Alcohol problem? ?

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hi all,

Well i often wonder if and how much my drinking could be a problem?

My pattern seems strange to me, i drink heavily for roughly 4-5 days and then usually 3 days without though sometimes i give in sooner. When im drinking i consume approx 30 units per day, not always from morning/wake but some days.

Recently im having problems sleeping at all even after consuming a large amount, often in effort to sleep. Tonight/this morning is another sleepless night as was yesterday and too the day before that. I still felt drunk in the morning of whats now yesterday, didnt plan to drink but went to a friends BBQ and well, this was my excuse and drank like i had been in a desert! Had a good evening which is unusual as most days depression gets the better of my mood. Cant understand why my body simply seems to have forgotten it should rest!

Dont know what reply im actually hoping for as i have a feeling this is classed as a drink problem and fare to say im possibly afraid of the answer.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Posted

    Michael, you can get an answer to your question by trying not to drink for a week. If it is a struggle to do that, then you have a problem, but that doesn't mean it can't be resolved.

    Alcohol causes sleep disturbance, depression and anxiety when used excessively.

    If you try to stop drinking and get any physical withdrawal symptoms (shakiness, sweating, agitation, nausea) then you need to drink enough to stop this and seek medical help in the form of an alcohol detox.

    • Posted

      Thank you Paul for your reply, i really appreciate it.

      I think i may have been trying to tell myself its not a problem. I will try to cut down my amount. Your words were almost exact and as i read unfortunately, i had to be honest to myself. I get hand tremors often and have insomnia, sweating etc most times if i dont drink.

      I sense your care for people. So its looking like i shouldn't abruptly cease drinking and am safer at the moment to dont let my withdrawal symptoms get bad??

      I have opened up to some family about this now also. Its actually quite daunting and scary for me.

      Again i much appreciate your help and info

    • Posted

      Sounds like you need a detox then, Michael. Speak to your GP and see if you can get one arranged.
  • Posted

    Hi Michael 

    i think you have made the first step forward.

    i am a bit like you , I can go with out drinking for a few days but when I start I can't stop.

    have started taking Selincro. It's to help stop binge drinking .

    i have had some mixed results.

    first time the side effects were awful, so much I didn't want to take another tablet 😔

    second time I drank my bottle of wine as per usual and walked to the shops for my second bottle and got home to find I didn't really want it and poured the glass of wine I hadn't finished down the sink.

    i can't remember the last time I did that . 

    Result😃😃😃 I was over the moon.

    Sad to say though it's hasn't been as successful  since. 

    It has helped me drink slower and been much more aware of when I am going to drink .

    i was hoping for a miracle cure. But I suppose having been drinking like this for 10 years a few weeks of taking the tablet isn't going to change things yet. I really hope it will .

    wishing you all the luck with what ever path you choose to go down to tackle your issue. X 

    • Posted

      Hi Kathryn,

      Really appreciate your reply thank you, its good to know there are caring people such as you!

      Its been a bit of a self realisation lately and i have been noticing that i have been drinking with less non-drink days than there used to be 😦

      Its hard for me to say for certain how long my drinking has been a problem because i seem to have refused to see it myself. I think it has been much worse this year though.

      I will take action and see what my GP says soon. I say this because ive been crap lately and suffer with depression, anxiety, insomnia, drug/ alcohol use and debt.

      I hope the Selincro tablets start to work better over time for you. Take care

      Michael

  • Posted

    To be honest the regular safe consumption of alcohol is standardized as 21 units a week, so it would be acceptable to say that your 30 units a day actually is a little scary. If you want to try to cut down then u could try using an app called alcochange. Its just something that helps you cut down on drinking by keeping track of your drinking for you, u could set yourself daily goals if youre planning on cutting down slowly. But if you want to stop completely then alcochange isnt for you. To stop completely u could use either medication or slowly reduce your intake over the course of a couple of months till its safe to stop altogether.

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