So answer me this ATOT: which behavior is more representative of alcoholism?

[dbk]

I would say it's not necessarily the amount of consumption but the frequency of it.

If you have to drink every night after work - even just one drink, then I would say you are more prone to alcoholism then someone who binges every friday at the bars/clubs/etc.

Additionally -imo- that person who binges will gradually curve his consumption as he ages while the former who consumes a drink every night will likely continue such habit.

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: loki8481
getting smashed in public is worse than having a drink or two in private.

but getting smashed in private by yourself is worse than getting smashed at a bar with your friends.

I've seen statements like this through the entire thread, it does'nt make any sense. What difference does it make if a person prefers to drink at home as opposed to with friends? So basically you're a loser if you're a homebody who drinks in private as opposed to someone who gets smashed public. :roll: terrible logic

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Amused
Alcoholism is, quite literally: the inability to moderate alcohol.

If one or two a night is all you have, AND you can take it or leave it, you have no problem.

If you NEED those two drinks a night, and have issues when you don't get them, then you have a problem. If this is compbined with an increase in the number of drinks each night over time, you have a problem.

As for binge drinking... If you have a pattern of drinking to excess everytime you drink, you have a problem. You are unable to moderate your intake.

This is the correct answer.

Alcoholism is not defined by how much one drinks, or when and where one drinks, but whether or not one is able to control and moderate their drinking, particularly in the face of other life issues/demands. If your drinking is cause you problems, and you can't control your drinking, then you could be an alcoholic regardless of how much or how little you drink.

 

[TridenT]

Drinking alone. You are more likely to start drinking more and more alone. That is how my father became an alcoholic for the most part. He started drinking at home more often, and eventually kept drinking more and more everyday.

I am right. I have seen it happen.

 

[CRXican]

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: loki8481
getting smashed in public is worse than having a drink or two in private.

but getting smashed in private by yourself is worse than getting smashed at a bar with your friends.

I've seen statements like this through the entire thread, it does'nt make any sense. What difference does it make if a person prefers to drink at home as opposed to with friends? So basically you're a loser if you're a homebody who drinks in private as opposed to someone who gets smashed public. :roll: terrible logic

I agree. Drinking at home also eliminates the issue of DUI.

 

[TridenT]

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: loki8481
getting smashed in public is worse than having a drink or two in private.

but getting smashed in private by yourself is worse than getting smashed at a bar with your friends.

I've seen statements like this through the entire thread, it does'nt make any sense. What difference does it make if a person prefers to drink at home as opposed to with friends? So basically you're a loser if you're a homebody who drinks in private as opposed to someone who gets smashed public. :roll: terrible logic

I agree. Drinking at home also eliminates the issue of DUI.

I think it is DWI. (Nvvvmmm... I google'd some more, states differ between it all)

 

[Mr Pickles]

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: loki8481
getting smashed in public is worse than having a drink or two in private.

but getting smashed in private by yourself is worse than getting smashed at a bar with your friends.

I've seen statements like this through the entire thread, it does'nt make any sense. What difference does it make if a person prefers to drink at home as opposed to with friends? So basically you're a loser if you're a homebody who drinks in private as opposed to someone who gets smashed public. :roll: terrible logic

It's not a question of logic, rather a question of intent. Drinking in a social environment is a popular way to spend time with friends after work with all cultures. Drinking in the evening is done all around the world. People could have many different reasons to drink in a social environment. Drinking alone is for fewer reasons. The intent is loosen up and wind down after a busy day. The danger is when it becomes an every day occurrence after work. Sitting back and relaxing after a hard day of work becomes a way of medicating yourself. At least that's where the argument derives from.

Its a lot harder to drink on a constant basis with friends. I only drink with friends and consider going to a bar alone to drink in hopes of maybe meeting someone to talk to or hanging out with a bartender you know to be just as bad as drinking at home alone. That's where I draw my line at least.

 

[CRXican]

why does anyone need a reason?

 

[vshah]

rum and coke :thumbsup:

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Also, a good friend of my wife's husband is an alcoholic and his addiction to alcohol is destroying their marriage and his life.

I've seen the signs and know enough to recognize them.

Your wife's husband != you?

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Originally posted by: NSFW
Our bodies process alcohol differently than normal people's bodies

I've seen you say this numerous times, and it sets off my bullshit detector every time. Do you have any evidence of this? Does this mean that alcoholism is a genetic/physiological illness?

 

[CRXican]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: NSFW
Our bodies process alcohol differently than normal people's bodies

I've seen you say this numerous times, and it sets off my bullshit detector every time. Do you have any evidence of this? Does this mean that alcoholism is a genetic/physiological illness?

good question

 

[Farang]

I hate people who are paranoid about what is alcoholic and what is not. I love beer so I drink it. Every day. My life is just fine and if drinking so much beer knocks a year or ten off my life, fine, I love beer. I'm not overweight and I'm not a bum so things could be worse.

 

[hdeck]

i think you threw in the "excessive" part on your own to help your own argument. i *highly* doubt your friend tried to tell you it's better to drink to the point of blacking out with friends than drinking alone. now then, having a "few" drinks at home alone is worse than having a "few" drinks socially with friends, in my opinion.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: hdeck
i think you threw in the "excessive" part on your own to help your own argument. i *highly* doubt your friend tried to tell you it's better to drink to the point of blacking out with friends than drinking alone. now then, having a "few" drinks at home alone is worse than having a "few" drinks socially with friends, in my opinion.

i put that in there because she tends to go out and get plastered, and *has* blacked out.

she thinks it's worse than i have drinks by myself. i think it's worse that she goes out and gets trashed.

