u/Existing-River-2828

Hi!

I'm a 27M, and over the past few years, my alcohol consumption has steadily increased. I'm now at the point where I worry about its long-term impact on both my physical and mental health.

I used to only have a few drinks here and there, but over time, it crept up on me in terms of both volume and frequency. It mainly started because drinking is a big social staple in the cities I've lived in, and I come from a family of drinkers—though at this point, they probably drink less than I do. Now, my consumption ranges from about 2 drinks if I'm being "good" to 5 or 6 if I'm being "bad." I really only take a day or two off a week nowadays, meaning I probably have around 12 to 20 drinks most weeks, if I'm being honest.

I don't drink during the day and I don't experience behavioral issues from alcohol, but I struggle a lot with moderation after the first one or two. Once I start to feel good, I just want to keep the good times going. That often leads to having too many, which results in a hangover and awful anxiety the next day. It really messes with my mental health, on top of poisoning my internal organs, haha.

I've done Dry January twice and had great experiences, but whenever I try to cut back afterward, I always end up right back where I started—having one night where I overdo it and getting sucked back into the same cycle.

I've spoken to my partner and family about it, but they all assure me that it doesn't seem like I have a problem and that I'm just building it up in my head (which I admittedly tend to do, oops). Because of that, I feel like I'm in a weird middle ground where I know it might not be healthy for me, but the people around me don't see an issue.

It's also hard to imagine a world where I don't drink at all, or even just cut it out for a while. I genuinely enjoy the taste of beer and cocktails, and I love checking out new bars and breweries.

I don't know if anyone has any advice for moving forward or any personal experiences to share, but I'd love to hear them!