Yeah I get that! No use in wasting mental energy on the cretin. And your feelings are completely understandable. I just hope they never cross your path.

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Austen_Tasseltine@reddit

Quitting drinking is easy compared to the reality of what's emotionally to come.

I don’t know you from Adam but I’m profoundly proud of you managing that. I’ve lost family members to alcoholism related conditions and it hurts a lot. I just wish they could’ve managed what you did.

Keep it up man. You’ve got it.

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OldishWench@reddit

What part of your life did you compromise to afford it?

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OreoSpamBurger@reddit

Alcoholics tend to forget to eat.

The alcohol also fucks up your stomach and digestive system, so when they do eat, they don't absorb enough nutrition.

I think spending every day in Wetherspoons was as bad as life gets...then you threw in the reason...

So it's only the 2nd worse.

Kudos to you for stopping the rot, and getting help. So glad you did!

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JonLarkHat@reddit

That's an inspirational story. A really rotten position to have been in, and you got out of it. 👍

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fergie_89@reddit

Congratulations on your sobriety! I'm so happy for you that you're in a much better place.

I also never judge because you don't know what people are going through. I appreciate your opening up and I wish you a long and happy life!

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Upstairs_Yogurt_5208@reddit

Thanks mate. Im in a far better place now and I plan on staying there

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fergie_89@reddit

It sounds like it! I hope you and the famalam had an amazing Xmas and new years Enjoy 2025! You bloody earnt it!

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metalgearnix@reddit

The vitamins prevent Wernicke's encephalopathy so I'm sure you can be appreciative of that...

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DreamingofBouncer@reddit

Foxglovenectar@reddit

Sooo many. Often ones of proper old school generosity and care. Those gents looked after us little bar tenders. We were bought things for uni, they listened to our woes and struggles and offered advice.

One recently passed away and all the old bar tenders met and the new bar tenders allowed us all to stay for a lock in to celebrate his life. The new bar tenders have made a place for him and his stool at the bar is now permenantly reserved. I called in the other day and could see they had put a fresh pint in front of the stool.

I live in a good town for sure.

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MarkEsmiths@reddit

Sorry what is a raf in this context?

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Careful_Peregrine@reddit

Royal Air Force ex serviceman!

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dave-t-2002@reddit

Serious question. I worked in a pub. It’s when I noticed that some people just have a different reaction to alcohol. It appears like it impacts them in a way that it doesn’t others. And I noticed that the people who would be there every day at 4pm and drink all night would have the same weird reaction.

Did you notice something similar? Maybe it was the tolerance? They seemed to get drunk pretty quickly but not inebriated. They didn’t really get happier - they often had a personality change.

It was really sad to see.

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ComprehensiveAd8815@reddit

I’ve seen all sides of this over the years, even the nicest person can be an utter twat when inebriated.

A lot of them were highly functioning alcoholics, just topping up the system and they managed perfectly well, the body breaking down from the inside out.

There were people who had one too many and the real personality came out, the resentments, disappointments, anger, that was sad to see.

I’ve seen it be a dumping place for “care in the community” patients, pub staff are not trained to deal with this, nor should they be!

Pubs can be a great social event, a meeting place, a gathering place, it can support the lonely and the lost but also can cause a lot of problems for those that can’t handle alcohol, have dependency issues and self medicate.

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dave-t-2002@reddit

It’s the ones that have a complete personality change after drinking that I found scariest. I knew a few like this at the pub and it made me more aware of people with this problem.

A good friend and an ex were like this. Kind, decent and lovely sober. Nasty, cruel, spiteful when drunk and often not particularly drunk. I always wondered which was the real them. Over time both became more like the drunk versions of themselves and seemed to be content with the change.

So the top comment is a guy talking about his alcoholism and how he was compelled by the illness to drink morning til night every single day after suggesting from childhood sexual abuse and will never judge any addict for taking the path.

