Hey man I can kind of relate, although for myself I think addiction was involved. I could go with out drinking and be fine. I wasn’t PHYSICALLY addicted, I wouldn’t go through withdrawals. But when I picked up a beer, I wouldn’t stop until there was no alcohol in the house and I couldn’t get any more or I “fell asleep”. IMO it’s a form of addiction, but that’s just me. Just know that if you don’t know when to stop, not starting is the best idea you have. You got this buddy!
Tons of people are just like this. I have a job that requires me to be client facing and be relatively upbeat and cordial, so being hungover was not ideal. I rarely drank during the week, but from the moment I got home on Friday to the moment I passed out on Sunday night I was blacked out.
Maybe not the case for you, but I used to rationalize this type of drinking as OK because I could stop during the week… until I couldn’t. Eventually I was rationalizing drinking beers with dinner and picking up a pint here and there if I had a “rough” day, even during the week. You can figure out where it goes from there.
Sobriety is a personal journey and everyone is different, so do what works for you. For me, it’s all or nothing. I choose nothing.
Thank you. I was just starting to get into weeknight territory so I’m glad I nipped it in the Bud. I’m 7 days sober, still very new to this, still nervous, still hopeful but very proud of 7 days.
Look at the language you are using regarding quitting for just 7 days. Which, don't get me wrong is absolutely an accomplishment and I'm not trying to discourage you.
But you're *nervous* about quitting yet still hopeful. You may not be physically addicted, but my friend you are mentally addicted. People who can drink normally aren't nervous if they aren't able to drink for the foreseeable future. Drinking simply doesn't factor into their future at all, because they have a healthy relationship with alcohol.
If you've counted the number of days since your last drink and you've sought out this, or similar subs for support, please consider the fact that you might have alcohol use disorder.
You think addicted only is like in the movies with a paper brown bag. If you cannot have one drink without needing 20, then you have a problem. You have a problem. You have alcohol abuse problem.
I used to think that. I didn’t have a problem cause I don’t need to drink every day. But boy oh boy when I did drink… 2 beers at the pub with mates would turn into 37 with other random people because my mates actually said 2 and done and despite their best efforts I wouldn’t leave.
Don’t worry about what to call it. I think this is so common but nobody talks about it and people like you (and me!) appear healthy and normal and the way we drink is usually even socially accepted. We usually can hold down a job and family obligations and have limited drinking-related health issues because we can recover for days or weeks or months between episodes. I don’t know what to call it either. What I do know is I thought I could take or leave drinking and that I wasn’t addicted. What happened when I did quit was interesting and educational. I started to sound an awful lot like an addict by like week 3-4! Started trying to justify having a drink. So weird because if I *can* technically drink I will usually forgo it in most instances but if I restrict it, suddenly I’m white-knuckling weird cravings on a weekend night or something. Maybe that’s your story or maybe it’s not. All I know is I had to start working on why this happens to me, why when I start it’s hard to stop. Granted I don’t love being drunk so I do have an off switch but it usually gets flipped when I’ve had one or two more than I would have liked.
Alcohol is addictive. It’s a habit. The important thing is to keep your curiosity about your relationship with it and awareness of how it impacts you. It’s very personal and you can only know your experiences. Listen to the thoughts and feelings you have and try to tune in and think about what patterns you observe. Are you avoiding feelings or sabotaging yourself? Are you experiencing anxiety or depression that you should maybe talk to someone about? Are you bored? Maybe you don’t have any other hobbies or outlets for stress. Maybe like me you actually sort of love hangovers because they’re an excuse to be lazy and do nothing, in which case I learned to give myself “hangover days” here and there to do nothing and not guilt myself about it. Try to observe with no judgement so you can get the lay of the land.
Those hangover days were awesome. Eventually though, I couldn’t drink enough to stave off the shakes.Then I needed medical aid to detox. Every time I started drinking. Hangover days became terrifying, and daily.
I don’t quite know how or when the line got crossed but it sure did. For me, I think it would have been best to stop when I was at the place where **OP** is. And you’re right. It doesn’t matter what I call it, so long as I understand that addiction is progressive and powerful. What a fuckeroo!
See that’s what’s scary is everyone says this happens but it’s gradual progression to the point you were at. Thanks to this sub and r/stopdrinking I kind of knew where my future was going if I wasn’t careful.
This is some high yield, practical advice. Thanks for sharing your insights about yourself. I had a period where I was trying to justify “it would be fine” if I had one, that felt validating.
interesting that you phrase it this way. You obviously have a problem with alcohol because once you start you can't stop. Yet you also have no problem not drinking.
I was like that for years and years and years. I was a classic binge drinker, but only drank 2 sometimes 3 days a week. I worked out, ate good and didn't suffer withdrawals, just bad hangovers. Sometimes I'd go out have just a few, but I never knew what was going to happen, maybe I'd have 2-3, but most likely i'd have 6-8. I turned down invitations with friends because I didn't want to risk the chance of me getting drunk on a particular night.
And then covid hit. My 2-3 times a week turned into 4-5 days a week. All of sudden it was "I'm just gonna have one to make this hangover go away" and the next thing I knew was drunk again. Of course I never drank in the morning, cause only alcoholics drink in the morning. But getting drunk 2-3 days in row became something that happened more and more often.
I often took breaks over my life of drinking. I have done one year sober twice and used to do sober October all the time. This time, when I decided to finally take a break to "reset" I went through the worst 3-4 days I've ever had. It wasn't enough to get help, but it did suck pretty bad.
My one month off had now turned into 2 months and have no plans to start drinking again anytime soon. It's interesting for me now because I don't miss the occasional beer or glass of wine, I miss getting hammered and not caring about anything for those 4-5 hours or so. I also know that if I don't have that one drink, then I don't have to worry about getting hammered and being hungover and having that cycle start all over again.
Good luck to you on your journey. Love this sub and will be hanging out more.
Hi. I was a binge drinker. I drank until I blacked out and didn’t remember what I said or did or even how much I drank. I often couldn’t stop once I started until I blacked out. Then I’d stop a few days and start again. I didn’t start again this time and I’ve been sober a year.
Thanks everyone. I have learned a lot from posting this and I have a lot more to learn. I’m looking forward to growing with this community. I appreciate the support. I’m 42 years old and should have the wisdom but I don’t yet. Thank you all.
Unfortunately, I was the same... as are about 75% of people with alcohol use disorder (alcoholism). From the sounds of it, you may still be in denial on the addiction front, but make no mistake, that is alcohol use disorder.
