Binge Drinking

[Jbagz]

I've read so many different definitions of the term binge drinking, but for purposes of discussion here let's call it drinking more than 5 drinks in a two hour period.

Although I don't drink as often as I used to, I'm a binge drinker by that definition. I've never had an alcohol related incident, such as a DUI or a bar fight, but I hate the way I feel the next day.

It is not just the physical hangover effect, I also find myself feeling depressed after a night of drinking.

Alcohol is a depressant and I've been struggling with "middle age depression" for awhile now.

I'm at the point of giving it up, I got drunk over the weekend and I'm just now coming out of feeling like everything is pointless and I'm utterly bored with my own existence.

I often go several months without having a drink, but when I do decide to drink, I drink to get drunk.

I'm at the point of just walking away from it because it isn't enjoyable anymore.

I'm curious if anyone has experienced something similar to the post drinking bouts of depression I described, if so, is your drinking pattern similar to mine and what do you drink?

I drink vodka or other clear liquors like Shochu. I haven't touched a beer or any whiskeys in over a decade.

 

[MossBoss]

I've read so many different definitions of the term binge drinking, but for purposes of discussion here let's call it drinking more than 5 drinks in a two hour period.

That's a quiet night for many drinkers. Especially if they drink the watered down cocktails at the Hub.

 

[Jbagz]

That's a quiet night for many drinkers. Especially if they drink the watered down cocktails at the Hub.

In some frames of reference it does seem tame, but it describes my drinking pattern and I'm pretty toasted if I have five vodka tonics in two hours.

 

[TAG Manager]

I rarely drink, it's not so much an issue for me.
But that part...

I'm at the point of giving it up, I got drunk over the weekend and I'm just now coming out of feeling like everything is pointless and I'm utterly bored with my own existence.

...minus the drinking... is how I feel when I don't have something going on. I feel like I have to be doing something all the time, I don't do well sitting still or being bored without some sort of project or activity. When I literally sit still and my mind isn't focused, I feel that kind of dread/bored with my life kind of feeling. Luckily, if that happens, I have a range of things that I can do to combat those feelings.

It took me awhile to figure out that I need to be busy all the time, which makes me happy. I discovered retail therapy awhile back too, but that can be dangerous.

When I divide up my time... work and TAG related tasks take up the majority of my time. I do set aside disconnect days and go out to the mountains and I have one or two games I play... Social time with friends is hit and miss, some months better than others.

So that really wasn't related to drinking -- it's all the things I do instead of spending money on liquids that I'm going to piss away anyway. (literally)

 

[User#6517]

I'm a social drinker.. and used to drink alone if I felt super anxious about something. I admit to doing Hennessy shots right before meeting with a certain client in the past because he wanted me to be very aggressive with him and I couldn't do it without the help of alcohol.

If I had to drink with friends or clients, I would easily order 5-10 drinks within an hour or two.. usually sticking to fruity cocktails, but didn't mind tequila shots at all.

Now I only drink if a client suggests it.. which is not that often.. and I haven't been to a club in the last 2 months. The main reason I slowed down is because.. I stepped on a scale and realized that I had gained about 20 pounds.. most likely caused by too much partying and heavy drinking. Luckily for me, I lose weight just as quickly.. but I know now that it's not worth the weight gain

Of course, I'm not going to suggest that you hop on a scale too.. but I do recommend that you go out more during the daytime.. step your social game up.. take a few days off work and travel if necessary.. and if it gets even tougher, maybe join a support group. It's way easier to prevent an alcohol addiction, than it is to cure it.

 

[User#8628]

I am the same as Miss Insomnia, i only do social drinking with clients and friends. I dont think i always get to 5 drinks in two hours but sometimes i do.
I go host club shokai with friends and then drink shochu mixed with lemon tea. I dont take too much alcohol in it because i dont like shochu taste, and i guess i usually drink about 3 in one and a half hour. With clients we share a bottle of champagne for example and that would probably get me on 3 glasses. And if i drink cocktails in a bar its usually two or three. So i guess usually i dont hit the limit. But in some cases i may go over it if i really keep drinking for two hours.

 

[Anna Summer]

I haven't had any alcohol in about almost one year now. Before I was a social drinker and then maybe 1-2 drinks in 2 hours or so. I'm allergic to an ingredient found in many foods and alcohol as well so it limits my choices. And tbh I don't like how I feel the next morning or even the same evening. In general I don't need alcohol to be a fun person. I do think my health improved when I stopped drinking altogether.

