Drinking and ASD

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Yeah, I have a alcoholism issue too. So far it's already caused me physical harm; harm which I can only recover from by stopping drinking. I've made it 4 days without a drink now, and I'm hoping I can keep up this streak!

To put it bluntly, if I were to continue my drinking I would seriously harm my health. I have to stop, no matter how much I love it.

Good for you! I am glad to share my AA birthday with you. I was a 'free range' Aspie, not diagnosed until age 56, however at 33 years of age I tackled my own alcoholism head on and have not had a drink from that day to this. I credit my success to adherence to the steps and principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, and the only pride I feel is that I was not too far gone to be able to trust. Choose life, hellhole, because liquor doesn't love you back.

I don't drink. Never have and don't have any desire to when it's legal for me next year. I expect I'm going to be pressured by some people to drink, mainly my family because I don't have any friends, but I'm not going to. There's no benefit to it and it can have catastrophic results.

I'm one of the seemingly rare moderate drinking aspies. I never binge drink and have about 2-3 drinks a week (except in England, where I had like . I have an average tolerance for alcohol, but for some reason, people assume my alcohol tolerance is low, so a few people have advised me to order light beers at restaurants or pubs/drink alcoholic beverages slowly. In reality, I don't start to feel tipsy at all until after 2 standard drinks if I drink them at a normal speed.

I am a firm believer in "if you are a alcoholic, do don't drink 'normally'."

However with a real alcoholic, one drink is too much and two drinks are never enough, if you catch my drift. Real alcoholics have a disease that influences its host (you) to resist seeing ourselves as others see us. To senselessly defend and argue about needing a shot to 'calm the nerves', even if you know the "shot" will be the whole darned bottle, eventually. Kidding yourself that 8 % alcohol by volume wine is practicing 'moderation' from a 12 % alcohol by volume, even if you drink more of the 8%, eventually. Hiding alcohol from significant others, children, granny, in vinegar bottles (or keeping everclear 190 proof vodka under the sink, in it's quart spray bottle mislabeled "Bleach/H2O" back behind the carpet shampoo and just squriting a couple of ounces every glass I drank out of.)

So you see, being an alcoholic can happen to anyone, autistic or not. It's like having poison oak/ivy/sumac on your skin and it causes intense itching in those allergic to it; the key to this reaction is to not scratch. Such a simple action, but what a struggle to not ! It's like drinking alcohol brought up an allergic reaction where I craved more alcohol. Luckily I was with the AA people when I found that out, and I simply did what I was advised by others who got all "itchy" from alcohol, too. I realized it was a chinese finger puzzle. You had to stop struggling. Stop altogether. Once. Then spin those sober days out as long as you like, and the more time that goes by without alcohol,the more different it is and then one day, you realize you haven't wanted a drink for quite some time. 'Cause that isn't you anymore,

Happy 32 AA Birthday, Robin Lauvon Lorette Celeste Aida Miriamne Sarah Amber Merle Zenobia Trinity

unfortunately alcoholism runs in my family and i am hfa, thus it becomes a great self medication for all the sensory and emotional overloads i feel. is it any worse than taking valium etc? any worse than muscle relaxers? not sure? i know i can let my brain relax and fall asleep. pretty crappy situation as i know its not healthy.

then of course becoming a beer snob becomes a special interest. crazy town

I've seen up close and personal what alcoholism does to families, STARTING WITH MY MOM'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY. Grandpa, and my great-grandpa, were the town drunks. While I didn't know great-grandpa, known as Boomer, I saw how grandpa, known as Fritz, was abusive to my mom, and, to a lesser extent, my brothers and me, when drunk. Being a WWII vet who saw action didn't help. Mom was never diagnosed, but with her short fuse and irritability, I wouldn't be surprised is she was bipolar. I can now understand why she never socialized, and demanded that Dad, my brothers, me, and she not interact with anyone .

I'm a little confused. What makes you think I'm an alcoholic? It just because I'm an Aspie?

I drink, I have certainly drank too much and been irresponsible with drinking. Anymore I mostly stick to beer, wine or mead basically mostly try to stay away from too much hard alcohol anymore. I will still have a shot or a mixed drink from time to time but I noticed whenever I've gotten out of control with it, it's been when I'm drinking hard liquor so I try to limit my intake of that a lot more now which seems to have worked.

it's probably because I used your quote to just post my own story. I apologize, I meant absolutely no commentary
upon your own behaviour or lack of it. I will try to find out how to post without 'replying' to a specific post.

Again, please understand it was a mistake upon my part, I hope I never have the ill manners to address anyone's metabolism for alcohol without being expressly asked. Please don't be bummed, sorry if I made you feel singled out like that, I know how that feels.

my point was alcoholism is an equal opportunity offender, like diabetes or cancer or flesh eating viruses, and being an Aspie has not been a shield against of those diseases.

but I wasn't directing it to YOU, ocdgirl123, I just couldn't find the 'post' button and so hit your reply instead. Sorry

Merle

I don't really drink, like a beer or a bunch of alcohol. On occasion, my Russian keeper will pour a little vodka in a tiny glass and have me drink it. She tells me it doesn't taste great but it will help you stay asleep. it does.

Apology accepted.

Thank you,

I don't drink. I can't imagine why somebody would want to consciously reduce their brain function, if only temporarily. Well, actually one time when I was very depressed and anxious, I thought 'I wish I could just switch my brain off', and at that moment I realised why some people choose to drink. I still didn't though, I just cried myself to sleep.

I will never understand social drinking, and the calories associated with alcohol are enough to keep me away.

yeah i might i drink too much. enxiety depression lonliness boredom etc. a few times family has voiced concern but mostly its not noticable. selfmedication for "sensory overload" is a big one. more than a couple days without and the world starts crushing in. ive thought of aa but its hard to know the difference between self medication and alcoholism or if there is any.