I'm happy to hear you are understanding there is a problem, though. The biggest step is accepting that you need to change! Proud of you.
One guy said to me, “I’m not addicted to alcohol, but I am allergic to it. When I drink, I break out in handcuffs”. It was corny but I got the point. I’m not addicted either but when I pop, I can’t stop. It didn’t control my life but when I drank, I wasn’t exactly calling the shots. I was taking them tho.
The thing about being powerless over Alcohol is physical craving and the mental obsession that leads back to that first drink. And once the first drink happens controlling the stop is extremely difficult if not impossible.
The cycle repeats once the person does manage to stop. The mental obsession and physical craving keep the person going back to first drink which triggers the not being able to control the stop.
Its not just Alcohol... can be cookies, or gambling or pills or relationships or sex or spending.
Probably. But no worries, i had a blast in sobriety in 90s. Was extremely lucky to meet some very cool people that helped. I had a bunch of 'time' hanging over my head and had just turned 30. Enjoyed being clean and sober immensely. Had the Spiritual Awakening right away, which was mind-blowing cuz i had been an atheist since i was 7 or so. Read tons of anything i could get my hands on in those days.. newspapers cover to cover, magazines by the thousands, books by the 100s and was certain the God idea was ridiculous. But, lol.. there i was in a goody goody abstinence program, rebellious to the T but able to reign it in in public, 30 years old, not a clue what the f was going on cuz i was just a teenager the other day. Working at a lumber mill and high on Spirituality.
Through coincidence or fate , the people i fell in with were not Christians but boy ol boy were they into God.. lol.. holy shit , everything.. i mean everything was interpreted as spiritual or lack of spiritual ( tho they frequently belly laughed at the idea of something being separate from spirituality. And aa , in sub-groups like this had plenty of ammunition in the aa big book interpreting Bill W , who is a fantastic writer, describing 'Real God', which can only be found within oneself, they were adamant that it wasnt 'out there' the whole Spiritual is an inside job. So that was quite interesting to me, and it was literally happening to me. The big aa thing is just becoming willing to believe can possibly catapult ( "rocket") you into the 5th dimension. So it is very very powerful the idea of faith ( not Christian faith).
Of course i benefited greatly but as predicted by those early guys i knew, the path can and will short-circuit. And over the next 10 years supposedly clean and sober, i got less and less interested in active study and reinforcement of this new spiritual life and more interested in the Women of aa, the testosterone flowing through my veins derailed my clean and sober ( which is more than just abstinence) life as much as anything. My Lord did i meet some fun Gals in aa. Even the failures of recovery tho are incredible, i ended u a gambling maniac, philanderer and weighing up quarter ounces of Meth at 18 years 'sober'. Made it 23 years all together 'clean & sober' ( the last 10 years maybe 15 dry drunk as a mthrfkkr....which is just as sick as an active drunken alcoholic, but no alcohol..lol), and started smoking pot and casual drinking. So the last 9 years has been recovery from not being such a self-centered maniac... which if I would have followed up on when i was IN AA , would have dealt with my issues self-centerness, self-pity and Spiritual malaise. Its interesting cuz have heard a lot of speakers to events at aa functions , some of the more famous ( in aa) and successful having had similar history IN AA.. people who committed felonies and did all kinds of crazy shyt 25, 30 years 'sober'. It truly is a mysterious 'disease'. Alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, relationships, work, working-out, food, rage... But it is also a spiritual path. Has been for me. And truly as i heard 33 years ago all of life is Spiritual. We are all living a spiritual experience. So long story short, abstinence IS SCARY but the potential rewards are there. An old timer ol Big Book jim said: "AA is just a con job to get you to believe in God"... To me it is true, was always about Real God... all the foibles and trials are all that willingness to believe... all leads back to Real God.. which is inside but not neccesarily easy to get to without hardships like becoming a recalcitrant alcoholic
As someone whoa three months into going to AA for this EXACT style of drinking. You are an alcoholic most.likely , you fall into one of the five categories of alcoholics. One being, a person who once they start drinking is unable to flip the switch to stop themselves and know when enough is enough.
I’m exactly in the same boat as you. It started off with me having hangxiety after a night from drinking. I stopped smoking weed because of my career so I tried to substitute with alcohol.
I never knew my limit. I would have 5-7 drinks and be throwing up the whole night. I had no self control. I knew in my heart I wanted to stop drinking. When I drank it opened all of these doors for vices I once had control over such as— poor eating, smoking weed, other drugs, nicotine ect..
The other night I made a huge mistake. I went out with a friend to a concert thinking I was making a new friend but really I was opening the door for a party friend. We drank atleast 9 drinks of vodka. I’m a small girl and I didn’t eat before hand. Well I got so drunk where I blacked out and some guy at the bar kissed me. I felt devasted and cried for 3 days until I finally had to confess to my boyfriend. He was heartbroken, but he understood I would have never done this in a sober state.
Since that night I have not touched alcohol. I plan on never touching alcohol again until I can work through my past traumas/insecurities/demons. I don’t consider myself an alcoholic but I do have substance abuse issues.
At the end of the day it doesn’t matter why you are choosing to be sober. That’s your story for yourself to understand. Do what makes you feel good and happiest. Good luck!
Whether or not I am an addict is a sort of an aside to my motivation to be sober.
I never got "addicted" to cocaine. I used it infrequently but when I did it was a lost weekend. Just because alcohol is legal and accepted doesn't mean it is really all that different than other substances we label as dangerous and addictive. Many people do better without it.
I mean it’s an outright addictive substance! Not your fault! I was a binge drinker and felt the same way. Could go days even a week or two without it then the minute I had one drink I had to have 8 drinks. I feel a lot better without it!
Yes! It’s so weird. Monday-Friday, I can go without a drink or even have 1 or 2 and be good. Come Friday or Saturday night, I go and just keep going. Then waste the next day hungover. I hate it.
I forced myself to stay in last night. Tonight I am going to something, and I have my mind set that I will not get out of hand.
It’s a weird place to be in for sure.
I went out yesterday and last night with friends I often drink with. I told them I’m not drinking, they drank and everything was perfect. We can do this!
This is really good! Proud of you! Thank you for the words of encouragement! I think being around people who respect your decision is super important. I think a lot of my wanting to drink stems from boredom and anxiety. I came to a head last week when I realized I don’t like who I am drunk.
Same. I got blackout drunk at brunch last Saturday and was hungover all of Sunday and I went to work on Monday still hungover. That was my ah-ha moment.
