Actually it was the opposite for me.. alcohol intensified the effects of benzos (seemed like a win-win situation, but of course it wasn't); just saying.
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Actually it was the opposite for me.. alcohol intensified the effects of benzos (seemed like a win-win situation, but of course it wasn't); just saying.
This is my first post on this site. I just quit a week ago. Went from a liter of bourbon 101 every 4 days or so, to nothing. I feel so much better... sorta... the first few days were hell, but I firmly believe that help from The Lord is what got me here. I still have some lingering 'extra' anxiety, but as I get farther away from my last drink, I feel better. I started to 'stress drink', and did so off and on, for about 7 years. At first, I could have 5 or 6 drinks and not touch it again for days or weeks. But after going through two very difficult pregnancies with my wife (nearly lost her and the baby both times due to preeclampsia) my usage kept getting higher. Work has been crazy... as in non existent crazy. My boss's wife just had her second mastectomy (she's 37), so he's busy... and my other coworker just lost his wife (she was 52) to cancer in Dec. of last year.
I have been on some sort of meds since I was 18 (I'm 39 now). I have clinical anxiety/depression. My mom had to be hospitalized due to it and Grandpa drank it away.
So, all that said, I suppose if you can handle it (depending on LOTS of factors), keeping drinks down to a minimum can help 'erase' all symptoms for a a while, but the body will need more and more to keep it away. It should be looked at as a drug. I have to see it that way now. There are times I'm sure I will miss it, but right now (and with The Lord's help) I pray I do not.
Some days I wish I could drink alcohol, but my GI physician advised against it since I had an esophageal ulcer in 2003.
I am going for a follow-up visit to him this Thursday and will inquire again.
Hey and welcomeOriginally Posted by gcltr777
I'm a recovered alcoholic (since 2010 but with many relapses). I actually wanted to reassure you that a litre of bourbon in 4 days isn't that bad. I used to live with a guy who drank a 750ml bottle a day - 500ml at night and 250ml before work! I saw him last year and I'm amazed he's still alive, but men's bodies do tend to cope better with alcohol (I ended up in ICU with pancreatic necrosis).
So even though 250ml/day is enough to make you feel pretty bad it's not a huge amount. Good on you for stopping.. You do get to the stage where you don't even think about it most days
Gypsy x
"You're the worst thing that ever happened to me." --Marla Singer
Thank you very much Gypsy! It's crazy how the stuff gets a hold of you. I have to treat it like a drug now. I will say, I never had blackouts, vomiting, or all these horror stories I've heard. I played drums in a band and we drank a lot. One of my bandmates would have to be picked up from the sewer drain out behind the bar by the bouncer... I never experienced that. I always felt good, happy, and comfortable. And I remember all those memories from then of feeling good... which is what makes it so much worse and easier to abuse. There must be some sort of gene that allows some to 'hold their drink' better than others, but for me, just felt nice and happy. However, fear of what would be happening to my body and wanting to be here for my boys is what brought me to quit. I'm positive that was brought about by God. He gave me a 'heads up' as to what I was doing, because really, I didn't even think about it.Hey and welcome
I'm a recovered alcoholic (since 2010 but with many relapses). I actually wanted to reassure you that a litre of bourbon in 4 days isn't that bad. I used to live with a guy who drank a 750ml bottle a day - 500ml at night and 250ml before work! I saw him last year and I'm amazed he's still alive, but men's bodies do tend to cope better with alcohol (I ended up in ICU with pancreatic necrosis).
So even though 250ml/day is enough to make you feel pretty bad it's not a huge amount. Good on you for stopping.. You do get to the stage where you don't even think about it most days
Gypsy x
Hope things are good for you. Necrosis is a big deal.
Thanks again!
Yeah I'm insulin-dependent diabetic now. It killed the cells in my pancreasBut I see it as a blessing in disguise because it made me face the alcoholism pretty young (I'm 43 and was 35 when it happened). I'm so much better without drinking and if I have it now it has a pretty horrible effect.
I've done a lot of reading about addiction and I posted some stuff on alcohol in one of the other threads recently. I will find it for you. This is the best book I've read on the subject, written by a doctor who works in detox and rehab. It's about brain chemistry and discusses all the major drugs..
"Of all the drugs known to man, there is only one capable of raising five, sometimes six, of the eight neurotransmitters that shape the way we experience life. That drug is alcohol. We in the detoxification profession refer to it as the mother of all drugs or the kick-ass drug. The pharmaceutical industry has never produced a drug as all encompassing in its effect as alcohol.
Alcohol is the ultimate stimulant for the brain. To date, we know of no other agent that comes close to matching its power; alcohol’s effect on the human body is unprecedented. This influential drug is ultra-powerful as a neurotransmitter agonist. It moves the brain’s neurochemicals like no other drug on the planet. Alcohol raises serotonin, GABA, endocannabinoid, glutamate, and at high dose, increases the release of opiates. It also has a significant end-result effect on dopamine (which is very euphoric), adding up to a total of six neurotransmitters being affected. All this stimulation makes alcohol a powerful anti-depressant (not to mention highly addictive) and an even more powerful depressant once it wears off, causing neurotransmitters to plummet."
--Fredrick Von Steiff, Brain in Balance: Understanding the Genetics and Neurochemistry Behind Addiction and Sobriety
Last edited by gypsylee; 02-21-2017 at 05:42 PM.
"You're the worst thing that ever happened to me." --Marla Singer
^Thank you for posting this Gypsy, I've not read that before.
The only thing to say, is, I feel worlds better both physically and I'm much sharper mentally being sober (a month and 5 days for me and counting).
Do you know by any chance how long it takes for the neurotransmitters to return to normal functioning? I've read it can take years - I hope not.
Congratulations gcltr777
What Alcohol Actually Does to Your Brain and Body
Please understand the alcohol is a poisonous substance whatever way you look at it. Just like all forms of unnatural substances/ medicines. Comes down the the lessor of two evils. With regards to alcohol, I think people are kidding themselves to think it can be used as an aid for anxiety. Rather than seeing it as self medicating, I think it to be more on target when viewed as self sabotaging.
Of course "my view" comes from a hard core addict that damaged his liver and screwed his brain ... with alcohol.
I had plenty of good times ... but imo barley worth it.
Last edited by Ponder; 02-22-2017 at 12:53 AM.
"...the cost of sanity in this society is a certain level of alienation" ~ Terrance McKenna → https://pondermovedhere.blogspot.com/
I agree with the previous posts. However, alcohol in moderation can provide cardiovascular benefits. The key is moderation.
Our daughter who is now 26 used to have a boyfriend who drank and was a type one diabetic. After they dated a while he got a bit out of control when he was drinking and
pushed our daughter. That was the end of the relationship. His father also drank alcohol.
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