Binge drinking - lightheadedness

[tired of crap]

So I have been drinking way too much lately (as a result of life stress, habit and psychological addiction) - typically 12 beers daily, for about the past two weeks, skipping a day here or there. I haven't really been taking care to eat particularly well, exercise or partake in my typical healthful routine.

The past few days I awake with a hangover, eat something light but usually decent, drink lots of water (nothing excessive though) and mope around until the store opens for more beer. However, after I rid myself of the hangover and before more booze I have been getting lightheaded, like if you were to stand up quickly.

Obviously this is a result of treating myself like crap but does anyone have an idea what is causing this - low blood sugar, blood pressure?

Also if anyone would care to share any advice on breaking this habit I'd be more than receptive. I would like to stop but seems like everyday I'm back at it again, despite my intentions.
(I'm not sure that I'd go as far as saying I'm physically addicted but I'm definitely not in a good place right now)

Thanks for your replies
TOC

 

[d1nach]

Soo your drinking twelve beers are they stand size I dont drink but the computer says esch beers 154 calories so thats 1840 calories and a male adult needs about 2400 calories per day if not active. That would make your caloric intake 25 % food 75 % beer???? i know I drank a few shovts and felt hella lightheaded long after the high. Have you been checked for vitamin or mineral deficiencies electrolytes bllood pressure?

 

[Keif' Richards]

Hey Tired. I'm genuinely sorry to hear that you're stuck in the dreaded Alcohol cycle. I've been there 3 times in my life and my consumption was typically a little more than 750ml 40%abv liquor. I'd typically get a bottle in the morning, drink all of it and sometimes end up back at the store around nine for a half-pint to get me to sleep. It's a living hell in my opinion. There's nothing quite like waking up in a puddle of sweat, shaking and not fully knowing if you're in "real life" or not. It's really like a nightmare and in my opinion, withdrawal from Opioids pales in comparison.

Now, the issue with Alcohol my friend, is that is effects so many different systems of the body. I'm not going to lecture you all eveing, but Alcohol robs your body of H20, Vitamins/Nutrients and just about everything else. It kills you from the inside out basically. When I would drink heavily, all kinds of random, scary shit would happen. Once, for two days, I had a pretty severe pain like right where my kidneys are. Who knows what the hell that was.

One time, I woke up and spent an entire day with 20/40 vision, unable to read print on the computer or in magazines. What the hell was that? My point is, that Alcohol is totally unpredictable. Gotta run now, but will give more input when I get back from class!!!

 

[bomber]

^Ι feel like the problem was more you trying to kill your self with alcohol than alcohol itself.

OT: I usually will have it after a bad sleep or luck of nutrients. Try to eat better and have a good sleep and ull be fine.
Breaking the habbit now. Good choice. First, think of it. If you think you need a break but still go on drinking, something is there that goes you on on drinking. Is it physical dependance? Is it the fact that you like the effects and you are not self dislciplined enough to deal with stress, anxienty, depression or whatever with out the help of the substance? Whatever it is, you do need proffesional help.

 

[dopemaster]

You said yourself you were not eating or exercising.

Twelve drinks most days. You might want to hit up 3 day detox. I have been 5 times before I was 21 because I was drinking over a fifth a day.

Alcohol isn't the best coping mechanism if you can't stop drinking.

So eat some food and think about the direction you are steering your life towards.

 

[tired of crap]

Thanks for the replies folks..
@d1nach Yes 12 standard size ~ 350 mL beers... and I never considered the caloric count ... havent considered a lot lately tbh but when you put it that way it seems even more dense lol... I have not checked for anything at this point .. Previously however I had issues with my gallbladder (likely due to excess drinking at the time) but an MRI showed nothing

@ Kief .. thats the reason I switched to beer... I used to drink liqour but I would get way too drunk and waking up in a pool of sweat ... well that was a real sign for me that i needed a change... and I was free for about 6 months ... but after my girlfriend left (which was a good thing) I had no one to bitch at me for drinking and sorta fell back into it... then I leveled out to once a week but now my mom got sick and im back to drinking my thoughts away ... I know this is an issue and have been trying to quit but its just a vicious cycle ... I know this is a satirical site but I found this article very helpful and funny ... My plan is to replace my drinking with exercise (like I was before mom got sick)

@ bomber - lets not judge others, please .. obviously the issue is never the drug but how we use them ... drugs dont kill people, people kill people...
But yes, I would say that I am not disciplined enough to deal with my stress/anxiety/depression right now ... I have been here before and have pulled myself out of this vicious downward spiral of self medicating with booze. I will do it again. Old habits die hard sometimes.

@dopemaster ... Ya... yesterday was the first day I havent had a drink in a week... once I came off the hangover I grabbed some grub. went for a walk. had some resst. went for a run and visited with friends for dinner. today I woke up and did my usual yoga and meditation... its not that I dont know what to do ... its simply that ive been stuck in this weird cycle of self loathing and self harm (through excessive drinking)... but I appreciated your input

Please keep it coming

 

[bomber]

^I din't judge anyone. Im sorry for your mother, I hope she will be fine. Replacing booze with workout is a good idea, I hope it works.

