To think I'm allergic to alcohol?

[cantbebotheredtoday]

For the past 2 - 3 years my alcohol consumption crept up to about a bottle and a half of wine every night, sometimes more at weekends.

In December, I broke my ankle drunk whilst my 5 year old was in the house and this was a big wake up call for me. I had 6 weeks in a cast to think about my drinking and behaviour over the past few years and realised if I continued down the path I was going, I would wreck not only my life but my daughters.

At that point, it was too overwhelming to think that I would quit alcohol forever so I committed to not touching a drop of alcohol when my daughter is in the house, only allowing myself a drink when she is at her dads and also not allowing myself alcohol if I am at college the next day, regardless of my daughter being at her dads house.

I have stuck to that since December and each month I have had more and more dry days. For instance, 20 dry days in January, 22 dry days in February and 16 dry days in March so far.

The thing is, usually I'm going about 8 - 12 days not having a drink, I eat healthy, attend college, go walks, lots of self care, take vitamins, am much more productive and my anxiety and depression decreases a lot. Then I have a drink and I'm back to square one, it's like all my hard work has been wiped, and I'm in this dark place again craving a drink.

I had a drink Friday and Sunday this week, and it's now Wednesday, I still feel depressed, anxious and lethargic. My healthy eating has went out the window and I am seriously craving a drink again to get rid of this down feeling.

AIBU to think I just can't drink at all? I thought at 26 I'd at least be able to drink in moderation, but if it's taking me 4 to 5 days to feel back to human again does that mean moderated drinking just isn't for me?

I don’t think allergic is the correct term. I’m allergic to some types of alcohol and I get a rash all over me. I think you have more of a dependency problem.

It’s not an allergy but maybe an intolerance? I notice I get more anxious when I eat junk food. But I love junk food.

I’m allergic to some alcohol - I get a rash and one side of my face feels like it’s on fire.

Well done for the progress you’ve made!

Maybe you could stretch to mentally allergic, but you definitely have a problem with alcohol.

You might find some support groups like AA helpful? You don't need to drink every day to be an alcoholic, if your relationship with alcohol is problematic and you are dependent on it to feel "normal", that can make you an alcoholic too.

My limbs ache when I have a drink...they feel really heavy, it's weird.

I'm virtually tee total.

If I was you, I wouldn't drink at all...it doesn't sound worth it to me.

Dependency. How much are you drinking on the nights you do drink?

Where you have built up such a high tolerance previously (1.5 bottles every night) to cutting out for days at a time,ur body is in a state where it is 'detoxing' from the alcohol, then when you drink again, plunged back into it, then you go back to square 1, and the feelings are the withdrawal symptoms starting again.

I am seriously craving a drink again to get rid of this down feeling - this is concerning, as you have a physical 'need' for the alcohol.

Your*

OP on the days you do have a drink, how much do you have?

When I drink I feel lethargic and I feel like I can’t cope for days afterwards. Which is weird because I’m not like that at all! I’m very go-go as a general rule. Alcohol just makes me bleh

@potatosaladnquiche I have tried AA and wasn't too keen, everyone was lovely but found it very overwhelming and everyone kept gearing their stories towards me, "I wish I'd have seeked help at your age" "don't think because you're young it won't get worse" etc.

@SweetAsSpice on nights that I am drinking now, I am usually drinking, so I never really keep track but probably about 2 bottles of wine then some beer or some vodkas.

@over50andfab on nights that I am drinking now, I am usually drinking, so I never really keep track but probably about 2 bottles of wine then some beer or some vodkas.

Binging*

You sound like me. I love a drink, but I can't do it anymore. If I have a night out drinking then I have to totally write off the next day because I get severe panic attacks one after the other, usually from getting up to going to bed. It is utterly awful and isn't worth it to me at all. If you can give up I think you may feel much better for doing so.

I think some people really aren't cut out to drink. It could easily grab me and become a big big issue so I've had to decide to remove it entirely.

2 bottles of wine and then beer and vodkas is a massive amount though for one night so it's not surprising its setting you back (and I say this as someone who can sink more than most!). Could you cut down to one bottle of wine, say get a really nice one that you will really enjoy and have no more in house to tempt you? Or would you be able to just have a couple of beers on your drinking days?

You've done amazing to recognise you have a problem and have started to resolve it.
I think you are drinking loads on the nights that you are - it sounds like it's taking your body a while to get over it.
Like a pp I wouldn't see the point in this - I would just try to give it up. You have shown yourself that you can be strong by having dry periods. Time to take the next step and stop altogether.
Be healthy for yourself and your daughter.

@XiCi the issue with this is that once I start, I find it hard to stop. So say I get a bottle of red in, once that bottles almost gone, I'll just run to the shop to get more. The only way around this would be starting drinking at about 9 pm (I'm in Scotland so ships stop selling alcohol at 10 pm) but even then I feel massively frustrated once I've finished the bottle.

It's much easier to completely cut something out when you have a dependency issue rather than trying to have something once in a while.

It sounds like you're drinking much more on the days you do now to compensate for when you don't drink and that's probably what's making you feel like shit afterwards.

I'm 38. I don't really drink at all now. It's just easier not to than wasting one of my few days off work feeling like death from the hangover.

So you are drinking more on days you do have a drink OP. Someone who is a recovering alcoholic explained to me that even if there are days/weeks that you don’t drink, when you do have a drink and find you cannot stop and crave more, then you do have a problem.

Also, I understand it is not good for your body to drink a lot at once with no drinking in between. As PPs have said, it sounds like you get withdrawal every time you do drink

How about having a chat with your GP to look at options for you. You might find a different AA group better than the one you tried, or a different kind of support

Thank you everyone for your advice and suggestions. I think it is clear that I'm best to just cut it out completely, which is easier said than done when the cravings hit, so I will look into what support may be suitable for me to make it a little easier. Thanks again guys!

Well done on cutting down. That's brilliant

I do think that your problem is more dependency related than allergy related. People think that alcoholics drink every day but many binge drink. My first husband could go days without a drink but when he drank he couldn't stop

Could this be you? If so, you might find it easier to stop completely.

You clearly have the willpower as you have proved.

Well done

I think there is a support group on here somewhere - brave babes battlebus or some such thing. You have done amazingly to admit you have a problem- your daughter will thank you for it.

OP really well done to you recognising you have a problem and I wish you all the best and hope you find some good support that works well for you x

I have a family member who found Club Soda a good resource for information about cutting down and cutting out. Finding alcohol free alternatives to help you through the times when you find it most difficult to avoid will help.
Best wishes to you, the hardest part is recognising, acknowledging and owning the issue.