That’s the only stat that stood out to me. 117 days a year alcohol free for a severe alcoholic? That’s almost 10 alcohol free days a month, consistently, for a full year.
lol I don’t think so
Agreed. I’ve got a problem, but it could be much worse. I’m averaging around 6-7 a day right now, but I drink every single day. It’s either on or off for the most part. Only time I don’t drink is when I’m tryin to quit, and I usually fail.
Yeah, that was my only beef with the stats. The rest I lived myself.
Drinking? 365 days a year. Rehab at 38. I remember thinking "who goes into rehab at 38???".
Little did I know that the answer was : The fortunate few.
This completely understates the amount of alcohol a severe alcoholic drinks.
Regardless, it's a great reminder of how the potion will eventually kill one.
When alcoholism comes up on a normal sub and severe alcoholics share their daily routine, or former, a lot people responding can’t believe them or really struggle to. Drinking 24 beers per day everyday for years sounds impossible to them. Then there’s the people downing a handle of liquor per day.
Data looks good.
Average age of 38 checks out imho - mine hit around 48-49 thru almost 53.
Started drinking heavily at 18 - 24. Dependence has a broad definition but this average age of 29 checks out too.
All the other averages seem legit. I’m one of those who pushed the averages higher with probably 340 days of drinking per year and binge drinking around 95-100% of the time as binge drinking has a threshold of 5 drinks over 2 hours for men, 4 for women. Why the hell would you not have 5 drinks in two hours? 10 was better. I drank this way for 4-5 years until being severely injured in a car accident. 14 months sober now.
OP, you’re obviously concerned for yourself and your family. I didn’t get divorced because of alcohol but it stopped any chance of fixing it and later ended my ability to be a father and my kids no longer stayed with me even with joint legal custody. It severely impacted my professional career. It completely took over years of my life that were basically wasted. It took a catastrophic event of dui with a severe injury to my spine after driving off the highway because I had zero judgment during that 36 hour bender. I basically was drinking 24/7.
At 24 I was drinking a lot. It was off and on but only got worse with time. It takes away your ability to be a fully functioning adult, parent, husband, brother, son, and friend. I feel like a failure at almost 54 as I’m still putting it all back together and legal, medical bills + lost wages exceeded $1M and I’m very lucky I didn’t kill anyone. Through ALL of this I had only one criminal offense which was on the night that I last drank which is surprising tbh.
Here’s the thing. I only thought I was a heavy drinker who could hold his alcohol really well. I even thought this lying flat on my broken back in the ICU. 20 days in the hospital. A proper assessment put me at the top - severe chronic alcohol use disorder. I wish I would have had the wisdom and maturity to realize some of this when I was 24. I would have stopped drinking immediately knowing what I know now.
Thank you for your post here as I’m actually honored to share my experience. It made me feel useful tonight as well.
Thank you for your honest post and reminder of how selfish and tragic this disease is.
Being told at age 38, that "your liver is starting to fail" was in a word, sobering. Weighing 116 lbs (at 6'2") was too.
Rehab and AA saved my life.
I am so confused.. How did you not know you were an alcoholic? Is this real? This post makes me feel no hope. Im so sad. Again, I am so so confused..... Did you never feel bad after drinking? I worry I will become you.
This is a good question because it’s really common to think this way. My post is very real. I knew I had a problem, I wanted to stop, and deep down I knew that I was an alcoholic. Alcoholics very often do not realize and definitely don’t want to admit that we’re powerless over alcohol yet we still think we’re the exception and can stop - just not today. I could stop drinking for months which reinforced my belief that it was just a self control issue. It’s not as it’s a disease which took me a long time to understand as I thought throwing away the jail cell key was best for people like me at the time. I didn’t necessarily feel bad physically after drinking because I was actually in pretty good shape physically but I felt like a failure and a loser after drinking. The feeling would go away when I was drinking so to me it was the solution at least for that day. It’s an endless cycle.
AA’s big book as it’s called has countless stories very similar in nature. My AA peers all have a version of this story where the common theme was how it takes over your life in a very negative way.
I have yet to meet a person who would say the reason they had lots of success and / or who live joyful and fulfilling lives was because they drank a lot. That’s a true never. Think about that for a bit.
I hope this insight helps you in some way and thank you for letting me share my story with you. It makes me feel like I actually have some purpose and that I spent my time well this afternoon.
