SvenDexter

I don't know if I'm an alcoholic or not, but I have been consistently binge drinking since I was 17, I am now 43.

I drank a lot in University, I went to a party school and I was probably the heaviest drinker on my floor.

I figured I was young and would tone it down after I graduated- which I guess I have, but I still drink quite a bit.

I don't even know if I want to quit but I do think it would be best for my health if I were to cut down drastically.

Drinking has effected my health- I've suffered from gout, high blood pressure and recently was told I have high cholesterol.

Gout I find is very much influenced by beer intake, especially hoppy beer. I've gone through periods where i don't drink beer, only wine or spirits, but I keep coming back to beer.

I've never tried to quit drinking, and I don't know if I am doing that now or not- I'm telling myself I'm just taking a detox break- I guess that it easier to handle then to think I might never drink again.

I generally have great willpower in every other aspect of my life, so I think I can be the type who can drink responsibly. There have been nights where I say I'll only have 3 drinks out at the bar and have been able to stick by that without a problem. But I'll do that a few times, and eventually I don't impose any kind of limit, and then I'm drinking way more then that. 5 drinks has a way of becoming 12.

Anyway, I figured if I write in this forum it would give a reason to not drink for a little bit longer at the very least.

The last drink I had was a $17 cocktail at the Denver airport- which I didn't particularly even want, just ordered out of habit. I'm quite good with money in most aspects of my life, but seem to give myself a free pass on alcohol.

That was on June 1st- so I'm 10 days into not drinking (and also have been eating 100% healthy food in that time and working out). I'll write again tomorrow if I haven't had a drink.