# my alcohol consumption



## atsizat (Sep 14, 2015)

I used to drink like 3 times a week. Then I gave up alcohol and I did not drink for 47 days, I counted the days. Then I drank after 47 days and after that I did not drink for 30 days and then I drank again, which was yesterday. How long should I go without drinking for me to forget about getting drunk? 

In the last 77 days, I only drank 2 times but the point is even though I could go without drinking for long, at the end of this time, I drank again. In the past I was drinking alcohol like 3 times a week. 

Do you think I had any improvement? What would you say about this case? And is it impossible for me to give it up totally?

I've been with a girl since June. After I met her, I only drank 3 times but any time I drank, I spoke silly with her on internet using bad words and such and our relationship was damaged any time I drank. I drank only 3 times after we started talking. And me drinking 3 times gave a big damage to our relationship.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

I think you've had improvement if you've been able to take a break at all. But I would consider the possibility that you might have to watch your tendency toward drink for your entire life... that is, if you see the benefits of not drinking, and I believe you do and you'll probably notice the benefits more as you get older... If it's causing you to change your personality under the influence and messing with your life, that might be another indication of your vulnerability to alcohol... I believe you're in the process of sorting out what's best for you and, if necessary, you'll find a way to fill in the void or escape that alcohol provides and be able to do without it, because such things as clarity of mind, good relationships, and purpose in life will become more important.... Best wishes.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

atsizat said:


> I've been with a girl since June. After I met her, I only drank 3 times but any time I drank, I spoke silly with her on internet using bad words and such and our relationship was damaged any time I drank. I drank only 3 times after we started talking. And me drinking 3 times gave a big damage to our relationship.


I grew up with my father doing this for close to 30 years. It did great damage to my parents' relationship. You may need to seek help through a support group. Alcoholism doesn't have to be an everyday drinking habit. If you drink every 10, 20, 30 days and it causes problems in your life you know you need to quit for good. Don't fool yourself thinking it's going to get better if you only drink once a month or every 40 days. The problem is in your head and your body's relationship to the booze. That's why there is AA and other support groups. You go talk to somebody instead of picking up another drink. Good luck!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

What I get from the OP:

The good news: you are no addicted to alcohol. If you can easily give it up for several weeks, you're not an addict.

The bad news: it sounds to me that there are two possibilities:
[1] a few drinks already make you lose self control, or:
[2] whenever you drink you always go way beyond a few drinks, thus losing self control

Whether it is [1] or [2], the solution is the same and blindingly obvious: go tee total. Otherwise you will fvck up your life.


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## atsizat (Sep 14, 2015)

Art Rock said:


> What I get from the OP:
> 
> The good news: you are no addicted to alcohol. If you can easily give it up for several weeks, you're not an addict.
> 
> ...


It is the 2nd one.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Art Rock said:


> What I get from the OP:
> 
> The good news: you are no addicted to alcohol. If you can easily give it up for several weeks, you're not an addict.


Maybe not physically addicted, but as I said alcoholism is a psychological disease in your head. And it's obvious from the resulting behavior that certain people shouldn't drink because they lose control and act stupid. If it weren't for my mother sticking around to pay the bills and take care of the house my father would have lost everything because he repeated this same pattern from age 29 until he was in his early 60s. This resulted in lost employment, smashed up vehicles, DWI convictions and prison time. The OP may not be so lucky if he continues down this path. Physical addiction is not required to ruin your life.


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## atsizat (Sep 14, 2015)

starthrower said:


> Maybe not physically addicted, but as I said alcoholism is a psychological disease in your head. And it's obvious from the resulting behavior that certain people shouldn't drink because they lose control and act stupid. If it weren't for my mother sticking around to pay the bills and take care of the house my father would have lost everything because he repeated this same pattern from age 29 until he was in his early 60s. This resulted in lost employment, smashed up vehicles, DWI convictions and prison time. The OP may not be so lucky if he continues down this path. Physical addiction is not required to ruin your life.


I broke my phone many times when I was angry and drunk at the same time. Since October 2017, I broke a lot of phones and bought the next mobile phones.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

atsizat said:


> I broke my phone many times when I was angry and drunk at the same time. Since October 2017, I broke a lot of phones and bought the next mobile phones.


Please seek some help in your community. I recognize the behavior patterns, but I'm not an addict myself. The people who can help you are those who have been through it themselves.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

This may well be addiction. When one can’t control the amount of drinking in single sessions then memory can be lost for each occasion with the result that the amount of drinking in any given month is more than the person thinks/remembers. Also, the fact that the drinking is impacting your life and relationships is another factor.

The damage to relationships does not usually come from just a few drinking incidents. The fact that this is concerning you is an important factor; you know that something is wrong. But that’s a good thing because that’s necessary to seek help. Seek out counseling and consider trying an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Best of luck to you.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

DaveM said:


> This may well be addiction. When one can't control the amount of drinking in single sessions then memory can be lost for each occasion with the result that the amount of drinking in any given month is more than the person thinks/remembers. Also, the fact that the drinking is impacting your life and relationships is another factor.
> 
> The damage to relationships does not usually come from just a few drinking incidents. The fact that this is concerning you is an important factor; you know that something is wrong. But that's a good thing because that's necessary to seek help. Seek out counseling and consider trying an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Best of luck to you.


Good points, but the support group doesn't have to be AA. Some people have a problem with AA because it's a religious based organization and is quite dogmatic in its approach to therapy.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I echo the advice of the others. If you can do without alcohol for so long, you have the choice to give up if you want. 