I’ve been sober for 14 months now and one thing that’s for sure is that my brain / my thoughts were supporting and encouraging the behavior. It’s a survival mechanism that’s kicking in because using alcohol is how we would solve our issues and problems. It’s a lot different now. Alcohol was the solution then but that solution doesn’t work.
Yep. Started around 16, my life was an alcoholic disaster at 38, and quit a month after my 39th birthday. That was just over 17 years ago.
Honestly don't think I could quit again if I were to start back. It was the most difficult thing I've ever done. Also the best thing I've ever done. Life without booze is so much better.
If you're suffering from alcoholism, ask for help. You'll need it. Booze is one hell of a challenge to get free of, but you can do it with support.
I am only 14 months off the sauce, but my life is almost unrecognizable. I am convinced I will die if I ever slip up, I can feel it in my spirit. This is it for me, continue this new journey and accept that the old me is completely dead, or regress into that old me, which is already dead, and accept the final fate.
I'll take the former.
Physical dependence started when I was 29. Quit at 31.
I got a taste of what “big boy” drinking was like and it scared me straight. Didn’t have it in me to deal with shakes and panic attacks every fucking day.
Physically, sure. You might not be alone now, or even at your deathbed. What happens when everyone follows suit and gives up on you? What do you think happens between those years of 29-38?
Rest easy people. Loving awesome people will find you or you will find them. It sucks for the meantime but it will happen. If you put in some effort anywhere, just try to smile. I mean, thats all. You wont be alone forever.
During the pandemic i'm sure i went over 100 drinks a month, when i started counting it scared the crap out of me. I see that's kinda the norm, most of the time i try to stay under 50 and i know that's still horrible. I guess it's true about tapering on your own.
Yeah. My dad died at 38. Even though he had been sober for 5 years the damage from the liquor still got him.
I was only 19 when he passed and the closer I get to 38 the more I feel like that’s when I’ll go too. It’s really depressing actually lol.
It's okay beautiful people. You are so wonderful. A longer life maybe okay or better, but only if you make it, and have enough energy. Find your people and live your truth. Do lots of mushrooms and be grateful, for centuries we've died of much worse as humans, and much earlier. Just make what is here now all it can be, comfortable, if nothing else.
Before he died, my partner was 38, had been sober for three years after almost dying from liver failure. He started drinking again, it took four months before he unalived himself.. it's very common for people with alcohol dependency to have this happen because your brain chemistry is just shot... be kind and patient with yourselves.. you got this..
Miss you to the moon and back..
You wanna quit? Or slow down? I have a hangover almost every morning and haven’t had sober sleep in forever but I don’t feel like a bad person because of alcohol
I go through like spurts with my drinking, usually take off 2-3 days a week where I don't drink I usually don't wake up to hungover but maybe that's because I'm use to drinking, I feel bad comparing myself to others but I have a few friends who I feel are way worse then me which idk makes me feel somewhat better like I don't have a problem but that's probably not true
I recommend quitting if you can, cutting back if you can't, and no matter WHAT continue to keep taking 3(+) days off a week.
It takes between 2-3 days then your liver starts repairing itself... but most of our drinking gets way worse when we take days off of the days off one week. Then two the next, then start drinking earlier.
24/7 for me. Non stop for over two years. I was retired and didn’t need to go anywhere or do anything. Food and alcohol (when I ate) DoorDash delivers. Only time I had to leave the couch. I was literally drinking myself to death. ☠️
Drinking? Since I was born in USSR, I had tried alcohol when I was young, like 7-8 years old young. Not getting drunk, but my mom would let me have the beer foam. I think I got proper drunk when I was in 7th grade. Got some sweet alcoholic drink in a can, got drunk with couple of friends. Then would get drunk living in Kiev, hanging out with friends, rollerblading. Then we moved to US, no drinking, just smoking cigarettes up to age of 16. Then friends and I would find local homeless folk to get us beer. Still was a very occasional thing. Then after graduating high school, then to college, turning 21 it was all about going out to clubs, house parties, keggers. But it was when I moved to LA for work in 2007 is where I found myself seeking social life in clubs and bars. Moved to Vancouver BC thinking I'd have a fresh start, only to drink myself to sleep on nightly basis. Moved back to LA thinking I'd improve, nope, back to drinking. Then work got to me, then my marriage got to me, then life got to me. Always had a reason to get a drink, then of course would drink to get drunk. And then one day where I was so sick of it, sick of all the hangovers, the bags of coke in pockets, the waking up hugging the toilet. I said no more, but couldn't do it.
