Family, Holidays and Boilermakers

“Fish & visitors stink in 3 days.” –Benjamin Franklin

With the major holiday season now over, we all have a little more time to reflect on what it was that just happened. Sitting in a room filled with already broken toys, a 8 foot tall dead Christmas tree and burned out yankee candles, it occurred to me once again that the holidays cause more stress than what they are worth.

This year I had made a whole-hearted effort to drink less than the previous years, and the plan was going along just fine… until the thought of family coming over pushed me back to a regimen of eggnogs and beer - holiday boilermakers, if you will.

Normally dealing with family is stressful enough, but add in the extraordinary cooking of traditional meals, the decorations all being in the perfect spot, the house smelling of northern pine (rather than burnt cookies), it’s difficult to cope. Many family members you only see once a year during the holidays, so you have to figure out what it was you did of importance over the past 12 months so you can sound like you’ve got things all figured out.

Unfortunately this year, when it came time to talk about all the great things I did since I saw the family last, all I could think of was “do we have enough eggnog left to get me through the night?” Truth is, I know I did a few great things over the past year, but because I drank a little too much the family probably thought I was a flake again and slightly aloof.

Stress and holidays… It has finally hit me what happened this season – I allowed circumstances beyond my control get the better of me again.

We can’t make everyone enjoy the decorations we have up, or like the food we serve; in fact we can’t even force them to have civilized conversation with each other. Why year after year after year should this be so stressful? You can’t control other people (especially adults) whatsoever – but we can control ourselves, and in doing so keep from feeling bad about breaking a promise to yourself… and making another new year’s resolution to "cool it" on the alcohol.

I think I’ll go pack up the decorations now with little reminder notes that say “it’s my house and if they don’t like how I do things, then they don’t have to come over… PS: stay away from holiday boilermakers – they think you’re a flake.”

Veteran's War with Alcoholism & Substance Abuse

Yesterday was Veteran's Day; honoring all who served in America's military. VFWs across the nation proudly displayed the red, white and blue, schools taught of sacrifice and bravery, while a few lucky towns still got to hold a parade.

It's no secret that drinking, smoking have always been part of military culture. In present-day however, health trends about our men and women in uniform are monitored and studied before, during and after conflicts.

A detected rise in alcohol abuse among troops should be of no surprise. Fatalities are proportionately lower while all types of disabilities are higher. Of these disabilities, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is prevalent throughout the ranks of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. PTSD is a relatively new measurable in the scope of war history; it was really only identified in the latter parts of the Vietnam war, and as such, contributes to higher rates of vets seeking VA assistance in later wars as compared to pre-1975 conflicts. Hand in hand with service people diagnosed with PTSD are substance abuse problems. To this day, Vietnam vets fight the stigma of "drunk vet." Hollywood is notorious for depicting soldiers of the era as alcoholics or drug addicts - just look at the character Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump.

Into the nineties, the population of veterans and awareness of their needs had been on steady decline. That is until now...

With the US engaging enemies on two separate fronts, NOW is when the data is flowing again on PTSD and addiction issues. The major influx of combat-experienced young people back into general population has spurred new reports focused on the rising substance abuse trends these veterans are dealing with. The statistics are alarming enough that the Veterans Health Administration announced it is expanding the previously shrinking alcohol and drug abuse programs. In May of this year, the US House and Senate passed new bills demanding the administration expand all substance abuse treatment services.

What are the figures that are causing alarm? According to the Pentagon's "post deployment survey:"

-12% of active-duty personnel returning from Iraq suffer from alcohol problems

-15% of National Guard and Reserve personnel suffer from alcohol problems

-It is noted that combat veterans are 30% more likely to develop binge drinking habits than service people in non-hostile environments.

These percentages are absolutely alarming, considering the US keeps somewhere around 200,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, with about 1.7 MILLION total who have been served in the region during the course of the recent wars. Furthermore, non-Pentagon estimates place the percent of veterans turning to drugs or alcohol at a higher rate of 20% of all troops seeing duty. 20% of 1.7 million equals 340,000 individuals and counting...

