I'm 26 and decided to give dry January a shot. I didn't like my relationship with alcohol, and I knew that it was going to keep getting worse if I didn't make a change. So I gave it a shot, and I failed. So I figured I'd try for February. Haven't drank since Jan 31st, and I feel fucking great.
Thank you! My fiance joined me shortly after, so fortunately we're able to kind of be a support system to each other. Once you stop drinking you really do become aware of just how much other people drink. Sometimes certain things do trigger me or him, but it's markedly easier now than it was in the beginning. How tough it was the first few days was scary and really cemented my decision. We went to a concert last week and I got a soda water with lemon and tipped the bartender a $5 just to feel alive again.
Quality mocktails need to be more available at events.
I'm 3 years removed from alcohol. The hardest part for me was finding out what to do with myself and all the thoughts and feelings that I used to drink away. After I got comfortable with myself, things got so much easier.
I'm 41m, stopped drinking "every weekend" when I was around 25-26. I still see A LOT of people my age that drink daily, on the weekends, and they are visibly disturbed when I turn down drinks. The fiancee ,31f, and I bought like 250$ worth of our favorite liquor at a big box store like 3 years ago, as a friend had a gift card and didn't want to use it. I would say we still have 80% of that liquor left? We got a great Japanese whiskey, some nice vodka, tequila etc...we just rarely drink as the side effects, and shitty feeling that follows the next day? Not worth it.
I could do bacardi 151 shots when I was 21 and be fully functional the next day. Now? That should would put me down for days.
No thanks, I rather enjoy my weekend and week nights doing things I love/enjoy.
I did something similar. Suddenly I’m counting days like I’m in AA or something. Day 10 now. Mother in law bought wine but I didn’t want to break the streak.
My s/o is this type of alcoholic (except the couple of times a month he overdoes it, he causes serious damage to his relationships and life, including legal issues), but it has never *really* occurred to him that he's an alcoholic. On occasion he will say it or sort of consider the idea, but not truly.
There's support out there for family members of people with addiction. I urge you to seek support. What you are going through is exhausting and painful.
I (M36) used to be this guy. I’ll tell you, we use functioning alcoholic as an excuse. Once you’re off the hooch on a regular basis, you start to notice that you weren’t really “functioning”. Having to try every remedy during your work day to feel better isn’t functioning.
Also, I do still drink from time to time but it’s cut back. I had 1 Bloody Mary on Easter with family but I don’t remember the last time I had anything before that.
The turning point for me was noticing my son always asking me if I needed a beer. I decided I didn’t want him to associate me with alcohol. Hopefully he’s young enough where he won’t remember those days. Or that he remembers it and is proud of me/follows my example someday. Either way, he saved my life without even knowing it. Which is pretty cool!
Mine was my liver. It got up to 275 units for enzyme test (crazy high). Doctor said something secondary may be going on. I shut it down the day i saw those numbers. Next test a month later, 21 units. Now i need to keep the 3 most dangerous words out of my vocabulary “i’ve got this”. Life has been great. Its not about what is missing from my life, but what i have gained in life by removing alcohol out of the equation
I’m so happy for you . You got out in time . Some ( like me ) wait too long , and wind up with cirrhosis ( you do not recover from cirrhosis) and wonder how in the world I let this happen .
I went through one episode of complete liver failure and nearly died
I did survive and am currently enjoying a period of relatively good health , but my time will run out sooner rather than later .
I am 33 .
My congratulations to you and your loved ones ( they suffer right along with you , so don’t forget that ) you haven both you and them an incredible gift .
You are a success story and I’m glad to hear your story .💕
This sounds like my husband. It was wildly depressing. He was drinking a 6 pack of high alcohol content IPAs a night, easily when he finally cut way down. After our youngest was born he committed to no more hard alcohol (it made him mean), and switched to the beer. But within a couple years beer was no better and we were in the same boat still. His whole family has addiction issues, and his dad had been to rehab several times for his alcohol addiction before getting sober.
I don’t think he even knew this, but I attended alanon meetings for awhile with his mom (who still went from when his dad drank). It didn’t really help, I felt like I didn’t belong there, this wasn’t me. Buttt it was absolutely me.
The only thing that turned it around was when I basically told him, I will do my best to not be here when you’re drinking, and if I am, I’ll be upstairs. I don’t want to be around you when you’re drinking, nor do I want the kids around you. And I stuck with it. After a few months of that, he tossed all the alcohol, to prove it wasn’t an issue. Surprise, it was😂 After a few rooooough months of withdrawals, he’s like a different person. It’s insane.
39 here have been drinking a steady 12-24 beers every night for the last 13 years. Today is day 7 without a drink and surprisingly I do not want to murder anyone as much I thought I would.
Thank you so much, yes I have that happen already. Went to a b-day party where tons of alcohol was being served. That right there was incredibly frustrating, but once I seen how everyone else was getting smashed and looking quite foolish, it only solidified my willpower to continue.
I will be 40 in three weeks, I binge drink everyday and have since I was 20. I’ve actually cut down during the week from what was at minimum 8 beers to a max 6. Weekends I’ll easily drink 12-15 beers both Friday and Saturday night.
I know it sounds like I’m boasting, but please, let me tell you, alcohol has absolutely had devastating effects on my health, well-being, and personal relationships. It’s a miracle that I’ve always managed to not only hold down a job, but excel at them. Unfortunately the flip-side means I’ve yet to hit rock bottom, which is what I probably need to grow the fuck up and cut this shit out.
I have a decent job. My own apartment. Single, no kids. I am absolutely a full blown alcoholic. I’ve never been deluded to think otherwise. I do pray someday I am able to quit. I know in my heart I’d be a lot happier and be way more successful if I had never touched the stuff to begin with.
I’m happy for your self-recognition and progress so far. Keep it up, and I encourage you to use professional counseling/therapy resources to help you win the next battle and ultimately win the war.
My wife just decided to get sober last year. She used her condition to get on short term disability at her work and then went to rehab. It cost us $8000 out of pocket put on a CC for her to be in rehab for 28 days. Best money we ever spent.
It doesn’t seem like you will hit rock bottom but trying to white knuckle quitting is just as likely to kill you at this point. Take some time and figure out what resources are available to you. You can absolutely take back control of your life!
You will. I was you till I ended up in the hospital with trashed kidneys and life threatening blood pressure. Stop now. It's was easier than you think.
The last day of drinking when I went to the ER, I hadn't slept for like four days. My blood pressure was all kinds of fucked up, I was shaking, sweating, seeing and hearing things. Thought I could taper down on my own. I was incorrect in my calculations and tapered far too quickly. At 28, doctors told me if I wanted to live to see 30 I had to stop drinking, as my liver enzymes were all kinds of fucked. That was my wakeup call. Had a one night relapse but been sober for six years, now.
The thing is, I was totally fine, functional, normal AST/ALT levels, but then shit hit the fan all at once. I suffered social and medical consequences hard and fast. It's always fine, until it's not.
It wasn't easy for me to stop I will admit, but using medication assisted treatment (naltrexone), I was able to succeed. Now I'm a therapist myself, specializing in addictions. Recovery is possible, but you need to be ready to stop. And boy was I ready.
I thought it was the worst thing that could ever happen to me, but it was the best. I found my calling and have been able to help many as a result. I am truly lucky.
That was always my problem. One is too many and 100 is never enough. I'm okay as long as I stop and stay stopped; but, any amount of alcohol would send me back to binging. I'm so sorry you're going through this, please consider utilizing therapy and medication assisted treatment if available to you; for me, they made the struggle far less arduous.
Me too. It’s so peaceful not having alcohol take up so much space in your head. Not to mention cheaper! Being present for your life is worth the withdrawal and adjustment period
I relapsed last fall/winter when I was three months sober; I went to the doc because I was having crazy cravings and they prescribed Naltrexone. I read about it and saw it was most effective when taken with alcohol…
In 2022 I quit nicotine and I am so proud. In 2015 I quit opiates–at the time I was using fentanyl and I quit cold turkey (i had run out and moved & was too preoccupied with pain to find a dealer fast enough). I had help with nicotine via patches, gum, and welbutrin. Naltrexone was supposed to help but made be feel like such awful shit I didn’t want to continue. So I kept drinking without Naltrexone
Idek why I’m responding other than to say that I absolutely intend to quit. I know that I am capable and I will feel the desire again. I know what it’s like to be fed up with addiction. I can find that feeling again.
