Addiction - Is SWIM addicted?

[el burgo]

SWIM has always drank but over the past few years SWIMS alcohol consumption has increased, SWIM is adamant that he drinks for the taste, but is drunk at some point most days of the week. SWIM is also medicated for depression and bouts of mania. Recently SWIMS pet possum, who SWIM was very close to, took his own life. Following this tragic event SWIM has been drinking more and more, SWIM does not drink spirits for SWIM prefers ice cold cidre, each day SWIM anticpates the opening of the local alcohol shop and counts out change, often pennys, in order to buy cidre to get SWIM through the day. If SWIM would estimate SWIM would drink 6 to 8 pints per day, am i on a slippery slope?

[Master_Khan]

Originally Posted by el burgo

drunk at some point most days of the week. am i on a slippery slope?

Answered the question.

[missparkles]

Swim would have to say she believes swiy does have a problem, but swim thinks swiy already knew the answer to that one.
The fact that swiy is waiting for the store to open to buy booze, is scraping together every penny they can find and feels like shit, says they're well down that slippery slope. Liking the taste is neither here nor there, except in helping swiy justify their drinking.
Mixing any meds with alcohol only makes any other problems worse.
If swim is going to stop it would be a good idea to see swiys doc, as stopping after long term use can be dangerous. Other meds are involved that could make the W/D worse so get some professional help.
Take care.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Mature Response

[el burgo]

"still wake up with shaking hands and im trying to find a girl who understands me"

[Master_Khan]

Swim understands that some people need to party, but alcohol is such a poor choice. Very destructive substance.

[anonuser30500]

6 to 8 pints of ciders a day is going to be too much for most people.

A few can handle it but not many.

I know people who drink well over ten pints in a session (afternoon and/or night) and you would not know they were drunk because they are not.

Even so it takes its toll over the years. It's nothing to see people in their 40s heading for the knackers yard due to the daily tipple from the off license or supermarkets.

Also, if your suffering bereavement and using booze to overcome it - that's not going to work. Might help for a while, not for me to judge that one, but sooner or later whatever grief is in you needs to come out. Few men or women can just keep it all in when it comes to losing a loved one.

As stated here, booze is a destructive drug.

The good news is that there is plenty of help there to get off it - a mixture of medical advice and services and self help groups.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good harm reduction advice, telling OP to get support.

[porchy]

Easy way to tell. Stop for a few days. If SWIY cant, then its clear.

Reputation Comments on this post:

great way to tell about any addiction

[Herbal Healer 019]

6-8 pints (donno whether cider is like beer or hard liqour in alcohol content) a day is definately addiction & definately wreaking havoc on SWIYs liver.

SWIM recently heard that one should only drink 14 (standard 12 oz) beers a week (it prevents elderly dementia apparently) and those who drink more than 14 beers a week have a doubled chance @ having elderly dementia.

SWIY will regret it in the future if he continues to abuse such a toxic (in hard liqour especially) and addictive substance every day. Heavy alcohol abuse is known to literally shrink the brain as time progresses.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	good stuff HH. Telling it like it is about alcohol toxicity.
	Alcohol shrinks the brain, please cite evidence.
	interesting point re: dementia

[RX420]

my friend thinks that just for the fact that swiy has to ask....is a good sign that there is a prob..

Reputation Comments on this post:

Very good observation.

[MisterV]

If SWIY drinks to come through the day its a serious problem. SWIM had depressions too and drank ever night. Most of the time hard stuff like bourbon while beeing on anti depressants. But SWIM saw after a hard drinking night that is it wrong and stopped to drink immediatelly. Like mentioned above, if SWIY can stop to drink for a week or so he could manage his life again, but if he isnt able too he should think about getting help!

[cra$h]

red flags-waiting for the store to open
scrapping up change
depression/mania
tragic events
ability to drink more than most
has a daily ritual
considered that one might be addicted

How many flags must be flown for swim to see? (and the answer my friend, is blowin in the wind, the answer is blowin in the wind.... sorry, song's stuck in my head) There's no answer to determine when there is an addiction, and only swiy can answer the question, we can just help make it more obvious

[el burgo]

Thanks for the replies. SWIM appreciates the advice greatly and has taken heed of the warning.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good to see someone taking onboard good advice.

[Xaro]

I firmly believe that I am an addict, I drink up to 6 pints or some liquor before midday. It is a horrible thing to get addicted to, no good in the long run at all....

[dividedskye]

SWIY should check out some Alcoholics Anonymous meetings

Drinking almost every day is a sure sign, and actually feeling drunk is an even worse sign for SWIY

gl

-Divided

[Subvert]

SWIM can relate as he has stuggled with episodes of mania/depression from a young age and has self-medicated with it before (and believe me this dosen't help In the long run),
SWIM spent a year drinking everyday -
At first beer, then more beer, then wine, then more wine, then spirits, at the end about a litre of vodka a day.

He couldn't sleep or function without It and one day decided to stop, Didn't need a 12 step program as he had the willpower to quit on his own but some people benefit from AA meetings.

After two years of sobriety (albeit smoking weed the entire time) SWIM recently tried a bottle of wine which led to another and almost asphxiating on vomit decided even that was too much for him.
Then he was invited to a pub 9pm-12pm and drank 4x250ml bottles of lager which seemed to have no ill effects and surprisingly never fell into his old ways but imagines If he'd been on the pints would have got pissed and not known when to stop.

Perhaps you need a break from the drink to sort your head out and come to terms with your condition as you seem to allready be aware It's at the root of it.

Take care!

[Powerup]

The fact that SWIY is framing his post with such notions as "I just like the taste... but... I'm usually drunk at some point most days of the week... do I have a problem?" would lead SWIM to believe that a problem probably does exist. However, the fact that SWIY has made his post at all is indicative of a problem that has not gone too far down that "slippery slope".

To begin with, SWIM would suggest that SWIY try what several others ITT have suggested and try to "quit" for several days (preferably 1-2 weeks) -- and by "quit" SWIM means ingest absolutely no alcohol, regardless of whether SWIY ingests enough to become drunk or even mildly inebriated. Do not drink, period. And for SWIY's sake, SWIY should avoid making lame-ass rationalizations (and SWIM isn't just making this stuff up, SWIM knows several people who have been in SWIY's situation and done something similar), I.E. "I'm not drinking, it's a Jell-O shot" etc. Sounds stupid, sounds childish, yes? That's because it is, but that doesn't mean that SWIY's mind, should SWIY indeed have a problem, won't lead him to do it.

If SWIY continues to feel that SWIY may have a problem, the best thing to do is to, if possible, decide that SWIY does have a problem, and seek help. There are not many things that will beat SWIY's body up as badly as alcohol if it is used in the manner SWIY describes for extended periods of time.

Of course, as always, if SWIY needs any further help or advice, SWIM and others on these boards are here for him. However, SWIY must remember that even the best advice given on the internet is no substitute for advice received and action taken in real life.

SWIM wishes SWIY the best of luck.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Honest answer, sometimes blunt is what's needed.

[missparkles]

Sparkles thinks it's also important to stress...yet again...that stopping alcohol, if swiy had been drinking frequently over a long period of time, will require medical help.
Quitting alcohol abruptly can cause seizures, brain damage and even death.
Please remember this. No amount of advice (as has been pointed out by swi Powerup) will stop anyone drinking. Talking about it and intellectualising it will only give a person excuses to continue. Rationalising the problem is just another form of denial. You have to admit there's a problem and deal with it.
Just do it safely is all Sparkles is saying.
Take care.
Sparkles.