Other Weekend Drinking

[danny33]

Ok so here's my conundrum.
I've drank heavily since i reached 18 (I'm now 33) and never thought much about it. Usually between 2 to 4 pints a night, 5 to 7 nights a week. Due to the delayed onset of my ptsd i didn't even think that I might be self medicating. Anyway when i finally broke in 2013 along came obsessive thoughts, one being that I was an alcoholic. so this November I gave up alcohol for a month then I drank over Christmas but I was in a bad way and it did not agree with me so i gave up for another month. I never really missed it during these times and since then I have been sticking to 2 to 4 pints on a friday and Saturday night and not missed it at all during the week and not felt any ill effects after drinking.
I enjoy a drink with my wife or friends and life is so tough at the moment and just for a while it makes me feel normal. My therapist seems to think it's ok as i don't drink to get drunk, only on weekends and just to relax.
The trouble I am having is with the thoughts and fears (obsessive) that it might be damaging my healing or feeding my ptsd long term. I just want to feel normal for a few hours a week.
Any thoughts or opinions on this would be greatfully received.

 

[Friday]

I drank like a fish for years. Part of it, absolutely, oblivion seeking / self medicating. Had no problem quitting (except my PTSD symptoms got worse... In fact, I went to drug & alcohol treatment. Kicked out after 11 days told I wasn't an addict/alcoholic! Instead they said I needed PTSD treatment. Pronto. Gee. LOL. :roflmao::roflmao::roflmao: Ya think? Not that I did it. I avoided any kind of treatment for PTSD, because it was much easier /less painful to pin my problems on drugs/alcohol, rather than trauma.). Stayed quit for several years. .. Mostly out of spite. I'd show them! PTSD treatment my ass. I'm fine. ;)

Added alcohol back in on a trial basis... No problems.

When my PTSD stuff came back with a vengeance? My knee-jerk response was to quit drinking, again. Did so. Alcohol relaxes self control, and self control was the only thing holding me together! Danger Will Robinson! I'm still in PTSD-badlands, but I've started drinking again. Just like before, I added it in slowly to see if I'd skid out, or be okay.

I'm still okay with it. A little bit of relaxing self control, stress vent, has been a very good thing for me. But I still have to be careful with it. I don't drink often, and when I do limit my consumption to when my self control is decent. I go weeks without if I'm edgy. I might have a beer or few every day if my control is good.

 

[Changing4Best]

My dad was PTSD (he's no longer living) and he used to drink beer quite a bit, but would take off about 2-3 night a month minimum so as not to damage his liver. He lived to the ripe old age of 88, liver intact. However, he gained too much weight, weighing in at around 320 pounds. He also ended up in a wheelchair, having trouble walking.

I'd suggest you look into PTSD treatment, and not try to treat your PTSD with drinking. You may think that you can get away with drinking that much, but the truth is that you cannot drink like that and not have it affect some part of your health. One thing I can say is that the health problems my dad got crept up slowly on him and overtook him at his weakest moment, old age. Don't let it go that far, as there is no turning back then.

Are you in therapy? Can you find something other than alcohol that eases you? Do you exercise? That can help you a lot. There is a thread here in the Social section about logging your daily exercise. Would you like to join it? Exercise can do wonders for us. I feel so much better mentally when I exercise.

Try to do something healthy instead of drinking, on other words. I find prayer helps too. It is important to find a many facetted solution to this trouble we have here, no just one solution, especially a solution that will lead to more problems as you age.

 

[BlueAmber]

I have never had addiction issues until this year. I made it 32 years without becoming an addict. Unfortunately due to all the recent trauma, among past traumas, I have fallen into addiction. I stopped on my own thank goodness, but it will always be an issue for me now because I went down that slippery slope. This all started because I was dropped like a piece of crap by a guy who was suppose to be my everything. All the sudden he gets out of prison and my finances or support is no longer wanted.
I think If trauma therapy is not started as soon as trauma happens, the ptsd gets worse as we get older. But you are only 33 so there is much hope. If you would like someone to talk to about the alcohol problems With I am here. Please don't hesitate to contact me through message.♡

 

[illusionist]

When I was going through counceling I would have a drink every evening 2 to 3 units ...I was thorough in controlling it. I spoke to my counsellor who told me well it's either that or medication and you seem to be in control, where medication would be more difficult. Sure enough, when I stopped the councelling, I stopped the self medicating. When I'm well I don't take much notice of how much I'm drinking (not excessive though) when I fancy it, but when I'm bad I really do take note and instinctively stay away from it now.

 

[danny33]

Thanyou all for your replies. When I drank heavily for all those years I didn't always know when to stop and if I had a couple of nights of I would crave it a bit, so I guess I was slightly dependent. it was more of a habitual thing I think/hope.
now I can drink a few on the weekend and leave it at that and don't miss it in between but that may be due to medication dulling things a bit I'm not sure. I think I'll take it easy and have a couple of weeks off and see how things go, its another obsessive thought I don't need at the moment.
Man I hate this illness its a real tough nut to crack. I just want the me from 18 months ago back :-(

 

[illusionist]

You are doing just fine. Being self aware is a good thing to have.