alcoholism

[titanic]

Fellow forumites I have a question for you,

At what point does a social drinker become an alcoholic?

Do you consider how often the person drinks as a sign? If so how often is good or bad?
Maybe you think the amount they drink is a sign? Obviously some people’s ability to hold alcohol is better than others so what state of merriment do you think is acceptable?
Maybe you consider behaviour as a sign? Hiding your habits when it comes to drinking? Disguising it away? But what about openly bragging about much you drink?
How about just making sure you always some available “just in case” you want a drink and not going out to grab a bottle when you want it?
How about with friends? Is it better or worse to go out drinking with mates than going out alone or stopping at home?
What if your sole intention of going out is not to have a good time but to get pissed?
What about health problems? Is it only alcoholism when it starts to affect your health? Or can you be addicted and yet not downing enough to be harmfull?


I need your opinions; I want to know how you feel about this,

Please no just saying drinking is fun, we all know its fun but at what point does the fun begin to become a problem?

Maybe you have had personal experience of alcoholism of have been around/had to deal with an alcoholic?


i look forward to your replys

[Roxsie]

A person is an alcoholic if they drink alone and cannot get through the day without a drink. Also when it starts affecting their life in negative ways.

[titanic]

affecting there life how? due to being drunk or in other ways? i mean sure you right that i s a pretty obvious type of alcoholic but can it get more suttle and still be alcoholism?

[Roxsie]

General things - drunkeness is one, constant hangovers, cravings for drink etc

the main thing is being unable to go through the day without a drink - which is why i bolded it.

It can get more subtle but then we get into the realm of varied defenitions.

[titanic]

but having a drink every day does not make an alcoholic, look at cultures like france where a drink with a meal is expected you cant claim that the whole nation has a problem, or is it not so much the have a drink but its more the NEED for a drink? upon which point you can go a day with out drink but still want it

but my original question was at what point does it go from a socal drink to a problem? where do you think the fine line beetwen "thats acceptable" and "you have a problem" lies?

[Roxsie]

but having a drink every day does not make an alcoholic, look at cultures like france where a drink with a meal is expected you cant claim that the whole nation has a problem, or is it not so much the have a drink but its more the NEED for a drink? upon which point you can go a day with out drink but still want it

but my original question was at what point does it go from a socal drink to a problem? where do you think the fine line beetwen "thats acceptable" and "you have a problem" lies?

Please actually read the wording of my posts - i am very clear and explicit

A person is an alcoholic if they drink alone and cannot get through the day without a drink
i.e need a drink

the main thing is being unable to go through the day without a drink
i.e need a drink

French people drink because it's their culture - they do not need to drink everyday. They have been brought up with alcohol as a natural thing instead of as in the U.K not being able to drink until 18 or underage - usually 11+. The taboo we place on drinking and the limits is why we have alcoholics, underage drunks and general disruly behaviour from pissed people.

My parents brought me up in a similar way to the French and Jewish system of making it about the company and food not the drink.

I'm a social drinker - i drink with friends at parties and gatherings. I have the occasional drink in a pub with friends. I do not often drink at home (only at new years and if parents offer me a drink)

I can go for months without drinking - i feel no compulsion to drink. I prefer to drink with a meal and to drink in good company.

Due to being allowed to sample drinks when young i have already developed firm preferences and dislikes and know my limit more than many other people my age. I do get drunk but still know it to be a state of mind and sober up quickly. I still retain a fair amount of control and rarely do anything i'd be embarrased to be dragged up the next day.

I'm usually one of the people that helps others get home along with Darkscull. I remember most of the previous night.

I have never had a hangover even if i have been absolutely bladdered. (but that may be because of my Russian Genes and prefernce for vodka)

If i needed a drink or craved it then i would be an alcoholic. If i couldn't remember the previous night on a regular basis i could be an alcoholic.

[Amasis]

Clinically, there is an important distinction between 'abuse', 'dependency' and 'addiction'. Alcoholism refers to the full blown addiction, but there's a large number of people who are dependent on alcohol too. Those who frequently binge drink to the point of vomiting/unconciousness etc may simply be abusing alcohol rather than be dependent. It's important to delve deeper to investigate the causes of the drinking and the effects it is having in a person's life. When it starts to negatively affect personal relationships, daily routines, their job etc then it's developed from abuse to dependency and addiction. I know the above is a slightly simplified view, but I didn't want to go into a boring lecture on it all.