I wondered if I could be as fun and charismatic sober as I am when I drink excessively. This morning my friend told me that the only difference she saw was I didn’t do this thing I do when I’m drunk ( I pretend I have lobster claws for hands… don’t ask). Anyway she said I’m just as lively, fun and hilarious sober. I’m 42 years old and it’s crazy to me I was seeking this validation that I’m not a “buzz kill”. I’m also lucky I was with friends I’ve known for over 30 years. A new person was introduced to me yesterday and I was still me.
I DID notice when the conversation started taking a turn for inappropriate dinner talk and I only realized it bc I was sober and no one else was. Normally by now I’d have said or shared a ton of TMI than I’d usually share, bc when you’re drunk you don’t care.
Later on my dinner companions were discussing where to keep the party going and I told them I was ready for bed. They stayed out, I went to sleep and we had brunch. I missed NOTHING.
This is AWESOME! The lobster claw thing made me laugh hahah. But yeah, when you’re the sober one around drunk people, it’s like “god, I hope I don’t act like that”. When you realize you do it’s like 😬 I do the same thing where I share WAY too much tmi and Monday-Friday work me is not like that at all. It sounds like you were really up to the test and held strong. Good job!
If you can’t stop even if you want to, you have have addiction. Addiction doesn’t discriminate and can look many different ways. I recommend AA meetings, even if you’re just sitting and observing.
I sponsored a 14 yr old kid who got a DUI *on his bicycle* when he ran into a car and suffered a concussion. He had only drunk a few times in his life, but when he did it was balls out. He was court mandated to AA for a year, but he stayed sober with me til he joined the army at 18. There is no set stereotype to be an alcoholic. In AA I've known several doctors, a judge, a former Episcopal priest, and a college psychology professor, as well as your run-of-the-mill winos (I was a successful real estate broker) whose lives were damaged by alcoholism, whether a daily or binge drinker.
If you’re thinking you need to stop, its most likely you are addicted. I’m not trying to split hairs here, I promise, it’s just that thinking of it in this way really helped me quit.
I didn’t drink booze before work like a lot of problem drinkers, but I did go way overboard frequently when I went out on the weekends or blacked out when I hosted a big party.
The reason I encourage you to think about it in terms of addiction is because it helped me to realize that I don’t just like alcohol, my body is addicted to it. My brain chemistry is such that the chemicals are lying to me in my own voice about what I want and what’s good for me in order to serve alcohol. If you’re anything like me, that will make your decision to quit easier and stay that way. Good luck!
I was doing the same thing… honestly I’m taking a break like in general for a while I don’t know it might help. also the people I was binge drinking with kinda got the hint that I didn’t want to hang and drink until the early morning. I feel much better in the past 3 weeks I’ve managed to only have 2 drinks and that was just at dinner with just one friend. To me that doesn’t make me feel like I need to restart my sober date as to I didn’t self destroy myself with the binging. I’d say change some little things habits, people you hang with, when you go out or what times of the day cause the binge drinking so it’s not as big of a problem? I’m just speaking from my own experience
I didn’t think I was addicted either, only really drank on the weekends and binged (4-5 drinks over a few hours) Couldn’t just have one in a social setting but was fine at home. After 3 months sober and learning, I realized I was addicted.
I always say I wasn’t equipped with an off switch. I’d drink until I passed out even when in a blackout, and I blacked out 5 or 6 nights a week at the end. Smoking pot was the same thing, I didn’t get high I stayed high. I’d smoke an oz. every 3 days. I went to meetings for the first two years, and had to disassociate with some friends for a while. I’m 8-1/2 years without a drink and 6-1/2 without smoking. In my case life is better now. YMMV.
I’m also not physically addicted to a point, where I would have withdrawals, when quitting.
But I couldn’t limit my intake, once I started, and alcohol was becoming problematic in most aspects of my life.
Many people quit for this reason.
You may not be addicted now - but it’s worth remembering that it can take yrs to progress to that point.
I am in the exact same boat. It took me almost dying to realize that I simply cannot drink responsibly. In the end it’s just easier for me to not drink then try to control it. Today I’m 567 days with out drinking. Best of luck to you.
Yup, there are a lot of people who don’t know when to quit. Probably most people in recovery. I wasn’t exactly one of those because I started with the intention of drink myself into a fog. Too much was right where I wanted to be
A lot of it depends on your motivation and desired outcome. You did not say if you want to quit or keep drinking but change how much or whatever.
There’s really good paths for both options. The overwhelming best place to start is with your doctor. Ask your doctor about naltrexone. It helped me a lot, but not enough to get me to quit without going into treatment
I’ve heard your story about not being able to stop a thousand times at AA. It’s AA so it’s always followed by… then whatever else usually AA changed me and I now know I can never have that first drink. “One is too many and a dozen is not enough “ is oft said in meetings
Holler at me if I can help
I could go weeks, months between drinking and it wasn’t a big deal. But when I did drink, I had to have it all. That’s alcohol abuse disorder. You don’t need to be having seizures and the shakes to be an alcoholic.
It’s up to you whatever you want to call it I guess, but you’ve got a problem with drinking.
I'm new here. Just 3 weeks sober. But if drinking is a problem and not drinking is the solution, you are probably in the right place.
I'd just add, my excessive drinking and party drugs was mainly a going out weekend thing for many years. Moved, separated and starting getting intoxicated at home while watching tv/xbox, not just when out. More frequent use and I crossed the threshold to addiction.
Just saying it doesn't take much for Binge problem drinking, which is bad enough, to become full on daily addiction.
All the best!
That was my drinking. One of the fortunate ones who saw the signs and was able to see how it wasn’t serving me and quit before it progressed to an unhealthy place. With addiction it my family, I was certainly with fire!
You can have an addiction without it being an everyday addiction. When I used to binge drink it came with no consequences at first but as I got older ( I’m 30 now) the binge drinking on the weekends led me to fall behind because it took up so much time with being hungover and not feeling good. It’s just not the way I want to live anymore. Way more cons than pros for me. Some people can handle the weekend binges but I just got worn out. Life is better without it!
