Acute pancreatitis - no more alcohol forever?!

Dear people,

(English is not my native language, but I do my best.) For me the topic "pancreas" is a completely new one, which is why I am glad to have finally found a forum for it. I have some questions for you. About my story: I am 34 years old, male, drank too much for 3-4 months, between 3-6 beers daily (so about 1.5-3 liters) in the evening (before that half a year not at all). Heavy smoker (20-30 cigarettes daily). In addition, in the last four weeks: extremely fatty, unhealthy food as well as 4-5 energy drinks daily in the last 4 weeks. Was admitted to the hospital two weeks ago with severe pain in the upper abdomen (under the lower left ribcage). Elevated blood values revealed a suspicion of "acute pancreatitis". I was admitted as an inpatient: no solid food, only IV fluids, and only water and tea and pain medication. The CT confirmed the suspicion of inflammation, unfortunately no gallstones, thus the suspicion: my lifestyle caused the pancreatitis. For me, as someone who was well on the way to becoming an alcoholic, the doctor's order: "Never again a drop of alcohol!" - a shock. Was discharged after ten days in the hospital, it was said that at the beginning of the illness I almost ended up in intensive care: they discovered a lot of fluid in my body, which caused me to have breathing difficulties at times and I had to be hooked up to an oxygen machine. Was discharged on a strict diet: light food and no alcohol.

For me, the disease came out of nowhere! It may be easy for many people to be in the prime of one's life and be diagnosed with "never drinking again," but not for me. I am shocked because I know many people who drank far longer and far more excessively than I did and never had pancreatic problems. My suspicion is also that it might be related to the fatty foods and EnergyDrinks (there are various references to this: https://journals.lww.com/ajg/fulltext/2018/10001/recurrent_acute_pancreatitis_with_energy_drinks.1442.aspx). Since then I have not drunk anything and reduced my smoking to about 5 cigarettes a day, as well as eating only light food, only a few sugary drinks.

Now for my questions: 1) How do people my age deal with never being allowed to drink a drop of alcohol again? This is (totally) damaging my social life. Unfortunately, in our society people like to consume alcohol in all possible situations. 2) Is it possible that my pancreatitis was caused by something else? I have also been taking sleep medication for a few months because of sleep disorders. 3) Is it really true that one should never drink alcohol again? I have read that beer in particular is dangerous, but many people with acute pancreatitis (AP) have had good experiences with wine. Especially the last question concerns me very much, because the idea of never being allowed to drink again, not on any birthday, not at Christmas, not going out, not at all, - never again, is very frightening. Is it perhaps possible, after a longer period of time - and no new AP - a change of diet, as well as the complete renunciation of cigarettes, to consume alcohol again on certain occasions in usual quantities? (By which I do not mean 3-6 beers a day, but reduced to a tolerable level).

For me, the diagnosis came out of nowhere and my life has changed radically in the last two weeks, I'm pretty down and really don't know what to do at the moment. How are you dealing with this? I know that my lifestyle was very dangerous and I have learned from it, but I find the "punishment" for a few months of drinking to get a lifetime ban is more than hard and maybe even unfair.

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