Each half a pint of ordinary beer has the same amount of alcohol as a pub measure of spirit or a small glass of wine, this amount is referred to as one unit of alcohol. All alcohol has to be burned up by the liver before eventually leaving the body and each unit of alcohol takes up to one hour to do this. So every pint of beer drunk will take about two hours for the liver to process and the body to be cleared of alcohol. Some people seem to drink heavily for many years before any harm is noticed. It is not your age or how many years you have been drinking but what alcohol is doing to you.
Loss of control can occur anytime in a person's drinking history.
If you feel you have a problem do seek help. You may feel that you will never be able to control the alcohol or even admit you have a problem, but the problem will get progressively worse if you do not face up to it. It is a fact that other people have asked for help and found the situation can be resolved. If you DO want to stop, there is help available. Contact your local Alcohol Advisory Centre, who will be able to give you information and counselling if requested, and can also give information about other helping agencies eg.