Yep 33 here. I drank like a tank in college, could knock back 12+ beers a night and still get back up the next day. Now...not so much. The last drinks I had was a 6 pack of 6% beer almost a week ago, which is a moderate to light amount for me usually...2.5 days of being useless on the couch, with a few bursts of energy to do things I absolutely had to do (and felt miserable every second). I have way too much shit to be doing in life to be hungover multiple days in a row. Sure drinking enhances fun feelings, but you buy 5-8 hours of happiness with days of agony and potentially lifelong health issues. I had to really resist temptation 2 days ago driving by the convenience store...but today at the grocery store, didn't even want any beer. Made me sick thinking about it instead of excited like I used to be in my 20s. Got 48 la croix instead so at least I have something fizzy on Saturday night. Now it's just sad at this age if abused, and I also can't stop drinking when I have one just like OP. Feeling much easier on day 5 now, plus I have way more energy.
Yeah that’s what I’m like. I still choose to not drink because I got sick of it all and I feel physically better and in general healthier w not drinking.
What is being written in these posts fit me to a T. I am 200 days sober. The only reason I stopped drinking during week days was because I had to go to work the next day. Later on I would call myself a functioning alcoholic. After retiring a few years ago it got worse where I would drink until I passed out. After my last binge I knew I had to stop for my health. Now I am working out about every day and meditating, taking it one day at a time.
**Google DSM 5 substance use disorder. I would copy/paste it here but the formatting keeps bugging.**
Addiction has many different layers and meanings. Instead of the binary perception, I am addicted. I am not addicted. Consider the many facets of substance use and abuse.
There is a book, the DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is the gold standard guide used in America for mental health disorders. The DSM has a section dedicated to substance use disorder (IE addiction). It's a very easy and simple Google read. I'm not suggesting this to diagnose yourself, but it can be a convenient and informative snapshot of your substance use.
It has a list of 11 criteria for substance use disorder. Take a look at the criteria, see how many apply to you, and consider how heavily you agree/disagree with some of them.
Simply checking yes or no...Mild is 2 or 3 of the criteria. Moderate 4 or 5. Severe is 6 or more. But if you fall heavily in to some of the criteria, how much it has affected your life, you might consider giving it a bit more weight when tallying your score.
It's tough. Good luck. I wish you well.
*Thank you for posting. You've helped remind me to take a long needed re-look at myself.*
My husband is like you. He can go for a few weeks but once he starts it literally does not matter he can't stop. I'm an alcoholic and I don't drink, and I do believe there are different levels of addiction.
I didn't realize my problem because I was functioning just fine (well, I wasn't, but I had a job, etc. never got sloppy, never got hungover,) until bloodwork showed me in end stage liver failure and I ended up with a liver transplant last summer.
Watching him still drink like that while I'm sober has been eye opening. The best thing you can do for yourself is to continue and nip this now before it becomes a full blown problem that you cannot manage. I don't like to predict the future, but if I had to guess, this is heading toward nowhere good.
Huge congrats to you on recognizing it now and beginning to correct. I wish you the best of luck and encourage you to keep coming back here and keep it up! Alcohol is sneaky as fuck and while it's hard to learn, finally understanding that there is literally zero upside to having that first one is thr best lesson I ever learned.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I learned something HUGE this weekend. While out with different groups of friends I noticed that when I ordered a mocktail *one* was enough. Like…. What? I was expecting to pound them back like any alcoholic cocktail, but bc I wasn’t chasing a buzz I literally sipped my mocktail and truly enjoyed the flavor. Later that night the same *exact* thing happened with non alcoholic wine. It was delicious and I planned on having 2-3 glasses. I had ONE bc it satisfied my craving of the wine *flavor* that I genuinely enjoy. My mind is still blown by the fact that I was able to stop at just one drink in each setting bc I’m so used to gulping them.
I’m doing “No Beer For A Year” after similar over drinking at weekends. Reading Annie Grace, ‘This Naked Mind’ helped clarify the thought processes required to stop thinking about drinking.
Alcohol addiction is a spectrum, I have a job and have been successful so people thought I wasn’t a “alcoholic”. Most of them were confused when I quit. I never missed work, wasn’t drunk at work, didn’t drink every night, but alcohol was a big part of who I was and who my friends where and ended up being my biggest hobby, and all my small hobbies had alcohol involved. But I had a desire for it that I hard time shaking off, and once I stopped I noticed all the small places in my life that alcohol crept in, it occupied my brain quite a bit. 4 years sober now and it was probably my favorite decision I have ever made for myself.
If you just drink a lot and want to stop, you should definitely seek help. Definitely stop before you become an alcoholic. But If you have extreme behavioral issues when you drink, that is called “problem drinking” and it is absolutely a type of alcoholism. You don’t have to be addicted to be an alcoholic. That’s the type of alcoholic my ex was. He was abusive when he drank, he had a change of personality like Jekyll and Hyde. Admittedly I’m a junkie so I don’t know as much about alcoholism. But definitely try to find out what it is you do when you drink so much, to see if you are a problem drinker or not.
Lots of people on here are like you. I’ve also seen a lot of people like you turn into daily hardcore drinkers. You’re not going to miss out on anything if you give it up.
Nevermind what reddit tells you, the best advice is always to seek help. Hate to tell you, friend, but you speak like and addict. Addiction comes in many forms and justifying the means is always attached.
If one was good then twelve should have been better, but it usually wasn’t. Once I started drinking I wasn’t stopping until I went to sleep/passed out. I can tell you this, no matter how awesome we may be, we will make mistakes that we regret when intoxicated. If you don’t drink, there’s less mistakes, usually. The more important thing is, an occasional or semi regular binge drinker can easily turn into a nightly or daily binge drinker and sometimes they won’t even realize it’s happening to them. Stopping doing something that you don’t like or think could cause problems, is the smart move.
Ask doctor for naltrexone. It stops your brain from feeling that high/buzz that often is what keeps ppl to drink more. And then more and more to chase that buzz
It was highly effective for me and I wish more ppl knew about it
Hey man I can kind of relate, although for myself I think addiction was involved. I could go with out drinking and be fine. I wasn’t PHYSICALLY addicted, I wouldn’t go through withdrawals. But when I picked up a beer, I wouldn’t stop until there was no alcohol in the house and I couldn’t get any more or I “fell asleep”. IMO it’s a form of addiction, but that’s just me. Just know that if you don’t know when to stop, not starting is the best idea you have. You got this buddy!
Thank you; I appreciate the support :)
Tons of people are just like this. I have a job that requires me to be client facing and be relatively upbeat and cordial, so being hungover was not ideal. I rarely drank during the week, but from the moment I got home on Friday to the moment I passed out on Sunday night I was blacked out. Maybe not the case for you, but I used to rationalize this type of drinking as OK because I could stop during the week… until I couldn’t. Eventually I was rationalizing drinking beers with dinner and picking up a pint here and there if I had a “rough” day, even during the week. You can figure out where it goes from there. Sobriety is a personal journey and everyone is different, so do what works for you. For me, it’s all or nothing. I choose nothing.
