Im in my mid 20s and have been a heavy, almost daily drinker for about the past 3 years. Started with seltzers, then eventually moved on to liquor as my daily drink. As the time is going by and my tolerance is going up, I'm noticing how unenjoyable drinking has become. It takes me so much more to get me drunk and now that doesn't even feel the same. Now it feels more numbing instead of drunk and if I drink more, it just gets me too messed up and i get the spins really bad. This is the first time in about a year and a half where I've been able to abstain from drinking for over 4 days. I can tell my body is craving it, but knowing I'm not going to get that same "happy" feeling makes the thought of drinking so much more undesirable. I was just curious if anyone else has experienced something similar since this is my first time feeling like this😕

I know I have a serious drinking problem. The problem is, it doesn’t (visibly) interfere with work, life, family, etc….so it keeps going on. Also, I’m agnostic so AA is not an option. Need help finding a program/support to help me make changes. For the past few years “I’m quitting tomorrow”…you know the drill…

i am sure some of yall have seen that post going around in the sub, well i am one of their friends. i had no clue about it until recently and all i can say is i am appauled. i am sober completely, the rest of our friends drink on occassion. however, we have a friend who is an alcoholic. i have been begging them since january to seek help and see a consellor and they say they will but i find out they have no intention of reducing their intake and instead just wants to find a way of seeming less drunk??? anyone who has seen the original post give me advice please, as we are in a contract for september to move in together. this is my last plea, thanks. yes i know this is petty but im so over it lol

I've just been discharged after spending 3 days in hospital for withdrawal. I've always been a heavy drinker but as I didn't drink daily I used that to convince myself I didn't really have a problem.

Anyway for the past 3 weeks it had progressed to daily. At the very least it was an 8 pack of beer but sometimes up to a 5th of whiskey. I've been going through a bad time lately and the amount i was drinking over the past 3 weeks kept increasing. On Friday I drank almost a handle of whiskey and my flatmate came home to find me lead on floor, completely unable to stand up and just crying telling her I wanted to kill myself. I don't think I actually did want to, it was just the alcohol talking and a cry for help I guess.

Anyway she admitted me to hospital and the 3 days that followed were pure HELL. I've experienced what felt like very mild withdrawal in the past but this felt like the real deal. Hands shaking, sweating buckets, extreme nausea and heartburn and audio hallucinations. I also would get the occasional visual hallucination although I was so out of it I couldn't really tell.

I have so much fucking respect for nurses. They were constantly reassuring me that I would get through it, kept me dosed on enough valium to stop the risk of seizures and provided me with a tonne of resources to go to now I'm out of hospital. They truly are some of the kindest humans on earth.

I am completely done with alcohol. The pure panic I caused my family and friends is eating me up inside and I never want to put them through that again. Plus the withdrawal was terrifying and the nurses said it was fairy mild compared to some of the more serious cases they've seen so god forbid what that must feel like.

Luckily I have a good support network around me who said they'll make sure I don't go out again where I'm likely to drink and will encourage me to do more sober activities.

I know with alcoholics it's very common to relapse but I pray to God that I don't as I couldn't do that again.

I'm not sure the point of this post I just needed to vent and feel this is a safe place to do so.

Also I've been prescribed Naltrexone, is it very effective?

I haven't drank like this in over 5 years. I have been drinking everyday for about the passed 4-5 months. About a 12 pack to a pint of vodka a day and on my days off almost 2 pints in that day. I started shaking a bit again and am so ashamed of myself for ever going back to it again. Is that amount physically damaging? I do get worried about it sometimes cause I know that it's the one substance that I have the biggest problem with but I don't know anymore

