Dangerous Levels of Drinking
According to figures released today by the NHS:
- 1 in 4 adults are drinking at hazardous levels,
- 1 in 10 men are on the verge of alcoholism,
- 1 in 6 women drink at levels sufficient to damage their liver or lead to depression,
- 1 in 10 men and 1 in 25 women are approaching alcohol dependence (admittedly rather vague terminology).
We have to ask ourselves why people in the UK seem to be developing more problems with alcohol, and what can be done about it. The cost to the health service alone is staggering – presently some £2.7 billion. That’s before we even consider the personal and social costs involved.
I have sympathy or is that empathy for all here, but be warned, if you live in the UK, and don`t have Private medical insurance, then be prepared for a long (up to 2 years) wait until you can access any type of residential re-habilitation.
The best advice I can give is see a GP, this may be your regular GP or one of the out of hours services. Take the Librium, that they are obliged to prescribe for you (see GMC guidance notes 2007), and then try to stay off the alcohol, I know this is a big ask, but unfortunately unless you are very well off in th UK, that is the best you can expect.
Good luck to all!
I have been drinking a bottle of vodka/litre of vodka every other day (sometimes 3-4 day long benders) since i was around 23.
A while ago i had a severe foot problem which rendered me unable to walk for long periods of time (weeks). It still happens, this is now my third week off of work because of this foot problem (i have seen specialists and everything), my drinking got worse because i was depressed about this and then i became worse because i was drunk all the time.
Just had a letter from the doc’s requesting an ecg. I;m now panicking. Unfortunately i started drinking (idiots response i know) before i came across this site – was trying to figure out why i needed an ecg when i had one not too long back and then conceded it must of been the high levels of booze in my system when he surprised me with the blood test. My partner is very supportive and i love her dearly but i know having a drunken, despressed cripple to come home too is not what she wants.
I get foul black moods when i don’t drink, i get unbearably hot and sweaty, boozing takes away my appetite – i have sometimes gone days (3) without eating a thing and just passing out and boozing again.
I quit smoking and drinking for around 2 1/2 weeks a while back, improved my diet and started walking more. My blood test results were almost normal after that, then my foot flared up again and it went downhill. Here i am. Any inspiring or kind words would be much appreciated.
Long story short – don’t drink or f*cking smoke. It kills you from inside.
Don’t panic about the ECG. The doctor would have phoned if it were urgent, not written. We all have those periods of no food, round the clock drinking and zonking out. It’s not pretty. In the short term, you might consider your diet, and try to get some nutrition into you. It’s easier to fight this battle if you are sleeping and eating properly. If you are immobile and off work use the time productively – read, study, catch up on paperwork, or just enjoy a stupid daytime movie. If you can raise a glimmer of posyiveness about the current situation with your foot, you will be less inclined to use it as an excuse to drink. I have been off the binge for nearly two weeks. I am lucky in that I am in Australia where the sun shines and there is always something to do outdoors. Depressing weather doesn’t help my condition, so I am very happy to see spring, and a warm one at that. I can’t think of anything inspiring to say, only that you are not alone in this. It won’t be an easy journey but every step you take towards staying sober is a huge personal victory. Cheers, A
Hi Anna, thankyou for replying.
Didn’t get to sleep till 0600 this morning. Feel terrible, foot still hurts. Being productive is pretty hard. Even going to the loo is difficult, i have hardly any paperwork (all the important stuff is online), reading is fine, i do read pretty much everyday, i watch alot of films. All of this seems silly to me in that it’s not something i should or can be proud of. By trade i’m a chef, you can imagine how badly this affects my income and general mood etc.
The only reason i went to the doctor was to get a referral for my foot – now i have another unpleasant activity that’s literally going to hurt me and cost me money that i don’t have (walking, taxi costs). Reading back my previous post i feel i should make clear that this problem with my foot has been happening for over a year now. I have not been able to work properly for a year.
Here’s one : ‘Those who do not fall, cannot stand.’ I hope that’s true.
You sound like you have your life on your own terms – i congratulate you.
