Should I Quit While I'm Ahead? (24, Female)
 

I made a post and accidentally deleted it :(

Anyway, I don't feel like posting the entire thing again so I'll attempt to shorten it.

I just turned 24 about 10 days ago. I've been drinking since I was 22.

At first I was drinking hard alcohol every night to the point of passing out until I eventually went into therapy die to anxiety and depression.

After that, I limited to alcohol intake, but that was only for a short amount of time. Then last year, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and I know that alcohol had A LOT to do with me being diagnosed, but I also know I ate fries and pizza and drank sodas like a maniac.

After being diagnosed I cut out hard alcohol completely, but I still continued drinking beer.

I can down 8 regular beers (Bud, Busch, etc.) but I always cap myself at 6, preferably 5.

But my favorite beer is one that even the most burly men don't drink.

Steel Reserve. I can drink 3 cans of that,no problem.

Recently, for about 3 months straight, I was drinking 3 of those almost every night.

Lately, I've limited it to 3 times a week, but I'd like to narrow it down to 2 cans once a week.

Do you think that's possible? And if it is possible, is it okay to do so?

Welcome XCO!

This is a question a normal drinker would not ask. So, what makes you think it may not be possible?

If you are on these boards asking if you should quit while you are ahead then deep down, you KNOW you need to quit.

I'm 10 years older than you. You have youth on your side. Get sober now.

Moderation doesn't work. I tried it for 10 years.

Welcome to the family. :) With your diabetes, I'd think it would be best to not drink at all. Why risk it?

Welcome, and I hope you decide to stop drinking completely.

Since you've already started to taper down (great move by the way), why not taper some more over the next week or so to zero?

You're young and cutting the alcohol might get your blood sugar back in check.

Good luck and keep posting! :)

Getting type 2 diabetes at such a young age is a wake up call. Alcohol (and particularly beer) is nothing but pure simple carbohydrates in large quantities with a toxic kicker to compound the damage.

Diabetes scares me more than almost anything. I've known diabetics who struggled for years slowly dying...losing their eyesight, their kidney function, having mini-strokes, having amputations as their circulation quits...and struggling to pay for the hundreds of dollars' worth of meds they need every month, or even worse, dialysis. We ran into a colleague of my husband's the other day who was driving around in tears because his diabetic father was going to have his leg amputated...and he'd already had the other one removed.

Why would you risk that?

I'm glad you are here. :welcome

The short answer to your question, should I quit while I'm ahead is yes.

You are so young. Quitting drinking completely may be the cure to your health, anxiety and depression issues. I know it was for me.

Is chasing the buzz really worth your life?

What good things will two cans bring to your life once a week? Why put effort into that. Why not open up to the possibility of living without alcohol. If you read around this site, you will see that thousands of people around the globe do just that: live a full life without alcohol.

My best wishes,

B

Hello :),
It sounds to me like part of you recognizes this is an issue and that is a good thing! Considering you have admitted that your diagnoses of type 2 diabetes can greatly be attributed to your alcohol intake it could only be beneficial for you to stop now. Alcohol is basically all carbs which break down into sugars. If you can stop drinking you may be able to gain control over your diabetes and potentially get yourself back to a non-diabetic state. This begin said, diabetes can have major effects on your body and it would be wise to disclose this information with a medical professional and get their personal opinion. I think it is great that you have started to cut down your consumption and I believe that if you truly want it you can do it. The one thing I would add is that I believe it is really important that you seek out medical advice from a professional( sorry for repeating myself) . I only emphasize this because when people consume alcohol on a regular basis over years the bodies electrolytes can become unbalanced and there are certain vitamins which you're body will need.

Thank you so much for the positive answers and support.

I agree. It should have been a wake up call the minute I was diagnosed. I was shaken from the fog for maybe a month or two, then I went back to the alcohol when I realized how unhappy I was.

I know it's not worth it. That's the thing. I know. I know everything you all are telling me, but I just choose to ignore it because for a few hours a week I feel completely at ease. I don't have the panic attacks. I don't feel like crying. I don't feel sad. But I know o need to grow up and face my problems.

I guess the thing is, I've tried. I've been to therapy, I've been the the hospital because of depression and its either take more meds or be sad. And as sad as that is, that's truly what it comes down to.

And I used drinking to cope. To sleep. To be happy. But now instead of being something I can do when I go out with friends, it's become something I do by myself to feel happy. And unfortunately it's killing me in the process.

I want to quit cold turkey, but I've never been the type that can do that. Even with diet and exercise. The most successful I've been was when I cut fries this week and soda the next, then walked one mile, then two until I was doing it without hesitation.

I want to be strong enough to beat this. Because I know I can. Ive already limited my intake, but that's because I have no choice.

I want to do this for real.

Hi XCO nice to meet you welcome to SR

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ful-links.html

You sound so smart at such a young age...good for you.

Does your doctor know your drinking history? He/she may be able to help find you some detox or rehab support.

There is one secret booze really doesn't want you to know...it causes anxiety. And then once you're addicted, withdrawal makes the anxiety worse...it's a vicious cycle and while it certainly feels like all your bad emotions are real, they're sooo exaggerated by the effects of drinking.

You can do this!

Yeah, the cumulative side effects of self-medicating with alcohol are what brought most of us here to SR in the first place.

A big problem of self-medicating your depression with alcohol is that alcohol is also a depressant. You might feel better for a short while (hours) but the depressive side effects can last weeks or months. You are much better off giving up the beers and finding a solution that will last you a lifetime.

I like what you're cooking XCO! :You_Rock_

You can do this! :ring

Welcome to the Forum XCO!! :wave:

Hi and welcome XCO :)

Cold turkey may be the way to go with other things like cigarettes etc but it can be dangerous with alcohol if you've been a regular heavy drinker for a long time. Why not see your Dr first - ask about detox - be safe? :)

oh and definitely quit while you're ahead - 2 cans once a week still sounds like slavery to me - ands if you're a drinker like I was you won;t be able to keep it at that anyway.

Quit for good. I've never regretted it :)

D

You all are so positive! Thank you so much!

I do believe I can do this because there are times when my sister comes to visit for holidays and she's strongly against drinking. She knows I drink, but I think she believes that I've stopped.

But during the times she comes to visit, out of respect, and the fact that I spend most of my time with her, I don't drink.

I can go up to three weeks without drinking or even wanting to drink.

And when I had surgery and was prescribed pain killers, I didn't drink just because I didn't want to mix the alcohol with the medicine.

I know I can do it because I have before. I just don't know why it's so hard to do it now.

quit while you're ahead?

sure beats waiting til you're way behind.

Sounds like you were/are self medicating with alcohol.

I think you are in the right place. I quit 6 months ago, at 24. Just celebrated my sober bday at 25. You can do it.

I'm thinking, if you could cut down to 2 cans once a week, wouldn't you have done it already?

Abstinance was the only way I could do this. One beer led to another. And steel reserve is hurting your body more than those other things!!