(19m) I’m an alcoholic and who has gone through a lot of trauma from my dad who was a severe alcoholic from when I was born to when I was 17. I got in a car accident when I was also 17 and my dad was there for me all the time in a good way. Last year I’d say I developed a habit of drinking everytime I got home from work cause I definitely have severe anxiety issues and trauma from the accident and my dads old behavior. Sadly, if I don’t drink I get VERY intense shakes and usually have a shot of vodka in the morning to relax myself, and it usually helps me fall asleep. I usually stay up till 4am having shots while playing games or watching youtube, until I sleep for about 4-5 hours in my chair. I still love my mom and dad, and today my dad saw some of the bottles in my room which confirmed his suspicions that I was smelling like alcohol. I’m in a punk rock band with him too and the memories we’ve shared in that band are very cherished by me, especially since the reason I play music is because of him. But as a recovering alcoholic himself, he nearly swung at me and essentially told me I’m not his son anymore. I have lost my job for unrelated reasons and I dropped out of school over the past month because my anxiety has gotten the worst of me. I don’t know what to do. I love my family but my dad has made it clear that he doesn’t want to love me anymore while I’m going through what I am, and it feels like I’m just not supported. I have bandmates from other projects and best friends who love me and want the best for me, but it’s just hard to hear that the people who love you the most don’t care about you anymore. I just don’t know if it’s time to commit to treatment or handle things in a different way. I also have read a lot of peoples stories on this sub reddit and I understand my daddy issues aren’t as bad as something’s people have gone through, but I’m struggling. Any help is appreciated.

Hello,

I drink every day. Not to an awful point but at minimum if I have nothing to do I will drink 5-7 beers just because there is nothing to do. How do you fight the urge to not drink after a long day of work and instead push yourself to helpful exercise, etc. before experiencing a bad moment or reaching rock bottom?

Hi everyone! Looking for others opinions please. I’m in the UK if that’s relevant, there’s a big drinking culture here.

Part of this post is because I choose not to drink. I found that when I was socially drinking out it was dwindling to 1-2 boozy drinks (never at home), so I decided to just go sober about 5 years ago. I always let others get on with drinking however they wish, and would hate to come off as preachy.

My other half is a hard working tradesperson and I’m struggling to gauge if he has a healthy relationship with alcohol. He’s a big guy at 6”4, and is always on the go. His absent father died from alcoholism related illnesses, as a side note.

Monday-Wed 2 beers in the evening on average. Sometimes none, sometimes more. I’m usually at his place these nights. I think he can tell I’m aware.

Thursday he’s pool captain at his local social club, definitely 5+ pints. He gets in at half 11 and springs up for work at 6 as always…Which leads me to think he must have a fair tolerance?

Fri/Sat/Sun are a mixed bag as sometimes he’ll be working, or he has to drive somewhere so he won’t drink, but other times he will definitely sink a 4 pack of beer (440ml-1 pint/15-19oz) and a whisky coke/G&T in the evening, or maybe day drinking depending if he’s seeing friends, all of whom drink similarly.

This weekend he went to a pool competition and came back to mine a bit buzzed. I’d cooked dinner and had bought a 4 pack thinking he could have 2 with dinner one night, and two the following. I did mention this and he had a little “ha!”, and proceeded to drink all 4, plus a little cocktail can he acquired on his excursion. So minimum 5 whilst out, and 5 back at mine. He was a tad worse for wear the next day, but not hanging by any stretch.

He did do dry January this year, and drives to pool on the odd occasion and doesn’t drink (as he likes to remind me, but it’s few and far between). He did try a lot of the low/no beers in January and it made me think maybe he just likes having beer habitually in the evening?

I’ve put a suggestion out that maybe Mon-Wed he doesn’t drink then Thursday onwards he can to give his body a rest?“Mmm maybe…” is the usual response. AKA, no.

I don’t want to be the fun police, and I think probably 20 years ago no one would bat an eyelid at this amount of drink, but nowadays people are more conscious.

What are your guys thoughts?

TL;DR I’m sober, my boyfriend drinks an amount per week that I’m unsure is healthy, opinions please?

29m. I was a casual drinker until 2021. I developed horrific anxiety and panic attacks so I started drinking heavily every day to keep the panic attacks at bay.

That was my mistake. 3 years later and I’ve been in the hospital for detox and other alcohol related health problems so many times I’ve lost count.

The last detox was the worst. I was drinking 1.5 liters of vodka a day. I’m 8 days sober and I still feel like death. My anxiety is unbearable. If I go back to drinking I know I’ll die but my panic attacks are unbearable.

Am I ever going to feel better? Ever? I thought I’d feel at least a little better after 8 days of sobriety but I can barely walk.