Hi, From my experience of rehab, the staff monitor the ‘clients’ pretty closely. Sure there was a mix of social groups, and not many women. But it’s a safe place to be if you want to be alcohol free, plus the people around you understand what you are going through. Ask your docotr’s advice as to a reputable rehab, go and visit and see for yourself before you reject the idea completely. The least you can get out of it is a period of time without vodka which will help you get past it, and you might find you learn some valuable strategies to help you even more. For sure the tragedies of life can set you on the road to a drink problem. But if it has developed into an addiction, you need professional help. Good luck with it, and be kind to yourself.
I am 26 years old. Have been drinking since say, 15? But heavily since I was around 22? Recently I have been drinking up to a litre of vodka a day. My friends are now getting worried for my health. I lost my father and brother in my teens. I know this is no excuse but am sure it is a factor. I have been to the doctor and he recommended I go to a rehab clinic. I didn’t go as I heard horror stories of junkies everywhere. I just wanted to say my bit and any advice or anything would be so appreciated. Thank you
It’s 8.30 am i’ve not drank for 2 days this is day 3 and i’m already worried i’ll cave. I know my partner will want to drink tonigh which will make it even harder. I can’t remember the last time i got through day 3. i always cave. Any advise gratefully received
here’s one for you………am 51yrs young, have had 2 strokes, a blood clot on both my leg and my lung and suffer from atrial fibrillation..and not forgetting i have a hole in the heart ( non operational ) and also suffer from what is called reflux !!! and to cap it all for the last 5 yrs i was an alchoholic…am on blood thinners for the rest of my life and i loved to drink !!….i didn’t care about myself or my family i just wanted to drink. i risked everything..and then my mother died last month from cancer and it wasnt very nice but the strange thing is that i have stopped pretty much drinking alcohol in any form at all ???……how did that happen…..i feel better, am more active, am not depressed or suffer anxiety attacks in fact i wish i had never started the booze at all…i think it took a shock to the system for me to do this because believe me i would have carried on regardless, i wish you all the best of luck in your attempts to quit this addiction, for me it is goodbye to one old pal and hello to life again….but i will miss the buzz vodka gave me…take care….
Vodka……. Love/hate,eh? Wish I never started too.
Dear All, I just read through some of your stories and wanted to let you know that there is light at the end of this horrible tunnel.
I am in my mid 30s and looking back I had a drink problem for around 8 years, I hid bottles, ‘borrowed’ money, took out payday loans, drunk drove, lied, continuously felt hungover, slurred, had an aching liver and guts most of the time, massively elevated gamma gt’s, suffered depression. The only thing that stopped me from drinking was when my husband finally started packing to leave. I was drinking 30-40 units a day, mainly vodka, but anything I could get my hands on. I had tried AA, hypnosis, Alan Carrs easy way, but was always too drunk to absorb anything. I finally got forced into going cold turkey by my then husband and whilst I would urge nobody to do this it saved my life. The withdrawal was so severe that I ended up in A & E and was given anti psychotic drugs to ease the withdrawal, I spent 5 days at home being supervised by my husband and I can honestly say it was horrendous, I had the most awful hallucinations, sweats and psychotic episodes, but on day 6 they stopped, I then saw my GP who prescribed Campral and I believe it has made me what I am today. Once you have detoxed it somehow blocks the part of your brain that craves alcohol, it really really works if you are detoxed on starting it. My husband left me anyway, but I am now clean for 18 months, no cutting down, I just choose not to drink at all ever, I saw how it nearly destroyed me, I don’t believe alcoholics have the ability to cut down, it’s too tempting to have ‘just the one’ dont. My advice is you can and will do it if you want it bad enough, put the bottle down, get as much help as you can and ask for it, life will be so much sweeter I swear. Good luck to all of you and believe me when I say, I am just a bog standard, nothing special kind of person, I just found my way. Xxx
Cath you are a very special, one hell of a person! You have survived a horrendous experience and come out of it triumphant. Well done, you!
