[SlimmingDown]

I know that this board tends to focus on binge eating, but what about binge drinking? Does anyone else have this problem.

I am a social binge drinker. I go out 2-3 times a week and drink about 10 drinks each time. Needless to say, I need to get this under control. I went to a psychologist today who told me that she wouldn't treat me unless I stopped drinking.

Does anyone else have this problem??? I need some support while I break my bond with alcohol.

[peachcake]

I can't say I have this problem, partly because I'm not 21 yet. But I think if you can't get this under control on your own you may need to speak with a rehab therapist as this condition could cause problems with your health long term.

[SCraver]

Yeah... To say that I know what you mean... is sort of an understatement... (Vodka makes me crazy ) I am a social drinker. I knew that in order to lose weight, I HAD to cut back on my drinking. (Besides the calories in the booze, it also made me hungry - i.e. munchies during and hangover after).

For me - I am doing ALOT better... but it has taken time. For example - if you usually have 10 drinks - maybe aim for 8. Are you drinking to get drunk or to have fun with your friends? I try to focus on the company of my friends now, rather than trying to get drunk.

I like to cut my drinks with seltzer water... this has been a HUGE help for me - it not only cuts back on calories - but also cuts back on alcohol.

Can you go to another psychiatrist? It seems weird to me that she won't work with you if you are drinking. I would think she would be someone that could help you with that...

[marisita]

WOW! 10 drinks 2-3 days a week? You MUST be in college? or maybe right out of college! Well, you know, if you stick with red-bull-vodka, you are ok. Beer, wine, anything else, there is just no way to lose weight drinking that much. Unless all you do is drink and not eat....

[Manick]

Ok, I will put my 2 cents in...hopefully you will get other supportive comments as well...but, seriously, check out a book called The Mood Cure by Julia Ross, you can find it at your library or there are a lot of used copies on Amazon. Craving sugar and alcohol are sometimes indications of wanting to self-medicate the brain. Behaviors like not eating all day and then eating a whole cake or being unable to stop drinking, etc are addressed. It might be (partly) as simple as adding some good fuel to your brain. Good luck with your goals!

[Genesis]

Coming from a long line of alcoholics, your drinking makes me nervous. If I were you, I'd stop cold turkey. See if you can go a month without drinking any alcohol. If you can do that fairly easily, I would feel comfortable introducing back one or two drinks two to three nights a week. For your health and well being, ten is way too much. And if you can't go cold turkey, it's time to seek professional help for your drinking. This is nothing to joke about and it should not be taken lightly. Alcoholism is a serious disease and can ruin your life and the lives of those who love you if left unchecked. I'm not saying you're an alcoholic, but with time you might end up in that position.

I could offer you tips on alternate beverages (club soda and lime, herbal tea, etc.) but I'm sure there's nothing I can suggest that you haven't already thought of. The most important step you can take for your health and future is to stop drinking today. Take this opportunity to prove to yourself what a strong, powerful woman you are. Alcohol does NOT have control over you. You are the one in control.

Best of luck to you!!!

[Mizu]

You could try attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings if you want. That might help you. You could get a support group and someone to help you steer away from the bottle if you need to call them, day or night. It's a disease and you need to nip it in the bud.

[Azure]

I think it's important to examine your friends, too. Are they encouraging the binge-drinking behavior? Are they going to be supportive when you tell them that you're going to quit drinking so much? If you're hanging out with people who are encouraging destructive behavior, you might have to remove yourself from that social scene.

I don't personally have a binge drinking problem, but my sister does. It does so many bad things to your body. In addition to leading to problems like cirrhosis of the liver (which can kill you) and chronic dehydration, even if you're drinking rum and diet cokes all night with only 1oz of rum per drink--that's 600 calories alone (rum and other hard liquors are ~60 calories per ounce, with light beer around 110 cal per can). Never mind if you drink your liquor with sugary mixers, soda or juice--then your calorie count is even higher.

So, binge drinking definitely contributes to weight gain and won't be helping you lose weight. I would consider seeing a therapist specializing in drug/alcohol addiction if you can't stop cold turkey. I usually have a few drinks with friends a couple times a month, and I generally limit myself to 2 rum and diet cokes each time: 120 calories total, and I'm not so inebriated that I'm making poor diet choices.

