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I Enjoy Being an Alcoholic!!!

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    #32
    bitofabind
    Registered Users Posts: 939 ✭✭✭bitofabind


    The above post is just flat out dumb and irresponsible. Alcoholism kills and destroys people from the inside out, money is irrelevant.

    Hi OP. Glad to read your latest update and resolve to do something about this. No amount of financial success or being ahead of the game materialistically is going to save you from a miserable life and premature death when it comes to addiction. That's not a good measure for whether you have or don't have a problem. Some of the worst addicts I know are millionaires, stuffing coke up their noses and self-destructing into early graves. You can do better than this.

    I noticed a pattern of not doing thing by halves from your posts. Working yourself up to a high level of wealth at a relatively early age, binge drinking in the evenings, now trying to lose two stone in two months. This is not a healthy way to live and will catch up with you, if not with the alcohol then with burnout and ill health in the next few decades. I think it's time to get to the root cause, and if I were you I'd be looking for professional support, find someone to talk to about all of this.


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    #33
    tara73
    Registered Users Posts: 2,342 ✭✭✭tara73


    Wanderer2010 wrote: »
    Id be very happy to be an alcoholic too if i was earning 120,000 a year and only in my twenties.


    what kind of ridiculous stuff is spouted out here ? this is not AH.

    As if money on your bank account is saving you from life threatening health issues because of alcoholism.


    After say twenty years on the booze and switching also to hard stuff because 6 cans of beer isn't doing it anymore, about to face death because of irreparable liver cirrhosis I think you would wish to be on the dole instead of facing death because your f*** money won't help here.


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    #34
    cannotlogin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,172 ✭✭✭cannotlogin


    I had 2 friends in my 20s who jokingly told me at various stages they were alcoholics when at the time I genuinely just considered them frequent or heavy drinkers.

    One got a huge fright after being hospitalised & was facing a jail sentence in his early 30s and sorted himself out since. Completely tee total now & very into health and fitness but still attends the odd AA meeting when he's stressed.

    The others just like you. She was then & is now. Two bottles of wine a night (I suspect more). She appears functioning to those who don't know her well but typically doesn't last more than 2 years in any job absenses, poor performance but tells everyone she needs a new challenge.(She has either lost it when challenged or been fired),her relationships don't last 5 minutes (tells everyone she got bored with him but again drinking is the real reason), has lost numerous friendships too, is completely emotionally stunted & has not matured since her 20s,her family relationships are strained, house shares don't last long, she's broke despite earning good money, looks at least 10 years older than the rest of it.

    It's sad really and I don't think she even knows who she is without the alcohol. There are rare moments she when it seems like she'll finally address it but it never lasts long. She started out just like you.

    Talk control of it while you can because soon enough it will control you. By the way, she started with 4 bulmers or 2 glasses of wines a night.


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    #35
    leggo
    Registered Users Posts: 9,061 ✭✭✭leggo


    cannotlogin wrote: »
    The others just like you. She was then & is now. Two bottles of wine a night (I suspect more). She appears functioning to those who don't know her well but typically doesn't last more than 2 years in any job absenses, poor performance but tells everyone she needs a new challenge.(She has either lost it when challenged or been fired),her relationships don't last 5 minutes (tells everyone she got bored with him but again drinking is the real reason), has lost numerous friendships too, is completely emotionally stunted & has not matured since her 20s,her family relationships are strained, house shares don't last long, she's broke despite earning good money, looks at least 10 years older than the rest of it.

    It's sad really and I don't think she even knows who she is without the alcohol. There are rare moments she when it seems like she'll finally address it but it never lasts long. She started out just like you.

    I had an ex like this. Idealised drinking (which, btw, is addict behaviour) and struggled to see the impact it had on her life because it was the same as it always had been...because she’d always been drinking!

    You’ll regularly hear addicts go on like the OP saying how happy he is on €120k a year but you often don’t notice the things in life that pass you by. You don’t feel sad or miss them because, if you’re addicted, all you want is the thing that you’re addicted to. But that addiction is just filling a void (even if that void is just an empty life, eg empty evenings that’d be spent doing nothing if not drinking), it’s masking real emotions that you can only suppress so much and need to medicate daily to do so. The double-whammy of addiction is that those emotions will catch up to you AND then you’ll have to deal with the consequences of being an addict (strained relationships, physical affects etc). It’s a vicious cycle which is why most just accept it’s their life now and tell themselves they’re okay/happy with that.


