What kind of alcoholic are/were you and what happened to your health because of it?
Guest
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Deep South
Posts: 14,636
Originally Posted by Rado 
Scrappy, that last one made me laugh. Thank you. My therapist actually gave me homework to watch comedies and laugh so I'm going to tell him that you helped out with that. 
Those comedians really helped me feel better and realize what a shame it was I'd zapped my own laughter from my life by drinking.
Don't worry too much about what's going on inside right now because of your drinking... it's easier said than done, I worry sometimes too. I think it's counterproductive.
I think part of recovery and sobriety is owning up to reality... what's done is done. We can only move forward. No matter what is our reality, we each must pick up where alcohol left us at... and take what we have left and develop it and go on.
Guest
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Deep South
Posts: 14,636
To answer the original question: I'm 34. My first drink was at the age of 15. I'd say my drinking began to be a problem around the age of 19. I drank all through college. I stopped for 8 months when I was 27. I picked back up later that year and drank heavily... binging probably 3-6 days of the week. Toward the end, 6-7 days of the week. I'd go a week or so sober... and then pick right back up. It always ended the same: 1.5 to 2.5 bottles of wine per drinking night... averaging probably 5 nights per week.
I haven't noticed any physical problems other than 15 lbs of fat gained since the age of 29. And I have had some slight, dull pain in the upper right side under my ribcage... it's either liver or gallbladder. It has since subsided. I'm now 13 days sober.
I haven't noticed any physical problems other than 15 lbs of fat gained since the age of 29. And I have had some slight, dull pain in the upper right side under my ribcage... it's either liver or gallbladder. It has since subsided. I'm now 13 days sober.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 40
Hi Rado,
I really didn't drink heavily until about 7 years ago. I hated the taste of alcohol. The only way I could drink was to literally chug whatever was in front of me & chase it with, say, a soda to masque the aftertaste. Up until age 33 I had maybe been drunk a dozen times. I had good times when drinking, but it just didn't occur to me to drink often.
Age:
33- A couple of glasses a wine a month transitioned into drinking socially to cope with post-divorce stress & dating. It didn't occur to me to drink at home other than trying to develop a taste for wine once in a while.
34-36 Developed a tolerance to the taste of alcohol. Transitioned from mixed drinks to straight liquor with chasers in order to get buzzed more quickly. My drinking increased from here and there to 4-6 times a week. I didn't necessarily get trashed every time, but I did drink daily even if it were a social beer or a shot or two.
37-40 I got involved with my current partner, and she introduced alcohol to me as a lifestyle. Looking back, I'm convinced she was already an alcoholic and just hid it from me. Anyway, I don't blame her for my choices, but she took drinking to a new level. Essentially, anytime we drank we'd drink to severe drunkery (she would drink to passing out every time). My tolerance for alcohol began to build. By the time I decided to quit for good (6 days ago, heh) I could probably drink a fifth of vodka & maybe a bit more on a good day (like half a pint more) before stopping for the day/night/morning.
As for health problems? Well, I thought I was having a heart attack back in February. I went to a clinic to get diagnosed, and that led to me essentially having to attend substance abuse classes. Apparently it wasn't my heart, but I had irritated my esophagus. From that point forward my kidneys, chest, and throat would experience noticeable pain after a binger (a binger to me was drinking more heavily some days than others). Eventually I started to grind my teeth while sleeping, and the muscles in my jaws would always be tense. I have no idea what that was about. I also gained 25 lbs, got out of shape, and lost interest in anything outside drinking and chilling out on the Internet.
So, I kept on, to wit, drinking myself to death until July 5th when I experienced severe shaking, smallish seizures (I believe), chest pains, and profuse sweating. I scared the **** out of me.
I really do believe alcoholism is a progressive condition. I can think back and literally remember the various stages of my addiction to alcohol progress from one point to the other. I even remember thinking to myself one time, "My god, this must be what's it's like to become an alcoholic." And then I took the drink knowing I was going down a path I didn't want to travel.
Good luck, friend. We all need it.
- nm1212
I really didn't drink heavily until about 7 years ago. I hated the taste of alcohol. The only way I could drink was to literally chug whatever was in front of me & chase it with, say, a soda to masque the aftertaste. Up until age 33 I had maybe been drunk a dozen times. I had good times when drinking, but it just didn't occur to me to drink often.
Age:
33- A couple of glasses a wine a month transitioned into drinking socially to cope with post-divorce stress & dating. It didn't occur to me to drink at home other than trying to develop a taste for wine once in a while.
34-36 Developed a tolerance to the taste of alcohol. Transitioned from mixed drinks to straight liquor with chasers in order to get buzzed more quickly. My drinking increased from here and there to 4-6 times a week. I didn't necessarily get trashed every time, but I did drink daily even if it were a social beer or a shot or two.
37-40 I got involved with my current partner, and she introduced alcohol to me as a lifestyle. Looking back, I'm convinced she was already an alcoholic and just hid it from me. Anyway, I don't blame her for my choices, but she took drinking to a new level. Essentially, anytime we drank we'd drink to severe drunkery (she would drink to passing out every time). My tolerance for alcohol began to build. By the time I decided to quit for good (6 days ago, heh) I could probably drink a fifth of vodka & maybe a bit more on a good day (like half a pint more) before stopping for the day/night/morning.
As for health problems? Well, I thought I was having a heart attack back in February. I went to a clinic to get diagnosed, and that led to me essentially having to attend substance abuse classes. Apparently it wasn't my heart, but I had irritated my esophagus. From that point forward my kidneys, chest, and throat would experience noticeable pain after a binger (a binger to me was drinking more heavily some days than others). Eventually I started to grind my teeth while sleeping, and the muscles in my jaws would always be tense. I have no idea what that was about. I also gained 25 lbs, got out of shape, and lost interest in anything outside drinking and chilling out on the Internet.
