Current Events > Alcoholism seems incredibly easy to slip in to.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Its not always showing up to work drunk, throwing up etc

its far too easy to just have a couple drinks after work. First it was mainly on the weekends. But then you have a stressful day. Or just wanna properly unwind.

then you end up drinking 6/7 days of the week
/blogfaqs.


---

it's very easy. like most habits, it's easy to form and hard to break.

what you outlined in the OP is exactly how i went. at first i was just having 1-2 beers every day. that slowly escalated over time and eventually i was drinking about a 5th / day.

---

very easy and very hard for me to get out of so far

---

We smoke too, I should just be able to relax with that.

some days are worse than others. Didnt drink yesterday but definitely have that itch today

---

It started socially with me and then became a habit once I started breaking my personal rules of never drinking on a work night. I actually havent had a drink this year so in happy about that.

---

Yeah, I have a strict rule of not drinking on nights before a work day. Which basically means Friday and Saturday night is it for me. Lots of alcoholism in my family, but I've never felt the urge to drink non-stop.
---

dummy420 posted...

It started socially with me and then became a habit once I started breaking my personal rules of never drinking on a work night. I actually havent had a drink this year so in happy about that.

yeah. Even just a couple years ago, I legit never drank at home.

now if its in the fridge, its getting consumed.


---

i'd imagine some people are more predisposed to addiction than others

---

lww99 posted...

now if its in the fridge, its getting consumed.

the reason many alcoholics choose to abstain entirely is because its far easier to have none than it is to have a reasonable/responsible amount

TheMikh posted...

i'd imagine some people are more predisposed to addiction than others

yes, for sure

---

Its also hella normalized in the media

Wine moms, craft beer/whiskey enthusiasts, sitcoms centered around bars, etc
---

lww99 posted...

now if its in the fridge, its getting consumed.

Yeah, it's much easier to say no in the grocery store once, then constantly throughout the week.

I try to only buy enough to drink for 3 or 4 days during my weekly stockups, otherwise I'm in big trouble.

---

Yeah it runs in my family.

dad overdosed.
uncle died of cirrhosis
grandpa got divorced bc of it too

i definitely get an addictive personality regarding some things

---

shockthemonkey posted...

Alcoholism is so much fun though

Thats the problem lmaooo

---

Giant_Aspirin posted...

the reason many alcoholics choose to abstain entirely is because its far easier to have none than it is to have a reasonable/responsible amount

One thing time taught me is that I generally treat beer like potato chips. Once you pop, you cant stop.


---

Yeah man. I get home from work by 4. Then usually drink until 10(bedtime)

---

About my mid twenties I stopped drinking on week days due to work the next morning. I would save it for Friday and Saturday nights but looking back on it I think that made me drink more on those nights. It has been about a year and half since my last drink though. It has been nice not waking like shit the next day or remembering the stupid stuff I did or said the night before.

---

TheMikh posted...

i'd imagine some people are more predisposed to addiction than others

I feel like it's this. I've never felt like alcohol made me wind down or anything. I usually only drink at celebratory events. I've never been the type to just drink around the house. And when I did try, it didn't do much for me.

---

I dont go any harder on the weekend compared to during the week.

which basically means I go hard during the week too

---

Can't relate
The idea off developing gut beer and shitting your pants is a deal breaker to me

---

I dont shit my pants bruh lol.

but yeah my 6 pack(how punny) is def gone

---

I definitely had an issue with being a functional alcoholic in the past, I wasn't getting piss drunk daily but definitely 3-4 beers a night. I ended up quitting completely for three and a half years, now I will only drink on Friday nights and even then I can't remember the last time I've had more than six beers.

---

You appear to want to drink to get over stress

However, drinking causes more stress by messing with your sleep, taxing the body through harmful chemicals, and make you tired by eating less healthy foods

Instead, you can play with your cat or dog, spend time with a loved one by going on a date, read a book, or spend your time surfing online forums and news websites

---

So, just to confirm, we all agree this is functioning alcoholic territory?


---

Absolutely. I've seen it firsthand with my mom. She doesn't get drunk or anything, but she always drinks wine after work. At one point, she was finishing 1-2 bottles (1.5L) of wine each night. She has cut down on the amount now, but still drinks wine 7 nights a week.

When my ex and I were still together, she started drinking wine to "destress" after work and she didn't understand why I would caution her not to make it a habit.

---

Not as much since I took out my slippery slide into a kiddie pool full of single malt.

---

lww99 posted...

So, just to confirm, we all agree this is functioning alcoholic territory?

i don't think you're there just quite yet, but you definitely have the potential to slip into it based on what you've told us about your family history + your behavior.

just keep yourself in check. but, like i said, it's so easy to let it slip away from you so be careful.

---

Sparkykun posted...

