Alcohol abuser for sure
 

Hello everyone. I've been lurking here for several months and think you are truly an exceptional group of people.

I don't know if I'm an alcoholic, but I am positive I abused alcohol for roughly 10 years. In the spring, I began cutting back, skipping one, two or more days between drinks (I'd been a daily drinker before that). I did this for health reasons. Though my liver test was normal, I am not convinced my liver is fine. I have enlarged red blood cells, which could be from drinking and could also be from years of anorexia and malnourishment. Also, I'm a bit of a hypochondriac!

So, I've gradually cut alcohol out. In the last three months, I've had maybe 20 drinks total. I go several days to a week dry, and sometimes I only have half a glass of wine. I don't know whether I need to quit altogether, for things seem to be under control, though I probably think about alcohol too much.

Today is day five for me, and I guess I don't have anything else to say right now, other than thank you for reading this.

Hi,

Welcome to SR:) Drinking can be tricky, and it's never a bad idea to reflect on how it affects your life. Thinking about it is a way to care for yourself and make sure you're doing the best you can for yourself.

Congrats on day 5!

spryte

Hello. "though I probably think about alcohol too much". Does that mean when you are not drinking you are thinking drinking.

Thank you for the warm welcome!

Jaitch: when I'm thnking about drinking, it isn't "geez, I'd like a drink." It's more like I'm still marveling at the change in lifestyle -- "Wow, this is what New Year's Day feels like without a hangover! Wow, this how it feels to process a stressful workday without wine." I notice the absence of alcohol, but I don't miss drinking.

More than anything, this is a huge lifestyle change for me. I'm a 33-year-old journalist, and I had long used alcohol to put me to sleep each night. I was raucous. I smoked (quit more than a month ago). I swore profusely. I was a caricature! Letting go of all that has been quite an adjustment, but I'm getting the hang of it.

Thanks for sharing allthat. I know what you mean when you say you think about alcohol. I have only been sober for 5 weeks and I find myself constantly thinking thoughts like, "That looks like a good bar to drink in", or "this is a great day to drink". I accept it because for 21 years, my world revolved around myself and drinking wherever and whenever I could. I need to deprogram my brain more to thoughts like "I don't need to go to that bar anymore", or "Wow, it's a beautiful day outside, I need to enjoy it". My disease is not only physical, but also very mental. I need to find ways to get out of my own head. Best wishes to you.

Hi AllThat

Welcome to SR :)

I wasn't sure of a lot of things when I first came here either - I hope SR can help you work things out the same way it helped me :)

D

Hi and welcome to SR, AllThat! :grouphug:

Ok so your not thinking about drinking your thinking about not drinking, which is fine.