I have put my self on the verge of death because of my need for my best freind alcohol who helped me through the hard times..which were all of my life lol…? It helped at first with my shyness but since being under the influence took most of my shyness away when intoxicated or just the linger of beer or wine have been raped by two men who would have done it anyway but I made it easier for them by having a couple.I took them to court and they got eight years each,I then had more dutch courage and faced two guys after they where attacking my sister in laws house with baseball bats and making threats to 6 family members and now live in chronic pain with a broken jaw and live a four or sometimes five course meal on strong painkillers and antideppressants every day.I now need my best freind drink most nights as the pain and flash backs will never allow sleep as I will not and cannot relax or calm.I live in a state of fear of whats next and forgot how to live …If you can taper off yourself.I am a live but underneath I am not dying I am already dead..LOL Jax
I am becoming concerned about two people I know. They have been drinking a litre bottle of vodka between them everyday for the past two years. (they still go to work but as soon as they walk in, they would begin to drink). I am concern about what will happen to them if they carry on like this? and how can I come about to help them both? Thank you for your advance comments
After starting wt. watchers and keeping track of daily/weekly points to lose wt, it became painfully obvious to me that my wt. gain was due to the needless calories from daily drinking Champaign. My husband is a sociopath, an adulterer, and a workaholic. It has been my choice to deal with the abuse via alcohol. Now after 20 years of marriage, I want to break the cycle I’ve gotten myself into with the drinking, depression and weight gain. I want my life back, the one I should have lived, had I not of allowed this man in my life. Learning to respond differently is coming thru a program called “Smart Recovery.” I’m keeping good thoughts and prayers for anyone, like me, who has this struggle with alcohol.
Hi there,i know what you’re going thru,im 55,i’ve been in detox,hospital,drank myself to the the point of death and then keep drinking for a week on end,i stop evetually and get better and wonder why did i do it,but then i slip back an it feels like i’m really poisoning myself to the point of madness & death or worse still,I know there must be a solution,i’d do anything to have a real life and stay there,I’ll pray tonight for all suffereing alcoholics and for me and my family,please help!
im only 21 but i think i have a serious drinking problem. as im writing this,i feel really sick and hungover. i drink almost every day and i drink alot until i black out or pass out. i dont wanna live like this anymore,i really need help and im ready to get it. last night was the final straw for me when i got so drunk and decided to text my ex and tell him that im still in love with him. i got over him like a year ago but when i drink..it just brings up old feelings. i mainly drink bcuz im depressed and suicidal and its my escape from life and reality but theres gotta be a better way to cope with life’s daily stress. getting back to last night,it was really scary bcuz i honestly thought i was gonna die. my friend had to help me by making me eat and nursing me to sleep. and here i am now at 5:30 in the morning feeling sick to my stomach
i would say that another reason i drink is cuz my mom n how she treats me. she makes me feel inadequate and she treats me like a child. she’ll be very negative in almost every aspect of my life. like for example,if i say that im interested in meeting a guy for a date,she’ll say mean things like “why would this person want to meet you” or “hes only out to get one thing,he’ll never respect you”. this type of talk gives me the lowest self esteem you could ever imagine. i dont even bother dating anymore because of what my mom says. my life is such a mess and i know its because of my drinking but i dont know how to stop. i really want to start going to AA.
hi robbie
my gf broke up with me about a month ago and ive been on weekend benders since.
now sitting at home with a broken jaw and lost car keys, phone etc
please stop drinking. you have to deal with being on your own. im sure you are a good person – why else would you be on here offering up support – so please start believing in the power that you have.
i couldnt stop the binge drinking because it gave me a social circle etc but what use will that be when i am dead…
Hi everyone i’m a 35 year old male and i think i have a drink problem. My long term girlfriend split up we me afew weeks ago and all i’ve done since is drink eveyday. I drink 3-4 litres of cider aday and can’t stop i just dont know what to do with myself now that she’s gone. I lost my job just before xmas but i had my girlfriend to fall back on, now she’s gone my days are all the same i get so bored and lonely the only way to escape is through the drink i dont know what to do. I tried to stop the other day but i got so down and my head was all over the place so i reached for the bottle again. I’m really in a sad place in my life and i just don’t know how to change things.
