The amount I drink keeps increasing
The post is what the title says. In the past year maybe I’ve gone from having like 2 alcoholic drinks a day to now having maybe 5.
I’m not some sort of alcoholic or anything, my life is normal and not traumatic. I’m at uni but I don’t go out clubbing or party excessively, I’m pretty introverted and rarely go on nights out. I just like a drink in the evenings when I’m watching tv or whatever but the amount I drink keeps increasing, almost unconsciously I guess.
Obviously I know it’s not healthy and I feel sick from drinking most days but I just always end up thinking that one drink won’t hurt lol. I was planning to drink less when I came home from uni for Christmas but with it being Christmas I’ve kind of ended up drinking more lol.
Not really asking for advice or anything idk, just a frustrated at myself already knowing I’ll be hungover in work tomorrow post. I’ll try to drink less in the new year when I’m back at uni I guess
I’m not some sort of alcoholic or anything, my life is normal and not traumatic. I’m at uni but I don’t go out clubbing or party excessively, I’m pretty introverted and rarely go on nights out. I just like a drink in the evenings when I’m watching tv or whatever but the amount I drink keeps increasing, almost unconsciously I guess.
Obviously I know it’s not healthy and I feel sick from drinking most days but I just always end up thinking that one drink won’t hurt lol. I was planning to drink less when I came home from uni for Christmas but with it being Christmas I’ve kind of ended up drinking more lol.
Not really asking for advice or anything idk, just a frustrated at myself already knowing I’ll be hungover in work tomorrow post. I’ll try to drink less in the new year when I’m back at uni I guess
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Original post by Anonymous
The post is what the title says. In the past year maybe I’ve gone from having like 2 alcoholic drinks a day to now having maybe 5.
I’m not some sort of alcoholic or anything, my life is normal and not traumatic. I’m at uni but I don’t go out clubbing or party excessively, I’m pretty introverted and rarely go on nights out. I just like a drink in the evenings when I’m watching tv or whatever but the amount I drink keeps increasing, almost unconsciously I guess.
Obviously I know it’s not healthy and I feel sick from drinking most days but I just always end up thinking that one drink won’t hurt lol. I was planning to drink less when I came home from uni for Christmas but with it being Christmas I’ve kind of ended up drinking more lol.
Not really asking for advice or anything idk, just a frustrated at myself already knowing I’ll be hungover in work tomorrow post. I’ll try to drink less in the new year when I’m back at uni I guess
I’m not some sort of alcoholic or anything, my life is normal and not traumatic. I’m at uni but I don’t go out clubbing or party excessively, I’m pretty introverted and rarely go on nights out. I just like a drink in the evenings when I’m watching tv or whatever but the amount I drink keeps increasing, almost unconsciously I guess.
Obviously I know it’s not healthy and I feel sick from drinking most days but I just always end up thinking that one drink won’t hurt lol. I was planning to drink less when I came home from uni for Christmas but with it being Christmas I’ve kind of ended up drinking more lol.
Not really asking for advice or anything idk, just a frustrated at myself already knowing I’ll be hungover in work tomorrow post. I’ll try to drink less in the new year when I’m back at uni I guess
Well you're not asking for advice but you posted on the internet so you're getting it anyway - perhaps consider speaking with your GP about it.
what do you think an alcoholic is??
maybe stop buying alcohol? its no good being hungover all the time
maybe stop buying alcohol? its no good being hungover all the time
Original post by Anonymous
The post is what the title says. In the past year maybe I’ve gone from having like 2 alcoholic drinks a day to now having maybe 5.
I’m not some sort of alcoholic or anything, my life is normal and not traumatic. I’m at uni but I don’t go out clubbing or party excessively, I’m pretty introverted and rarely go on nights out. I just like a drink in the evenings when I’m watching tv or whatever but the amount I drink keeps increasing, almost unconsciously I guess.
Obviously I know it’s not healthy and I feel sick from drinking most days but I just always end up thinking that one drink won’t hurt lol. I was planning to drink less when I came home from uni for Christmas but with it being Christmas I’ve kind of ended up drinking more lol.
Not really asking for advice or anything idk, just a frustrated at myself already knowing I’ll be hungover in work tomorrow post. I’ll try to drink less in the new year when I’m back at uni I guess
I’m not some sort of alcoholic or anything, my life is normal and not traumatic. I’m at uni but I don’t go out clubbing or party excessively, I’m pretty introverted and rarely go on nights out. I just like a drink in the evenings when I’m watching tv or whatever but the amount I drink keeps increasing, almost unconsciously I guess.
Obviously I know it’s not healthy and I feel sick from drinking most days but I just always end up thinking that one drink won’t hurt lol. I was planning to drink less when I came home from uni for Christmas but with it being Christmas I’ve kind of ended up drinking more lol.