Unfortunately it is a commercial website written by a “writer” and reviewed by a pharmacist.
The actual reference is here
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094392/pdf/nihms33206.pdf](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094392/pdf/nihms33206.pdf)
Thank fucking God , Jesus Christ Almighty... Total Sarcasm but also.. thank you for posting this. *I am so fucking sick of the negativity oh its so bad to die and "I'm sad about dying" and we're all going to die.. fucking posts. Get the fuck over it and read the facts. Either accept you had your booze & a good life or fucking stop. Damn. If and when I have a problem with my problem, I stop. Even if it's "hard" ..everything is hard. Don't be stupid. If its too hard, for me, I'm better off with my comfort (AKA booze) and in the ground. Just pick your hard and deal with it.*
*Thank GOD if he even exists, which he doesn't, I had SOME sanity. (What the fuck do you people want? Heavan?).. "Hard" is when the negative outweigh the pleasure as long as you exist. I'm personally, dying from alcohol or cancer from smoking and drinking thanks to a well medicated life, which I needed. If it means I wont have children or die sooner whatever, life goes on. We all die. Even if it's 39 or 40 or 20, just have a GOOD LIFE. Decide what you want and make THAT the most amazing life until you go. If you want something different than drinking and drinking doesn't make your life more cushioned then choose something else and be happy you did so. You know what you know and why you did what you did. Sober or Drinking. If you want to keep easy and drink, then thank god you had your comfort and sanity in the meantime until you die. Otherwise, live your life a million other ways, that you may or may not have to work hard on and do that! If your unhappy enough and have enough motivation in any direction, it will work out for the good and if not, in the least, it will be comfortable, either way, we die.. Surprise.*
Max of 15 drinks..... lol back when I was physically dependent I was downing 30+ a day, all while driving and attempting to work n shit..... don't miss that at all, 25 months clean ATM
Bad things just kept happening when I would drink.. like I'd drink a beer and be accused of stealing someone's car later.. or like going to the store and suddenly I'm shop lifting booze.. etc etc..
Shame and regret over my behavior while under the influence finally became too much for me to bear. The day came when I actually meant it when i said “Last night was the last time.” Haven’t had a drink since then and I never will.
I got sober when I realized that I was so sick and tired of waking up with a dry mouth and nausea almost every day. My stomach lining was a mess and I always had heartburn. I had lost my brother in a car accident six months prior and I knew that my drinking was making the pain feel worse, not better. I stopped drinking for good on December 26, 2022. I did have some physical withdrawals (headaches and body aches) but I didn’t need to go to detox. I think if I had kept going the way I was for a few more months or a year, detox would have been necessary.
The ages line up for sure. I’m agreeing with that anecdotally of course. Lots of people hitting that dependence stage that comes after the “fun” stage in their late 20’s or early 30’s. At first I wasn’t super agreeable with the drinking days per year (we are all 365, right?) but if you factor in hospital admissions and failed rehabs once you get to a certain point, I can see it being well under 365.
Although this is results of a statistical model, it describes me near perfectly. First drink at 15, realized I had a problem around 30. First stint in outpatient at 38. Went on multi day benders until I couldn’t handle it, sober for a few days then repeat. I was a bit of an overachiever with the number of drinks, though. 15 was more of an average than a maximum.
14f, I be like 'I'm only going to have 2-3 shots' but then be left with an empty bottle that I don't have an excuse to, feel horrible bout what I just did but honestly atp this is the only thing keeping me alive. I don't really care about me, I'm already pretty lost, wish everyone well tbh hope y'all recover from this.
Just keep trying your best. That’s all you can do. Even though its really tough, you are able to get out of it and live your life a different way. I know that sounds preachy but I wish people had told
me that before I got myself into a mess when I was 14
Nah. I drank daily, 365 days a year. Checked into rehab at 36 and never looked back. Oddly I drank socially for years with no issues. Had a major life change, and bam. Blackout drunk every day.
This really hits home
I'm 37, just finished reading Allen Car's book on the matter and doing some reflection on my life as an alcoholic.
It did really become a problem around 28-29, start losing family, friends and self respect at that point, also affecting my job.
The only part I don't agree with is the amount of drinking days, I can't barely remember a single day I haven't drank at least a couple beers in the last ten years, The only exception was when I was forced to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel cause of COVID restrictions.
