barclez

Guys,

Im posting here as I am looking for honest advice, I cant speak to people close to me as i feel uneasy to do so.

My question to people that have experiance is at what point does drinking become a problem?

I started drinking around 16 years old not heavily, once a week with my friends, this growing to occaisional weekend binges.

I am now just under 30, and now sometimes do the same albeit with more consumed, the problem I now face is that the next day for the last 2 years i dont suffer the same hangover ( i wish i did) sore head, thirst, sickness.

I now suffer confusion, sweats, anxiety leading to me thinking i have had a stroke or heart attack for example.

I live a social life where I generally drink at weekends for example, no more than others in my life, i tend not to bother during the week and feel no urges at any point to drink.

However what I have noticed is that I have a limit to what I can drink without the issues the next day around 4 pints lager, over the time this has happened i have learned to live with the effects better or ways to fix this.

If I have a curer for example 2-3 pints the issues go away, or better now If i take Vallium not prescribed i feel better although feel the affect of the tablet.

I have went to the doctor on this he has advised that 4 pints is my limit, but cant explain why this is?

My thinking now is surely this must be a problem and not a limit my body has, my friends drink the same yet dont suffer the issues I have.

To be honest im not a huge drinker, yet I seem to suffer from withdrawel that last roughly when I wake up the next day, to when i wake up after the next sleep.

Drinking appears to be a social part of my life which I do enjoy, However i dont feel its healty to continue either taking vallium the next day or having a few to feel better.

I understand you probably have theese types of threads all the time, but I have a few questions that i probably know the answer to, like If i didnt drink for a year would i still have the issues the next day, or am i know stuck in this position and be better off not drinking again?

Any help appreciated

Mery Christmas

SoberComposer

I guess only you can decide if it is problem. For me, I knew I had to be sober after years of trying to quit/controlling it/repeat. It's a great sign that you are aware and concerned enough to search for advice! I am no expert at this but other will have some great comments. Welcome to SoberRecovery!

barclez

Thanks for the reply Sobercomposer. I feel its a problem as I dont see others having the same problem and its hard to talk about with friends or family.

I just feel my issues with the next day after drinking are not your traditional hangover, im getting concerned that i need to either drink a few pints or take non described meds to feel normal. This I dont think is normal or a long term soloution. Any advice thanked.

Mags1

Hi barclez, welcome to the forum. I agree with composer, only you can decide if it's become a problem for you.

Have a read at some posts you may find some familiarities there, or give it a go at stopping for a while. If that's a problem perhaps it may becoming a problem.

For me I was always looking forward to when I could have my next drink and then binge drink. If I quit drinking tea for a while or eating chicken, I may miss it but wouldn't think about it constantly, as I did initially with booze.

Good luck on what you decide.

VikingGF

Your body is definitely trying to tell you something!

As SoberComposer said, only you can decide if it's a problem. Is it still fun to drink? Are you feeling the same effects? Do you have to do it to socialize? Do the feelings of anxiety disappear if you abstain?

Everyone metabolizes alcohol differently, comparing what you drink to others is not a measure of whether it's a problem for you. For me, once the confusion and memory loss set in, I knew I had to be done before irreparable damage was done.

Welcome to SR. Good for you knowing it may be time to look into making a change.

SoberComposer

Maybe the best thing to do is quit for an extended period of time and see how you feel about your life then. I wanted to finally quit because I knew I could do so much more from my life and be so much happier but had no idea what to expect. I didn't even know what a sober-me would be like. It does have it's ups/downs such as life but I feel much, much better about myself. I am becoming someone I very much respect. There are moments of despair when I just want a break from reality, but they always pass and I feel even better about who I am afterward.

It's great that you came here tonight!

barclez

The feelings only occur after drinking sessions upon waking untill I either resolve it by drinking 3 pints or taking a valium tablet. Or if i play out the feelings untill I wake the next day.

It would be strange to me going out for example not to drink, I have tried to but doesnt end up that way, however if it was just a evening meal with say 4 drinks i would be ok the next day, as soon as 6 and more pints are consumed I know it will happen.

I envy someone that can go out not drinking, in the social places i go.

