Tyler Baze - put the whiskey down, son

[Port Conway Lane]

I was primarily a beer drinker for over 20 years. I am ashamed to admit it but I dodged countless DUI's and I was lucky I never injured or killed anyone.

I will never know for sure but my life (and possibly others) may have been spared 13 years ago when I ran into the back of a car at a stop light after consuming over 24 beers over an 8 hour span.

I never touched a drink again.....until two years ago. So far so good. It is not a battle for me. I need to stay away from a motor vehicle when i consume alchohol.

I put the bottle down instantly after a wake up call. Others aren't as fortunate. I could be the same person I was 13 years ago from today forward.

Everyone's experience is different. I'm responsible for my actions. Tyler Baze is responsible for his actions. Whether alchoholism is a disease or not doesn't spare Tyler his responsibility.

Well said.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Port Conway Lane

Everyone's experience is different. I'm responsible for my actions. Tyler Baze is responsible for his actions. Whether alchoholism is a disease or not doesn't spare Tyler his responsibility.

I don't think anyone here thinks that alcoholism is a reason to not face consequences, especially for actions that are illegal, which includes driving under the influence. I have no problem with people ending up in jail for DUI or losing their licenses. And not because I think it's a deterrent- because alcoholism is a disease, it's not going to respond to punishment. How many people have repeated DUI's? I think they should lose their licenses and serve jail time because they're a menace behind the wheel.

So of course Baze should face consequences. But to assume it's just a character flaw really ignores what alcoholism is.

It's a disease! OMG put on the kid gloves.

You can prevent the disease through lifestyle choices.

Personal responsibility is the best path for wellness. Stop making excuses for adults. The overreaction to those pictures is telling. Making fun of a drunk who is fortunate to be blessed with the ability to make a great living is equal to making fun of an aids baby?

Ridiculous.

[Port Conway Lane]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

I don't think anyone here thinks that alcoholism is a reason to not face consequences, especially for actions that are illegal, which includes driving under the influence. I have no problem with people ending up in jail for DUI or losing their licenses. And not because I think it's a deterrent- because alcoholism is a disease, it's not going to respond to punishment. How many people have repeated DUI's? I think they should lose their licenses and serve jail time because they're a menace behind the wheel.

So of course Baze should face consequences. But to assume it's just a character flaw really ignores what alcoholism is.

To me if it is a disease for one it is a disease for all or it is a choice people make. I reacted to my drinking only when the unthinkable happened. As I stated before Others aren't as fortunate. Some people don't give a flying **** and some have a death wish. I have empathy for anyone who has lost a loved one to alchoholism and my belief as to whether I have a disease or a choice is based only on my personal experience and no one elses.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Port Conway Lane

To me if it is a disease for one it is a disease for all or it is a choice people make. I reacted to my drinking only when the unthinkable happened. As I stated before Others aren't as fortunate. Some people don't give a flying **** and some have a death wish. I have empathy for anyone who has lost a loved one to alchoholism and my belief as to whether I have a disease or a choice is based only on my personal experience and no one elses.

Drinking is a choice, alcoholism is not. And it manifests in so many different ways that I think it's hard for those of us who are accustomed to diseases being easily identifiable and manifesting pretty much the same way in everyone. The four condition usually used to diagnose a disease are that it be primary (have recognizable symptoms), chronic (continues if not treated), progressive (gets worse over time) and be fatal. I feel alcoholism fits the bill.

The frustrating thing being that it is possible to arrest the disease by stopping drinking, which is the easiest thing in the world for those who don't feel a compulsion to drink.

There are those who would say you're not an alcoholic at all if you're capable of drinking now, and those who would say you're a functional alcoholic, which is to say it's not interfering with your life. As far as I'm concerned, as long as you're not hurting anyone, it's no one's business but yours whether you're drinking or not.

Baze, of course, is actually hurting people, and needs to be held responsible for his actions, but the state of being an alcoholic is not an action. Either way, I do hope he gets help. Bailey said that after he stopped drinking, it was like races were suddenly in slow motion- with a clear head, he felt had all the time in the world to think about what he was going to do during the race. I always thought that was a neat image.