My big fear of drinking was getting cirrhosis. I already had a “mild” fatty liver, and after 8 months sobriety (and slimness), I scored 7kPa on a liver fibroscan which is normal but on the very edge of normal. In fact, that figure of 7 is based on the average of 10 or so readings throughout my liver, and a few individual readings were above normal. Whilst the consultant was happy, I felt only relief. I reckon I was a few years at the most from having irreversible damage. I felt justified, for want of a better word, when a friend of my wife’s developed alcoholic cirrhosis. Yikes! You don’t want to go there.
For my next conspiracy theory ... no this is just a thought, I reckon some doctors have an estimate of how long and how much alcohol it takes to damage a liver. Genetics plays a big part along with lifestyle, but there must be a point where liver disease is seen most. But imagine if they published figures saying after X beers a day for Y years, you could get liver disease. Again, that’d a green light for drinkers to have X-1 beers a day! I’m always wary when someone asks how much I drank. What can they do with that information? A couple of points - I wouldn’t want anyone to follow my old drinking behaviour, body shape and dull lifestyle. Also, I quit in my late forties, and there are cases of cirrhosis with people in their thirties.