Not really asking for advice or anything idk, just a frustrated at myself already knowing I’ll be hungover in work tomorrow post. I’ll try to drink less in the new year when I’m back at uni I guess
Read what you wrote but slowly. Particularly what I bolded.
This is textbook alcoholism. Seek help. Now.
Original post by artful_lounger
Well you're not asking for advice but you posted on the internet so you're getting it anyway - perhaps consider speaking with your GP about it.
I don’t really know what I’d say to a doctor about it, I don’t think of myself as having a drinking problem or even drinking heavily, it just happened gradually
Original post by Scotland Yard
Read what you wrote but slowly. Particularly what I bolded.
This is textbook alcoholism. Seek help. Now.
This is textbook alcoholism. Seek help. Now.
The post makes it sound like things are worse than they are, probably because I wrote it when I was tired and kind of drunk lol. I’m not even that hungover today
Original post by Anonymous #1
The post is what the title says. In the past year maybe I’ve gone from having like 2 alcoholic drinks a day to now having maybe 5.
I’m not some sort of alcoholic or anything, my life is normal and not traumatic. I’m at uni but I don’t go out clubbing or party excessively, I’m pretty introverted and rarely go on nights out. I just like a drink in the evenings when I’m watching tv or whatever but the amount I drink keeps increasing, almost unconsciously I guess.
Obviously I know it’s not healthy and I feel sick from drinking most days but I just always end up thinking that one drink won’t hurt lol. I was planning to drink less when I came home from uni for Christmas but with it being Christmas I’ve kind of ended up drinking more lol.
Not really asking for advice or anything idk, just a frustrated at myself already knowing I’ll be hungover in work tomorrow post. I’ll try to drink less in the new year when I’m back at uni I guess
I’m not some sort of alcoholic or anything, my life is normal and not traumatic. I’m at uni but I don’t go out clubbing or party excessively, I’m pretty introverted and rarely go on nights out. I just like a drink in the evenings when I’m watching tv or whatever but the amount I drink keeps increasing, almost unconsciously I guess.
Obviously I know it’s not healthy and I feel sick from drinking most days but I just always end up thinking that one drink won’t hurt lol. I was planning to drink less when I came home from uni for Christmas but with it being Christmas I’ve kind of ended up drinking more lol.
Not really asking for advice or anything idk, just a frustrated at myself already knowing I’ll be hungover in work tomorrow post. I’ll try to drink less in the new year when I’m back at uni I guess
OP sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you ARE an alcoholic. Gone from 2 drinks to 5 daily. Alcoholism isnt text booked by seeing a drunk in a street all hours of the day, theres many variations of alcoholism.
Sometimes boredam just leads to drinking more, the problem is, once that is established, boredom = drink, then you have other areas, such as stress = drink, celebrations = drink.
Honestly, I would seek help from a GP, but before you do that, you need to acknowledge there is an issue and help is needed to control it. - its hardest part to do, as we always think we have it under control.
Another way of thinking about it is, "if a friend or family member asked me how much I drink at the moment, would I tell them that I have about 35 drinks a week, and drink every day?". I'm guessing the answer is no, and I agree with the above comments that this is alcoholism.
Addictions are very, very good at convincing you that they are not addictions. After all, if you didn't have an issue you just would have stopped rather than posting about it.
Somewhere like DrinkAware is good place for info and tools if you don't want to go to your GP straight away.
Addictions are very, very good at convincing you that they are not addictions. After all, if you didn't have an issue you just would have stopped rather than posting about it.
Somewhere like DrinkAware is good place for info and tools if you don't want to go to your GP straight away.
A functioning alcoholic is someone who drinks excessively, experiences adverse effects (such as the feeling sick that you mentioned), but still manages to maintain friendships/relationships and get up and go to university/work each day. That state of functioning deteriorates over time.
Going to a GP about this stuff is scary, I get it, I've been there. You feel like you're taking time away from other patients. What I personally did was look into alcohol and drug abuse centres in my local area* first. They're incredibly helpful - and if you try and say "I'm not sure I should be here" or downplay your right to access to healthcare they will remind you that everyone deserves to be healthy. I eventually did later go and see my GP and ask for liver function tests at my partner's request, and the excessive drinking (3-4 drinks daily) thankfully hadn't done worrisome damage but it absolutely could have if I had kept going at the rate I was. My GP also offered to arrange counselling but I preferred to stick with the centre I had sourced myself - it gave me a greater sense of control over the situation.
Seeking help for alcohol abuse isn't something shameful. Many people seek help in order to quit or reduce how much they are drinking. It also doesn't necessarily mean you're committing to giving it up forever, if that fear of never having it again is what is holding you back right now (this was a big hurdle for me personally!). I managed to get my drinking down to healthier levels (<14 units per week) with support from a centre and my family & friends holding me accountable. Not everyone is able to start drinking again, but you've a better chance of being able to do so if you do something about it now rather than allowing yourself to fall too far.