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    #36
    Porklife
    Registered Users Posts: 1,681 ✭✭✭Porklife


    I agree with the above post and just wanted to add something else that struck me about your updated post.

    You're a self proclaimed alcoholic according to your thread title and are quite happy to drink 6 beers every night. However, in your follow up post you've realised your weight has crept up and flippantly say so I guess that means I'm off the booze now. You make it sound like it's that simple to just flick the switch. It's a worrying and somewhat naive attitude and, again, I feel it's borderline insulting to genuine alcoholics.

    I hope it is that easy for you to just stop but I've a feeling you may be unpleasantly surprised.
    Fair play for addressing it either way, I just feel a harsh wake up call may await you.


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    #37
    tdf7187
    Registered Users Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭tdf7187


    Doublebusy wrote: »
    120k is that after tax
    I wouldn't have time to be an alcoholic or drink six cans a night if i had that dollar

    Given that this post received a few thanks and there was another post from a different poster expressing a similar view, it seems like there's a lot of misunderstanding about addiction on this forum. Alcoholism has nothing got to do with income levels. In fact there was a report from the UK in recent years which found that the highest income quadrant were the heaviest alcohol consumers. Neither has it anything to do with how much or how little free time a person has. Any person with an addiction issue will find the time to feed their addiction no matter how busy they are, make no mistake. The implication that high earners wouldn't have time to drink is also a bit weird and wrongheaded to be honest. High earners are more likely to be in jobs were they can delegate a lot of work and don't necessarily work huge hours.

    There are plenty of well-known examples of successful and wealthy people, and people from the upper class developing addiction issues, e.g the Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad, Edward St Aubyn (novelist who wrote the Patrick Melrose series), Gottfried von Bismarck (great grand nephew of the legendary 19th chancellor of Germany), etc. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous documents many histories of people with alcohol problems who were succesful in their careers. Indeed, the founder of AA, Bill W, was mostly relatively financially successful even when he was still in active addiction.

    Addiction is addiction and has nothing got to do with social class, income levels, etc. If you earn more than average you might be able to afford more expensive wine, and are more likely to have private health insurance and therefore might have a better range of options regarding inpatient treatment, that's literally the only difference. Liver disease and other illnesses associated with alcohol abuse, including mental illness, don't discriminate.


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    #38
    Porklife
    Registered Users Posts: 1,681 ✭✭✭Porklife


    Completely agree with the post above and found it interesting to read. I know i keep chiming in Op but it's because addiction is an issue i hold close to my heart having grown up around it and ultimately losing both my parents to it. I guess it hits a nerve with me when I see thread titles like yours adorned with exclamation marks like its something to shout proudly from the rooftops - I'm an alcoholic and its bloody fantastic..pass the Gin!!

    I just hope you realise that it's a sensitive subject for alot of posters and I hope you're taking it seriously. I wish you the absolute best and respect you for starting a thread with your concerns, I hope you take the advice on board..even if just to mull over.


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    #39
    tdf7187
    Registered Users Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭tdf7187


    Porklife wrote: »
    Completely agree with the post above and found it interesting to read. I know i keep chiming in Op but it's because addiction is an issue i hold close to my heart having grown up around it and ultimately losing both my parents to it. I guess it hits a nerve with me when I see thread titles like yours adorned with exclamation marks like its something to shout proudly from the rooftops - I'm an alcoholic and its bloody fantastic..pass the Gin!!

    I just hope you realise that it's a sensitive subject for alot of posters and I hope you're taking it seriously. I wish you the absolute best and respect you for starting a thread with your concerns, I hope you take the advice on board..even if just to mull over.

    I've done my 'field research', being a recovering alcoholic. :D Been in treatment twice....John of Gods and the same place your dad was in, Pats.


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    #40
    dubrov
    Registered Users Posts: 3,546 ✭✭✭dubrov


    OP, you are a clever guy so already know the answers to what you are posting.

    Many people drink heavily in their twenties but most naturally slow down as the hangovers get worse and other priorities take over. Some don't and end up in a bad way.

    The longer you keep drinking as you are now, the harder the habit will be to break.
    I'd say if you gave it up last night, you are already inventing excuses to get back on it tonight (sure I feel fine, what's the harm in a few pints tonight, I'll just have a couple).


