1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Alcohol Consumption

please advise....

Posted , 9 users are following.

carly33
carly33

I have been drinking about 3 litres of Bacardi a week for the past 3 years...I want to stop but I am afraid of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Does everyone get them?

Also...as I don't get hangovers I feel like it's not like I have a big problem...am I minimising this or am I really a heavy drinker?

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 carly33

    Posted

    Hi Carly:

    ​This is how I tell my friends to figure out if they have a problem with alcohol...when they ASK me.

    ​Does alcohol control most of your thoughts when you wake up in the morning?

    Do you ever plan your day around alcohol?

    ​Do you ever hide alcohol from loved ones?

    ​Do you ever feel like you have to convince someone you don't have a problem?

    Does alcohol every affect your life?  Your job? Your relationships?

    Does alcohol ever make you feel sick and unable to do things the next day?

    ​Any way shape or form...if alcohol is affecting your life it is a problem.

  • RHGB
    RHGB carly33

    Posted

    Everyone is different, but based on your drinking, I would expect you to have withdrawal symptoms and they are not pleasant - trust me, I have experienced them.

    I never got hangovers, but  and I don't want to scare you, I almost came a cropper, very serious. Your liver doesn't have any nerve endings, so there is no feeling of pain. You are a heavy drinker,

    You sound quite young, if so, now is a good time to stop. You will end up with severe health problems if you continue at this level.

  • Sober_As
    Sober_As carly33

    Posted

    Hello Carly33,

    I think you are posting here because you already realise that you are a heavy drinker.  I did not get hangovers, but my drinking just got more and more, as time went by.

    I think you are wise to want to stop.  Could you ask your Doctor for help regarding Withdrawal Problems.

    I am tapering down my intake, just now. There are medications to help.  I wish you great success in stopping.  It is very hard, but will be worth it.

    Your health will already be damaged... but you can recover.

    Good Luck,

    Alonangel 🎇

     

  • carly33
    carly33

    Posted

    I have started tonight...I only had 2 drinks. I can go without as i do have alcohol free days...if I do start getting symptoms when would it start? Thanks for the advice guys.
    • RHGB
      RHGB carly33

      Posted

      Well, if you can have alcohol free days then you are not dependent.

      How does your 3 litres a week fit in if you have alcohol free days. I had worked on about half a litre a day, but if you are having free days, then it must be getting closer to a litre some days?

      I don't know if you'll het withdrawaal symptoms or perhaps just mild ones, if you have alcohol free days. If you were a daily drinker and you stopped, then the symptoms would start tomorrow and peak over the first two to three days, before it subsided.

    • carly33
      carly33 RHGB

      Posted

      Thanks RHGB. I used to drink a lot heavier at weekends. I have drank a litre in a night more than once. The thing is....I can go a day without alcohol my body isn't craving it I just was using it to numb myself after a failed relationship. But just because I didn't physically crave it I still had the volume of alcohol.
    • Robin2015
      Robin2015 carly33

      Posted

      HI Carly33. A bit late giving advice but the others have said it all. Seek medical advice and your GP and gradually drink less as you are already doing. Best of luck! Robin
  • shelley04506
    shelley04506 carly33

    Posted

    Hey Carly. The biggest thing I notice, Is that people generally post on forums like this when they've already decided/realised they have a problem with alcohol! A massive first step!! I hope you're ok. Shelley.
  • shelley04506
    shelley04506 carly33

    Posted

    Just to add. If you're afraid of withdrawal symptoms. You are almost certainly getting some of them and have googled them?? Just a thought?!!
  • janice19708
    janice19708 carly33

    Posted

    Get help some things can not be done alone lots to learn first.

    i am still trying don't drink nearly as much.

  • colin30375
    colin30375 carly33

    Posted

    Hi Carly,

    Everyone's metabolism is different and some can handle different amounts without it affecting their life style. 3 Litres of Barcardi over the course of a week seems alot. The fact that you stop some days without major problems doesn't mean much as the alcohol from your previous session could well still be in your body (probably why you don't experience hangovers) if you start drinking again the next day. Your metabolism will be be to cope better if you're young and eating well. 

    A crucial factor is if you crave for your next drink the next day. If you do think a lot about it or 'crave', then there is something wrong.

    Do you do all your drinking at home (your Bacardi) or socialise and drink then too? In other words, Do you lump all your intake together and reckon it to be 3 litres or do you seperate the two?

    You won't know if you're susceptible to withdrawel symptoms unless you stop altogether - perhaps even at present levels of onsumption. If you do stop and begin to feel ill, the best advice I got from my G.P. was to keep drinking to ward off the withdrawel symptoms until you can get to your G.P. who should prescribe something to help.

    You'd also get a professional opinion too. 3 litres of Barcardi does seem a lot at any age.

    Best wishes.   

     

  • PaulJTurner1964
    PaulJTurner1964 carly33

    Posted

    It has taken days for me to be informed that this new discussion was here, Carly, but I think the bug on the website is more-or-less fixed now.

    All you can do is to try stopping but MAKE SURE you have alcohol to hand. If you start to suffer physical withdrawal symptoms (agitation, shakiness, sweating, nausea are some but anything that doesn't feel right) then you MUST drink enough alcohol to stop those symptoms and try and get an alcohol detox sorted.

    Alcohol detox is where you stop drinking and take medication (normally Librium) to stop the physical withdrawal symptoms.

    Don't be tempted to suffer the withdrawal symptoms as they can become extremely dangerous.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.