Ptsd Vs Cptsd - Time Line For Recovery?

[cherryblossom]

Hello Brucielucy,

I just wanted to take this oportunity to welcome you to the forum. Thank you for sharing some of your troubles with us, and I wish you well in continued sobriety. Keep up the good work.

 

[Crusoe]

Welcome Brucielucy :D. I totally agree with what you said. I used to drink a lot although I wouldn't have considered myself to be an alcoholic (yes I know I just criticised my hubby for it above so it does make me a little hypocritical:oops:). I DID drink every day and I often drank to drown my thoughts which meant drinking a bottle or 2 of wine on an evening. Looking back that seems like a horrendous amount per week. I stopped drinking when I became pregnant and after my daughter arrived I went back to drinking every day but could only manage a glass or two. The thought of drinking a whole bottle just seems impossible to me now!!! Anything more than that and I had a bad head the next day. I guess you just get more of an effect from a lesser amount. Not a bad thing :)

 

[anthony]

I have found that my tolerance has dropped and after just a couple of glasses of wine I am decidedly tipsy. I still feel the urge to continue until I am drunk, but I mostly avoid it, and I don't become defensive if my friends say I've had enough.

Yep... one scotch these days and I am feeling dizzy, which I usually instinctively take as "enough Anthony" to avoid any hangover... as I hate those. I can't even drink wine, as I get a hangover from it, so I avoid it at all costs.

Light beer is ok with me, in that I can have a few of those and feel satisfied and also it doesn't make me dizzy or drunk. Obviously if I drunk more than two or three, I may feel differently.

Pretty much a couple standard drinks and I am done nowadays. Even when we go to events... whilst I drink more at them and we usually plan the event using taxi's... I still can't drink much.

One thing I always keep in the back of my mind now is that when I got some blood tests months back... apart from being abundantly healthy across the board, the only negative was that my liver results where a little above normal.. still in the normal range, but still above... which immediately got my attention and I wondered just how lucky I am considering the sheer number of years I abused alcohol and was dependent upon it. I immediately noted that I was extremely lucky that my organs didn't suffer more damage... so now that alone scares me from even drinking alcohol, even though the test was still in the normal range... I didn't like that answer.

For those who aren't sure about some of the damage that alcohol does do, then keep this in the back of your mind when trying to reduce / quit your consumption rates:

What is very clear is that excess consumption particularly over a prolonged period of time causes damage to many of the body's organs.

The brain may be affected causing confusion and memory loss. The peripheral nerves may be damaged causing changes in sensation and numbness.

The liver's function is to break down the alcohol, but prolonged excess can cause scarring of the liver called cirrhosis.
It may also cause disease of the pancreas and inflammation of the stomach. In some patients it may predispose to stomach cancer.

Excess alcohol can produce heart irregularities and weakening of the muscle of the heart wall. It can also upset the body's natural control of blood fats and blood sugar levels.

Prolonged alcohol may also have an effect on the bones causing bone thinning called osteoporosis and reduce the production of blood cells.

The effect of alcohol varies from person to person although it is greatest among women. For this reason women should set their limits at a lower level.

 

[jadebear]

Alcohol is very damaging to the body. My brother was told he doesn't have much longer to live due to cirrhosis of the liver. And he is still drinking, but I think I would too if I was him since he has already been told he is dying.

My dad died from stomach cancer....he had finally quit drinking, but I'm sure all the years he did drink affected his organs.

Thanks for the reminder about the damage it does......all the more reasons I need to get things under control.

 

[jadebear]

start small and look at all available options to begin somewhere with the weekend behaviours

Today is Saturday. When I woke up this morning, I was fine. But then, the anxious, doom feeling kicked in before my husband even left. It makes me feel like I'm being abandoned or something. I talked to him about not working weekends anymore, I told him it has really got old, he has been doing it for so many years now. He just reminded me that it's good money. I guess I can't expect him to change what he does to make things easier for me. I would feel the same way whether he was here or not anyway.

I said before it's more the way I "feel" on the weekends, and that's true. I am almost panicking right now. I feel so depressed, so alone and so anxious. I'm trying to think positive and thinking that today will be a good day and that I'm happy I have things to do before I go to work. Yet, still.....there's this growing "something bad will happen" feeling going on that I can't shake. It consumes me.

If I want to change my behaviours, then I need to find a way to change these feelings. Daytime isn't as bad as evenings/nights. All I want is to not feel this way.

 

[cherryblossom]

You seem quite clear about the times you feel unsafe and vulnerable. That being weekends and evenings. Is it possible to arrange something else to do during these times so you don't feel alone and anxious? Also something that possibly doesn't involve drinking? My ideas being somewhere you would have to drive to (assuming you won't drink and drive ;)). Do you have friends with small children, who can't go out? Perhaps you could offer to go round with a take-a-way? Watch a DVD together? Or perhaps you could babysit, alow them to go out. Or arrange to meet friends for a night at the cinema? I don't know what would work for you. How about arranging a massage, or reflexology session at the weekend. If you make plans for the weekend, maybe you won't feel so alone.... which in turn may curb your feelings to drink. After several weeks, your feelings and attitude should change.....

Anyway, just my thoughts for now. :)

 

[krystina]

All drinking does is make people sick and do things that harm others and themselves

 

[Lucycat]

Hi Krystina, I hear what you say but that is very simplistic. The problem is that alcohol makes me feel good and gives me more confidence. But yes, it then makes me sick and makes me do things that hurt myself.

You are right, but it is not easy to be different from the normal social conventions where most people drink. I feel different enough already and adding this in is hellish.

 

[cherryblossom]

If drinking, or going to the pub is a big part of your social life I'm sure it's hard to stop. I go out and drink, at most once a week. I also have a couple of glasses of wine at home some evenings. As far as I'm concerned, alcohol is fine in moderation.

Lucy, if you usually drink, people might question it, if you only order a soft drink, but this is generally their issue, not yours, and after a while, your friends won't think it's odd if you order a lemonade instead of wine (or whatever). If you drive, use this as an 'excuse' not to have a drink. Come up with different social activities that don't revolve around the local pub. If all else fails, and people ask you why your not drinking, just say you're on a health kick before Christmas. Or that you are on antibiotics or something. You said in another thread that you stopped drinking before, so you can do it again. If you can't currently control what you drink then the only sensible option is to try to cut it out altogether.
(I have to say also, that if you are currently drinking heavily, daily, then cold turkey is not a good move - speak to your Doc about cutting down gradually).