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    #41
    BiggJim
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 149 ✭✭BiggJim


    freakish_habit wrote: »
    This is unusual perhaps, but I drink maybe 6-cans a night - and have done so quite extensively over the past few years. I'm in my late 20s, too, and do try to balance alcohol intake with a very good diet and extensive exercise.

    The problem is this: that I enjoy drinking alcohol at night. I know many people get depressed and drink because they are sad or responding to stress or some other negative reason, but I have no reason at all to be depressed. I have quite a good life and I don't have anything bad going on.

    I make over 120,000 per year, so affording beers each night isn't much of an issue either.

    At least when someone is depressed, there is a clear path toward quitting alcohol. It's almost easier I suppose. But I'm drinking it because I enjoy it, in the same way, a smoker (I don't smoke) enjoys the act of smoking even with the full knowledge of the damage it can do.

    It's a bit of a Catch-22.

    I know it can cause long-term damage, but I enjoy it in the short-term.

    Also, many people would classify my drinking habit like that of an "alcoholic", even though, as I said, I'm quite a positive, upbeat, and hard-working individual.

    But I could be fooling myself. Hence why I've offered to throw this out for legitimate critique and to analyze your interpretation of what some might consider a bad habit.

    Thanks in advance for any replies received.

    Good man fair play to you. As long as it's not affecting your work I don't see any harm in having a few drinks every night. I often do it myself.


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    #42
    o1s1n
    Registered Users Posts: 34,410 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    BiggJim wrote: »
    Good man fair play to you. As long as it's not affecting your work I don't see any harm in having a few drinks every night. I often do it myself.

    I'd hardly call six cans 'a few'


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    #43
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    Thanks again for the responses thus far.

    I'd respectfully disagree with those posters who suggest that 6-cans per day is acceptable. Even if I enjoy something, it doesn't necessarily make it right or good. Toxins cause damage, there's no escaping that fact - even if you enjoy the consequences of said toxin.

    Some posters mention that I "don't do things by half" in my attempt to eliminate alcohol and shed the pounds. That's certainly true. Why wait? I'm very impatient and when I want something, I dedicate myself to that goal. This challenge is no different. I've since managed to avoid alcohol in the past 3-days, instead re-organizing my evening in terms of both exercise and cooking, as well as chilling with documentaries or comedy series. I've stopped working in the evening, instead just doing that work at another time in the day.

    I have aimed to lose 12.6kg by the beginning of April and I intend to meet that target come hell or high water, which is achievable only if I cut out the alcohol.

    That said, did I miss my habit? Yes.

    Did my sleep become disturbed? Yes.

    I suppose that's natural.

    Having drunk incessantly each evening over the past couple of years, this is natural I suppose and to be expected.

    I think I read before that it takes 21-days for a new habit to become manifest. I'm on Day 3, which is 14% of that goal.

    I hope by the 21st day I look back in horror at the weight gain that I managed to accrue over these past years and hope that I lament the time and money spent on such a habit that has done nothing but decay my body in the way that it has. Perhaps even worse if I were to take a blood test and harvest the smaller details.

    That said, I appreciate the advice. I reject the idea that I was "insulting" alcoholics' plight by suggesting that I enjoyed it. I did enjoy it - there's no way to eliminate that fact. It also demonstrates that alcoholism can come in many forms.

    Keep the feedback coming. I hope it helps others, too, as much as possible.


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    #44
    bilbot79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,980 ✭✭✭bilbot79


    Take every third month off it altogether. Lots of recovery for your body. Guilt removed


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    #45
    sporina
    Registered Users Posts: 6,779 ✭✭✭sporina


    OP, bottom line, you know that 6 pints a night is wayyyy over the safe level.. (17 units/week for men = 8.5 pints)...6 pints x 7 = 84 units :eek: and thats without a break.. yikes..
    So you know the health risks.. so if you don't have a problem, like you say, then based on that knowledge alone it should be easy for you to quit, no?

    But be mindful, not all alcoholics drink cos they are depressed etc... some like you just enjoy it, but it can become an addiction, and so struggle to stop! Like, smoking, most people who smoke are addicted to nicotine, they might just start cos of peer pressure or what ever.. then you know.. they become hooked.

    But if I wer you I would ask yourself some Qs... like, how and why did you get into the habit of drinking 6 pints a night? Are you bored? Lonely? Do you have meaningful relationships in your life? Do you have a girlfriend? I am just wondering about all the things you might be missing out on while your drinking 6 pints/night.. not many girls would like that, unless they are drinking with you.
    Anyway, you don't have to answer those Qs here - just something for you to think about maybe.
    I don't think anyone would carry on to drink 6 pints a night knowing the consequences.. unless they had a problem giving up.

