Alcohol usage

yeah i can relate to you.  I joined AA when i was only 21, my life and head was in a mess lol.  i started drinking at 17 and found it enabled me to mix with people so i used it as a crutch.   I never really settled in AA my longest period of sobriety was about 5 years.  I left AA when i was about 36 years old.  15 years of it was enough for me lol,  (I didn't like it that much, even there i didn't feel like i fitted in).   The thing was for me is that I watched people go into AA with nothing,  Life in tatters and after a year or two, they would pull their life together , new job, wife ,car , house everything.  Me on the other hand after years of sobriety was still socially awkward , depressed , anxious ect ect. I left AA and starting trying to control it.  I don't class myself as an alcoholic although i do sometimes over do it.  For me AA didn't make me happy, It does work for some people .   I prefer my life now i can drink to be honest.  I can mix with people in my local music scene which im part of.  I'm not going to give you advice on what you should or shouldn't do in regard to alcohol,  you know yourself better than anyone else.  Alcohol usage is something i have to keep a close eye on. I use it to mix with people but sometimes i over do it.  I use little tricks like having a big meal before i go out.  If i'm very stressed beforehand i don't drink at all because i'm certain to drink too much.  If Im suffering with depression i don't drink either.  I also make sure i do at least 3 days a week without drinking.   Thats me and alcohol :-) 

I absolutely support your point of view that alcohol is a depressant.
I myself suffered from alcohol addiction for many years, I went through rehabilitation at alcohol rehab london where I ended up in severe depression with severe organ intoxication.
There is only one conclusion, alcohol is a temporary joy that leads to severe addiction.

Yep. I was going to add that but knowing this place thought someone would pull me up on it. It’s an absolute joke that the government pretty much sacked Nutt, when he is a professor and knows a damned sight more than they ever will. But hey, let’s let the big fat white private school guys form rules we all have to adhere to just because that’s what they ‘think’.

Wow I kinda think it’s a bit hypocritical that people judge drug users so much yet they drink poison in the form of alcohol. Alcohol is quite an insidious substance. Think of all the damage it causes. Why is it legal to begin with? Everything bad that ever happened in my life can be linked to alcohol. Not saying it’s an excuse but it sure as hell caused it. I don’t know I just don’t mix well with it at all. My mum drank during pregnancy dunno if that has something to do with me having autism or what? Who knows? But she sure did drink whilst pregnant. She couldn’t give it up at any point in her life. Quite sad really. Not that I feel sorry for her or anything she was and always will be a drunk. Cares about nothing other than the bottle. 

Yes i have had a drink problem for all my adult life. Having been diagnosed ASD late in life i can see is was my way of coping with social situations. Being drunk was my only way of being able to go out to pubs & clubs. I was arrested at 17 for criminal damage whilst drunk & was on a rocky road. I nearly lost my apprenticeship over it. I drank heavily into my 40's to cope with life. I have stopped now & can honestly say it's been life changing. 

Number said:

I'm from the Professor David Nutt school of thought on these things

Me too.

You have pretty well just mirrored me, I’m  into my fifth month after drinking far too much for 40 years. Alcohol just seemed to make the world more normal. It’s not always easy but I know there will be people waiting for me to fail, that gives me the blo*dy mindedness to carry on. I don’t think about alcohol so much now and keep busy, my bank account has definitely noticed a big difference.

NAS94658 said:

I fear I have become dependent or worse.

NAS94658 said:

Does anyone else have this issue? Does anyone use it to escape their own mind? Cope with people and life?

I drank too much for the same reasons. I'm in the process of addressing it, after my ASD report said I was dependent (seeing it in black and white provided the kick I needed).

I'd always found alcohol very effective in relieving stress and quietening my mind (felt calmer, happier, better able to make decisions, get things done, etc). But I also worried about the negative impacts. 

After my diagnosis, I started on medical cannabis, which my psychiatrist had felt could be a better solution for me (other meds hadn't been helpful or had caused issues with side effects). 

Initially, I carried on drinking, but at a lower level (stopping suddenly isn't advised and I found the Drinkaware app great for tracking and motivation).

For the last four months, I've been off alcohol completely. I honestly don't miss it and am pleased with how it's going. Cannabis is giving me similar benefits, without any of the old downsides. 

I hope you can find an alternative solution for your own needs. No pressure intended, but talking to your GP could be a great first step?

Briar said:

alcohol is still a drug.

And the sad honest truth is, it's also a poison.  I'm from the Professor David Nutt school of thought on these things.

I'm another teetotaller after having being a complete drunk in younger years.

Stopped drinking and drugging 19 years ago, probably one of the best and most sensible decisions I’ve ever made.

I'm pleased to hear that man.

I'm in one of my reaching out to the world moods at the moment.  

A song for you :

I used to drink a lot to socialise. Now I don't drink at all. If it wasn't for the awful hangovers/stomach issues that I had to contend with, I probably would still drink to excess.

I'm great. This is me dancing. [edited by moderator to remove identifying information] 

I used to use alcohol as a social crutch. I stopped drinking alcohol entirely about 2 months ago, I have had no trouble in doing so. I think that I just do not have an addictive physiology or personality. I have never smoked, or even once tried a cigarette. I have never felt pressures to conform to what my peers do, if what they do seems pointless, unattractive or stupid to me.

Hey man.  How are you doing these days?

God, I wish LSD was legal.

People think i'm crazy cause i do LSD,(daNGeRous)  with no qualms, yet these same people be smoking their lungs up with black tar, and drinking them selves silly

I'm not an alcoholic and never will be. I don't like it. Its my least favourite drug. And I dont smoke.

Just to point out although legal, alcohol is still a drug. 

A lot of us use alcohol as an escape from our sensory sentisivities and/or to relax ourselves enough to overcome our anxiety based resistance to engage with others.

My therapist said that autists are also prone to addictive behaviours due to the way our minds work but I've not seen the same corrollation myself.

I know I have always resisted taking drugs as I suspect it would be hard to resist the lure once you start.