Bobbybert

Ah man I spent ages writing a long question then it logged me out and I lost it so its going ot be quick this time sry:

If you are physically / chemically dependent and are getting withdrawal symptoms but not severe ones as listed here: ah ok I cant post links so ill have to say google withdrawals and alcohol (if you really need to of course!) and getting that horrible peek around the 3rd day and onwards problems up to a week or so.

If you then give up drinking for 6 months and then drink too much will you get all the withdrawals like before? So what I am saying is once you have messed your self up like that through alcoholism is it there forever or does the body ever go back to normal? Thanks!

least

Yes, each time you go back to drinking and then stop you go thru w/d. And it usually gets worse over time. Google "kindling" to read about it. So no, the body never goes back to 'normal'. we can't handle alcohol, ever.

instant

I don't know the answer. other than to say my general physical state has improved dramatically since I stopped drinking.

I think if I went back to drinking I would have at least, but probably more problems, maybe not immediately but it would not take long. I think within six months I would be a wreck again.

Hevyn

I agree with Least, Bobby. We pick right up where we left off - we don't go back to square one. Most of us went through hell finding that out.

Very glad to meet you - happy you found us. This is a wonderful place for support and understanding.

hypochondriac

Welcome to SR BobbyBert

Yeah, what least said. The only way I went back was in terms of my mental age. I'd love to be able to turn the clock back physically. I think stopping and starting drinking is one of the worst things you can do for your health.

2granddaughters

I heard it explained that when we were young we were like cucumbers.... and we went and pickled ourselves.
A cucumber can always become a pickle but a pickle can't become a cucumber.

All the best Bobbybert.

Bob R

Sapling

From what I've seen and heard from people that have gone back out...This is progressive even while not drinking....Meaning...You can be sober five years and start drinking and you will be worse off than when you stopped...Solution....Don't pick up the first one.

Dee74

Welcome bobbybert

In my experience the answer to your withdrawal question is yes...

and no I don't believe that we can go back, once we've crossed that invisible line of alcoholism. I spent 20 years trying.

Sorry you lost your long post....I'm looking forward to hearing more of your story

D

sugarbear1

I don't have a withdrawal left to endure. I will choose to stay stopped.

Good Luck!

IndaMiricale

For me YES. When I quit for some time and picked back up.. First I drank just like I did when I quit, and only would have to drink for several days to a week, and I would detox just like before.. Vomiting , insomia, shaking , sweating, wrestles , ect.

Dont test it , its easier to stay sober than it is to come back after a slip...

ReadyAndAble

Welcome to SR, Bobbybert.

Physically, sometimes it will actually be worse when you resume—a phenomenon known as the kindling effect, like Least said. it's pretty scary stuff.

And don't forget the mental obsession—that's the real problem, in my opinion. It seems to re-activate, no matter how much time goes by. Just add booze—poof, it's back.

Here's the good news: I bet you'll soon discover you don't want to drink again. Glad you're asking these important questions.

Vanilla28

the addictions councelor i saw said the same thing...i thought she was just being clever and came up with that herself LOL

Prodigy

In my experience I go through the withdrawals every time I go back to drinking., even if only for a few days.

sobermark

Hi all. 1st ever post so you will have to bare with me....man those withdrawals suck. And like ppl have aaid the kindling means it will always come back, worse. I can vouch for this. I had 10 montha sober and after a small binge there i was shaking away again. Its as if my bodys permantly damaged by the stuff. Last time for me was a close shave between life and death...iv def got the allergy aa talks about and have finally concluded alcohol infact all chemicals are not for me.

debsam

Welcome SoberMark

Good to have you here.

It would be great if you could start you own thread...little introduction so everyone knows you're with us

Top, left hand side...click "new thread"

Bobbybert

Wow - thanks allot - didn't expect all those responses backing up one answer! I had no idea about kindling - I am on day 7 since I had the 'binge' night. And I was getting a bit spooked by how strange / nasty some of the symptoms were and this makes sense now. Crap! I really was thinking its ok to do it one night months and months apart! Well that's that idea out the window then!

Luckily I never hit rock bottom and never got to 'severe' level withdrawals such as convulsions and black outs etc.. But I am pretty sure I was getting the milder ones which don't feel so mild when your having them for days and days ! I never got assesed but I am pretty certain of having the withdrawals.

I am a bit of a weird one in that I dont really feel addicted to alcohol - I was using it to medicate my panic attacks, anxiety and stress to be honest. And like I said I am pretty much in control now I dont really miss it - thanks to the hangovers / withdrawals getting so nasty! Thats why my plan was to do these binge nights a few times a year like the old days but this has changed my mind now drinking over 4 units is 100 percent off my list!

So this brings me to another question: so drinking excessively is off the list what about drinking under 4 units - is this bad for you - if you were like me not getting the severe symptoms (and of course if it never leads to any more alcohol!!)? And finally are there ways of checking your state of 'dependency' as such for want of a better word? Thanks!

Bobbybert

I guess maybe the new question was a bit hard to answer - I shall do my best to find out and maybe post back here...

doggonecarl

I think if you are posting to a recovery site about withdrawals, if you are struggling to stay quit, if you fail when you try to control your drinking, then yes, drinking under four units is bad for you...Why? Because you probably won't be able to do it.

But the insanity of alcoholism is that the drinker always thinks they can control it. Good luck if you get on that crazy train.

My advice would be to embrace sobriety, Bobby.

hypochondriac

I was only physically dependent on alcohol for a very short time, relatively speaking, but the mental dependency was the hard one to overcome. If you are using alcohol to medicate anxiety and stress then you will need to find much better coping strategies for these problems and not allow yourself to drink because of them. But then there is also the tolerance issue... once your body is used to consuming a large quantity of alcohol it doesn't forget how to process it which is why sticking to just a few drinks proves to be so tough.

For myself I got to the point where I was tired of all the ways I was trying to keep alcohol in my life, and it was very freeing to just get rid of it all together. In getting sober I realised that alcohol was the cause of more problems in my life than realised before.

Bobbybert

Yes I know about the problems with sticking to 4 units etc. but I did do it for quiet a while so I feel confident - and I was conscious never to use it as stress relief as such. Or a safety behavior as they call it in cognitive therapy. But I was hoping to be able to have one glass once in a while like I used to. Anyway would be nice to know if drinking within the safe limits is a problem too. There are also other things that concerned me like what if I eat something with alcohol in or I also use allot of alcohol hand rub at work - if I ever absorbed a little bit or enough to set the withdrawals off it could be quiet annoying.

So was just wondering if any alcohol can set the withdrawals off or just above the safe limits?