The Lengths An Alcoholic Will Go To

I think it's safe to say that most of us have at least heard of the seemingly impossible, if not repugnant, lengths that an alcoholic will go to to reach drunkenness. I shall begin this entry with the most unsavory methods that I have been made aware of.


Shortly after entering alcohol rehab for my vodka addiction in 2005, the most dangerous method was infact a game called the "drinking game of death." I could not believe what I was hearing. This "drinking game of death" was as close to Russian Roulette as I can imagine getting to. I am not going to divulge the details.


Within two months of completing alcohol rehab, two guys who I had formed a close bond with had died playing this "drinking game of death." I later found out that one of them was playing the game with other using watered-down methylated spirits as that was all they could afford.

Another method of "getting there" alcohol-wise which shocked me was one alcoholic who openly confessed to injecting watered-down vodka. He had the needle marks on his arms to prove it and was clear every time he was drug tested.


Behind these two shocking methods of achieving drunkenness for the alcoholic are the ones that most of us have heard of. Drinking after-shave is probably the most common. This is actually rather short-lived to the point of futility but has the potential to lead to acute alcohol poisoning and blindness.


On a much 'tamer' scale (but concerning, nonetheless), is 'spiking' ones own drinks. Before I became a reclusive alcoholic, I would 'top-up' whatever drink that I had, be it coffee or Guinness, with a generous dash of vodka. This sort of deception still upsets me to this very day....but....I have not done it today.


This has often posed me the question; the "drinking game of death" is a very social event amongst alcoholics, yet I drank myself closer to death than I'd care to recant here. What's worse?


I guess I was playing my own "drinking game of death" and was nothing more than extremely lucky to have survived it.


Many friends haven't.