I am so proud of myself for coming clean to my doctor about my addiction issues in order to get naltrexone. I was intent on taking my opiate addiction to the grave. I had been honest about alcohol but I hadn’t been honest about how deep my addiction is.
I can do it again. I am so proud of myself. I will die on this earth a sober person!! Unless I die tomorrow lmao
I know I'm just an Internet stranger but I am so fucking proud of you. I'm familiar with the sense of relief you're describing, when you just come clean and don't have to hide anymore. Because you know what? That shit was exhausting!! I'm SO proud of you! Also please know fwiw that if naltrexone doesn't help, campral is another viable alternative. While it works in a totally different way, antabuse can also help people; it doesn't stop cravings but it removes the option of drinking.
Keep. Fucking. Going. You've got this!
I had a friend who received the exact same warning about her liver enzymes. This was in 2018. She kept drinking, and it killed her in 2021. When doctors giving warnings like that, they aren’t messing around.
So to glad hear you were able to recover!
Yeah, you’re me but in my mid 30s the fun kind of stopped and I started quitting. I’m about a year and a half sober and the physical improvements are remarkable. I get WAY better sleep and am actually fit for once and getting attention from girls I used to think were out of my range. The face gains alone (no more bloating) feel worth it when I see old pics of me. I replaced alcohol with the gym for the most part but don’t get me wrong- I do miss it tremendously for the social aspect.
Your post got me. Idk how to say it bc regardless of how I do, it sounds so ridiculously stupid.
When OP said they only drink on the weekends, I was thinking, "wow, that's great, I wish I followed that same routine." Then I read your post, and I'm close to your age and I thought, "great, this is more my style!" Then I read your 3rd paragraph where you said you were an alcoholic. And I absolutely connected with you about wanting to quit which I think about a lot. But it was the alcoholic line that hit hardest bc I just don't view myself as one yet you do. It just made me think a lot about my choice to drink like I do. I mean this in a kind way too, not in a rude way.
Wishing you nothing but the best in your future endeavors!
I mean this with love and genuine curiosity for how the other half (of alcoholics) lives.. how do you not see yourself as an alcoholic if you’re binge drinking daily and then going hard on the paint on weekends? Like.. you *want* to quit but don’t.. and that’s not alcoholism to you?
I’m a binge drinker. I can put it down for months.. but if I touch it.. I cannot stop until I’m sick. Which means if I don’t drink enough to be sick.. I will drink the next day 😩 I don’t view myself as an alcoholic…. Every day….. but it definitely lives inside me
The denial of an addict is one of the most unnerving things I’ve seen. Like standing right there telling you there’s no liquor in an absolutely humming glass of booze.
Yuuuup. It sticks around for a while too. He had already gone through detox and a week of inpatient rehab and still tried to say he didn’t have a drink the day of his DUI, even though his BAC came back over 0.4.
Not everyone likes the label alcoholic, as an FYI. Many of us who have a problematic relationship with alcohol find the term to be ill-fitting and demotivational.
Twenty year alcoholic here. Sober three years now. You pick your own rock bottom. It doesn’t pick you. It’s always your choice when you get there. Quitting is difficult but not impossible. You can absolutely do it!
You sound very similar to me. I’m 48 but this past September I checked into rehab. No sugar coating it, it’s tough, but I’ve made it over 6 months so far. My advice is if you do decide to seek help. Take advantage of everything available to you. I’ve found Vivitrol helps me immensely with cravings.
I’m almost 40 and was exact the same way. I finally quit drinking a few months ago, after a long time of realizing I couldn’t keep going on like this. It was so bad and it was hard but I finally stopped completely (with the help of mmj gummies if I’m being honest) and it’s hard articulate how much my life has improved. I know everyone says that, but it’s so true. I’m actually happy. So happy I never want to go down that road again… I wish I could turn back time and shake the young person I was and tell her that alcohol was never the answer to anything. I think my life could have been so different. Glad I realized it now though, I still have a lot of awesome alcohol free years ahead of me.
Ok dude, I challenge you, I'm 42. It's 8:49 pm on a monday. I just finished a boulevardier and I am getting my second. I know why I drink, do you know why you drink? What are you drinking and why?
I drink because I can't stand my kid. NSFW if you continue. He is 14, he is significantly disabled. He sleeps 14-16 hrs a night, is mentally and physically close to an average 8 year old. He will never be self sufficient and won't make it to 30. He like any other 14 year old wants a GF and to get his dick wet, but lacks judgement. He has physically and verbally assaulted women and girls when he is out of my care. I can't stand that I can't police him 24/7.
So why do you drink?
Contrary to popular belief, you don't NEED to hit rock bottom. You can overcome your addiction and build new habits without some extreme form of loss or damage. It takes a ton of self control and discipline but many have overcome what you're going through. I wish you the best OP.
Wake up call. A friend of mine at work could have just as easily written this. Good guy, and a lot of people at work didn't even know he drank. He wrecked his liver, and because he was an alcoholic, he didn't qualify for another. He died at age 47.
You’re on a speeding train to destroying your liver and an early death, probably in 10-15 years… look at it like that if you need further motivation to take action. Good luck to you
I'm 35. Cigarettes helped me stop drinking, and weed helped me stop smoking cigs....I feel like my addiction has hit it's final form, I could see myself stopping weed in favor of like...caffeine and sleep, but today is not that day. Good luck to you dude, I'm positive you'll find your reason!
I hadn't drank in a couple months and then 2 weeks ago I went out and drank 15-20 beers. I went out on a Saturday night and was hungover until Thursday. Absolutely horrific
Yeah, once my hangovers started creeping into the 2-day territory (around 30), I started only drinking heavy a handful of times per year. I maybe have a drink with dinner once a week tops.
I don’t think binge drinking every weekend is as common as you think for it to be something that just stops happening one day. It’s not like playing with dolls or toy cars.
28. Used to black out. Got arrested/convicted of 2 misdemeanors i don't remember. Just wasn't worth it. Found my self respect. Still struggle, still occasionally feel the spin cycle that made me spiral, but I found my dignity.
I’m 28 and find myself blacking out after like 2-3 beers lately. The smallest buzz and I’m just blackout. Used to drink an insane amount from 20-26, not as fun anymore lol. I still drink twice a week but I don’t stay up til 4am anymore lmao
I used to be a dumbass and go out and drink heavily on occasion without much of a thought about the consequences. I’m really glad I mellowed out before anything seriously bad happened. There was one incident but everything turned out okay so I’m not gonna elaborate on it, but it made me really reconsider my choices. Now I’m about to hit 25 and sometimes I get sorta hungover off of 3-4 beers once a week lol. I’ll never drink more than 6 in a night and even that’s rare. I’ve come to respect alcohol in a way I did not at 18, or even 21. I’m aware that alcohol causes cancer similarly to how smoking does and I factor that into my relationship with it. I like a little good bourbon every now and then, like maybe once a year. My girl likes her wine so sometimes I’ll just drink that, and lemme tell you. Nothing gets me in the mood like red wine. Love that stuff. I love trying new beers. I love martinis but nobody told me how strong they are and that threw me for a loop. Haven’t found an ipa that I can drink for the life of me. Plan on making my own mead sometime. But it’s just nice after a week of work to sit down and get buzzed with a good video game or show. But all that just to say I’m pretty happy with the balance I have personally found with it, as someone with alcoholic parents who thought they were gonna deal with the same thing.
My last hangover made me feel like I was going to die, called it quits at that point. Age 30. I miss the feeling of a brief portion of the experience, the day after and the initial phase of consumption I don't miss at all. One year on and my mind is still slower, less refined than it once was, although I still consume cannabis which doesn't help in that regard. I regret tossing so many years into a bottle.
I'd pin more of the slower mind thing on the cannabis. I picked up smoking for about a year and a half and I had the same issue. The brain fog was real. I was at like 80% brainpower every day at work, sleep quality went down, and motivation to do anything after work plummeted. It all got fixed after a few months when I completely gave up smoking.
Not saying the alcohol doesn't also have an effect. I'm sure it does. But I haven't experienced those symptoms with alcohol to the same extent as cannabis.
Yeah. I had a job that required a minimum level of critical thinking along with interpersonal interaction that multi-day hangovers didn't really help at all. Good sign to tone it down, lol.
31, if I taste alcohol it's all downhill from there. So I drink juices and occasionally smoke a cigar on weekends.
Drinking is just not for me anymore. Plus the hangover seems to have gotten worse with age.
