Sobriety: What's the Point?

Subject:      Sobriety: What's the Point?
From:         nospam@wwa.com (Bloody Viking)
Date:         1998/05/02
Message-ID:   <6ifo1l$r6b$1@hirame.wwa.com>
Newsgroups:   alt.recovery.aa,alt.drunken.bastards,talk.politics.drugs,alt.drugs

I have a really good question: If you can't enjoy being sober, then,
what's the point of staying sober? If you are shy/social phobic to the
point of being disabled while sober but get social when drunk off your
arse, then, what's the point of putting yourself through the misery and
loneliness that comes with permanent sobriety? 

Yes, sobriety has it's advantages, mainly driving and holding onto a job
to get money for the weekends! After that, however, what's the point of
sitting home alone on a Friday or Saturday night? Everyone knows about the
"dry drunk", the sober bloke who is miserable in his sobriety. 

Why is Sobriety held up as the "gold standard"? What is so magical about
this state of Sobriety? I think it's a good question, as I'm the type who
is social-phobic to the point of a disability. If there was a drug that
made me social, I'd rather end up full-blown addicted to such a drug than
live in total isolation or have to put myself through having to try to be
social without such a drug. 

This can be said about depressed people on antidepressants or anxiety
people on their medication too. This can also be said about impotent
people on Viagra(tm). What's the point of being "drug-free" if you can't
enjoy life without drugs? 

I'm one who sobers up for keeping a job, and gets drunk on the weekends.
With sufficient money, I get social when drinking, BUT I can't be social
sober. That's becuse my social skills are too limited. I have tried being
social sober, but it takes an excessive amount of work. Besides that, the
social confidence is very fragile. 

Since alcohol is righfully called a Drug, this applies to drugs as well.
Suppose I came across a currently illegal drug that lets me be social. Why
should I have to suffer at the hands of the drug war supporters? That
makes my life collateral damage in their stupid crusade. Let's see them
deal with terminal shyness "clean"/sober. Why should I have to put myself
through trolling for doctors to prescribe me Benzos?  Why should I have to
suffer with terminal shyness? 

The pro-sober drug war crowd will say I should just work on it. But that
doesn't work long-term. Would they pay for a permanent supply of acting
classes? I doubt it! Will these same people provide the encouragement I
need becuse of a busted self-esteem? I doubt it! What is their solution
for terminal shyness or ADHD and the Ritalin users? Can't these cretins
admit that some people NEED drugs? That's my whole point. Some people NEED
drugs just to cope in this fucked up world. 

Have the pro-sober lamers ever had any kind of problem that was disabling
that can be alleviated with drugs or alcohol, even temporarily? Why do
these people say that alcohol abusers shouldn't be prescribed Benzos? Why
the lame moral judgement? Obviously, an alcohol abuser is self-medicating
for some kind of problem. Otherwise, they wouldn't do it to themselves! I
speak from my own expierence with alcohol abuse and disabling shyness. 

Of course, this lameness is the result of that stupid Yank "puritan"
bullshit. I'd like to see these idiots forced to have to sing in a full
karaoke bar totally sober/clean to show them what social anxiety is like.
Then, they can see what it's like for me EVERY DAY.
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