I wish you all good luck in your lives and drink is NOT the answer my problems are still there the next day….
Hi. I am 26 with 3 boys, drink has changed me, I’m hoping I’m realising this early enough to act on it. I know when it started getting so enjoyable and a popular choice for me to drink… I know what its done to me so far and I know if I don’t control it better what it might mean for me & my family. When I met my husband I hardly ever had a drink, he drank every night, just a beer now and again. I joined him, and it became something we did together every single night, when his job changed he cut his drinking down alot, but I didn’t. I enjoyed putting the boys to bed and opening a beer so I carried on. Now however I have gone up two sizes from a 10 to a 14, & I have my first drink every night whilst making my kids tea. I drink then until bed time, i even drink before i go swimming which I do late night, 2 nights a week. I have lost many Friend because I am very opinionated anyway, but when I’ve had a drink I can’t stop. I don’t feel like I need it, but I’ve stopped caring about my weight, my friendships and even work if it means I had to stop drinking, I just don’t want too. I enjoy it so much.
hi, i’m not an alcoholic, don’t even understand what the allure of drinking yourself stupid is, but i have a 17 year old daughter who i believe may be on the verge of alcoholism. She’s a binge drinker. Drinks herself stupid pretty much every weekend. she’s been taken advantage of by guys i don’t know how many times. she’s lost thousands of dollars worth of possessions since her alcohol abuse started. has passed out in an alley, luckily a good samaritan found her before something horrible happened, not really 100% sure that nothing did happen but she was fully clothed when she was found so i can only hope that was the case. has done bodily harm to herself from falling down during these episodes. has crashed the car from driving drunk, lucky for her it was in a very rural area so the police didn’t get involved. she’s completely wasted within an hour of when she starts to drink. which means if she’s going somewhere with friends she doesn’t even get to enjoy the party cause she’s already wasted before she even gets there. and this is only a few of the things that have happened to her. i’d list everything but am afraid that someone she knew would read this post would be able to identify her as the person that it’s about and not everyone knows about all the debauchery that has taken place. and none of this makes her want to change. she denies she has a drinking problem, says that everyone drinks, yet none of her friends drink as excessively as she does. she’s the butt of their jokes and it’s just sad that she’s so young and has so much potential, and has her whole life ahead of her and this is what she has chosen to be. when asked why she does this to herself she says that being drunk is fun. she says that being stupid drunk where you black out isn’t fun, yet 8 times out of 10 that’s how drunk she gets. she constantly tries tricks in order to not get “stupid drunk” like eating before she starts to drink, trying not to drink so fast, or whatever she can think of, but to no avail, most times she ends up completely oblivious and can’t remember anything. we’re at our wits end as to what to do. we have no health insure as our jobs don’t offer it, so rehab seems unreachable. plus it seems like it would be a waste if she doesn’t even realize and refuses to accept or acknowledge that she even has a drinking problem. she’s been seeing a counselor, but nothing has changed, her excessive drinking continues. the only time she doesn’t drink is when we ground her. but she’s gonna be 18 soon and what will happen then? we’re terrified that as soon as she moves out that she’ll be dead that first weekend because of her reckless drinking. how do you help a teenager who seems to be hell bent on ending her life and doesn’t realize that her drinking is out of control and is going to kill her?
readin ur storiieshas shocked me in2 doin someythin i ony drink 1 or 2 night aweeks prob dont sound bad but it the amount i drink in them couple days i dont want it ein worse my uncle is a alcoholic n dont want 2 go down that road as any1 got any advice for me need 2 drink in modertion or know when enough is enough.
she is kidding herself on as she simply can’t handle drink and has to stop.
i am 41 and my story is eerily similar. i am sitting here with a broken jaw after a weekend binge. i also lost my car keys and my mobile phone. this has happened so many times over the years since i was around 16.
i now realise that i am not a drinker but simply a drunk. i had some childhood trauma and i now think this means that i can’t take alcohol as its simply too dangerous for me.
please get her help. get someone to talk to her, there will be soemthing behind this.
