Alcoholic?

[Flambeur]

Originally Posted by EL72

Whether or not you're an alcoholic depends on how drinking interferes with other aspects of your life i.e. work, family... not the amount you drink.


not really.

 

[IUtoSLU]

It does not sound like your friend is an alcoholic. A couple of drinks per night is not excessive.

 

[rnoldh]

Originally Posted by EL72

Whether or not you're an alcoholic depends on how drinking interferes with other aspects of your life i.e. work, family... not the amount you drink.

+1

There's your answer.

There's no definitive answer or amount that would answer your question.

I've always been taught that it is the unmanageably factor that matters.

Some people can drink a lot and not have it affect their work or health while others drink little yet it might affect their health or work. It's an individual thing. Also, the person with the possible problem must admit to themselves that they have a problem, for it to make any difference.

There is an excellent Alcoholics Anonymous website and literally 1000s of 12 step and similar websites that have valuable information.

 

[Master-Classter]

Hi all, thanks for the responses. Just to follow up:
1. The aspect I am most concerned about is NOT the amount, but rather the consistency/regularity. I realize that 1-3 drinks isn't binging, it's just that it happens almost every night.
2. I have heard the "does it interfere with life" criteria for many problems, still, I think that something can be an issue without having to be so bad that it interferes with everyday stuff... In theory you could have a problem stopping the drinking but since it only happens in the evenings, it doesn't really affect anyone.

PS - I'm really not looking for confirmation for my hunches here, I've just observed some behaviour for years and I'm not sure if it's anything to be concerned about. I'm also the type of guy who drinks to get a buzz, not really the type who's ever enjoyed it for it's own sake. The friend (like many here) may just fall into the latter category.

Again, comments are much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Ludeykrus]

I don't see why people associate such villainy with hard liquor as opposed to wine or beer. Some people just prefer the taste of hard spirits to others.

A bowl full of bourbon complements Cheerios so much better than an unhealthy dose of whole milk.

 

[Connemara]

Originally Posted by Ludeykrus

I don't see why people associate such villainy with hard liquor as opposed to wine or beer. Some people just prefer the taste of hard spirits to others. A bowl full of bourbon complements Cheerios so much better than an unhealthy dose of whole milk.

 

[Jferg4350]

http://features.us.reuters.com/wellb...L08716408.html

 

[Piobaire]

Alcoholism is a physical dependency on ETOH. An alcoholic can go days, weeks, months without having a drink. But then when they do, they're drunk for five days straight. An alcoholic doesn't stop at one drink, two, or three. An alcoholic drinks until they can't stand. One of the physician's here can talk more about it, but there even reaches a point where an alcoholic's liver will change metabolic pathways.

I'd not worry about a few drinks a night, or generous pours, that sort of thing. If you've never seen the guy drunk, that's a pretty good indicator he's not an alcoholic.

 

[Master-Classter]

Ok, thanks guys. Big weight off the shoulders.