Make it a double large please!!. Review on Quitting Alcohol

QUITTING ALCOHOL

Alcohol addiction is bad.

Is alcohol bad?  No. I am going to drink this evening with a MouthShut buddy Traveler(Ramesh). He drinks too.

ALCOHOL AND MY UNCLE

My father was an Army man. Through out his service life he never touched a drop. He joined the Army without his father’s consent. So his father made him take an oath “I shall never touch alcohol or look with evil eyes at any woman ever.”  My Grandpa, a village Doctor, always linked Army life with wine and women.

But my Dad’s elder brother, who was a Doctor, generally started his day with a toothbrush soaked in alcohol. He was a great Doctor, a great uncle, very large hearted and generous man. Everyone loved him, except his wife and sons. He had lovely cars and great mistresses all his life. He died a sad death, an alcoholic, alone and a castaway.

ALCOHOL AND MY NAVY BUDDIES

Fraggie was a tall, handsome, very suave and sophisticated Naval Officer, much my junior. He had a Public School background, was a great sportsman and was well on his way to achieve greatness professionally till ………alcohol did him in.

Fraggie was a natural charmer. One day he fell in love with a beautiful girl started to go steady. They were so much in love. Fraggie more so,  than his treacherous girlfriend.

A year later she found another suave, sophisticated, rich man. He also drove a Mercedes! At best Fraggie had a second hand Jawa mobike.

She dropped Fraggie like a used toothpick and made a life with this Mercedes dude.

Fraggie was devastated. He hit the bottle. Got married on the rebound, got divorced, got married again and divorced again. He remained faithful to the bottle till the last day.

Over the years I always saw him at the Club with charming women. Women loved him despite his addiction. I always wondered how he continued to attract women despite looking so haggard. Now some say Fraggie is no more. Died young and for nuts.

Grappy was a handsome Sardar. He was anace Naval Aviator. He had the hallmarks to make it real big time. He had a razor sharp mind. Intellectually he had no peers. He was a voracious reader and a naturally witty person. He was the center of all parties. My wife and dotty loved Grappy! Many other Navy wives loved Grappy too.

Grappies mates always said, “One day this man will become the Chief of The Naval Staff.” I never doubted that statement.

From a social drinker Grappy slowly and unconsciously became alcohol dependent for everything. His alcohol tolerance level was amazingly low. Without alcohol, his hands would tremble. He would stutter, stammer. Slowly his mind started to waste away. He was in and out of psy hospitals many times. Even marriage did not help. His wife left him within the year. Mind you, like Fraggie, Grappy was never short for charming female company.

A time came when he had one leg in the grave and the other leg on a banana peel.

WHERE DO WE STAND?

There is a thin line between social drinking and alcoholism. This must be understood. Alcohol tolerance levels vary from person to person. There is no meter to check this though.

If you are a social drinker, going on the wagon for a few months helps. Check to see if you can go through a party without a drink once in a while.

There be some safe ways to drink. Nurse a glass for an hour or so. Drink butter milk or eat some butter before a party. This will help to reduce acidity. Always eat a good meal after booze. Drink water like crazy. Never get dehydrated. Beer, Gin, Vodka are quick dehydrators.

QUITTING

An alcoholic can be cured. One of the best ways to quit is to join Alcoholics Anonymous. Here you get to meet cured alcoholics who show you the way out of this rut.

Alcoholics generally sink into depression, some into manic depression. Things get complex here.

THE OLD WISE BARMAN

There is an old club, which I visit once every two years.

I always meet up with the Wise old Barman. After initial greetings, I ask him whereabouts of some old friends. He always starts to tells me of regular members who kicked the bucket….”Saab, acche acche Members cahle gaye. Hira, Debbo, Aftab, Chandy, Rufus, Bandy, ” ………then he tells me stories of the  living regular members.

It’s his way of warning me.

My Barman…he never drinks. He is much too wise.

His son is a big honcho in Standard Chartered Bank. He drinks.