What does dying from alcoholism look like?

[Anonymous]

My brother died at age 50 of a heart attack while sleeping. He worked that day, came home and fell asleep watching TV. He was an alcoholic who quit drinking when he was 30 because an ER doctor told him he was killing himself. (He had gone to the ER for stomach pains, repeatedly.) Sober for 20 years but a lot of irreversible damage already done. His first heart attack was at 45.

Our father died at age 66 of Korsokoff's syndrome. He had quit drinking a few years earlier but was a lifelong alcoholic. He got a nosebleed that wouldn't stop. He lived alone and by the time someone checked on him he was almost dead. He was in intensive care for a month. He lived a few years after that but looked like he was 80 and acted like he had severe Alzheimers. He died in the VA hospital while recovering from falling out of bed and breaking his hip.

Both became alcoholics in their twenties. If you are a young adult and having a high old time drinking and partying, I suggest you are probably robbing yourself of a big chunk of your life later on. Hope it's worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My brother died at age 50 of a heart attack while sleeping. He worked that day, came home and fell asleep watching TV. He was an alcoholic who quit drinking when he was 30 because an ER doctor told him he was killing himself. (He had gone to the ER for stomach pains, repeatedly.) Sober for 20 years but a lot of irreversible damage already done. His first heart attack was at 45.

Our father died at age 66 of Korsokoff's syndrome. He had quit drinking a few years earlier but was a lifelong alcoholic. He got a nosebleed that wouldn't stop. He lived alone and by the time someone checked on him he was almost dead. He was in intensive care for a month. He lived a few years after that but looked like he was 80 and acted like he had severe Alzheimers. He died in the VA hospital while recovering from falling out of bed and breaking his hip.

Both became alcoholics in their twenties. If you are a young adult and having a high old time drinking and partying, I suggest you are probably robbing yourself of a big chunk of your life later on. Hope it's worth it.

I’m sorry about your family members but neither of these sound like they were like they caused by alcohol. Especially your brother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This all sounds horrible.

How much alcohol, over how long a period, would someone have to drink to get to this point?

I worry about my own alcohol consumption sometimes. About two or three times a week I will have around 2 glasses of wine, sometimes 3 glasses. So, typically I'm drinking anywhere from 4-9 glasses a week.

My suggestion is to go to several Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Dont judge AA by your first meeting, just go as a visitor, and check out several different ones. They are all different, and you may hear some things you identify with, or not. Good Luck!

Shame on you for not telling PP to check with their doctor before they stop drinking. Quitting "cold turkey" could be deadly for someone who is a steady drinker like this.

Insane. PP doesn’t need AA and isn’t drinking enough to have issues if she quit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My brother died at age 50 of a heart attack while sleeping. He worked that day, came home and fell asleep watching TV. He was an alcoholic who quit drinking when he was 30 because an ER doctor told him he was killing himself. (He had gone to the ER for stomach pains, repeatedly.) Sober for 20 years but a lot of irreversible damage already done. His first heart attack was at 45.

Our father died at age 66 of Korsokoff's syndrome. He had quit drinking a few years earlier but was a lifelong alcoholic. He got a nosebleed that wouldn't stop. He lived alone and by the time someone checked on him he was almost dead. He was in intensive care for a month. He lived a few years after that but looked like he was 80 and acted like he had severe Alzheimers. He died in the VA hospital while recovering from falling out of bed and breaking his hip.

Both became alcoholics in their twenties. If you are a young adult and having a high old time drinking and partying, I suggest you are probably robbing yourself of a big chunk of your life later on. Hope it's worth it.

I’m sorry about your family members but neither of these sound like they were like they caused by alcohol. Especially your brother.

You may be right about that, but the combination of drinking heavily for at least 15 years and also smoking set him up for an early death. At 45 he was told his arteries looked like those of an 80 year old. He was not overweight and had a physically active job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My brother died at age 50 of a heart attack while sleeping. He worked that day, came home and fell asleep watching TV. He was an alcoholic who quit drinking when he was 30 because an ER doctor told him he was killing himself. (He had gone to the ER for stomach pains, repeatedly.) Sober for 20 years but a lot of irreversible damage already done. His first heart attack was at 45.

Our father died at age 66 of Korsokoff's syndrome. He had quit drinking a few years earlier but was a lifelong alcoholic. He got a nosebleed that wouldn't stop. He lived alone and by the time someone checked on him he was almost dead. He was in intensive care for a month. He lived a few years after that but looked like he was 80 and acted like he had severe Alzheimers. He died in the VA hospital while recovering from falling out of bed and breaking his hip.

Both became alcoholics in their twenties. If you are a young adult and having a high old time drinking and partying, I suggest you are probably robbing yourself of a big chunk of your life later on. Hope it's worth it.

I’m sorry about your family members but neither of these sound like they were like they caused by alcohol. Especially your brother.

You may be right about that, but the combination of drinking heavily for at least 15 years and also smoking set him up for an early death. At 45 he was told his arteries looked like those of an 80 year old. He was not overweight and had a physically active job.

Oh, and about my dad, Korsokoff's syndrome is definitely caused by alcoholism and that's what he died of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This all sounds horrible.

How much alcohol, over how long a period, would someone have to drink to get to this point?

I worry about my own alcohol consumption sometimes. About two or three times a week I will have around 2 glasses of wine, sometimes 3 glasses. So, typically I'm drinking anywhere from 4-9 glasses a week.

My suggestion is to go to several Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Dont judge AA by your first meeting, just go as a visitor, and check out several different ones. They are all different, and you may hear some things you identify with, or not. Good Luck!

Shame on you for not telling PP to check with their doctor before they stop drinking. Quitting "cold turkey" could be deadly for someone who is a steady drinker like this.

Insane. PP doesn’t need AA and isn’t drinking enough to have issues if she quit.

Totally agree. Quitting 'cold turkey' is only dangerous for last-stage alcoholism because of the abstinence syndrome. 4 glasses a week might be the start of the habit but if PP quits, she won't feel anything.