And if I get drunk well, I’ll pass out
On the floor now baby
And if you’re drinkin’ well, you know
That you’re my friend and I say
I think I’ll have myself a beer
– ‘Beer’ Reel Big Fish
Countin’ on a remedy I’ve counted on before.
Goin’ with a cure that’s never failed me.
What you call the disease, I call the remedy.
What you’re callin’ the cause, I call the cure.
Just a devotion to a potion.
Please, no applause.
A dedication to a medication.
A crutch, a cure, a cause.
What I’ve counted on to pick me up has knocked me to my knees.
Before I hit the floor once more I’ll call it the disease.
– ‘Another Drinkin’ Song’ The Mighty Might Bosstones
Alcohol. Such an easy escape, but never the answer. There are many forms of alcoholic, not all of them get drunk. In fact, some may never get drunk.
At times, I have been within the definition of an alcoholic, but I rarely get drunk. By rarely I mean once a year…maybe. On the other hand I will have gone through periods where I will drink 3-4 drinks (my drinks not a standard drink, probably 4-6 standard drinks) night, every night. That is not healthy and my weight has suffered because of it. Despite the fact it is not healthy, that amount of alcohol doesn’t make me drunk or tipsy, I have a very high tolerance to alcohol.
In the past I have drunk that amount because that is what it takes each day to numb the pain. It numbs the pain in my knee that I feel everyday and also numbs the mental and psychological pain that I live through everyday. SOmetimes it is worse and I drink more, sometimes I feel better and I drink less.
Right now I am very aware of what I drink and I try and limit myself to one beer or wine a night. I will never give up alcohol because I love beer and wine for its taste, not for the alcohol content. I could happily drink alcohol free wine and beer if they didn’t all taste like a donkeys arsehole.
I think the last two lines of Another Drinkin’ Song sum up how I feel about drinking at the moment.
‘What I’ve counted on to pick me up has knocked me to my knees.
Before I hit the floor once more I’ll call it the disease.’
Alcoholism is a disease and studies suggest that there is a strong link between alcohol abuse and depression and anxiety. This then leads to other issues that are caused by alcohol abuse and also by the interaction of some anti-depressants with alcohol. There is significant concern with SSRIs as they are primarily metabolised by the liver and, as we all know, so is alcohol.
The best we can do is monitor the alcohol intake of anyone we know is suffering from a mental health issue. It is not uncommon for people with undiagnosed issues to turn to alcohol rather than seeking treatment. This is a cause of our society which tells us that it is okay to drink all the time, and that it is ‘the Australian way’, but also frowns upon seeking help and belittles mental health issues.
Our ‘Australian way’ of alcohol consumption needs to change. Binge drinking and regular consumption of alcohol can both cause significant secondary issues. We promote ourselves as a land of sun-kissed, bronzed aussies, but in actual fact many of us are pasty and hungover due to the real culture we have developed.
The biggest indication of this is the fact that every day I see ads all over the place telling people not to drink drive, then I look at the news or the NSW Police facebook page and it is full of stories about drunk drivers. Are you fucking stupid? What is so hard to understand? You are not putting yourself at risk, you are willingly risking the lives of me and my family and friends.
If you feel that you need help with alcohol and mental health issues, please talk to your friends or your doctor.
