Drinking alone
 

Is drinking alone really so wrong? You feel the same either way, so I don't know what's wrong with drinking alone. Everyone tells me that drinking alone is really bad, but I don't know why. It makes me feel good, so why not? If I can leave reality, why do I have to be around people to do so?

meh, everyone tells me that too. i dont think it is the actual drinkn alone thats the problem..but drinkn and getting drunk. it also used to be said that drinkn alone was a sign of alcoholism.

to be honest, i drink alone most of the time in my bed and always end up drunk.

i really dont know why it is so bad unless it starts to become a problem.

A lot of people drink at home. With dinner or something. It is only a problem when it starts interfering with your life, or when you drop out of things to do it.

Thanks guys. I really appreciate your replies.

are you drining and on the net, talking to people and generally chilling out?
because i do that all the time and my mates who i talk to are usually drinking or smoking green whilest chatting on the net or playing games,
i'd like to think it was an extension of social drinking, in a way
N/D

Drug abuse does not mean anything is f*cking wrong with me. I don't even do it that often. So I would prefer you to not come to a thread I started to get advice and answers and insult me. You don't even know me or who I am. I've also seen you be rude to other members in their threads. Maybe you should think a little harder about your wording, Nil, because I certainly don't appreaciate the way you talk to people.

I don't give a **** if Nil is right. My problem is with the words this person used to make the point. I feel insulted by someone telling me that there is something wrong with me, especially if they don't even know me. I just think Nil should have worded the reply in a better, less inflamatory way.

Also, I only posted because my sister was giving me lectures about drinking alone and I wanted some opinions from other people on the subject. I personally think drinking alone is fine if it is done in moderation and that RYL should be a place that does not make members want to cut more by people putting them down and making judgements on people they do not know.

It's not a stranger's place to say there is anything wrong with me. Nil could have worded that comment better. I was not intending to guilt-trip, I was merely stating the truth. I would appreciate it if you would stop making me feel worse about myself than I already do.

Drinking alone to get out of reality is a warning sign, and can get addictive (I know because I do it as well and start to feel like I need to do it now). If you're seeing a therapist it might be a good idea to chat to them about it. Even if it isn't interfering with your life too much, it can still be doing your body some damage. Drinking enough to get drunk means that your liver has a lot of work to do and if you're doing it often, it doesn't get enough of a break to repair itself xx

Drinking alone isn't always particularly bad, but I know from my own experience that it definitely can be. I think it's that it's often part of a maladaptive pattern of alcohol use. Certainly people can drink alone without it being concerning at all - like having a glass of wine with dinner, drinking a bit while you're talking to people online or such, or even just having a beer while you're watching a football game on TV. And similarly, it's entirely possible to have a serious problem with alcohol even if you rarely or never drink alone. For example, someone might be going to parties every night and drinking large amounts each time, and could easily be abusing or even dependent on alcohol despite drinking only at parties. But I do think it's a lot more likely for alcohol to become a problem if you drink alone rather than socially.

Personally, when I drink with other people, I usually have a couple of drinks, and have a great time. But when I drink alone I'm usually trying to escape from something, and I tend to drink a lot more, and I usually go down rather than up. And being alone and uninhibited, I'm a lot more likely to do something self-destructive. I often end up cutting after I've been drinking, and since I'm less cautious, the cuts end up being deeper. And twice now I've taken fairly serious overdoses after drinking a bunch (something I've never done whilst sober). But when I drink with other people, I end up doing silly fun things with those people, and don't start feeling lonely and depressed, so I don't end up wanting to hurt myself.

But all of that is obviously pretty individual, and my experiences there may not apply to you at all. But one thing that is definitely concerning is that you described drinking as an escape. The reason that's cause for concern is that if you start to rely on alcohol as an escape, there's a significant chance you're heading towards alcohol dependence, which is definitely bad because it (by definition) interferes with social, occupational, and/or educational function, and it also tends to destroy your liver.

Another worry with drinking alone, no matter what your reasons for doing it, is that there isn't anyone around to help you if you drink too much or hurt yourself, or even to stop you doing the kind of really stupid things that sometimes seem like a good idea when you're drunk.