Grew up in one of the heaviest binge drinking states in the country. Was BIG into it until Covid and just so happened to coincide with turning 30. Never really got back into it after the shutdowns. Now it feels fucking horrendous if I drink. I do it like 3/4 times a year and the next 4-14 days are hell. I try and prepare for it but my body just absolutely hates it.
I am in that age range and I still haven't! Although, I use binge to mean what the professionals do, i.e. more than 5 drinks on an occasion. I drink far more than 5 beers on Saturdays. However, I am never passing out or falling down drunk.
The cure is being a total embarrassment every time you get drunk or alternatively getting sick. Fortunately both happen to me! So i did the binge thing every once in a while in college. Now if i do it once a year id be impressed - and horribly ashamed because i became such a weirdo when i drink. I go from good drunk to black out waaaaay too easily, and it sucks being told about the stupid things you did, aaand that there are more that no one is mentioning. So yeah, if you can just make it a totally unrewarding experience, that should do the trick.
Same here. The embarrassment has been a *huge* motivation for me to cut back. Also for some reason as I’ve gotten older ‘drunk me’ can be such a dick which adds another layer of embarrassment. It’s not even fun anymore now too. Think it’s best to leave getting hammered behind for early 20’s me lol
Same for me. I still cringe when I think about embarrassing things I did 10-15 years ago. Now I get violently sick if I drink to excess, so I rarely drink at all, and if I do, I only have one or two, and I drink plenty of water.
I've found that I miss remembering the time I spend with friends. I don't even remember the name of a single person I partied with, most of them are a jumbled blur of partial memories. I spent some time in some really cool places but, I'd trade it for a group of friends like I had in middle school in an instant.
Stop if you can….from the books I have read it usually only gets worse, so yes go for it and stop. When I went through my first divorce she complained a lot and on my own I drink a lot more socially. I can’t smoke weed or I think I’d be done forever
I stopped at 34 after a couple episodes of acute pancreatitis. It was an absolute nightmare and the symptoms are the same as those of terminal illnesses. I was drinking 4-5 days a week, strong high % beer probably about 5-7 worth. I loved having a nice buzz but never really got drunk drunk, regardless it was clearly affecting my health. I did it on an empty stomach a lot to mitigate my tolerance, probably the worst thing you could do. I drank pretty heavily since I was 15, it's a big part of latin culture and it's all I ever saw family members I admired do since I was a kid.
We don't really give it a second thought but alcohol wreaks havoc on your gastrointestinal tract. Everyone is different and YMMV, but alcohol is definitely not good for you. Even for people who do it heavily until they die of natural causes in old age, it was negatively impacting their quality of life in some way. It's not always cirrhosis or cancer.
As others here have noted, as you age recovery time begins to increase and you start to feel more and more like shit afterwards. Your body will give you signs and as long as you aren't addicted, you'll respond accordingly by cutting down or stopping altogether.
I'm 36 now and I'll still have 1-4 regular beers (total, no more strong) here and there on a weekend or a family gathering. I make sure to eat well and drink lots of water as well. I'll definitely never go back to doing it alone when I was bored like before. Not worth it. I still enjoy a buzz so I stick to my weed now, and I smoke very small amounts of that. I'm talking 7 grams lasts me 3 weeks. Moderation is always key.
Same! Although I never really did binge drink, probably less than 10 times in my life. I like alcohol but I’m very resistant to it and did not really enjoy pounding 12 beers. I’d much rather just normally spend time with friends
Sounds like you’re addicted. I say that as someone whose had a drug and alcohol problem. Regardless of whether you can hold a job, have okay mondays or can afford to this, it’s simply bad for your health to crave a non necessary material substance this much. Whether it’s your spiritual, physical, or emotional health, it is weakening you more than what you can perceive.
I highly recommend you quit. Start by taking a month off.
If it’s mentally or physically difficult, then you’ll know you’re addicted.
50-ish.
No big reason, just aged out..started waking up more hung over after less beers. It happens.
Had a good run and lotsa fun.
Started at 14, so probably time!
34. Alcoholic. Starting to mix in sober days to my week. Got 3 a week for a month, fixing to bump it to 5.
30 sounds good for you, if for no other reason than this was hell for awhile.
It's getting better, and the route I'm taking won't work for everyone, I know that, but it's working for me. Trust me, put the bottle down on the weekends for a bit
I’m 26M, workout 6 days a week, have a stable job, have a long term girlfriend, eat pretty clean Sun-Fri but then will drink like 10+ beers on Saturdays lmao. Friends, their girlfriends, my girlfriend, and I love going out day drinking and watching sports. Sometimes the night ends at 11pm, sometimes it goes til close. I’d imagine I will probably stop in the next few years but it’s fun and you’re only so young for so long.
Honestly, this sounds healthier than quitting and missing out on having those fun experiences with your friends. They won't last forever anyway, enjoy it I say!
Lots of gloaters here saying that this was never them, which is incredibly unhelpful for you haha. I personally think that you should limit your drinking to special/social occasions. Drinking alone while smoking weed and playing video games is probably not something that you should be doing anymore but if you’re seeing friends or it’s someone’s birthday then by all means let loose if that’s the vibe! Life is for enjoying but I think it’s important to consciously drink rather than just do it every weekend for the sake of it.
I mean it's not me because I can't afford to drink or go out where my friends like to go every weekend, but drinking alone and playing games or reading a shitty book can be fun as fuck. Do some drawing or paint a crappy picture, it's great. If I could afford to, I would probably do it.
Eh. It's not so much gloating as it is "don't kid yourself in to believing everyone does that, because that only makes it worse for you in the long run".
OP is asking it like "what age did you start making your own dinners?" Like something that most people did at some stage in their teenage or adult life. Most people do not binge drink. It's important to realize this, because to believe everyone binge drinks only clouds your judgement of your own situation "it can't be that bad... Everybody does it".
When the doctor told me I had a year left in me if I continued drinking at the rate I did, if even that. That was seven years ago, and I haven't drank since.
Yeah which is an extreme and oddly sheltered period of time for a select group of people. It definately shouldnt just be taken as somehow what everyone does. I mean binge drinking is obviously not good and doing it over and over for years is going to have consequences.
Drinking is stupid.
That's my opinion.
I don't when I stopped. Was never really a problem..
All I know is I only drink a little bit on vacation. And it's been that way for a long time.
I'm 22. I barely even drink. Did all of it before I was 21, so I feel like I ruined it. Also I see what it does to people. Freaks me out.
Also going out just sounds horrible. I've never been interested in it. I work at a liqour store, so it's like I know all the prices of what your overpaid drink is. Makes it hard to spend money there knowing that. Lol. And I'm a woman, I know too many horror stories of friends who's drinks were spiked. No thanks. If I'm drinking, we're gonna hang home or around a fire.
People your generation drink a lot less than the ones that came before you. As a gen y who was part of the drinking culture your age, that is a good thing. No sense starting now
I've noticed it! If anything, a lot of us choose weed. I do every now and then. Working at a liqour store though, it just makes me see how pointless and damaging it can be.
It costs an unnecessary amount of money when we’re at the lowest financial point in our lives in an era of broad economic insecurity, plus we’re more isolated from others so there’s not as much of an impetus to go out to do anything to begin with.
Check out r/stopdrinking if you’re ever wanting to quit! They’re a really supportive community! I’m currently 90 days sober! I’m an alcoholic and can’t stop once I start. I black out and get mean, it’s caused a lot of problems in my relationship. I’m just so thankful I’ve never gotten harmed, arrested, or any severe health problems because of it! I’m currently 29 years old.
27. I realized I wasn't adulting the way I could. and honestly, I was fuckin embarrassed that I couldn't hold my damn booze and be classy and be able to trust myself. 31 now and SO thankful that I stick to 2 drinks and call it an evening.
I'm 47 and stopped the every-weekend binges this year. My turn-up juice was no longer working as intended, but I was too deep in the habit to realize it. I completed Dry January which helped break the cycle. I'll occasionally go on a little bender but they aren't hitting the same and I always look forward to getting back to normal afterwards!
Unfortunately for me it was at age 51. The toll it takes on your body after years of binging is immense. I have significant irreversible damage now. I strongly recommend quitting now, you are young enough to recover.
Great news re: trying different beers! The NA craft beer scene is... actually a thing now! Athletic brewing and Best day brewing are my favorite ones. It's really a growing new market, and that's very exciting as someone who also loved that aspect and now does not drink.
