Gerard52

I am now in my 50s and to date I have no noticeable decline in health or ability to bounce back from abuse. Yes my level of base fitness has declined and I have more aches and pains when I attempt more rigorous activities are apparent.

For the first time ever, I have looked up about alcohol causing cancer. Since 1988 it has been on the WHO group 1 list alongside asbestos as a carcinogen. The body processes alcohol to Acetaldehyde. This is what gives us the hangover and is also cancerogenic.

For ageing drinkers with body cells that don't regenerate as reliably as before, it is a combination of ignorance and insanity to continue drinking.

This was all the knowledge it took me to give up smoking a few years ago. It has just been added to my stop drinking weaponry. Fear is a great motivator and it is just suicide to ignore the facts.

ChloeRose63

Yes. The "wake up call" usually comes when you are faced with that fact that the abuse you are doing to yourself will lead to death. Those "little pains" going on inside your body are cries to stop before it is too late. But we have to listen to them.

John65

I'm in my 50s and completely agree, drinking became similar to Russian roulette.

People think it won't ever happen to them until it does and then it's often too late to do anything about it.

Here's an interesting link about alcohol and cancer:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/...r-survey-finds

J

skipper123

I’m in my 50s too and scared about the damage I have done to my body . I’m 3 weeks sober and hope it’s not too late to turn things around.

biminiblue

There is a lot more than cancer to be worried about.

Look up what it does to your heart, bones, teeth, brain.

Yeah.

Poison, that's what it is. Poison.

FeelingGreat

I gave up drinking in my mid-50s and fear of cancer was a strong motivator. I have other health challenges (read overweight) but it's so damn relaxing not to have to worry about drinking.

MyLittleHorsie

I think it's more of an epidemic for all drinkers, as a society we are evolving constantly. Food shortages and our own consumerism, (sourcing food not in season and from afar) means we rely on sources that may or may not be safe, breakthroughs in cancer research daily show links to activities and things consumed that were previously thought safe. Our lifestyles change, we are more sedentary, we live in more urban areas, pollution levels are constantly on the rise, our intake of refined sugars is higher than ever before and the mass production of alcohol means there is less 'craft' and refinement than ages past, any time commercialisation impacts an industry, we see an increase in negative side effects. We see a mass production of product, grain, fruit, vegetables sourced from countries whose pesticide and chemical laws are not the same as ours, produced on large machinery, cleaned with chemical solvents, preservatives and additives for appearance and extended shelf life, drinking is just as dangerous as anything else, it is literally like pouring a Molotov cocktail down your throat. It no longer becomes a question of "if", it is a question of "when".

Purpleman

I was 51 when I stopped drinking, I just turned 55. If, other than drinking, you lead a relatively healthy life - regular exercise, decent diet etc - then the health benefits of giving up alcohol can be almost immediate. I'm a fairly regular middle distance runner & a pretty healthy eater, & once I cut the booze out I was able to lose weight at a rate of knots. I've also found that I don't get those "little" sicknesses - colds, flus etc - anymore, either. I think I've only been to the doctor twice in the last few years. Losing the spiritual weight took considerably longer, but it's cool being healthy & buying smaller sized jeans for a change!

Soberween

Yea, I once heard in an AA meeting that age 55 is when most functioning alcoholics begin to really see the physical deterioration alcohol causes their bodies to experience. Sure enough I'm noticing on FB many of my former classmates who were known as "partiers" and are now in the 55 year old range are battling esophageal cancers, diabetes, heart problems, liver damage etc. And women drinker bodies are much more physically vulnerable to the damaging effects of alcohol than men that are their same age. Big wake up call folks. It's time to get this monkey off your back and start taking care of yourselves if you want to live a longer and more healthy life.

entropy1964

Yup yup and more yup. 53 here so I'm with ya, bro.

I'm pretty sure my brain has been seriously affected. Both my parents have dementia. Well Dad has Wernekes (google THAT for a frightening read) and mom has Alzheimers. I've spent all day researching new supplemental insurance for them. Ugh. I can already tell my memory is not what it was and doesn't really seem to be repairing. Oh well. I'll just stay sober today.

One thing I've found with respect to the physical activity and aches and pains. I think we tend to steer away from activities because of whatever weakness we have (for me its a bad back...real bad). But I've learned that steering away actually just makes me weaker which causes more pain. So weight lifting and lots of it has helped me a ton at this age. Cardio is great, and I love it, but weight lifting is making the difference for me. Obviously not to the point of serious pain or injury. But less activity? Does not appear to be the solution at all.