Is there a forum like this for alcohol?

A buddy of mine sent me an email today cancelling our plans. He said all he wants to do is drink and has been doing that a lot lately.

He didn't ask for advice or anything. Just let me know he was going to stay home and drink instead of what we'd planned. And he ended it with "I'm a mess".

Is there a forum for alcohol that's similar to this one for ADHD? I'd like to know what to do for him or what I can say to him.

He didn't respond to my reply to him, so I'm going to phone him tomorrow just to check in.

Thanks, all

Mate get this guy to AA.

Download Paltalk and go to an online meeting.

I don't mean to be dismal, however i feel that a person will not give up till he REALLY wants too.

All you can do is try.

Pete789 5 yrs clean and sober

Thanks for the input, Pete. AA did come to mind, but I felt like I was jumping to a conclusion or something.

I'm not sure I'm the person to make a diagnosis of alcoholism.

Doesn't he need to say he needs help or ask me what I'd suggest or something? It sure seem to me that his drinking gets in the way of living his life the way he wants. But maybe what he wants is to just sit at home and get drunk. It's not up to me to determine that, but rather up to him to say he doesn't like what it's doing.

Or am I wrong?

Update: I talked to him yesterday. He said he was just having a bad day and was feeling down the day before.

So I guess it's not the alcohol that's the problem, it's everything else. Right

I left it with "maybe you should talk to someone about those things and see if there's help".

i grew up with an alcoholic fater so i hate alcholo constient arguring every nite over and over and it made me go crazy so i started doing drus to cancle all that out. my father no longer drinks but my childhood was terrible now after my 5 year drug addiction if clean but scewed up now.

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"I'm canceling our plans and drinking instead. I'm a mess."

I can't imagine a stronger cry for help, short of "Please help me". What he says later means nothing. What he said originally was authentic (because the only other thing it could be is manipulative and deliberate and that's unlikely). It isn't normal to cancel social commitments to drink, or to later deny that it was a big deal and things are better now. I highly encourage you to help your friend.

Thanks for the responses.

The guy had something come up in his life that's forcing him to drink less. I suspect when that resolves, this will come up again. When and if it does, I'll respond differently.

I think this is a great issue to bring up on these boards. It's a fact that ADD'ers have a greater susceptibility to alcohol abuse, often it's a form of "self-medication" for those who go untreated. Alcoholism definitely runs in my family as well.

There's also a strong connection between ADHD in a child and alcohol abuse in the parents, especially on the male side (father or grandfather). Here's a link (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=647746#post647746) to an earlier discussion on these forums that talks a bit on ADHD and alcohol abuse (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=647746#post647746).

Thanks DesertDave for bringing up an important issue on these boards. I wish you and your friend all the best.

Thanks for the responses.

The guy had something come up in his life that's forcing him to drink less. I suspect when that resolves, this will come up again. When and if it does, I'll respond differently.

I was aware of the heritability of alcoholism. Both of his parents were alcoholics. So we'll see where it goes.

I never really noticed much ADD about him, but he's one of the few people I can talk on the phone with for an hour and he seems to follow along. He also doesn't seem surprised when I pick up a conversation that I got derailed on earlier. I think only other ADDers can handle that very well. :rolleyes:

He does have other clinical "comorbidities" that have been mentioned frequently on this forum so it could be.

Interesting stuff.

I wouldn't be surprised if ADDers are drawn to alcohol.

I think in lower amounts it works pretty well on dopamine, but I'm unaware of how this mechanism works. If anyone could fill me in, that would be nice..

Is there a forum like this for alcohol?

A buddy of mine sent me an email today cancelling our plans. He said all he wants to do is drink and has been doing that a lot lately.

He didn't ask for advice or anything. Just let me know he was going to stay home and drink instead of what we'd planned. And he ended it with "I'm a mess".

Is there a forum for alcohol that's similar to this one for ADHD? I'd like to know what to do for him or what I can say to him.

He didn't respond to my reply to him, so I'm going to phone him tomorrow just to check in.

Thanks, all

Your friend needs to attend AA.
The type of drinking he is doing is quite destructive. If he stops now he can possibly save himself a great deal of social, legal and moral torment in the future.

Yeah, I'm well aware of that. That's why I was concerned.

This forum is so good for ADHD stuff, I thought maybe there was something like it for alcohol.

If it is early enough in his/her drinking, he/she may be able to avoid the brutal withdrawal symptoms of alcohol by stopping now.

If I were you I would highly encourage your friend to visit an Alcoholic's Anonymous meeting or at least call the A.A. Hot line (most major cities have a hot line that is open 24 hours).

Good luck to you and your friend.

I'm not 100% sure on the exact mechanism, Batman, but I think it has more to do with "quieting down" overactive regions of the brain. I'm not sure if this is actually dopamine-regulated or not. Certain types of ADHD have highly overactive brain regions compared to non-ADHD'ers.

This actually shows up in brain scans by higher blood flow, electrical activity, etc. If my memory serves me right, individuals who exhibit bipolar or shizophrenic behavior alongside their ADHD often have the greatest shifts under alcohol.

In the short run, this "self-medication" works, however, over time, this alcohol-based response diminishes, and the imbalance in brain activity actually worsens. From there it's all downhill. Again, I'm not 100% sure on this, it's just based on something I was reading a few months back.

I wouldn't be surprised if ADDers are drawn to alcohol.

I think in lower amounts it works pretty well on dopamine, but I'm unaware of how this mechanism works. If anyone could fill me in, that would be nice..

But it's *known* that alcohol works on dopamine. I don't know *how* it does so, but I've read from many sources that it does.

I've been through alcohol addiction. And lemme tell ya: the first stage before a theoretical "almost drunk" second stage feel very stimulating.. much like other drugs that work through dopamine reuptake/release.

Batman, all the "studies" in the world don't hold a candle to someone who's actually been-there-done-that. Thanks for the insight, bro.


But it's *known* that alcohol works on dopamine. I don't know *how* it does so, but I've read from many sources that it does.

I've been through alcohol addiction. And lemme tell ya: the first stage before a theoretical "almost drunk" second stage feel very stimulating.. much like other drugs that work through dopamine reuptake/release.

Thanks everyone for their input and ideas. I think what's currently distracting him from this will go away after the holidays. He'll probably talk to me about it again and I now have some direction on what to do and say.

I appreciate it.

Thanks everyone for their input and ideas. I think what's currently distracting him from this will go away after the holidays. He'll probably talk to me about it again and I now have some direction on what to do and say.

I appreciate it. hi Desert just wanted to share with you that I am a recovering alcholic and today Im still sober one day at a time for 15yrs and while I was out there drinking...ANYTHING happening to me was an excuse to drink...oh I got a pay raise lets have a drink...friday nite great drink up...what didnt get that promotion...I need a drink.. hey the wind just shifted oh miller time....Hey it morning ok drink up
what Im trying to say is an active alcholic does not need an excuse to drink just breathing was reason enough for me
Im grateful I found the courage to admit to myself I needed help to stop
your friend is lucky to have you around

sorry for spelling errors and maybe making post way to long:)