APairOfHikingBoots@reddit

My local spoons the cheapest cider is only £2.39 a pint now, often drops to £1.99 as well so it does seem very high for 20 years ago.

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Admirable-Web-4688@reddit

Yeh, I worked in a 'spoons in London in 2002 and we had pints of John Smiths for £1.09, I think a Fosters was £1.39 or so.

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Randomn355@reddit

Yeh but smiths and fosters have always been cheap... As has spoons.

It's average prices remember.

For every fosters in spoons, there's restaurants selling peroni, every student night club there's a fancy bar etc

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Randomn355@reddit

Google it. That's what it said.

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Due-Tonight-611@reddit

K

But I was just talking about my experience

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Randomn355@reddit

That's fine...

I'm just saying it's based on overall averages, plenty of things skew away from it.

Lol I worked in a spoons and we had a Roy that would basically do the same. Old guy, he'd come in for breakfast super early and he'd be at that bar 5 mins before alcohol could be sold. And he'd be there all day, stood at the table by the game machines and never saw him sit down. He'd alternate between bar, machines and smoking area until his wife came and got him in the late afternoon.

My best group of customers getting pissed was a group of adults with carers, they came in same day same time every week, they'd walk in, clearly disabled, one dragged his foot and limped, a couple who had down syndrome and couple of others. They'd drink pint after pint (not the carers) and they'd walk out like they were less disabled I was bizarre. Limpy guy used to forget his stick all the time because he'd walk out "normal".

One guy who had severe learning difficulties but no carer absolutely loved me, man I miss Alan, and he'd come in after work (worked in a charity shop in town) and stay until close, we'd have to wake him up before last orders as he'd be asleep somewhere. And he would refuse to leave until he got a hug from me, the bouncers would have to come find me to get Alan to leave. We were a lloyds bar and wetherspoons so most nights this was gone 12pm and fri/sat we'd be kicking him out closer to 1am lol.

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BrawDev@reddit

I wonder if my generations example of that, to a lesser extent might be stuck in the house playing games. It's a meme at this point the girl goes out to work and the unemployed boyfriend stays at home all day playing Fortnite. But if you weren't born when video games were a thing, and the only thing you had local to do was sit in a pub out the cold, I could see why it became peoples go to after all this time if they've nothing else better to do.

That, along with the alcoholism and what comes with that.

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Albert_Herring@reddit

Extroversion is also a factor. While the canonical gamer/redditor hates and is exhausted by having to deal with people IRL, especially lots of them at once, others of us are instead energised by company and need it regularly for our own mental health.

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bobdvb@reddit

In college, a mate of mine was in a motorised wheelchair, his carer would get the evening off and we'd go out.

One-time it was just him and me, we went to a local pub. We were at the bar, his chair had a cool feature where it could raise him up so he could see over the bar.

He joked that the barmaid was giving me some positive attention. So at some point where I was talking to her, he jabbed my in the rib with his pointy fingers. I then slapped his baseball cap. Resulting in a dirty look from the barmaid for abusing the guy in the wheelchair! And a chuckle from him, little bastard!

On the way home I turned off his wheelchair in the middle of a busy road junction as revenge. Queue panic as he fiddled to restart it before the next car came.

Fun times!

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Every_Stand4168@reddit

attempted murder 😂

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bobdvb@reddit

https://youtu.be/AQQPNQ0PFSc?

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Glad he survived! Its weird how if the older ones didn't turn up you presumed the worst and although you'd speak to them regularly and learnt alot about them from their ramblings if any of them didn't show I really wouldn't have known where to look tbh like I didn't know their surnames etc. But they would be missed when not there, it's odd.

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SteptoeUndSon@reddit

Your last paragraph sounds like a list of Viz characters

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VixenRoss@reddit

I used to use the Spoons as a cafe because they opened at 8am. They also did nice coffee.

There was a guy there, he was a taxi driver. He would do his two 4am/5am Gatwick runs, and then get to the pub at 8/9 and start drinking.

