Worry around alcohol and health

[chronichypo 3]

Does anyone else get really paranoid about all the health warnings around drinking alcohol? I’m a 34 year old male and am supposed to have no more than 21 units a week and no more than 3-4 units on any one day, however I reckon I’ve regularly drunk more like 30-35 units a week since the age of 18 and still do from just going out once a week and maybe having a couple of other drinks throughout the week with 3-4 days where I don’t drink anything so I’ve started to become terrified I’m going to develop mouth, throat or oesophageal c****r any day now. What I want is to just be able to go out and enjoy myself like all my friends do, but I’ve downloaded an app called Drink Aware where it invites you to log all the drinks you have and then gives you warnings etc. but it’s just making me feel 10 times worse as I can’t seem to get through a week without being told I’m putting myself at risk of scores of deadly diseases. I try to talk to some of my friends about it but no one seems bothered, so I feel like I’m being overly worried or paranoid and wish I could just let go but don’t seem to be able to. Anyone got any insight/advice?

[HDBobbers 55]

c****r from the social drinking of alcohol?  Not a chance.

 

Like the old saying goes... everything in moderation.  Only in excess will you come to harm.  You are not going to hurt yourself by having a couple of drinks.

[chronichypo 3]

That's not what all the websites on the long term effects of alcohol say :-(

[chronichypo 3]

And how do you define social drinking? I'm talking about one proper night put a week, i.e. getting drunk and then maybe 1 or 2 drinks on 1 or 2 other evenings a week.

[HDBobbers 55]

Social drinking is a few drinks a week with others.  Not drinking with the intent to get smashed.  A few beers, or a couple of cocktails.

 

Stop reading the internet health garbage.  You're just fueling anxiety.

[chronichypo 3]

I know you're partly right, but it's not just internet health garbage I'm reading, it's also government health websites, charity health websites, all say they use medical stats and research. Thing is I do get drunk once a week most weeks, and it's not because I set out to get smashed, it's just that one long night out on the town involves a good few drinks, and like I say I reckon I tend to have 30-35 units.

[jonathan123 2368]

HDB is right. Moderation should be exercised in everything. Why do we have to go to excess? Drinking is a good example. Having a social drink occasionally is fine, no problem. But getting drunk on a regular basis is stupid and asking for trouble. There is no such thing as drowning our sorrows. Sorrows can't be drowned in alcohol, they just get worse. For once the website may be right. It is a fact, like it or not, that alcohol has a bad effect on the liver and if taken to excess, all the other organs too. It is also a depressive and should not be used in anxiety. You may feel good in the short term but coming down earth with a bump the next day is not helpful. I am not aware of any chance of developing a major disease from normal social drinking; but social drinking can lead to over drinking which we often do to keep up with friends who do drink to excess. Have and enjoy a drink now and then, but keep it at now and then.     Jon.

 

Just seen your last post. Why do you deny facts? It is a fact that drinking to excess can damage vital organs. It is like smoking. 50 Years ago the Royal College of Surgeons in the UK spoke of a 'holocaust' in years to come from excessive smoking. They have been proved right. Sticking our head in the sand solves no problems.    

[StephanieJayne 11]

I'll admit I drink FAR too much. And I do worry too that I'm putting my health at risk. I can easily drink 5-6 bottles of wine a week at home, which is basically 2.5 glasses a night, plus the odd pint here and there throughout the week when we go to the pub for lunch or dinner.

The reality is, I struggle to sleep if I've not had enough wine before bed which I know is dreadful, but otherwise I'm wide awake most of the night because I can't turn my thoughts off.

At the moment I'm not ready to cut back. Once I've got this bout of anxiety under control I'll have to work to reign it in. But right now I'm focusing on other aspects of improvement which are severely affecting my day to day living.

But if you're worried you've got two choices. You can listen to the app and ease your drinking. Maybe restrict drinking to only on your days off? Or just three times a week. Or limit yourself to one drink a night at home and three if you're socialising? If you're app starts to say you're no longer drinking unhealthy amounts maybe your worry will ease.

Alternatively you could ignore the app and uninstall it and carry on as you are. Everything we do bears risk. And ultimately we will get ill at some point. But if you monitor anything I.. How much salt you eat, how little water you drink, how much saturated fat you consume, you're likely to get the same results, health warnings about over indulging and the potential resultant diseases.

It is possible to drink in moderation and I suggest you start there. If you want to cut back but don't feel able, then it might be worth seeking further help.

The concern with alcohol is that it is a drug and it is addictive, but there's no shame if you're concerned that you becoming unhealthily dependant in admitting the fact and asking for help to improve.

It's up to you really. Do you want to cut back? Are you able to if you want? Or do you want to carry on as you are?

[HDBobbers 55]

I'm not sure what a unit is.  Is that a European thing?

 

The best i can tell you is that those people that drink in excess, meaning, they drink heavily on a regular basis do have the chance to have health issues.  Yes, c****r hits that list, but even on the .gov website they define that you'd have to be in a destructive pattern to meet that state.

 

Quite simply, you are not drinking enough to harm yourself.  

