Drinking Vs Not Drinking

[Clean_Cut]

So most weekends - my friends get blind drunk..this used to be me also.
We are 19 and all around 70kg some more some less.
I used to drink about half a bottle of vodka and then usually have some more drinks when I went out.

Now I have stopped for a few weeks - I see so many benefits..I can drive to the club, I get a better sleep, I wake up not hungover etc etc.

Just wondering what sorta damage drinking like that for over a year almost every weekend would do. Would there be lasting damage? Now that I have stopped - I dont feel any different...

I ask this because I feel in perfect shape, I eat healthy and take ALA and ALCAR along with a few other supplenments and drink 2 green teas a day.

 

[Mehm]

Would there be lasting damage? Now that I have stopped - I dont feel any different...

you might have altered some neuronal balances and caused damage to internal organ systems. but since you feel fine, i doubt you did much harm. imo the human body can reverse all damage given enough time and the proper environment.

 

[KStoner6tb]

^what he said. The body can recover from quite the shitstorm ie partying hard

 

[RedLeader]

Yeah, man. What you've gone through is typical for a young person. Don't sweat it. It's great that you're turning you feel like your life is maturing, but if you've been able to keep it to the weekends before, don't be afraid to still have a good time now and then. Yeah, alcohol is bad for the body, but the body also has good defenses. In a pros vs. cons debate, unless you're having a horrible time when you drink, I think the occasional drink is permissable

 

[Jabberwocky]

Just one thing. NO ONE KNOWS regarding a particular individual. Some people drink heavily into their ninety's with no discernible problems. Another drinks heavily through their twenties and discover they have a swollen heart, damaged kidneys or liver, or any of hundreds of alcohol related pathologies. (most of those show up forties or later but sometimes they come earlier)

Same with most all recreational drugs, but alcohol has a lot more known serious pathologies than most rec drugs. In any event most serious long term events from alcohol have been precipitated by years of very heavy daily use. Many adverse effects have come about through more moderate use but they are statistically pretty uncommon.

Glad to hear you are finding moderation or abstinence more to your liking. I think moderate users of most drugs get very minimal ill effects but pretty much as much benefit as heavy users. There is some animal research that seems to indicate that taurine might be really good at mitigating alcoholic liver pathology. I try to get some energy drinks in because of that but animal research doesn't always translate into useful practices for humans.

The single biggest harm reduction step for imbibers of alcohol is to make a rigorous plan to insure one does not drive drunk. These sorts of precautions save one from many problems well beyond the health stuff.

 

[RedLeader]

Just one thing. NO ONE KNOWS regarding a particular individual. Some people drink heavily into their ninety's with no discernible problems. Another drinks heavily through their twenties and discover they have a swollen heart, damaged kidneys or liver, or any of hundreds of alcohol related pathologies. (most of those show up forties or later but sometimes they come earlier)

This is actually a really good point. In the end, it's up to an individual as to how she/he accepts the potential risks (mainly that the person could be one of these "late-blossoming outliers") for the momentary benefit. With that said, just pay good perception to how your body reacts to any drug (and yes, alcohol IS as much of a drug as anything) as you age.

In personal testamony, I could live it up with the best of 'em in my late teens and early 20s. Drinking a fifth a night and all it would take would be a coffee and a proverbial slap-in-the-face to get me back into my regular life. Now, though, entering my late twenties, my body tells me, albeit in slight ways, that it is getting a bit tired of the alcohol games. Especially the "streaky" ones. Not to say that such signs are a positive sign of irreversible damage, but more so a warning sign that you ARE getting older. It's no longer as much of a play on risks and rewards, but a settlement of how much actual damange for how much immediate "happiness."

The image that our media portrays of the 50-something drinking unlimited Jack each night at the bar is a falsity-in-large. Not at all suggesting that alcohol me marketed to younger clientelles, no...it's a touchy subject.

OP, I'm guessing this reads like overkill to you. But still, those of us who reply with more words are those who see the potential threat. You made this thread because the concern already exists, and that is wonderful. Now just trust us verterans when we tell you to "save it for the fun times." Alcohol is a drug, not an OTC medicine, and it can better a life in ways akin to illicit substances, sure. But the minute you find yourself wanting another drink to prevent a hangover, or to keep an evil feeling at bay, then you know it's becoming a problem. Give yourself a good look in the mirror, and recognize that you're worth more than that

 

[double ewe]

^what they said.

you should be fine, and the best way to judge if you're living healthy or not is by paying close attention to your body. i'm a daily drinker (about 4-6), but if i escalate my intake, i amost immediately notice that i start waking up feeling shittier. likewise, if i take a few days off (which i don't do enough) i realize that i wake up feeling a lot better.