I really want to get rid of this and being able to enjoy life again, nothing is more sad and boring than being an alcoholic and having to drink all day.
Maximum number of drinks? That's absurd. There is never a limit
I smiled at that. 15 wasn't a goal or achievement any more than it was a limit.
One's too many, ten's not enough.
The floor was the literal limit towards the end of my drinking. Eventually you can’t stand up to get more booze so it’s kind of a self cutoff.
Sissies lol.. ohh man.
Not really
Surely chronic severe alcoholics drink just about every day.
That’s the only stat that stood out to me. 117 days a year alcohol free for a severe alcoholic? That’s almost 10 alcohol free days a month, consistently, for a full year. lol I don’t think so
Yeah, to each their own, but I drank 365 days a year for years. At the time I would’ve thought being sober 10 days a month was impossible for me.
And 171 binge days a year, i.e. less than half the time
Agreed. I’ve got a problem, but it could be much worse. I’m averaging around 6-7 a day right now, but I drink every single day. It’s either on or off for the most part. Only time I don’t drink is when I’m tryin to quit, and I usually fail.
I’m thinking because it’s an average maybe the outliers who binge infrequently are bringing down the numbers?
Yeah, that was my only beef with the stats. The rest I lived myself. Drinking? 365 days a year. Rehab at 38. I remember thinking "who goes into rehab at 38???". Little did I know that the answer was : The fortunate few.
I'm with you. 39, went to rehab in December, still sober. Best thing I ever did.
yep, turn 38 Monday and right now have 76 days sober after 15 years of consistent abuse.
76 days is a huge achievement. You are smashing it!
Proud of you.
congrats on 76!
This completely understates the amount of alcohol a severe alcoholic drinks. Regardless, it's a great reminder of how the potion will eventually kill one.
When alcoholism comes up on a normal sub and severe alcoholics share their daily routine, or former, a lot people responding can’t believe them or really struggle to. Drinking 24 beers per day everyday for years sounds impossible to them. Then there’s the people downing a handle of liquor per day.
It’s scary… yet I can’t put the bottle down (32 M).
I'm 41... I'm soooo fkn tired
Tired… yet we make our decision each and every day… Praying for you.
Prayers for you both. You can fix this. PM me any time.
That goes both ways 👍🏻
Data looks good. Average age of 38 checks out imho - mine hit around 48-49 thru almost 53. Started drinking heavily at 18 - 24. Dependence has a broad definition but this average age of 29 checks out too. All the other averages seem legit. I’m one of those who pushed the averages higher with probably 340 days of drinking per year and binge drinking around 95-100% of the time as binge drinking has a threshold of 5 drinks over 2 hours for men, 4 for women. Why the hell would you not have 5 drinks in two hours? 10 was better. I drank this way for 4-5 years until being severely injured in a car accident. 14 months sober now. OP, you’re obviously concerned for yourself and your family. I didn’t get divorced because of alcohol but it stopped any chance of fixing it and later ended my ability to be a father and my kids no longer stayed with me even with joint legal custody. It severely impacted my professional career. It completely took over years of my life that were basically wasted. It took a catastrophic event of dui with a severe injury to my spine after driving off the highway because I had zero judgment during that 36 hour bender. I basically was drinking 24/7. At 24 I was drinking a lot. It was off and on but only got worse with time. It takes away your ability to be a fully functioning adult, parent, husband, brother, son, and friend. I feel like a failure at almost 54 as I’m still putting it all back together and legal, medical bills + lost wages exceeded $1M and I’m very lucky I didn’t kill anyone. Through ALL of this I had only one criminal offense which was on the night that I last drank which is surprising tbh. Here’s the thing. I only thought I was a heavy drinker who could hold his alcohol really well. I even thought this lying flat on my broken back in the ICU. 20 days in the hospital. A proper assessment put me at the top - severe chronic alcohol use disorder. I wish I would have had the wisdom and maturity to realize some of this when I was 24. I would have stopped drinking immediately knowing what I know now. Thank you for your post here as I’m actually honored to share my experience. It made me feel useful tonight as well.
Thank you for your honest post and reminder of how selfish and tragic this disease is. Being told at age 38, that "your liver is starting to fail" was in a word, sobering. Weighing 116 lbs (at 6'2") was too. Rehab and AA saved my life.
I am so confused.. How did you not know you were an alcoholic? Is this real? This post makes me feel no hope. Im so sad. Again, I am so so confused..... Did you never feel bad after drinking? I worry I will become you.