[chronichypo 3]

@Jonathan, I think you may have misread my post, I wasn't denying any facts, all I'm doing is questioning how concerned I should be about my drinking habits whilst trying to also enjoy life and not get down with thoughts that by going out and letting loose once a week I'm storing up long term health problems for myself. I don't drink to drown my sorrows or to deal with anxiety, I drink when I'm out on a night out because I find it fun and enjoyable but as I say, nights out can last several hours so the number of drinks easily notches up before I know it.

 

@Stephanie, thanks for the advice, def good questions to be asking myself and @HDB, a unit is about half a pint of beer, so by drinking 30-35 units that's about 15-18 pints of beer across a week.

[HDBobbers 55]

15-18 pints is much heavier than what i drink.  Comparatively, i drank 8, 12oz bottles at a cookout on Saturday.  1 pint being 16oz, so i drank 6 pints total if i'm doing my R*****d math correctly... i hate math.  For me to drink 15-18 pints in a week would be very difficult.

 

I don't drink much mainly because it depresses me.  All of the problems in my head just get amplified, and when i already feel like killing myself on most days, I get weepy.

[JOYCICLE 654]

That's not what all the websites on the long term effects of alcohol say :-(

There are a lot of websites that say the sun causes skin c****r but there are a lot of other websites that say sunscreen causes skin c****r and not the sun the screen is protecting you from. Who you going to believe?  Do you feel you drink too much? Is drinking becoming a nuisance in your life? Hangovers, fights with friends, drinking when you should be doing other things?  If not, then stop reading the internet and enjoy yourself. If you feel you are drinking too much, cut back or cut it out altogether. Only you know if you're drinking too much. If you're drinking plenty of regular water to keep your body hydrated, there is nothing wrong with some drinks now and then. Are you drinking daily ? 

[JOYCICLE 654]

15-18 pints is much heavier than what i drink.  Comparatively, i drank 8, 12oz bottles at a cookout on Saturday.  1 pint being 16oz, so i drank 6 pints total if i'm doing my R*****d math correctly... i hate math.  For me to drink 15-18 pints in a week would be very difficult.

 

I don't drink much mainly because it depresses me.  All of the problems in my head just get amplified, and when i already feel like killing myself on most days, I get weepy.

Drinking is a depressant so good on you to cut it back. Alcohol can be a good thing but more often than not, it can be an enemy. 

[HDBobbers 55]

That's exactly why i don't drink much.  It doesn't aid me with my depression.  It worsens it.

[chronichypo 3]

No I never drink daily, a typical week might be no drinks Mon-Thurs or perhaps 1 or 2 in that time, then a big night Fri or Sat with maybe 6-7 drinks and that's normally about it, sometimes more sometimes less.

[LadyJ_ 6]

I think you may have a beginning problem with alcohol and are worrying about it.  Forget the health warnings first.  May I ask why do you drink?  Is it for fun? And you say you get drunk about once a week without meaning to.  May I ask what circumstances lead you to not stopping and saying enough instead of continuing to get drunk?  Is it the company you're with?  Is it because you simply want more?  Answering these questions may help you with why you drink the way you do.  And also may I ask if you are scared of all the health issues you may have with drinking as much as you do, why not stop drinking as much as you do?  Just wondering. 

[chronichypo 3]

I drink because I enjoy the way it makes me feel and for fun, I'm a very social person and it oils the wheels as we all know. I do get to a point where I do stop but that's normally a good 6 or 7 beers deep, and yes the company I'm with has a lot to do with it, they're my friends and I enjoy the time we spend bonding over some drinks, getting silly, getting merry so no it's less cos I want more and more because I enjoy it and I'm being social. And the reason I don't stop drinking as much as I do is because I hate denying myself things out of fear, as I know I have such a strong irrational fear about health. My post here was to try and gain some clarity and insight from others who have maybe had the same problems with wanting to have fun and enjoy they're life and not be ruled by fear of what may or may not happen as a result. It's a really difficult balance to strike and I struggle.

[StephanieJayne 11]

I agree. It's such a difficult balance. Especially with something as sensitive as alcohol because of it's inherently addictive nature. As you've not got any problems with stopping or controlling your drinking I would suggest you try only ordering half pints when others order a pint and taking the same amount of time to drinking the round as they do. Or alternatively alternate between alcoholic drinks and soft drinks.

The reality it that whether you're feeling the impact now or not, drinking more than the daily recommended amount, especially as regularly as you are - about 4 times a month I'm assuming - is unhealthy. More than 5 units in one period is considered a binge because of the effect it has on health. You're using your app which is sensible I think fear of regularly (weekly) exceeding the app recommendation is sensible. So try to adjust your regular drinking behaviours to comply with the recommended guidelines. However if you have less than the recommended limit every week but exceed the limit two weeks out of the year ( I.e birthdays, christmas, special occasions) I wouldn't stress too much about these occasional over indulgences.

Even if your colleagues and friends aren't as concerned or considerate about their health in relation to alcohol does not make their choices better. I would say if you're not sure about whether your fear is rational or anxiety led try to think " what would I advice and friend/ a sibling/ a spouse if they asked me about the same scenario?" Sometimes externalising our worries can help us figure out if our anxiety is rational or irrational this time. However, I would say from the history you've given your concerns seem justified in this scenario.

Hope this helps.

Here if you want to talk more- alcohol is my biggest weakness atm - love Stephanie