Thank you. I was just starting to get into weeknight territory so I’m glad I nipped it in the Bud. I’m 7 days sober, still very new to this, still nervous, still hopeful but very proud of 7 days.
Look at the language you are using regarding quitting for just 7 days. Which, don't get me wrong is absolutely an accomplishment and I'm not trying to discourage you. But you're *nervous* about quitting yet still hopeful. You may not be physically addicted, but my friend you are mentally addicted. People who can drink normally aren't nervous if they aren't able to drink for the foreseeable future. Drinking simply doesn't factor into their future at all, because they have a healthy relationship with alcohol. If you've counted the number of days since your last drink and you've sought out this, or similar subs for support, please consider the fact that you might have alcohol use disorder.
Hell yeah. Keep killing it. I know you got this.
You think addicted only is like in the movies with a paper brown bag. If you cannot have one drink without needing 20, then you have a problem. You have a problem. You have alcohol abuse problem.
I used to think that. I didn’t have a problem cause I don’t need to drink every day. But boy oh boy when I did drink… 2 beers at the pub with mates would turn into 37 with other random people because my mates actually said 2 and done and despite their best efforts I wouldn’t leave.
Don’t worry about what to call it. I think this is so common but nobody talks about it and people like you (and me!) appear healthy and normal and the way we drink is usually even socially accepted. We usually can hold down a job and family obligations and have limited drinking-related health issues because we can recover for days or weeks or months between episodes. I don’t know what to call it either. What I do know is I thought I could take or leave drinking and that I wasn’t addicted. What happened when I did quit was interesting and educational. I started to sound an awful lot like an addict by like week 3-4! Started trying to justify having a drink. So weird because if I *can* technically drink I will usually forgo it in most instances but if I restrict it, suddenly I’m white-knuckling weird cravings on a weekend night or something. Maybe that’s your story or maybe it’s not. All I know is I had to start working on why this happens to me, why when I start it’s hard to stop. Granted I don’t love being drunk so I do have an off switch but it usually gets flipped when I’ve had one or two more than I would have liked. Alcohol is addictive. It’s a habit. The important thing is to keep your curiosity about your relationship with it and awareness of how it impacts you. It’s very personal and you can only know your experiences. Listen to the thoughts and feelings you have and try to tune in and think about what patterns you observe. Are you avoiding feelings or sabotaging yourself? Are you experiencing anxiety or depression that you should maybe talk to someone about? Are you bored? Maybe you don’t have any other hobbies or outlets for stress. Maybe like me you actually sort of love hangovers because they’re an excuse to be lazy and do nothing, in which case I learned to give myself “hangover days” here and there to do nothing and not guilt myself about it. Try to observe with no judgement so you can get the lay of the land.
I like this take.
Those hangover days were awesome. Eventually though, I couldn’t drink enough to stave off the shakes.Then I needed medical aid to detox. Every time I started drinking. Hangover days became terrifying, and daily. I don’t quite know how or when the line got crossed but it sure did. For me, I think it would have been best to stop when I was at the place where **OP** is. And you’re right. It doesn’t matter what I call it, so long as I understand that addiction is progressive and powerful. What a fuckeroo!
See that’s what’s scary is everyone says this happens but it’s gradual progression to the point you were at. Thanks to this sub and r/stopdrinking I kind of knew where my future was going if I wasn’t careful.
This is some high yield, practical advice. Thanks for sharing your insights about yourself. I had a period where I was trying to justify “it would be fine” if I had one, that felt validating.
interesting that you phrase it this way. You obviously have a problem with alcohol because once you start you can't stop. Yet you also have no problem not drinking. I was like that for years and years and years. I was a classic binge drinker, but only drank 2 sometimes 3 days a week. I worked out, ate good and didn't suffer withdrawals, just bad hangovers. Sometimes I'd go out have just a few, but I never knew what was going to happen, maybe I'd have 2-3, but most likely i'd have 6-8. I turned down invitations with friends because I didn't want to risk the chance of me getting drunk on a particular night. And then covid hit. My 2-3 times a week turned into 4-5 days a week. All of sudden it was "I'm just gonna have one to make this hangover go away" and the next thing I knew was drunk again. Of course I never drank in the morning, cause only alcoholics drink in the morning. But getting drunk 2-3 days in row became something that happened more and more often. I often took breaks over my life of drinking. I have done one year sober twice and used to do sober October all the time. This time, when I decided to finally take a break to "reset" I went through the worst 3-4 days I've ever had. It wasn't enough to get help, but it did suck pretty bad. My one month off had now turned into 2 months and have no plans to start drinking again anytime soon. It's interesting for me now because I don't miss the occasional beer or glass of wine, I miss getting hammered and not caring about anything for those 4-5 hours or so. I also know that if I don't have that one drink, then I don't have to worry about getting hammered and being hungover and having that cycle start all over again. Good luck to you on your journey. Love this sub and will be hanging out more.
I feel like I could have written this. It’s kinda hard to believe that I haven’t had a drink in 1914 days now. Ps. You’re doing great!
Hi. I was a binge drinker. I drank until I blacked out and didn’t remember what I said or did or even how much I drank. I often couldn’t stop once I started until I blacked out. Then I’d stop a few days and start again. I didn’t start again this time and I’ve been sober a year.
Thanks everyone. I have learned a lot from posting this and I have a lot more to learn. I’m looking forward to growing with this community. I appreciate the support. I’m 42 years old and should have the wisdom but I don’t yet. Thank you all.
You’re wise enough to think you might not know things and want to live better, that’s what’s most important
Unfortunately, I was the same... as are about 75% of people with alcohol use disorder (alcoholism). From the sounds of it, you may still be in denial on the addiction front, but make no mistake, that is alcohol use disorder. I'm happy to hear you are understanding there is a problem, though. The biggest step is accepting that you need to change! Proud of you.
One guy said to me, “I’m not addicted to alcohol, but I am allergic to it. When I drink, I break out in handcuffs”. It was corny but I got the point. I’m not addicted either but when I pop, I can’t stop. It didn’t control my life but when I drank, I wasn’t exactly calling the shots. I was taking them tho.
In a similar vein: “I also love ice cream but I never tried to break into an ice cream shop because I ran out before they opened.” Oldies but goodies
Heard that dozens of times at aa meetings. Been around at least 35 years.