Then at around 2-4pm he would go off and do another airport run or two. 6-7 come back for another 3-4 drinks and then go home.

In the evening -

We had the American who thought he was better than anyone else. He was doing a PHD. He thought we were all hicks. He tried to talk to me about something he thought would make me go glazed eyes and not understood. I replied back and challenged what he was saying, with a decent argument. When I told him I had a degree in engineering, he was offended I didn’t tell him straight away. And promptly refused to talk to me after that because I “didn’t respect him”. (Not my problem if your arguments /philosophy were about as strong as a primark bag in the rain!)

Toploader77@reddit

I did nights, 6 nights a week for 3.5 years, and I used to love heading to 'spoons after work a few days a week for a for some pints and a meal. I did have to kill some time between finishing work and opening time, so I was one of those literally waiting at the door at opening time, or would be there soon after.

What I loved about 'spoons was anyone in there that didn't know me, didn't care that I was drinking at 9am because I was one of many (albeit I was by far the youngest in there on most days). Yet the bar staff all new I was a night worker just grabbing dinner and a drink before bed as I'd had enough time to tell them over polite conversation as I was being served, and you could tell all respected it.

RelevantInflation898@reddit

I'm usually on the way to an all day event like a day festival or something and want a cheap breakfast with some cheap pints before we get whatever transport there and have to pay extortionate prices for event pints.

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Regular_Owl610@reddit

Well done it must of been hard

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addicted-2-cameltoe@reddit

Puzzles me people having a full English breakfast at 9 am with a pint.... talmost turns my stomach to see that

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deathschemist@reddit

a non-zero number of those are night shift.

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Its actually the 6th most visited website in the English speaking world.

Ngl though, 10 years ago when I joined I didn't think that would end up being the case.

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mcbeef89@reddit

Yesh it ish /connery

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Hambatz@reddit

Not yet maybe but once I retire I’ll be in there for breakfast browsing Reddit all day

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At the end of the day they're supporting a local business more than you are, mate.

Whetherspoon isn't a local business anymore then your local tesco or asda is a "local business".

Kids buying cannabis from a local dealer are supporting a local business much more and damaging their health less.

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socandostuff@reddit

Jokes on you, I am that guy. I love spoons, pal.

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'I can't be bothered to debate a stranger'

Writes an essay

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Dry_Yogurt2458@reddit

Whilst unemployed and then later whilst working within the system I have met people that would sell their own grandmother.

Some of them do

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bishsticksandfrites@reddit

Agreed.

I, like you, choose to save my righteous judgement for people who wear suits.

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SaltyName8341@reddit

At someone else's expense

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Dry_Yogurt2458@reddit

Tell me a joke that isn't at somebody's expense ??

You see, Humour is finding the funny part of everything. Even trauma., and adverse life events. It's how we, as humans, overcome adversity so that we do not wallow in our own self pity.

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SaltyName8341@reddit

What's brown and sticky?

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Dry_Yogurt2458@reddit

That's not a joke it's a question about an observation

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Crookwell@reddit

I'd rather feel rage than apathy, the way we treat people fallen on hard times is not ok.

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Dry_Yogurt2458@reddit

I agree 100% which is why I no longer work in the system

I was Para's and then later joined the Navy so "hardcore drinkers" formed alot of my peers. I was usually home by 4 or 5, but I wanted some kip and to see my wife.

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Background-Factor817@reddit

Same, I used to be that guy out till about 4am, a lot different with a family, still had a few pints before heading home though.

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cactusdan94@reddit

This is a big thing. Not everyone who drinks in the morning is an alcoholic

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Ok-Yogurt4050@reddit

Mind your ahhhn business that’s the response

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warmiceHD@reddit

I used to work morning shifts at whetherspoons. Many of the older retired gents would all meet for drinks starting 8am while reading the papers, old habits I suppose

Day drinking is so much better. The last 2 times I've been out, the first was an evening. Had about 6 pints. I felt it for the next 3 days. The 2nd time it was during the day. Had about the same amount of pints and felt a little hungover the next day but it was gone by the second day.

