Drinking Advice, Help needed.

[Graham Payne]

I can only speak for myself, I was diagnosed a couple of years ago with Chronic Pancreatitus caused by alcohol.
A lot of family and others tried to blame my time in the Merchant navy for my drinking, ( wrongly of course )
it was me,
While at sea obviously I had the drinks but I was also having three meals a day, working hard, also had a fair bit of discipline from other members of the crew.
Coming ashore to work a different matter, WOW Pubs every day never mind about food just rock & roll,
Wrong
Now sorted thankfully ( my Wife a major factor, creep I know ) but I now drink moderatley, still everyday but no hangovers, just for enjoyment.
I think what I'm trying to say "Don't blame the Merchant Navy"

[Michael Lawrence]

Hey Ted. Do you want the loan of a tanner for the telly Mate?

[Red Lead Ted]

Hey Ted. Do you want the loan of a tanner for the telly Mate?

My old man would have took your tanner he had a terrible memory i dont think you would have seen it again? Reg Ted,:

[Red Lead Ted]

I can only speak for myself, I was diagnosed a couple of years ago with Chronic Pancreatitus caused by alcohol.
A lot of family and others tried to blame my time in the Merchant navy for my drinking, ( wrongly of course )
it was me,
While at sea obviously I had the drinks but I was also having three meals a day, working hard, also had a fair bit of discipline from other members of the crew.
Coming ashore to work a different matter, WOW Pubs every day never mind about food just rock & roll,
Wrong
Now sorted thankfully ( my Wife a major factor, creep I know ) but I now drink moderatley, still everyday but no hangovers, just for enjoyment.
I think what I'm trying to say "Don't blame the Merchant Navy"

Graham i sailed with a gr8 mate of mine on a few ships. Timmy Gallagher A.B.He had a golden rule unto himself he never drank at sea only when ashore were ever in the world i would get my case of tennents and my four bells every couple of days not him.He died at the age of 45 liver failure in the windsor clinic here in Liverpools only detox clinic. I visit his grave often as i said mate we all have different tolerance levels i am pleased you came out the other side and your correct mate behind every good man is a good woman best regards Terry.

[Jim Brady]

A Liverpool docker got caught coming out the gate with three bottles of scotch.In court the judge asked nim what was his excuse to which he replied "The doctor said I've got to knock it off".
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Les Woodard]

What is this talking out of school lark Mike just because you ended up a prefect not perfect like myself. Just because you can recall school where for me it was a bit hazy. Not drinking at sea now that is something I missed out on. Recall signing on the Adelaide Star after a very short time ashore (three days not go into that either). Anyway it seemed that most of the crew ended up the same as myself in the rare occassion that we still had money from last trip. Lasted till bunkering at Teneriff where we stocked up on Bacardi to such an amount that we had to put some of it into bond when we hit Oz. So was back onto it homeward bound. So you could say that we where legless for the whole trip and guess what we got praise from the company when we docked for the first time that the ship had been fully serviced in one round trip. So did stay ashore for a while after that one and as usual signed on the next ship with the backside out of my strides. Are you sure that one sixpense will be enough for your telly Terry. Looks like you will be spending more time kneeling for a slurp of wine and a tiny bit of bread mate.

[Alan Hill]

Lets sort out who's who. There are drinkers ,heavy drinkers and alcoholics.I was a heavy drinker earned the nickname lastman standing would go weeks even months with out a drink and did not need a drink in the morning or to kickstart the day with a drink. My problem was that I could drink large quantities of beer spirits or wine or any combination and that was the problem I did not think I was drunk but a breath test proved otherwise.If I had not been caught I would not have stopped drinking.Loosing your method of getting around makes you think and is a weekend blowout really worth it.

I'm not sure about the distinction between a heavy drinker and an alcoholic. It's said than a heavy drinker can stop any time. Well why haven't they ?

Maybe heavy drinkers don't get hangovers ?

I've got a relative who is an alcoholic. He stopped for a year once. Thus having convinced himself that he wasn't an alcoholic he carried on.

[Red Lead Ted]

The difference is mate a heavy drinker can get out of bed in the morning without having a drink to face the day and function as normal. An alcoholic

cant.look up the word dipsomania thats what an alcoholic craves the minute he opens his eyes in the morning. Or get Les to explain.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipsomania

[Les Woodard]

Okay will try to explain it the Les way. No such thing as an alcoholic as that is only diagnosed by teetotellers who can not bear to think of anyone enjoying themselves so much. Heavy drinker is a person surrounded by dip sticks and this is the only way he can put up with them. Social drinker is someone that is very happy with life and can get on with about anyone (opposite of teetotaler) and is really happy with who he is. Light drinker is someone that is undecided as to which camp he wants to slip into and that is why he goes to church for a taste of the grape and is to tight to pay for a round. Hope this clears up deffinitions. Have been in the situation where I had to have a couple of cans before getting out of the bunk and a lot of fellow crew members where the same. Do not tell me that none of you have never had the experience of drinking yourself sober as I have had it a few times and it is not a happy time surrounded by drunks and having to start all over again to catch them up. Terry you mention that your local sky pilot used to like a scotch well mate they are the worst offenders of the lot and I contemplated becoming one but could not put up with the drinking and fornication that they do so went to sea where it was more sedate.