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200 units a week

Posted , 23 users are following.

jim13829
jim13829

Hi, I am a 57 year old man, I drink every day after work, I work up to 12 hours a day including travelling. I drink 4 to 6 pints of lager and a bottle of wine every night. I never get drunk, I never pass out or make a fool of myself, I lead a happy and full life with my wife and children, my wife seldom drinks and my 16 and 19 year old children both at college, show no interest in drink, which is good. I am overweight, but apart from that, I am relatively healthy for my age. I earn good money and as I said we have a good life. I'm not moaning, but am I a freak of nature. I do know the terrible things alcohol does to peoples lives, and consider myself lucky, I also only sleep about 5 hours a night.

Please dont say it will creep up on me, Ive been doing this for 35 years, in actual fact in my twentys I used to drink more. It is not something I'm proud of, nor am I ashamed, its just me. Yours thoughts please.

1 like, 27 replies

27 Replies

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  • PaulJTurner1964
    PaulJTurner1964 jim13829

    Posted

    There is some reason why you came here though, Jim smile

    Is it worrying you?

    That level of drinking WILL affect your heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas and brain. The way to see if you have a physical dependence is to try and go for a few days without a drink (but have some around just in case you get withdrawal symptoms.)

    It's not for anyone here to dictate what you should do, but you did ask smile

     

  • laura95695
    laura95695 jim13829

    Posted

    Hi Jim, 

    I'm not sure how to reply to this tbh, it almost sounds like you're bragging about how much you drink yet you're unaffected (I don't pass out, or make a fool of myself) - you used to drink more in your twenties and you can still handle your drink. Well good for you? 4-6 pints a night and a bottle of wine, is that normal do you think? Every night? Are you looking for help with your drinking cos it certainly seems you've come to the right place if you have. I'm sorry if I've misread your message but as Paul says you must have posted this message for a reason, I'm just not sure what the reason is. If you feel you can share more info then please do... 

  • tim081952
    tim081952 jim13829

    Posted

    Jim, thank you for sharing with this community, good to have you aboard 'cause we on here all need help (except Paul) - that's why we are here!

    While my consumption has never gotten beyond 50-55 in a week, I am dependent and have reduced with the help of Naltrexone. I do actually have days when I can say "horray for me".

    When I was binging in the past and stopped for a couple of days - my body has gone to seizures. Horrible feeling when you come out of it...please cut back slowly, not all at once.

    As for your kids, they see what booze does to familys, directly or indirectly. Hope they haven't stopped loving you. Have you always had a weight issue? As we get older we tend to keep the same habits and need some major changes.

    Pls keep posting, Tim (almost 63, hope to get there soon) biggrin and many more.

  • vickylou
    vickylou jim13829

    Posted

    Jim there must be some reason why you've posted on this forum. You've asked for our thoughts, but thoughts on what? Why not try not drinking for a couple of days and see how you feel. You will soon know if you're alcohol dependant or not.
    • vickylou
      vickylou

      Posted

      Jim when I said stop drinking for a couple of days, I didn't mean go cold turkey and stop completely all alcohol. Why not try having the beer and not the wine, or vice versa. I know you said you don't want comments about it creeping up on you, but your body cannot sustain 200 units of alcohol a week indefinitely. Read Pauls post again about your organs being affected. No-one will preach and tell you what to do on this forum, but you asked about our thoughts on your drinking
  • Dave8119
    Dave8119 jim13829

    Posted

    Whatever way you spin it Jim you are here because you know 200 units a week is a worrying amount of units. The cost for all that drinking alone must be taking an awful lot of money out of your income. 

    Look mate, my drinking isn't on that level and I'm happy to admit alcohol has a sort of vice like grip on my head so why not hold you hands up and admit, I've got a problem here. It may not be affecting you this minute but one day in the future your drinking will make you ill, it's impossible for it not too at that level. 

  • paulwgun
    paulwgun jim13829

    Posted

    Hi Jim

    As has been said you must have some concearns to post here, do you drink on the weekend as well?