Another study conducted by the State of New Jersey on National Guard members returning from the Middle East found that 55% of soldiers diagnosed with PTSD experience "problem drinking." What's curious about this particular report is 41% of these soldiers received mental health treatment for their PTSD, while only 9% received substance abuse help.

Maybe the expansion of government addiction programs are aimed at closing these gaps and oversights... or maybe PTSD treatment is on the front burner, while alcoholism is pushed to the back... We hope not too far to the back though, because there are many young people returning home who have no idea the life they'll be facing if substance abuse is not properly identified and corrected. If a Veteran goes through a PTSD treatment program, but continues slipping into depression or towards coping mechanisms (such as alcohol), they no doubt need identified and given help.

VFW outposts in rural towns across America have long been known as places to reminisce and drink present-day problems away. Let us hope that one day they will be centers for remembering the good ol' days while enjoying healthy, active senior years.

Sourced articles/good reading: The New York Times "After the Battle, Fighting the Bottle at Home;" Reuters "Alcohol Abuse Rises Among US Combat Veterans"

Photo Credit: US Department of Defense

Hunting and Drinking

Deer hunting season is upon us again, and there are two things guaranteed to appear every year at this time:

1. Dead deer splattered all over the highway
2. Drunk hunters driving their trucks all over the roads, yards, fields, woods, etc, etc

Don't get us wrong; we love hunting (and reaping/eating the rewards), but there are many hunters out there who have had to give up a favorite pastime for health reasons; they can no longer drink beer.

For you guys, here is a song to remind you of the ol' days. Maybe this season you'll be be only the sober one in camp and get to see all the drunkenness you've been a part of, except this year you'll actually be able to remember it:


The FAMOUS "Second Week of Deer Camp" song:

ITS THE SECOND WEEK OF DEER CAMP
I GOT A SWOLLEN HEAD
I'M LYING WITH THE DUST BALLS
UNDERNEATH MY BED

AN ICY BREEZE IS BLOWING IN
THROUGH THE TONGUE AND GROOVE
MY PANTS ARE FROZEN TO THE FLOOR
AND I'M TOO SICK TO MOVE

I DIDN'T DRINK TOO MANY
ONLY THIRTY CANS OF BEER
IT MUST HAVE BEEN THAT LAST SHOT
THAT PUT ME UNDER HERE

CHORUS:
IT'S THE SECOND WEEK OF DEER CAMP
AND ALL THE GUYS ARE HERE
WE DRINK PLAY CARDS AND SHOOT THE BULL
BUT NEVER SHOOT NO DEER
THE ONLY TIME WE LEAVE THE CAMP
IS WHEN WE GO FOR BEER
THE SECOND WEEK OF DEER CAMP
IS THE GREATEST TIME OF YEAR

I REMEMBER PLAYING POKER
THAT WEASEL MUSTA WON
HE'S WEARING MY NEW SWAMPERS
AND SLEEPING WITH MY GUN

HE'S SNORING LIKE A CHAIN SAW
THE CAMP SMELLS LIKE A DUMP
SOMEONE'S DIRTY UNDERWEAR
IS HANGING ON THE PUMP

MUKKUS IN THE WOOD BOX
EENERS PASSED OUT ON THE STOVE
HIS FLANNEL SHIRT IS SMOKING
I WONDER IF HE KNOWS

CHORUS

VITOS CRAWLING THROUGH THE DOOR
I THINK HE GOT FROSTBITE
HE PASSED OUT IN THE OUTHOUSE
AND HE'S BEEN THERE SINCE LAST NIGHT

THEN GOOFUS STUMBLES THROUGH THE DOOR
HE SAYS HE GOT A BUCK
HE WAS COMING FROM THE WAYSIDE
AND HE KILLED IT WITH HIS TRUCK

THEN MUUSTI CRACKS A BEER AND SAYS
ITS TIME TO CELEBRATE
GOOFUS GOT THE FIRST BUCK
SINCE 1968

A Familiar Sequence of Events/Song Lyrics

There is a song released a while ago that tells a familiar story about drinking. It was by a group called the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Anyone who has battled a drinking problem can relate to the story of going to some run-down bar, or "dive," with the goal of getting wasted on cheap drinks. When the night is over, you once again are convinced you have an issue with alcohol (only to forget about your revelation the next day).