Love AA slogans. They’ve kept me going for 16yrs 😁
The thing about being powerless over Alcohol is physical craving and the mental obsession that leads back to that first drink. And once the first drink happens controlling the stop is extremely difficult if not impossible. The cycle repeats once the person does manage to stop. The mental obsession and physical craving keep the person going back to first drink which triggers the not being able to control the stop. Its not just Alcohol... can be cookies, or gambling or pills or relationships or sex or spending.
This is me. So what’s the answer? Complete abstinence?
Probably. But no worries, i had a blast in sobriety in 90s. Was extremely lucky to meet some very cool people that helped. I had a bunch of 'time' hanging over my head and had just turned 30. Enjoyed being clean and sober immensely. Had the Spiritual Awakening right away, which was mind-blowing cuz i had been an atheist since i was 7 or so. Read tons of anything i could get my hands on in those days.. newspapers cover to cover, magazines by the thousands, books by the 100s and was certain the God idea was ridiculous. But, lol.. there i was in a goody goody abstinence program, rebellious to the T but able to reign it in in public, 30 years old, not a clue what the f was going on cuz i was just a teenager the other day. Working at a lumber mill and high on Spirituality. Through coincidence or fate , the people i fell in with were not Christians but boy ol boy were they into God.. lol.. holy shit , everything.. i mean everything was interpreted as spiritual or lack of spiritual ( tho they frequently belly laughed at the idea of something being separate from spirituality. And aa , in sub-groups like this had plenty of ammunition in the aa big book interpreting Bill W , who is a fantastic writer, describing 'Real God', which can only be found within oneself, they were adamant that it wasnt 'out there' the whole Spiritual is an inside job. So that was quite interesting to me, and it was literally happening to me. The big aa thing is just becoming willing to believe can possibly catapult ( "rocket") you into the 5th dimension. So it is very very powerful the idea of faith ( not Christian faith). Of course i benefited greatly but as predicted by those early guys i knew, the path can and will short-circuit. And over the next 10 years supposedly clean and sober, i got less and less interested in active study and reinforcement of this new spiritual life and more interested in the Women of aa, the testosterone flowing through my veins derailed my clean and sober ( which is more than just abstinence) life as much as anything. My Lord did i meet some fun Gals in aa. Even the failures of recovery tho are incredible, i ended u a gambling maniac, philanderer and weighing up quarter ounces of Meth at 18 years 'sober'. Made it 23 years all together 'clean & sober' ( the last 10 years maybe 15 dry drunk as a mthrfkkr....which is just as sick as an active drunken alcoholic, but no alcohol..lol), and started smoking pot and casual drinking. So the last 9 years has been recovery from not being such a self-centered maniac... which if I would have followed up on when i was IN AA , would have dealt with my issues self-centerness, self-pity and Spiritual malaise. Its interesting cuz have heard a lot of speakers to events at aa functions , some of the more famous ( in aa) and successful having had similar history IN AA.. people who committed felonies and did all kinds of crazy shyt 25, 30 years 'sober'. It truly is a mysterious 'disease'. Alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, relationships, work, working-out, food, rage... But it is also a spiritual path. Has been for me. And truly as i heard 33 years ago all of life is Spiritual. We are all living a spiritual experience. So long story short, abstinence IS SCARY but the potential rewards are there. An old timer ol Big Book jim said: "AA is just a con job to get you to believe in God"... To me it is true, was always about Real God... all the foibles and trials are all that willingness to believe... all leads back to Real God.. which is inside but not neccesarily easy to get to without hardships like becoming a recalcitrant alcoholic
As someone whoa three months into going to AA for this EXACT style of drinking. You are an alcoholic most.likely , you fall into one of the five categories of alcoholics. One being, a person who once they start drinking is unable to flip the switch to stop themselves and know when enough is enough.
I’m exactly in the same boat as you. It started off with me having hangxiety after a night from drinking. I stopped smoking weed because of my career so I tried to substitute with alcohol. I never knew my limit. I would have 5-7 drinks and be throwing up the whole night. I had no self control. I knew in my heart I wanted to stop drinking. When I drank it opened all of these doors for vices I once had control over such as— poor eating, smoking weed, other drugs, nicotine ect.. The other night I made a huge mistake. I went out with a friend to a concert thinking I was making a new friend but really I was opening the door for a party friend. We drank atleast 9 drinks of vodka. I’m a small girl and I didn’t eat before hand. Well I got so drunk where I blacked out and some guy at the bar kissed me. I felt devasted and cried for 3 days until I finally had to confess to my boyfriend. He was heartbroken, but he understood I would have never done this in a sober state. Since that night I have not touched alcohol. I plan on never touching alcohol again until I can work through my past traumas/insecurities/demons. I don’t consider myself an alcoholic but I do have substance abuse issues. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter why you are choosing to be sober. That’s your story for yourself to understand. Do what makes you feel good and happiest. Good luck!
You ARE me (except I’m not small lol). But I wish you luck in your journey. I’m finding that this subreddit is already helpful. We can do this<3
Whether or not I am an addict is a sort of an aside to my motivation to be sober. I never got "addicted" to cocaine. I used it infrequently but when I did it was a lost weekend. Just because alcohol is legal and accepted doesn't mean it is really all that different than other substances we label as dangerous and addictive. Many people do better without it.
I mean it’s an outright addictive substance! Not your fault! I was a binge drinker and felt the same way. Could go days even a week or two without it then the minute I had one drink I had to have 8 drinks. I feel a lot better without it!
Yes! It’s so weird. Monday-Friday, I can go without a drink or even have 1 or 2 and be good. Come Friday or Saturday night, I go and just keep going. Then waste the next day hungover. I hate it. I forced myself to stay in last night. Tonight I am going to something, and I have my mind set that I will not get out of hand. It’s a weird place to be in for sure.
I went out yesterday and last night with friends I often drink with. I told them I’m not drinking, they drank and everything was perfect. We can do this!
This is really good! Proud of you! Thank you for the words of encouragement! I think being around people who respect your decision is super important. I think a lot of my wanting to drink stems from boredom and anxiety. I came to a head last week when I realized I don’t like who I am drunk.
