Slow Down Damage from Alcohol

We should all stop drinking, but despite AA and other interventions, many of us have not stopped long-term.  I have stopped when my lover was with me, mostly without withdrawal.  I fell asleep with a wonderful woman in my arms every night.  My oxytocin was up, I didn't need the alcohol.   And she let me sleep in so if I went through any withdrawals, I probably slept through it.  I was jerking alot in my sleep.

According to some studies, alcoholism is none other than separation anxiety medicated with alcohol.  Parents teach you to medicate with soda, then you start medicating with alcohol.  It's a natural progression.  You go from abusing sugar to abusing fermented sugar aka alcohol.  I have moderated my own drinking.  I will stop drinking.  We will stop, but for now, we are alcoholics.  How can we reduce damage?  How do we induce the discipline to stop in the face of the knowledge that we have tried many things that work temporarily but ultimately fail?

Here's some studies of strange effects of alcohol.  Good reading but not suggestive of a harm reduction approach.  Skip down for that.

Sobering Effect of the Love Hormone Oxytocin

Dad's Alcohol Consumption Before Conception Could Influence Sons' Drinking  Epigenetic and genetic transmission of drug use.

Moderate Alcohol Consumption Increases Attractiveness

Alcohol Use Increases Over Generation in Study of Moms, Daughters in Australia

We Drink More Alcohol on Gym Days

Wow.  I thought it was just me that did that.

Moderate Drinking Is Healthy Only for Some People, Study Finds

Long Working Hours Linked to Increased Risky Alcohol Use

One in 10 Deaths Among Working-Age Adults in U.S. Due to Excessive Drinking, Report Finds

Wow.  I thought it was just me.

Adults at Higher Risk of Suicide Attempt If Parent Abused Alcohol, Research Finds  Alcolism Syndrome may be transmittled genetically or epigenetically even if the affected person does not consume alcohol.

Wealthy, Male, Educated, Singletons Risk Highest Alcohol Consumption in Later Life

Child Maltreatment Influences Alcohol Consumption in Adolescents

Risk Threshold Of Daily Alcohol Intake And Drinking Duration In Liver Injury

Scots And Irish At Greater Risk Of Drink-Related Death, Study Shows?

Liver Disease: It Is Never Too Late To Stop Drinking, According To Researchers

Living Alone Is Associated With an Increased Risk of Alcohol-Related Deaths, Finnish Study Finds

Overweight More Harmful to the Liver Than Alcohol in Middle-Aged Men, Swedish Study Reveals

Liver Disease Responsible For Most Alcohol-Related Illness And Deaths

Dad's Alcohol Consumption Before Conception Could Influence Sons' Drinking

CHEAT SHEET!

Fish Oil May Benefit Alcohol Abusers

Fish oil.  Very simple.

Chronic Drinking Causes More Liver Injury Than Acute Or Binge Drinking  Take mad breaks yo.

Overweight More Harmful to the Liver Than Alcohol in Middle-Aged Men, Swedish Study Reveals  Liver Disease: New Studies Demonstrates Lethal Link Between Alcohol, Weight Stay slim and drink up.

Eating Asparagus May Prevent a Hangover, Study Suggests

 "Cellular toxicities were significantly alleviated in response to treatment with the extracts of asparagus leaves and shoots," says Kim. "These results provide evidence of how the biological functions of asparagus can help alleviate alcohol hangover and protect liver cells."  Eat asparagus.  Any questions?

Resveratrol Prevents Fat Accumulation In Livers Of 'Alcoholic' Mice  Take your overhyped resveratrol pill or a stronger immunomodulator like low dose dxm/lithium or ibuprofen if you can tolerate it.  Ibuprofen use leads to extended lifespan in several species ...

Aspirin May Prevent Liver Damage That Afflicts Millions, Study Finds

Coffee Consumption Reduces Risk of Liver Cancer, Analysis Suggests

Spice in Curry Could Prevent Liver Damage

Regular Aerobic Exercise Reduces Health Concerns Associated With Fatty Liver

Women Involved in Leisure Activities Drink Less Alcohol, Swedish Study Finds

Indian Spice May Delay Liver Damage and Cirrhosis, Study Suggests

Caffeine Consumption Associated With Less Severe Liver Fibrosis

Saffron Shows Promise in Preventing Liver Cancer, Study Suggests

Quitting cheats

Alcoholism Treatment: Kappa Opioid Receptors a New Target Naltrexone

Religious Youths Are Less Likely to Experiment With Drugs and Alcohol, Study Finds  I've found AA to be religious.  Not for me but may be helpful for some.

Text Message Medicine: Texts from the ER Can Reduce Binge DrinkingCoffee Drinking Associated With Lower Risk For Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

Pivotal Breakthrough Made In Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Coffee Consumption Reduces Mortality Risk from Liver Cirrhosis

Milk Thistle Herb Protects Cancer Patients from Chemotherapy-Associated Liver Toxicity

Losartan http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601092235.htm

Metformin May Protect Against Liver Cancer

I can put these cheats in order of importance:

1.  Coffee (decaf)

2.  Stay slim (diet and workouts).  Don't care how ya do it, just do it.

3.  Asparagus.

4.  Resveratrol and other anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen or aspirin.

5,  Topirimate.  I have used it.  Does make you not want to drink because it's pointless you won't get high. Has it's own side effects however.  

6.  Blueberry Ameliorates Hepatic Fibrosis, Study Finds

Confused?  Well stop being confused.  We don't have much time.  Coffee, stay slim, tumeric, resveratrol or other immunosuppressant.  That's it for now, everything else is experimental.  You can stay slim, drink coffee, and take some kind of immunosuppressant and that will help you live longer despite drinking alcohol.  It won't gurantee safety of course, but you probably know better than that already.  If you don't, kick rocks.

Our focus right now is not on quitting.  We know we need to quit and many of us have never tasted an alcoholic beverage that we liked.  Because as soon as we detect the alcohol, it makes us wanna puke, but we are yet addicted to the endorphin rush and the temporary sense of safety that is lacking in all other aspects of life.  "Just stop drinking!"  If that knowledge were effective, we would have done it already so fuck that.  We are going for harm reduction instead.  We might not make it.  We may die at the ripe old age of 58 like my alcoholic father (and some of us are like 58, gottdamn! it's gotta be quicker than that!  Hoping to die sooner but hold your horses.  Science could solve this quickly if there was a reason to.  When Steve Jobs was sick of liver problems, I thought maybe we have a person whom they will repair his liver at whatever cost, but it didn't happen which must mean they don't yet know how to do it).