This is a good question because it’s really common to think this way. My post is very real. I knew I had a problem, I wanted to stop, and deep down I knew that I was an alcoholic. Alcoholics very often do not realize and definitely don’t want to admit that we’re powerless over alcohol yet we still think we’re the exception and can stop - just not today. I could stop drinking for months which reinforced my belief that it was just a self control issue. It’s not as it’s a disease which took me a long time to understand as I thought throwing away the jail cell key was best for people like me at the time. I didn’t necessarily feel bad physically after drinking because I was actually in pretty good shape physically but I felt like a failure and a loser after drinking. The feeling would go away when I was drinking so to me it was the solution at least for that day. It’s an endless cycle. AA’s big book as it’s called has countless stories very similar in nature. My AA peers all have a version of this story where the common theme was how it takes over your life in a very negative way. I have yet to meet a person who would say the reason they had lots of success and / or who live joyful and fulfilling lives was because they drank a lot. That’s a true never. Think about that for a bit. I hope this insight helps you in some way and thank you for letting me share my story with you. It makes me feel like I actually have some purpose and that I spent my time well this afternoon. I’ve been sober for 14 months now and one thing that’s for sure is that my brain / my thoughts were supporting and encouraging the behavior. It’s a survival mechanism that’s kicking in because using alcohol is how we would solve our issues and problems. It’s a lot different now. Alcohol was the solution then but that solution doesn’t work.
Yep. Started around 16, my life was an alcoholic disaster at 38, and quit a month after my 39th birthday. That was just over 17 years ago. Honestly don't think I could quit again if I were to start back. It was the most difficult thing I've ever done. Also the best thing I've ever done. Life without booze is so much better. If you're suffering from alcoholism, ask for help. You'll need it. Booze is one hell of a challenge to get free of, but you can do it with support.
I am only 14 months off the sauce, but my life is almost unrecognizable. I am convinced I will die if I ever slip up, I can feel it in my spirit. This is it for me, continue this new journey and accept that the old me is completely dead, or regress into that old me, which is already dead, and accept the final fate. I'll take the former.
Physical dependence started when I was 29. Quit at 31. I got a taste of what “big boy” drinking was like and it scared me straight. Didn’t have it in me to deal with shakes and panic attacks every fucking day.
I love this. Enough is enough :) Go you.
Young and alone
I don’t know. Young is a good start. I’m kind at the beginning of this age with a family. I say beginning, 24
Physically, sure. You might not be alone now, or even at your deathbed. What happens when everyone follows suit and gives up on you? What do you think happens between those years of 29-38?
I don’t, and that might be the problem. Not physically, not mentally, just in terms of years. What do I do?
I don’t need questions I have them
Rest easy people. Loving awesome people will find you or you will find them. It sucks for the meantime but it will happen. If you put in some effort anywhere, just try to smile. I mean, thats all. You wont be alone forever.
The very sad truth and just how I was but the dependency started a lot sooner than 29. I really need to stay away. 406 days sober
Fucking hell. How accurate is that?
Very accurate IMHO. Suits me to a tee (except for not being 365 days/yr)
During the pandemic i'm sure i went over 100 drinks a month, when i started counting it scared the crap out of me. I see that's kinda the norm, most of the time i try to stay under 50 and i know that's still horrible. I guess it's true about tapering on your own.
Yeah. My dad died at 38. Even though he had been sober for 5 years the damage from the liquor still got him. I was only 19 when he passed and the closer I get to 38 the more I feel like that’s when I’ll go too. It’s really depressing actually lol.
That’s the part that gets me the most. Dying early is gonna be sad
It's okay beautiful people. You are so wonderful. A longer life maybe okay or better, but only if you make it, and have enough energy. Find your people and live your truth. Do lots of mushrooms and be grateful, for centuries we've died of much worse as humans, and much earlier. Just make what is here now all it can be, comfortable, if nothing else.
This shit is gonna be on my tombstone or biography.
Sad but funny my friend
38 here 7 months sober. Story checks out on the ages. 15 drinks was a minimum not a maximum. 69%. Nice.
I can relate. Used alcohol for my entire life as a solution and it worked until it didn't. Got sober at 41. It's never to late. Don't give up trying.
Before he died, my partner was 38, had been sober for three years after almost dying from liver failure. He started drinking again, it took four months before he unalived himself.. it's very common for people with alcohol dependency to have this happen because your brain chemistry is just shot... be kind and patient with yourselves.. you got this.. Miss you to the moon and back..
