Alcoholism

Was having a discussion with my sister on Thursday night whilst out for a meal and the topic of alcoholism came up. I said that if you drink every day, then you are an alcoholic. She told me I was wrong because she said that there are a lot of people who drink every day but only have one drink, or two drinks. She claims that these people are not physically dependent on alcohol and they have a drink because they enjoy it. I say that on some level, they have at least a mental dependency on alcohol if they feel the need to have at least one alcoholic drink per day. What do you think?

 

I think there's a difference between need and want to. I know people who will do that who can quite happily go months without a drink.

Addiction is an entirely different animal altogether.

Neither are healthy though.

 

Ever since turning 18 I find myself having a drink or two everynight to wind down while I play fifa or watch a film or something and i'm absolutely certain I could stop if I wanted to (those famous words) . I get where you are coming from though.

 

I don't know. Drinking everyday day, even if it's only a glass of wine, probably isn't very healthy. Then again, drinking once a week or a couple of times a month but getting absolutely hammered (something I and quite a few other people my age are guilty of) isn't very wise either. For me, there's an unhealthy relationship with alcohol (as in the cases above) and then there's alcoholism which is really an addiction, a dependency - that's really a medical condition rather than just being irresponsible but you can see how the two might overlap.

 

The only days i dont really drink are my 2 nightshifts i do a week, i know i drink far too much and should cut down, that said i dont really want to not have a few beers after work or to relax

 

I love bevy...... I need bevy .......

 

I very rarely drink but alot of my family do, one is an alcoholic, but is recovering and no longer binges as they did.

One thing i have found in the people i have came across in the west of Scotland is, when people hear you don't drink or are not drinking when you're out they make a big deal out of it and ask you 101 question in why you're not.

 

Because it's very put of the ordinary.

 

Socialising when you're in your late teens or early twenties without drinking is pretty much impossible. I'd say binge drinking might be more harmful than having a couple of beers after work.

 

I'd probably be an alcoholic if I was loaded. No doubts I love a drink, but you have to keep yourself right as well. No one wants to be around people with dependency problems of any kind.

 

I drink to get drunk when im out but i loathe the taste of the stuff.

Not healthy but i could never be an alcoholic.

 

I've never tried stopping to see if I have a problem.

I drink far too much though.

 

I drink far too much but don't think i'm an alky, was just on a stag do there and by the 3rd day I felt like curling up into a ball and dying and never looking at a drink again.

Too much hard work boozing all day lol

 

Aye, me too. I either don't drink at all or have a couple of glasses of wine when I'm out, which turns into a bottle, which turns into two. :smiley-laughing002:

 

I can never drink two days in a row. Last thing I want to see after a night out is alcohol. :smiley-laughing002:

 

I often wonder if I have a problem, I drink probably 2-3 nights a week on average but it's always a proper binge when I do.

Think it's called alcohol abuse instead of alcoholic in my case.

 

What do you think would class an alky? I always have visions of wee skinny guys looking 20 years older than they are, rattling like * when they haven't got a drink and getting the DT's and seeing pink elephants.

Do you think you would have to actually crave booze to be an alcoholic because I've never thought I really need a drink, even though I drink 3 sometimes 4 times a week.

 

I have 4 cans of beer in the fridge and after I pick up my daughter at 9 I,ll be having them andv looking forward to them ...... don't think im an alky .

 

Im pretty much the same as you i never actually crave it i just end up drinking maybe i am an alky and thats the process, hi my names Gyp and im an alcoholic :smiley-laughing002:

 

There is an increase in functioning alcoholics now though.

An friend of a friend has a solicitor father who drinks whiskey every single night. Drink drives too. Yet, he is superb at his job and is loaded.

They probably don't think they have a problem because they aren't your atypical alcoholics.