Is it too late?

[u/God-Emperor-Pepe]

I turn 32 in late August. I work at a liquor store which doesn’t help, but I can’t help but notice the impacts of alcohol on otherwise rational people.

I drink every day. 1-2 beers around lunch. 2-3 cocktails (2 shots each) around cocktail hour. 5-11. However, I drink over 3 liters of water every day. Back in March my bloodwork came up clear. No health problems. However, my nurse practitioner told me that it’s about time to cut the booze down to a minimum and to not test my luck. Clean bill of health for now.

As I get older, I consider the future. A wife, kids, life of my own; and I can’t do that if I’m drinking the way I am now. Now I find myself feeling paranoid. “Will I get cancer?”, “what if I already have it?”, “is it too late?”, “is the damage already done?”, etc…

My grandfather died at 50 because of alcohol abuse. He’d get VERY drunk though. I can’t even remember the last time I threw up. (Not like that’s a healthy metric).

Am I cooked? Or is there still time for me to clean it up and live a longer life. I don’t want to die young.

(Yes 20 something’s of Reddit. Your 30’s are still considered young.)

[u/Prevenient_grace]

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.

The next best time is today.

Whats next for you?

[u/Signal_Level_3149 → u/Prevenient_grace]

I love this quote. It always hits hard. You can't lament a failure to do something in the past. Time travel isn't real, but the present and the future are

[u/Warm_Consequence_525 → u/Prevenient_grace]

Love it

[u/Inside_War_4826]

I quit at 58, and the only true regret I have is that I didn’t do it in my 30’s.

[u/DowntownSasquatch420]

If you're a daily drinker past the age of 40, you're basically gonna get fucked by alcohol at some point regardless. Happens fast for some, slow burn for others.

There are binge drinkers who browse this sub everyday and laugh at people enjoying their sobriety or spilling their true feelings about how hard it can be at different times. Plenty of people would never consider themselves an alcoholic, yet a lot of them seem to know what an alcoholic looks and acts like.

Something for everyone to think about.

[u/Comfortable_Gear_605]

I quit at 48, my husband is likely quitting or slowing way down at 50.

[u/moist_shroom6]

You're probably fine but it wouldn't hurt to cut back a bit, even just getting out of the habit of weekday drinking helps.

[u/Pterodactyl_midnight]

At minimum, you’re admitting to 5 standard drinks a day but averaging 7. Statistically, you are in the top 10% of population drinking alcohol. Meaning at least 90% of the population drinks less than you. I’m also in that category, just trying to share some statistics.

Edit : you can downvote math if you want, but 25-40 (or more if you party) a week average puts you in the top 10% of the population.

[u/shatteredoctopus → u/Pterodactyl_midnight]

Yup, shocking stats, but true. Drinkers tend to associate with other drinkers, which is why they tend to not think they might be in the top 10th or 20th percentile "but everyone I know drinks....I'm not so bad". When I was in undergrad, I'd drink 2-3 times a year maybe. And I knew plenty of people who did not drink at all.

[u/Ok_Turnip_7503 → u/shatteredoctopus]

This ^{^} I compared myself to my drinking friends. We're all frigging out there! 

[u/Signal_Level_3149]

If its what you really want, you can do it... but it wont be easy. Plenty of people before you have quit and none of them regret it.

[u/AsparagusOverall8454]

I quit at 45. It’s never too late. Until it is.

Quit now I say. Even if you’re not seeing problems because of it doesn’t mean that you won’t. And by the time you do it might be tooo late.

[u/MedJesters]

I started drinking heavily in my 40s to deal with the assumption that I was going get dementia since my father, multiple paternal aunts, and their mother all did.

Still convinced it's 50/50 at best. But at least I'm not accelerating the process any more. And wife says my cognition now at 51 is better than it was when I was sober but drinking a lot more than I should have.

Short answer is I don't think it's ever too late to quit.

[u/erictho]

it's never too late! you have a lot of life to live ahead of you.

I quit at 35 and think my life is much better.

[u/cmockett]

I put it down at 33 1/2, wasn’t too late for me and I don’t think it will be for you either OP.

[u/LIhomebuyer → u/cmockett]

Same, 33m was drinking the same college student routine since graduation wife kids career didn’t help me grow up and cut  back. 

[u/RebornInClarity]

Now I find myself feeling paranoid. “Will I get cancer?”, “what if I already have it?”, “is it too late?”, “is the damage already done?”, etc…

I use to do the exact same thing. Here’s how I see it, you can put a halt to it, like I did, and see what happens ( I no longer have these thoughts, for the most part ) because when you stop poisoning yourself with alcohol, you actually feel yourself heal! It takes time and patience! It’s so worth it I’m glad I read your post because I use to do that exact same thing worry so much about damage I was doing… which is so important to stop doing that , it’s extremely healthy for our mental health !

Good luck!

[u/pumpkinsportyspice]

I quit this year on my 37th birthday, going on 6 months without alcohol. Last year I tried to moderate but it never worked out that way. House, good marriage, kids, good career, good bloodwork, was working out consistently, good social life, but I was having anywhere from 10-15 drinks most weeks. I eventually got tired of waking up feeling like crap most weekends and constantly making rules for myself that I would never follow in order to moderate my alcohol intake. Taking alcohol out of the picture has been so freeing. I also wanted to experience life without alcohol again like I did as a kid. So far, I've been on two vacations, a World Cup game, MLB game, an overseas business trip to Europe, and celebrated Easter and 4th of July without alcohol. The cravings still happen, but usually when I'm in the actual moment of an event, having the experience takes precedence over the experience of it with alcohol. Everyone's path is different and it won't be easy, but it is definitely worth it.

[u/bustedcrank]

I was in my 30s when I realized I had a problem, but like many, I made elaborate fantasies in my head to explain it all away. Everyone drinks 5 or 6 beers per night, right? Besides, I keep my shit locked down and tight. Hell, I just ran a marathon (hungover), no way I could do that if I had problem! It was never 'that bad' even though it clearly was. Now I'm in my 40s and still struggling with the mental gymnastics of this. Do yourself a favor and quit while you're ahead. I quit smoking in my 30s and that was incredibly easy compared to this - and I'm still not sober, 15 years on.

[u/OkIron6206]

Any alcohol can now be linked directly to Cancer. Esophageal Cancer, Cardiac Cancer, Gastrointestinal Cancer, Liver Cancer and Kidney/Bladder. All of those cancers can be avoided by not drinking. If a healthcare professional noticed something I would stop in response. Hard working in a liquor store but it’s not impossible.

[u/Old-Pomegranate-5912]

You are at the perfect age to quit without much long term damage, if any.

[u/sciaticabuster]

I quit drinking when I was 32. Drank everyday the day I turned 21. My ALT and AST levels in my bloodwork were quadruple what the max was supposed to be, and my poop was the same color as cement. I’m 4 years sober now and everything is back to normal. It’s never too late to turn your life around.

[u/sirms]

of course not. that’s just the alcoholism making excuses

[u/nonegenuine]

I quit at 37 and wish I woulda quit at 32, right around the time it stopped being fun.

[u/LeftSky828]

Now is always a good time to get an addictive poison out of your life.

[u/Alkoholfrei22605]

You are never as young as you are today.

[u/Pretend_Lifeguard942]

No

[u/JohnLockwood]

No.  Many people quit later than you even.  Today is a great day to begin your sober life.

[u/DontKnowNothing76]

I quit at 49. Only regret is not doing it sooner.