Ethanol : Ultimate Coping Strategy

[Wild Flower]

I am not an alcoholic (yet). I notice that while mildly drunk to intoxicated I can get through life much easier, with my spare time that is. And its a hunger surpressant for me as well.

Instead of suicide or sleeping away life... Drinking can help me cope. I know its not the best way to cope, but after a work day it helps me. I think if I limit myself 3-4 nights a week to to get wasted, it wouldnt be a horrible investment. Its also cheap (less than $10 a week)

Anyone uses alcohol in weak moderation?

I am not recommending this... It just beats the alternatives. I am not recommending doing this in public or while driving.

[Dena]

I decide when I was a teen that if I found that magic thing that made the pain go away, my transition might not happen. I stayed away from drugs and alcohol then and I don't use the socially now. I prefer to get high on life which I do every day.

[Ms Grace]

I drink in moderation, only for social reasons and never to make "the (emotional) pain" go away... that's a slippery slope. If you drink instead of dealing with the emotional issue it won't go away, probably get worse and only result in more drinking. How do you think people become alcoholic in the first place?

[KyleeKrow]

Not I. I use art, writing,  and spend time walking around in the woods. Those tend to work for me pretty well.

[arice]

I drank a lot in university to self medicate my bipolar 2 (I was hypomanic a lot) and deal with gender issues (I was trying to be feminine to compensate for how I felt... and it didn't agree with me). I was on the verge of a serious drinking problem and a good friend pointed out that I could either deal with my problems or ignore them but only one of those options had a hope of solving them...

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[Deborah]

I used to drink a lot.  It was nearly every night and the purpose was to get drunk to dull the dysphoria for a while.  I have even blacked out a couple of times when I was younger.  Since I started HRT I pretty much lost the desire to drink at all and other than during the holidays when I drank a little, but not to drunkenness, alcohol has not touched my lips in over a year. 

Smoking too was dysphoria related for self destructive as well as other reasons.  That also is in the past now.


Sapere Aude

[JoanneB]

I am an alcoholic. I know I should not drink at all, but I do. When I do 'Just one" can readily lead to one too many. Especially when it is being used to help dull the pain. In reality, the way it tends to work is first comes the alcohol fueled depression to feed the pain, anguish, sense of hopelessness, until the eventual stupor and passing out comes along. (You can call it falling asleep but just because it's 1:00 A.M......)

My wife says there is always at least 5 solutions to every problem. I can usually come up with 3 right away. She has 5 or more. When it comes to my own problems my vision is usually a lot more narrowed. Like just 1 maybe 2 solutions. Having another usually doesn't work out.

What I found to help the best is expanding my view or abilities to see solutions. During my darkest period food and drink gave way to self help and spirituality books. Getting involved with a TG support group with a couple of special angels there for me when I needed them most also helped a lot.

To help shed the 50 or so pounds I had packed on I started walking. Fresh air, pumping blood, and time. Time just to see and appreciate the awe and wonder of the world around me. The walks started as a sort of diversion and exercise routine and morphed into a spiritual experience. Seven years later I still feel the same.

As in most things trans, the 3D's of Diversions, Distractions, and Denial only work so well for only so long.

[KathyLauren]

When I was in the Air Force, drinking was pretty much expected.  I stopped when I realized it just wasn't that much fun.  I'm not a teetotaler: I still enjoy a glass of wine or a beer once in a while.

I guess my view of "moderation" is a bit different from yours.  1 or 2 drinks a week would definitely fit into my idea of moderation.  1 or 2 drinks 3 or 4 nights a week... a bit much for me, but it is probably still moderate.  It's the "getting wasted" part that bothers me.  That doesn't sound moderate.

I stopped the military-style drinking when I realized why they call it "wasted".

[Rachel]

I am an alcoholic. I am clean and sober for 17 years. I started drinking in 7th grade; I was allowed beer in the house and I had vodka in my bedroom. My family, Aunts, Uncles, nieces and nephews and cousins are/were riddled from drug and alcohol abuse. The details are very sad. I had in my family 2 die from heroin, 2 are and have been in rehab many times for heroin.  One uncle died from alcohol at 48. One in my family is a meth addict and will die from it. There are a lot of alcoholics in my family.

Addiction for the reasons you pointed out is very easy. I am not saying you have an addictive personality or that you will become addicted; however, care should be used in using alcohol as a medication. It is a dangerous substance for those that are susceptible to alcoholism.