 

[dopemaster]

Try not to use alcohol when you don't have to.

A twelve pack is a terrible habit for a quiet night at home and it's never quiet.

There are fits of rage so holes in the wall. Broken fingers and shattered relationships.

Then there is loneliness so booty calls and drunk dialing so fucking up your lil black book, not using protection and just more drama.

Alcohol I like. I can handle it and drink socially or just drink a couple at home and it usually is just one or two if I drink alone but that wasn't always the case.

Alcohol let's you sorta forget things but after the buzz wears off you are piss drunk, alone mentally or physically and restless.

So you need to handle your problems instead of hiding from them. Learn to cope a different way.

It's best to learn moderation early or you risk never being able to indulge. I have a friend in prison right now and when things go bad he drinks and it leads to more problems.

This guy is a hard worker (60 hour weeks) and pretty responsible but if he drinks in a bad mood he either does hard drugs or gets violent.

He beat up someone for sleeping with his gf and honestly he should have just left but unfortunately he really hurt the guy bad and there wad no one there to stop him from fighting to the point or to stop someone from calling the cops and if I had been there no cops would have came and that guy wouldn't have pressed charges but sometimes there is no one there to save your ass.

So yeah he is just the worst type of drinker because he drinks for the wrong reasons and it doesn't help his situation.

I personally don't have those problems but I used to get blackout drunk and I suppose it was acceptable mainly due to my socioeconomic class as in I drank where people don't call the law and yeah I was and still am what people call white trash but I no longer behave like trash.

So drunk or sober you are accountable for your actions.

 

[bomber]

^Drunk or not, I would beat up someone who slept with my girlfriend. Wouldn't you?
Yeah I know a little of topic but couldn't help it.

 

[dopemaster]

I think it is on the person who cheats.

That being said my mate has been in prison almost three years now for the assault.

It's not worth three years. If I was there I would have made sure that no charges were pressed and explained how bad for your health calling the police is.

I honestly wouldn't have gone past knocking him out so one sucker punch.

He dated her a month and moved in after a week. This went down when he was asleep and awoke to the sound of fucking.

It was in the living room. He beat the guy really bad and I know dude is tough cuz I fought him a few times over the years.

I don't get why rich people call the cops but they do. It's just not worth it when you can put super glue in their car door locks, sugar in the gas tank, slash their tires and get away with that.

I was surprised he didn't take a shit in the bed, grab his shit, and leave while slapping the hoe on the way out.

Dude had no clue this gal had a bf in his defense so yeah it is her fault. But in the end he didn't have to stomp dudes face in.

So nope not throwing years of my life over some slut.

 

[tired of crap]

@dopemaster Honestly since the old lady moved out I haven't had any anger. Life has been good. I just fell back into the habit of drinking. Knocked it down to a moderate level. Then had it flare up again bow, in an attempt to avoid the issue. Personally I feel it is due to never having learned to properly deal with emotions, especially difficult ones (sadness, anger, anxiety).

And you're right. Alcohol has allowed for a momentary lapse reprieve from the issue. But when I wake up, anxiety kicks in and the problem serms 10 fold at times, until more alcohol is consumed and the cycle begins again.

Sorry about your friend but I gotta agree; we're responsibile for our problems whether we're straight or fucked up. Also I'm glad that you were able to move forward from your previous situation.

 

[dopemaster]

Honestly he was lucky he went down for that and not a real crime because he was going hard and doing some dumb shit. He met some nice chick through a friend's old lady while she visited and they started writing and calling so he hit the jackpot.

I think maybe you have anxiety disorder. It got so bad I got drunk before class or driving to the grocery store.

Maybe talk to a doctor.

I haven't ever had a problem that I couldn't solve and yeah sometimes you are just shit out of luck and in jail and/or strung out.

I guess some people reach the end of the line with hard drugs and alcohol and some move forwards.

You gotta look out for yourself at this point cuz no one else will. I don't depend on anyone to handle my problems.

People help me and I help them but there are times no one will and it's best not to ask for favors if you can handle it yourself.

If you can stop for a week you might not need medical detox but maybe go to AA for a while and see a doctor about the anxiety.

It helps to do these things and arranging it yourself leaves you free of obligation because if my drug use gets out of control I prefer my family and people I know not know about it.

As far as the doctors they just right you through so make it concise and to the point without coming off a completely drug seeking but sometimes it takes medication and there are non narcotic options that do work like gabapentin but it is still addictive almost as much ad benzos like xanax but benzo wd is bad.

Benzos are what helped me get myself out of absolute squalor, poverty, filth, and alcohol depence and I am talking like when I was 19 it was bad.

I was starving, not paying my bills, drinking a fifth a day, and doing some stuff I would rather not discuss for money.

 

[Keif' Richards]

For the record, I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I totally agree; it's on the person who cheats, not the unsuspecting stranger who ends up fucking em. What fault is it of theirs?