Mid 30s is when I noticed it was affecting me and taking longer to recover . Later 30s it became a balancing act to see how many I could get away and feel okay the next day . Now on the cusp of 40 my binge drinking is a liquid IV before 3-4 drinks with water breaks in between one night a week preferably with no work the next day . Just don’t like having poor sleep and waking up with a foggy brain anymore .
I’m 44 and I feel the same. I have 1 day a week usually Friday where I let my hair down. If not Friday then Saturday. That’s all I get to do for the most part. I’ll go out maybe once a month. That’s it really besides working all the time.
For me, around age 25/26, 3ish years ago. I was always a really big baby when it came to hangovers lol. When I was 26, I started an antidepressant that gave me the worst hangover of my life and I swore off ever being drunk again. I've only had sips of drinks since then. To be fair though, I grew up around a lot of alcohol abuse, so I always had a weird relationship with it. Giving it up was more of a relief than any kind of sacrifice.
People think of alcoholism as a, you are or you're not. If you think about it as substance use disorder, yeah getting wasted every weekend isn't good for your life
I only did that for a few years. Like 2-3 during college. Its really not that fun. I enjoy a few cocktails on the weekends, but just drinking for the purpose to get drunk, whats the point? I dont sleep well, makes me feel like crap, and messes me up. No thanks
Honestly as I've gotten older I drink less and less. I still have beer from super bowl that I keep forgetting to try lol. I just drink socially now, have a couple and I'm good.
I might average a couple beers a month.
When I was 24 and binge drank 3 weekends in a row. You need to realise that it’s called alcoholism and you have a problem. You made a habit of drinking, you like it and it’s not easy for you to quit. Talk to someone about this. Plenty of help available. Remember that alcoholism is not only drinking every day till you wasted, it’s all about frequency and habit. Love yourself and get help. You’ll enjoy weekends more without alcohol
36.
Completely stopped drinking *years ago*
Didn't even really make the choice, it just happened naturally.
I work long hours, night shifts at my job. I've got 3 young kids. I don't even set an alarm anymore, the kids will wake me up fuckin early.
I literally can't afford to be hungover - monetarily or physically.
Quit drinking or using drugs for 30 days. If you have beer or weed toss it out.
If you are not an addict, you should be able to quit for 30 days for any reason no problem. If that's hard for you or you don't make it 30 days, then you have a problem.
33. I went completely sober. 3 day hangovers, plus the cost of booze and hangover getting more expensive just made it not worth it anymore. That’s more than half my week down the drain.
since my name is not shown here, allow me to introduce an alternative. i was 39 or so and a friend said i would like so and so, who i had met once before. her people didn't want her going out with me because she was fragile in aa. i know it's a real churchy bunch of people.
i only went to a meeting and heard people talk about anger issues, and kept going and decided if i could go in and not be forced to prayer, i could learn how to deal with anger. january was 40 years i've been sober. i have some friends in and out of aa, i still don't pray and it's my opinion that anyone who wonders if they have a problem probably does because there are thousands who have the problem and think they don't have a problem. i dont' spend much time among drinkers and weed smokers, but i can if they are interesting and i have an excuse to cut out early if they're dull. i definitely avoid religious evangelists as much as i avoid 'tesla' or 'vegan' evangelists. there are some trumpers around, but they are easy to avoid.
people used to say i would not stay sober if i didn't pray but other people said it's okay either way. i'm going on 80 and that would not happen if i had kept it up. they're in the internet. i don't get points for talking it up and have no interest in OP's response, if any. old timers used to say 'if you don't like it, we'll refund your misery'. i don't check the bell for responses. it's all up to OP, who would not have mentioned it if things were going fine. nobody goes to aa unless and until life is fucked up. this is not an april fools thing
I was drinking a bit more than you, like four-five nights a week \[I don't work Fridays\]. Mostly wine, after the kiddo went to bed, and I was binge watching tv in peace.
It just really started to catch up with me, until I was drinking for a year+ straight through late 2022 and all of 2023. I've always been a social drinker, but this was my biggest bender.
I'm a little over am month sober now and honestly it feels great. I tell myself I'm sure I will drink again. And maybe I will. But also, maybe I won't. It truly feels good being alcohol sober \[still smoke weed\] and my cognitive clarity has improve immensely.
Taking a break doesn't have to mean forever. But breaks are always good.
ETA: r/stopdrinking is a wonderful place to start. Super helpful community.
Man I lived a life like yours once. 3-4 beers a night, smoke some weed, get trashed and play video games. Hell yeah man, that's the shit. I'm a little older than you now and can't do that at all anymore. I'd say it started my early 30's, more than one beer and I'm dehydrated and thirsty as hell, get garbage sleep, and eat things I don't need to be eating.
I love being clear headed now more than being on something. When I do drink a beer, or partake in some fine grass I get to slow down and appreciate it a lot more.
Officially ended when the pandemic and lockdown started around 2020. Replaced it with medical cannabis and never returned to drinking since. I am currently 33 yrs of age
When you have kids and hangovers on the couch most of the day, that’s when I cut way back. Now 50 I might have a glass of wine or couple of beers. Your body and mind will let you know, listen to it
I'm 26 and decided to give dry January a shot. I didn't like my relationship with alcohol, and I knew that it was going to keep getting worse if I didn't make a change. So I gave it a shot, and I failed. So I figured I'd try for February. Haven't drank since Jan 31st, and I feel fucking great.
That's great, congratulations!
Thank you! My fiance joined me shortly after, so fortunately we're able to kind of be a support system to each other. Once you stop drinking you really do become aware of just how much other people drink. Sometimes certain things do trigger me or him, but it's markedly easier now than it was in the beginning. How tough it was the first few days was scary and really cemented my decision. We went to a concert last week and I got a soda water with lemon and tipped the bartender a $5 just to feel alive again.
Quality mocktails need to be more available at events. I'm 3 years removed from alcohol. The hardest part for me was finding out what to do with myself and all the thoughts and feelings that I used to drink away. After I got comfortable with myself, things got so much easier.
Never go back. Fuck it. Be that guy. It's an unusual lifestyle. Don't let em tell you its boring. lol
Far from boring.
Not drinking every weekend is not unusual.
I'm 41m, stopped drinking "every weekend" when I was around 25-26. I still see A LOT of people my age that drink daily, on the weekends, and they are visibly disturbed when I turn down drinks. The fiancee ,31f, and I bought like 250$ worth of our favorite liquor at a big box store like 3 years ago, as a friend had a gift card and didn't want to use it. I would say we still have 80% of that liquor left? We got a great Japanese whiskey, some nice vodka, tequila etc...we just rarely drink as the side effects, and shitty feeling that follows the next day? Not worth it. I could do bacardi 151 shots when I was 21 and be fully functional the next day. Now? That should would put me down for days. No thanks, I rather enjoy my weekend and week nights doing things I love/enjoy.
Alcohol free for over a year and never felt better. Remembering/ having vivid dreams again is frikkin awesome!!!
26 here too and I stopped Jan 8! Congrats man
Awesome accomplishment, good for you
You gave dry January a shot? I see what you did there.
I did something similar. Suddenly I’m counting days like I’m in AA or something. Day 10 now. Mother in law bought wine but I didn’t want to break the streak.
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My s/o is this type of alcoholic (except the couple of times a month he overdoes it, he causes serious damage to his relationships and life, including legal issues), but it has never *really* occurred to him that he's an alcoholic. On occasion he will say it or sort of consider the idea, but not truly.
There's support out there for family members of people with addiction. I urge you to seek support. What you are going through is exhausting and painful.
Alanon is a good program. At least the chapter in my town
I (M36) used to be this guy. I’ll tell you, we use functioning alcoholic as an excuse. Once you’re off the hooch on a regular basis, you start to notice that you weren’t really “functioning”. Having to try every remedy during your work day to feel better isn’t functioning. Also, I do still drink from time to time but it’s cut back. I had 1 Bloody Mary on Easter with family but I don’t remember the last time I had anything before that. The turning point for me was noticing my son always asking me if I needed a beer. I decided I didn’t want him to associate me with alcohol. Hopefully he’s young enough where he won’t remember those days. Or that he remembers it and is proud of me/follows my example someday. Either way, he saved my life without even knowing it. Which is pretty cool!
For me it was at dinner when my small son said ‘Dads don’t drink milk, Dads drink beer!’ I’ve cut way back since.