The people most familiar with this scenario are the ones who cannot remember how many times it has repeated itself in who knows how many bars, but one thing's for sure: the motive and outcome are always the same.

Here are the lyrics to "Another Drinking Song," by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones:

Gonna dive into a jive I've dove into before
Gonna haunt a haunt I've haunted
Like a million times or more
A familiar joint Where getting drunk's the only point
To frequent this place
With any frequency at all

Countin' on a remedy I've counted on before
Goin' with a cure that's never failed me
What you call the disease, I call the remedy
What you're callin' the cause,
I call the cure

Gonna sing a song, a song to you A song I've sung before
Belt out a ballad that I've belted out A million times or more
The words I'm gonna scream
And getting drunk's the central theme to the lyrics,
if you can Make the lyrics out at all

Countin' on a remedy I've counted on before
Goin' with a cure that's never failed me
What you call the disease, I call the remedy
What you're callin' the cause,
I call the cure

Just a devotion to a potion
Please no applause
A dedication to a medication - A crutch a cure a cause
What I've counted on to pick me up
Has knocked me to my knees
Before I hit the floor once more I'll call it the disease

Alcohol and Brain Shrinkage

A new report in the news today talks about the discovery of smaller brain sizes in people who consume just moderate amounts of alcohol... and no, their brains were not small to begin with.

Apparently, research conducted by the neuroscience program at Wellesley College recognized the link between brain tissue shrinkage and alcohol when studying the phenomenon which occurs naturally as people age.

"Decline in brain volume -- estimated at 2 percent per decade -- is a natural part of aging," says Carol Ann Paul, who conducted the study originally at the Boston University School of Public Health. "However, we did not find the protective effect," says Paul, who is now at the neuroscience program at Wellesley College. "In fact, any level of alcohol consumption resulted in a decline in brain volume."

What causes the brain to physically shrink anyway?

Alcohol is "known to dehydrate tissues, and constant dehydration can have negative effects on any sensitive tissue," says Paul.

Before you get too upset about the results of this study, it is important to point out that there was no determination of decreased brain function because of less brain volume. It is an interesting study, nonetheless.

Stop Emailing While Drunk!

Apparently emailing people while under the influence is a growing problem in our ever-digitized world. So much so that Google has developed a method to perform a “sobriety test” on people sending emails to each other during certain hours of the day.

The new Google method requires the sender to complete a few basic math problems before an email is sent during pre-set times, thus cutting down on so-called “e-goggles.”

It has become a sorry state of the times when there is a need for people to be checked for drunkenness before sending messages to one another. What’s next, passing a breathalyzer test attached to our cell phones before making a call?

Obviously, Google cannot be faulted for dreaming up the new safeguard. As usual, they’re running with unique programs and ideas they think will add more value to their user’s experience. The fault lies in the larger picture of a dysfunctional society that likes to say what they mean once their inhibitions are down.

Here's an idea: we’ve all had our experiences with angry drunks, mad wives and generally pissed off people who are perfect ladies and gentleman when sober. Maybe Google’s next undertaking can be to develop a system to determine if someone is predisposed to such behaviors and keep them locked in their house during pre-set hours of the day? Silliness – yes, good idea – yes again.

Anyway, the new feature is available through Google’s Gmail service is called “Mail Goggles,” and is available at Google Labs.

Obese Kids can Develop Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease received a boost of attention in the news the past few days. The fresh coverage was from the results of recent studies showing this type of liver disease becoming more prevalent in children; more specifically, obese children.

The estimate given is 2% to 5% of American children over age five have the disease and suggested that up to 10% are afflicted.

With so many Americans overweight and so many children following in their parent's footsteps, experts are forecasting nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to be the #1 reason for liver transplants before 2020 (overtaking cirrhosis from hepatitis C).

Sadly, this type of disease can be averted, but I'm sure it's similar to alcohol-induced liver disease which saying "it could have been avoided" is easier said than done.

The full article about obese children and the disease can be found here, in Yahoo News.