Did anybody see the Panaroma about binge drinking last night?

[Orangelight23]

Real eye opener for me. Women in their 30s being diagnosed with liver disease. I must admit I have myself been drawn into wine culture and drinking wine to relax.

It's made me have a real think about my alcohol intake to be honest.

It’s all about risk though. Exercise reduces your risk of cancer. As does a healthy diet. As does a low stress lifestyle.

So you choose what level of risk you’re happy with. Some will enjoy wine but will be healthy in other areas of their life. Others will be overweight and eat shit, do zero exercise but also not drink. One isn’t better or worse you are just choosing which risks
you are prepared to live with.

Are we stacking problems in the modern age, though, compared to generations before with physical jobs? UPFs, sedentary jobs, booze, microplastics, pollution, takeaways. It does seem the rates of many cancers are going up and the ages of incidence coming down (but then also the curability of cancers also increasing which mitigates this somewhat).

I was a pretty heavy drinker, and I'd always get a really sore throat from drinking wine (not a smoker, so it wasn't to do with that). I was really worried I was leading myself down the throat cancer route.

Anyway, I quit aged 40 several years ago and never looked back. If I need a release now I'll have some magic mushrooms. Healthy and fun!

Lots of people in denial about their drinking on this thread. On the other hand, it's really impressive to see people who are taking control of their drinking and their health after realising they were drinking too much. It's not easy to come to terms with the need to drink less, but the benefits are huge.

I know people who have died of alcohol-related disease who have said all the things people are saying on this thread - that they're fine because they exercise, everyone else is doing it too, life is for living etc. All fun and games until the alcohol-related brain damage gets you (this happened to someone I know who was a keen runner and cyclist), or your liver packs in, your skin is covered in sores and you're doubly incontinent. Doesn't seem quite so fun and carefree then.

Moderation is key but we all need to be a lot more aware of what moderation actually looks like.

I stopped drinking more by accident than design. I was just busy at work for a while and didn't really feel like wine when I got home. I felt so much better for it that now I only drink once or twice a month and not more than two drinks at any time. It's very liberating.

Liver disease is a slow burner until.its not . Those saying they drink that much and are perfectly healthy might not be , they just don't know it yet.

Liberating is the word. I was also secretly quite relieved that I was able to, after years of managing by having a wine after work to destress etc.

I also used to be defensive like many are…

Alcohol has been around since Adam was a boy. Look at all the amphorae that the Romans used, but they were sozzled most of the time I suppose if the frescoes in places like Pompeii are anything to go by. And dear old Bacchus, he was responsible for a lot of debauchery too back in the day.

Liver disease is not going to happen if you go over your weekly limit by a small amount I would say. Who said the weekly limit was safe anyway, maybe it could be higher and it is being used as a control mechanism by medics and health gurus.

A bit of what you fancy does you good. I don't drink, but I've often thought I should sometimes! I am older in my 60s now but I keep dropping hints to the younger ones in my family about wanting to try a spliff before I exit stage left. I think they are afraid of what I might do under THAT influence lol.

Cannabis is rampant now, probably more so than alcohol amongst younger people. I know it is said to cause all sorts of mental illnesses, but I think it just gives people a high, a calmness and it certainly doesn't affect the liver!

I think everyone knows deep down when they are drinking to excess regularly. Those who don't or minimise or deny it have the problem, not the weekend imbibers of a few bottles glasses of vino.

Thats good. I guess similar happens when we don’t drink when we are
pregnant for 9 months. I like to think that was my post 20s liver detox. (I do only drink a few glasses at weekends now as menopause has not been kind).

I think young people were generally drinking more in 1992 than they are now…Is it that smoking related deaths have gone down at lot so alcohol related deaths are more prevalent relatively?

I don't think a bottle of wine a night has ever been the norm, anywhere. That is at least 63 units a week and asking for trouble.

This is surprising seeing as we keep being told that young people don't drink as much as the older generations (Gen X and Baby Boomers) but this obviously isn't the case.

Anecdotally I hear about a lot of young people drinking a lot, particularly students.

I drank quite a lot in my twenties, I worked in very sociable environments and there was often free booze at paid for dinners. In my thirties three of my much older siblings were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. They were 13,15 and 17 years older than me. It scared me to see how unwell they became. My brother made zero adjustments to his lifestyle and died prematurely.

So I am not teetotal but I really do just drink at weddings, birthdays and Christmas and then very little. Watching him die from something avoidable or at that could at least be improved though not liver disease but self inflicted was very scary.