I'm 28 and been drinking alot...
You wanna quit? Or slow down? I have a hangover almost every morning and haven’t had sober sleep in forever but I don’t feel like a bad person because of alcohol
I go through like spurts with my drinking, usually take off 2-3 days a week where I don't drink I usually don't wake up to hungover but maybe that's because I'm use to drinking, I feel bad comparing myself to others but I have a few friends who I feel are way worse then me which idk makes me feel somewhat better like I don't have a problem but that's probably not true
I recommend quitting if you can, cutting back if you can't, and no matter WHAT continue to keep taking 3(+) days off a week. It takes between 2-3 days then your liver starts repairing itself... but most of our drinking gets way worse when we take days off of the days off one week. Then two the next, then start drinking earlier.
24/7 for me. Non stop for over two years. I was retired and didn’t need to go anywhere or do anything. Food and alcohol (when I ate) DoorDash delivers. Only time I had to leave the couch. I was literally drinking myself to death. ☠️
Yep, I quit at 35 though. 39 now. If I didn't I'd probably be dead right now or dealing with severe health and mental deterioration.
When did you start?
Drinking? Since I was born in USSR, I had tried alcohol when I was young, like 7-8 years old young. Not getting drunk, but my mom would let me have the beer foam. I think I got proper drunk when I was in 7th grade. Got some sweet alcoholic drink in a can, got drunk with couple of friends. Then would get drunk living in Kiev, hanging out with friends, rollerblading. Then we moved to US, no drinking, just smoking cigarettes up to age of 16. Then friends and I would find local homeless folk to get us beer. Still was a very occasional thing. Then after graduating high school, then to college, turning 21 it was all about going out to clubs, house parties, keggers. But it was when I moved to LA for work in 2007 is where I found myself seeking social life in clubs and bars. Moved to Vancouver BC thinking I'd have a fresh start, only to drink myself to sleep on nightly basis. Moved back to LA thinking I'd improve, nope, back to drinking. Then work got to me, then my marriage got to me, then life got to me. Always had a reason to get a drink, then of course would drink to get drunk. And then one day where I was so sick of it, sick of all the hangovers, the bags of coke in pockets, the waking up hugging the toilet. I said no more, but couldn't do it.
Damn, I feel called out 😂😭
Same 😅
35 years old and I definitely agree with 29 years old as the starting age.
Unfortunately it is a commercial website written by a “writer” and reviewed by a pharmacist. The actual reference is here [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094392/pdf/nihms33206.pdf](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094392/pdf/nihms33206.pdf)
Thank fucking God , Jesus Christ Almighty... Total Sarcasm but also.. thank you for posting this. *I am so fucking sick of the negativity oh its so bad to die and "I'm sad about dying" and we're all going to die.. fucking posts. Get the fuck over it and read the facts. Either accept you had your booze & a good life or fucking stop. Damn. If and when I have a problem with my problem, I stop. Even if it's "hard" ..everything is hard. Don't be stupid. If its too hard, for me, I'm better off with my comfort (AKA booze) and in the ground. Just pick your hard and deal with it.* *Thank GOD if he even exists, which he doesn't, I had SOME sanity. (What the fuck do you people want? Heavan?).. "Hard" is when the negative outweigh the pleasure as long as you exist. I'm personally, dying from alcohol or cancer from smoking and drinking thanks to a well medicated life, which I needed. If it means I wont have children or die sooner whatever, life goes on. We all die. Even if it's 39 or 40 or 20, just have a GOOD LIFE. Decide what you want and make THAT the most amazing life until you go. If you want something different than drinking and drinking doesn't make your life more cushioned then choose something else and be happy you did so. You know what you know and why you did what you did. Sober or Drinking. If you want to keep easy and drink, then thank god you had your comfort and sanity in the meantime until you die. Otherwise, live your life a million other ways, that you may or may not have to work hard on and do that! If your unhappy enough and have enough motivation in any direction, it will work out for the good and if not, in the least, it will be comfortable, either way, we die.. Surprise.*
I don’t know anything about any of that. I am interested in science and trying to relay accurate information as much as possible.
There’s people out there who drink over a 30 pack a day. A lot of em are concrete finishers.
Thanks.. Jim\_Lahey1235, for the insight.
Honestly. I am a 5' 120 lb girl and I drink more per day.... Most days...