All
i am a 42 year old married guy with a good job & two children.
I have been a heavy drinker since i was 14 & a Binge drinker at weekends normally Fri Sat & sunday i also drink after work which can be my way to de stress.recently i have been trying to de tox as i know i cant carry on like this as my mood swings Anxioty Feelings useless & thoughts of death/crying for no reason but feeling sorry for myself are now too much i had a heavy drinking sesion yesterday which left me making a total tit of myself (again)
I have decided to go cold Turkey but have been really strugling with the anxioty & i cant sit still & feel like i need to be on the move a Panic attack if you like.I have just found this site & reading your stories has managed for tonight calm me down & give me hope.I am determined to beat this & get my life back on track It nice to know i am not the only one going through this & wish you all the best in your recovery together i am sure we can beat this XXX
yes sir, I feel the same way as u do.. I am in my middle fourty’s, have a super husband…. three wonderful kiddos and here I am drinkin beer each night cuz I like it…I cam from an alcoholic family…. although mom quit drinkin cold turkey…. in her fifties… bless her heart… I wanna just quit…. but I am scred.
I probably shouldn’t be telling you this. I find either travel-sick pills (Dramamine) or antihistamines (Phenergan) help me with the anxiety. It’s the sleepy feeling these drugs give that take the edge off. I only need to do this for a day, two on very rare occasions. It just bothers me that is an alcohol substitute and the professionals say to avoid it. But it does help, and you get a good night’s sleep as well.
i am awaiting a detox and then re-hab i start on the 5th jan. i have lost my job. i drink a liter of vodka a day, i have had 2 fits trying to give up. i feel when i try and leave it 2 long to have a drink i am having a heart attack my whole left side hurts so bad. i throw up for around an hour. i have been told not to stop until i go for my detox. i dont down it all at once like i used to but when i stat to feel unwell i will have a small one the bottle lasts around 24 hours. the doc has told me if i give up i could die…..if i drink it could kill me if i stop it could. role on the 5th of jan. sorry to all that are suffering but there is help its a big step. it took me to loose my job to realise.
I am 51 years old.I love my wine.I know i have to stop..but ..I do not want to…but i really have to.And i dont know how to.My wine is my companion..the my – time!!I feel sooo freaking empty ..and worthless!!
Alcohol has ruined my life. I went to a fancy rehab over looking the ocean for 56 days last year then followed that up with two weeks of out-patient therapy but in the end, I went right back to drinking after just two weeks of being back at home. I learned what turned me into a drunk while in rehab and I learned when I got out of the hospital that I drink simply because I’m bored to death with my so-so ridiculously boring life. Boredom is the number one reason why I began drinking. I was sitting alone at my older sister’s wedding and decided to sneak off with a bottle of champagne that was sitting out. I was only (14 yrs old) back then. It all went down hill from there. Sure, I tried hobbies to keep me busy, I tried sports, I even tried writing a book once to over come being so bored but nothing worked. Drinking was and still is the only thing that entertains me. I don’t smoke, I don’t have crazy tattoo’s, I don’t use bad language or drugs. I’m a pretty good person to everyone around me in this world except myself. I’ve gone 45 years of my life now not having a clue what it is I want to do with what’s left of it so that is something that keeps me drinking I guess too. Most people have goals, great jobs, kids. I have none of that. I never have. I’m a very pretty young woman too but men see how much I drink and they end up leaving so I just gave up dating altogether. I come from a broken home, raised myself (latch-key style) due to both parents being raging alcoholics even though we were considered, “white-collar.” I now have no job, no friends, no life. I have brothers and sisters but they gave up on me over 15 years ago. I haven’t seen or heard from any of them since. My mom still talks to me a little bit but she’s a drunk too so we just end up fighting. We’re no help to each other. My dad’s dead from the disease. Today I am (15) hours sober and craving a drink so badly that I turned to the internet for help and found all of you here. It’s taking all I have inside me not to go to the store and get a bottle of wine. Make that two bottles. (who am I kidding, right?) I want to stop this more then anything in the world so why can’t I? Why am I so powerless over this? I’ve prayed, I’ve changed my diet to a super healthy one, I’ve done the whole 90 meetings in 90 days with AA, I do yoga to help with the anger I feel towards myself. Nothing is working and I’m ready to just give up all together. Anyone who may be reading this who hasn’t started drinking, please don’t even pick up that first glass. It’s not worth it. It’s nothing but poison and death at the bottom of that bottle waiting for you. Take it from me, I’m going to end up with a wasted life, never getting married, never able to experience being a parent and then I’m going to probably end up dying alone from this disease in some hospital room with no one to mourn my passing. “I hate you Alcohol. I hate you for ruining my life.”
