LONGECITY

I have been a life long heavy drinker, mainly due to depression and anxiety from an early age. To cut a very long story short, I had been umming and ahhing and wanting to stop for years but February this year, I just went 'off' it. I can take or leave it but mainly don't bother, except for an odd glass at a party etc.
Now I'm trying to repair what I can and manage the anxiety and depression better. We are talking 30 years here!

I'm interested in why I went off it. I had been taking NAC for depression etc and know its used for gambling addiction amongst lots is other stuff but haven't heard of it used for alcohol addiction. I'd been taking a high dose for 9 months before it happened.

Has anyone else experienced this? Just interested.

Or is it a common effect linked to possible alcohol damage?

Just wondered.

Greetings Kelka,

 

What you've experienced is interesting. From my understanding, someone who has been a heavy drinker for the past 30 years will typically exhibit some sort of withdrawals from stopping completely. Even so, that would indicate more of an addiction to alcohol. Your experience is indicative of breaking an addiction immediately, with almost zero side effects (or atleast so it seems).In general, quitting alcohol for someone who is heavily addicted to it can be life threatening as, from what I understand, alcohol increases GABA transmission and quitting cold turkey can cause the seizures and whatnot. 

 

How often were you drinking, and how much would you drink?

 

Were there any other drugs that you consumed during that period while taking NAS? 

 

I dont know much about NAS, but I would assume that more information would be needed to understand why you experienced what you experienced.

 

Regards!

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I don't know I have been drinking for about and I mean on a daily basis for 11 years now... I have stopped for days or weeks at a time and never had any withdraw effects... I only drink at night and only beer but, I kind of always thought they were full of shit with alcohol withdraw.

I was drinking nightly but only about 65 units a week (female) which is half what it was over the years.I've stop for quite long periods for unrelated medical reasons and never had withdrawals.
It is my mindset that changed. I didnt think I could give up, I craved it. Then all of a sudden, I just didn't fancy it anymore. I don't crave it, could have one and leave it etc but just don't bother. It is a massive turn around.


At the time I wasn't taking anything else.

Anyway, thanks for your replies.

Very curious about this since two close relatives are alcoholics .There doesn't appear to be any way to save them from drinking themselves to death.

 

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Exactly! My aunt drank herself to death. It was such a difficult addiction and I felt just limiting myself to some degree was the best I could hope for.
There was absolutely no signs of this happening until I'd been taking it for 9 months though.
I just thought there must be other people on this site who have been taking NAC for a long while and maybe noticed changes in mild addiction levels. It has been researched in addiction areas, gambling and cannabis etc but obviously the trials aren't that long.
Would be like a miracle for some if it was true.