Experiences - Would you say this is a problem?

[KomodoMK]

I was made redundant not so long ago, and have been struggling to find a job in my area of skills due to the current economic crisis here in the UK. There is only so much looking for a job you can do each day and as a result I have been quite bored.

One of my close friends drinks everyday, and I have been spending quite a lot of time with her just drinking and having a laugh. Over the last month or two I have found myself to be drinking more and more each day. The last couple of days I have been drinking 18x275ml bottles of Stella (5.2% vol) and a litre of wine and feeling little to no effects due to tolerance - this is what is making me think this maybe getting out of control.

Most days I wait until between 1pm-2pm to start drinking as I have to pick my sister up from work. On days I have not needed to do anything I have started as early as 08:30am. Sometimes I feel quite stressed/moody if I do not have a drink.

Today I have avoided having a drink but really feel like one and keep contemplating getting a beer from the fridge. I have always loved a good drink and there has been many periods where I have drank everyday for over a month (around xmas time etc) but it has never become a problem. I'm wondering if this is going to be different because I have too much free time on my hands and maybe these are the early warning signs.

Any opinions or advice would be most appreciated. Thanks.

[Nature Boy]

Bad habit to slip into. Don't give up on finding a job. There's always something around if you look hard enough. You could try job websites or just handing out CVs wherever you can in order to even get a basic job that keeps you occupied and allows some money to roll in. SWIM would probably drink more often in his spare time only he substitutes with cannabis or just everyday activities like watching movies, surfing the net or playing computer games. You don't sound like an alcoholic or anything because your drinking doesn't sound extremely troublesome or anything but it will take its toll on your body eventually. Ween off the booze and stay off it for a few days. It will save money and you'll feel a lot better.

[chillinwill]

Like NatureBoy said, from what you described, it would seem like you haven't turned into an alcoholic yet; however, it can happen. Since no negative consequences have happened, I would say that you are just drinking from boredom and that you just enjoy having a good drink. One thing that does worry me some though is that you sometimes start at 8:30 AM. Be careful of that as that could be an indication if having a problem. Do you feel like you can't make it through the whole day without having a drink?

Keep looking for that job and I feel once you start working, that your drinking frequency will lower due to not having as much free time on your hands.

[KomodoMK]

Thank you both for your quick replies.

Originally Posted by chillinwill

Do you feel like you can't make it through the whole day without having a drink?

I do really feel like a drink right now, and I know I would really enjoy it but I'm sure I can stop myself for the rest of the day. So I guess you could say I wouldn't want to make it through the whole day without but I am forcing it upon myself... and struggling.

[chillinwill]

That could be another sign of an addiction developing because most people that drink don't feel like they have to curb their drinking or even think they have a problem. Just that you have an indication or a feeling that a problem exists might be something to consider.

[KomodoMK]

Originally Posted by chillinwill

That could be another sign of an addiction developing because most people that drink don't feel like they have to curb their drinking or even think they have a problem. Just that you have an indication or a feeling that a problem exists might be something to consider.

Think it might be time to start taking it easy and cutting back a bit then I guess. Sucks to be me lol. Thanks again.

[Pope Albacore]

Originally Posted by KomodoMK

Most days I wait until between 1pm-2pm to start drinking as I have to pick my sister up from work. On days I have not needed to do anything I have started as early as 08:30am. Sometimes I feel quite stressed/moody if I do not have a drink.

Look, I don't know you but I know this situation very well. You may indeed need to cut back a bit. It sounds as if it is more psychological right now but it could progress into something more sinister. SWIM has been battling this particular demon all his life and tells me that if you find your mouth watering when you pass a pub...you are in trouble. For now, keep on the job hunt, stay busy and focused. SWIM tells me one way to curb the urge is candy and lots of it(if you feel the need). Good luck and if you need any other pointers I would gladly ask SWIM for you.

-Pope Albacore

[KomodoMK]

Originally Posted by Pope Albacore

Look, I don't know you but I know this situation very well. You may indeed need to cut back a bit. It sounds as if it is more psychological right now but it could progress into something more sinister. SWIM has been battling this particular demon all his life and tells me that if you find your mouth watering when you pass a pub...you are in trouble. For now, keep on the job hunt, stay busy and focused. SWIM tells me one way to curb the urge is candy and lots of it(if you feel the need). Good luck and if you need any other pointers I would gladly ask SWIM for you.

