Scare Tactics

When I first started to experiment with smoking and drinking, my dad had brought me to a place he had once gone to for rehab. It was maybe an hour or so away from where we lived at the time. It wasn’t your classic rehab either; it kind of had a hippy vibe. He decided it was something that I should see. He wanted me to sit and listen to these people I’ve never met before and hear their stories. It wasn’t an AA meeting; it was more than that but very similar. 

It’s one of those moments where everything sticks with you; you don’t forget. I remember driving up a large artsy woody area. Going into one of their rooms without knowing what to expect, I went and got a peach tea and sat with my dad at this large circular table in a big room full of strangers. The only hazy thing about this moment is my age; I am pretty sure I was a Freshman in High School but don’t hold me to it.

My dad wanted me to hear some of the awfulness that addiction could bring to people. (Not that I didn’t already know as I lived with an addict). But more than that, I think maybe he was hoping I would understand him a little better or to show me that his drinking wasn’t as harmful as others. 

For the record; nobody’s “story” is better off with addiction in it. Yes, some may not struggle as much as others, but no matter your story, it means something because when living with an addict — someone is always affected. 

I was a little nervous as I didn’t know what to expect. There was an array of all different people; old, young, rich, poor — you get the idea. 

I heard a few scary stories that night but one really sticks in my head. This person was an alcoholic and spent every dollar they had on booze living out of their car. Soon this person wasn’t getting drunk fast enough so they resorted to different methods. This will get a bit graphic. People are capable of doing terrible things while influenced by drugs.

They were having trouble getting the type of drunk they wanted. So first they tried (and here’s where it gets graphic) to give themselves enemas but with alcohol essentially called “butt chugging”. The second thing they tried after the enemas started not working fast enough was injecting alcohol straight into their veins. 

When I heard this I was very confused. 

Injecting?! Wasn’t that only for heroine and drugs of that sort? 

Now, I looked up how enemas and injecting alcohol were an option and why they used it as a solution for getting drunk. I was curious. I wanted to know why and to be able to share the dangers of trying these methods.

The following information comes from here. Click to read more.

With enemas it’s basically absorbed by “sensitive mucous membranes”. 

“Reports of enemas with alcohol can be rapidly absorbed through this part of the body; however, people have killed themselves with this method because alcohol hits the brain very quickly, which will force the person to pass out with alcohol still in this cavity. Their body continues to absorb the alcohol and they can’t do anything about it, such as vomit the toxin out of their body so their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) can rapidly rise, leading to spontaneous death.”

Injecting is also the same idea. The alcohol goes right into the bloodstream and has rapid effects, that again can result in sudden death as well.

Let all that sink in for a moment. 

Now imagine a fourteen-year-old girl trying to absorb all this crazy information without really knowing what I just explained to you guys. It definitely scared me, but what scared me more was this:

How far did my dad go to get drunk? He did drink rubbing alcohol and almost died…..

My dad succeeded in scaring me in what could happen, what drinking could lead you to do. Our long ride home was super awkward. I couldn’t stop thinking, “Just how far has he gone?”. I finally asked, “You don’t do those things do you?”

He told me he hadn’t, and I like to believe that was true because it pains me to think of what he may have done. When my dad drank, he just drank, and it didn’t stop. It only got worse. I’d come over to find his place littered with alcohol bottles and not just regular bottles. He bought the biggest ones he could find; sizes I had no idea even existed for booze.

Dad bringing me there, shook me and gave me a lot to think about. Like how fast alcohol can spiral out of control. I think maybe at a different time this information would have helped me. I mean I guess it did… I never butt chugged or injected and stayed away from the hard, hard drugs. But things at home weren’t at their worst yet. I didn’t drink or smoke as much after what I heard, but time goes on, and things change. Your brain gets altered, and you tend to forget the things you once heard because you just don’t care anymore. 

I will never forget those stories. How can I? Plus, there are so many other stories I’ve heard besides what I’ve already shared. Addiction is scary in every form. I’m glad to have listened to their stories, to learn my dad wasn’t the only one out there. To learn how crazy it can get, but that you can get better if you try and work for it. And the people who told these stories were doing the work.

The stories I heard were from people who had sobered up and changed their lives. I like to think that they are still sober. But you never know. I do want to believe that someone got out of that life and has succeeded in staying sober. It is possible.

I can’t say this enough; this is not to share new ideas on how to get drunk. This post is to show you how dangerous it can be. Alcohol is not something you should take lightly, sure it may be legal but does not mean it is safe!