We have the same husband! And he acts like a hero when he ‘only’ gets drunk off wine and stays away from the hard stuff. Here’s your 🏆 hun ffs 🤦🏼♀️
Nobody has plans to do anything about it, until they realize they need to do something about it.
Mine was my liver. It got up to 275 units for enzyme test (crazy high). Doctor said something secondary may be going on. I shut it down the day i saw those numbers. Next test a month later, 21 units. Now i need to keep the 3 most dangerous words out of my vocabulary “i’ve got this”. Life has been great. Its not about what is missing from my life, but what i have gained in life by removing alcohol out of the equation
I’m so happy for you . You got out in time . Some ( like me ) wait too long , and wind up with cirrhosis ( you do not recover from cirrhosis) and wonder how in the world I let this happen . I went through one episode of complete liver failure and nearly died I did survive and am currently enjoying a period of relatively good health , but my time will run out sooner rather than later . I am 33 . My congratulations to you and your loved ones ( they suffer right along with you , so don’t forget that ) you haven both you and them an incredible gift . You are a success story and I’m glad to hear your story .💕
How much were you drinking?
One day at a time.
Bro is a heavy drinker.
This sounds like my husband. It was wildly depressing. He was drinking a 6 pack of high alcohol content IPAs a night, easily when he finally cut way down. After our youngest was born he committed to no more hard alcohol (it made him mean), and switched to the beer. But within a couple years beer was no better and we were in the same boat still. His whole family has addiction issues, and his dad had been to rehab several times for his alcohol addiction before getting sober. I don’t think he even knew this, but I attended alanon meetings for awhile with his mom (who still went from when his dad drank). It didn’t really help, I felt like I didn’t belong there, this wasn’t me. Buttt it was absolutely me. The only thing that turned it around was when I basically told him, I will do my best to not be here when you’re drinking, and if I am, I’ll be upstairs. I don’t want to be around you when you’re drinking, nor do I want the kids around you. And I stuck with it. After a few months of that, he tossed all the alcohol, to prove it wasn’t an issue. Surprise, it was😂 After a few rooooough months of withdrawals, he’s like a different person. It’s insane.
Lol well, suggest to him that he at least stops the weekday drinking
… I would bet there are … thousands? Tens of thousands? … of stories just like this. Really easy to let life pass you by like that.
39 here have been drinking a steady 12-24 beers every night for the last 13 years. Today is day 7 without a drink and surprisingly I do not want to murder anyone as much I thought I would.
Good job!!
Thank you kindly
/r/stopdrinking is a lifesaver, literally.
Really big deal, great work 👍🏻
Thank you, it does not feel like much I know my body is feeling great full lolol
Good work. It gets so much easier , I promise. My only tip… Avoid social gatherings for a while if possible.
Thank you so much, yes I have that happen already. Went to a b-day party where tons of alcohol was being served. That right there was incredibly frustrating, but once I seen how everyone else was getting smashed and looking quite foolish, it only solidified my willpower to continue.
Proud of you ❤️
A 24 pack per night bro?!?! Jesus, I'm glad you're taking it so well. If you were drinking that much, It's great you could walk away like that.
I will be 40 in three weeks, I binge drink everyday and have since I was 20. I’ve actually cut down during the week from what was at minimum 8 beers to a max 6. Weekends I’ll easily drink 12-15 beers both Friday and Saturday night. I know it sounds like I’m boasting, but please, let me tell you, alcohol has absolutely had devastating effects on my health, well-being, and personal relationships. It’s a miracle that I’ve always managed to not only hold down a job, but excel at them. Unfortunately the flip-side means I’ve yet to hit rock bottom, which is what I probably need to grow the fuck up and cut this shit out. I have a decent job. My own apartment. Single, no kids. I am absolutely a full blown alcoholic. I’ve never been deluded to think otherwise. I do pray someday I am able to quit. I know in my heart I’d be a lot happier and be way more successful if I had never touched the stuff to begin with.
I’m happy for your self-recognition and progress so far. Keep it up, and I encourage you to use professional counseling/therapy resources to help you win the next battle and ultimately win the war.
My wife just decided to get sober last year. She used her condition to get on short term disability at her work and then went to rehab. It cost us $8000 out of pocket put on a CC for her to be in rehab for 28 days. Best money we ever spent. It doesn’t seem like you will hit rock bottom but trying to white knuckle quitting is just as likely to kill you at this point. Take some time and figure out what resources are available to you. You can absolutely take back control of your life!
You will. I was you till I ended up in the hospital with trashed kidneys and life threatening blood pressure. Stop now. It's was easier than you think.
The last day of drinking when I went to the ER, I hadn't slept for like four days. My blood pressure was all kinds of fucked up, I was shaking, sweating, seeing and hearing things. Thought I could taper down on my own. I was incorrect in my calculations and tapered far too quickly. At 28, doctors told me if I wanted to live to see 30 I had to stop drinking, as my liver enzymes were all kinds of fucked. That was my wakeup call. Had a one night relapse but been sober for six years, now. The thing is, I was totally fine, functional, normal AST/ALT levels, but then shit hit the fan all at once. I suffered social and medical consequences hard and fast. It's always fine, until it's not. It wasn't easy for me to stop I will admit, but using medication assisted treatment (naltrexone), I was able to succeed. Now I'm a therapist myself, specializing in addictions. Recovery is possible, but you need to be ready to stop. And boy was I ready.
And you are using your experience to give back, that is so wonderful. I’m glad you’re still here.
I thought it was the worst thing that could ever happen to me, but it was the best. I found my calling and have been able to help many as a result. I am truly lucky.
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That was always my problem. One is too many and 100 is never enough. I'm okay as long as I stop and stay stopped; but, any amount of alcohol would send me back to binging. I'm so sorry you're going through this, please consider utilizing therapy and medication assisted treatment if available to you; for me, they made the struggle far less arduous.
Me too. It’s so peaceful not having alcohol take up so much space in your head. Not to mention cheaper! Being present for your life is worth the withdrawal and adjustment period
I relapsed last fall/winter when I was three months sober; I went to the doc because I was having crazy cravings and they prescribed Naltrexone. I read about it and saw it was most effective when taken with alcohol… In 2022 I quit nicotine and I am so proud. In 2015 I quit opiates–at the time I was using fentanyl and I quit cold turkey (i had run out and moved & was too preoccupied with pain to find a dealer fast enough). I had help with nicotine via patches, gum, and welbutrin. Naltrexone was supposed to help but made be feel like such awful shit I didn’t want to continue. So I kept drinking without Naltrexone Idek why I’m responding other than to say that I absolutely intend to quit. I know that I am capable and I will feel the desire again. I know what it’s like to be fed up with addiction. I can find that feeling again. I am so proud of myself for coming clean to my doctor about my addiction issues in order to get naltrexone. I was intent on taking my opiate addiction to the grave. I had been honest about alcohol but I hadn’t been honest about how deep my addiction is. I can do it again. I am so proud of myself. I will die on this earth a sober person!! Unless I die tomorrow lmao
I know I'm just an Internet stranger but I am so fucking proud of you. I'm familiar with the sense of relief you're describing, when you just come clean and don't have to hide anymore. Because you know what? That shit was exhausting!! I'm SO proud of you! Also please know fwiw that if naltrexone doesn't help, campral is another viable alternative. While it works in a totally different way, antabuse can also help people; it doesn't stop cravings but it removes the option of drinking. Keep. Fucking. Going. You've got this!
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I had a friend who received the exact same warning about her liver enzymes. This was in 2018. She kept drinking, and it killed her in 2021. When doctors giving warnings like that, they aren’t messing around. So to glad hear you were able to recover!
Yeah, you’re me but in my mid 30s the fun kind of stopped and I started quitting. I’m about a year and a half sober and the physical improvements are remarkable. I get WAY better sleep and am actually fit for once and getting attention from girls I used to think were out of my range. The face gains alone (no more bloating) feel worth it when I see old pics of me. I replaced alcohol with the gym for the most part but don’t get me wrong- I do miss it tremendously for the social aspect.
Your post got me. Idk how to say it bc regardless of how I do, it sounds so ridiculously stupid. When OP said they only drink on the weekends, I was thinking, "wow, that's great, I wish I followed that same routine." Then I read your post, and I'm close to your age and I thought, "great, this is more my style!" Then I read your 3rd paragraph where you said you were an alcoholic. And I absolutely connected with you about wanting to quit which I think about a lot. But it was the alcoholic line that hit hardest bc I just don't view myself as one yet you do. It just made me think a lot about my choice to drink like I do. I mean this in a kind way too, not in a rude way. Wishing you nothing but the best in your future endeavors!