-Pope Albacore

Appreciate the reply, today I have managed (for the first time in god knows how long) to avoid having a drink. I have replaced it with green tea or peppermint tea and tried to keep myself occupied. You have probably noticed I have been around the forum for the majority of it lol.

I'm going to try cut the drinking down to every other day and drink less on those days. When you have a tolerance that enables you to drink a crate a day it soon starts hurting your wallet as well as your liver. Not a good position to be in when your living on your savings.

I think I'm lucky in the sense I tend to see these things coming before a real problem starts, some people are not so fortunate.

Thanks all of you agian.

[JaWill88]

this really concerns swim. it doesn't seem to be physical... yet. swim wants to emphasize this "yet" very much. once this nasty habit becomes physical, swiy is going to be in really, really big trouble. alcohol withdrawal is no joke. swim has unfortunately been in a non medical detox with all alcoholics (aside from himself). this was very, very nasty. horrible. vomiting, shaking, insomnia, seizures, delerium trements, ect. it is sooo awful. swim really hopes swiy can stop before it becomes physical. people have died from alcohol withdrawal. swim has detoxed from heroin many times, and it is hell. but it seems like a walk in the park compared to alcohol withdrawal. it is so damn nasty. swim can't emphasize all this enough. swim has heard many times before that alcohol withdrawal is absolutely the worst. even worse than benzodiazepine withdrawal and swim has had two seizures from it. god it makes swim cringe. anyways good luck, swim really hopes to hear some good news.

Reputation Comments on this post:

good backing

[EyesOfTheWorld]

Alcohol wd is a fucking bitch. Back when swim was drinking 1/2 gallons of jim beam every day for years at a time, if he stopped for even more than few nonsleeping hours he would hallucinate mantid beings in his bedroom, feel as though he was assaulted by ghosts, etc.......auditory halluicantions etc. It's no fucking joke. Makes dopesick look like Disney World.

[Pope Albacore]

Originally Posted by EyesOfTheWorld

Alcohol wd is a fucking bitch. Back when swim was drinking 1/2 gallons of jim beam every day for years at a time, if he stopped for even more than few nonsleeping hours he would hallucinate mantid beings in his bedroom, feel as though he was assaulted by ghosts, etc.......auditory halluicantions etc. It's no fucking joke. Makes dopesick look like Disney World.

SWIM has to agree. SWIM says when he was a younger man(young punk more like it), his habit was somewhat...too much. SWIM says that most days began with a handful of benzos and up to a pint of rotgut whisky. SWIM found out just how ugly withdrawal from heavy alcohol use can be.

Growing up in an upper middle class family, SWIM had access to a fully stocked bar in his youth. This, of course, was used and abused. A shot or two here, a couple of beers before class. Being naive, SWIM took the alcohol for granted. By his first year of college, one could argue that SWIM had indeed become what some term an alcoholic. After years of abuse from the bottle(amongst other chemicals) and a few gastro complications later, SWIM decided that it was time to quit.

SWIM locked himself in a room for 3 days but what really seemed like a week for what he thought would be a painless detox. Wow, was he wrong. What SWIM remembers of it were many auditory and slight visual hallucinations, shallow breathing, bowel complications, insomnia, extreme irritability, muscle tightness/cramping, hot/cold flashes and lack of an appetite. These seemed to subside and taper off after a few days of solitude but it was something that was not pleasant.

SWIM also mentions that alcohol was not the worst detox for him as he is sure severity of the symptoms vary from person to person depending on the intensity and length of habit, etc. SWIM took this as a life lesson well learned and has since learned to exercise moderation and control on all things including alcohol. SWIM says to enjoy the variety of the many "enhancers" of life with control and common sense and life itself can be made much more enjoyable.