*If anyone reading this, even years from the time of posting, wants recommendations for LGBT+ friendly substance abuse centres in Glasgow then you are more than welcome to contact me.
Going to a GP about this stuff is scary, I get it, I've been there. You feel like you're taking time away from other patients. What I personally did was look into alcohol and drug abuse centres in my local area* first. They're incredibly helpful - and if you try and say "I'm not sure I should be here" or downplay your right to access to healthcare they will remind you that everyone deserves to be healthy. I eventually did later go and see my GP and ask for liver function tests at my partner's request, and the excessive drinking (3-4 drinks daily) thankfully hadn't done worrisome damage but it absolutely could have if I had kept going at the rate I was. My GP also offered to arrange counselling but I preferred to stick with the centre I had sourced myself - it gave me a greater sense of control over the situation.
Seeking help for alcohol abuse isn't something shameful. Many people seek help in order to quit or reduce how much they are drinking. It also doesn't necessarily mean you're committing to giving it up forever, if that fear of never having it again is what is holding you back right now (this was a big hurdle for me personally!). I managed to get my drinking down to healthier levels (<14 units per week) with support from a centre and my family & friends holding me accountable. Not everyone is able to start drinking again, but you've a better chance of being able to do so if you do something about it now rather than allowing yourself to fall too far.
*If anyone reading this, even years from the time of posting, wants recommendations for LGBT+ friendly substance abuse centres in Glasgow then you are more than welcome to contact me.
(edited 4 months ago)
Original post by Admit-One
Another way of thinking about it is, "if a friend or family member asked me how much I drink at the moment, would I tell them that I have about 35 drinks a week, and drink every day?". I'm guessing the answer is no, and I agree with the above comments that this is alcoholism.
Addictions are very, very good at convincing you that they are not addictions. After all, if you didn't have an issue you just would have stopped rather than posting about it.
Somewhere like DrinkAware is good place for info and tools if you don't want to go to your GP straight away.
Addictions are very, very good at convincing you that they are not addictions. After all, if you didn't have an issue you just would have stopped rather than posting about it.
Somewhere like DrinkAware is good place for info and tools if you don't want to go to your GP straight away.
My friends and family see how much I’m drinking and I don’t make any attempt to hide it. Most of my family drink about the same amount and will usually have a bottle of wine between 3 of us in an evening then each will have our own separate drinks (I usually have a few vodka and tonics). If they asked how much I drink I’d probably say “I have a few drinks a day” but admittedly I probably wouldn’t say 5
Original post by 1582
A functioning alcoholic is someone who drinks excessively, experiences adverse effects (such as the feeling sick that you mentioned), but still manages to maintain friendships/relationships and get up and go to university/work each day. That state of functioning deteriorates over time.
Going to a GP about this stuff is scary, I get it, I've been there. You feel like you're taking time away from other patients. What I personally did was look into alcohol and drug abuse centres in my local area* first. They're incredibly helpful - and if you try and say "I'm not sure I should be here" or downplay your right to access to healthcare they will remind you that everyone deserves to be healthy. I eventually did later go and see my GP and ask for liver function tests at my partner's request, and the excessive drinking (3-4 drinks daily) thankfully hadn't done worrisome damage but it absolutely could have if I had kept going at the rate I was. My GP also offered to arrange counselling but I preferred to stick with the centre I had sourced myself - it gave me a greater sense of control over the situation.
Seeking help for alcohol abuse isn't something shameful. Many people seek help in order to quit or reduce how much they are drinking. It also doesn't necessarily mean you're committing to giving it up forever, if that fear of never having it again is what is holding you back right now (this was a big hurdle for me personally!). I managed to get my drinking down to healthier levels (<14 units per week) with support from a centre and my family & friends holding me accountable. Not everyone is able to start drinking again, but you've a better chance of being able to do so if you do something about it now rather than allowing yourself to fall too far.
*If anyone reading this, even years from the time of posting, wants recommendations for LGBT+ friendly substance abuse centres in Glasgow then you are more than welcome to contact me.
Going to a GP about this stuff is scary, I get it, I've been there. You feel like you're taking time away from other patients. What I personally did was look into alcohol and drug abuse centres in my local area* first. They're incredibly helpful - and if you try and say "I'm not sure I should be here" or downplay your right to access to healthcare they will remind you that everyone deserves to be healthy. I eventually did later go and see my GP and ask for liver function tests at my partner's request, and the excessive drinking (3-4 drinks daily) thankfully hadn't done worrisome damage but it absolutely could have if I had kept going at the rate I was. My GP also offered to arrange counselling but I preferred to stick with the centre I had sourced myself - it gave me a greater sense of control over the situation.
