As a teenager, I was not known for being a heavy drinker. I had my first alcoholic drink at the age of 13 when my sister and brother decided to give me a vodka and lime rather than the lemonade and lime I requested when I attended my first ‘disco’. I did not like the taste at all and can’t really remember feeling any particular effect. Perhaps because I took such minuscule sips and took all evening to drink it.
The first time I remember feeling what alcohol could do for me in a more positive way was when I was around 15 and was at a family friend’s house at a social gathering. We were all sitting in his living room drinking his home made wine – which I recall was lemon flavoured. I felt relaxed, more confident and able to speak my mind more freely. Luckily I still exercised some restraint and did not declare the love I suddenly felt for him!
‘Normal’ Drinking
In my late teens and during my 3 years at university my drinking was relatively ‘normal’. During the week, my academic studies came first and I looked askance at those of my fellow students who frequented the university bars at lunchtime. How could they ever focus on their studying in the afternoon? I did drink at parties and at the weekends in the evenings. Also occasionally at the end of the evening in the week. I rarely got very drunk and only drank to the point of being sick once during all my student years.
Liebfraumilch was in vogue at the time! Perhaps there were a few signs of my enjoying drinking rather too much at this point as I did try to make my own wine on a couple of occasions with a Boots wine kit. I can remember it fizzing out of the top of the demi-john and tasting a bit like paint stripper. I valiantly drunk it at the end of an evening out nonetheless.
Drinking in the Workplace
I left university and was fortunate enough to get a job in my chosen field almost immediately and, in hindsight, I believe this was the beginning of my serious drinking. Instead of a canteen, there was a wine bar and drinking at lunchtime was common and a way of getting to know the people you worked with. Not only that, work continued over a glass of wine or two both at lunchtime and in the pub next door at the end of the day. Wine would be brought out during lunchtime or late afternoon meetings. On Friday lunchtimes we drank quite seriously in the pub until last orders at 3pm, but was it alcoholically?
We would then on occasions continue drinking in the office. I recall redoing the work I did on at least one Friday afternoon as I knew it was not of a good enough standard. At this point I became known as a good fun drinker, always up for a drink and a good time. But increasingly my drinking was now becoming a habit. Not only did I drink weekday lunchtimes at work but I was now usually indulging in lunchtime drinking at weekends.
Alcoholic? Encouraged to Drink Alcoholically
In my mid-20s I married and fairly early on my husband made it clear he thought I drank too much and too often. However, he still appreciated the fact that I could join in with the men drinkers at his sports club and was a popular only female member on the hockey tours.
They all encouraged me to drink more and it all seemed like good fun at the time – and it still did not seem like it was a major problem. I just joined in and had a good time. Also I did stop when pregnant – though I did not enjoy being pregnant, I think because it stopped my drinking. I allowed myself around 4 glasses of wine a week and I savoured those. As soon as my babies were born (four in total, though I miscarried 3 times, possibly due to conception related drinking) one thoroughly enjoyed daily drinking sessions throughout my maternity leave.
I would say that from my late 30s I had crossed the line and drank alcoholically. It it was a number of years after that that I finally had to do something about it.
Being an Alcoholic can Occur at any Age
Now I know that people can become alcoholic at any age – and for some it is not apparent until after they retire. There really is no age at which it is more likely that you will drink alcoholically. People come to treatment for drinking alcoholically at any time from their 20s to their 70s. And if you are an alcoholic of any age, there is no age at which you can safely drink again.
The good news is that for those of us happily in recovery. This is not a message of doom and gloom. You can still have fun, laugh and feel alive without drinking alcoholically. A life free of alcohol means having a lot more energy. Time to do other things which are at least as enjoyable as drinking. That never leave you with regrets the next day. As a recovering alcoholic, I can certainly recommend it!
Call the Haynes Clinic on 01462 851414
