Help needed.....
 

Hi I’m new on here and wanted to find out if anyone has gone through this. It’s driving me insane and I can only put it down to alcohol. I wouldn’t have described myself as an alcoholic but what do I know. I appreciate anyone who reads this, can relate to this or give me some advice. This is starting to affect me quite badly now and I’m getting pretty worried.

Background: I’m 27 years old and have been drinking since 18 I live in the UK. At the age of 18 I became a holiday rep and basically ran bar crawls most nights and basically got drunk every night for near two years. Everyone does this at this age right?!!!! Or maybe not!... After finishing this I went to University where again 3 years of drinking heavily 7-10 pints of beer pretty much every day took place sometimes a lot more. I graduated uni and got a job. That was 4 years ago since then. I’d pretty much go out 2 nights a week and have between 2 – 5 pints and have about 20 pints over a Friday/Saturday weekend. I’ve cut down a lot now and maybe drink 3 times a week max 7-8 pints on a big night and 3 pints in the week.

Over the last 6 months I have been having symptoms after drinking which I don’t think are normal. I went to the doctors yesterday to get my bloods checked and am waiting to hear back. I have been before when these symptoms started but the doctor put it down to anxiety which I can tell you I’m definitely not an anxious person. Bit of a jack the lad and always up for a good laugh with everyone.

From about 6 months ago after a day of drinking 3 pints or more I’m getting the following feelings;

• Anxiety
• Muscle stiffness
• Spaced Out feeling like I’m looking at myself through someone else’s body
• Fatigue
• Twitches
• After a heavy session Palpitations and a shortness of breath (I much stress this is after 4 days lads holidays etc)
When I stop for a week I sort of go back to normal but the spaced out feeling is definitely still there.
I realise this is down to drinking but this isn’t normal it’s not like I’ve been doing this for 20 years or drinking a bottle of Whisky a day. I just want to be able to go out once/twice a week, have a few beers and be fine the next day.
When I went the doctors he asked do I drink every day – no do I drink alone – no, which is why maybe incorrectly in my head I don’t think I’m too bad.
I know the obvious answer is to stop drinking but I’m wondering if I can ever be normal again, I go the football with the lads which involves alcohol and love going out with my girlfriend and friends for a few. I don’t smoke anymore and don’t do drugs.
If anyone can relate to this or has any experience of anyone with this to let me know what’s going on I would be massively appreciative as the doc doesn’t seem to know nor does anyone else!

Welcome Manchester,
It sounds as though you are having the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. When you stop drinking you deprive the brain of alcohol, and it needs to adjust to this. All your symptoms you describe are consistent with alcohol withdrawal. Please be honest about your drinking with your Dr. The only way to be rid of the withdrawals is to not consume alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal, so don't fool around with it. Your Dr. can help you with this problem, you just have to be honest. Best Wishes

Welcome Manchester

By normal, do you mean wondering if you can drink again? Not if you are alcoholic. And no one here can tell you if you are or aren't. But alcohol seems to play an important role in your life when you, so much so that you associate "normal" with alcohol. Mean you view sobriety as "abnormal."

It's not.

Try quitting for six months. You will quickly determine how "normal" you are by your struggle to remain sober. Normal people can take it or leave it. We can't.

i had the same issues as well and much worse in my case it was alcohol withdrawel.

I was 33 and had been dealing with withdrawel type issues for sometime. Upon realizeing it might be the booze I felt cheated. I'm only 33 how can this be this is not fair people drink till there 100 why cant I? But I guess everyone has there limit and i clearly had hit mine Of course I was on a more accelerated schedule then your average joe since I consumed so dang much. But I hit my lifetime allotment of booze at the young age of 33 what can i do it is what it is.

i theorized it was the brand or it was beer or it was liquor or perhaps if i drink wine etc... It didnt matter what I did my body could not take anymore.

