Concerned after relapse

[Hanc]

Hi all,

Haven't posted in quite some time. Former heavy drinker haven't had a drink in two years. But after a recent set of circumstances I have relapsed and for the last month a and half have been drinking heavily daily, about 10 pints of larger a day. Previous tests have shown no liver damage. I have now stopped . I know how foolish I've been. I'm just worried and wondering if I could have caused cirrhosis in this time frame. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.

[mtk0925]

What test did you have that showed no further damage? I doubt it did you any favors but doubtful it caused cirrhosis

[Hanc in reply to mtk0925]

Hi, thanks for your kind reply, After I stopped drinking 2 years ago I had lfts, an ultrasound, elf test and a fibroscan all showing no fibrosis, just worried about the damage a month and a halfs bindge may have caused.

[mtk0925 in reply to Hanc]

Yes I highly doubt you have caused any severe damage. I was like you. Would get the all clear on ultrasound ct scans endoscopy etc and go back to having a few drinks on the weekend. It would turn to more and more. Now I can go months to a year with out touching alcohol I may have 1-2 on Christmas and sometimes I might have 1-2 on vacation if that. You really have to set boundaries or not drink at all if you can’t.

[Hanc in reply to mtk0925]

Thanks for your kind reply, yes I think I need to cut it out for me one always leads to another.

[Richard-Allen]

Hello Hanc

I think what you really need to do is to resolve the issue that triggered your need to turn to alcohol in the first place.

Very often, things happen that aren’t due to any fault of our own. We become victims, all through no fault of our own. In situations like this we often turn to our best friend for comfort. Alcohol can become that best friend, after all, it’s always there when we need it, and it tries to make us feel better and happier.

As you’ll know, alcohol is never the answer, and being a depressant only makes things worse.

Go back to what drove you to want that drink in the first place. Process, and resolve the issue. It’s very much a case of “Cause and Effect”. The problem is the “Cause”. Drinking becomes the “Effect”. By treating the "Cause", the "Effect" becomes unneeded and redundant.

Finally, try and learn from this relapse so you develop better-coping skills ready for the next time something like this happens again.

Finally, don’t go beating yourself up. You are after all human. Life is about making mistakes and learning from them, so treat this as a learning opportunity.

Don’t give up. You’ve given up once, you can do it again.

Good luck

Richard

[Hanc in reply to Richard-Allen]

Thanks for your very kind reply Richard, very much appreciated, I am hopefully getting to see my GP next week for a chat about my concerns and what triggered this relapse. Thanks again for such an informative post, it has been so helpful.

[redpoint72]

Hello hanc. First and foremost, you have stopped the drink again ,so well done fella.....I know all to well, its not easy to do at all.donnt have regrets either,what's done is done......don't let it eat you up. The past can't change, but you can change the future. As Richard has said,its a good idea to see your gp,and be completely open with them. Take care fella. Sorry not more help. My best Chris

[Hanc in reply to redpoint72]

Thanks Chris your kind reply and support has been a great help, thanks very much and much appreciated.

Mark.

[kensimmons]

The good news is you made a mistake but stopped yourself. Just keep at it, a brief blip is certainly not uncommon. Congratulations on stopping again, keep your chin up!

[Hanc in reply to kensimmons]

Thanks for your kind reply, I know it's hard not to beat yourself up after a relapse.

[KulG20]

The important thing is to realise the possible effectsSecondly don’t beat yourself up about it. It happens

Low mood and low self esteem can lead to a downward spiral to devastating effects

Keep trying that’s all you can do and never judge yourself or let others do that

Only you know the reasons

[Hanc in reply to KulG20]

Yes definitely feeling a bit low at the moment, thanks for the good advice and support.

[Roy1955]

Looking at your older posts your main problem seems to be health anxiety.You know your level of drinking CAN result in liver damage and your taking regular tests "just in case".

That's total madness! Because one day you might get rhe test results that your dreading!

Relapsing is all part of giving up and I called it a reminder of WHY I needed to quit.

So far you have been lucky but stop using scans and tests as excuses to relax and stop using them as a benchmark for when you have no other option but to quit.

[Hanc in reply to Roy1955]

Thanks for your kind reply and help, that is exactly how I have been living I need to bite the bullet once and for all, yet it's so difficult.

[kensimmons in reply to Roy1955]

That is very well put Roy!

[Ozzie1961]

Well done for stopping, we haved emons ,I have to brush it off my shoulders everyday ,I have esld and he due to alcohol, I hope you're feeling better now, I understand what you you're going through but it does destroy your liver ,stay strong 💪 👍 👍 and dont blame yourself, it's a disease, let me know what you're results are if you've stopped in time ,might not be to bad ,excu me if my response offends but im having beginning of he episode❤️❤️🙏💙❤️❤️

[Hanc in reply to Ozzie1961]

Thanks for your kind reply and your great advice I know it takes time and a few knocks, but it has to be done for our own good.