Inattentive type ADHD and drinking heavily

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Had 7 cans last night so that's 45.0 units so far this week.

I'm not trying to minimize your issues - after all, I have similar ones - but I think it's possible to fixate too much on this 'units' business. About twenty years ago, the 'safe' level for males was set at 28 units per week by the 'experts', then a few years later it came down to 21 units, and now it's 14. I even saw a study which concluded that no-one should drink more than one pint of beer per month. You have to wonder what's going on here - are some of these people taking the you-know-what? Do they really know what they're talking about? How much pressure is being put on them, and by whom? How much 'groupthink' is involved?

Yes, it's a serious matter, but it helps to keep a sense of perspective. You or I would have to be consuming two to three times our present intake to get anywhere near the George Best, Oliver Reed or Richard Harris category. Perhaps the type of alcoholic drink is significant as well: I suspect beer is probably the 'safest', followed maybe by wine. Spirits are where it really gets very dicey - I wouldn't touch whisky, gin, vodka, etc.

Continuing with a point I made the other day, I think household economics can play a part as well. I personally can't resist a bargain - yesterday I was going to buy a bottle of Hoegaarden (750 ml, 3.8 units, £2.99) and one of Theakston's Old Peculier (500 ml, 2.8 units, £1.59) for the evening's session. Then I noticed that it was £5.00 for two bottles of Hoegaarden, and you can probably guess the rest. From that example, one can see why anti-drink campaigners get so steamed up about supermarket special offers on alcoholic drinks.

Have you ever looked into the zero alcohol beer scene? Lidl do quite a nice Wheatbeer (£1.25) and both ASDA and Aldi offer zero alcohol Stella Artois in packs of four 330 ml bottles (around £4, as I recall). It would help if these were priced more competitively, and not as expensive as the 'real thing'. I tried these for a week or two when I had a 30-day dry spell earlier in the year. They're not bad tasting, but they didn't really win me over. But anyway, something you might want to look into?

Don't like Stella these days used to love it 30 years ago. Guinness do a 0% version which has good reviews. I need the hit of alcohol though to counter my poor concentration due to ADHD. I never get drunk, just 'relaxed'. Alcohol lubricates my brain. For instance I only enjoy listening to music after I've had a drink.

Had 9 cans last night so that's 61.2 units for the week.

Had 6 cans last night so that's 72 units for the week. Don't have any alcohol in thee flat now.

Got 10 cans from the off licence and had 6 cans last night so that's 10.8 units so far this week. (being sneaky and rolling the units over to today).

Getting 30 cans of Guinness delivered from Asda tomorrow.

I've drunk 1.5 bottles of Tesco 'Zesty White' wine over the last five hours or so, approx 12 units, and I'm about to go to bed now, at coming up to 2 pm, lol. This is a very cheap wine (£3.30 per bottle), and not that great, though I've had worse. No excuses really - I went to the Tesco express at 7 am and bought two bottles, though the sensible option was to buy just one. At least I've stopped short of finishing the second bottle.....

What you were saying a day or two ago about ADHD got me thinking. I've never thought of myself as coming into that category, but it's notable that I can't watch a film or a documentary these days without an alcoholic drink to help me concentrate. Tried it a few weeks ago with 'alcohol-free' drinks, but it just wasn't the same. Going back many decades, I found it very difficult, and eventually impossible, to write essays when at university, as I just couldn't concentrate on the task - I stopped turning up at tutorial sessions in my last 18 months, and was very lucky in retrospect not to have been kicked out. I think my tutors probably realized I was a bit weird, and just decided to leave me alone, for which I'm now grateful (didn't really understand or analyze it at the time).

I've got ASD (specifically PDA) and I've been waiting for an ADHD assessment for just over 2 years now.

It's fair to say I drink quite a bit.

My main day-to-day symptoms are anxiety and poor concentration. I discovered a long time ago that caffeine and nicotine set me up for panic attacks. I have to be really careful to only take minimal doses of prescription "uppers" as well.

So bear in mind if you're drinking coffee all day and Guinness all night, you might actually find you need the Guinness less if you lay off the caffeine. No need to knock yourself out so hard if you're less hyper in the first place.

I've also discovered recently that I mainly drink because it's something to keep my hands and mouth busy, and it's an instant flavour reward for the senses, as well as decreasing my anxiety. Effectively the whole business of drinking is comforting, and it also makes me feel busy even when I'm doing nowt. Possibly a tool to avoid doing stuff I really don't want to do, too? So it's calming but also dangerous as it can result in nothing getting done.

The biggest issues for me are the expense and the calories. Especially Guinness, it's a meal in itself man.

I've taken to buying beers I really like but then shandy-fying them. Cos it turns out I'm more addicted to pouring liquid down my throat than actually getting drunk. And if I'm blending my beers 50/50 with diet lemonade then I fill myself up quicker, it's cheaper, and I don't keep piling the weight on.

Pints of "Ghandi" are actually really nice, but a bugger to pour.

Worth a try?

I don't drink anything other than Guinness now. If I could stomach cheap cider or vodka I'd save a fortune but it makes me wretch. Got 30 cans delivered today costing £33. Don't fancy trying to mix Guinness with anything like lemonade so I guess I'm stuck with the cost and the calories.. All this talk about Guinness has got me fancying a drink..

The only time I ever really fancied Guinness shandy was after a long cycle ride.

On the other hand I never really enjoyed waking up feeling like s**t, either.

And y'know, liver disease, kidney stones, dehydration, jaundice...

You're into the realm of workable compromises here, if you want a drink but need to be healthier.

I fancy an Iso Grifo, my own bodyweight in Malt Whisky, and Jennifer Lawrence. In practice I'm trying to avoid having major organ failure before I'm 50.

What you want isn't always what you need.

Had 6 cans last night so that's 28.8 units for the week.

Having 8 cans tonight so that's 43.2 units for the week.

On 44 units so far this week, will try and keep off the booze for the rest of the week, didn't have a drink yesterday.

Got my ADHD referral through so hopefully will soon be getting some treatment.

On 45.6 units so far this week. Not brilliant given it's less than half way through the week..

Have an ADHD appointment on May 1st so hopefully will soon be getting some help with my concentration and less need for alcohol.

https://www.haydockmc.com/adhd

Are you going to get medication for your adhd?

Just letting you know I'm reading and cheering you on toward your goals.