    My drinking is/was simillar and i wouldnt be drunk just that nice feeling to end the day

    so far ive stayed dry in the week but drank on the weekend with some control, I went to my GP who refered me to a local drink/drug advisory centre and am waiting for a assesment

    I also had a heart to heart with my Mrs as during the week she offered me some vodka which i declined but the craving to say yes was soo strong that i needed her to understand what was happening

    wishing you all the best

    Paul

    • vickylou
      vickylou paulwgun

      Posted

      paul, well done for explaining to your wife about your cravings. Please don't think I'm patronising you. I'm certainly not and you have taken a huge step forward. Good luck😄😄
    • paulwgun
      paulwgun vickylou

      Posted

      Thanks, had to tell her as it makes it a lot easier she works a tuesday untill 10 pm and the usual trait is for her to buy a bottle of wine on the way home but 2 weeks ago it was vodka

      She can have a drink and then forget about it for a week unlike myself, last night we went for a meal as it was nice and sunny out, now its unheared of for me to have a steak without red wine, my daughter ordered a soda and blackcurrant, and my train of thought was if the Mrs orders alcohol ill have my wine. She ordered soda and lime so i followed her lead and did the same, so unknown to her she stopped me drinking last night which im so greatfull for

    • vickylou
      vickylou paulwgun

      Posted

      Was the meal after or before you told her about why you didn't want vodka? Am guessing it was after. If so, she's taken your concerns seriously and by her not having alcohol, she's making it easier for you.

      i tend to drink, depending on who I'm with. My daughter in law is pregnant so is not drinking and I follow suit if we have a meal out. My daughter doesn't drink if she's working the next day so I have a soft drink. However my best friend drinks like a fish when out, but like your wife she'll not think about drinking until she's next out. I will have several glasses of wine when out, and share a bottle or two with my husband either out or at home on Friday and Saturday nights. I know longer drink alone and I don't touch spirits. It is certainly a lot easier when your wife/husband/partner know what's been or still going on. Good luck and keep me posted!😄😄

    • paulwgun
      paulwgun vickylou

      Posted

      yeah the meal was after i spoke to her about the vodka, and its helped a great deal with her knowing
    • vickylou
      vickylou paulwgun

      Posted

      Great that she is so supportive. Its a hell of a lot easier when your other half knows what's going on. Good luck
  • jim13829
    jim13829

    Posted

    Hi its Jim.

    In reply to all your messages, first I was not 'bragging' about my consumption of alcohol, I realise it is an enormous amount to drink, I am quite happy to drink alone, but invariably I am not. My childrens decision to not drink much alcohol is more to do with being more like my wife than me. Yes is does cost me a lot of money, but I'm lucky enough to earn it. I do not smoke, and never have, a factor which seems to please every doctor I meet. I stopped drinking for one month last october, just to see if I could do it, I did and to be honest, people were saying to me "you must feel fantastic not drinking" in actual fact, I felt absolutely no different than when I drink. Yes my wife would like me to drink less, but only because she loves me and worries. I work bloody hard and drinking is my relax time, I also like drinking and the pub culture, but I am home by 7.00 each evening, never miss a sunday lunch at 3.30 .my family are not embarrassed by me, and I feel good in myself. The reason I posted a message is I was wondering how many others are like me. Perhaps I should not have posted, as I dont see a problem apart from this being abnormal. I do apologise if I have offended anyone, it was never my intention.

    • patricia44773
      patricia44773 jim13829

      Posted

      I think it was very good of you post.  You put another perspective on the subject of alcohol use.  Any information is helpful.

      People come here because they have a problem, so any replies will be biased.

      You know in your own heart what is right and wrong, you are an intelligent person and you can understand what the statistics tell you.  We all have free choice, thank goodness.

      Be happy...that is the most important thing.  We are only here once.

      Good luck

      Pat

       

    • vickylou
      vickylou jim13829

      Posted

      You certainly haven't offended me, and can't see anything in your post to offend anyone. It's your life and as you rightly say, you're not accountable to anyone.

      after reading your first post, where you asked for other people's thoughts, I was unsure why you'd asked. Reading between the lines, to me it came across that you knew you were drinking too much and what it was doing to your body, but wanted reassurance that you could continue to drink at this level. At the end of the day Jim, it's your body.

    • john82821
      john82821 jim13829

      Posted

      Hi Jim,

      I'm sure you haven't offended anyone. It's great to hear people's stories.

      I don't drink nearly as much (2-4 times a week) but I can appreciate a lot of what you say. Like you, I don't feel like an alcoholic, I don't physically need it, I don't get properly drunk (even though I'm more like 14-17 units in a sitting - so nowhere near as high). For me, because I don't feel drunk, it doesn't feel like a problem.

      Well done for going a month without. I would really struggle to do that. However, if you've proved you can do that, you can surely cut back too. You may have got lucky so far but there is always a degree of risk - high or low - that you are causing severe damage and it will creep up on you eventually.

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