    You said you are gonna stop now cos you realised your weight - if thats the case - good for you - maybe you just needed some evidence of the consequences. But I would be doubtful its as black and white as that.
    In any event, best of luck with it.


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    #46
    strandroad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,676 ✭✭✭strandroad


    BiggJim wrote: »
    It wasn't all that long ago when you could drive after having 5 pints. 6 cans isn't excessive imo.

    This is what is recommended as low risk drinking for men:

    Men: Less than 17 standard drinks (170g pure alcohol) spread out over the week, with at least two alcohol-free days

    The OP is having (depending on the strength of the beer) 42 to 84 standard drinks a week, and no alcohol-free days. It's definitely excessive. Thankfully he's willing to address it.


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    #47
    Hannibal_Smith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,926 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hannibal_Smith


    Mod Note

    Hi OP

    Thank you for your update. It looks like you're taking on board what's been said and that's great and its good you see the problems that may face you if you continue as you are and you're taking action to change things for yourself.

    If you require further advice, I can of course leave the thread open for you - that's exactly what Personal Issues is for. However if you wish to post about your progress and seek feedback on it, the Non Drinkers Group maybe of more benefit to you. Posters here are asked to offer advice when replying to threads and they can't do that if thats not what you're looking for.

    You can let me know here or PM me or one of the other mods in PI and we'll go from there. In the meantime, until you clarify we'll go on the basis it's continued advice you're looking for.

    Thanks

    HS

    ETA - Thanks for clarifying OP. We'll keep it going as it is - on the basis that it's for continued advice for you on your issue.

    Thanks again

    HS


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    #48
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Just give it up. Life is better - far, far better, without it. I was where you were, for years. That sense of invincibility that youth brings. All the qualifications under my belt, secure job and all the bells and whistles. Wasted years, and, yes, for me waste of time, talent, opportunity and career progression is the defining feature of all that drinking. Time - that time doesn't come back. That's the outstanding fact. Now is the time when you need to build up your resources for later in life, including having children if you're going that road. You don't want to be in your 50s paying for kids because you pissed away these years.

    Think of all the time you've wasted in that lost status of drinking. The life, the opportunities you have had to create a richer more vibrant world for yourself. How many months/years of your life have you wasted drinking/on something that will never be satisfied? You'll always come back for more. You'll always be that drink away from "happiness". It is a bottomless pit, and you should have the wit to know that somewhere in your consciousness.

    There's so much ineffably stupid "Oirish" thinking about alcohol in our culture - most commonly, the "you can't have a good time without alcohol" stuff. Ignore the clowns. Ignore it all, ditch your servitude and start to live again. Life is a million times better without it.


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    #49
    TheadoreT
    Registered Users Posts: 930 ✭✭✭TheadoreT


    Trying to drop 2 stone in 6 odd weeks is a bit ridiculous. You're doing it "come hell or high water" comment is a bit extreme, it's almost trying to replace one addiction with another (albeit not as damaging). You should be looking at this as a long term change in life habits and a sensible and gradual approach should be adapted. Crash diets are famously unsuccessful in the medium to longterm both due to psychological and scientific reasons.

    Chuck the scales out, eat a healthy and balanced diet, cut down on sugar significantly, keep up the exercise and better if it's a sport you're passionate about so it will keep you interested going forward and occupy some if that time you have on your hands. The weight will fall off you and you won't be obsessing about daily gains or loses as that sort of short term obsessing on weight can cause relapses when people think they're hit a plateau despite hard work.


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    #50
    sporina
    Registered Users Posts: 6,779 ✭✭✭sporina


    TheadoreT wrote: »
    Trying to drop 2 stone in 6 odd weeks is a bit ridiculous. You're doing it "come hell or high water" comment is a bit extreme, it's almost trying to replace one addiction with another (albeit not as damaging). You should be looking at this as a long term change in life habits and a sensible and gradual approach should be adapted. Crash diets are famously unsuccessful in the medium to longterm both due to psychological and scientific reasons.