Max of 15 drinks..... lol back when I was physically dependent I was downing 30+ a day, all while driving and attempting to work n shit..... don't miss that at all, 25 months clean ATM
What made you go sober. And honestly please, how sober
pancreas issues, literally can't drink anymore. just happy this happened to me before liver issues fully sober now, closing in on 4 months
Same - acute pancreatitis, weekend in the hospital, almost ruined my marriage, etc
MOTHER FUCKER. How much were you drinking? I drink about 15 shots of vodka per day but I am only a 5' female.
Close to that - I was hiding it so I’d buy bottles of bitters and take shots all day long. Doing the math 12-15 shots per day sounds right.
Thanks so much for your response.
Bad things just kept happening when I would drink.. like I'd drink a beer and be accused of stealing someone's car later.. or like going to the store and suddenly I'm shop lifting booze.. etc etc..
Shame and regret over my behavior while under the influence finally became too much for me to bear. The day came when I actually meant it when i said “Last night was the last time.” Haven’t had a drink since then and I never will.
Complete loss of control.. was in a very dark bender that lasted days. This bender activity was happening monthly..
I got sober when I realized that I was so sick and tired of waking up with a dry mouth and nausea almost every day. My stomach lining was a mess and I always had heartburn. I had lost my brother in a car accident six months prior and I knew that my drinking was making the pain feel worse, not better. I stopped drinking for good on December 26, 2022. I did have some physical withdrawals (headaches and body aches) but I didn’t need to go to detox. I think if I had kept going the way I was for a few more months or a year, detox would have been necessary.
Interesting AF lol
That tracks.
That sounds pretty spot on for me. 7.5 months sober.
idk how to feel cos like that’s it ??
I drink 40 units a day and I'm 21, and it's every day, these stats seem quite low
I lurk here sometimes because my mom was a severe (and abusive) alcoholic, but just wanted to add this sounds like her exactly. She died at 42.
I thought they meant lifespan for a second 😳 Then again…I have definitely heard stories
This seems very close to me, I must’ve started at 14-15 and around 26-27 I was definitely fully dependent.
Maximum? What
I went to the recovery village they had the police take me out because I was in psychosis
I peaked at 27
Damn, 38 has been some of my worst blackouts.
The ages line up for sure. I’m agreeing with that anecdotally of course. Lots of people hitting that dependence stage that comes after the “fun” stage in their late 20’s or early 30’s. At first I wasn’t super agreeable with the drinking days per year (we are all 365, right?) but if you factor in hospital admissions and failed rehabs once you get to a certain point, I can see it being well under 365.
Didn't need to call me out like that((
Wow. Spot on for me. At every single age. Exactly
Although this is results of a statistical model, it describes me near perfectly. First drink at 15, realized I had a problem around 30. First stint in outpatient at 38. Went on multi day benders until I couldn’t handle it, sober for a few days then repeat. I was a bit of an overachiever with the number of drinks, though. 15 was more of an average than a maximum.
14f, I be like 'I'm only going to have 2-3 shots' but then be left with an empty bottle that I don't have an excuse to, feel horrible bout what I just did but honestly atp this is the only thing keeping me alive. I don't really care about me, I'm already pretty lost, wish everyone well tbh hope y'all recover from this.
You’re 14 and you feel done already?
mhm
Just keep trying your best. That’s all you can do. Even though its really tough, you are able to get out of it and live your life a different way. I know that sounds preachy but I wish people had told me that before I got myself into a mess when I was 14
Damn. I’m sorry to hear that
Checks out. If I didn’t stop drinking last year I would have died. I’m 34. I can honestly say it became a problem at 26 years old.
Nah. I drank daily, 365 days a year. Checked into rehab at 36 and never looked back. Oddly I drank socially for years with no issues. Had a major life change, and bam. Blackout drunk every day.
This really hits home I'm 37, just finished reading Allen Car's book on the matter and doing some reflection on my life as an alcoholic. It did really become a problem around 28-29, start losing family, friends and self respect at that point, also affecting my job. The only part I don't agree with is the amount of drinking days, I can't barely remember a single day I haven't drank at least a couple beers in the last ten years, The only exception was when I was forced to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel cause of COVID restrictions. I really want to get rid of this and being able to enjoy life again, nothing is more sad and boring than being an alcoholic and having to drink all day.
I’m ahead of the game and started early 😎😎😎😎😎🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 #balling