Alcohol
I am wondering about Stroke Community's perception/knowledge on the consumption of alcohol post stroke and how this affects peoples socialisation.
I was told I could never have alcohol again at the age of 22years of age. At the time this news was not a big deal as alcohol to that point in my life had not been a big deal, and post stroke I had many other areas in life that I needed to work on let alone drinking. Social outings for me took a back seat to recovery/work life for myself and my husband at the time. We worked hard to have the life we wanted.
Post stroke we were planning children, having social occasions where children were involved became the norm so alcohol for me did not play a big factor. Yet still I was consistently asked by my peers did I want a drink. Saying no was not a problem to me. I would turn up at social occasions with my plastic wine glass ready to be filled with the mineral water I had bought along. I began to realise that peer pressure was something not just experienced at school!
Eventually I did begin to drink - with the utmost caution. I learn't what I could and how much to drink without after affect . It has never ceased to astound me how I was able to go out, socialise and not drink, drive home and wake up to the next day feeling like I had achieved something major when other had gone home legless.
The purpose of this post is I guess to ask others what they have found or are still finding challenging in regards to alcohol.
I have often thought an advertising campaign regarding this very topic would raise awareness to the social challenges not only stroke but brain injury in general would benefit from.