Julianna,
I feel your pain. I am so sorry you feel so alone and helpless, but you are not alone. Please write to me here or by joining and looking me up – user name is thistimegirl.
I hope you’re OK.
TTG
I too feel the same…I am wasting my life, of what I’ve got left of it.
I had a long look in the mirror today and spoke to myself. I am now cutting down with a view to “no alcohol” on Tuesday. Having said that, I’ve done it so many times before…..this time??
Please God save me! Or, shoild I say..save myself?
I have been drinking since my mid 20″s…I had 4 boy’s..was left alone to raise them with no support. My only “Friend” was a drink. The escape…well…my kid’s are grown and I am still in the rut. I have 1 bottle of wine…or 4 shots. Every night…worry about liver..cancer but feel heart has been helped with blood thinning…mother died from heart disease early. I have panic attacks which made me more dependent……God help us all!
I wanna talk to you. I believe i can give you back your life.
Cheers
Ram
Julianna…I just joined this site so I may be late in responding, but, I’m a 45 yr old good lookin’ woman, singer, jogger, artist,mother of 2, kind person….except…to myself. It’s part of the disease where we may be amazing at seeing the worth in others but not ourselves and, yes, it has partly to do to our heritage (my father was an alcoholic along with 5 of his siblings–all dying in their 50′s and 60′s.) but, we can take back control, by just making the decision to, then, getting the help we need to do it. I’m still struggling, but, it is heartening to know I’m not alone…I hope you feel the same. I wish you courage and that you know your worth.
xx
Im leaving this in the hope that it might help someone.
I have been helped by my Doctor who gave me a prescription for Baclofen…….it has helped me to overcome the desire to drink wine every time I sit down for an evening meal. I was getting pains and cramps coming up to 6pm and the only way I could get rid of them was to drink a bottle of wine!!
Also is a new vitamin C on the market which is 6 times stronger and it does not upset your stomach, its called Lypospheric. They also make a powerful GSH, Glutathione and a product that has B Vitamins. These were recommended by my Doctor and have helped protect my liver which he has tested and my Gamma GT levels are only slightly elevated. I bought the Vit C online at proactivehealthcare.co.uk.
I hope this helps someone. Thanks for this site, I’m so glad that you took the time to create it.
hi christine, i think your husband is definatly drinking too much
hi just wondering what would you call a problem i am married to a lovely person for many years three lovely children still young 22 17 and 14 i my self have glass of wine one a week not a drinker but my husband over the last few years has i think increased his in take i now write down everything he drinks he doesn t go out so its all drunk at home he is 62 yrs old not over weight since thursday and its now tuesday so up til last night so 5 nights he s drunk 50 cans of larger and half bottle of whisky over a week this increases as i am not a drinker or have no friends that drink this way would please someone tell me if he carries on this way it will kill him he is not falling down drunk as he just goes to bed and sleep week day 7 to 8 cans per evening weekend 10 to 12 per day would you say there could be a problem someone please comment help
Jan,
Suggest your husband tries cutting down, if he can’t, suggest an AA meeting. I suggest you, no matter what, get to an Alanon meeting. Hang in there…remember “Tough Love” and
the Serenity Prayer:
God, Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The
Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.
