is my body permanently damaged by alcohol

[forbiddenlife5]

I am 20 years old most my days of drinking occurred within 18 and 19 and although it was not daily it was 2 or 3 times a week slightly heavily and I noticed I became of a more emotional person over time like the real me and more easily irritated I would have alchol poisoning once a month during that year so fast forward a year later after trying every drug I realized the only one mainly that is still in my life is marijuana and once in awhile alcohol which I drink once a month. Well this winter break I wanted to see how long could I keep going for at a binge. I drank 10 shots the first 3 days and on the last one was 15 mostly mixed drinks the first 2 days and pure.shots the next two. I was also smoking weed during these 4 days to counteract the negative effects of alcohol which helped so much. Needless to say I survived but all my friends keep telling me how that's not normal at all for someone who never drinks anymore with no Tolerance I also must mention the following side effects weren't as bad as I thought they came and went in waves. Depression slight mood swings hot and cold twitching only okn sleep. Any other drug I do so much of I would feel terrible for an intense few.days and for someone who used to throw up from drinking I never do anymore please explain the human body and the ways drugs effect you fascinate me

 

[jazz hands]

You seem to be fine. Alcohol effects the GABA system, which causes sedation and anti-anxiety effects. When you abuse a drug of this nature, your body becomes used to the relaxing effects of the drug. When the effects wear off, you're left more irritable as this level of stress is more than what your body is now accustomed to. This effect is only mild in your case-- if someone gets very addicted to alcohol, they can go through DT when the alcohol wears off, which is potentially lethal. It takes a lot of drinking over a much longer period to get to that point, though.

Be wary of drinking so much in the future, of course.

 

[TheLostBoys]

Everyones body & mind are different...........what effects you might not affect someone else. I stopped drinking 9 years ago & dont miss it one bit. I only drank twice a week but drank about two 40 oz. Colt 45's & some liquor to top it off. Had a cousin once ask me why dont I just drink some beer with my meal or a glass of wine to enjoy the drink & meal. I find drinking alcohol with food to be disgusting..........

Only reason I ever drank from the beginning was to get drunk......never liked the headaches & what not that comes with drinking. My gf drinks once in a while & I could care less......she rather smoke weed or pop an opie anyway. I myself like the opie's & thats it for me for a long time.............

 

[effie]

^ I think you are okay. But binges are not good for the liver, and if you have been a heavy drinker in the past it would be worth getting a liver blood test from your doctor, just to make sure..

Some people have a naturally high tolerance to alcohol and can hold it together during a binge much more easily than others, hah.. do try not to do it too often though of course!

Also, listen to jazz hands

 

[Sepher]

You're probably fine. Binging isn't good for you but what seems to be high tolerance during a binge is not an indicator of physical damage. If anything the reverse is true, as the damage caused by alcohol long term would tend to lower tolerance, as the liver becomes less effective at metabolising the booze. Alcoholics for instance frequently get drunk faster than non-alcoholics, stay drunk for longer, and suffer worse hangovers because the liver isn't so good at breaking down alcohol and ridding the body of toxic metabolites like acetaldehyde.

There is a phenomenon known as metabolic tolerance which is a temporary effect of hard drinking. When you start drinking heavily the liver quickly ramps up production of dehydrogenase, the enzyme responsible for metabolisation of alcohol to acetaldehyde to compensate, reducing the effects of further drinks somewhat. Acetaldehyde is further metabolised by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and glutathione into acetic acid which is then expelled from the body. The liver only stores so much glutathione so when you binge over a coupla days you reach a point where the body struggles to break down the acetaldehyde and toxic quantities build up, causing the familiar effects of alcohol poisoning: vomiting, shakes, headaches, etc.

 

[Allein]

I doubt you have any permanent damage, clearly it varies from one person to another but I gave up the booze altogether last July but was consistently drinking half a bottle (1/2 a liter) of scotch a day for at least 2 year solid and all my liver tests have come back fine twice. I think I may have been lucky as I wasn't a drinker in my earlier years.

The general advice these days is to try not to drink for days in a row, giving your liver time to recover and repair which it seems to be very good at, luckily.

I found I lost all real effects from drinking I could talk and walk pretty normal even after 1/2 a bottle but it definitely didn't help with my anxiety and depression, specifically the anxiety in the mornings as i only drank in th evening .

I'm personally happy that I don't drink anymore, I don't miss it and I'm on my way to getting off the benzos which I have to admit to using as a bit of a replacement so kits not all good but I'm not seeking perfection

 

[Deleted member 170540]

I am 20 years old most my days of drinking occurred within 18 and 19 and although it was not daily it was 2 or 3 times a week slightly heavily and I noticed I became of a more emotional person over time like the real me and more easily irritated I would have alchol poisoning once a month during that year so fast forward a year later after trying every drug I realized the only one mainly that is still in my life is marijuana and once in awhile alcohol which I drink once a month. Well this winter break I wanted to see how long could I keep going for at a binge. I drank 10 shots the first 3 days and on the last one was 15 mostly mixed drinks the first 2 days and pure.shots the next two. I was also smoking weed during these 4 days to counteract the negative effects of alcohol which helped so much. Needless to say I survived but all my friends keep telling me how that's not normal at all for someone who never drinks anymore with no Tolerance I also must mention the following side effects weren't as bad as I thought they came and went in waves. Depression slight mood swings hot and cold twitching only okn sleep. Any other drug I do so much of I would feel terrible for an intense few.days and for someone who used to throw up from drinking I never do anymore please explain the human body and the ways drugs effect you fascinate me

Young boy, I'm an alcoholic and let me tell you what it is when someone's REALLY drinking... You've been shitfaced for two weeks, 24+ cans of beer a day. You haven't gone to shower or shaved for that time, and you look and smell like shit. There's a terrible mess and a smell of human filth in your apartment, there's dried vomit everywhere on the floor, which you just don't care enough to clean. You wake up at 5 am in withdrawal, your mouth is dry and when you try to drink a glass of water, you can't keep the glass in your hand because of the shakes... At 7 am you literally crawl to a nearby early store to buy more alcohol, you puke on your way there, have hard time paying at the counter because you cant keep the credit card or money in your hand because of the shakes. You crawl back home, puke on your way back. You're drenched in sweat when you get home. Your stomach and esophagus is like on fire from the irritation of two weeks of drinking but you have to force a canful of beer down your throat to stop the withdrawals. Then you feel the alcohol rushing in your brain. You feel sleepy. You go back in bed and fall asleep. You're like in heaven. Thats what real drinking is like. At that point you should be worried about the alcohol damaging your body.

 

[bpayne]

No when you are at that point you are in dire need of a Liver Transplant and have one foot in the grave, not merely "damaging" your body. what that kid is doing is also "damaging" to his body and Liver as well.. No need to be condescending with teh "young boy" quip either.. the kid is genuinely concerned that his drinking is having an effect on his body and rightfully so, everyone's body chemistry is different.. what may just wake you up.. could Kill someone else.. so don't base what is damaging you on what could damage someone else. that's not helpful one bit

 

[forbiddenlife5]

Dang I am now starting to realize how painful alcoholics live does it hurt when they are drunk too and how do so closet alcoholics stay AK successful like the rich ones

 

[Pjkt2501]

They're "new money" so to speak - trust fund babies whose parents did all the work, and the younger punks just ride their elders' coattails.