Drinking

[bringmethehorizon♥]

Disclaimer I am not a alcoholic and even if I was I am not allowed to seek medical care in the U.K. as I am barely a resident while I am here.

First thing is that I need you to understand what my job is I work in a very hard and very tough business. I work in commission only and it’s serious money very high paying but it’s sales and one deal can basically change your life it’s very stressful and very target driven. I do this in Switzerland but due to Covid I am working remotely from the U.K. temporarily to see family and help look after them.

My concern is that I was reading NHS articles the other day about drinking and how it causes cancer I was drinking like 5 pints of beer a day because it helps me handle the stress and it’s great to sit and relax with a beer

I have since cut down to drinking once a week

I am concerned about getting cancer or something as these articles scared me a lot

[Everglow.]

Hey,

I can understand this worry as there are a million worrying statistics about how this lifestyle and that lifestyle can cause cancer. I think you've done a really good thing by cutting your drinking down - anything is ok in moderation but once something like drinking becomes a way to cope with pressure and stress, it can lead the way to more problems. So well done for working on that.

The thing to remember is that while drinking can contrinute to cancer, it doesn't guaruntee cancer. Balance is important. You can enjoy a drink and live a healthy lifestyle at the same time. I would recommend not reading too many articles or reports on these things. While many of them might be informative, there is such a thing as overload and that can be an unhealthy thing in itself. If you currently don't have access to a GP, maybe make an appointment with a doctor when you are able to return home. You can get a check up just to check you're doing okay, and perhaps even make a plan about how to balance your drinking and lifestyle in a healthy, productive way.

I would also recommend looking at healthier ways to cope with stress and work. Cutting down on drink is really good, but replacing that with positive coping methods is even better. Maybe think about doing a bit of outdoor exercise, even if it's just a walk every day. Fresh air is good for the body and the mind, especially during a lockdown. Maybe take some earphones and play music which helps you feel better too.

I'm not an expert but I hope this has helped to reassure you a little bit. Hope you're taking care.

[DeletedAccount53]

Hey bringmethehorizon

Since you are acutely aware of the dangers of drinking, which you have a good mindset about, I doubt very much you will ever go down the slippery slope that drinking can cause, so congratulations for being mindful in sharing your fears with us.

You can enjoy a drink, but in moderation. There is, in fact, a downloadable lifestyle app from Drinkaware, the UK's leading alcohol education charity. If you google it up, you'll be directed to the site where you can get it.

Being Monegasque, my sister and I were brought up to respect alcohol since we were young, being allowed a glass of wine diluted with water at mealtimes and actually, this happens all across France where we once lived before returning to Monte Carlo.

Being given wine at mealtimes meant that most young people grew up to have a healthy respect for alcohol by the time they reached 18. Sadly not so in England where, once people reach 18, they go off on a bar crawl to become smashed out of their tiny minds.

Culturally, France and Monte Carlo (Monaco) raise their children this way as they have been doing so for the last 70 years. Me? Depending on how I feel, I don't always drink wine with meals, but every evening enjoy two fingers of Gentleman Jack with three ice cubes and a splash of water. Exactly the way Frank Sinatra drank it back in the day. At least I had a taste for whisky untainted by Coke, a rare dichotomy.

So anyway, I hope you feel better since my reassurance and I wish you all the very best.

[Proud90sKid]

Relax. You are only 24 according to your age here. You are absolutely worried about nothing, but it is good that you are aware that 5 pints a day can eventually cause health problems (but usually only if kept up for a very long period) All alcohol consumption may be carcinogenic according to some studies, but the largest increase in risk probably only comes to older people who have drank for years. Cancer risk goes up with age.

If you aren’t an alcoholic and your cutting back is permanent then you really won’t have drank considerably more than the average person by the time cancer risk starts getting large.

Something like 10 percent of people drink 90 percent of the alcohol that is consumed. It is those 10 percent that usually have the biggest problems from the chronic consumption.

I know exactly zero people who have cancer from drinking in their 20s. I am an alcoholic and it isn’t really “a thing” that even gets discussed a lot in recovery communities

[Allyson Wood]

Originally Posted by bringmethehorizon♥

Disclaimer I am not a alcoholic and even if I was I am not allowed to seek medical care in the U.K. as I am barely a resident while I am here.

First thing is that I need you to understand what my job is I work in a very hard and very tough business. I work in commission only and it’s serious money very high paying but it’s sales and one deal can basically change your life it’s very stressful and very target driven. I do this in Switzerland but due to Covid I am working remotely from the U.K. temporarily to see family and help look after them.

My concern is that I was reading NHS articles the other day about drinking and how it causes cancer I was drinking like 5 pints of beer a day because it helps me handle the stress and it’s great to sit and relax with a beer

I have since cut down to drinking once a week

I am concerned about getting cancer or something as these articles scared me a lot

Don't get stressed. Some are fakes.