CaribbeanDude

Hello,
I found this forum by searching ***** for "alcholism message boards". It seems like the kind of place that can help me. I am a binge drinker. I can go all week without drinking, I eat healthy, go to the gym...etc. But once I have that first drink, mainly on the weekends, like friday, I can't stop. I am on an extended vacation for the Easter weekend. We get off till tuesday here, and last night I started drinking at 10pm and drank all night until 10am this morning. And now i feel, terrible, hung over, and depressed. This is just a typical example of what I do, however usually I don't drink for 12 hours straight...on average I would say it is more like 6. I am just wondering if anyone out there is or was like me. I went to counciling twice for this, it seemed to help, although I haven't been back since November. I just wish I could get a handle on this. Any thoughts or ideas would help.
Thanks!

suki44883

Welcome to SR! You will find a lot of support here.

There are probably many people here who went through what you are going through. Many alcoholics can go days, weeks, and sometimes even months between drinking. It isn't how often you drink or even how much you drink that matters. It is how drinking affects you. If you can't have just one or two and then walk away without wanting more, there is a good chance that you have a drinking problem.

Why did you stop counseling if it was helping? You might want to contact your counselor and resume regular appointments.

Asylum

That's exactly how my drinking started out - I'd go for quite a while without drinking a drop, but once I had one drink in my hand, I wouldn't stop until there was nothing left to drink. It slowly but surely progressed to drinking every single day without fail. It only gets worse. They say it's progressive, and it truly is. I applaud you for figuring out now that it's a problem instead of later on when it's gotten much worse. I'm new here too, and if you need anything, I'm here.

Dee74

Hi CaribbeanDude

I don't see much difference between binge drinkers and other types of drinkers, to be honest.

I started as a binge drinker - I progressed to an all day everyday drinker...the behaviours were the same for me...I just had lifestyle changes that allowed me more time to indulge in them...

You'll find a lot of support here
Welcome

EmeraldRose

I binged sometimes, too. Usually on a Monday since the family/kids were all home on weekends. I drank at home. But come a weekday I'd drink, pass out, be sober when kids got home then start again (secretly). This could go one for one or three days.
When my then husband was away for the week working and home on weekends I'd 'really' binge -that was a one way ticket to boozeville.
I stopped drinking for a time then would start. My last binge in January I lost my job. Don't wait till something happens. If counseling helped -GO!
And welcome...great bunch of coconuts here!

MsCooterBrown

Hi CD. I used to binge drink years ago..somewhere in my drinking marathon I turned into a daily drinker. I can't even pinpoint when that happened..I think once you think you may have a drinking problem...you already have the problem! Glad you are here. Yeah if counciling helped it wouldn't hurt to set up regular appointments!

lillyknitting

My drinking was exactly like yours. I was a binge drinker and for 30 years considered it the only way to live, lets party party, and anyone who got in my way i.e.husband, daughter, was: boring, dull, a nuisance etc etc. In the end I drank at home, alone, daughter in bed (she was a baby/toddler) I would start off with wine then drink a bottle of vodka, wake up with such a terrible hang that I thought a bus had run over my face; lie there praying the pain would go, just one more half hour in bed. I did this for years, if I couldn't get a party I would have my own, at home, alone, music blaring, wake up daughter, she would phone Dad, chaos ensued.....and I called that having fun!!! In the end I woke up, got help, from AA, wonderful helpful peeps, and supportive friends. I found this site and love it. My family love me again. But, I have to work on myself and the demons nearly every day. Like you I can go all week then.....bang the thoughts come back. Stick around here and you will get the help and support I have. Good luck x

jamaicamecrazy

You remind me of a friend of mine who is thinking he might have a drinking problem. The problem for him is that every "celebration" or time off from work is "drinking time". And some months he feels like there are more drinking days than non drinking days. I think he is still having a question as to what is being "a party animal" or a person with a drinking problem. I think if he is questioning-he probably has a problem. Maybe your wondering and seeing that this is not what you want your life to be. Go back to counseling if it helped or attend a AA and see if that helps. Good luck.

CarolD

Welcome.....

SwanSong

Hi CarribeanDude, welcome to SR. I think a lot of us had similar patterns as you've described throughout our drinking careers.

I think there's a lot that was revealed in these two sentences here:

If nothing else, you've identified in some ways how alcohol has an uncanny effect on you. It doesn't have to be that way, and please read, read, read this site to death - you'll find LOTS of good posts here (you can dig for days, probably fill your whole weekend off and still not be close to done!).

For me, once I crossed that line where I could not control how much I drank once I started it only got worse as the years went on. I'm glad you're open to counseling and I'd also recommend you check out AA and see if that suits you - it has proved to be vital, along with SR, in helping me to find happy sobriety. Best of luck to you!

Tilda

I'm a binge drinker too. I will usually set aside the weekends for it. I drink alone most of the time, because when I drink, I want to drink so much that I'm unable to drive. I don't want to be around other people in that instance, or drive. I don't want people to see how stupid I can be.

Usually I can go during the week without drinking, but sometimes I'll get a six pack on a weeknight, and then it sets the tone for the rest of the weeknights.

In the past two days, I downed a fifth of vodka, which is about standard for me. Yesterday and today, however, I am having terrible stomach problems. I have a history of IBS, but some research online leads me to believe I have alcoholic gastritis. That's a wake up call.

Last week, I went out with friends (I wasn't driving). And I ended up insulting a good friend of mine--really just laid into him, even though I had stood him up. I felt really bad about that. I don't want my drinking to affect my friendships. I'm already the token "drunk"--heck, I joke about it all the time.

My father was an alcoholic and I've known I need to be careful for years. I've never seriously tried to quit drinking before--I think the longest dry spell I've had in the past 15 years is a month, and that was years ago.

I'm not interested in AA. But I'm interested in my health. It's time to stop this. Between this stomach issue and insulting a friend, it's time to stop before it escalates further.

Dean62

I know this is going to sound silly but....that's sort of the point.
Once you have the first bite of Broccoli can you stop?
Do you feel terrible hung over and depressed after eating broccoli?
Do you eat broccoli for 6 hours straight?
Have you been to counciling for eating broccoli?
Do you wish you could get a handle on your broccoli eating?

Alcohol is a mind altering substance. When used in excess it alters the way we think and feel. This is often the very reason we use it in such large quantities. By altering our thoughts moods and feelings we are in fact attemting to control them with a substance.

The problem is.

The very thing that has the ability to alter our minds is the very thing we cannot control.

Our attempt at control results in loss of control.

I wouldn't advise eating broccoli for 6 to 12 hours either. Just a thought. :ghug3

Mcribb

I can relate. I could go days, weeks, and months, as long as that next drink was out there. That is how I delt with my problems. Let say work was bothering me, instead of having a solution for the job, I would just grind away and say to myself " I am just here for the paycheck, I am going to get home and party and everything will be cool" I did this for years. I had to get help. The Alcoholic in me said that because I didn't drink for a couple days I wasn't a alcoholic, but the truth is booze was my only coping skill. It was really frustrating to be sober 4 days on that 5th day be sick and/or in trouble. The rest of the time was fine just one day I cut loose and I was a danger to myself and others.