-Pope Albacore

[Ilsa]

Originally Posted by EyesOfTheWorld

Alcohol wd is a fucking bitch. Back when swim was drinking 1/2 gallons of jim beam every day for years at a time, if he stopped for even more than few nonsleeping hours he would hallucinate mantid beings in his bedroom, feel as though he was assaulted by ghosts, etc.......auditory halluicantions etc. It's no fucking joke. Makes dopesick look like Disney World.

yep--swim is almost happy she only ever got dopesick and has never had the dt's, though she has helped a close friend through it and can say it was awful. swim would take the worst heroin withrawals over that. alcohol withdrawals are one of the only types of withdrawal that can be life-threatening...swim agrees with previous posts that swiy sounds like swiy is experiencing the earlieist stages of dependence and it would probably be best to get it under control now. swiy's self-awareness in noting mood changes, urges to drink early in the day, etc. is laudable--as was mentioned earlier, most of us prefer to deny a problem until it's a really big problem...so at least swiy has caught it early! best of wishes. namaste.

[sylenth]

yeah all of what you have provided leans to the answer you already know... as nature boy & others have said, find something else as a distraction for you. look for another job, you might just enjoy some thing that is different to your field of expertise & desire.

boredom & feeling sorry for your self can lead to a bad situation & zone. i know where you coming from as i am in the same position, but test your will power & show how in control you are & embrace it.

all the best komodo.

[foggy58]

Hello Komodo,

Although I am new here I am very famillier with your situation - firstly don't give up on the job hunting my friend I'm sure you will find something just right.
Secondly (and here comes my area of expertese!) you need to slow your drinking habbit down because that is all it is - your certainly not an alcoholic, you've just gotten into a very bad routine.
Without sounding balshy, put simply if you do not throttle back on the golden stuff it will start affecting your health both physically and mentally - and thats when your problems really will get big!

Im not one for telling sob stories but I too was in the self same situation as you 5 years ago after redundancy - there light at the end of the tunnel though my friend - but you must first help yourself by telling somebody close your problems (perhaps a partner / parents). This way you can tackle the problem together (a problem shared etc...)

Anyway's I wish you all the best friend and try to stay off the falling down juice!

Take care,

Foggy

[KomodoMK]

Thought I'd post an update on the situation...

I've been doing quite well, didn't have a drink on the day I posted this thread in the end, had quite a few on Thursday, nothing Friday (very surprising) and only about 6 cans on Saturday. So far today I have had nothing and don't intend too, and I can't really drink much tomorrow as I need to be fit to drive.

So not only have I managed to take days off I am also not drinking ~9 pints and a bottle of wine on the days I do, which I think may be due to tolerance lowering.

I appreciate everyone's opinions/advice - it has helped.

[Pope Albacore]

Glad to hear you are doing well in this department. It took SWIM quite some time to learn to appreciate spirits(he has a fondness of coupling good cigars with them). As SWIM always says; moderation is the key.

-Pope Albacore

[Mammon]

All this sounds very familiar to SWIM. He had a drink problem and often fights the 6 o’clock battle over whether to have a drink or not. It’s something he’s said before but the answer is to find something else to do when the hunger comes. He found exercise is the key. At 6 o’clock (the apex of want) he’ll go for a run, do some press ups, etc. Once you beat the pattern the hold starts to weaken.

All this sounds great but tonight SWIM’s failed the test and is right now getting very happily off his head.

Good luck.

[KomodoMK]

Originally Posted by Jamal

All this sounds very familiar to SWIM. He had a drink problem and often fights the 6 o’clock battle over whether to have a drink or not. It’s something he’s said before but the answer is to find something else to do when the hunger comes. He found exercise is the key. At 6 o’clock (the apex of want) he’ll go for a run, do some press ups, etc. Once you beat the pattern the hold starts to weaken.

All this sounds great but tonight SWIM’s failed the test and is right now getting very happily off his head.

Good luck.

I go to the gym 4 or 5 times a week and train. Half of my training is probably pointless as Alcohol lowers testosterone.

I'm generally still doing quite well, not drinking really early any more. Had a good session yesterday with a close friend and sister, don't actually feel like drinking today but probably will later as I'm going to see my best friend tonight and me and her like a few together.

On the days of I have been drinking water or green tea which is quite healthy and full of anti-oxidants. Also found chewing on a lolly (anyone remember drumsticks?) helps when I get the craving to crack open a nice cold beer.

[chillinwill]

Originally Posted by KomodoMK

I go to the gym 4 or 5 times a week and train. Half of my training is probably pointless as Alcohol lowers testosterone.

I'm generally still doing quite well, not drinking really early any more. Had a good session yesterday with a close friend and sister, don't actually feel like drinking today but probably will later as I'm going to see my best friend tonight and me and her like a few together.

