[Closed] Self medicating with Alcohol

Doesn’t sound excessive - I’ve been similar at times in my life.  If you were saying AND rather than OR I’d be more concerned.

Worth keeping an eye on though.

Cheers

depending on the actual units you're getting through I wouldn't say that sounds dreadful from an alcohol consumption perspective (you'll be over the recommendation of course, and that's not healthy in the longer term but you're not exactly smashing it)

BUT ... using alcohol for that sort of reason isn't great - likely will lead to heavier use and will never actually help with the other stuff (and may make it worse)

maybe you could explore better/other ways to address or even remove some of the shite in your life ?  Depends on the actual units of shite you're getting though, too, I suppose.  STW's a genuinely kind place to be if you need to talk about this stuff, as you may have seen.

You have my sympathy, empathy and best wishes for the situation - can't claim to be in the same boat on the alcohol though.

Doesn't sound too excessive and we all have our poisons, some were allowed and some we are not 😉

As a mantra: Everything in moderation, has served me well 😃

Use it for pleasure, don't rely on it to cope.

Dont need to be battered, just comfortably numb.. (not a fan of Pink Floyd by the way)

Unlikley to increase as i have to drive most days?

Sometimes I find my phantom limb is so intense and painful its the only way I can deal with it. The doctor has tried me on different medication (Gabapentin, pharmaceutical fans!) which has reduced the severity and occurrences but its still a big enough issue when it happens that you crave feeling numb just for respite - you get desperate. As mentioned, the most important thing for me is making sure I'm legal to drive the next day. So that means drinking early and stopping with enough time to enable the body to process it all completely. I realise there are a lot of variables there so that means erring heavily on the side of caution.

The doctor did say they would carry out liver function tests to make sure I wasn't causing myself damage but they never did. Luckily my consumption dropped when the Gabapentin started to work.

A dog would be healthier.

The bit where you take it for a walk before and after work.

mmm beer.

A dog would be healthier.

The bit where you take it for a walk before and after work.

Just taking the dog for a walk

You should read Allen Carr's "easy way to give up alcohol".

Even though you might not want to give up booze, the education to its marketing, effects and detriments is worth having in the back of your mind.  I found it much easier to know how and when not to to use it after I'd read this.

Brown dog...

Still good...

Brown dog…

Still good…

Oh man it's not, it's a very average brown ale

You may be much more strong willed in comparison to me, but I used to kid myself that I only drank that much too. Whisky could easily be my downfall, just two glasses a night, ..in a rather large tumbler 😁

So I guess im saying no, not most nights, very slippery slope.

replace the booze with weed.

Perhaps there is something you can do to deal with the shite in your life rather than block it out with alcohol?

Problem is alcohol enhances depression and anxiety the day after and yet it temporarily fixes the problem so you drink more to compensate and the loop goes on.

For physical ailments it can be a relief, short term. Takes your mind off other pains. Though curry is similar and has some health benefits in some spices. Just that you really need lager with it so...😁

alcohol is a depressant, it is not a great medication which is why no doctor would recommend it as a medication. Take care fella

My A&E consultant recommended it for acute pain relief. I drink very little, and three years later the bottle of whiskey has not been opened! The second bottle was given away.

Just be sure you can stop. And do stop to see how you feel.

my addiction is cycling. It serves the same purpose

When I was hit by a car I found a couple of nice beers far better than cocodamol and tramadol as I don't wake up feeling rough so can actually get on with work the next day, unlike when on the above. Used to pick up a selection from the supermarket every time i had an outpatients appointment, good excuse to try lots of different beers and not feel guilty 😀

Was only a short term thing though.

I know it's a bad reason but I find it helps me to relax and switch my brain off. It also helps with anxiety. Having said that, I have found other methods that also help:

- Chamomile tea: I use the flavoured ones, such as vanilla/honey or spiced apple.

- Running: I don't do this enough at the moment but I find it helps with the above ailments.

- Drinking a can of non-alcoholic drink (current fave is coconut water): Being in a can it's a similar experience to having a beer but non-alcoholic.

Having said that, I still use alcohol, but the above allow me to choose when to use it rather than needing to use it.

You should read Allen Carr’s “easy way to give up alcohol”.

Even though you might not want to give up booze, the education to its marketing, effects and detriments is worth having in the back of your mind.  I found it much easier to know how and when not to to use it after I’d read this.