I was very much a social drinker so found it easy to just not drink.

If anyone struggles with the thought of nit drinking fro a few weeks it’s not great.

Yep - unless they're getting regular blood and liver tests at the doctor, they have no idea whether they're healthy or not. Liver disease basically has no symptoms at all until you're already at the stage of scarring and permanent damage.

I was drinking a bottle of wine most nights after covid. I used to kid myself that I was interested in wine and it was a cultured thing to be in to. But then I had raised liver enzymes in a routine blood test and decided to give it up - wow what a difference! My anxiety got a lot better, as did my sleep, skin and general feelings of health and happiness! My liver enzymes have returned to normal too thankfully.
I also recognise the defensive talk of those on this thread who secretly suspect they have a problem with alcohol.

Same. Never missed it.

Its cheap, it's legal , it numbs the edges, it's a stimulant and a depressant. I'm probably addicted tbh.

I woke up hanging drunk too much on Sunday night to hearing this lady talk on the radio about her documentary, and then watched it. It was a bit of a wake up call. I drink way over the recommended limit and I'm a weekend binger rather than glass per night. I obviously know the long term risks and figured I'd give up completely when I hit peri but the thought of having liver damage in 30s is really scary! I have to say though that there must be genetic factors at play. I would have thought it's pretty rare/unlucky to have that extent of liver damage in ones 30s from social drinking alone.

I also recognise the defensive talk of those on this thread who secretly suspect they have a problem with alcohol

For some maybe. For others they probably get fed up of being told they are alcoholics when their intake is fine. Everything in moderation (except smoking - if you do that you're just very very stupid - no excuses).

I don't really know why people have to announce that they don't drink alcohol. I don't go around announcing that I don't smoke or vape. I just don't do it.

What I did notice was that when my DH was on medication that meant no alcohol, I stopped too and lost a few pounds. Whatever the effect on your liver, it puts on weight so that's a good reason to cut down to a sensible level.

I’ve drunk a few times but have been completely teetotal for the last 15 years

I do admit that I find it very difficult to see others opinions on it. My bad. But yeah

Same. The Covid years were my final descent towards my rock bottom, which to be thankful( wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Stress, job loss, wfh, any excuse to keep drinking. I wouldn’t have watched this programme in my drinking days, would probably have slagged it off as scaremongering outwardly whilst inwardly knowing I had a BIG problem.

Life is so much better without that shit and all the crap it brings with it

It’s not even 2 large glasses several times per week. 2 large glasses is 6 units and, for a woman, is considered binge drinking. Even once a week this would have serious negative effects on your health.

Not for me. I drink about 2-4 times a week, having between 2 and 5 glasses/pints each time. It is more than i am happy about, but I enjoy it and suspect it is unconscious self-medicating for adhd.

Anyway I went for a blood test connected with the menopause. She did a liver test on me without my knowledge. All okay.

There does seem to be a slight health scare / puritanical angle to this.

This is surprising seeing as we keep being told that young people don't drink as much as the older generations (Gen X and Baby Boomers) but this obviously isn't the case.

Millennials (who are 30s/40s) grew up in the laddette culture, 90s raves, alcopops etc that continued well into the 00s, Gen Z are the generation that are supposed to be the more health conscious, they only came of age around the time of Covid.

Liver disease is not going to happen if you go over your weekly limit by a small amount I would say. Who said the weekly limit was safe anyway, maybe it could be higher and it is being used as a control mechanism by medics and health gurus

I told the Dr I drank 2 bottles of wine per week and they were happy with that. So slightly over the limit. (it's often more tbh but I neglected to mention that). I will do dry Jan again and think I'll carry it on after Jan to give my liver a real recovery. DM has drunk a bottle of wine per day for most of her adult life and is 70. Liver function still fine. So I do think a large part is luck and genetics..not saying it's a good thing btw!

I've heard a lot of stories about relatively young women being diagnosed with liver disease after drinking a glass of wine a couple nights a week. And yet my father and uncles and many of his friends drink endless pints of beer. Why is this? Because wine is stronger than beer or maybe men tolerate it better?

Anyway I've got some friends who I thought drank way too much anyway and this thread is really worrying me now!

What I’ve noticed (and this is on social media too) that those who harp on most about sobriety are those that had a real problem with alcohol and were drinking far too much. Yes you will notice dramatic effects if you were drinking heavily and then you give up.

Yes if you have an issue with alcohol you need to quit. But many people can stop after one. We can enjoy a glass with a meal with friends. This is absolutely fine as part of a healthy lifestyle.