I really do think your body "processes" alcohol better when you are awake. Yeah I'll start to get a hangover in the evening after a day session but I think most of it gets cleared then and you wake up much fresher compared to if you go to bed still pissed

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SaltyName8341@reddit

Don't forget the night cap

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CupcakeFew7382@reddit

So agree!

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mrshakeshaft@reddit

When I was doing bar work, there was about 4 or 5 regulars who would come in at opening time everyday and drink until about 1 ish then bugger off home. 2 of them were postmen, one was a train driver and one was some guy who was independently wealthy and I think a bit lonely so he came in the chat with the bar staff (and one of the posties) and drink a few halves. They were easily the most pleasant customers that we had

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Depends on the spoons. My local one is on a river with two nice beer gardens. I (a middle aged woman) have been in there a fair few times for a quick pint on my way back from a walk when the weather is nice.

That said, the clientele is usually day trippers or tourists rather than the stereotypical drunken ne’er do wells.

If you call in at 9am on a Saturday or Sunday, they will be plenty of people having an alcoholic drink. Usually the aforementioned tourists having breakfast and killing time before they head home. I think the one near Edinburgh train station is the same.. heaving in the morning with people on hair of the dog.

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22ndcentury_clubbing@reddit

I live in Australia now and come back to the UK to visit the folks once a year.

There is nothing like spoons in Australia, so almost everyday I'll pop in for breakfast and a pint or lunch and a pint.

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turntricks@reddit

I love it when mansplainers try to confidently predict what women can and can't do, and then it's obvious from their comment history that they view us as weird otherworldly beings with incomprehensible behaviour patterns that are beyond the ken of men.

I definitely GET drunk - I just don't behave like it. But after being at the pub I just head home quietly, feed the cats, talk to the missus, watch a movie, brush my teeth and go to bed.

No singing as I walk down the street, no slurring my words, no fighting with strangers, no eating kebabs using the front of my jacket as a dinner plate.

Maybe 2-3 times a year though? Other times it's meeting up with friends and due to everyone's schedule it is easy to meet in spoons, have breakfast and fully abused the free refills on the coffee.

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danielbird193@reddit

Ooh what’s your night job??

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I got up early one day with a pack of Aussies to catch the AFL Grand Final at 5am. After the game we headed to spend right as it opened. We were already a few cans deep when we got there, so we were quite the scene.

We got some looks but everyone else had a pint in their hands as well. I guess we were breaking their morning ritual.

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Thatresolves@reddit

Used to work nights during uni maybe 15 years ago, midnight til 8-9am in the morning, we’d usually go in for breakfast after work few of us would have a pint because that was our night really

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ScumBucket33@reddit

Yes. Yes I do.

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TheocraticAtheist@reddit

Only time I ever drink before noon is at the airport.

Friend of mine worked Nightshift so it could well be that.

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ukbot-nicolabot@reddit

OP marked this as the best answer, given by /u/Upstairs_Yogurt_5208.

I was a morning Wetherspoons drinker and I was an alcoholic. I would usually have a few beers to get my levels up so I could stop shaking. I’d then return home and have a few more beers there before heading back to the pub later in the day. I would usually drink between 15 and 20 beers a day, mostly cans. I would pass out at about 9pm and then wake up the next day to start my day of drinking again. It was a horrible cycle of drink, sleep, repeat and it went on for many years. I tried getting help from my GP etc but the most I ever got was a sheet of phone numbers and a prescription for some vitamins because I was underweight. Eventually I opened up to my family about why I drank like I did (I was sexually abused as a child) then my folks took me in and dried me out. I’ve now been sober for over eight years and in that time I met my wife and had two beautiful children. I never judge an addict of any kind because there’s always a reason as to why a person has followed that path.

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