im gkad youre here.
you ask if you can ever be normal again. if that refers to being a normal drinker...im not reading where there was any normalcy to it.
if ya mean normal after stopping drinking, you sure can, but prolly not with alcohol in the equation.
you may want to go drink 1-2 times a week and have a few beers, but if you were able to do that you would be doing that now. heres a few line from a book that helped me get sober:

The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.
We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed.
We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking. We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control. All of us felt at times that we were regaining control, but such intervals - usually brief - were inevitably followed by still less control, which led in time to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization. We are convinced to a man that alcoholics of our type are in the grip of a progressive illness. Over any considerable period we get worse, never better.

those words hit me hard when i wad ready to get sober- hit hard because they were true. at one time i fought very hard to control my intake with no succss.
then i crossed the line jnto full blown alcoholism and i didnt care and just wanted to drink.

what im reading is the physical progression of alcoholism.
i truly hope ya decide ya want to completely stop,manchester. life sober's pretty awesome.

Welcome Manchester, lots of good advice here already. I'd add that yes, we definitely have experienced this and you are not alone. Sound to me like pretty classic alcoholism/alcohol dependance/withdrawal symptoms to me.

You can certainly live a happy, productive and successful life without alcohol. I would also agree though that you most likely can never be a "normal" drinker again, total abstinence is usually the only solution for a true alcoholic.

Hi,

Thanks for your swift responses, it is much appreciated. It's also good to know im not dying, going crazy or mad! Can't believe a doctor didn't come to this conclusion.... Also it's good to hear people know what this is and have gone through it and come out the other side.

I am going to go a period of time tee total to see if this helps. I do think I have a problem with the quantity I drink and the amount of times a week. Hoping the issue will just go away if I abstain from alcohol as a few have suggested.

I need to be able to get to the stage of not thinking I always need to go out for a beer and just stay in relaxing and maintaining a healthier lifestyle.

Luckily this issue hasn't affected my life too much in terms of family and work (still awaiting my blood results tomorrow however) and I feel like If is stop now i may able to go back to a mental normality where im not spaced out, anxious and having panic issues.

My plan rightly or wrongly for me is to take a month off. 1. to see if I can actually do it.... maybe then if I can't and need to drink I know I have a serious issue.

2. Go to what I call acceptable social levels maybe having a glass of wine or a beer on a meal out and see how I go on. Again if I start drinking more and more and can't contain 'social' levels then again I have a problem when I spoke to my Doctor he said 12 pints a week was average for a man. I think I was doubling / tripling this (I only drank Larger and Guinness) no shorts / spirits / shots etc

Fully understand if this situation occurs after then if im sticking to what I outlined the booze will have to go fully and I will have to admit that I have an issue.

Again I really appreciate everyone's comments. Also please if anyone has any advice / stories to share in regards to this I would be most grateful. As may some people who are going through the same issue and really worried like I am.

This sounds like a good plan. You may want to consider some kind of formal sobriety plan during that month. It's not as simple as just "not drinking". You already suggested that you'll need to probably find some alternative activities which is a good idea as well.

I'd wait and see what the month brings you before you even consider this. The ultimate "pipe dream" of the alcoholic is to somehow be able to return to regular or social drinking. If you spend some time reading through the site you'll find many, many stories of those who tried and failed. It's a tough pill to swallow at first, but read back through your original post again for example...I think you already know the answer without going back out and drinking again in a month, don't you?

I cant stress it enough dont take it lightly. I had your exact plan the 30 day one pff did just fine i was not an alcoholic and on day 31 or osmething i went out and had a beer with dinner. I was like see i can handle it. Then I ordered another why 2 beers is not a big deal then on the way home i stopped for a 6 pack thinking pff its been 30 days whats one night of fun then i was drinking daily again.

I also tried limiting my intake and being civil. Never ever worked.

I think your plan isnt entirely bad however. maybe this expierment will really reveal the true nature of your habit. I hope it does but in my case it was another decade of drunken misery after my expiermenting that i truely quit. Thats the scary part is in my case 10 years later i looked back and was like AAAA why didnt i see the writing on the wall!!! it was so obvious but i was like lemme try a diff brand let me limit myself let me take a week off etc.. all i suceded at in my case was fooling myself.