I'm going to do a bit of a vent here because I've pushed all my family and friends away and nobody is talking to me so I thought I'd just post.

I'm one of those people who needs to vent but then gather people's perspective's.

So this is a term I've only heard in the past few days and apparently it kind of fits in with the way I've been feeling for a long time..

I started a brand new job today it's something I've always wanted to do and I met great people but I finished and just felt deeply down and depressed.

Went the pub had a few beers and I'm just sitting here like .... what's it all for and I felt that way before I had the few beers..

The beers are like a comfort blanket and I know that's not the way to go about things ... but it gives me some type of feeling a feeling of numbness and I've been in the recovery circuit for the past 10 years so I know all about alcohol I don't need any lectures here.

I'm investing in some professional therapy now that I'm working and can afford it but I go through life kind of not giving a shit and this is when I'm sober..

I'm a 33 year old very handsome male (handsome is what I get told by people) and I'm pretty intellgent I was a successful personal trainer for a long time but drinking messed it all up .... but yet I sit here with a can of beer ...

So am I passive suicidal or just an alcoholic ?

Sam

So throughout my [18M] teenage years I drank a ton and smoked a bit due to some really rough times in my life. I’ve seen so many studies on how alcohol and weed stunts brain development so i’m pretty disappointed. The studies go as far as to say a teen will have “serious abnormalities” in their brain even into adulthood. I feel like the damage is done and i’m hopeless. It makes me feel like there’s no point in living with a damaged mind and to just give up. I find it so unfair that the choices I made when I couldn’t fully grasp long term effects of things as my brain wasn’t fully developed are now going to make it so it won’t fully develop and nothing I do will change that. How the hell is that fair. No matter how healthy I am or how much I take care of myself it doesn’t matter. It’s so hard for me to come to terms with this, I can’t even describe the extent to which this has distressed me. If there was a way to reverse this I would do anything but unfortunately life is too cruel. Any thoughts?

I have the willingness to quit, but I'm starting to experience some pain in my abdomen and don't have a doc appointment until June 25th fir a physical where I will also discuss my drinking. I'm 25M, have been drinking an estimated average of 500ml of 40 percent vodka, fireball, or tequila daily, and this has been going on regularly for the last 2 years, though I have also drank very heavily in years prior (binge drinking). I'm so scared I'm at a point of irreparable damage. The biggest issue is I can't let my parents know about this and I live with them. I'm around 150 lbs at 5'10" and try to be active but I have a sedentary job. I'm going to get through this, but any experiences or advice from yall would sure help!

Ya so I am a 45 year old divorced dad, live alone and I drink heavily usually 1 day on 1 day off. Drank last night so feeling particularly bad about myself. So I know that I lack it discipline and my life is way better on the days that I am sober. Then evening rolls around and the cycle starts again.

I can lose myself when I taste beer. I am thinking about going to AA tonight. Never been to AA. I don’t think I’ve ever really put a post out there anywhere except for now. I keep this secret life to myself or I think I do.

If anybody has some nice things to say I could probably just use it today. Right now I am trying to think things thru and to mentally prepare myself to commit to cleaning up. Seems hard just to make that decision even though it shouldn’t be hard at all.

Thanks for reading everyone.

hi so i’m new to this but honestly i need some advice. so i’m 21 years old and i was with this one guy for five years. very complicated relationship where i was put on the back burner constantly. i got out of this relationship on halloween last year. about two weeks later i got on tinder to just have some fun. i ended up meeting this guy (24) and we got along super well and started dating. this guy is everything i’ve wanted in a partner. he listens and for the first time in my life i feel prioritized. thing is he’s an alcoholic. he doesn’t drink every night but once he starts drinking he can’t stop and every weekend he gets plastered. when he’s drunk, he turns into a different person and doesn’t care about what i say or think anymore, he gets mean. there have been multiple occasions where he’s had too much and we’ve fought to a point where i was crying and he couldn’t care less (very very unlike him). whenever i’m not with him i’m worried he’s drinking and not telling me because of how often he’s done that. i just hate that he tries to keep it from me as if i’m not going to find out anyways. i don’t know what to do because i am in love with this guy. the first time i can actually see a future with someone. but every time he drinks or talks about drinking i get a panic attack. what do i do?