I have some experience of drinkers in my family who could 'practise abstinence but not temperance' as James Boswell said (speaking about Dr Johnson, the eighteenth century writer). 

In one case, a close relative was so nasty to me that it hurt my feelings terribly and I couldn't sleep for weeks. This relative was too ashamed or too proud to apologise afterwards and because I don't want to get myself into such a nasty situation again, we have become estranged. 

If part of why you drink is the feeling of liberation it gives you, then you are going to find it hard not to drink to excess when once you've poured yourself a glass. But in reality, though you feel free, you are making yourself a slave to bad behaviour, and this is spoiling your relationship with a girl that you care for. Afterwards, you feel remorseful and conflicted. 

But if you gave up drinking, it seems as if you could get by and after a while you wouldn't miss it. My husband used to enjoy a glass of whisky every couple of days - he decided to give up after being hospitalised with pancreatitis, which is made worse by alcohol. At first it was only for six months, but then he couldn't see a reason to start again. 

Since my husband is a Scot, and in Scotland malt whisky is almost a cult, I really didn't think he'd be able to stop drinking - but he did, because his health matters more, and he knows I want him to stick around for as many years as possible!

So if your love life and happiness matter to you, maybe give up the alcohol for good. 
Then (hopefully) you will be surrounded by love, health and happiness for many years to come. :tiphat:


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I can recommend the total abstinence as a great path. I used to have a drinking problem that at times put me and others at risk of serious injury. I have not been drunk since 1984. Today I never drink and have no desire to drink. Tried a glass of wine a few years ago and got about halfway and didn't like the way it was making me feel so poured it down the drain. Not bragging as it took a lot to get here, but the reality is that drinking is an acquired habit and once you are sufficiently distanced from it I think you will not miss it. But for sure, if you do ever drink to excess, then cutting back is going to be very challenging, vs totally quitting.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I don’t drink alcohol anymore either. The closest I get is filling up the car with a mixture of 90% gasoline (petrol) and 10% ethanol and accidentally inhaling some of the vapors.


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## Überstürzter Neumann (Jan 1, 2014)

I second those who recommend total abstinence. 
I haven't been drinking alcohol for years, and I had to quit it ironically enough for getting a non-alcohol related cirrhosis (Auto-immune). Now I hadn't been such a big drinker before that either, but I did enjoy a glass of red wine or two once in a while. However, fortunately for me, I was always very disciplined when it cam eto such things - I have had to give up a lot during the years - and now I find myself not missing it at all.
As long as I am allowed to keep my coffee I am in clover...


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

atsizat said:


> How long should I go without drinking for me to forget about getting drunk?


The answer can be found here:


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

starthrower said:


> Good points, but the support group doesn't have to be AA. Some people have a problem with AA because it's a religious based organization and is quite dogmatic in its approach to therapy.


That's true. It was put forth only as possibly a place to start. Sometimes AA is the easiest way to at least connect with others facing the same problem. The sad thing is that there are not a lot of accessible inexpensive alternatives to AA. I've had experience with a very close family member, interventions, rehabs, hospitalizations for accidents secondary to drinking, the whole ball of wax. He rejected or screwed up all of our attempts to help.

However, one day he just gave up drinking not long after his first DUI put a wrench in his advancing in his vocation. According to statistics, at least half the time, alcoholics who give up drinking do so on their own for all sorts of reasons.


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## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

I don't drink anymore, not because of some great will-power on my part, but because it's makes me sick, even one glass.

But for years I did this and it worked: Don't go to bars and never drink in public. Drink at home, after or with dinner, and never buy more than what you are going to drink that night. Instead of buying a case of beer, buy 2 or 3 cans at a time.

Good luck.


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## atsizat (Sep 14, 2015)

Pyotr said:


> I don't drink anymore, not because of some great will-power on my part, but because it's makes me sick, even one glass.
> 
> But for years I did this and it worked: Don't go to bars and never drink in public. Drink at home, after or with dinner, and never buy more than what you are going to drink that night. Instead of buying a case of beer, buy 2 or 3 cans at a time.
> 
> Good luck.


I drink so much when I do and I don't remember what I have done at the end of the day and later on, I pass out. I don't remember how I get to the bed and sleep.

That is an alcoholic behaviour, isn't it?


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

That's really great you were able to do that, Atsizat. You were able to set achievable goals to control your drinking. If the thought of completely avoiding alchohol would make you lose motivation, then this may be the best way to control already. I would suggest drinking in smaller amounts when you do, or at a time you are less likely to do damage .


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## haydnguy (Oct 13, 2008)

I"m no doctor but it sounds like to me from your original post that you tend toward being a "binge drinker". That means, you don't drink that often but when you do, you drink too much. I would not only count the days but see if your drinking "episodes" get worse (you start drinking more and more during those times.)

Also, you might want to notice what was happening around the time you drank. Were you particularly stressed? Kind of, what was going on? You might be able to see a pattern.

I know people will disagree with this but I don't think there is a "one size fits all" on things like this.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Atiszat needs to get help with this; self-help is not likely to work at this stage. This kind of binge drinking makes one particularly subject to alcohol toxicity and even alcohol poisoning during these events. The liver is particularly vulnerable and liver enzymes will rise (sign of early liver damage) before too long. Not to mention that serious accidents can occur. If you have a family doctor, pay him a visit he may be able to give you some guidance


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