Quitting...alcohol is not bringing me positive things
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 7
Quitting...alcohol is not bringing me positive things
I don't even know how to say what I think or feel because I am not sure I'm an "alcoholic," but I do know that I have tried to not drink and keep buying wine and/or beer every day. I drink when I'm stressed (I have an anxiety disorder, so that's pretty much every evening when I come home!), I drink during sports (love those 11am games!), I drink on vacations...and start early. I drink with family and I drink with friends. I feel sad when I go to the in-laws house because they don't drink much, and I feel like I won't be able to drink the 3-4 drinks I'm accustomed to at night.
Bad things alcohol brings in my life:
1) I say stupid stuff when I'm drunk
2) I have IBS and it started when I started drinking every evening
3) My throat cartilage hurts and cracks and catches on a nerve (I think it's caused by inflammation, which is caused by drinking)
4) I have mild GERD that started when I started drinking more heavily
5) I have pains under my ribs and shortness of breath (IBS related?)
6) I'm fatter than I used to be
None of that is good. All of that points to needing to quit. I've taken all of the tests online about "Am I an alcoholic?" And the results come back somewhere in the spectrum of Risky Drinker and Severe Drinking Problem.
I guess this post is my way of saying "here we go" down a path that it can't hurt (and is probably necessary) to go down. My grandfather was an alcoholic, my parents drink most every night, and I just don't want to become something that I can very easily see myself becoming.
Thanks for reading.
Bad things alcohol brings in my life:
1) I say stupid stuff when I'm drunk
2) I have IBS and it started when I started drinking every evening
3) My throat cartilage hurts and cracks and catches on a nerve (I think it's caused by inflammation, which is caused by drinking)
4) I have mild GERD that started when I started drinking more heavily
5) I have pains under my ribs and shortness of breath (IBS related?)
6) I'm fatter than I used to be
None of that is good. All of that points to needing to quit. I've taken all of the tests online about "Am I an alcoholic?" And the results come back somewhere in the spectrum of Risky Drinker and Severe Drinking Problem.
I guess this post is my way of saying "here we go" down a path that it can't hurt (and is probably necessary) to go down. My grandfather was an alcoholic, my parents drink most every night, and I just don't want to become something that I can very easily see myself becoming.
Thanks for reading.
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: WI
Posts: 529
I'm only about 2 days ahead of you in the quitting derby. I actually quit for 7 months last year, only to fall back off the wagon a few months ago.
IBS, eh? I thought I had it too. Definitely had the symptoms. But it turns out I was clobbering my pancreas. When that thing gets clobbered, it starts to disrupt your whole digestive system. You wind up with the same symptoms as IBS in short order. During my 7 month break from drinking, my symptoms gradually went away (including the pain right underneath my ribcage).
I'd be willing to bet that your pancreas is crying "uncle".
IBS, eh? I thought I had it too. Definitely had the symptoms. But it turns out I was clobbering my pancreas. When that thing gets clobbered, it starts to disrupt your whole digestive system. You wind up with the same symptoms as IBS in short order. During my 7 month break from drinking, my symptoms gradually went away (including the pain right underneath my ribcage).
I'd be willing to bet that your pancreas is crying "uncle".
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: WI
Posts: 529
I also developed a type of pneumonia when I was drinking heavily. Apparently, when you fall asleep drunk, your breathing is shallower so your lungs don't expand and contract fully. That causes like an atrophy or pneumonia to occur. I would get short of breath too, and even my voice sounded different after heavy bouts of drinking.
I felt so darned good during those 7 months sober. Wish I hadn't thrown it all away.
I felt so darned good during those 7 months sober. Wish I hadn't thrown it all away.
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: California
Posts: 2,693
BabyStep,
I am glad you are here. I just wanted to say that I also drank every night and experienced many of the same physical symptoms that you do. I am now on day 19 of sobriety and I am happy to say that they are gone. My digestion is regular, the acid reflux is gone, the pains under the ribs are 90% gone, I've only had one headache in 20 days, and I am starting to lose weight. I told myself I wouldn't get on the scale for awhile but I can feel it. Anyways, just think: you probably have the cure in your hands to those physical symptoms you were talking about. What a blessing that the cure to many of our physical ailments is just to eliminate one substance. I'm not saying it's easy. The past 19 have been the most difficult but most rewarding 19 days of my life. If this former daily drunk can do it, so you can you!
I am glad you are here. I just wanted to say that I also drank every night and experienced many of the same physical symptoms that you do. I am now on day 19 of sobriety and I am happy to say that they are gone. My digestion is regular, the acid reflux is gone, the pains under the ribs are 90% gone, I've only had one headache in 20 days, and I am starting to lose weight. I told myself I wouldn't get on the scale for awhile but I can feel it. Anyways, just think: you probably have the cure in your hands to those physical symptoms you were talking about. What a blessing that the cure to many of our physical ailments is just to eliminate one substance. I'm not saying it's easy. The past 19 have been the most difficult but most rewarding 19 days of my life. If this former daily drunk can do it, so you can you!