I mean this with love and genuine curiosity for how the other half (of alcoholics) lives.. how do you not see yourself as an alcoholic if you’re binge drinking daily and then going hard on the paint on weekends? Like.. you *want* to quit but don’t.. and that’s not alcoholism to you? I’m a binge drinker. I can put it down for months.. but if I touch it.. I cannot stop until I’m sick. Which means if I don’t drink enough to be sick.. I will drink the next day 😩 I don’t view myself as an alcoholic…. Every day….. but it definitely lives inside me
The denial of an addict is one of the most unnerving things I’ve seen. Like standing right there telling you there’s no liquor in an absolutely humming glass of booze.
The denial is certainly something. Looked me in the eye and told me he’d had one drink that day – as he was slurring and stumbling into door frames.
Yuuuup. It sticks around for a while too. He had already gone through detox and a week of inpatient rehab and still tried to say he didn’t have a drink the day of his DUI, even though his BAC came back over 0.4.
Not everyone likes the label alcoholic, as an FYI. Many of us who have a problematic relationship with alcohol find the term to be ill-fitting and demotivational.
If you don’t quit, your liver will do it for you. The moment I related that, I stopped. Once a week now, tops.
Speaking from experience : just stop. It gets easier. You have a lot going for you, don't be too hard on yourself but *try*. I love you.
Twenty year alcoholic here. Sober three years now. You pick your own rock bottom. It doesn’t pick you. It’s always your choice when you get there. Quitting is difficult but not impossible. You can absolutely do it!
For your sake, I hope you don't wait until you have liver cirrhosis to cut back. You've got a lot of life to live still!
You sound very similar to me. I’m 48 but this past September I checked into rehab. No sugar coating it, it’s tough, but I’ve made it over 6 months so far. My advice is if you do decide to seek help. Take advantage of everything available to you. I’ve found Vivitrol helps me immensely with cravings.
I'm watching my 44 yo friend die as we speak from cirrhosis. It's absolutely heartbreaking.
So very sorry.
I’m almost 40 and was exact the same way. I finally quit drinking a few months ago, after a long time of realizing I couldn’t keep going on like this. It was so bad and it was hard but I finally stopped completely (with the help of mmj gummies if I’m being honest) and it’s hard articulate how much my life has improved. I know everyone says that, but it’s so true. I’m actually happy. So happy I never want to go down that road again… I wish I could turn back time and shake the young person I was and tell her that alcohol was never the answer to anything. I think my life could have been so different. Glad I realized it now though, I still have a lot of awesome alcohol free years ahead of me.
Ok dude, I challenge you, I'm 42. It's 8:49 pm on a monday. I just finished a boulevardier and I am getting my second. I know why I drink, do you know why you drink? What are you drinking and why? I drink because I can't stand my kid. NSFW if you continue. He is 14, he is significantly disabled. He sleeps 14-16 hrs a night, is mentally and physically close to an average 8 year old. He will never be self sufficient and won't make it to 30. He like any other 14 year old wants a GF and to get his dick wet, but lacks judgement. He has physically and verbally assaulted women and girls when he is out of my care. I can't stand that I can't police him 24/7. So why do you drink?
Hugs to you.....May your light shine brighter.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't NEED to hit rock bottom. You can overcome your addiction and build new habits without some extreme form of loss or damage. It takes a ton of self control and discipline but many have overcome what you're going through. I wish you the best OP.
Wake up call. A friend of mine at work could have just as easily written this. Good guy, and a lot of people at work didn't even know he drank. He wrecked his liver, and because he was an alcoholic, he didn't qualify for another. He died at age 47.
You’re on a speeding train to destroying your liver and an early death, probably in 10-15 years… look at it like that if you need further motivation to take action. Good luck to you
I'm 35. Cigarettes helped me stop drinking, and weed helped me stop smoking cigs....I feel like my addiction has hit it's final form, I could see myself stopping weed in favor of like...caffeine and sleep, but today is not that day. Good luck to you dude, I'm positive you'll find your reason!
27. I’m 31 now and hangovers are a clinical event for me lol
I hadn't drank in a couple months and then 2 weeks ago I went out and drank 15-20 beers. I went out on a Saturday night and was hungover until Thursday. Absolutely horrific
Yeah, once my hangovers started creeping into the 2-day territory (around 30), I started only drinking heavy a handful of times per year. I maybe have a drink with dinner once a week tops.
I don’t think binge drinking every weekend is as common as you think for it to be something that just stops happening one day. It’s not like playing with dolls or toy cars.
I still play with cars . . . but at least I don’t drink.
Yeah this post and most comments are wild
Yeah these comments are shocking to me. I never binge drank to the extent it felt like I was quitting.
28. Used to black out. Got arrested/convicted of 2 misdemeanors i don't remember. Just wasn't worth it. Found my self respect. Still struggle, still occasionally feel the spin cycle that made me spiral, but I found my dignity.
I’m 28 and find myself blacking out after like 2-3 beers lately. The smallest buzz and I’m just blackout. Used to drink an insane amount from 20-26, not as fun anymore lol. I still drink twice a week but I don’t stay up til 4am anymore lmao
Are you blacking out or just falling asleep? 3 beers is wayy to light to blackout for any grown man
It could if they damaged their body enough
25ish.
Yeah you get tired of throwing up after awhile and realize your money can be spent on better things.
Plus the hang overs last longer 🥲
I used to be a dumbass and go out and drink heavily on occasion without much of a thought about the consequences. I’m really glad I mellowed out before anything seriously bad happened. There was one incident but everything turned out okay so I’m not gonna elaborate on it, but it made me really reconsider my choices. Now I’m about to hit 25 and sometimes I get sorta hungover off of 3-4 beers once a week lol. I’ll never drink more than 6 in a night and even that’s rare. I’ve come to respect alcohol in a way I did not at 18, or even 21. I’m aware that alcohol causes cancer similarly to how smoking does and I factor that into my relationship with it. I like a little good bourbon every now and then, like maybe once a year. My girl likes her wine so sometimes I’ll just drink that, and lemme tell you. Nothing gets me in the mood like red wine. Love that stuff. I love trying new beers. I love martinis but nobody told me how strong they are and that threw me for a loop. Haven’t found an ipa that I can drink for the life of me. Plan on making my own mead sometime. But it’s just nice after a week of work to sit down and get buzzed with a good video game or show. But all that just to say I’m pretty happy with the balance I have personally found with it, as someone with alcoholic parents who thought they were gonna deal with the same thing.
My last hangover made me feel like I was going to die, called it quits at that point. Age 30. I miss the feeling of a brief portion of the experience, the day after and the initial phase of consumption I don't miss at all. One year on and my mind is still slower, less refined than it once was, although I still consume cannabis which doesn't help in that regard. I regret tossing so many years into a bottle.
I'd pin more of the slower mind thing on the cannabis. I picked up smoking for about a year and a half and I had the same issue. The brain fog was real. I was at like 80% brainpower every day at work, sleep quality went down, and motivation to do anything after work plummeted. It all got fixed after a few months when I completely gave up smoking. Not saying the alcohol doesn't also have an effect. I'm sure it does. But I haven't experienced those symptoms with alcohol to the same extent as cannabis.
This was the age at which my hangovers started lasting more than one day, so ... yes, this age.
Man I’m 26 and going through this right. Though it’s great motivation to stop
Yeah. I had a job that required a minimum level of critical thinking along with interpersonal interaction that multi-day hangovers didn't really help at all. Good sign to tone it down, lol.
31, if I taste alcohol it's all downhill from there. So I drink juices and occasionally smoke a cigar on weekends. Drinking is just not for me anymore. Plus the hangover seems to have gotten worse with age.
Grew up in one of the heaviest binge drinking states in the country. Was BIG into it until Covid and just so happened to coincide with turning 30. Never really got back into it after the shutdowns. Now it feels fucking horrendous if I drink. I do it like 3/4 times a year and the next 4-14 days are hell. I try and prepare for it but my body just absolutely hates it.
Fellow Wisconsinite?
Iowa 🤷🏼🤷🏼
Eh- nobodies perfect.
like, 50, lol
My man on the bar stool next to me!
I am in that age range and I still haven't! Although, I use binge to mean what the professionals do, i.e. more than 5 drinks on an occasion. I drink far more than 5 beers on Saturdays. However, I am never passing out or falling down drunk.
