Drinking every night

Hi there,

Thanks for your post Gr801. It can be really tough to talk to people when things aren't going right, but I'm super glad you decided to reach out .

I'm Justin, a member of the OutLife support team. I can relate to what you're going through: I've had problems with drinking too much in the past. There have been some pretty difficult times for me when I've been drinking daily, and trying to hide the fact I'm drinking from my friends and loved ones. It really sucks, especially when you're not sure how to stop and the whole things sort of creeps up on you.

But please don't be frightened, there are lots of places out there where you can get support. Also, you're far from alone: problems with alcohol are relatively common in the LGBTQ+ community and that means there are a lot of other people who are, or have struggled with this.

I'm going to link out to a few resources that you might find helpful. Reading them might help you decide how you want to move forward:

- The OutLife main site has a great piece on alcohol dependence. It contains some signs to watch out for, and points toward support services: www.outlife.org.uk/fs153-are-you-dependent-on-alcohol

- You don't mention where you are, but the charity London Friend runs a dedicated LGBTQ+ alcohol support service that's worth looking at www.londonfriend.org.uk/

- Drinkaware runs a quick-chat messaging service where you can talk to someone about your drinking: it's called Drink Chat www.drinkaware.co.uk/chat-with-an-advisor/

- If you'd rather talk to someone who is LGBTQ+, then you can call Switchboard. Everyone manning the phones identifies as LGBTQ+ and they're there to talk from 10am - 10pm on 0300 330 0630.

I really hope that you find some of the above helpful. I'm sure some of the other forum members would gladly share their experiences with you. Take care, and feel free to re-post whenever you need to.

Justin

Hi! I hope you're doing well now. You asked if you should worry - you yourself described your problem in your post and this is what bothers you. So you have a vision that this is wrong. If you drink before coming home, it means that there is some place by that you definitely go to buy a drink. Try changing your route. This advice may look silly, but at least you will gradually begin to realize your problem. You can change your evening rituals - form a new habit instead of drinking. All this can help you, because you don't have binge alcoholism yet. The main thing is not to replace alcohol with other chemicals - nothing good will come of it. I wish you good luck!