Just a comment

[Palatia]

Just a comment

Overdrinking..

I think some of my worst overdrinking was when I was 14 and I would drink about 12 oz of straight whiskey before going to school..... until they found me passed out in the bathroom a few months after I started this little ritual.. How embarrassing...

[trixietrack]

Just a comment

evryones ability to process alcohol is different. I'd say that I am a very heavy drinker, but I don't suffer the guilt and shame associated with heavy drinking.

I also tend to not black out or pass out. I get real tired and sleepy, then I go home and go to sleep and wake up with a mild hangover.

when I started getting depressed due to life circumstances is when I began to notice that AL was affecting me differently. someone my height and weight should not be able to put down 5 glasses of wine and a few shots of vodka in one sitting without getting sick, that seems almost impossible, but I was able to do this a year ago, and I didn't care what people thought.

I didn't hide it or feel shame around it. the depression is what made me decide that I needed to cut down to make sure it was AL that was bringing out the blues. guess what? it was the alcohol.

now I try to have a few days AF to clear my system I also don't drink more than 3 glasses per sitting and force myself to sip, and I take vitamins and supplements, plus GABA.
right now I can't see myself getting to a point where I will be AF for life. it's like saying I wil not eat bread ever again.

Trix

[My New Beginning]

Just a comment

I agree with Maasai: We lie to ourselves that we can only have one drink or one bottle then wind up drinking that and more. That's what I think 'drinking heavily' means. It's different for everyone but this really sums it up for me.

[livingfree]

Just a comment

A different way of thinking about it

I think the "risk" in sharing "how much consumption" ... becomes that we stop listening to those we Perceive drank less than "we" did. We start "rating" our "problem" on a scale of who can be trusted with the best or worst drinking problems. The point is still the same in that when alcohol leaves your body - it won't matter if you were a 1 bottle or 3 bottle a day drinker. 4 OUNCES can make you go over the top AGAIN. It's more about once you stop - can you ever allow 1 drink? Or is your body so addictive that you won't stop?

I go back to RJ's book - If we think of AL like "butter" and you can treat it like "butter" .... we all know more than a pad of "butter" is unhealthy. So to answer your question Ms Beaner ... more than a PAD is TOO MUCH!! Doesn't matter how much bigger the PAD is - just think of it in terms of the bigger the PAD of BUTTER ... THE FATTER THE PERSON!!

Liv

[KateH1]

Just a comment

I too really loved RJ's analogy about the "Butter"! For a long time, I refused to take my drinking seriously, my reasons, I didn't drink every night. I never drank during the day, never drank several days in a row......only drank wine..blah, blah, blah. The fact is, I was in serious trouble with Alcohol and I knew it!

I also agree that there is serious risk in "rating" alcoholism as serious, less serious etc. It is also tiresome to hear that going AF is "easier for some" than for others. Getting and staying sober is not easy for anyone! It is tough! But, the rewards far out weigh anything else I can think of!

KH

[beatle]

Just a comment

Well put, Kate.

Greeneyes-- I know what you mean. I drank half a litre of vodka a day and weigh only 45 kilos (100 lb). I almost never blacked out or had hangovers (maybe a tad of a headache, that's all). I should have been in the ER every night according to general statistics.

Time after Time... I agree, it's not easy at all. But in my experience the supps make a HUGE difference. Last time I quit (2 weeks ago) I only felt quite tired on day 1 AF, and much better from day 2 AF. Usually when I have quit before (many, many times), I have lain in bed for at least 3 days wallowing in my misery. The supps have made all the difference. Detoxing went from dreadful to mildly uncomfortable.

PM me if you want my vitamin regime-- ( but I might not write back right away as I am leaving soon for a camping trip.)

Good luck everyone.

[trixietrack]

Just a comment

KateH1;297267 wrote: I too really loved RJ's analogy about the "Butter"! For a long time, I refused to take my drinking seriously, my reasons, I didn't drink every night. I never drank during the day, never drank several days in a row......only drank wine..blah, blah, blah. The fact is, I was in serious trouble with Alcohol and I knew it!

I also agree that there is serious risk in "rating" alcoholism as serious, less serious etc. It is also tiresome to hear that going AF is "easier for some" than for others. Getting and staying sober is not easy for anyone! It is tough! But, the rewards far out weigh anything else I can think of!

KH

I think you are speaking of 'alcoholism' here, once a person gets to that point, I would agree that it would be dangerous to label it or take it lightly.

Regular alcohol use whether it be light or heavy is another issue in itself. One should always keep in mind that the stuff is addictive or habit forming period.

Your comment about going AF. guess if a person is dependent and has been drinking for a long time, the idea of going AF is a huge struggle. If they have just dabbled with AL and don't understand what the big deal is about then I guess for them it's easy.

[trixietrack]

Just a comment

beatle;297295 wrote: Well put, Kate.

Greeneyes-- I know what you mean. I drank half a litre of vodka a day and weigh only 45 kilos (100 lb). I almost never blacked out or had hangovers (maybe a tad of a headache, that's all). I should have been in the ER every night according to general statistics.

Time after Time... I agree, it's not easy at all. But in my experience the supps make a HUGE difference. Last time I quit (2 weeks ago) I only felt quite tired on day 1 AF, and much better from day 2 AF. Usually when I have quit before (many, many times), I have lain in bed for at least 3 days wallowing in my misery. The supps have made all the difference. Detoxing went from dreadful to mildly uncomfortable.

PM me if you want my vitamin regime-- ( but I might not write back right away as I am leaving soon for a camping trip.)

Good luck everyone.

beatle I agree with what you have said about the supplements. I think they were my saving grace.

[Heavenly]

Just a comment

beatle;297295 wrote: Well put, Kate.

Greeneyes-- I know what you mean. I drank half a litre of vodka a day and weigh only 45 kilos (100 lb). I almost never blacked out or had hangovers (maybe a tad of a headache, that's all). I should have been in the ER every night according to general statistics.

Time after Time... I agree, it's not easy at all. But in my experience the supps make a HUGE difference. Last time I quit (2 weeks ago) I only felt quite tired on day 1 AF, and much better from day 2 AF. Usually when I have quit before (many, many times), I have lain in bed for at least 3 days wallowing in my misery. The supps have made all the difference. Detoxing went from dreadful to mildly uncomfortable.

PM me if you want my vitamin regime-- ( but I might not write back right away as I am leaving soon for a camping trip.)

Good luck everyone.

I agree with you, it's not the amount necessarily but how it affects you, the affects are not always seen either...

[Hovercat]

Just a comment

I also think it is not how much you drink, but how you go about it.

I was hiding my drinking and being very secretive- because no one knew I was drinking to the extent I was, I was pushing it further and further until I was drinking (on average) 2 bottles of wine and a 75cl bottle of vodka (and maybe a can or two of G&T on the way home from work to warm me up) a day. I think if I was social drinking (which I stopped a long time ago-too much risk involved in going out and getting caned!) I could possibly have kept it in check. Argh, I dunno.