re: Do alcoholics get stuck telling the same story multiple time a day?

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I'm asking for suggestions as to what to watch for, He's rather alienated from his geographically close family. My husband is trying to do the right thing, but we aren't sure what that should be.

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Drunks definitely tell the same story over and over again. I’m in recovery (14 months) and I can tell you that I would ask someone’s name 4 times in the same conversation and still not remember.

He’s clearly been drinking for a while. When you start alienating friends and family that’s in an advanced stage.

I had to be forced into rehab twice. The first time I just went to get my job back (wrong reason). The second time I had lost a big opportunity and decided to go back to rehab. After my head was clearer and I could see the scope of what the disease was doing to me, I made the decision that I’d had enough of this shite ruining everything, and got sober for myself.. My 6:30 AM rambling thoughts:

-HE has to not only know he has a problem, he has to realize how serious this problem is. The first step being the most important is not just a cliche. And a DUI is not enough to scare most alcoholics into stopping long term. We are not “normal people”

-once he decides he needs to quit, the best ones to help him are recovering alcoholics. He may not listen to anything you say about drinking. However, interventions are effective. Not always.

-he may have to lose a lot more shite in his life that he cares about, until he decides enough is enough. It is not pretty to watch alcoholics lose more and more. But he will not hit rock bottom until he stops digging.

-If he talks about his drinking and cutting back, take what he says about it with a grain of salt (for now). I told people “guess what, I’m not drinking anymore!” just to save face, I said it well over a hundred times before I actually stopped.

-there is no such thing as “cutting back” for an actual alcoholic, one is too many and a thousand is never enough.

-depending on how close you are to this relative, you may want to go to an Al Anon meeting (it is different from AA, just google Al Anon meetings). It will teach you a lot. You asked what you could do, if you’re willing you should do that, it’ll help you understand. Again, alcoholics are not normal people.

-there may be nothing you can say to convince him to quit. In fact it’s highly likely he won’t listen to you. Interventions can be effective, but telling him “you really need to think about cutting back” is likely a losing battle.

-IMO there is no such thing as a functional alcoholic. If an alcoholic keeps drinking, alcohol will eventually win.

-he should really go to a meeting and talk with some alcoholics. The fellowship is great and real. Notice how I’m making a long post about this at 6:30 AM. Talking about this shite may save someone’s life (not this post, but in general), and it also keeps me sober.

I know story tellers that don’t drink and do this…

Was it at least an interesting story?

I don't know but I know recovering alcoholics will tell you their story weather you asked for it or not.

Its so sad to see people judging individuals just because they drink “too much”. I know PLENTY of non drinkers that repeat themselves. I social drink and rarely drink more than three at a time. For the last 10 years I preface every story with “let me know if I’ve told you this”. So by some of the comments, one could also say, “my friend has started to lose his eyesite but I think it’s because he drinks a lot”. I know a ton of people that repeat themselves…..and shocker..they aren’t drinkers

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Do alcoholics get stuck telling the same story multiple time a day?

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Just tell him he's told you already. Pretty simple. If you want to be proactive tell him when sober that he does that so he doesn't get mad when drunk.

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That’s so sad. Man I’ve seen so many alcoholics lose shite that they didn’t have to lose. It’s beyond heart breaking.

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Well good thing is we are legalizing weed more and more now a days so that'll help fix that problem once it's the norm.

Tasseo said it best.

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After the phone call ends, we wondered if being an alcoholic affects short term memory

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Wonder no more, it most definitely does.

If you really did not know that and want an explanation, alcohol affects short-term memory by slowing down how nerves communicate with each other in a part of the the hippocampus. The hippocampus helps people form and maintain memories.

I’d also question why your husband listed to the same story six times. That seems absurd. After the third time I would have cut the storyteller off by finishing the story for him and reminding him that he had already told me the story. I am very patient, though. Most people would stop it after the first time. When I read this post I thought it was created by a bot because it sounded so unbelievable that someone would listen to the same story six times in the same day.

If you want to help, do not enable them by listening to the same story six times. Call them on their BS. Coddling an alcoholic like that is only helping you because you because you do not want to confront them. If you confront them and offer help, such as helping them enroll in a substance abuse program, you will be helping. Ultimately, they have to help themselves.

I retell stories that I forgot I told while drunk all the time. So yes?

But it’s like.. the next day or whatever.