You appear to want to drink to get over stress

However, drinking causes more stress by messing with your sleep, taxing the body through harmful chemicals, and make you tired by eating less healthy foods

Instead, you can play with your cat or dog, spend time with a loved one by going on a date, read a book, or spend your time surfing online forums and news websites

This is good advice. I'd add just getting out for a walk or other activity if you're into anything out doors you can do.

Sometimes when I don't feel like playing with my cat cause I'm in a bad mood or stressed I just do it anyways and 5 minutes later I'm still playing with my car and realize I'm way calmer.

---

NoxObscuras posted...

Absolutely. I've seen it firsthand with my mom. She doesn't get drunk or anything, but she always drinks wine after work. At one point, she was finishing 1-2 bottles (1.5L) of wine each night. She has cut down on the amount now, but still drinks wine 7 nights a week.

When my ex and I were still together, she started drinking wine to "destress" after work and she didn't understand why I would caution her not to make it a habit.

sounds about right for us unfortunately.
Sometimes well buy that boxed franzia wine. I think its 5 liters/34 glasses.

...it only lasts 3 days

---

not when you hate beer, cant stand spirits, and get fall out drunk off a single glass of wine. the one benefit of coming from a long line of drinkers is apparently my alcohol tolerance is terrible...

---

Beer is good but inefficient.

---

shockthemonkey posted...

Alcoholism is so much fun though

It is until it isn't, and then it's a chore at best and downright miserable otherwise

Liver enzymes through the roof, high blood sugar eventually leading to type 2 diabetes, poor nutrition and dehydration, decreased immune system resilience, stomach and esophageal ulcers, shaking and feeling anxious when going too long without a drink... and those are just the milder physical symptoms that can still be corrected or treated before it's too late

Ask me how i know all this

That is precisely why I limit myself to beer. At least 98% of the time anyways. Had a spell where I was drinking rye and vodka for a bit but quit.

---

im thankful that I dont have any kind of noticeable withdrawal besides that itch

---

treewojima posted...

It is until it isn't, and then it's a chore at best and downright miserable otherwise

100%

i definitely had fun being drunk every night at first -- that's exactly why i did it. but once you start falling into the physical addiction it becomes a truly miserable existence. the only thing that makes you feel better is the very thing responsible for your misery.

i was literally going through withdrawal every day at work. it. fucking. sucked. the whole day i was so anxious and jumpy. my hands and feet would sweat like crazy. i eventually developed a bloody ulcer in my throat from vomiting every morning for months on end.

---

Sadly many people resort to some kind of drug abuse because they don't know how to deal with stress.

---

I agree.

Anyone want to get a drink?

---

It is something you definitely need to watch out for. This year is vastly better than it was last year for me and my wife and we need to reign it in yet again.

---

lww99 posted...

So, just to confirm, we all agree this is functioning alcoholic territory?

"Functioning alcoholic" is such a bad phrase

You can "function" in a lot of ways right up to cirrhosis

Its good you still otherwise have your shit together but if you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, then you are an alcoholic

Its up to you if its gone in a direction you dont like

That said its probably easier to quit before you get to the point of DTs
---

If anyones curious, I went straight home. Dont know if Im ready to completely stop, but realllllly need to limit myself to weekends. Maybe this topic will keep me accountable

---

Truth

After 3 years of drinking two 1.75ml of whiskey a week, its nice to not NEED a drink after a stressful day at work

---

I suggest making small goals for yourself. First step being only on weekends or Friday / Saturday is good. But you need to eventually remove that step too, and make it say, every two weeks. Then one weekend a month. You have to truly want to slow it down or stop it. If you don't want to, it's not going to happen.

It is a process you will unfortunately have to do forever. It's REAL easy to slip back into old habits. January my wife and I only drank on a single night and we were very proud. All of February, we shifted back into Saturday / Sunday drinking, which can easily lead back into "well it was a bad day so let's drink tonight on a Wednesday". Now we are going back to not drinking again for March to try and correct the ship.

---

addiction is easy to slip into

lww99 posted...

If anyones curious, I went straight home. Dont know if Im ready to completely stop, but realllllly need to limit myself to weekends. Maybe this topic will keep me accountable

Quitting drinking is what kickstarted me to begin investing, you'd be surprised at how much money you end up saving

---

Yeah Ill definitely save a bit. Not sure how much we spend per month on booze

---

guess i should be thankful i absolutely detest the taste of alcohol and especially beer then.

ofc, on the flipside i absolutely love soda and could easily become a fatty from that if i didn't control myself.

---

I fell into some minor alcoholism a few years ago after a breakup. Binge drinking at parties to the point of throwing up on myself which then turned into drinking bottles of Buckfast on the bus and i tricked myself into thinking I was just being a quirky wine mum or something.

Well its been two days at least. Now to not fall into the weekend habits

---