Help

[mummy23121]

Hi,

So where to start , I've been drinking so much the last 4 years and before that I had a break as I was pregnant , there has been long stints before that but this is the longest stretch ever . I drink a bottle of wine a night , most nights anyway . It's a rare night here and there that I don't have anything . I feel it's really affecting my health , I have bad HA anyway but it's so much worse at the moment. Ive practically diagnosed myself with everything at some point or another . I really need to give it up, what a time of year to give up but really think it's needs to happen now.
I try and go a day or 2 and just feel horrible so drink I think to just feel normal again . It's a vicious cycle .
I'm now worried I'm too late . I'm 40 next year and can't help that I have done too much damage , so that just really unsettles me with the thought of that!
Any positive stories where after years of drinking wine you have managed to get sober and feel so much better without any lasting damage. Thanks for reading .

Hello, there are lots of us out here. I stopped in my early 50s, and am now 20 months sober.

It is hard, but possible, and absolutely worth it. Well done for posting- that’s a great first step. Given your HA I would also recommend going to see your GP and being honest- for some people stopping completely is dangerous.

This is the link to Alcohol Change UK’s Help page.

Get help now

You are NOT too late. I stopped during two pregnancies then both times slipped back into it... Felt like my life was falling apart but felt I couldn't do anything about it apart from watch everything turn to shit, including me.

For about 2 years I couldn't do more than a few weeks sober, then couldn't do more than a few days. God, it was endless.

But... today I am 112 days sober!

I don't feel like shit anymore! And if I feel ill, or tired, or something bad happens, I can cope!

I've had quite a few sad events happen in the last few months, and with every one I think to myself, "thank God I wasn't drinking, what the hell would have happened if I were pissed or hungover right now?" I dread to think.

Life still has its ups and downs. But at least I'm not beating myself down and feeling sick, tired and ashamed all the time. And most of all I feel safe now - I'm not living in fear of myself!

It isn't hopeless - you can do it! And it gets easier. A few months in and my cravings are gone.

One thing that really helps me was the stopdrinking reddit - highly recommend.

You absolutely can do it and you absolutely can be healthy. I was 42 when I stopped 8 months ago. As a result of drinking (much more heavily than you), I did damage my pancreas and I had abnormal liver function results. I was drinking 3 bottles of wine a day when I stopped though. I think the issues with my pancreas were helped along by the drinking, but it wasn't the only cause (my consultant says no obvious signs of alcohol damage to pancreas, but I can't help but think it contributed, trauma was a big part too though). My liver results were abnormal, but not irreversible. I also had high inflammatory markers.

Within 6 months of stopping, my blood tests are picture perfect. My liver results are normal. My inflammatory markers are normal for the first time ever since I was a teenager! My cardiovascular risk score is amazing. I've lost a stone without trying (I actually eat quite a lot of cake). All the vitamin deficiencies I'd developed are fine again. I'm the healthiest I've probably ever been in my adult life.

By all accounts, you are drinking too much but not so much that you will likely have done permanent damage. You'd be amazed to see how much better you feel without the alcohol. It's absolutely not too late. And actually most women don't even consider stopping til they are 40s/50s, so you're ahead of the curve already, and still young enough to get in there before perimenopause, which is when women often start to really feel the negative impacts of alcohol.

Dry January is actually a great time to stop because there is a lot of support available. Get on instagram and make yourself a separate sober account and follow some other sober accounts offering support. I also really recommend Bee Sober - they have an instagram and 2 facebook groups (the members one is wonderful).

Thanks so much for the replies.@Onewildandpreciouslife well done on 20 months, il definitely check out the link. Reading your posts give me some sort of hope. @SweetSmellingBlackberryStone it would be my dream to be at 112 days , will look into stop drinking Reddit . @mindutopia thanks for sharing your story , that is some turn around, well done , you must feel amazing. Great idea with the separate sober account on Instagram. I'm trying to keep myself busy this evening and distract myself so I don't go buy wine!!!

I’m 50 and stopped at 48. I did think what if it’s already too late but so far anyway all seems ok. At the end of the day even if the best time to stop was 5 or 10 years ago you can not go back in time and so the second best time is today x

Another person here (late thirties) who managed to stop after years of drinking too much wine. The health anxiety just became too much and anything was better than constantly worrying about what may or may not be going on inside.

Stopped for years now and on the very odd occasion I do think about a drink (usually with stupid rose tinted glasses on) I remind myself how I will sleep tonight - rather than lay awake berating myself and worring about my organs.

I wish you the best of luck OP. I firmly believe that if I can do it, anybody can 💐

Thanks @Permanentchange , great to hear that and well done! Ya the anxiety just completely takes over. Well I didn't have a drink today so fingers crossed again for tomorrow.

when I could feel myself slipping into bad drinking habits I used to watch personal accounts of people on YouTube with cirrhosis. It is very eye opening and really makes you value what health you have and gives the motivation to cut down or stop all together. Good luck!