 

[Kirby]

Bier für Frühstückt!

 

[CRXican]

Originally posted by: Farang
I hate people who are paranoid about what is alcoholic and what is not. I love beer so I drink it. Every day. My life is just fine and if drinking so much beer knocks a year or ten off my life, fine, I love beer. I'm not overweight and I'm not a bum so things could be worse.

good man

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: NSFW
Our bodies process alcohol differently than normal people's bodies

I've seen you say this numerous times, and it sets off my bullshit detector every time. Do you have any evidence of this? Does this mean that alcoholism is a genetic/physiological illness?

good question

The physical part is yes. Its a combination of my body's reaction to alcohol and my mind's obsession with it.

Text
Text

There have been studies showing that ADH may have an influence on the dependence on ethanol metabolism in alcoholics. Researchers have tentatively detected a few genes to be associated with alcoholism. If the variants of these genes encode slower metabolizing forms of ADH2 and ADH3, there is increased risk of alcoholism. The studies have found that mutations of ADH2 and ADH3 are related to alcoholism in Asian populations. However, research continues in order to identify the genes and their influence on alcoholism

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: NSFW
Our bodies process alcohol differently than normal people's bodies

I've seen you say this numerous times, and it sets off my bullshit detector every time. Do you have any evidence of this? Does this mean that alcoholism is a genetic/physiological illness?

good question

depends on what he means by "our."

Alcoholic?

anyhoo, it's a well-documented fact that women, Asians, and Native Americans have only 1 out of 2 copies of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. This enzyme metabolizes ethanol in the body

This means that alcohol affects them 2x as much as others with the full 2 copies of alcohol dehydrogenase. Alcoholics aside, there is absolutely a physiological genetic link that differentiates certain peoples' ability to process alcohol.

Alcoholism, while not directly linked to this fact, results from other extenuating factors concerning each individual. I think it's reasonable to argue that someone with half the complement of OH dehydrogenase will be more susceptible to alcoholism, assuming other factors are present, such as proneness to addiction, depression, external life situations, etc.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: skyking
It is defined by a pattern. if you have a pattern to your drinking and departing from that pattern takes any effort, you need to think about it.
A pattern can be the binge drinking, once I start I don't stop.
It can be the two beers every night.
It can be getting buzzed every friday night. Think back and try to remember when you did not do that one, for example. If you can't really remember when, try not doing that.
If not doing it really ruins your evening, that might make you think about it.

this is problem the best answer I've seen in this thread.

+1 :thumbsup:

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: NSFW
Our bodies process alcohol differently than normal people's bodies

I've seen you say this numerous times, and it sets off my bullshit detector every time. Do you have any evidence of this? Does this mean that alcoholism is a genetic/physiological illness?

genetic yes. is it a coincidence that my dad, granddad, cousin, and 3 uncles had a similar issue? although there are some people who have it in their family who stayed away from it so who the fuck knows.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Thanks for the info guys, I always just assumed that alcoholism was a mental thing.

 

[n yusef]

Originally posted by: JohnCU

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: NSFW
Our bodies process alcohol differently than normal people's bodies

I've seen you say this numerous times, and it sets off my bullshit detector every time. Do you have any evidence of this? Does this mean that alcoholism is a genetic/physiological illness?

genetic yes. is it a coincidence that my dad, granddad, cousin, and 3 uncles had a similar issue? although there are some people who have it in their family who stayed away from it so who the fuck knows.

The genetic and physical proclivities to alcoholism or addiction are too often used as scape-goats for alcoholics and addicts.

Many people turn to alcohol or drugs because of outside problems in their life, and justify their addiction with their family history, which is an enabling system. Some of the posters in this thread believe that they cannot resist alcohol after they have one drink. If that's what you believe, then I would agree that you can't resist it after one drink. But if you believe that you have some self-control, maybe you would be able to exercise it.

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: n yusef

Originally posted by: JohnCU

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: NSFW
Our bodies process alcohol differently than normal people's bodies

I've seen you say this numerous times, and it sets off my bullshit detector every time. Do you have any evidence of this? Does this mean that alcoholism is a genetic/physiological illness?

genetic yes. is it a coincidence that my dad, granddad, cousin, and 3 uncles had a similar issue? although there are some people who have it in their family who stayed away from it so who the fuck knows.

The genetic and physical proclivities to alcoholism or addiction are too often used as scape-goats for alcoholics and addicts.

Many people turn to alcohol or drugs because of outside problems in their life, and justify their addiction with their family history, which is an enabling system. Some of the posters in this thread believe that they cannot resist alcohol after they have one drink. If that's what you believe, then I would agree that you can't resist it after one drink. But if you believe that you have some self-control, maybe you would be able to exercise it.

i'm not gonna argue about how weak-willed we are, yes it's my decision to drink, but the genetics part can't be ignored. but like i told another person, imagine that you haven't eaten for a week and someone dangles your favorite food infront of your face, how would you feel?

 

[SampSon]

Binge drinking.

Binge drinkers don't drink to enjoy the drink.