I drink up to a liter a day of vodka straight out of the bottle and I am tired of waking up with a hangover. My tongue hurts now and my throat like it has been burned. My stomach keeps gurgling and I feel depressed and very tired until I begin a new day of drinking. I recently, about six weeks ago, stopped smoking pot and I found that easier to stop but this problem is very big. The doctor said I have a fatty liver and that death is imminent. Yet I went to seven counties and they saw me for an hour and sent me away with no pills or antidepressants or anything. Then they said it would be two months before the psychiatrist would see me? How can I stop drinking when the drink itself turns off inhibitions and I drink faster and more and more and the cycle repeats worse every day? I also have issues with depression and anxiety, they say I have slight autism. I live in a rocking chair and I find it very hard to have a life being owned by a moving rocking motion all day and night. Man right now Im at the bottom of life. I don’t want help from you guys really or anything but I just thought Id share a story with others who hate alcohol and also love it.
Jake, you have to leave your rocking chair. The whole scene you live in has you trapped and it will kill you. Get out. Quit everything and move on. Never touch alcohol again. I have a lot of sympathy for your situation, but right now you need action, not sympathy. Get up and go.
hi i wish i could just stop drinking it brings me down way to low. i am married work fulltime have two fantasticc boys run go the gym everyday, but i can still drink and binge drink way over the safety limit. i asked my husband to help he also drinks but he dosnt support me and when i ask for a beer he just gets me one because he dosnt like confirtation and cant say know. i have been to aa had hypnotherapy nothing works. i too hide my alcohol so my children dont see me i have no family except a brother who lives away i know that if i can talk to people and know that people care about me i can do it
Hi, I am confused, in Limbo or whatever. Firstly I didn’t seem to find an introductory section so I’ll start here; here goes. I am a 47 year old, 22 stone male who can be described as generally unhappy with his lot. I started drinking 30 years ago around the time of my Mom’s illness and subsequent death at 51 from cervical cancer. At first I was a seemingly typical youth, not getting hammered and really only being social for the first few years but was out every night as I lived alone. The next 10 years or so saw me descend into partial alcoholism though I never craved as such, it was purely habit. I got married to a totally unsuitable woman as I was sick of lonliness but this failed due to my (occasional) but too often also in the real world , binges which I did as she didn’t like me drinking at all and was all ultimatums/ no care though. Yes, self pitying I know now. I just wanted to be like my mates who seemed to “get away with it”. We divorced and I was in deep doo and drank like crazy in my new found freedom but realised I needed to calm down and went on evenings at work, this just depressed me further and I ended up going mad at weekends and even later, going to the pub while at work at “lunchtimes” ie 10pm. My next partner calmed me quite a bit but i still had the occasional binge but not quite as much as my previuos wife. We eventually split up too and I met my current wife who likes a drink too, we were well matched. Our early years were quite drink sodden but we calmed down after our first son was born. We have definitely though still been drinking way over the safe limits and sadly my idea of staying in in recent years with an average of 4 Stella cans a night have probably harmed me the most. In December 2010 I had a few “turns” which alarmed me a lot so I went off sick and saw my GP. Three LFT’s have showed increases in “the one that should be 1-40″ to 137 at the last count; I stopped drinking (fairly easily) for 3 weeks prior to the second test but it still increased. I am awaiting a scan (mentioned 2 weeks ago, heard nothing). I had stopped drinking since 21/3/11 to now but am so fed up, not craving but miss Friday nights of old. I am genuinely scared to have any tonight and wish I could have some answers. i’m prepared to stop completely if I have to but am annoyed that I never heeded my own warnings. Hope I’m not too late, keep y’all posted .
I am a alcholic who wants to quit! I’m tired of living this life. I can’t do anything around the house. I’m lazy. It’s crazy because I do have a good job and work from 8 to 6 pm. I’m a part-time graduate student and divorced. I have one grand daughter and two adult children.
while I’m at work, I’m fine without the cravings. But soon as I leave the office, is when I get the huge cravings of wanting a drink. I get to the point when I start throwing up or purging. but, once I get that drink, I’m fine and life goes on. I pass out every night. I only drink wine and that is the four pack of Sutter Home. I don’t drink liquor at all, nor do I drink beer. It’s just the wine of dear ole Sutter Home 4-pack. I can’t afford to leave my job to go to detox for a week. I’ve been thinking about just trying again to cut down and eventually stop. Need help!