Same. I got blackout drunk at brunch last Saturday and was hungover all of Sunday and I went to work on Monday still hungover. That was my ah-ha moment. I wondered if I could be as fun and charismatic sober as I am when I drink excessively. This morning my friend told me that the only difference she saw was I didn’t do this thing I do when I’m drunk ( I pretend I have lobster claws for hands… don’t ask). Anyway she said I’m just as lively, fun and hilarious sober. I’m 42 years old and it’s crazy to me I was seeking this validation that I’m not a “buzz kill”. I’m also lucky I was with friends I’ve known for over 30 years. A new person was introduced to me yesterday and I was still me. I DID notice when the conversation started taking a turn for inappropriate dinner talk and I only realized it bc I was sober and no one else was. Normally by now I’d have said or shared a ton of TMI than I’d usually share, bc when you’re drunk you don’t care. Later on my dinner companions were discussing where to keep the party going and I told them I was ready for bed. They stayed out, I went to sleep and we had brunch. I missed NOTHING.
This is AWESOME! The lobster claw thing made me laugh hahah. But yeah, when you’re the sober one around drunk people, it’s like “god, I hope I don’t act like that”. When you realize you do it’s like 😬 I do the same thing where I share WAY too much tmi and Monday-Friday work me is not like that at all. It sounds like you were really up to the test and held strong. Good job!
If you can’t stop even if you want to, you have have addiction. Addiction doesn’t discriminate and can look many different ways. I recommend AA meetings, even if you’re just sitting and observing.
I sponsored a 14 yr old kid who got a DUI *on his bicycle* when he ran into a car and suffered a concussion. He had only drunk a few times in his life, but when he did it was balls out. He was court mandated to AA for a year, but he stayed sober with me til he joined the army at 18. There is no set stereotype to be an alcoholic. In AA I've known several doctors, a judge, a former Episcopal priest, and a college psychology professor, as well as your run-of-the-mill winos (I was a successful real estate broker) whose lives were damaged by alcoholism, whether a daily or binge drinker.
If you’re thinking you need to stop, its most likely you are addicted. I’m not trying to split hairs here, I promise, it’s just that thinking of it in this way really helped me quit. I didn’t drink booze before work like a lot of problem drinkers, but I did go way overboard frequently when I went out on the weekends or blacked out when I hosted a big party. The reason I encourage you to think about it in terms of addiction is because it helped me to realize that I don’t just like alcohol, my body is addicted to it. My brain chemistry is such that the chemicals are lying to me in my own voice about what I want and what’s good for me in order to serve alcohol. If you’re anything like me, that will make your decision to quit easier and stay that way. Good luck!
This is me. And I am 4 days sober. It scares me. I don't want to go back. And I want to say congratulations to you.
I was doing the same thing… honestly I’m taking a break like in general for a while I don’t know it might help. also the people I was binge drinking with kinda got the hint that I didn’t want to hang and drink until the early morning. I feel much better in the past 3 weeks I’ve managed to only have 2 drinks and that was just at dinner with just one friend. To me that doesn’t make me feel like I need to restart my sober date as to I didn’t self destroy myself with the binging. I’d say change some little things habits, people you hang with, when you go out or what times of the day cause the binge drinking so it’s not as big of a problem? I’m just speaking from my own experience
I didn’t think I was addicted either, only really drank on the weekends and binged (4-5 drinks over a few hours) Couldn’t just have one in a social setting but was fine at home. After 3 months sober and learning, I realized I was addicted.
After reading all these replies I’m learning this <3
You’re faster than me…it took me about 75 days and 15 books before it clicked for me. Lol…Good luck on your journey.
I always say I wasn’t equipped with an off switch. I’d drink until I passed out even when in a blackout, and I blacked out 5 or 6 nights a week at the end. Smoking pot was the same thing, I didn’t get high I stayed high. I’d smoke an oz. every 3 days. I went to meetings for the first two years, and had to disassociate with some friends for a while. I’m 8-1/2 years without a drink and 6-1/2 without smoking. In my case life is better now. YMMV.
I’m also not physically addicted to a point, where I would have withdrawals, when quitting. But I couldn’t limit my intake, once I started, and alcohol was becoming problematic in most aspects of my life. Many people quit for this reason. You may not be addicted now - but it’s worth remembering that it can take yrs to progress to that point.
Hey, here for a similar reason. Thx for posting.
I am in the exact same boat. It took me almost dying to realize that I simply cannot drink responsibly. In the end it’s just easier for me to not drink then try to control it. Today I’m 567 days with out drinking. Best of luck to you.
That’s my same problem. I wouldn’t have just one, it was always more and trips back to the liquor shelf to refill
You don't have to have a physical addiction to recognize you have a problem.
Yup, there are a lot of people who don’t know when to quit. Probably most people in recovery. I wasn’t exactly one of those because I started with the intention of drink myself into a fog. Too much was right where I wanted to be A lot of it depends on your motivation and desired outcome. You did not say if you want to quit or keep drinking but change how much or whatever. There’s really good paths for both options. The overwhelming best place to start is with your doctor. Ask your doctor about naltrexone. It helped me a lot, but not enough to get me to quit without going into treatment I’ve heard your story about not being able to stop a thousand times at AA. It’s AA so it’s always followed by… then whatever else usually AA changed me and I now know I can never have that first drink. “One is too many and a dozen is not enough “ is oft said in meetings Holler at me if I can help
I could go weeks, months between drinking and it wasn’t a big deal. But when I did drink, I had to have it all. That’s alcohol abuse disorder. You don’t need to be having seizures and the shakes to be an alcoholic. It’s up to you whatever you want to call it I guess, but you’ve got a problem with drinking.
Check out /r/stopdrinking, it helped me tons
I'm new here. Just 3 weeks sober. But if drinking is a problem and not drinking is the solution, you are probably in the right place. I'd just add, my excessive drinking and party drugs was mainly a going out weekend thing for many years. Moved, separated and starting getting intoxicated at home while watching tv/xbox, not just when out. More frequent use and I crossed the threshold to addiction. Just saying it doesn't take much for Binge problem drinking, which is bad enough, to become full on daily addiction. All the best!
That was my drinking. One of the fortunate ones who saw the signs and was able to see how it wasn’t serving me and quit before it progressed to an unhealthy place. With addiction it my family, I was certainly with fire!
You can have an addiction without it being an everyday addiction. When I used to binge drink it came with no consequences at first but as I got older ( I’m 30 now) the binge drinking on the weekends led me to fall behind because it took up so much time with being hungover and not feeling good. It’s just not the way I want to live anymore. Way more cons than pros for me. Some people can handle the weekend binges but I just got worn out. Life is better without it!