Been drinking heavily for 15+ years. About to hit 32, a couple of sober years in there, but drawing for the past 5. I'm on day 2....how long did it take you guys to feel better? Not just the headache, but like you finally dried out.

I probably struggle with substances because I have ADHD and I probably have ADHD because of adoption(trauma) & genetics. This is all I can hypothesise is my reason. It’s not an excuse, I just think reasons help fix the problem. Or maybe I’m just bored and should figure out what I like to do. I really don’t know. What reasons do you have and maybe something will resonate and can help me figure this out more. Thanks

The sister of my ex (we were together 7 years and broke up 4 months ago) just asked for help and information about my ex's struggles, what happened within our relationship, what he's addicted to, how to help him and who he is. I know he's told them very little and lied about what he was addicted to originally, but he's living there now after being abroad most of his life, and she's starting to struggle with his patterns. I'm struggling with how much is appropriate to tell her, I know he wouldn't want me to say anything. Has anyone got any advice? What's people's stance on this? Thanks for any help!

So here I am again. My anxiety is so bad right now. I can’t stop thinking about all the mistakes and embarrassing things I did. Somehow I just keep replaying these moments that’ve happened this past month due to alcohol. And let me tell u it has been it has been crazy.

Outbursts, SH, hospital (I had to get stitches and was put in the psych unit) cops, fights. Sometimes it’d be mid day and I was drunk just walking the streets and almost got hit by a car bc I thought the light said walk. I live with my parents so this also puts a lot of stress and worry for them.

They’re at the point where I might soon have to leave the house if I can’t control this addiction. Yes… it was bad…I was out of control and the realization of it all is hitting me hard right now.

But the crazy thing is, thinking of these things and all the anxiety makes me want to drink to rid of the embarrassment.

And so the cycle repeats itself.

It’s driving me insane and the temptation to drink is strong right now because of all this anxiety I feel. But I’m standing strong and avoiding alcohol. This cycle is so painful to be in and I’m only ruining relationships all around me and losing myself in the process.

Let me set the back story for ya, been drinking pretty heavy for 10+ years on a handle of titos every 3-4 days and a mixture of beers in between. I HAD to have alcohol in the house and would immediately drink as soon as I got home from work, didn't matter the time of day or responsibilities needing done. I've tried in the past to give it up but the thought of not having it available when I "needed" it was just to much. The wife would always call and remind me that I was low on alcohol as she knew I very much enjoyed drinking literally every day to the point I would take Afternoon/evening naps on the weekend/days off because I would get so drunk and tired.

Now here I sit on May 7th at 4:31am getting ready for work sober for 7 days and have zero and I mean zero craving to drink. Don't seem to be having any side effects, I sleep well, get up refreshed and even enjoy dinner more. I even find my self with a clear mindset and memory when it comes to every day life. Has this happened to anyone else where the "need" and or cravings just went away? Should I expect a sudden desire to drink again?

Hi. I am 24yo currently living with my mother for 3 months or so. I earn money on OF, yes. I wanted to save something and maybe buy myself van or trailer house so I can survive. I have social anxiety and depression history but I am on meds so its fine. The problem is my mother hate the idea of me having OF. It was kinda ok while this morning she just started yelling at me and call names, it happend 2nd time this month. I am planning moving out despite rent is really expensive. The problem is I really feel urge to drink alcohol to numb the pain. I will move out soon but I am worried about her. I am scared to tell her I am moving out.

As of an hour and a half ago I’ve completed all my major (International Studies) and minor (Applied Geography) requirements!

I took an almost two month break from FB to focus on my senior thesis, a mountain of other papers, my work at The Advocates for Human Rights, trying to find serenity in a perpetually existential mind, improving my calisthenics regiment, and spending a lot of time thinking about how my life would be better with more parkour. I also successfully avoided the bottle.

I have nine credits, or three courses, left. They can be in literally anything, so it’s going to be a cinch. I was planning on going back to Europe for a while per typical, but I’m being heavily pressured, especially directly from the U, to finish ASAP. I think for once in my life, I’m going to follow my brain instead of my heart and comply.