Seeking help for alcohol abuse isn't something shameful. Many people seek help in order to quit or reduce how much they are drinking. It also doesn't necessarily mean you're committing to giving it up forever, if that fear of never having it again is what is holding you back right now (this was a big hurdle for me personally!). I managed to get my drinking down to healthier levels (<14 units per week) with support from a centre and my family & friends holding me accountable. Not everyone is able to start drinking again, but you've a better chance of being able to do so if you do something about it now rather than allowing yourself to fall too far.
*If anyone reading this, even years from the time of posting, wants recommendations for LGBT+ friendly substance abuse centres in Glasgow then you are more than welcome to contact me.
To be honest I’ve never thought that I drink enough to need help with it, and it doesn’t overly impact my life other than feeling ill from it, but I rarely if ever have to miss stuff or can’t go to work/uni because of a hangover
5 drinks a day is a lot. Unfortunately my Dad was an alcoholic and died from it so I know you're not looking for advice but I would strongly suggest that you see your GP and get some support before you let it progress. It often starts off as a social thing and "only a few" but it can really add up.
See if you can go a day or even a week without drinking. If you can't then there is definitely an issue, please seek support!
See if you can go a day or even a week without drinking. If you can't then there is definitely an issue, please seek support!
Original post by BurstingBubbles
5 drinks a day is a lot. Unfortunately my Dad was an alcoholic and died from it so I know you're not looking for advice but I would strongly suggest that you see your GP and get some support before you let it progress. It often starts off as a social thing and "only a few" but it can really add up.
See if you can go a day or even a week without drinking. If you can't then there is definitely an issue, please seek support!
See if you can go a day or even a week without drinking. If you can't then there is definitely an issue, please seek support!
I think I would be able to go a week without drinking, as in I wouldn’t get withdrawals or anything, whenever I try I just usually end up getting bored and giving up though
Original post by Anonymous #1
I think I would be able to go a week without drinking, as in I wouldn’t get withdrawals or anything, whenever I try I just usually end up getting bored and giving up though
If you're drinking because you're bored that's not a good sign really. Can you try and give up for a few days and distract yourself with other things like seeing friends etc. If they are drinking and you can't say no or they particularly question/make fun of not drinking then that is also an issue in itself.
As I say, if you're unable to go a few days or even a week or more without drinking then I'd definitely seek support. Perhaps you can try to take part in dry January or something as quite a lot of people do that and understand it too.
Original post by NKNK12
OP sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you ARE an alcoholic. Gone from 2 drinks to 5 daily. Alcoholism isnt text booked by seeing a drunk in a street all hours of the day, theres many variations of alcoholism.
Sometimes boredam just leads to drinking more, the problem is, once that is established, boredom = drink, then you have other areas, such as stress = drink, celebrations = drink.
Honestly, I would seek help from a GP, but before you do that, you need to acknowledge there is an issue and help is needed to control it. - its hardest part to do, as we always think we have it under control.
Sometimes boredam just leads to drinking more, the problem is, once that is established, boredom = drink, then you have other areas, such as stress = drink, celebrations = drink.
Honestly, I would seek help from a GP, but before you do that, you need to acknowledge there is an issue and help is needed to control it. - its hardest part to do, as we always think we have it under control.
I acknowledge that there’s an issue in that I know it’s unhealthy and am trying to cut back but I don’t think it’s something I need professional help with, I just sort of see it as being on the same level as/part of trying to have a healthy diet in general, it’s just that instead of eating chocolate or something I drink
Original post by Username123ab
The NHS website and sites like Drink Aware have advice on cutting back
I’m gonna look at the online advice and try to drink less in the new year/when I go back to uni
Original post by Anonymous #1
I acknowledge that there’s an issue in that I know it’s unhealthy and am trying to cut back but I don’t think it’s something I need professional help with, I just sort of see it as being on the same level as/part of trying to have a healthy diet in general, it’s just that instead of eating chocolate or something I drink
The issue is that as part of a healthy diet you may eat chocolate in moderation (say a bar a day max), but going up to 5 bars a day wouldn't be considered healthy especially in terms of the risks. And not being able to go a few days or a week without that amount also may show addiction.
(edited 4 months ago)
Original post by BurstingBubbles
The issue is that as part of a healthy diet you may eat chocolate in moderation (say a bar a day max), but going up to 5 bars a day wouldn't be considered healthy especially in terms of the risks. And not being able to go a few days or a week without that amount also may show addiction.
I’m sure I could go a week without drinking though, I’m gonna try and drink less in the new year anyway
Original post by Username123ab
Why not just start now?
It’ll be easier when I’m back at uni and Christmas/new year are over
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