Last week, It was a binge too far.
How does it look THIS week.
Anon writes:
“Things are going well. I have been doing a lot of thinking over the last week and took into account a lot of the comments people posted. My first port of call was the assistance service offered to employees by my employer, I did what was termed an AUDIT test which takes into account dependence, behaviours and indication of how people are with alochol.
The scoring system used is 1-40 and anything over 18 is considered problem drinking, I’m a 20! Friends (drinkers and non drinkers alike) have told me that I am being too harsh on myself but intuitively there is something telling me I should be looking at it and changing my relationship. Thinking about it long and hard what do I want to do? The alcohol culture is entrenched in the Irish psyche, telling people I was not drinking was met with a chorus of ‘What is wrong with you, are you sick?’ to people asking me for permission for them to drink ! Never did I mention I had a problem with other people drinking, I don’t in fact I’m wired to the moon as I discovered recently on a night out not drinking.“I never considered myself a problem drinker at all. On an average night out I could have 8-10 pints which to me appeared normal but from reading up and learning it appears any more than 3.5 pints of beer is binging (seriously?). I have an appointment next week with a counsellor to tease out where I am and strike that balance. I’m going away on a few trips and I want a few beers, not because I crave them but because I enjoy them. My problem seems to stem from two things – I drink way too fast and flood my body with too much alcohol at once and I have associated alcohol with always having a good time which is not true at all! I do consider myself a moderate drinker with bad habits and compared to speaking to others I’m not at the bad end of the scale but I will know for definite midweek :)”
If you go around shouting “cheer up it might never happen” at people you don’t know, then you need to start staying at home.
I did it and got 8 points.
I then went back and did it on behalf of college me and got 26.
I looked older then than I do now.
I’m glad you’re seeing a counsellor, I was going to suggest it otherwise. I hear what you’re saying about other people, I always thought of it as them feeling insecure about their own drinking when they saw that someone else could live without a drink.
Nowadays when I’m in a drinking situation I gauge how much I think I may end up drinking and order accordingly, so if it’s one or two order what I fancy but if it’s an all nighter I choose a low alcohol drink.
What people have said above is true, you do slow down as you get older especially when hangovers start to last a whole day.
As a foreigner, I can go on and on about my impressions of Irish drinking: the rounds when everyone is only half-way done through their pints, the concept of the pint (half a litre!!) as a single measure of alcohol, the “ah, go on, one more …” of hosts at parties, and the binge drinking … of adults.
But the biggest problem is the culture and relationship to alcohol. The responses here are a case in point. Why would anyone think you are over reacting? What would be the worst thing that could happen from over-reacting? Why would they not all be words of encouragement, if any at all? Why are we all motivated to have our word in, regarding alcohol consumption?
It is the idea that going out starts and ends in the pub. That fun always involves drinking. It’s the morning after boasting about the size of your hangover and the amount you drank the night before. It’s the missed opportunities to meet with loved ones on weekend mornings/afternoons because you are tending to your hangover. It’s the hair of the dog.
If you feel there is a problem, why would anyone here be trying to convince you to change your mind to go on drinking as usual? Doing something about reducing your drinking habits (whatever level they may be at) can only be a positive thing. And yet some people think that a life without alcohol is a life half lived.
PS, I drink alcohol, but I am currently off it for 30 days (for dietary/athletic reasons) and even that is difficult because people taken aback when I don’t toast with champagne, drink wine with dinner, or have some of that special cocktail they made. “Are you sure you don’t want to drink if we are going a party?”
I really admire what your doing although really, it shouldn’t be something that requires admiration – why can’t it be normal for a person to not take a drink in modern Ireland. There is a certain amount of cafe culture creeping in here but so many of the really nice coffee shops close by seven pm!
I gave up drink over ten years ago when I was nearly nineteen (!) I’d only really started drinking at sixteen, didn’t like the taste of much (apart from cider) and hated the feeling of being drunk. I moved to London and met a super cool Canadian guy who didn’t drink and believe it or not I had never considered it to be an option before.
I had similar reactions from friends when I would visit home, people buying me drinks, trying to force them down my neck, people asking if I didn’t mind them drinking around me and one or two even getting upset – worried that I was judging them for drinking (I lost a good friend over it). Even now, I’m often met with a “yeah, that’s cool, I mean, I don’t even drink that much, I could stop altogether if I wanted to, but I enjoy it”. I couldn’t care less how much people drink, so long as they stay the f@ck away from me if they’re pissed out of their brain.
I remain to this day the first one on the dance floor (what do you mean you have to be drunk to dance, no-one is looking at you anyway)! And like you describe yourself I’m wired to the moon on nights out, no need for alcohol!
I am quite a foodie and from that point of view I sometimes wish I enjoyed the taste of wine, as I do feel I can be missing out on that side of things, though I always smell and sometimes sip whatever my husband/friends are drinking I’m yet to be jealous of what they’re having.
if you’re looking for something tasty and fresh to drink on nights out you can’t go wrong with a ginger ale and lime wedges, mint too, if the bar has it! I generally start a night out with one or two sugary drinks and then change to sparkling water with pieces of lemon or lime in it, if people ask you what your drinking tell them it’s G&T, save on question time.
Fair play to you anyway, keep up the good work.
Why not just try drinking bottles of beer, stay away from pint and most definitely shorts and that red bull stuff.