Drinking too much

Dan Dan · 14 Jan 2019 at 13:25

I don't know if I am a little late to this thread but here I am anyway.

I was thinking about AA just before xmas, mine wasn't silly things I did that made me think about stopping, more the random situations I ended up in that if I had just gone home or to the gym etc I would have been fine.
The main reason I didn't go is because truth be told I don't want to stop drinking, I just want to drink less and although I never went to a meeting all the website says is stopping drinking. Maybe you should start there, find a hobby for a couple of the night where you would drink, something little, and cut down to start.

If you do manage it, let me know, the encouragement from seeing someone else succeed might help me.

J-FRO · 14 Jan 2019 at 13:27

I drink regularly, not necessarilly to "excess", but I'd say more than government guidelines or the like recommend for a week.

Perhaps 2 or 3 week nights a week I might have a whiskey or two (common for a Monday evening at least!), and maybe one or two days at the weekend (and the odd mid-week evening) I might find myself out with friends having several pints.

I'm not worried, I could stop if I need to. But it's usually just either a social thing or related to watching sport and then those mid-week whiskeys just help to chill me out after a stressful day and switch off.

The_Abyss · 14 Jan 2019 at 13:34

koolpc said:
I see my daughter every single day. Not an Alcoholic as it has only been for a few months drinking and even then a couple times a week when really down. Being put in the cells a couple of times was / is, a cry for help! I am waiting to go to counseling. Comments like yours dont help at all.

I did have 120k but been eating into that for various things like surveys, solicitor, car, living expenses. I cant afford to keep doing that as it reduces the amount i will have to get a place. Hoping to get somewhere soon as now is the time people start putting property on the market.

As for wallowing in self pity then you just try being in my shoes! You dont know the half of it. You dont know exactly what i have been going through. Its easy for you to say what you do.

I can and do see my daughter whenever i want. I take her to school and pick her up every day. I see her on weekends when possible. Today we went to the cinema etc. You should not judge harshly. There is a LOT going on with issues in my life including my health, both mentally and physically. Thanks for your comments

Had you been drinking when you wrote that? If so, would you write it like that again right now without having had a drink?

FishLicker · 14 Jan 2019 at 14:22

J-FRO said:
I drink regularly, not necessarilly to "excess", but I'd say more than government guidelines or the like recommend for a week.

People get FAR too hung up on those guidelines, which are nothing more than a number plucked from the air. The goalposts have changed many times over the years, and other countries all have their own set of guidelines. I read recently that according to some studies there are NO safe level of drinking at all, so surely the guidelines should be 0. In any event, the risk to health of drinking the guidelines, or even several times over are in all likelihood extremely low for at least 90% of the population. I see a lot of people stress about having one beer a night (as someone even said on this thread) when there is just no need; it wasn't that long ago it was deemed to be beneficial for ones health in those sorts of dose.

koolpc · 14 Jan 2019 at 18:47

The_Abyss said:
Had you been drinking when you wrote that? If so, would you write it like that again right now without having had a drink?

That makes little sense? Have you had a drink?

Rannoch · 14 Jan 2019 at 18:57

Not so long ago (2016) I was a binge drinker. I have a man cave at Loch Rannoch and spent half the week up there. Cava and Stella was my thing, two nights a week I’d be pretty smashed watching movies and drinking into the night.

I stopped drinking, couldn’t handle the hangovers and I didn’t feel myself for a few days after my sessions. Saved a small fortune.

shadow_boxer · 14 Jan 2019 at 19:07

koolpc said:
Anyone drink too much? If so, why?

Not read the whole thread but good luck OP. Remember alcohol itself is a depressant so wont be doing your mental health any favours of you're feeling low. Speak to your GP.

The_Abyss · 14 Jan 2019 at 20:02

koolpc said:
That makes little sense? Have you had a drink?

No, mate, I was at work.

I’ll ask again, had you been drinking when you wrote that original response?

moon man · 14 Jan 2019 at 21:16

Vargas said:
Not so long ago (2016) I was a binge drinker. I have a man cave at Loch Rannoch and spent half the week up there. Cava and Stella was my thing, two nights a week I’d be pretty smashed watching movies and drinking into the night.