 

[Jbagz]

I rarely drink, it's not so much an issue for me.
But that part...

...minus the drinking... is how I feel when I don't have something going on. I feel like I have to be doing something all the time, I don't do well sitting still or being bored without some sort of project or activity. When I literally sit still and my mind isn't focused, I feel that kind of dread/bored with my life kind of feeling. Luckily, if that happens, I have a range of things that I can do to combat those feelings.

It took me awhile to figure out that I need to be busy all the time, which makes me happy. I discovered retail therapy awhile back too, but that can be dangerous.

When I divide up my time... work and TAG related tasks take up the majority of my time. I do set aside disconnect days and go out to the mountains and I have one or two games I play... Social time with friends is hit and miss, some months better than others.

So that really wasn't related to drinking -- it's all the things I do instead of spending money on liquids that I'm going to piss away anyway. (literally)

You are not so different than me. If I keep busy, I'm much better in keeping my thoughts from drifting toward thinking about the purpose of our existence.

Alcohol seems to drag my thoughts to pondering that unanswerable question where I end up depressed.

Most of the time I'm pretty good at putting a positive spin on life, but I've always leaned to having somewhat of a nihilistic outlook.

I took up wildlife photography a few years ago and I absolutely love being outdoors and observing nature with my camera.

Even with that, I have to be careful because it invariably drags my thoughts back to asking, "Why in the fuck does all of this exist?"

Actually, I've figured out that there probably isn't an answer, at least an answer that satisfies me.

I'm cool with that, and I'm actually able to see an exhilarating and beautiful side to nature that just plods onward with no other point than to survive.

It really is a remarkable and beautiful thing, but there is a duality to life, you'd have to be a moron to not also notice the bleakness of it all.

Alcohol seems to bring my focus to the dark side of life and hold it there for a couple of days. I really don't need to have a chemically induced cloud hanging over me, so I'm giving it up.

I'm kind of glad you took this in a direction that veered away from alcohol because that is really where my issue lies, alcohol just magnifies it.

 

[Jbagz]

I'm a social drinker.. and used to drink alone if I felt super anxious about something. I admit to doing Hennessy shots right before meeting with a certain client in the past because he wanted me to be very aggressive with him and I couldn't do it without the help of alcohol.

I've never had that sort of relationship with alcohol, using it as a means of accomplishing a task.

I can understand what you are describing, but that sort of experience is beyond me.

Thanks for sharing, it almost sounds a little scary to me.

If I had to drink with friends or clients, I would easily order 5-10 drinks within an hour or two.. usually sticking to fruity cocktails, but didn't mind tequila shots at all.

Now I only drink if a client suggests it.. which is not that often.. and I haven't been to a club in the last 2 months. The main reason I slowed down is because.. I stepped on a scale and realized that I had gained about 20 pounds.. most likely caused by too much partying and heavy drinking. Luckily for me, I lose weight just as quickly.. but I know now that it's not worth the weight gain

Of course, I'm not going to suggest that you hop on a scale too.. but I do recommend that you go out more during the daytime.. step your social game up.. take a few days off work and travel if necessary.. and if it gets even tougher, maybe join a support group. It's way easier to prevent an alcohol addiction, than it is to cure it.

Weight gain isn't an issue for me, but it sort of was a few years ago when I drank more frequently.

I always would combat the hangover feeling by eating more than usual after a night of indulgence. Getting something greasy into my bloodstream seemed to do the trick. Of course, you are also more likely to skip your workout routine on a hangover day.

I've been steadily drifting away from drinking for a good three years now. My nights drinking have become more and more infrequent.

I don't think binge drinking is quite the same thing as alcohol dependence or addiction, but is nonetheless just as unhealthy.

 

[User#8628]

I've never had that sort of relationship with alcohol, using it as a means of accomplishing a task.

I can understand what you are describing, but that sort of experience is beyond me.

Thanks for sharing, it almost sounds a little scary to me.

I think my blowjobs are generally better when i'm drunk, strange enough. (More entausiasm, getting tired of it less quickly) but i have not tried getting drunk especially for the sake of that. It would be useful but not very healthy i guess.

