The giving up/cutting down alcohol thread part VI

115K

Lilith1980 wrote: »

I went to my doctor on Friday for something totally unrelated to alcohol. I'd had some tests in the new year for gluten and dairy intolerance and they had also done a liver function test.
Apparently the reading for a healthy liver is 50 (maximum) and mine was 70. Not sure what the number means exactly but the doctor said my liver was slightly inflamed. This has got me thinking about whether I need to come off the alcohol altogether or try and cut down.

:hello: Lilith. Thank you for that information about the liver test, that is helpful to me.:)

Lilith1980

No probs, glad to be of some help

honeybear_2

Only just got home *yawn*

Hi to Lilith :wave:

115K, glad things went ok at the doctors

Fay, glad you're back & hope things went ok as these things can *hugs*

7 tired MADS for this bear, Shaggy

bearhugs all, i'm off to bed



ps.come on you 72ers :j

paybacktime2008

Hi Lilith and welcome.

I bet that was a bit of a shocker from the docs. I'm not sure my experience is similar to yours...I was a bottle, or two of wine a night every night girl rather than a weekend binger.

You are probably looking at your drinking habits under a microscope for the first time, and it warrants you to come on here and join us.

I joined here just over a year ago i think, started by cutting down, but now have given up completely. Is the best thing I've ever done and most of my friends haven't sneered but have actually been very proud.

Keep posting, keep reading and you will 'find your own way' there are all kinds of drinkers here...the cutter downs and the abstainers. Find the groove that fits you and dive on in.

paybacktime2008

Lilith1980 wrote: »

Hi all, new to this thread.

I went to my doctor on Friday for something totally unrelated to alcohol. I'd had some tests in the new year for gluten and dairy intolerance and they had also done a liver function test.

Apparently the reading for a healthy liver is 50 (maximum) and mine was 70. Not sure what the number means exactly but the doctor said my liver was slightly inflamed. This has got me thinking about whether I need to come off the alcohol altogether or try and cut down.

I tend to binge drink. I can go days without and then if we go out on a Friday or Saturday, or both, I can have my weely allowance and then some...in one night. Not proud of it, and not sure why I do it. DH and I are having relationship problems but the drinking has been going on longer than that.

So I've come here for some advice. All of our friends are pretty much heavy drinkers. Me turning up and saying I've stopped totally will probably be met with sneers and to be honest I'm not sure if I could do it. But I want to at least try and keep my alcohol intake to a reasonable amount when we go out (3-4 units?). And I know this is counted as too many units in one go for a female, but it's a lot less than I would normally drink.

So any tips would be great thank you, and I will try to help others as well

Thanks

This just stood out a mile for me.

There was a 'time machine' thingy link a while back....I'm sure Faye can repost it.

You put in your drinking habits and it throws up some chilling stuff.....

One of the lines says something along the lines of....'The only friends you have are other heavy drinkers as they are the only ones who will put up with you' Very sobering

I'm sorry if I come across as preachy...it's definately not my intention...I'm tired and full of cold and just trying to say...........Welcome.

I'll shut up now.

Pippilongstocking

Hello PBT - don't shut up - xx Lillith welcome - all my chums are pretty much heavy drinkers as well - I picked them I think because it let me drink as much and as often as I wanted to......................When I was away it was hard, but I did think to myself - sorry chaps I'm not enabling your drinking tonight - can't do that anymore - stick with this bunch - they're ace, helpful and just around for an ear, advice or just a natter - x

Here's the alcohol time machine link - HERE

graemecarter

Lilith1980 wrote: »

This has got me thinking about whether I need to come off the alcohol altogether or try and cut down.

I tend to binge drink. I can go days without and then if we go out on a Friday or Saturday, or both, I can have my weely allowance and then some...in one night. Not proud of it, and not sure why I do it. DH and I are having relationship problems but the drinking has been going on longer than that.

So I've come here for some advice. All of our friends are pretty much heavy drinkers. Me turning up and saying I've stopped totally will probably be met with sneers and to be honest I'm not sure if I could do it. But I want to at least try and keep my alcohol intake to a reasonable amount when we go out (3-4 units?). And I know this is counted as too many units in one go for a female, but it's a lot less than I would normally drink.

So any tips would be great thank you, and I will try to help others as well

Thanks

I know how you feel. I was similar in that I didn't drink everyday, but when I did drink I didn't know whether I'd stop at 2 drinks or 12. I sometimes upset people by my drinking, and people were concerned (quite rightly). I too was worried about it

You do say you can go days without drinking - could too if I knew I had a big night approaching. I got miserable if everyone else drinking around me and I couldn't drink (after forcing myself to give up after getting in trouble at work)

The thing people on this forum share is feelings, not so much units drunk. We suffer the same guilt and shame from our drinking, and the same lack of control around alcohol (but other things in life were so well controlled)

I got help for my drinking, and then I was told that drinking was only the first part of the problem. I had to change myself so I didn't even want a drink. White-knuckling it and denying yourself something you want seems a miserable existence to me, and doesn't get great results.

If you can cut down, then great. If you cannot, you may want to think about quitting totally. If you can't stay stopped, then you may want to explore other things.

I think this is good (if a little short)
http://www.brighteyecounselling.co.uk/alcohol-drugs/binge-drinking-is-alcoholism-too/

Good luck

castri09_2

10 mads days for me please

Lilith1980

Hi, thanks for all your replies

Paybacktime2008 you didn't come across preachy at all - we're all in similar situations here so I need advice from people who understand 'where I'm at'

I'm an otherwise fairly healthy person. I eat (mainly!) healthily and run to and from work each day. But the drink spoils my efforts.

I guess I would like to cut down really and the question is...can I do this when out with friends or will it mean I stop seeing them in order to avoid being around that much alcohol. The other problem is my husband is a heavy drinker too - not everyday but cannot stop once he's started (like me).

I'm not going out so much anymore anyway because of my uni course (mature student, part-time) and I have been off cigarettes for 10 months, and hubby thinks I have turned boring. So I think I will keep quiet about me cutting down on the alcohol as I think he is the one more likely to give me stick. I don't think me making this decision is going to have a great affect on our already unstable marriage but I think well if he bases us having fun on just going out and getting leathered then how f***ed up is that anyway?

Thanks for the time machine link Fay - I input my details and it says I am damaging my health and need to stop.

I think the trip to the doctors was just what I needed, like it was meant to happen. I needed someone in that profession to say to me 'you're doing damage to yourself and need to be careful'.

The doctor was very honest actually - he said he had been an alcoholic and had been off the drink for 15 years now. He said his liver reading had been 1000 but within 3 months of cutting out the drink it had returned to normal levels so there is hope. I was touched by his honesty.

I'll keep coming here as this will give me the motivation

One big hurdle that I can foresee is that it's my birthday in 3 weeks' time (my 30th!) so any ideas on how I can get through this?? I guess I just need to be strict and drink my drinks slowly and if people are offering to buy me one then just say I already have one? It sounds silly, but I feel that I have to hide the fact that I want to cut down rather than hiding my excessiveness.

shaggydoo

Morning all:wave:



Have a great day

Shaggy