Altoids

I agree with SoberComposer. Try not drinking for a time to see how you feel. Fortunately we don't need alcohol to live, so you can give it up freely.

jayman

For me I realized it was a problem when for about two years I was drinking nearly every night to get drunk. It was affecting my work, my family, friends, you name it. When I realized this, I made an effort to "cut down", but once I started drinking I wouldn't stop until I was blacked out drunk. It's been a few years since I've come to that realization and I've been able to stay sober for a week or two and then go into an all out binge that would last a couple days. I'd suffer from sweats, anxiety, my heart rate was through the roof, I felt like I was going to die. I did some research and found that my typical BAC during these binges were around the 0.3 level, which is deadly. I have a problem, I am an alcoholic, and I must stay sober if I want to live a happy meaningful life.

Ultimately, you have to decide if you have a problem. There are plenty of people on this forum that can give you an idea of what a "problem" may be, but in my opinion it's a problem when it affects everyone around you, you can't stop drinking, and you start to have physical problems from it. And that's a generalization.

OmoRose

My two cents;

I don't believe you have to go so far down the road to critical mass (when alcohol and drinking become a destructive, obvious issue) in order to say or know 'there is a problem here.'

If you're feeling disturbing physical effects after a night of drinking, then it is time to change something. What you're describing is concerning to you, and does not seem quite right. Maybe your bodies natural tolerance is trying to nudge you, make you aware it does not like having to process that level of alcohol.

It's good you've seen your physician, wouldn't be a bad idea to schedule a full physical just to make sure the motors running right. Cutting back is probably a wise decision.

Good luck to you, and welcome to the forums.

barclez

Thanks for the response guys, I know physically im ok Mon-Fri gym go-er.

Im just concered why i feel withdrawels from drinking, I feel as if i need to give it a rest, I would love to go out and not drink, maybe be the designated driver for a while.

Hawks

Alcohol has started to effect your central nervous system.

Those Symptoms are normally associated with heavier consumption than 4 pints in a night, but maybe your more sensitive to alcohol.

They are symptoms of definite concern though, regardless of level of consumption.

Take a year off (if you can) and see if things change upon recommencement.

If they come back quick... I'd think about stopping for good.

barclez

Thanks Hawks,

I can drink 4 pints and not feel the effects the next day, thats my limit if you like.

Any more then I know it will happen.

I would love to know that taking a year off it could stop the feelings, what I have read though that once it starts it will never go away?

Hawks

Oh right, got it.

Yeah booze is bad stuff for the nerves.

Drinking the next day to get rid of the nervous stuff is a slippery slope.

Sign of alcohol dependence at least.

I'd say that is a problem, definitely

barclez

Can, in your opinion this be resolved by a period say a year staying off it?

Or is it a problem that cant be cured?

barclez

When reading up on withdrawel, I dont find lots of examples of weekend binge drinking the cause, its usually based on continued use then stopping, in my case from what i have read i do suffer from it.

The level from my expericance would be described as acute not a DT for example but still a horrible experiance, making me not a nice person to be around.

barclez

I think I need to try staying away from it for a extended period say a year, that could possibly be one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life, that may seem laughable to people reading this, for me its what I have to do, somehow after the festive period I owe it to myself to try, thanks for all responses on here, this is not a easy topic to talk with your circle.

Merry christmas to all

Dee74

I started as a binge drinker. I can tell you from personal experience that you can withdraw pretty badly.

My habit of 'hair of the dog' to feel better was a major factor in me moving from a weekend binger to an all day drinker....

It wasn't easy for me to give up drinking. It permeated every area of my life and every relationship I had...but I'm glad I fought through the fear.

D

Hawks

Possibly... Very hard to say. It would also depend on what pattern of drinking is re-established once you start again.

If you can moderate it after a year off, no more than 2-3 pints in a night or weekend... Should be sweet.

Time will tell

ubntubnt

Barclez.....its a mistake to compare your drinking volume to others to try to rationalize whether you have a problem or not, it's a very personal thing. If you read back on my history you will see I led an outwardly successful life and never suffered withdraws any stronger than a hangover but was a raging alcoholic for 20 years. It's a very personal thing unique to you.

I have to tell you though, even though I was drinking much much more than you I would not have taken Valium and would not have suffered through drinking to calm my nervous system after drinking. I think you are at the point where you have a HUGE amount to lose for a small social gain. As others have said only you know whether you have a problem or not....my advice is to not get hung up on the definition of an alcoholic and instead focus on how your body feels about it, which in your case is not good at all. Therefore why not drop it for a year and see where you stand at that point. My hunch is that you will quickly learn that you have had a very unhealthy attitude with alcohol for a while. Good luck mate.