On the days of I have been drinking water or green tea which is quite healthy and full of anti-oxidants. Also found chewing on a lolly (anyone remember drumsticks?) helps when I get the craving to crack open a nice cold beer.

Glad to hear that komodo....Are you having a fairly easy time staying away from alcohol or on the days you don't drink, do you have cravings for it? I really am glad to hear that you have stopped the early drinking and seem to have it under control

[KomodoMK]

Originally Posted by chillinwill

Glad to hear that komodo....Are you having a fairly easy time staying away from alcohol or on the days you don't drink, do you have cravings for it? I really am glad to hear that you have stopped the early drinking and seem to have it under control

Generally I would say it is very up down, sometimes it feels like I must have a drink and others I just feel like one.

The cravings are still there, but I am unsure if they are due to a low level dependence on alcohol or if they are due to some mental issues I currently have regarding strong but complicated emotions to a lovely girl I have known for some time.

Having a drink doesn't stop or cure the feelings but glosses over them as if they don't matter. However, I have found that if I get a craving and have one alcoholic drink the craving goes away for a significant amount of time. Would you say this hints at the possible onset of physical dependence?

I educated myself today on the effects of alcohol on people who weight train like myself. It seems that my level of drinking is having a huge impact on my ability to build muscle and gain strength/endurance due to reduced efficiency of protein synthesis, hormone changes (increased Oestrogen, decreased Testosterone), and many other factors. I'm hoping this knowledge will give me added motivation to reduce consumption at the end of which I will see some actual physical benefits. I had noticed I was not making sufficient gains with my training recently.

[chillinwill]

Originally Posted by KomodoMK

Generally I would say it is very up down, sometimes it feels like I must have a drink and others I just feel like one.

The cravings are still there, but I am unsure if they are due to a low level dependence on alcohol or if they are due to some mental issues I currently have regarding strong but complicated emotions to a lovely girl I have known for some time.

Having a drink doesn't stop or cure the feelings but glosses over them as if they don't matter. However, I have found that if I get a craving and have one alcoholic drink the craving goes away for a significant amount of time. Would you say this hints at the possible onset of physical dependence?

I educated myself today on the effects of alcohol on people who weight train like myself. It seems that my level of drinking is having a huge impact on my ability to build muscle and gain strength/endurance due to reduced efficiency of protein synthesis, hormone changes (increased Oestrogen, decreased Testosterone), and many other factors. I'm hoping this knowledge will give me added motivation to reduce consumption at the end of which I will see some actual physical benefits. I had noticed I was not making sufficient gains with my training recently.

In my opinion, it seems like you haven't really built up a physical dependence on alcohol. You are getting close though (just my belief) due to what you described earlier in the thread and such. As for hinting at the possible onset of physical dependence, it's hard to say on that as you feel relief when you have one. Do you feel like you need to have more than one drink in order to feel even better or are you satisfied with the results of one drink?

I know for me, I had problems with alcohol in the past and one drink was almost never enough. I always had to have more and basically, if I didn't get "fucked up" or "wasted", then it wasn't a good night of drinking but then again, that's just about how everyone I knew was drinking when I was in college.

[discodave]

bump. how'd it go KomodoMK?

[cra$h]

when swim was 17, he'd walk past a liquor store and drool, staring into it in dispair. But swim sees himself slipping into an alcohol addiction (alcoholism is a complete bullshit term) and doesn't even care. He's free, and that's all that matters. Of course the wake up call will come, hopefully it'll be something little, but hopefully swim can keep up his good luck so far and not let any chemical take control. Glad to see Komo's drinking less, it's only for the better, and hopefully swim can learn from others....hopefully........

[discodave]

KomodoMK? you about buddy?

[KomodoMK]

Originally Posted by discodave

KomodoMK? you about buddy?

Sorry, not around much these days.

It's been getting on really well, apart from a few days where I hit it seriously hard due to some girl trouble I've only been drinking one day a week, although quite a lot on that day. I've noticed some significant improvements with my weight training since cutting it right down, which has given me even more motivation.

I still feel like a drink most days but I've replaced the alcohol with green or peppermint tea for an even bigger health benefit.

So I guess you could say I'm on top of it now, thanks for asking.