Drink and need.

[Shadow Man]

First of all, I enjoy a drink. In reality it is my only vice. I don't gamble, don't smoke, never tried drugs, and certainly do not sleep around. However, although I rarely drink to excess and have probably only been fully drunk in my life a dozen or so times, I drink far too much than what health officials tells us is healthy. As I am healthy, I stubbournly do refuse to accept the charts as right. The day I get high blood pressure, liver problems or a tubby beer gut, I shall happily cut down on booze.

Whilst I appreciate alcoholism is a condition, as is drug addiction (though these are confined to scumbags) do you ever "need" a drink. Personally, I have never "needed" a drink in my life. It really bugs me, particularly in soap operas, when during stressfull situations people always say "I need a drink". Or when faced with adversity, somebody says "Here, have a drink".

I have had my fair share of distressing situations, shocks, downers and loneliness in my life and have never even considered a drink as a way out. Nor have I ever entered the Lodge or the pub and said "Give me a double, I need it" and made a false sigh when the spirit enters my system.

So..................................

Have you ever really "needed" a drink?

Even though you are not an alky, does drink really help you overcome stressfull situations?

Do you get annoyed when TV shows always have actors saying "Pour me a brandy, I need it"?

[888sally888]

I have never thought I 'need' a drink and dont really undertstand that mentality.

I do often really 'need' a cup of tea though!! (and no, i am not an old biddy!!)

[Richie1976]

I think "want" a drink rather than "need". I also think this topic would be a fantastic bar room subject.

[Doc Spock]

I love a cup of tea in the morning, first thing.

Not nearly as satisfying as first rum n coke when sun is over yard arm.

Need.........NO
Enjoy..........YES.

[tiny e.a]

No, I've never actually 'needed' a drink but there are certainly times when I want one more than I usually do.

When I was a barmaid it used to make me laugh when people said stuff they had probably picked up on TV, like when people I had no recollection of serving, or had served several different drinks to over the months, would ask fo 'the usual' infront of their friends to try and make out the bar was like a home from home to them, and like you say, when people would say, 'make that a double, I need it' and then go on to tell me a far from convincing/interesting story of why they needed it

[Octavius]

I have drunk very little in the past 2 years, but there comes a time when I look at my wife and say �cor, I could really do with a G&T, would you like one?� and go forth to the drinks cabinet.

I don�t really think it is a �need� as in a dependency, but there are times, usually after closing a deal or a particularly hard week, or even when just relaxing with Mrs O, when I could really �murder a pint�.

I do get annoyed when I see them get worked up on the soaps and start drinking Vodka etc, neat from the bottle. That to me sends out the wrong message.

[tiny e.a]

That's true, on soaps they're always downing from bottles when going through a hard patch, I've never had the need or want to down a spirit from a bottle, if when I got wound up my hands immediately went for the neck of a vodka bottle I would constantly be gagging and spluttering and feeling quite ill through my turmoil!

[cazzz1975]

I suppose you dont know whether you "need" something until you abstain from it.....

that said where I used to live (council estate) there were several people who needed a drink so much they would sit outside the shop until it opened to get their fix of alcohol

I think that is need, I think the other type "I really needed that" type does not represent an addiction, it applies in lots of ways aside from alcohol such as a cup of tea, a comfy chair,a cold drink of water ect....

[Katie~77]

The only time in my life I can remember feeling like I needed a drink was when I was getting ready for my wedding! As soon as the hair was done and the dress was on, out came the bottle of Jack Daniels!lol.x

[China Doll]

I need a glass of red wine.

I really do. It's about the only thing with any iron in my diet.

[whiffey]

Absolutely. One awful day the whole future of the world depended on me getting my job precisely right, the day went awfully, I was screaming with stress all the way home, and when I shut the front door, I downed a cold Budweiser in one go. It hit the exact spot and everything unwound. The problem is not opening the second one, and so on.

[fine,thanks]

is whiffey george bush ?

[andrea81]

Fine line really.... you probably didn't 'need' a drink. If somethink came up and you couldn'r drink then you probably would be fine with it.

It's when you can't do anything else before having a drink is when you 'need' a drink... then a problem i think!

[whiffey]

Dang me ! Rumbled again.

[theonlyone]

My nephew used to enjoy a drink , he is now an alcoholic and has lost his home and his son , has done the rehab bit , just can't stay off the booze . He is 34 , looks older , and his brain is on the decline . The only person to help him is himself as he will be dead in 2 years . I hate the soaps when they are all in the pub or in the road drinking ,as drinking to excess is not cool . My nephew is a lovely guy and the family have done everything to help him . At the moment he's dry so fingers xed

[oopsydoopsy]

Hi Shadow Man.
I drink way too much wine but never crave or need a drink. Certainly wouldn't pour it on my cornflakes and can't drink at lunch times as fall asleep within an hour of consumption !
Evenings though, after he kids are asleep, I can quite happily finish a bottle of Sauvignon, especially in hot weather (I swear it evaporates from my glass).

As others have said before - crave tea or cold drinks much more than alcohol.

[nutgoneflake]

I read somewhere once that humans are the only animals to drink when they're not thirsty, eat when they're not hungry and have sex for pleasure and not procreation. (All three together obviously making a great night out, but there was no mention of that.)

Whether they 'need' the drink for whatever reason, or just want it badly, it seems thirst doesn't often come into it either way?

[johnlambert]

After every Operational tour,
it's a squaddies way of unwinding, and after 6 months "dry" it don't half taste good, but does drink really help me overcome stressfull situations?
no, a good old fashioned bar fight amongst rival units or even girly sailors/airmen relieves most squaddies stressfull situations