    Chuck the scales out, eat a healthy and balanced diet, cut down on sugar significantly, keep up the exercise and better if it's a sport you're passionate about so it will keep you interested going forward and occupy some if that time you have on your hands. The weight will fall off you and you won't be obsessing about daily gains or loses as that sort of short term obsessing on weight can cause relapses when people think they're hit a plateau despite hard work.

    ekk - yes - that would be my fear too..


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    #51
    leggo
    Registered Users Posts: 9,061 ✭✭✭leggo


    TheadoreT wrote: »
    Trying to drop 2 stone in 6 odd weeks is a bit ridiculous. You're doing it "come hell or high water" comment is a bit extreme, it's almost trying to replace one addiction with another (albeit not as damaging). You should be looking at this as a long term change in life habits and a sensible and gradual approach should be adapted. Crash diets are famously unsuccessful in the medium to longterm both due to psychological and scientific reasons.

    Chuck the scales out, eat a healthy and balanced diet, cut down on sugar significantly, keep up the exercise and better if it's a sport you're passionate about so it will keep you interested going forward and occupy some if that time you have on your hands. The weight will fall off you and you won't be obsessing about daily gains or loses as that sort of short term obsessing on weight can cause relapses when people think they're hit a plateau despite hard work.

    This all day, excellent post!

    OP whatever caused you to think you ‘need’ 6+ cans a night to do basic human tasks like sleeping (you don’t) won’t be filled by becoming a gym freak. Sure your long-term health might be better - as long as you don’t relapse or take that to excess, which I fear you may do based on your immediate goals - but the only difference then is that you’ll be jacked and wondering what’s wrong with you.

    So get to the topic that you’re drinking and talking about losing 2 stone in 2 weeks to avoid: why you need to do this excessive stuff to feel whole?

    It’s not an overnight thing but you can see real progress quickly and this way you’ll come out the other side a well rounded person comfortable in yourself and not needing to drink or lift yourself to sleep every night.


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    #52
    cloudatlas
    Registered Users Posts: 3,709 ✭✭✭cloudatlas


    freakish_habit wrote: »

    That said, did I miss my habit? Yes.

    Did my sleep become disturbed? Yes.

    I suppose that's natural.

    Having drunk incessantly each evening over the past couple of years, this is natural I suppose and to be expected.

    It's really foolish to just stop drinking cold turkey like that, you should taper off and reduce slowly rather than abruptly stopping but hey ho maybe too late.

    It sounds like you need hobbies and other addictions to get obsessed with or to work on yourself and find out why you are so blasse about your health.


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    #53
    tara73
    Registered Users Posts: 2,342 ✭✭✭tara73


    cloudatlas wrote: »
    It's really foolish to just stop drinking cold turkey like that, you should taper off and reduce slowly rather than abruptly stopping but hey ho maybe too late.


    more complete BS, ignore OP, but I think you are that level headed anyway to know it yourself.


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    #54
    cloudatlas
    Registered Users Posts: 3,709 ✭✭✭cloudatlas


    tara73 wrote: »
    more complete BS, ignore OP, but I think you are that level headed anyway to know it yourself.

    The lad was drinking 42 cans a week. If he doesn't taper then the withdrawal will be difficult. If you drink more than 15 units of alcohol every day then you should taper off to mitigate symptoms but of course you know that as you go around pronouncing everyone else's advice BS so you must be an g.p.


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    #55
    tara73
    Registered Users Posts: 2,342 ✭✭✭tara73


    cloudatlas wrote: »
    The lad was drinking 42 cans a week. If he doesn't taper then the withdrawal will be difficult. If you drink more than 15 units of alcohol every day then you should taper off to mitigate symptoms but of course you know that as you go around pronouncing everyone else's advice BS so you must be an g.p.


    woa, are you getting anything? It's about your advice to reduce the alcohol step by step and not going off it from one day to another. why do you comment here if you don't even have basic knowledge of drug abuse and trying to get out of it?

    It's not only with alcohol, but with almost every drug to go off it complelety and not tapering out! With tranquilizer addiction for example you taper out, but not with alcohol!


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    #56
    cloudatlas
    Registered Users Posts: 3,709 ✭✭✭cloudatlas


    tara73 wrote: »
    woa, are you getting anything? It's about your advice to reduce the alcohol step by step and not going off it from one day to another. why do you comment here if you don't even have basic knowledge of drug abuse and trying to get out of it?

    It's not only with alcohol, but with almost every drug to go off it complelety and not tapering out! With tranquilizer addiction for example you taper out, but not with alcohol!

