Any alcoholics or former alcoholics around?

[weirdowithweirdhealthproblems]

Just wondered if I could ask you a question about energy? Do you find alcohol gives you energy? Or if not now was there ever a time when you drank for the energy boost? I'm not an alcoholic but I have ME/CFS and alcohol helps enormously but only when drunk in high quantities every night which I try not to do unless I'm on holiday (I find I can walk further for longer when on holiday). I posted on an ME/CFS support group to ask whether anyone else experiences this but most found alcohol made their symptoms worse. I'm trying to work out what's going on. I've read a few articles that say that some get a mental boost from drinking but this seems to imply that it's a psychological or neurological phenomenon and not a physical thing. For me it feels like a physical thing.

Anyone?

Could it be the sugar, rather than the alcohol or does that not happen if you eat loads of choc for example.

That’s really a coincidence that you asked this, because I was just thinking about this exact same thing earlier today.
I have a lot of health problems including post-viral illness, and alcohol also gives me energy! It actually makes me feel half normal. (I’m not an alcoholic and never have been btw.) This morning I was wondering why, and I really have no idea.

Numbing effect on pain?

Yes, alcohol gives me energy. And I only drink spirits with diet mixer, so no sugar involved.

It's not the same, and I'm not an alcoholic, but I get bad back and neck pain on occasion during my period, so much so that I can't bend at all and feel nauseous and, anecdotally, having a few drinks has previously worked for me better than otc painkillers. Not energy as such, but does mean I can socialise normally. Might be something similar?

Sober for many years now, name changed for this.

Firstly, there's the question of how alcohol allows you to do more. Is it possible that alcohol disinhibits your exhaustion and gives you a false picture of what your body can do? In which case, there would probably be a reaction afterwards when you have done too much? That's been the case for anyone I've known with ME - they can push themselves to do more, but always pay a price for it.

If it's not that, and alcohol genuinely gives you more energy and there is no long term ill effect for you, you still need to be very wary of using it in this way. It's highly risky to rely on "high quantities every night", however useful it is.

Alcohol has an initial effect of acting as a stimulant but in the long term is a depressant. It creates dependency and most people find they need more and more to get the same effect. Even if it's not having a negative effect on you socially or emotionally, large quantities of alcohol will damage your body in many ways, including massively increasing your risk of quite a few cancers.

So virtually any alcoholic would tell you that however great the effects for you, and however much it helps you practically, relying on it to help you function in everyday life is a massive risk.

Most alcoholics start by using alcohol to deal with their problems then it ends up being the major problem.

I eat very little due to another condition so it could well just be the sugar or the calories in general - I gain weight just looking at chocolate so don't eat it but seem to be able to drink unlimited quantities of non-sweet alcohol (wine and gin mostly) without gaining. Hard to compare to food though.

I'm lucky to have very little pain so I don't think it's numbing anything for me although I think that's a known phenomenon for people with pain.

That's really interesting and helpful GiveYourHeadAWobble and Geebray that you both experience the same thing. I'm just applying for benefits and can't usually manage to walk for more than an hour or so and I then need to take the next day or two off and stay in bed. But I managed more on holiday many years ago and wonder if I could still manage that, given I was drinking every night. I just don't want to end up in the Daily Mail accused of benefit fraud if I can ever afford to go on holiday again and manage to walk every day.

Alcoholism is so often portrayed as drinking to numb some terrible emotional distress (and I'm sure that is what's happening in many cases and I have huge sympathy for people experiencing that) but I do wonder how many people there are out there who are addicted because they can't physically function at the same level without it.

Thanks SoberistaSister - I'm absolutely aware of the risks which is why I limit my drinking in every day life. I only drink every night on holiday and I hardly ever go on holiday. I did work abroad for a few months as a teenager and drunk every night for months. It was wonderful and I had so much energy in the day time too (I managed to walk for miles although my condition was likely not quite so bad then). But yeah, I realise I'm quite susceptible to upping my intake so try to be careful.

I should also say that I do pay for it later in that it takes longer to recover. But I still couldn't keep up walking every day in real life. I don't think it's a perception thing.

Interesting OP. Is it not maybe that on holiday, away from the stress, troubles and drudgery of every day life, you just feel more relaxed, rested and able to do more?
I think back that maybe I was able to cope better a lot of the time, but just for a while. It must have stopped working at some point as I got worse and worse, and then also drank more.
I’ve now been AF for years and there has been an awful period in the middle when I was worse with my ME than I’ve ever been, but there had also been additional life stresses. I’d still rather be sober than still drinking though tbh. I’ve just had a couple of not too bad months so I’m (ever) hopeful that some other life changes are going to mean I’m on the road to recovery 🤞🏻I hope that we may all be able to recover one day so we can live full rather than half lives.

Sometimes, a stiff drink bucks you up. It really doesn't need to be alcoholism 🙄

I've been known to drink black coffee as well!! 🙀

I don't have much stress in my life since I had to stop working a few years ago. I am just totally focused on trying to improve my health, which to be fair is quite a complex job (I have many many conditions that all interact in ways I don't fully understand) but I do now finally have the luxury of being able to do that at my own pace with rest as often as I need to more or less. I don't do any chores (partner does everything). But I've just found an article that suggests sunshine helps mitochondria so maybe it's the sunshine as well as the booze!? I am certainly able to function at a slightly higher level for short periods but I can never sustain it and it's maybe the same with higher holiday activity levels.
Really glad to hear you've experienced some improvements over the years MEFibrohell (although your username suggests things are still pretty bad!). I also wish you and everyone else all the luck in improving and living fuller lives!

I realise a stiff drink can buck you up without it having to be alcoholism Geebray but I'm still curious as to how many alcoholics are dependent for energy-related reasons rather than mental health reasons (I realise for many there are multiple reasons).

This is an interesting question- I have POTS and alcohol initially makes me feel great (more energy, less woozy/dizzy), however a few hours later it sends my heart rate sky-high

I have issues with palpitations too but that wasn't always the case and I think in my case it might be that other meds are making it worse.