Inattentive type ADHD and drinking heavily

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I thought I'd start a diary thread here as the AADD UK forum I was posting on appears to have been shut down by Proboards.

Have had 8 cans of Guinness tonight. Had 6 cans yesterday. I have been having 10 cans a day so it's a slight improvement.

Am trying to cut down as the last couple of blood tests I've had haven't been good for my liver.

I can relate - I've been drinking quite heavily most nights for the last quarter of a century, often a bottle of wine or several bottles of strong beer. It's a risky business, but not without its compensations. I'm also a heavy coffee drinker, and there's some evidence that this might be beneficial in respect of counteracting any adverse effects of alcohol consumption.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/jun ... dwellbeing

Anyway, from one addict to another, the best of luck to you!

Thanks DH. I am also aware of the coffee link and try to have a few strong cups a day. I also take 1 gram of Taurine a day which is also supposed to help:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4563760.stm

Have been getting some ankle swelling which is a bit worrying as it can be a sign of liver disease.

Not had a drink today and don't plan to. The ankle swelling has gone down. The threatening/criticising voices in my head that I've been getting for the past 7 years are pretty quiet at the moment. I posted about them here:

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=401215&p=8892958&hilit=+voices#p8892958

Do you ever go down to the beach, and watch the waves?

4.43am here and I've not had a wink of sleep. The wind tonight has been absolutely horrendous.

When I lived in Southport I used to go down to the beach when the tide was in (which in Southport isn't all that often). Now I live 15 miles from the coast so it's a bit difficult.

Yep. 15 miles is a long distance without a car and good roads.

I'm assuming you're not a big fan of AA. I'm not either but still managed to quit.

I think you know it's a bad coping mechanism , addiction is a real problem with ADHD.

alcohol disrupts brain chemistry. It can increase your risk of depression and make your ADHD symptoms worse.

Heavy drinking can quickly become a vicious cycle for people with ADHD or depression. After bingeing, you might wake up feeling anxious, depressed, or guilty. You might feel restless or have difficulty focusing.

It’s tempting to drink more to cope with those feelings. Over time, it may be necessary to drink more and more to find relief. Meanwhile, the negative effects of drinking also become more difficult to cope with.

I think deep down you know it's a problem so I suggest professional help if you can as soon as you can which may be impossible in the UK as the metal health system is failing the UK as a whole.

So the rules here say I'm supposed to support you and not offer advice but this sounds dangerous.

do you have loved ones depending on your income OP?

if not Id go straight for inpatient treatment, you need that liver to live.

I'm not a doc, but I also know under certain circumstances a doctor is supposed to help you detox.

Thanks for the replies. We don't have AA locally. There is a local alcohol service but I've been there before and it didn't help my drinking.

Anyway. I've had 2 days without a drink now

Make it 3 today. One day at a time.

I also have adhd and an addictive personality as well.

I just seem to go from one addiction to the next. When I was younger (teens through to about 30) it was drugs then I changed from drugs to alcohol. I must say that alcohol for me was the hardest to break, just because its so easily available and cheap. I managed to break that addiction and move on to diet and exercise addiction. This I found to be probably the healthiest and most productive and prosocial addiction.

The trouble with me is that I get really bored and drugs and alcohol was for me a short term solution to a long term problem. The boredom was actually painful for me and I just couldn't manage it. Learning to sit still and stay home with very little to do and not turn to substances was a real life lesson for me.

I wish you the best of luck with this. It is incredibly difficult as I'm sure we can all appreciate.

You’ve done really good, Babybird!

I am fortunate there’s YouTube for when I am bored.