 

[Jbagz]

I think my blowjobs are generally better when i'm drunk, strange enough. (More entausiasm, getting tired of it less quickly) but i have not tried getting drunk especially for the sake of that. It would be useful but not very healthy i guess.

LOL

Okay, your post jarred a few memories for me. I've mentioned in another thread that I enjoy an occasional romp with a newhalf.

I might not have taken the plunge the first time had I not been drinking. Don't get me wrong, it isn't something I regret, but I'm sure I was more inclined to go for it because I had been drinking.

So maybe I can relate to @MissInsomnia's post?

I've always found some MtF transgenders alluring, and I'm positive that my sexual performance is better without alcohol.

I just think it helped me do it that first time by being less inhibited with social taboos.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Perhaps drinking to get drunk isnt the best idea, i would recommend that if you are going to drink you should drink to have fun or for social purposes. Maybe that way when you look back at the night before you could tell yourself you had fun. If that doesnt help you maybe just quit drinking as a whole. No point in doing it if you dont enjoy it.

 

[Jbagz]

Perhaps drinking to get drunk isnt the best idea, i would recommend that if you are going to drink you should drink to have fun or for social purposes. Maybe that way when you look back at the night before you could tell yourself you had fun. If that doesnt help you maybe just quit drinking as a whole. No point in doing it if you dont enjoy it.

I think I'm ready to put it behind me and I don't think I'll miss it or have trouble avoiding alcohol.

It makes my grappling with depression much harder.

You are absolutely right, there is no point in doing it if I don't enjoy it.

 

[TAG Manager]

I'm kind of glad you took this in a direction that veered away from alcohol because that is really where my issue lies, alcohol just magnifies it.

Yeah, it's better to focus on something else than dwell on the alcohol.
Alcohol will be used to make you hyper-sensitive to some things and to diminish the feeling of other things.

 

[BladeRunner]

In AA they say that if alcohol effects any part of your life negatively - then you have an alcohol problem and it's time to stop.

Hence so many 'high functioning alcoholics'.

Im a massive binge drinker and work in an industry where it is hugely encouraged, and I suffer for it a lot now I'm a bit older with 2 day hangovers etc.

But the truth of the matter is I still love it - I think Donnie from Wolf of Wall Street ( in the glasses ) sums it up best for me here...

 

[Jbagz]

I'm not really sure what to think about AA. I don't think I need them, although I'm pretty sure they would label me as a high functioning alcoholic.

No doubt they have helped a lot of people over the years, but I also think they are full of shit too.

I could never tolerate their sloppily hidden religious agenda, anyway.

 

[RightOn6975]

Oh boy, when I was in Oki I had to learn quick how to handle my alcohol, it was a trial by fire if you will. Every weekend was a party in someones room or the base bar, we would pre-game then head to the bar and drink some more and by the end of the night I would have drank anywhere between 15-29 alcoholic drinks to include beer, shots, mix drinks etc...There was nothing to do because we were on a lock down status pretty much the entire time I was there. When we were able to drink out in town the whole drink responsibly fell on deaf ears as Habu shots were the order of the night. The entire time I was there I was surprised at the fact that I only had one day were I was unable to get out of bed, I came to Kyushu and kept up with traditions I had learned and would drink until I could not drink anymore. To me it got to a point where I just didn't see the point anymore, I scaled back my drinking and in fact will have no more then 3 beers or 1 shot for the entire time that I am out and about. I prefer to stay inside nowadays and sleep rather then go out and drink now. Not much to celebrate anymore for me really.

 

[BladeRunner]

but I also think they are full of shit too.

How so? I know where I'm from (a big city in Europe) the religious angle plays a very minor role, with the exception on the serenity prayer which is more of a motto

 

[Torky]

Late to the thread but...
Jbagz, you're not alone, I have the exact same problem.
I feel really run down (not in a physical manner) after a night of heavy drinking. I've often noticed most of my colleagues don't have the same issue so I had nicknamed my problem "Torky's Post Drinking Blues" or post-drink depression.

I too start pondering about what I'm doing in my life, I feel like I don't want to do anything but just play vidya games and sleep to forget it all.
Having certain responsibilities at work, I can temporarily take my mind off this feeling till it wears off though. I still feel sad but at least I don't have time to think about it.

