5 years of daily drinking and health anxiety

[Mypartnerisaknob]

Hi all,
for the past 4 months I’ve just been a weekend drinker however for 5 years age 22-27 yo I would say I was averaging at a bottle of wine a day or the equivalent. And more on weekends.

lots of factors contributed to this- it being ‘normal’ in uni, stressful job, social anxiety and of course lockdowns but the habit carried on.

I now have it under control however I’m really anxious about the potential long term effects.
im otherwise healthy and have no symptoms etc.
I’ve been taking milk thistle and other supplements for about 6 months too.

I’ve been freaking myself out googling hepatitis and cirrhosis and despite most of what I read online saying it’s 15-20 years of chronic drinking before that sets in I’m still anxious.

I understand the most obvious thing to do would be to go for bloods and an ultrasound but my healthy anxiety won’t permit that atm.
I will probably go in 6 months or so as whatever issues I potentially have should’ve improved a lot due to reducing my alcohol intake.

in the mean time can anyone inform me/reassure me please
thank you x

If you have no symptoms, why would you need an ultrasound and why would one be funded?

Having unnecessary tests just feeds health anxiety, it doesn't help.

Do you have support for your anxiety? You mentioned longstanding anxiety issues. They'll just keep finding a new thing to worry about if you don't tackle the root cause.

The liver is an incredible organ and it has amazing powers of regeneration. By approximately 6 months every cell in it will have regenerated.

I'm so pleased for you that you've been able to make such a positive change

Thank you x

What you've described is pretty normal for someone in their early to mid 20s. I wouldn't be remotely concerned. I drank a lot more than than for 20 years and I don't have any health issues as a result (I have now stopped drinking). If you are concerned, you can order a liver function test privately online (costs maybe £50), but it will be normal. Being anxious is no way to live though, so may be worth speaking to your GP about it. Also, for what its worth, even weekend drinking can cause quite a bit of anxious throughout the rest of the week, so may be worth stopping altogether to see if it helps your mental health improve.

You could have a look at the British Liver Trust - they do roadshows around the country offering free fibre liver scans

britishlivertrust.org.uk