Expert: Rebos - 1/4/2008

Question
For the past three years I've been drinking ten cans of beer a night. Often more but thats my average. Two years ago I was taken into hospital with exhaustion. I dont eat - literally. A packet or two of crisps is about my limit. I dont have any other problems I come from a good family, i do have a history of alcoholism in my family, but thats in distant relatives. Right now I dont consider myself an alcoholic, cos I only drink beer, and if that ran out, i wouldnt go searching for more. But more recently, its become apparent that i panick, if i didnt have beer available, id freak out. I weigh 8 stone, i drink ten cans a night and i often go days without eating more than a packet of crisps. I know just from writing that and re reading it, i have some kind of problem, but i dont want to never drink again -  i want to learn how to control it. Is that possible?!?!?! the thought of not drinking what I do now scares the crap out of me

Answer
Good morning Louise and thank you for your question.

Based upon the amount of beer that you are drinking every day… since every 12 oz can of beer has the same alcohol content in it as 1.25 oz as 80 proof hard liquor… then you are drinking a lot of alcohol. If you drink a lot of beer you drink a lot of alcohol! However, it makes no difference how much you drink, where you drink it, who you drink it with, or even what you drink… the real question is, “What does it do to you when you drink it”? It appears as though your drinking is killing you! If you have to think about controlling your drinking; then you have already lost control of your drinking! Social drinkers don’t have to think about control! When it comes to an alcoholic one drink is too many and if you are an alcoholic 10 cans a day are not enough (at least not for very long).

It seems as though you have to hit your bottom before you do anything about stopping. In other words, “you have to get to a point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired”! If you are an alcoholic you can not control your drinking. 100% abstinence from drinking any alcohol or a substitute for alcohol is the way that alcoholics control their drinking. The place to learn how to accomplish abstinence is to visit Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and find out how sober alcoholics live normal lives without drinking alcohol.

If I can help you any more please contact me again. Thank you Rebos