'm sure I'll be fine, just a little hesitate to jump right in the water.
 
Willpower is definitely a part of avoiding and breaking an addiction, whether you've an inherited affinity toward addiction or not. While it definitely makes it harder, and it's always worth getting help with, you can't use 'I've got the addiction gene' as a crutch, either. You're not doomed to be addicted to something just because of your genes, even if you're currently hooked on something. Take children as an example. You hear countless stories of people quitting pot, booze, cigarettes, even harder drugs cold turkey when they found out they were pregnant, or were a father. That's pure willpower, even for someone with a family history of addiction.
You're talking about normal stupid people who have no willpower until consequence knocks down their door. NOT ADDICTS. How many crackhead parents stop smoking crack when they have kids - not many.

The addiction gene is as much a crutch as people treat any other genetic disorder (diabetes, heart disease, etc.). But most parents with diabetes get their god damned kids checked by a doctor regularly! Addict parents suck and these kids have to be able to check themselves out (hopefully by seeking out info/help).

My goodness, people are harsh. He's 22, he was/is in a fraternity. Drinking till you pass out/black out is normal behavior on most college campuses. Plenty of kids get through that without being an alcoholic.
Lets make sure we all get this:
Black out - Loss of consciousness or memory or vision, able to act
Pass out - fall over and hibernate
When someone drinks and blacks' out - they usually wait until something bad happens to them when blacked out and then stop. When someone against the consequence of blacking out keeps drinking repeatedly until blacking out - its a good sign of addiction.

My dad is what I would consider an alcoholic, and my mom's side of the family is littered with them. I like to come home after a 12 hour day sweating in the sun and have a couple beers to relax, then I stop and carry on with my daily responsibilities as a husband/father/homeowner.
I homebrew. I've got nothing against alcohol. Again, its about knowing yourself. The diabetec doesn't snort pixie sticks.

I will like to say, I never have had a need for alcohol or weed. Never like a need for a cig. I drank and smoked because it was something to do. I quit that dumb shit. I'm more addicted to Cherry Limeade now more than anything, haha.
Than what's the holdup Nancy? Why the thread? You sounded much more on the fence.
 
Than what's the holdup Nancy? Why the thread? You sounded much more on the fence.

I agree, he did seem more concerned about the situation when the thread started.

Off topic here, but I just noticed you are from Houghton. My grandmother was from a little town up there called Tapiola, and my grandfather was from Ironwood. Beautiful part of the state, just too remote for me.
 
Wow, take some of your own advise. He said "Black out" not "Pass out". Those are two different things - and what he does is the worse of the two.

And to those who say "I never drank or smoke and I'm cool!" - that shit doesn't fly against inheriting the addiction gene. This has nothing to do with willpower (as you'll define it), society or culture. If your parents handed down a medical problem through genetics you'd see a doctor, but plenty of people wont go to therapy when handed physiological/psycological disorders.

I smoked 3 packs a day until I started coughing up blood. I drink like a fucking fish. But I'm not crying about it, making threads about it.

P.S. Fuck genetics. Learn self control. Its stronger.
 
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I smoked 3 packs a day until I started coughing up blood. I drink like a fucking fish. But I'm not crying about it, making threads about it.

P.S. Fuck genetics. Learn self control. Its stronger.
I'm not crying about it at all. But I am on the fence. At 22 most of my hanging out with friends is done in bars or social settings where drinking is done. I have no problem not drinking in the settings, I drink when I feel like it and can(nothing to do the next day), but being DD just gets old when done over and over again. I did 4 month spans once a year in HS because of wrestling.

I have great self-control and will power, but like anything I have a lapse here or there. I don't believe I will ever be "addicted" to anything. If I want/need to stop something I do (see cigarettes and weed/drugs).

I probably will wind up having a drink here and there, but I guess this thread was made to help me figure out what I really wanted out of my current situation...

I want to have a beer when I feel like it, but I don't want to be hammered every weekend and have no other hobbies. I want to get into more adrenaline junkie/outdoors-y things and get myself a project car to wrench on when I'm bored on the weekend.

I think that's the biggest problem. Other than work, doing cardio stuff, and the gym, I don't do much else.. so in turn I go out drinking with friends. I have to create other things I can do when I worked in the morning, already went to the gym, and ran, and therefore have nothing better to do with myself. So let's turn this into a different kind of thread, what hobbies do you guys have other then wrenching and abusing substances? Haha.
 
In case it wasn't clear, I didn't feel as though I had a problem(I know, denile and such, whatever), I was planning to stop cold turkey 95% for a healthy living approach to life. But I realize that I can achieve both with, as Phyregod put it, strong self control.

And I still plan on posting pics of a 6-pack by the end of 12 week program. I have a before picture and even now, only 4 weeks in, I'm ashamed I let myself get that far.
 
So let's turn this into a different kind of thread, what hobbies do you guys have other then wrenching and abusing substances? Haha.

Wrenching and work are about it for me right now. :D Trying to teach myself to weld and working on fixing all the rust holes in my Civic. Wouldn't bo so hard if not for the fact that the damage is in a structural area and I'm worried about my weld failing on the highway. :D

Well that and the computer/gaming... I'm currently trying out a bunch of HL2 mods and have been hooked on Hidden: Source (summary).
 
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As far as hobbies besides turning wrenches, I ride BMX, shoot, and Im kinda gettin into photography. Model building is pretty cool, not one of my hobbies, but I can kill a Saturday with no problem just by buildin a model.
 
As far as hobbies besides turning wrenches, I ride BMX, shoot, and Im kinda gettin into photography. Model building is pretty cool, not one of my hobbies, but I can kill a Saturday with no problem just by buildin a model.
I'm trying to limit drug use you glue sniffer. Haha just kidding. I actually have a bunch of half done ones. But I get distracted from stuff like that easily.... look a bunny.
 
P.S. Fuck genetics. Learn self control. Its stronger.
That's easy to say when its not your problem. Do you kick cripples in wheelchairs and tell them "I can walk, get up you lazy fucks!"?
Why would you preach a methodology made famous by Dr. Phil - who isn't even a licensed practitioner?

There is always some amount of "self control" involved in being able to change your life but not the "walk it off" macho-jock kind at all times.
 
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I'm trying to limit drug use you glue sniffer. Haha just kidding. I actually have a bunch of half done ones. But I get distracted from stuff like that easily.... look a bunny.

Lol, I hear you. Ive always been into Legos and shit like that, so models were just the next step, so to speak. Just get out there and try all the different pass times you can imagine, somethin is bound to stick sooner or later.
 
That's easy to say when its not your problem. Do you kick cripples in wheelchairs and tell them "I can walk, get up you lazy fucks!"?
Why would you preach a methodology made famous by Dr. Phil - who isn't even a licensed practitioner?

There is always some amount of "self control" involved in being able to change your life but not the "walk it off" macho-jock kind at all times.

I agree with both of you. I think it is part of genetics, but I think you if you really want it bad enough, you can use self-control to stop it. I mean, I'm addicted to cigarettes. It runs in my blood, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, in my family is/ or once was a smoker. So what makes it possible for me to just get up one morning and cut back from half to almost a whole pack of cigs a day, down to about one?
 
how the hell do you smoke 3 packs a day?
thats 60 cigarettes in 24 hours, mius 6 for sleeping... so 60 cigs in 18 hours.

over 4 an hour, all day.

how do you get anything done?
 
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