More than a few years ago after my divorce I started drinking heavily. A 5th of vodka a night was the norm.
I found myself getting the shakes and other symptoms of heavy alcohol abuse and then drinking during the day to alleviate the symptoms and drinking more at night, so in the end I gave it up.
For the most part.
I still occasionally (once per month) go to a happy hour with my cow-orkers and have at most two to three drinks – usually a mixed drink – but never more than a that.
When I do this, I find my tolerance is greatly reduced, and I get the shakes much more easily and with less alcohol than previously.
And the worse part is that I feel more drunk (meaning I experience the effects of big alcohol use) for at least 2 days after I imbibe. The drunk high that I experience two days later is actually more intense than the buzz I get with use.
Questions:
Did the heavy abuse I did in years past permanently alter my body chemistry?
Is that even possible?
What the hell happened to me?
Why do I feel more “drunk” coming down (two days later still) off the occasional use then when I’m actually experiencing the acute buzz of my use?
Do I need help? And what are the details of this help?
Yes, in a way — if you damage your liver, then you have permanently altered your body’s ability to regulate and remove toxins.
One possible alternative is liver failure: a decrease in your liver’s efficiency in ridding your body of toxins such as alcohol. It takes your liver longer to do its job. This may be due to cirrhosis, which is a common consequence of long-term alcohol abuse.
See 3.
Yes, preferably from a doctor. I am not a doctor, so take 3. with a very large grain of salt.
Among a number of other things, your liver is probably seriously damaged, thus it processes alcohol a lot more slowly. You get drunk quicker and stay drunk longer.
I think you need help understanding that you’ve had your lifetime quota of alcohol, and you’re done (if you want to remain healthy, unless you have a close friend in good health who has more liver than he needs).
Absolutely- lots of alcohol will eventually kill your liver.
Sensitivity to alcohol changed- could be nature or nurture.
No idea.
Help? A check up at a minimum.
ETA- why do you call yourself an alcoholic in the OP? If you are, then yeah, you need help- to stop fucking drinking. Look in the phone book- my personal favorite is near the front…
As a recovering addict I can say that I think Tomba gave you very good advice. Addiction, and alcoholism is addiction, has little to do with how much one uses or how often. It has much to do with continuing to do things in spite of negative consequences, that can be all kinds of things, gambling, wreckless sexual behaviors, drugs, drinking, etc. I belong to a 12 step program. You could certainly try an AA meeting or two and see if you relate. There is some reason you continue to drink in spite of the negative effects. You might want to explore that as much as you explore your physical state.
I also agree with the dr… You should see on and have a hepatic profile done and a thorough check up.
An alcoholic is one who tends to drink alcoholically when they drink.
I personally am in recovery, but I’m not gonna argue with someone (who isn’t a patient of mine) who tells me they used to drink alcoholically but now drink normally. Such people exist, in my experience (and my experience is fairly vast, frankly). “Reformed alcoholic” is as good a label as any for such a case, IMHO. There aren’t that many like that, percentage-wise but they’re out there.
Of course, far more people claim that status than actually have it.
You crawled into a bottle, and then crawled back out.
Your liver may have issues
Probably. The “details” will vary.
You really should see a doctor.
I’m one of those freak alcoholics who “reformed” and became a light social drinker, and, even more unusually, my liver wasn’t damaged. Me and my amazing liver are very unusual.
See a doctor and tell him/her the whole truth so you can make an informed decision about whether to have that celebratory glass of champagne or not.
Then go back and do it all again next year, or next month, as your doctor advises. Every “good” test is encouraging but does not mean you’re peachy-fine.
Your description worries me, because #1) House is probably right, #2) we lie to ourselves most of all, #3) You recognize that a specific behaviour causes a problem, yet you seem to be resisting the obvious.
Do not use any alcohol at all until after you see a doctor. If that is a problem, then perhaps you are not as “recovered” as you would like to believe.