I did this 2 years ago, not touched a drop since. I've coped with everything life's thrown at me since, without even once thinking "I need a drink". As coping mechanisms go I've not needed any sort of crutch. That's going from 2 - 3 bottles of wine most nights to nothing. Life is so much better without it, for both my wife and I. She gave up for lent this year and never started drinking again.

Problem is alcohol enhances depression and anxiety the day after and yet it temporarily fixes the problem

The thing is, it doesn't fix the problem (even temporarily), it's still there when you sober up! It only masks it or numbs it.

Problem with alcohol is it makes you relax and then the demons are liable to escape while you're not paying attention.

I've been here myself and got into a bad habit when I worked shifts. The habit creeps up on you and you only notice it when you can't have a drink, like if you forgot to do the shopping on the way home. Could you comfortably go without for a night? A week? Or would it be a concerted effort with a lot of talk about "being good"?

I have seen this first hand in a number of friends. Just a couple to disconnect or help them relax.

As soon as it becomes something you are using for this purpose it can start to be a crutch that you need. As a depressant this may not help.

For some people (myself included) it can be a slippery slope. Overall I would say once or twice a month maybe but every night not so good. Be honest with yourself and address the reasons that make you want to drink. It’s far harder to make a positive change and much less fun🙁

Smoothie or juice will be loaded with fructose and increase blood sugar - potential for restlessness or difficulty in going to sleep.

Better to fix , or at least attempt to , the root cause of the problem . The same as going for a ride, the problem is when you get back... the wife who is huffy because she had a dream about you having an affair  is there , the bills are there ...... the car that needs a £££ repair  is there  ... that  report you have to finish at home because you failed to complete it at work is still on the table...

Its tough , some people recomend a 10 minute walk as a way to relax , some spend money on shiney things , some drink, some take drugs , tele is chewing gum for the mind . I read , or try to for a few minutes each night , but sleep is good for me, 8 - 9 hrs helps me to take on the world.

Switch to one Noilly Prat before bed 🙂

And get a British Short Hair cat 🙂

Whizzing round the park at night on my electric unicycle is pretty relaxing 🙂

my test would be can you go a week without it.  If not there’s a problem.

Unlikley to increase as i have to drive most days?

theres folk on here who would drive straight after what you described! I wouldn’t rely on that to anchor you.  I often have a glass or two, but not every night.

I did it for a while. I always drank but I was suffering with terrors / flashbacks from work and used it to get shedded so I couldn’t think about much and could sleep. Unfortunately it worked for a while but eventually I just broke my Psycologist said the booze made that more likely as it removed the coping strategies I employed the rest of the time.

i drink normally now but I wouldn’t recommend it as a long term prop.

The thing is, it doesn’t fix the problem (even temporarily), it’s still there when you sober up! It only masks it or numbs it.

Agreed. That's a better way of putting it.

I know lots of people in the same boat as the OP, so I doubt it's unusual, doesn't make it a good idea I suppose.

I was staggered back in winter when we had that snow, I was hiking through the snow to the few shops that were open, everyone else seemed to be buying armfuls of booze, any booze, phoning their friends to ask if they had enough wine etc, I thought they were going mad.

Of course I was there buying 10 ltrs of Diet Pepsi, because if I haven't had a ltr by 11am I get blinding headaches and stomach cramps, which is probably worse.

Maybe not the place to ask this.

But what exactly does this mean ?

" It helps me disconnect and ignore the shite in my life."

"self medicate"

I just dont understand what it means. Im 40 now. I obviously used to drink a fair bit back in Uni peer pressure mainly I guess, took me along time to get into alcohol. I have the occasional drink now very difficult to find the time with kids to be honest.

Like any normal human being I've felt down in the past, I've never had any inclination to drink when down. Any even if I did Idont understand how it "numbs" things the bad stuff/thoughts etc are still there.

I like to have a few to wind down on a night, no harm as long as it's just the couple I guess.

Non-alcoholic beer worth a try?  Same thing but different.  I've been enjoying the Bud Prohibition Brew recently and the Sainsbury's own brand non-alcoholic one is decent too.  The rest feel fairly hollow.

Edit:  My mrs has been a little worried about my drinking so switched to the no-fun beers more to prove a point than anything.  For me I just like having the beers on a night, the process more than the alcohol itself.

On it's own, not a good idea for the long term, but sleep is good for you, and if a couple allow you to relax enough to sleep, I'll take that.

