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    Brand New - Binge drinker...

    Hi everyone,

    This is my first post here and I guess I'm posting it in the hope that some of you will have maybe read similar experiences that others may have had or maybe you've gone through a similar thing yourself.

    I'm Scottish and my situation with drink is that I am a weekend binge drinker. I'm 29 and have been drinking like this since I was 18. Basically, my pattern is that I will go out on a Friday or Saturday night, sometimes both although more often one or the other and drink until I am drunk. Generally this means drinking from about 8pm to 3am and I'd say on a normal night i'd drink about 10-15 drinks depending on what they are (i wouldn't have that many pints!) .

    This has been a pattern i've followed for ages. I have never considered it a problem as I've only ever drank in social situations, never alone or at home and very rarely during the week except maybe the very occassional time (every few months maybe) when I'd go out and have a couple of pints maybe watching a match. My friends are also drinkers who follow this habit and although I get drunk I am never sick or pass out (another reason why I never considered it to be a problem) or in trouble or fights etc

    My holidays recently have all been weekends with a group of lads to foreign cities basically to drink and have a good time. I have had a couple of episodes in the past year during such trips where I have felt disasterously bad with withdrawel after 3 nights in a row drinking. When I'm at home 3 nights out in a row never happens so i'd never experienced this before.

    Anyhow at the risk of this turning into War and Peace i'll get to the point - my aim is moderation. When I say moderation I mean limiting my drinks per night to a level I am happy with and will not result in me feeling hungover the next day. As i'm only 29 I really do not want to stop drinking altogether - I am single, live alone and would fear for the future and my chances of happiness if I felt I wouldn' be able to have some sociable drinks with people. This is really more of a cultural thing as in Scotland everyone seems to want to meet in the pub and meeting new people/potential partners etc would become dificult for me.

    I don't crave booze, at home I have spirits and beer in the fridge I never touch - I keep them there to offer others when they come round. My nights out have always been around the fun of being with my friends - we have always i guess lacked respect for alcohol and most certainly abused it to add to the 'hilarity' and I guess over the piece have so far all been lucky!

    My decision to moderate began at the start of February - I deceided to log on a self made spreadsheet how much I drank each night I was out - since then I have been out every weekend and kept within my target amounts. This weekend will be the 9th week of 'moderation'. So far i've tried to avoid situations with a group of people rather buying my own drinks etc. I suppose I get anxious that one night i'll drink too much especially as my friends are still drinking really heavily and I am trying to widen my social sphere and change my lifestyle - I guess I'm looking to hear from anyone on here who has perhaps done something similar or whether your opinions are that my new lifestyle is doomed to failure!

    I suppose at the moment I buy into the theory that self control is a skill that can be learned rather than the abstinence or nothing approach being the only way. My thinking is that I know one drink will not make me embark on a furious bender - the 9 weeks of drinking less during nights out have shown me that and I've always been able to drink less depending on the company i'm in - when I've been drunk in the past its always because I've wanted to be and have let myself go. Will this happen to me again in the future? If I moderate and gradually change my lifestyle not to revolve around my nights out could this work? As long as I keep making progress then is it likely I'll be able to relax and enjoy nights out etc again.

    I know its common to say if i think its a problem then it must be but I'm not sure I subscribe to that as I could think I have any disease then be told I don't actually. Either way whether it all works or not, this could be a long journey so thought i'd say hi - if anyone does know of any similar precedents or has any thoughts, i'd love to hear.

    thanks

    Sam

    #2
    Brand New - Binge drinker...

    Hi Sam & :welcome: to MYO,

    I was far worse than you when I found this place, but I think that you have recognised your problem before it gets too bad,

    Well done for that & keep reading & posting, you will find a lot of support here.

    All the best ....
    sigpicXXX

    Comment


      #3
      Brand New - Binge drinker...

      Hi there,
      I think you are doing the absolute right thing -- wish I'd made the decision to cut back before someone else suggested it to me. I believe that for many of us drinking becomes progressively problematic -- we aren't diseased, it just sneaks up on us over the course of time and then we have something bigger to deal with. Kudos on taking care of it now. This is a great place and all are welcome.
      Mama T.
      Found MWO Feb. 17, 2007

      Comment


        #4
        Brand New - Binge drinker...

        I doesn't have to be a BIG problem for you to log on here or for you to want to change your patterns. Good for you for seeing that you don't want to travel further down a path. Take the detour that leads you to where YOu want to be. No, I don't have any great advice for you. Mine is a demon that calls me on a daily basis, and calls me loudly. As was said before....it wasn't always that way though. It used to be just on weekends, so do watch out. Read and post. There is some interesting stuff on these boards. Good luck to you!
        Learning to live life on the outside of a bottle. :flower:

        Comment


          #5
          Brand New - Binge drinker...

          Thanks for your kind words, I know my problem hasn't developed into a daily thing and my cravings aren't as strong as many of you others so thanks for taking the time to read and respond.

          I think the hardest part for me hasn't so far been actually moderating things on a night out but the constant worry and anxiety that I won't be able to seems to be with me daily and its making me tired. I'm delibrately counting each drink when i'm out, starting later etc but very aware of the effort i'm having to put in each time worried that if I allow myself to relax i'll go over the top and regret it. It'll be a long road I think till I can truly relax and be confident and if i'm honest at the moment the future scares me as does the thought of losing friends and being lonely etc if i have to give up but his looks a good place to read and post so I will keep doing so as things progress.

          Sam P.S Wk 9 of the 'controlled' nights out tonight but DJing so hoping i'll be able to control things ok...

          Comment


            #6
            Brand New - Binge drinker...

            you can do it Sam, "sensible DJ" just to echo what the others have said: congrads
            to you for taking this issue seriously before it got too bad. and a big welcome to you!
            nosce te ipsum
            (Know Thyself)

            Comment


              #7
              Brand New - Binge drinker...

              Can I or can't I?

              Welcome Sam,
              What confuses me the most is sometimes I can control my drinking and then sometimes I go into a situation really planning to control my drinking and I can't. So, I am struggling with the fact that I'm not sure if I'll be able to moderate or if I'll just have to go alcohol free (AF) completely.
              Went to a recent gathering where there were a lot of families from my boy's previous school and I really didn't want to be a bad example and drink too much. Started off great - and then as the night progressed I don't know how I allowed myself the 3rd and 4th but I didn't moderate as Ihad hoped to.
              The number of drinks (that are too much for a person) is subjective ofcourse depending on body weight, overall health, etc.
              The way my body works I am drunk on 3 drinks and will have blackouts on 4. So...2 at the most is a great buzz and I should call it a night.
              Why I get so frustrated is that sometimes I have NO problem controlling it and then other times it's truly like I'm a vampire...I've had the taste of blood and I HAVE to have more!!
              I have had episodes of having the 2 controlled drinks on a nice night out with hubby and then coming home and going to bed...and then I've had the same thing - 2 controlled drinks and I come home and sneak another 1-2 glasses. SNEAK them too - not drink them in front of hubby.
              Why can I control it and not other times??? I don't know...but if it comforts you Sam, you're not alone with this disease.
              I got good advice to check my private emails here when I was new so be sure to do that and keep posting and reading.
              WELCOME!
              ~Eve~
              "Control your destiny or somebody else will"

              ~Jack Welsh~:h

              God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me. ~Author unknown, :thumbs:

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