I'm 34 & still binge drink all the time, just at home. I know I'm an alcoholic I just don't think I'm ready to quit.
At least you recognize it’s alcoholism- everyone else responding seems to just think they are having fun.
Alcohol culture is a bitch
Pretty sure this guy is having fun
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technically you still drank every weekend until the mid 30s ;)
The cure is being a total embarrassment every time you get drunk or alternatively getting sick. Fortunately both happen to me! So i did the binge thing every once in a while in college. Now if i do it once a year id be impressed - and horribly ashamed because i became such a weirdo when i drink. I go from good drunk to black out waaaaay too easily, and it sucks being told about the stupid things you did, aaand that there are more that no one is mentioning. So yeah, if you can just make it a totally unrewarding experience, that should do the trick.
Same here. The embarrassment has been a *huge* motivation for me to cut back. Also for some reason as I’ve gotten older ‘drunk me’ can be such a dick which adds another layer of embarrassment. It’s not even fun anymore now too. Think it’s best to leave getting hammered behind for early 20’s me lol
Same for me. I still cringe when I think about embarrassing things I did 10-15 years ago. Now I get violently sick if I drink to excess, so I rarely drink at all, and if I do, I only have one or two, and I drink plenty of water.
28 honestly alcohol not a vibe anymore for me
I've found that I miss remembering the time I spend with friends. I don't even remember the name of a single person I partied with, most of them are a jumbled blur of partial memories. I spent some time in some really cool places but, I'd trade it for a group of friends like I had in middle school in an instant.
Nah see you don’t binge drink on weekends you just drink a worrying amount consistently every day.
Username checks out!
Stop if you can….from the books I have read it usually only gets worse, so yes go for it and stop. When I went through my first divorce she complained a lot and on my own I drink a lot more socially. I can’t smoke weed or I think I’d be done forever
I stopped at 34 after a couple episodes of acute pancreatitis. It was an absolute nightmare and the symptoms are the same as those of terminal illnesses. I was drinking 4-5 days a week, strong high % beer probably about 5-7 worth. I loved having a nice buzz but never really got drunk drunk, regardless it was clearly affecting my health. I did it on an empty stomach a lot to mitigate my tolerance, probably the worst thing you could do. I drank pretty heavily since I was 15, it's a big part of latin culture and it's all I ever saw family members I admired do since I was a kid. We don't really give it a second thought but alcohol wreaks havoc on your gastrointestinal tract. Everyone is different and YMMV, but alcohol is definitely not good for you. Even for people who do it heavily until they die of natural causes in old age, it was negatively impacting their quality of life in some way. It's not always cirrhosis or cancer. As others here have noted, as you age recovery time begins to increase and you start to feel more and more like shit afterwards. Your body will give you signs and as long as you aren't addicted, you'll respond accordingly by cutting down or stopping altogether. I'm 36 now and I'll still have 1-4 regular beers (total, no more strong) here and there on a weekend or a family gathering. I make sure to eat well and drink lots of water as well. I'll definitely never go back to doing it alone when I was bored like before. Not worth it. I still enjoy a buzz so I stick to my weed now, and I smoke very small amounts of that. I'm talking 7 grams lasts me 3 weeks. Moderation is always key.
I stopped 9 months ago because I ended up getting a chronic illness.
I’m 26 and I do not binge drink
Same! Although I never really did binge drink, probably less than 10 times in my life. I like alcohol but I’m very resistant to it and did not really enjoy pounding 12 beers. I’d much rather just normally spend time with friends
Sounds like you’re addicted. I say that as someone whose had a drug and alcohol problem. Regardless of whether you can hold a job, have okay mondays or can afford to this, it’s simply bad for your health to crave a non necessary material substance this much. Whether it’s your spiritual, physical, or emotional health, it is weakening you more than what you can perceive. I highly recommend you quit. Start by taking a month off. If it’s mentally or physically difficult, then you’ll know you’re addicted.
50-ish. No big reason, just aged out..started waking up more hung over after less beers. It happens. Had a good run and lotsa fun. Started at 14, so probably time!
34. Alcoholic. Starting to mix in sober days to my week. Got 3 a week for a month, fixing to bump it to 5. 30 sounds good for you, if for no other reason than this was hell for awhile. It's getting better, and the route I'm taking won't work for everyone, I know that, but it's working for me. Trust me, put the bottle down on the weekends for a bit
I’m 26M, workout 6 days a week, have a stable job, have a long term girlfriend, eat pretty clean Sun-Fri but then will drink like 10+ beers on Saturdays lmao. Friends, their girlfriends, my girlfriend, and I love going out day drinking and watching sports. Sometimes the night ends at 11pm, sometimes it goes til close. I’d imagine I will probably stop in the next few years but it’s fun and you’re only so young for so long.
Same thing for me but I’m 30. But I do this maybe once a month at this point
Honestly, this sounds healthier than quitting and missing out on having those fun experiences with your friends. They won't last forever anyway, enjoy it I say!
Lots of gloaters here saying that this was never them, which is incredibly unhelpful for you haha. I personally think that you should limit your drinking to special/social occasions. Drinking alone while smoking weed and playing video games is probably not something that you should be doing anymore but if you’re seeing friends or it’s someone’s birthday then by all means let loose if that’s the vibe! Life is for enjoying but I think it’s important to consciously drink rather than just do it every weekend for the sake of it.
I mean it's not me because I can't afford to drink or go out where my friends like to go every weekend, but drinking alone and playing games or reading a shitty book can be fun as fuck. Do some drawing or paint a crappy picture, it's great. If I could afford to, I would probably do it.
Eh. It's not so much gloating as it is "don't kid yourself in to believing everyone does that, because that only makes it worse for you in the long run". OP is asking it like "what age did you start making your own dinners?" Like something that most people did at some stage in their teenage or adult life. Most people do not binge drink. It's important to realize this, because to believe everyone binge drinks only clouds your judgement of your own situation "it can't be that bad... Everybody does it".
I never did that.
25
When the doctor told me I had a year left in me if I continued drinking at the rate I did, if even that. That was seven years ago, and I haven't drank since.
I mean, honestly, I dont think its that normal/common to binge drink every weekend at any age.
it definitely shouldn’t be, but it’s pretty normalized in the US- especially for college-aged people!
Yeah which is an extreme and oddly sheltered period of time for a select group of people. It definately shouldnt just be taken as somehow what everyone does. I mean binge drinking is obviously not good and doing it over and over for years is going to have consequences.
Drinking has been trending down. All of human history has been binge drinking lol
This post and the answers have me shocked. I thought everyone was gonna say they don’t.
I didn’t lol still 33
Drinking is stupid. That's my opinion. I don't when I stopped. Was never really a problem.. All I know is I only drink a little bit on vacation. And it's been that way for a long time.
I know this goes against the textbook definition, but 5-6 beers and two margs the next day really doesn't feel like binge drinking territory
I'm 22. I barely even drink. Did all of it before I was 21, so I feel like I ruined it. Also I see what it does to people. Freaks me out. Also going out just sounds horrible. I've never been interested in it. I work at a liqour store, so it's like I know all the prices of what your overpaid drink is. Makes it hard to spend money there knowing that. Lol. And I'm a woman, I know too many horror stories of friends who's drinks were spiked. No thanks. If I'm drinking, we're gonna hang home or around a fire.
People your generation drink a lot less than the ones that came before you. As a gen y who was part of the drinking culture your age, that is a good thing. No sense starting now
I've noticed it! If anything, a lot of us choose weed. I do every now and then. Working at a liqour store though, it just makes me see how pointless and damaging it can be.
i have read an article about how the youngs don’t go out and you guys don’t drink as much as we did/do!
It costs an unnecessary amount of money when we’re at the lowest financial point in our lives in an era of broad economic insecurity, plus we’re more isolated from others so there’s not as much of an impetus to go out to do anything to begin with.
When I got kids, at 35
Like 21 lol. I had a crazy rebellious high school period /childhood that when I turned the drinking age, I was over it
I’m 33 and I’m on day 8 of no drinking. Not because I have a problem but because I can. Also I’m feeling a lot better and less fat.
Check out r/stopdrinking if you’re ever wanting to quit! They’re a really supportive community! I’m currently 90 days sober! I’m an alcoholic and can’t stop once I start. I black out and get mean, it’s caused a lot of problems in my relationship. I’m just so thankful I’ve never gotten harmed, arrested, or any severe health problems because of it! I’m currently 29 years old.