I stopped drinking, couldn’t handle the hangovers and I didn’t feel myself for a few days after my sessions. Saved a small fortune.

trouble is i dont get hangovers ,im not a massive drinker but i do a bottle of south african red 3 times a week ,cant just do a glass has to be the full bottle and i get a hell of a buzz out of it .way over the recommended units and i acknowledge theres a problem but i enjoy it so much .

Rannoch · 14 Jan 2019 at 21:37

moon man said:
trouble is i dont get hangovers ,im not a massive drinker but i do a bottle of south african red 3 times a week ,cant just do a glass has to be the full bottle and i get a hell of a buzz out of it .way over the recommended units and i acknowledge theres a problem but i enjoy it so much .

I loved the buzz. Try mixing 1-2 bottles of cava with pint tins of Stella, that should get a hangover rolling

If I didn’t get hangovers I would still be drinking, probably even more.

HAz · 14 Jan 2019 at 22:00

dry jan going well I see. Same here I still like a nice beer, wont catch me dry during jan, and certainly not Veganuary?? utter nonsense

Stephanie Peterson · 14 Jan 2019 at 22:04

In Scotland being arrested twice in one year for alcohol related issues only really puts you at a 3 or 4 out of 10 for a proper alchi - to be honest pretty insubstantial

A 5 or 6 is getting there, this would mean regular visits to the cells for urinating in public (during the day... for a higher score) and being thrown out of every night club in the area ... and banned.

koolpc · 14 Jan 2019 at 22:14

The_Abyss said:
No, mate, I was at work.

I’ll ask again, had you been drinking when you wrote that original response?

Why would i when i said earlier i have stopped? I dont see your 'logic'.

itchy · 14 Jan 2019 at 22:29

Being a true alcoholic is bad, binge drinking is very bad as it puts your body in shock.

Drink all the time and your body becomes accustomed to your intake.

As for hangovers I don't get them as I found my drink that fits me. If I drink anything else its hangover death in the morning for me.

If you want to stop OP try your best as I have stage 2 firbrosis in my liver, for being a total stupid retard.

koolpc · 15 Jan 2019 at 05:21

I stopped already. Trying my best not to pick it up again.

I wasnt drinking daily. And even then it was only for a few months. It was sporadic i would say.

The_Abyss · 15 Jan 2019 at 09:06

koolpc said:
Why would i when i said earlier i have stopped? I dont see your 'logic'.

I'm not going to pursue it, as you're clearly struggling. I'm glad you've sought out some help.

phonemonkey · 15 Jan 2019 at 15:40

There's a few people in this thread who could probably do with examining their relationship with alcohol.

Good luck to you all, remember there's help out there if you want it.

koolpc · 16 Jan 2019 at 00:11

The_Abyss said:
I'm not going to pursue it, as you're clearly struggling. I'm glad you've sought out some help.

Good as you are clearly barking up the wrong tree! Thanks

psd99 · 16 Jan 2019 at 11:47

I do like a drink, mainly on the weekends. Rum is my favorite, not a fan of beers or anything else as it can cause me a bad hangover. Rum with water sometimes a hint of diet coke. Takes getting used to but it is okay after a while.

but if I had a **** day at work then I'll have myself a rum with water and vent or share my story about the day I have had.

It does impact my health I don't think I am dependent on alcohol but I do enjoy the feeling of being tipsy and relaxing. Next day's are a bit flat and that can be a problem sometimes. The older I am getting the more time it takes to recover, i know my limit and stick to it. that's the key imo.

bit of a bleak month, already some weekends I have avoided booze and felt the better for it. I like what Sir Winston Churchill said about alcohol...

"I've taken more out of alcohol than what alcohol has taken out from me" - Sir Winston Churchill

DrToffnar · 16 Jan 2019 at 16:03

It's tough man. Drinking is so often the first port of call for most going through tough times. Hell, some people don't even need an excuse, they just habitually crack open the bottle everyday after work.

I was definitely approaching that stage this time last year. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with my life at the time, I was just developing a taste for good beer. Would drink 2-3 stubbies an evening which is admittedly not a great deal, but still well over the threshold for a safe weekly intake by a considerable margin. It was only when I jumped on the scales and saw just how much weight I'd put on over those past few months that I decided to seriously cut back.

Lost all that weight and then some since that time and very rarely drink now. Certainly never at home. As Michael Caine so wisely put it, "I never wanted to be at the stage where I could NEVER touch a drop again".