bored alcoholic

LegacyUser

after years of socialising with friends,work colleagues, etc mostly around pubs and clubs ive was abrubtly told to stop drinking by my doctor after blood tests which showed my liver function u/l at 247 (normal is 0-55)

i would nt call myself an alcoholic but a heavy drinker(average 35 pints a week)

im off the beer a week now which is probably the longest ive been off since i was 20(38 now)and the boredom is starting to creep in as i never really had a hobby as such apart from watching football in the pub after work

so just looking for some advice on things to do and maybe meet other people in a similar situation as i now realise that my "buddies"down the local dont want to know me if i dont drink with them

thanks for reading

LegacyUser

Lots of suggestions on the 'lonely' threads and also look at the Stickies.

MeetUp.com have a good few groups in Dublin, if that's where you are. Otherwise think about your interests. What do you like doing? What are you interested in? What have you ever thought about doing? Google them. I'd strongly advise some sort of exercise (increase fitness, get weight down, can be social too).

35 pints a week = 70 units of alcohol. Recommended amount for men is about 16per week! that's the max btw.

hope your liver recovers!

Spud83

First off try become active in this forum. They even have a table quiz coming up.

Second off all, unfortunately for people like you drink has become engrained in nearly every aspect of every day activities for allot of people in Ireland, and most likely a lot of your friends. You may have to learn to be around people who are drinking but not drink yourself.

There are couple of ways you can do this. a) Drive to events, giving you that extra incentive not to drink. b) When you go out only bring a tiny amount of money and no bank cards etc. That way you can afford the odd coke or blackcurrant but obviously can’t afford the drink.

Thirdly there are a lot of groups etc out there to help people give up drink, and help people to learn to live a life without drink. You don’t have to be an alcoholic to go to these groups.

Fourthly think of all the money you are saving now because you aren’t spending it on drink. Try finding something else to spend the money on and treat yourself.

Lastly, you mention your only hobby was going to the pub to watch football, why not try get involved in football. This can range from actively participating, to coaching or helping out coaching a local side.

ronbyrne2005

Find a partner, get a pet, do a night course,join some clubs and association,find some new hobbies,go to gym,if liver improves drink less alcohol less often if you can control your consumption.

Faith

35 pints a week?! That's an average of 5 a night! I had 6 pints one night and I was absolutely wasted and took two days to recover. I'm also assuming you don't actually drink every night, so is it more like 8 pints 4 nights a week? That's a huge amount of alcohol. You might not think so, but it sounds like a drinking problem to me, especially given that you don't think it's that much.

Congratulations for being off it for a week though. That was probably the hardest, it'll get easier from now on.

Take up a sport if you can. That'll help you get fit and healthy, along with making friends and having a hobby.

qwertyphobia

At a consertive estimate that's 160 euro on drink a week (not counting late night kababs and Taxi's)

You have now got at least 640 euro extra a month to play with, that along with all the free time you will have will give you huge scope to take up some new interests.

LegacyUser

Faith wrote: »

35 pints a week?! That's an average of 5 a night! I had 6 pints one night and I was absolutely wasted and took two days to recover.

While I agree that 35 pints a week is pretty damn excessive, just because 6 pints makes you feel like crap for the following two days doesn't necessarily mean it'll be the same for everyone else. I'm 6'6 and 16stone, I can easily drink 12 or more pints on a night out and wake up at 7am the next morning without a hangover. It doesn't mean everyone else can do likewise but it proves that everyone has a different level of tolerance.

OP, I don't drink too often but I have a couple of friends who probably drink the same if not more than you do each week, even though they don't think they have a problem it is obvious to me and others looking in that they do. Think of the amount of time and money you waste each week on booze, and where has it gotten you?

Best of luck.

jesus_thats_gre

Faith wrote: »

35 pints a week?! That's an average of 5 a night! I had 6 pints one night and I was absolutely wasted and took two days to recover. I'm also assuming you don't actually drink every night, so is it more like 8 pints 4 nights a week? That's a huge amount of alcohol. You might not think so, but it sounds like a drinking problem to me, especially given that you don't think it's that much.

No harm meant but I am pretty sure that he has probably been on the recieving end of countless lectures already.

You could be 5ft tall and weigh 7 stone and he could be 7ft tall and 17 stone so using your bodies tolerance or intolerence to alcohol is pretty pointless I imagine.

LegacyUser

Faith wrote: »

I had 6 pints one night and I was absolutely wasted and took two days to recover.

You obviously don't have any real knowledge of alcoholism or even mainstream boozing....why comment on something you know nothing about?

anonymous_joe

Don't be too harsh on the girl.

The obvious solution is to find sober passtimes, if there are things that interest, even vaguely, try and do them more.

People have suggested things like night courses, try join clubs for hobbies or whatever. Should help you meet people and keep you busy and possibly even entertained.

LovelyTom

If you have any interest in animals you could get a dog. Not only do they provide great company but they're a great way to get talking to people out on walks etc.

brokensoul

Hi op.

Im almost 9 months off the booze and i can completely identify with you on the boredom issue. I thought that my social life was over when i stopped drinking.

I am an alcoholic so i had meetings to go to, which are a great social outlet. That might sound strange but a good meeting can be great craic and people usually go fro coffee after etc so it puts down the evening. However, i have also found a load of other things to occupy myself.

As someone posted earlier, you will have loads more money now that you have stipped drinking. Im a firm believer in being good to yourself when you stop drinking so treat yourself to other things. For example, the last few days have been very tough for me ( fathers anniversary) so Thursday i went to a comedy gig and Friday i went for a treatment in a spa. Neither were cheap but the whole thing cost less than i would have spent inthe same time period on drink.

I go to more gigs, films, art expos etc now than i ever did while i was drinking. There is a whole world out there that we ignore when we are drinking, but there is some great stuff in it.

You dont mention if you have a partner to go places with, if not then suggest alt night out to your buddies, bowling, cinema etc. You might be surprised that some of them will go for it.

Best of luck

jdivision

The gym. The exorcise will release chemicals that make you feel better. It'll also tire you out so you're not sitting around bored at night, you'll be sleeping. I got off the drink every January for the month and do this