Sandy, I am a teatotaller, so what I will tell you is from the other side of the fence, from the people who suffer from the behaviour of alcoholics, and boy I suffered, but I am not judging you: everybody has its own ways to be lazy [me first], even workalcoholics, and everybody has its little addictions, impossible to loose: can be chocolate, sugar, compulsive shopping……in a sense, anything that feels good is addictive, it’s almost a definition. I find it so hard to even quit eating chocolate for 2 days that I can imagine how difficult it must be for somebody to stop drinking or taking drugs. The null hypothesis is that they wont.
Statistically, the chances are that you will really seriously stop drinking when the consequences of your addiction for you [cancer....] or the people around you [car crash, ruin,...] will be worst than the cravings. Tell me if I am right or wrong. Too late for many people, often.
hi all,
My attempt to quit has failed. I have managed to cut down (not much), but prior I have had (2) seizures. (1) may have caused me to hit a telephone pole at 9:00 AM coming home from a job interview. Broken foot, ankle and leg. No fun. This seesaw ride is scary. I turned 45 in September and I too am divorced just shy of 10 years of marriage. My son, now 13 has chosen to live with his father. Due to my depressions and my “highs” I was diagnosed as bipolar. Low blood sugar too. Because of the sugar in alcohol, I crave sweets when I cannot drink but wine is my true preference. Old saying: “Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker”. A good diet and eating (6) small healthy meals a day is supposed to help. With all my good intentions, I submit to fast food (hard to cook for one). Empty calories and plus calories (as said above….it makes you more hungry). For me it has been 40 pounds (which I could not afford to begin with).
I wish all of you the best of luck with fighting this nasty disease. WE CAN DO IT !!!!!!!
K
Hello all.
I can feel your pain truly! I am dealing with the problem at foot.. Feeling very bad and not like myself, I have not yet fully with drawled but am determined. My life has been a sad story and I feel like not sharing but I feel the need.. Feedback would be great..
Thank you so much.. God bless.
Hi,
Like so many I have a good job, loving husband and 4 wonderful children, however, I still drink. I hide the bottles and believe no one knows. As I found out this morning this is not the case and my husband whats to know why I do this, why do I let this thing take over. As I am typing I am trying to answer these questions and I am struggling. I want to shout out I have a problem but I do not want anyone to know.
I have made mind up that the only way forward is to admit to him (this will be one of the hardest conversation of my life) how bad it has got and to stop drinking total. Sounds so easy, though we all know I have many hurdles to face. Wish me luck and I will update you on my progress.
Jan,
Your letter shows you are a good person. I empathise with you, I wish you good luck, I give you an online hug, I bless you. Something tells me that you will win.
Hi there,
My heart goes out to all of you. I am a recovering alcoholic (seven months sober). I found this site when I was trying to figure out if I had a problem. I do- I am a grateful alcoholic. After trying to quit on my own: switching to beer instead of wine, only on the weekends drinking, swearing never ever again and then within an hour or two right back with my bottle…bah…I was exasperated, and sick and tired of the insanity of me and my booze!
Everything changed the day I walked my sorry behind into an AA meeting! I found people just like me! Imagine! The best advice I got that day was, ” Don’t drink and go to a meeting”…the AA program has changed my life and now I am sober, grateful and living in the now. We only live 24 hours at a time…just for today!
To all those still suffering – go to a meeting..you will be loved, supported and part of something that works….
Happy 24 everyone
Hi, i am a recovering alcoholic and yes, if you ever start feeling like you cannot function without a drink for 3 hours, one day, u get the pukes and extremely bad shakes and sweats, seek medical help! In such cases when you detox or abstain you need valium to stop any seizures or worse. It takes your body about 5 days to get over the withdrawal. I didn’t seek professional help initially because i was petrified of going through withdrawal/detox. But, i’m going on 6 months clean now
, so however each of you are feeling, take the necessary steps that you need to. It’s totally worthit it eventually. Good luck!