I've personally theorised it was because when you hit that high or mild euphoria, the next day when the after effects kick in, The sudden drop in that feeling of 'happiness' is something I am rather sensitive to.

Similarly, I binge drink but not to the point of unconciousness or memory loss (except for 2 occasions in one particular bar in Kabukicho which I think I got spiked). Alot more than 5 in 2 hours though. I have absolutely no control and can spend almost 30000 to 60000 yen on drink (with friends of course). Only regretting it majorly the next day
Can't handle shochu very well - the aftermath hangover and vomiting does not sit well at all with me.
But give me anything else and I'm good to go! The buzz, the confidence, the libido that comes with it (oh boy do I get horny with Alcohol!). Ahh... just the thought of it simply draws me back to drink.

Recently, If not binge drinnking, I seldom try to touch alcohol. Maybe the occasional beer on a tough day at work but that's all

 

[Rusty Trombone]

Good to know I'm not the only one!!!
Having a rough day today after a big night out.

This time of year kills me with events on almost every night.
It'll quieten down next week and I prob won't drink a lot again until March.

I've made it a point to never drink at home.

At certain times in my life I have wondered if it was becoming a problem, but it seems to come and go.

 

[RoboReptar]

I used to heavily drink in high school in weird spurts and would experience that sort of "burn out" that you describe, but after graduating and getting a full time job I haven't felt the need to anymore. I'll still casually drink but no more than one or two beers or a mixed drink these days. All my friends are still in their drinking phase but I feel kinda left out since I'm not into it anymore.

 

[User#8628]

I used to go all the way when drinking and get shitfaced drunk, definitely binging.
Since i dont care about getting drunk anymore, however, i feel like alcohol works faster on me then before, maybe because i drink it less than before and often on an empty stomac (to lazy to eat before going out). And do longer with my drinks so maybe feel the effect kicking in while i dont feel like i've drunk so much yet, while by binging it may take a while to kick in.

Anyway, i feel like a granny, getting drunks from half a bottle champagne/wine.

 

[Anna Summer]

I used to go all the way when drinking and get shitfaced drunk, definitely binging.
Since i dont care about getting drunk anymore, however, i feel like alcohol works faster on me then before, maybe because i drink it less than before and often on an empty stomac (to lazy to eat before going out). And do longer with my drinks so maybe feel the effect kicking in while i dont feel like i've drunk so much yet, while by binging it may take a while to kick in.

Anyway, i feel like a granny, getting drunks from half a bottle champagne/wine.

I guess that happens quite often. I had the same experience sometime ago when I didn't drink much and then started again. It was much more intense than before when I was socially drinking every now and then.
Alcohol on an empty stomach is the worst haha

But nothing wrong being a grandma

 

[SugoiBoy]

Good to know I'm not the only one!!!
Having a rough day today after a big night out.

This time of year kills me with events on almost every night.
It'll quieten down next week and I prob won't drink a lot again until March.

I've made it a point to never drink at home.

At certain times in my life I have wondered if it was becoming a problem, but it seems to come and go.

IMHO, Japan largely runs on a combination of alcohol and caffeine.

 

[Jbagz]

Oh boy, when I was in Oki I had to learn quick how to handle my alcohol, it was a trial by fire if you will. Every weekend was a party in someones room or the base bar, we would pre-game then head to the bar and drink some more and by the end of the night I would have drank anywhere between 15-29 alcoholic drinks to include beer, shots, mix drinks etc...There was nothing to do because we were on a lock down status pretty much the entire time I was there. When we were able to drink out in town the whole drink responsibly fell on deaf ears as Habu shots were the order of the night. The entire time I was there I was surprised at the fact that I only had one day were I was unable to get out of bed, I came to Kyushu and kept up with traditions I had learned and would drink until I could not drink anymore. To me it got to a point where I just didn't see the point anymore, I scaled back my drinking and in fact will have no more then 3 beers or 1 shot for the entire time that I am out and about. I prefer to stay inside nowadays and sleep rather then go out and drink now. Not much to celebrate anymore for me really.

The drinking culture in the military can ruin a person if they get caught up in it. I only went TDY to Okinawa a couple of times, but it had a lot in common with a couple of bases in Korea where I did spent a lot of time.

Anytime you go bar hopping with a big group, the chances are higher that you going to drink too much. With the US military in Japan and Korea, it never seems to take that long for someone to find trouble offbase.