So just be careful.

I dont think a month off is long enough to know for sure. I'd go for 3 to 6 months. and if i went out for a couple drinks and it worked ok and did it again ok fine but hte min i had a binge i'd hope i'd say hey wait i got a problem. Tho likely i wouldnt this disease is very tricky.

Those symptoms are alcohol related. I went to the hospital last fall for what I thought was a heart attack. I had all those exact same symptoms. I was released from the hospital and quit for a week. Went back into it heavy again after that, like 1.75 liters of vodka a day... 4 months later I was in the hospital with Alcohol induced Pancreatitis. Almost died. So take warning. Took that experience to make me finally stop and still am sober, 8 months last friday.. Try and quit now before your health forces you to do it. Pancreatitis aint fun..

Manchester11 nice first post. Thanks for being honest and accurate about your alcohol consumption history. No idea if you are an alcoholic but based on personal experience I would guess that your body is worn out from all the alcohol you have consumed over the years. A 30 day break (or more) is an excellent idea. If you do choose to continue drinking following your break (and I am not recommending it but I realize that you need to make your own decision here) please consider that there is a good chance that you won't be able to control your drinking. If you do restart your drinking and you drink to excess I can guarantee you one thing. As you age the consequences of excess alcohol consumption get more severe. So if things don't work out with you and alcohol please be honest with yourself and consider a more permanent vacation from drinking. In either case stop by occasionally and let us know how you are doing.

i wish ya the best and truly hope that if controlled drinking doesnt work ya make it back here.

Hi Manchester

You really got some excellent feedback here and I don't have much to add to it. Just make sure you bookmark this thread on your computer so if your plan doesn't work out and you realize you need to quit for good you will know where to find us.
I hope you will stay safe.
Whether you are just a heavy drinker or an alcoholic level your consumption is very heavy and your symptoms are definitely concerning.

Guys thank you so much for your feedback and help.

The threads bookmarked as is this fantastic forum with really nice people who share their opinions.

If I get any feedback I'll update incase anyone finds this thread usefull and will be back on if needs be.

Again thanks for your responses it's nice to know people have gone through the same and offer support.

Just that has already helped me!

:grouphug:

Welcome to the Forum Manchester!! :wave:

I didn't consider myself an alcoholic, still don't really (I'm 33).

The uncomfortable symptoms you mention are withdrawal symptoms, or symptoms that the booze is beginning to have a negative effect after years of consuming a lot. My own symptoms started your age.

So it's time to be careful! Your plan atm sounds alright, see if you can stick to it. You might be able to drink socially in the long run. But if the alcohol begins to have serious health effects or affects your job/family/social life, you should definitely talk to someone about it, maybe trusted friends, family, a partner, etc. Remember you are young, don't ever let this **** dictate your life. I lost most of what I built up in my life just recently because of booze, IT WILL RUIN your life if you let it!

Good luck!

Had every one of your symptoms. i agree with everyones reply to u here. and especially ScottFromWI's reply including alcohol dependance, also! I believe all these symptoms u described are the body's way of telling a person its dependant on something, and needs or wants more of it. i recognize all symptoms u mention....and i remember all that mess of stuff starting when i started drinking heavier & heavier. Cuz i try to remember when i truly got hooked on alcohol. the mess just sneaks up on u. youll notice your tolerance growing, or whatever u call it. The more i kept getting drunk, i noticed suddenly drinking became a huge habit and/or ritual. Then i continued drinking for many, many yrs...and then its no longer a habit. your body actually NEEDS alcohol. Yeah I think symptoms u describe would be considered withdrawal symptoms from what ive read. what i hated the worst was my hands shaking so bad! And people would notice that mess while i tried to work a job. Ugh..

oh, i forgot to write, IN MY CASE, all these symptoms pointed out to ME that my body was becoming dependant. U are really at a turning point, only 27, and recognizing all these things. and u can help yourself for the better!!