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Alcoholism and daily stress.

Harry

Hi guys, more or less writing this post to try and potentially see if anyone else can relate and/or could give me some advice on how to go about stopping my habitual drinking.

For some background info, I’m 24 and feel like I have always had a somewhat addictive personality however in recent years my relationship with alcohol which started pretty young has become far too strong and has been affecting both work and family relationships.

I’ve been struggling with my mental health as well recently which has made for a terrible mix, calling in sick to work too much and causing family members to worry about my well being. The reason for this is the exorbitant amount I drink when I do. Its gotten to the point where I have put myself into so much debt aswell but I’m still very much struggling to not drink.
Drinking has more or less became a crutch I use especially when it comes to going out and socialising as it makes it so much easier for me but I also cant seem to figure out when to stop. On top of everything having to deal with the shame and guilt I feel for the added stress I’m putting on my family is then also causing more stress than i can deal with and sometimes it just pushes me back into it and it becomes a vicious cycle. 

I’m currently at my wits end about it all and I’m unsure how to move forward I basically just feel stuck so I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with anything like this and weather they have any advice for me.

Parents

  • I have some sympathy. I used it to help.

    The solution is to honest with yourself and to address the things that are making you drink.

    You're drinking to get drunk, to escape, forget, to have fun, to feel less guilty. It gives temporary relief.

    You need to look at your finances and have a plan. If they feel out of control, you'll ignore them and have a drink. I know, I did when I was young. It's hard, but try to understand where you are and what you can do. Set aside a day to just face it.

    Alcohol worsens mood, depression, anxiety, sleep. The next afternoon and possibly for several days. So try to have a week off and see how you feel.

    If you are drinking daily it can get very hard to stop. If you are binge drinking it is a bit easier.

    Try to regulate stress in other ways. Do some exercise, go for a walk, sleep, relax, try not to feel guilty for relaxing, try to get work in order, so you are in control. Do some sport or something social that is not drinking, if you can find it.

    Look at you diet. Are you eating well. Do you need supplements . Do you get any vitamin D. Are you just eating carbs. Are you hydrated. Cut down on caffeine, it doesn't help. Get yourself stable. Caffeine and alcohol raise the baseline agitation you are trying to works against.

    Alcohol reduces the cognitive load and anxiety by dulling the stress response. It feels good, but reduces inhibitions. You feel better so drink more and can't stop.

    Since you may still want to go out, limit yourself by time or by only taking a certain amount of cash, so you can't drink too much. Limit going out to one or two days a week.

    To socialise without drink is hard, so have one or two. Have shandy. Have alcohol free. Have a soft drink. Try to drink slower. 

    Assuming you aren't drink alone or at home, tell your buddies you want to limit your drinking. Ask them to help.

    If they're friends they'll help.

Reply

  • I have some sympathy. I used it to help.

    The solution is to honest with yourself and to address the things that are making you drink.

    You're drinking to get drunk, to escape, forget, to have fun, to feel less guilty. It gives temporary relief.

    You need to look at your finances and have a plan. If they feel out of control, you'll ignore them and have a drink. I know, I did when I was young. It's hard, but try to understand where you are and what you can do. Set aside a day to just face it.

    Alcohol worsens mood, depression, anxiety, sleep. The next afternoon and possibly for several days. So try to have a week off and see how you feel.

    If you are drinking daily it can get very hard to stop. If you are binge drinking it is a bit easier.

    Try to regulate stress in other ways. Do some exercise, go for a walk, sleep, relax, try not to feel guilty for relaxing, try to get work in order, so you are in control. Do some sport or something social that is not drinking, if you can find it.

    Look at you diet. Are you eating well. Do you need supplements . Do you get any vitamin D. Are you just eating carbs. Are you hydrated. Cut down on caffeine, it doesn't help. Get yourself stable. Caffeine and alcohol raise the baseline agitation you are trying to works against.

    Alcohol reduces the cognitive load and anxiety by dulling the stress response. It feels good, but reduces inhibitions. You feel better so drink more and can't stop.

    Since you may still want to go out, limit yourself by time or by only taking a certain amount of cash, so you can't drink too much. Limit going out to one or two days a week.

    To socialise without drink is hard, so have one or two. Have shandy. Have alcohol free. Have a soft drink. Try to drink slower. 

    Assuming you aren't drink alone or at home, tell your buddies you want to limit your drinking. Ask them to help.

    If they're friends they'll help.

Children
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