Looking at this morning's washing up it seems the I only drank 2/3 of the 25cl stubbie of Belgian beer I opened last night, sometimes the ritual of sitting down with a bit of unchallenging formulaic telly (Wheeler Dealers and Chasing Classic Cars on series link) and a glass in my hand are more important than the alcohol. Throw a turbo trainer and some kettlebells in the home gym, a couple of mindfulness apps, and a couple of computer games which are engaging enough to not allow other thoughts to sneak past and you have my non medical toolkit. There's a pretty big bag of meds in the bathroom cabinet too though. Beta blockers would be my pick out of the bag, don't alter your feelings, but wind back the adrenaline reaction when things get a bit too much. Find an outlet to let off steam, and someone to talk to.

Of course I was there buying 10 ltrs of Diet Pepsi, because if I haven’t had a ltr by 11am I get blinding headaches and stomach cramps, which is probably worse.

How on earth did you get addicted to that...

It seems like the answer but it's not, I stopped drinking at home a few years ago as those 2 or 3 a night was no good. Last year I was in a massively shit place I ignored the warnings, even the one where I went on a day out and drank myself into oblivion. It ended in me later in the year really suffering after some tragic work related incident. I stopped for 2 months after that, now controlled again even when I go out for a session I stop at a limit.

Alcohol is superb and comes in some mighty fine varieties, not Dog, but it really is shit. Look for another outlet a dog isn't a bad idea mine was one of the biggest helps for getting me out of a really shit place.

How on earth did you get addicted to that…

Addictions aren't what you think they are. They replace something we are missing, social interaction, a loved one or things like feeling of respect.

Is this ever acceptable?

I started writing quite a long post on this, but just seemed to be echoing what other people were saying. I think though it boils down to what you mean by 'acceptable'. That's down to you, but the fact that you're posting here and talking about drinking in terms of 'self medicating' suggests that it's either not acceptable to you or that at least you have strong misgivings about it.

I suspect a counsellor would be suggesting you look at the 'shite in your life', which may or may not be quite what you think it is, and actually looking at some sort of counselling might not be a bad move. It can be a really useful way of getting a different perspective on stuff and maybe finding new ways of fixing things or maybe just coping in a healthier way.

I could never understand the alcoholism thing until I got very very stressed working on a project this year.

I found that the rising panic and anxiety meant that I could not settle down and work productively until I'd had a couple of drinks. A very very slippery slope that one.

I tend to have a drink or two in the evening/with dinner but have always made sure I could cope quite happily with several nights completely off the booze. +1 for the suggestion of sitting down with a bit of mindless TV and cup of herbal tea instead as a distraction from life. If it really is just one or two, though, probably no harm in it. It's when it goes beyond that you need to tread more carefully.

I don't know a lot about "moderate" but regular drinking as I seldom have more than a single beer these days, perhaps once a week.

However, my brother is in the grips of alcohol dependency and I know a lot about that!

The one thing I would add here is that alcohol dependency can have quite modest beginnings and may build over time.  Being aware and talking about it is a good thing.  There's a lot of help out there - but it only works if one recognises that there's a problem and wants to access support.

Yup it’s a very easy route Hero manged to identify a couple of times of being pretty dependent on it. Great feeling at the time but looking back it really wasn’t.

I should also say studying something in the evening is a good way to switch off from everything else as it really helps focus the mind. When I did my geology course I barely drank alcohol at home at all: Not because I consciously made an effort not to, but because my mind was occupied by something I was interested in.

Lots of good advice already....

addiction isn't what you think it is

stands out...

What also stood out was the glass and such being more important than the actual alcohol.... which I totally get except you already know you are self medicating.

The amount you are currently drinking doesn't seem excessive but I think you are correct to be concerned by the pattern and that you are using it to forget the problems.  If you just had a couple of glasses of wine with a meal ... that would be the same amount but with different intent?

Not answers for me or posting back if you don't want  but to ask yourself ....(these aren't really individual questions )

How long will I do this for?

How much am I willing to increase current consumption? (assume you do increase)

Is this going to be easier or harder to knock on the head now or later.?

If the current problems don't go away... and I add a new one how will that be to handle?

In some ways I'd say a walk to the pub and consuming the same amount would be better..

Use it for pleasure, don’t rely on it to cope.

Not sure what the difference is. You cope with the shit things in life by enjoying the good things. If a beer or two helps with that then it's as valid as anything else. I'd much rather (and do) self-medicate with booze than anti-depressants or other medical options.

Not sure what the difference is.

From an external PoV quite a lot .... from the inside (speaking from experience) it's hard to tell.

Specifically I think he means enjoy the taste and the act rather than aim for the effect.

Noilly Prat...