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Debary, Florida
Posts: 49
Originally Posted by BabyStep7 
I don't even know how to say what I think or feel because I am not sure I'm an "alcoholic," but I do know that I have tried to not drink and keep buying wine and/or beer every day. I drink when I'm stressed (I have an anxiety disorder, so that's pretty much every evening when I come home!), I drink during sports (love those 11am games!), I drink on vacations...and start early. I drink with family and I drink with friends. I feel sad when I go to the in-laws house because they don't drink much, and I feel like I won't be able to drink the 3-4 drinks I'm accustomed to at night.
Bad things alcohol brings in my life:
1) I say stupid stuff when I'm drunk
2) I have IBS and it started when I started drinking every evening
3) My throat cartilage hurts and cracks and catches on a nerve (I think it's caused by inflammation, which is caused by drinking)
4) I have mild GERD that started when I started drinking more heavily
5) I have pains under my ribs and shortness of breath (IBS related?)
6) I'm fatter than I used to be
None of that is good. All of that points to needing to quit. I've taken all of the tests online about "Am I an alcoholic?" And the results come back somewhere in the spectrum of Risky Drinker and Severe Drinking Problem.
I guess this post is my way of saying "here we go" down a path that it can't hurt (and is probably necessary) to go down. My grandfather was an alcoholic, my parents drink most every night, and I just don't want to become something that I can very easily see myself becoming.
Thanks for reading.
Bad things alcohol brings in my life:
1) I say stupid stuff when I'm drunk
2) I have IBS and it started when I started drinking every evening
3) My throat cartilage hurts and cracks and catches on a nerve (I think it's caused by inflammation, which is caused by drinking)
4) I have mild GERD that started when I started drinking more heavily
5) I have pains under my ribs and shortness of breath (IBS related?)
6) I'm fatter than I used to be
None of that is good. All of that points to needing to quit. I've taken all of the tests online about "Am I an alcoholic?" And the results come back somewhere in the spectrum of Risky Drinker and Severe Drinking Problem.
I guess this post is my way of saying "here we go" down a path that it can't hurt (and is probably necessary) to go down. My grandfather was an alcoholic, my parents drink most every night, and I just don't want to become something that I can very easily see myself becoming.
Thanks for reading.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 7
Your responses have actually made me tear up. Thank you so much for responding and sharing your experiences. I am glad (but sad, of course) that others have felt the same physical things and are recovering from them...or had a chance to during a stint of sobriety. I look forward to reading others' experiences.
Thank you again.
Thank you again.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 7
Originally Posted by soberclover
I ditto that many of my health complication also are gone now that I'm sober 
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Earth
Posts: 164
Hi Babystep!
I can relate to a lot of what you said! And I'm only a few days in One of my biggest reasons for quitting is the same as yours -- alcoholism runs in my family and I was becoming it. I too kept trying to stop and being unable too, and I also drank to alleviate my anxiety disorder. It seemed to help but I think drinking made it worse in the end. Anyway we can do this!!!! Lots of support here!!!
I can relate to a lot of what you said! And I'm only a few days in
One of my biggest reasons for quitting is the same as yours -- alcoholism runs in my family and I was becoming it. I too kept trying to stop and being unable too, and I also drank to alleviate my anxiety disorder. It seemed to help but I think drinking made it worse in the end. Anyway we can do this!!!! Lots of support here!!!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 7
Day 2.
My stomach still feels bad, but not as bad as the day after beer. When I woke up I had this odd thought of "time to feel groggy and slightly off...ease into the day." I then chuckled to myself because I remembered that I didn't drink last night. My wife even said I didn't snore badly at all...I wonder if that's a drinking thing too...
My stomach still feels bad, but not as bad as the day after beer. When I woke up I had this odd thought of "time to feel groggy and slightly off...ease into the day." I then chuckled to myself because I remembered that I didn't drink last night. My wife even said I didn't snore badly at all...I wonder if that's a drinking thing too...
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Augusta, GA
Posts: 888
Welcome Babystep!
Sounds like you've put some serious thought into the problem, now it's time to find the solution! No one can say you're an alcoholic, but yourself. I know from my experience that if you are, it will only get worse if you continue to drink! Get a plan and stick with it. AA (alcoholics anonymous) was recommended to me and it's saved my life. Pulling for you!
Sounds like you've put some serious thought into the problem, now it's time to find the solution! No one can say you're an alcoholic, but yourself. I know from my experience that if you are, it will only get worse if you continue to drink! Get a plan and stick with it. AA (alcoholics anonymous) was recommended to me and it's saved my life. Pulling for you!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 7
Thanks ultra. I think me spending any time deciding whether to call myself an alcoholic or not is a watt-less exercise because I was absolutely becoming one if I wasn't already one...so potay toh/poh tah toh That tells me that the prescription is the same...no drinking! I pray that catching myself early means that it will be easier withdrawal & stick-to-it-wise...time will tell.
Thank you so much for the encouragement!
That tells me that the prescription is the same...no drinking! I pray that catching myself early means that it will be easier withdrawal & stick-to-it-wise...time will tell.Thank you so much for the encouragement!
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