So, I kept on, to wit, drinking myself to death until July 5th when I experienced severe shaking, smallish seizures (I believe), chest pains, and profuse sweating. I scared the **** out of me.
I really do believe alcoholism is a progressive condition. I can think back and literally remember the various stages of my addiction to alcohol progress from one point to the other. I even remember thinking to myself one time, "My god, this must be what's it's like to become an alcoholic." And then I took the drink knowing I was going down a path I didn't want to travel.
Good luck, friend. We all need it.
- nm1212
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 70
I'm 28. Drank for ~15 years, extremely heavily for 8 years. I couldn't touch a drop of alcohol without making it my mission in the evening to get drunk. If I didn't have a drop i'd be fine, but more often than not I drank.
I haven't actually had a doctors appointment since stopping drinking, but my health doesn't seem to have taken much of a hit.
I haven't actually had a doctors appointment since stopping drinking, but my health doesn't seem to have taken much of a hit.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,445
Hi Rado
I know the urge is to get some comparative information, but it really doesn't work like that IMO.
My grandfather drank heavily for something like 70 years and died in his sleep at 94.
Other people I know drank far less, for comparatively short periods, and they never saw their 30s.
If it helps tho, I was a drinker for 20 years, first binging then daily every day all day for 5 years.
My health was remarkably good - apart from some detox problems the last time, I've been remarkably unaffected by any long term effects of my drinking.
I hope you'll find the same
D
I know the urge is to get some comparative information, but it really doesn't work like that IMO.
My grandfather drank heavily for something like 70 years and died in his sleep at 94.
Other people I know drank far less, for comparatively short periods, and they never saw their 30s.
If it helps tho, I was a drinker for 20 years, first binging then daily every day all day for 5 years.
My health was remarkably good - apart from some detox problems the last time, I've been remarkably unaffected by any long term effects of my drinking.
I hope you'll find the same
D
Re-Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 7,583
I'm going to answer it another way. In my first month of sobriety I had several panic attacks because I was convinced I was suffering from some failed organ or about to have one fail as result of my drinking. Before becoming an alcoholic, and during, I never had panic attacks. I was lucky in that I skipped the major bad part of detox by checking into the hospital for a 7 day controlled detox. I had my doc on my side and he had been through this before apparently with other alchoholics. We did do bloodwork every month for three months and I was not offered any chemical assistance as I always refused pain killers from him before preferring my naproxin sodium when I did need one or two. So your anxiety going through this is pretty normal for most of us. That not to say not to use your doc as it is different for everybody. If you are not the type to not take yourself too seriously you will laugh at yourself later. I do laugh at my terror in hindsight, but not at my fellow alcoholics as they go through it as it scares the crap out of us when it does happen.
You see there is no fear without hope, and no hope without fear.
You see there is no fear without hope, and no hope without fear.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 413
I was a binge drinker. I'd drink to relax and escape my thoughts when I was at home alone but it just led to a prolonged introspective nightmare the next day.
I became a different drinker when I was out. I drank to forget my lack of self esteem and shyness. Bad idea. I'd end up cringing for months over things/approaches I'd made to people when drunk.
I became a different drinker when I was out. I drank to forget my lack of self esteem and shyness. Bad idea. I'd end up cringing for months over things/approaches I'd made to people when drunk.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 39
OMG this is awesome! A new medical specialty for doctors just for addiction! Go here to see http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/he...r=1&ref=health
Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: B-more
Posts: 6
I wish I had more to share, but being only 19 my experience is...limited to say the least.
I started drinking when I was about 15 but it didn't become problematic until I was 18 (a senior in HS) when I would drink probably half a dozen shots (while weighing 140 lbs) on the weekdays and get completely smashed on Friday and Saturday. There were several situations in which I drank on the way to and from school, as well as skipping to drink or drinking in school. It deteriorated my mental health and I had a lot of issues with depression and anxiety that I had destroyed my body, as well as making it difficult to sleep, but fortunately I avoided permanent damage by stopping in the nick of time.
The withdrawal symptoms were pretty hard on me though. I had hot flashes, upset stomach with blood in stool, irritability, and the sensation of bugs crawling on my skin.
I started drinking when I was about 15 but it didn't become problematic until I was 18 (a senior in HS) when I would drink probably half a dozen shots (while weighing 140 lbs) on the weekdays and get completely smashed on Friday and Saturday. There were several situations in which I drank on the way to and from school, as well as skipping to drink or drinking in school. It deteriorated my mental health and I had a lot of issues with depression and anxiety that I had destroyed my body, as well as making it difficult to sleep, but fortunately I avoided permanent damage by stopping in the nick of time.
The withdrawal symptoms were pretty hard on me though. I had hot flashes, upset stomach with blood in stool, irritability, and the sensation of bugs crawling on my skin.
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,784
I was an all day every day wino. Never got really blasted, just stayed kind of soggy all the time. When I wasn't drinking I was passed out or doing a bad job of something that needed to be done.
I don't miss it at all. I love my life now.
I don't miss it at all. I love my life now. Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 2,391
Five years later I can tell you that I have lost 70lbs, my BP is awesome, my cholesterol is a little high but not bad. My kidney function is normal, my liver is good. I have low iron off and on but that is due to gastric bypass and not my substance use. I haven't had any depression in three years and any anxiety I have is situational. I hate driving in Seattle.
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