A useful short test often used by clinicians is the CAGE questionnaire. Although there are criticisms of it, it does produce statistically significant results. Although it should never be used alone as a measure of alcoholism, it's an indicator that further investigation might be worthwhile. The questionnaire is just four questions:
1.Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking?
2.Have people ever Annoyed you by criticising your drinking?
3.Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking?
4.Have you ever needed an Eye-opener in the morning to steady your nerves?

Every yes scores one, and a score of 2-4 is generally taken as an indicator that further investigation is necessary. Although very simple it does address the fact that any form of dependency or addiction must be judged on an individual basis; behaviour and the affects on the person's life are more important as a measure than simply 'more than 21 units a week'.

[Enmity]

-Deleted-

[argh]

Does drinking alone also include being the only one drunk in a group of people, or drinking when you're going to meet up with people, and then the people cancell out and you keep on drinking?

Anyways, I think it's only a problem if you often (more than half the time) find yourself inebriated, without a purpose. You can be an alcoholic even if you don't drink alone, since getting drunk with other alcoholics doesn't make it better.

[Smokey]

My definition consists of two points.

1. Drinking alone.
2. Drinking to get over a hangover.

That's just my opinion. I have no experience with alcoholism but then again I'm at uni, practically everyone has a borderline drink problem.

[Thomp]

Drinking alone is definitely a factor to consider when deciding whether the person in question is an alcoholic. The body depends on the regular consumption of alcohol to prevent any withdrawal symptoms, i.e. the person craves it.

People can harm themselves by not being an alcoholic, but when it gets to the stage when the person is constantly becoming drunk every night, or even worse passing out or vomiting after consuming mass amounts, then it's a sure sign that they're heading down the wrong path, and to possible depression too

[renatzu]

I think of an alcoholic as someone who is physically addicted, i.e. they will have physical withdrawl symptoms if they stop. It's not just a mental craving, they actually get shakes, a fever, etc.

[Thomp]

With reference to the behaviour question you posted, alcoholics tend to become more and more isolated as the problem persists or gets worse. They can be highly sensitive or even aggressive if the question is raised about them being an alcoholic too

[Major Disaster]

Well as a student I occasionally ponder about the vast volumes of alcohol I consume. I recently stopped going out very much due to a cash flow crisis and actually got withdraw. I felt crap, got the shakes and felt generally crap. Now thats not to say that I am an alcoholic because I didn't mentally crave alcohol but it was painfully obvious that I had become a tad physically addicted.

Was a real eye opener. Now I go out maybe once a month and don't get pissed and feel a billion times better. Ive lost weight, am more conversational and don't feel constantly knackered. Plus I will eventually have more cashes for travelling around oncce my debts are paid!

So all I can say is, be careful about the ammounts you drink. I only had maybe two pints a day but that was enough to start the slippery slope.

On a side note: I have also found that drinking more than 3 pints of strong coffee a day also starts to create a dependancy with nasty symptoms when laying off it!

You are Warned :p

[SPACKlick]

And alcaholic, in general definition is either

1) someone who cannot get through the day without a drink for either physical or mental reasons
2)someone who cannot drink only a little amount, usually mental reasons

there are alcaholics who are dependant in such a way that they can not drink on a day but if they do drink it wil be many many drinks

[Destrukto]

And alcaholic, in general definition is either

1) someone who cannot get through the day without a drink for either physical or mental reasons
2)someone who cannot drink only a little amount, usually mental reasons

there are alcaholics who are dependant in such a way that they can not drink on a day but if they do drink it wil be many many drinks

The second is in fact the true alcoholic.
The first is a problemdrinker.

Alcoholics can't touch the booze ever again, because once they do they fall off the wagon and are back to square one.
This is also a lifelong condition. Most alcoholics will have to fall off once, twice, many times before actually realising what is happening.
Then they realise that even a drop is too many.
It's not so much the fact that they drink, maybe even more that they can't drink without serious effects.
Also the tendency to isolate themselves and agressiveness are a very good sign that someone is on a trip to alcy city.