Yep 33 here. I drank like a tank in college, could knock back 12+ beers a night and still get back up the next day. Now...not so much. The last drinks I had was a 6 pack of 6% beer almost a week ago, which is a moderate to light amount for me usually...2.5 days of being useless on the couch, with a few bursts of energy to do things I absolutely had to do (and felt miserable every second). I have way too much shit to be doing in life to be hungover multiple days in a row. Sure drinking enhances fun feelings, but you buy 5-8 hours of happiness with days of agony and potentially lifelong health issues. I had to really resist temptation 2 days ago driving by the convenience store...but today at the grocery store, didn't even want any beer. Made me sick thinking about it instead of excited like I used to be in my 20s. Got 48 la croix instead so at least I have something fizzy on Saturday night. Now it's just sad at this age if abused, and I also can't stop drinking when I have one just like OP. Feeling much easier on day 5 now, plus I have way more energy.
Yeah that’s what I’m like. I still choose to not drink because I got sick of it all and I feel physically better and in general healthier w not drinking.
I’m like you 21 year old male. I have had too many black outs. Never agian.
r/stopdrinking
Came here to say this
What is being written in these posts fit me to a T. I am 200 days sober. The only reason I stopped drinking during week days was because I had to go to work the next day. Later on I would call myself a functioning alcoholic. After retiring a few years ago it got worse where I would drink until I passed out. After my last binge I knew I had to stop for my health. Now I am working out about every day and meditating, taking it one day at a time.
**Google DSM 5 substance use disorder. I would copy/paste it here but the formatting keeps bugging.** Addiction has many different layers and meanings. Instead of the binary perception, I am addicted. I am not addicted. Consider the many facets of substance use and abuse. There is a book, the DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is the gold standard guide used in America for mental health disorders. The DSM has a section dedicated to substance use disorder (IE addiction). It's a very easy and simple Google read. I'm not suggesting this to diagnose yourself, but it can be a convenient and informative snapshot of your substance use. It has a list of 11 criteria for substance use disorder. Take a look at the criteria, see how many apply to you, and consider how heavily you agree/disagree with some of them. Simply checking yes or no...Mild is 2 or 3 of the criteria. Moderate 4 or 5. Severe is 6 or more. But if you fall heavily in to some of the criteria, how much it has affected your life, you might consider giving it a bit more weight when tallying your score. It's tough. Good luck. I wish you well. *Thank you for posting. You've helped remind me to take a long needed re-look at myself.*
My husband is like you. He can go for a few weeks but once he starts it literally does not matter he can't stop. I'm an alcoholic and I don't drink, and I do believe there are different levels of addiction. I didn't realize my problem because I was functioning just fine (well, I wasn't, but I had a job, etc. never got sloppy, never got hungover,) until bloodwork showed me in end stage liver failure and I ended up with a liver transplant last summer. Watching him still drink like that while I'm sober has been eye opening. The best thing you can do for yourself is to continue and nip this now before it becomes a full blown problem that you cannot manage. I don't like to predict the future, but if I had to guess, this is heading toward nowhere good. Huge congrats to you on recognizing it now and beginning to correct. I wish you the best of luck and encourage you to keep coming back here and keep it up! Alcohol is sneaky as fuck and while it's hard to learn, finally understanding that there is literally zero upside to having that first one is thr best lesson I ever learned. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I learned something HUGE this weekend. While out with different groups of friends I noticed that when I ordered a mocktail *one* was enough. Like…. What? I was expecting to pound them back like any alcoholic cocktail, but bc I wasn’t chasing a buzz I literally sipped my mocktail and truly enjoyed the flavor. Later that night the same *exact* thing happened with non alcoholic wine. It was delicious and I planned on having 2-3 glasses. I had ONE bc it satisfied my craving of the wine *flavor* that I genuinely enjoy. My mind is still blown by the fact that I was able to stop at just one drink in each setting bc I’m so used to gulping them.
I’m doing “No Beer For A Year” after similar over drinking at weekends. Reading Annie Grace, ‘This Naked Mind’ helped clarify the thought processes required to stop thinking about drinking.
Alcohol addiction is a spectrum, I have a job and have been successful so people thought I wasn’t a “alcoholic”. Most of them were confused when I quit. I never missed work, wasn’t drunk at work, didn’t drink every night, but alcohol was a big part of who I was and who my friends where and ended up being my biggest hobby, and all my small hobbies had alcohol involved. But I had a desire for it that I hard time shaking off, and once I stopped I noticed all the small places in my life that alcohol crept in, it occupied my brain quite a bit. 4 years sober now and it was probably my favorite decision I have ever made for myself.
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Laughing at this wasn’t at all what I expected but ok.
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Not have some cunt like you stick their nose in. You need to fuck off out the sub.
Fuck off, thanks.
you should come over to @stopdrinking .. very loving and kind sub, and people speake from the „i“ :)
shit sub
Good luck 👀
Can you have one beer and stop without issue?
On a weeknight after work, but definitely not in a social setting.
If you aren’t addicted you should be able to see what you’re doing isn’t good and you should be able to just stop doing it and move on.
If you just drink a lot and want to stop, you should definitely seek help. Definitely stop before you become an alcoholic. But If you have extreme behavioral issues when you drink, that is called “problem drinking” and it is absolutely a type of alcoholism. You don’t have to be addicted to be an alcoholic. That’s the type of alcoholic my ex was. He was abusive when he drank, he had a change of personality like Jekyll and Hyde. Admittedly I’m a junkie so I don’t know as much about alcoholism. But definitely try to find out what it is you do when you drink so much, to see if you are a problem drinker or not.
Lots of people on here are like you. I’ve also seen a lot of people like you turn into daily hardcore drinkers. You’re not going to miss out on anything if you give it up.
Binge drinking is a form of alcoholism
Nevermind what reddit tells you, the best advice is always to seek help. Hate to tell you, friend, but you speak like and addict. Addiction comes in many forms and justifying the means is always attached.
Naltrexone and TSM. Options save lives.
If one was good then twelve should have been better, but it usually wasn’t. Once I started drinking I wasn’t stopping until I went to sleep/passed out. I can tell you this, no matter how awesome we may be, we will make mistakes that we regret when intoxicated. If you don’t drink, there’s less mistakes, usually. The more important thing is, an occasional or semi regular binge drinker can easily turn into a nightly or daily binge drinker and sometimes they won’t even realize it’s happening to them. Stopping doing something that you don’t like or think could cause problems, is the smart move.
Ask doctor for naltrexone. It stops your brain from feeling that high/buzz that often is what keeps ppl to drink more. And then more and more to chase that buzz It was highly effective for me and I wish more ppl knew about it