Alcohol is the real deal. While under the influence, anything is possible and that "anything" is invariably negative and potentially life-altering i.e. killing a pedestrian with your car, assaulting a police officer. Chronic use destroys both the body and mind. It's of the worst in my opinion. I feel like industrial solvent huffing is more dangerous than Alcohol, but I'm not sure what else is.

 

[tired of crap]

Im not entirely convinced I have an anxiety disorder, though the anxiety is definitely there... however it only typically occurs during these sorts of binges/when the alcohol wears off...
When im drink free its not typically there... and even less so when im keeping up on all the things I deem healthful (yoga, meditation, exercise) and am keeping up with work (school and housework, hobbies)

And Im not too fond of the idea of simply switching drugs ... I understand sometimes some people dont have a choice.. but im not entirely convinced ive reached that point yet
Id like to think that Ill be able to switch vices .. and replace drinking with short, intense (relative to me) bouts of exercise periodically throughout the day
Combined with mindfulness meditation to help control anxiety during cravings

 

[bomber]

School? How old are you m8?

 

[tired of crap]

Dont let that fool you .. Im 29
Back for round 2 of University..
finishing my degree in Accounting and then the plan is to move on to another in chemistry (something I actually enjoy)...

 

[d1nach]

Your managing to finish a degree while drinking everyday? tbh if thats the case and since it looks like your not getting totally sh** faced f*** just slo ghtly intoxicated for as long as possible that your just miserable in a area you have zero interest in and just want something there to putt some artifical chemical icing on your day because otherwise its dull

 

[Kassoviv]

I've been a habitual drinker for years, though not at the level you describe. I had the equivalent of half a liter of wine daily with an occasional binge about once a week. I wasn't really worried and my liver is okay. But eventually the fact that going to bed involved this routine of wine and weed eventually bugged me a lot. I felt like I was going in circles. Now that's not really unusual. Many people have these routines, though they may not involve any substances, but just TV, reading or other non-chemical treats.

I thought: what if my days could end in a different way? What if I could choose how my days unfold and end. This idea spun in my head for months. I never considered giving up alcohol entirely, because it is a great drug. However, like with any other substance, the task at hand is to get the most from it. My daily alcohol consumption did not buy me much.

So two weeks ago I stopped the habitual drinking. It wasn't even difficult. I just had to survive the first two days, which was about as hard as not watching TV for two days. Since then I drank alcohol on two occasions. One was a small binge and the other one was one beer before going to bed.

I don't consider alcohol to be my enemy. It is a good friend of mine, who introduced me to lots of girls and fueled many events and conversations. But like with human friends it is not a good idea to call them twelve times a day. It is very akin to "not being too clingy" in a relationship. The only times, when I deliberately steered my actions against alcohol were those first two days of abstinence.

The remaining time was dominated by the curiosity how certain things, which were habitually accompanied by alcohol feel without it. Hey I didn't even know how weed feels without at least one beer beforehand. I didn't know how it feels to wake up without the slightest hangover. I didn't know how good the tap water tastes in our region. And there is more to be discovered.

12 beers sound like a lot, but spread over the course of one day it should give you like 3.2 permille BAC. But during your 18 waking hours you metabolize 1.8 permille. So you may never exceed 1.4, which is a good buzz but far from a coma. Back in they days you were allowed to drive with up to 1.2 in Germany.

To summarize, you may try to explore the joy of not drinking. You may not have much of a problem with alcohol at all, but you need to break this circle.

Meanwhile I will work to break my other circles. My days still resemble each other way too much for my liking.

 

[tired of crap]

I don't consider alcohol to be my enemy. It is a good friend of mine, who introduced me to lots of girls and fueled many events and conversations. But like with human friends it is not a good idea to call them twelve times a day. It is very akin to "not being too clingy" in a relationship.
.

I like the analogy of being too clingy and calling multiple times. I feel similarly; I dont feel like alcohol is the enemy rather it is my choice to drink habitually that is the issue. However I have a tendency to wake up to a drink if I have a hangover the next day which leads to more drinking and the Cycle Repeats. So Im not entirely sure I can have any relationship with alcohol at this point. Perhaps sometime in the future. I used to be a daily pot smoker but have since learned the benefits of moderating my usage to once a week.

To summarize, you may try to explore the joy of not drinking. You may not have much of a problem with alcohol at all, but you need to break this circle.
Meanwhile I will work to break my other circles. My days still resemble each other way too much for my liking.

Personally I thrive off a healthful routine. So although each day is different they are all still quite similar when I am following this routine and this doesnt really bother me so long as I mix up my other activities - visiting friends, hobbies, etc. I feel like this thriving on routine is why it is so easy for me to fall into habitual use. Ive abused a fair number of drugs over my career (alcohol, k, coke, MDMA, pot - in no particular order). Although none have led to any serious financial, relationship or health problems, I did feel like they were an issue and stopped. Alcohol has had the longest run, about 5 years now (though the intensity and frequency of use has varied)

Thank you for sharing though Kassoviv. I wish you the best as you, too, work through to a better you.

 

[GenericMind]

Very likely caused by changes in your blood pressure.