    That's simply not true, stopping drinking alcohol abruptly without planning to reduce with the end goal of stopping can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. I have a family member who died as a result of their addiction so I don't need to be patronised by you. The OP should phone his g.p for advice and for a general health check i.e. bloods etc., and stop listening to every joe soap on here tbh.


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    #57
    JupiterKid
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 12,567 Mod ✭✭✭✭JupiterKid


    As a recovering alcoholic - 2 years fully sober now - I think I should know a little bit about alcoholism and alcohol dependency.

    For someone who is alcohol dependent, and I think given the level of drinking the OP is doing, they are clearly within or very close to that category, it can be very, very dangerous to come straight off alcohol in one go as the body reacts to alcohol withdrawal via seizures, delirium tremens, high blood pressure, panic attacks etc.

    OP - please go straight to your GP and seek proper medical advice. You may need a detox via medication and monitoring. You can also just go to A&E where they will assess you at triage and determine what course of action to take.


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    #58
    tara73
    Registered Users Posts: 2,342 ✭✭✭tara73


    JupiterKid wrote: »

    For someone who is alcohol dependent, and I think given the level of drinking the OP is doing, they are clearly within or very close to that category, it can be very, very dangerous to come straight off alcohol in one go as the body reacts to alcohol withdrawal via seizures, delirium tremens, high blood pressure, panic attacks etc.

    OP - please go straight to your GP and seek proper medical advice. You may need a detox via medication and monitoring. You can also just go to A&E where they will assess you at triage and determine what course of action to take.

    so as someone with alcohol dpendent experience, would you recommend for an alcoholic to taper off with alcohol? because that was the dispute we were having and the other poster suggested, not whether going to the GP/A&E is recommended or not.

    I never would dispute visiting the GP or even A&E to help with medication if withdrawel symptoms are that bad, quite the opposite, as I adviced in one of my earlier posts to the OP to seek help if he has the feeling he won't make it on his own.


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    #59
    Big Bag of Chips
    Administrators Posts: 13,764 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Big Bag of Chips


    I think it is impossible for an alcoholic to 'taper off'. If someone is dependent on alcohol and under the control of alcohol then its usually a case of all-or-nothing. Its not like they can limit themselves. OP, you will have to judge for yourself if your dependence is a physical one.

    My husband is what I'd call an alcoholic. He drank far more than you did/do (but he's 20 years further down the road than you are). He was issued with an ultimatum last year and he stopped drinking. He didn't need any assistance in stopping. He didn't need medication. He didn't have any obvious withdrawals. He just stopped.

    My friend's mother has been an alcoholic for 30+ years and she decided she needed to stop before Christmas. She HAD TO get help from her GP. Her physical addiction to it was very strong and she did suffer withdrawals.

    Keep an eye on yourself. You know your body better than anyone. If you think you're not an alcoholic and can cut down your intake to the recommended limits then that's great. If you find you can't do that and you keep wanting that bit more then you have to accept you can't cut down, or taper off. You have to stop.

    A chat with your GP is always a good idea. Even to guide you in the direction of counselling if they or you feel it would be beneficial.

    I hope you're doing OK.


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    #60
    blue note
    Registered Users Posts: 4,503 ✭✭✭blue note


    I took up hurling in 2012 or so and one of the reasons I did was to have something to do in the evenings other than drinking. I wasn't drinking as much as the op, but there were certainly days I'd pick up a six pack on the way home because I'd no plans. I was probably drinking more days midweek than not, sometimes 2-3 cans, sometimes a bottle of wine and a couple of cans. Definitely too much. I was young so didn't put on much weight, didn't struggle to make work, but i knew it wasn't healthy.

    Hurling was particularly good as an alternative. I trained twice a week and generally wouldn't be in a mood to drink after training. And as I got a little older I found if I drank the day before training I'd find it very tough. So that was 4 where I was likely to drink gone. Add in a match every second weekend and it would be another 2 days each fortnight. And it helped break the habit overall.

    I know "find a hobby" sounds like a bit of a cliche, but I was probably doing something similar to you, found a hobby and it was a big part in me changing.

    Best of luck op.


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    #61
    global23214124
    Registered Users Posts: 268 ✭✭global23214124


    I think you can taper. These guys explain it pretty well. https://hams.cc/taper/. Anyway its best to go to your GP to be honest about how much you are drinking and they can make an assessment on what you need to get through it.


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