[shrinkinglizzy]

yup, I'm right there with you. I cut back on my drinking a lot after New Years, but around Nov I was a bottle of wine a night kind of girl. Still, because alcoholism does not run in my family, I figure I don't really have a problem. Though I did consider going to AA.
At this point, I don't drink Mon-Fri, and I've cut back a lot in general. However, I've been a social drinker since I was 13, and never learned how to be at parties without being at least tipsy. This is definitely something I still struggle with, but it's less of a problem now that I'm living with my boyfriend -- we don't really go out much, and I'm not as social as I used to be!
Anyway, I just want you to know that I hear you, and I totally understand where you're at. If your shrink won't see you, find another one -- she might not feel equipped to work with a client who may have addiction issues, so you might want to look for someone with this type of specialty, at least if you think you have an addiction.
Hope this helps. Feel free to PM if you want!
S

[souvenirdarling]

A psychologist only gives evaluations, methinks, which is different from a psychiatrist. They must have had trouble with alcoholics before.

Binge drinking is bad for many reasons besides weight gain, naturallly. The suggestion to stop for a month was a good one- you should be able to go out and not get drunk. If you can't, there's a problem.

[djs06]

What kind of drinks are you having? I have been in your position before, and it can be really scary when you think about cutting back. I think it's great you're seeking counseling; it'll help you get to the root of your behavior.

What about the people you go out with? I assume they're big drinkers too. Are there any alternate activities you guys can start doing? Even cutting down a little (like going out twice a week, and reducing it from there over time) would do you a lot of good.

[CountryGirl18]

I drink on weekends, and I drink alot. I have seen someone about this, but it wasnt a shrink. I see an addiction specialist. They help you with all sorts of addiction. You could get there info for a local rehab.

[tommy]

I have never heard a therapist say they would not work with you unless you stopped drinking. I HAVE heard them say they could not help you if you did not go to AA. You can try "controlled drinking" and see if it works (example only "X" number of drinks "X" times a week) However, if that whole scenario starts to make you nuts then it can not hurt to try a few AA meetings. Just look it up in the yellow pages, call the central office number and tell them what is going on. The people answering the phone are volunteer alcoholics who know what you are feeling. They can direct you to a meeting. It is not a commitment. There is no "joining up". You can just listen and see if it makes sense to you. As a woman, it is often good to ask if they can direct you to a women's meeting where you may feel more comfortable. You are not alone. Please reach out.

[SlimmingDown]

Thank you so much for the words of support and advice.

It's interesting that Marista thought I was in college or right out, I was a much more responsible drinker when I was. Now I am 28 and 6 years out of college, I lead a very professional life except for this.

I have decided to seek another therapist. She wanted me to not drink for 3 weeks before scheduling my next appointment (as well as to stop all other harmful activities like binge eating, etc.). I went to her for help and she doesn't seem to be willing to offer help. She was actually listed as being an addiction specialist. I'll try again, I am not giving up.

My drink of choice is beer. Last night I went out and decided that if I can't handle beer, maybe a switch would be good. I stuck with seltzer and lime for a while and then I had 2 vodka and seltzer over the course of 4 hours. Maybe that will help, still doesn't address the issue though so it's not a solution. I definately use alcohol as a crutch.

My friends are part of the problem. They are all 35-41 and have either never been married or are divorced. They drink WAY more than my college friends! I live in the part of town that is known for it's bar scene for young professional singles and it's basically the only thing that we do. It has frustrated me for a while. It's just by going to the bars I only meet people that go to bars. I need to meet new friends.

I have thought about AA. Fortunately I don't have a physical dependency yet, I don't crave it and I don't withdraw from it. I have issues with AA due to my religious upbringing and beliefs. I might try it out regardless though. I am going to try to conquer this on my own.

On a good note, I met one of my friends out for drinks last night and I was just having soda and lime. She asked why I wasn't drinking and I told her that I really needed to cut down for numerous reasons and that I wasn't sure that I wanted to drink at all that night. She was SO supportive! Asked me if I minded if she had one (I didn't). We might even do something not involving alcohol tonight. I guess I need to be honest and let my friends know that this is important to me. If they are true friends they will support me.

Sorry this is so long! It has been weighing on my mind for a while and getting other peoples perspective has always helped so much.

[vixjean]

My first thought is, what kind of what kind of thearpist is this?
Secondly, please don't be offended, that is not social drinking. Social drinking (in my opinion) is once a month or once every few months. Really this sounds like alcoholism. I am a recovering drug user and have been clean for 16 months. Having said that, my boyfriend and I went out last night for 1 beer. The last time I had a beer before that was before Christmas.
I think they have tests online to help you determine if you have a drinking problem.
You could preparing your body for liver disease. (I am obese so I am sure I am preparing my body for lovely things as well)
The idea that you may not be physically additcted- think about that from the outside looking in. If you are or are not physically addicted, either way this will be HARD.
I would cut yourself down to 1 night. You will see how hard it is, but also, you will recognize how ******ed you will feel the next day. I wish you the best.