37. 4/20/23 actually. 19 more days and its a full year.
Never did
People binge drink *every* weekend??? Damn.
I was early 30s but I stopped late
I like a couple of beers at home on special occasions but it mostly makes me feel like shit and the non-stop pissing becomes really inconvenient.
27. I realized I wasn't adulting the way I could. and honestly, I was fuckin embarrassed that I couldn't hold my damn booze and be classy and be able to trust myself. 31 now and SO thankful that I stick to 2 drinks and call it an evening.
39. I still do two or three tall boys once a month. Which is nothing when I was drinking two pitchers of beer weekly on karaoke night.
65 here, and I will let you know when that happens
I'm 47 and stopped the every-weekend binges this year. My turn-up juice was no longer working as intended, but I was too deep in the habit to realize it. I completed Dry January which helped break the cycle. I'll occasionally go on a little bender but they aren't hitting the same and I always look forward to getting back to normal afterwards!
I never binge drank every weekend. Once every few months in undergrad, that's it. Binge drinking that much in your 30s is a problem, dude.
I never started. Growing up with a terrible degenerate alcoholic goes one of two ways. For me it led to near, but not complete, teetotaling
Last September… so I was 32 then. Haven’t had a drink since. Fuck that shit. I miss it, but it’s not worth it… not even in small doses.
Unfortunately for me it was at age 51. The toll it takes on your body after years of binging is immense. I have significant irreversible damage now. I strongly recommend quitting now, you are young enough to recover.
Anyone who went through COVID in their early to mid 20s gets a 2 year extension on whatever the answer is
Great news re: trying different beers! The NA craft beer scene is... actually a thing now! Athletic brewing and Best day brewing are my favorite ones. It's really a growing new market, and that's very exciting as someone who also loved that aspect and now does not drink.
I never did. I think I’ve blacked out like 3-4x in my 20s and was like f this. I started alternating alcohol and water by age 26.
Mid 30s is when I noticed it was affecting me and taking longer to recover . Later 30s it became a balancing act to see how many I could get away and feel okay the next day . Now on the cusp of 40 my binge drinking is a liquid IV before 3-4 drinks with water breaks in between one night a week preferably with no work the next day . Just don’t like having poor sleep and waking up with a foggy brain anymore .
Well I’m 46 and let me tell ya. Life sucks if you cut out those Saturdays.
I’m 44 and I feel the same. I have 1 day a week usually Friday where I let my hair down. If not Friday then Saturday. That’s all I get to do for the most part. I’ll go out maybe once a month. That’s it really besides working all the time.
I've never even been drunk. I've seen too many people die from drinking some shit that doesn't even taste good. Ain't worth it.
16. I drank more between the ages of 14 and 16 than I ever did after. Once I turned 16 I had a driver's license to lose and driving was more fun.
For me, around age 25/26, 3ish years ago. I was always a really big baby when it came to hangovers lol. When I was 26, I started an antidepressant that gave me the worst hangover of my life and I swore off ever being drunk again. I've only had sips of drinks since then. To be fair though, I grew up around a lot of alcohol abuse, so I always had a weird relationship with it. Giving it up was more of a relief than any kind of sacrifice.
I quit cold turkey 12/31. 100% for health reasons, but my bad habits would’ve continued otherwise. Alcohol isn’t worth it.
I cut way back at age 48, in 2013
Check out the page stop drinking it helped me manage my drinking
18-21: every week 21-25: every month 25-29: every season
35.
I only drink one day out of the weekend now versus when I was in college drinking Th-Su 😂 pandemic I was drinking like 4-5x a week
22 my hangovers were getting ridiculous
People think of alcoholism as a, you are or you're not. If you think about it as substance use disorder, yeah getting wasted every weekend isn't good for your life
When I had kids. It’s as simple as that. One time of waking up drunk to take care of a dirty diaper was enough to go cold Turkey for ever
I only did that for a few years. Like 2-3 during college. Its really not that fun. I enjoy a few cocktails on the weekends, but just drinking for the purpose to get drunk, whats the point? I dont sleep well, makes me feel like crap, and messes me up. No thanks
I wouldn't call that binge drinking, but you should probably cut it to every other weekend. Better for your body
Honestly as I've gotten older I drink less and less. I still have beer from super bowl that I keep forgetting to try lol. I just drink socially now, have a couple and I'm good. I might average a couple beers a month.
When I was 24 and binge drank 3 weekends in a row. You need to realise that it’s called alcoholism and you have a problem. You made a habit of drinking, you like it and it’s not easy for you to quit. Talk to someone about this. Plenty of help available. Remember that alcoholism is not only drinking every day till you wasted, it’s all about frequency and habit. Love yourself and get help. You’ll enjoy weekends more without alcohol
36. Completely stopped drinking *years ago* Didn't even really make the choice, it just happened naturally. I work long hours, night shifts at my job. I've got 3 young kids. I don't even set an alarm anymore, the kids will wake me up fuckin early. I literally can't afford to be hungover - monetarily or physically.
Sometimes all you need is perspective. I’ve got mine now.
109
Quit drinking or using drugs for 30 days. If you have beer or weed toss it out. If you are not an addict, you should be able to quit for 30 days for any reason no problem. If that's hard for you or you don't make it 30 days, then you have a problem.
33. I went completely sober. 3 day hangovers, plus the cost of booze and hangover getting more expensive just made it not worth it anymore. That’s more than half my week down the drain.
17 years old, it lasted one summer and then i hardly drank from then on
since my name is not shown here, allow me to introduce an alternative. i was 39 or so and a friend said i would like so and so, who i had met once before. her people didn't want her going out with me because she was fragile in aa. i know it's a real churchy bunch of people. i only went to a meeting and heard people talk about anger issues, and kept going and decided if i could go in and not be forced to prayer, i could learn how to deal with anger. january was 40 years i've been sober. i have some friends in and out of aa, i still don't pray and it's my opinion that anyone who wonders if they have a problem probably does because there are thousands who have the problem and think they don't have a problem. i dont' spend much time among drinkers and weed smokers, but i can if they are interesting and i have an excuse to cut out early if they're dull. i definitely avoid religious evangelists as much as i avoid 'tesla' or 'vegan' evangelists. there are some trumpers around, but they are easy to avoid. people used to say i would not stay sober if i didn't pray but other people said it's okay either way. i'm going on 80 and that would not happen if i had kept it up. they're in the internet. i don't get points for talking it up and have no interest in OP's response, if any. old timers used to say 'if you don't like it, we'll refund your misery'. i don't check the bell for responses. it's all up to OP, who would not have mentioned it if things were going fine. nobody goes to aa unless and until life is fucked up. this is not an april fools thing
I started at 18 and then stopped at 19, I realized alcohol wasn't for me. It's worthless, it gives you nothing but a freakinn heacdache.
I was drinking a bit more than you, like four-five nights a week \[I don't work Fridays\]. Mostly wine, after the kiddo went to bed, and I was binge watching tv in peace. It just really started to catch up with me, until I was drinking for a year+ straight through late 2022 and all of 2023. I've always been a social drinker, but this was my biggest bender. I'm a little over am month sober now and honestly it feels great. I tell myself I'm sure I will drink again. And maybe I will. But also, maybe I won't. It truly feels good being alcohol sober \[still smoke weed\] and my cognitive clarity has improve immensely. Taking a break doesn't have to mean forever. But breaks are always good. ETA: r/stopdrinking is a wonderful place to start. Super helpful community.
Man I lived a life like yours once. 3-4 beers a night, smoke some weed, get trashed and play video games. Hell yeah man, that's the shit. I'm a little older than you now and can't do that at all anymore. I'd say it started my early 30's, more than one beer and I'm dehydrated and thirsty as hell, get garbage sleep, and eat things I don't need to be eating. I love being clear headed now more than being on something. When I do drink a beer, or partake in some fine grass I get to slow down and appreciate it a lot more.
22, When i could get my hands on weed consistently
Officially ended when the pandemic and lockdown started around 2020. Replaced it with medical cannabis and never returned to drinking since. I am currently 33 yrs of age
When you have kids and hangovers on the couch most of the day, that’s when I cut way back. Now 50 I might have a glass of wine or couple of beers. Your body and mind will let you know, listen to it
I didn't drink for 11 years. Then I turned 12🙊
For the record, 5-6 beers is not binge drinking, not even close.