I did this all backwards. During my 2009-2022 hiatus from the U, I spent years of it abroad. I went to over 60 countries, many of them multiple times. During the most intense part I literally circumnavigated the world three times in three years. I lived in Scotland during the pandemic, the Czech Republic more than once, and spent a combined almost year each in France and Turkey. I spent a lot of time in Malaysia and Japan. I ended up in Uruguay by accident and found it to be one of the most amazing countries. Checked off the "-stans", where old Soviets blend with Asia and Islam. Even went to Saudi Arabia, which wasn't giving visas to Americans unless you we're involved with the oil industry. I went to Ukraine during war a few times. I saw the most beautiful cities, pristine forests, heartbreaking poverty, and warzones. I only went back to finish my degree in order to get my experiences legitimized. Sure I’ve learned some new things, but nothing I couldn’t have easily learned on my own. It’s been time consuming and expensive. I don’t regret my hiatus but it does mean I have less time to experiment with careers. But I’m almost done…

..I’M ALMOST DONE! I’ve purposefully embraced a life of extreme minimalism. No children, no mortgage, no car, no debt besides student loans. I have minimal material possessions beyond what is necessary and a small collection of the nostalgic. This means when I get my degree in a few months, I’m set free.

Thank you for reading.

Edit: I should add that during this I ended up in the hospital because of this disease way too many times. Literally every semester. But, I persevered.

Those of you that have quit drinking. Where is the hump of where it starts to get easier? Weeks, months, years.....?

I totally disagree with the "alcoholism as a disease" designation.

I don't want to argue about it, just wondering if I'm the only one.

I’ve never considered myself an alcoholic - like sure, I drink quite a bit but not everyday. And I don’t crave alcohol. At least not until recently. I’ve been struggling with strong feelings of being tired, basically all the time - and then unfortunately learned that when I drink, it goes away. So I still haven’t done any drinking alone, but I’ve drank more at social events than I should have.

On Saturday, I had way too much. I was working Sunday night (part time bartender, lol) and I basically still felt drunk the whole day. I was sweating and shaky, nothing felt real and I was completely paranoid by everything. I’d woken up and thrown up in the middle of the night, on a random plate in my room - there was sick on my shirt and trousers, that I was too gone to deal with. I didn’t remember until I woke up and saw it, but I was so out of it, I could hardly deal with it even the day after.

Now it’s monday. I’m still feeling shitty. I don’t want to drink, so there’s that at least, but I’ve never had such a strong reaction after drinking. I’m still sweating, I can’t sleep properly and I feel like my brain is partly off, I can’t really figure out how to do things. It’s all slow motion.

I’m not sure what I’m trying to say. I think I just need to say it out loud, to realize that I need to change. It’s too much

Curious to know whether you could reduce your alcohol intake each night if you had someone to talk to. Especially when you want to drink your sorrows away, wouldn't it be a great thing to have someone to talk your problems away instead of consuming alcohol?

Binge drank last night, anxiety & panic through the ROOF today, been so restless, jittering in bed, puking not having a good time can’t wait for it to pass, who else is feeling the same?:(

I get alot of energy from alcohol and I stay up all night. I have stayed up drinking two days in a row several times. Anyone else have a similar experience?

I drink to "cure" my anxiety and I can't stop. My wife is ready to leave me because of this sickness. I want to stop, but I feel like I can't. My anxiety is extreme when I come down. I also don't want to replace drinking for a drug. I'm one of those, I won't drink soda or take meds because "its bad for me". Dumb, I know. Im really scared to live life sober because I've built this shell so I can drink more. I'm here, awake at night drinking my "panic attack" shots and feel great but I know I'm going to come down and have anxiety again. It's a fucked up cycle and I know it's killing me. Anyone have advice on how to stop the anxiety? It's really bad to where I twitch when I come down and the anxiety kicks in. It's stupid. I have to be up today at 8 AM to take my daughter to school and know I will get shots once my local place opens to be "normal" I hate this shit.

Would it be ok to take a low dose kolonopin my doctor gave me a while back ? It’s been 2 days now since my last drink of the bender and I was up all night with body aches, insomnia, panic etc. it’s so weird to because I’m tired but at the same time scared to fall asleep.

Sweats, headache, nausea. Sounds like a morning in my 20s.