What’s your definition of an alcoholic?

[ExiledInIllinois]

20 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

A functioning alcky is still an alcky.  I often wonder if alcohol hits some people harder? I have a friend. We go out and have a few drinks. I might feel a buzz while he becomes almost catatonic. I've had servers cut us off seeing him that way. To me he only had a few beers. Unless he's got a fifth stashed away and he's slugging it down when I'm not looking I don't understand how he gets so bad.

I think with some... It's like a light switch.  Boom, they are in another gear.  Either higher or lower... But it always goes into low gear eventually.  Alcohol is a depressant afterall.

Edited December 15, 2018 by ExiledInIllinois

[BUFFALOKIE]

29 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

A functioning alcky is still an alcky.  I often wonder if alcohol hits some people harder? I have a friend. We go out and have a few drinks. I might feel a buzz while he becomes almost catatonic. I've had servers cut us off seeing him that way. To me he only had a few beers. Unless he's got a fifth stashed away and he's slugging it down when I'm not looking I don't understand how he gets so bad.

He had several 'warm ups' before.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

I guess part of the question would have to be, if you did a personal challenge of whether or not you could go without for a period of multiple days/weeks (Peter King always talks about doing a sober October for instance) without a drink? How bad would you crave one? Could you even do it? I like what someone else already wrote, does it interfere with (and that should be someone else telling you whether or not it does) the rest of your life in any way? Difficult subject 

[plenzmd1]

4:30 ..first beer opened for Sabre pre-pre game. Pregame @ 5:30 near the arena..few more beers...then some way overpriced beers at the game.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Captain Buzzkill here:

 

https://www.peele.net/lib/sociocul.html

 

"When one sees a film like Moonstruck, the benign and universal nature of drinking in New York Italian culture is palpable on the screen. If one can't detect the difference between drinking in this setting, or at Jewish or Chinese weddings, or in Greek taverns, and that in Irish working-class bars, or in Portuguese bars in the worn-out industrial towns of New England, or in run-down shacks where Indians and Eskimos gather to get drunk, or in Southern bars where men down shots and beers--and furthermore, if one can't connect these different drinking settings, styles, and cultures with the repeatedly measured differences in alcoholism rates among these same groups, then I can only think one is blind to the realities of alcoholism."

~Peele, S., Diseasing of America, Lexington Books, Lexington, MA, 1989, pp. 72-73.

[Chef Jim]

10 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

A functioning alcky is still an alcky.  I often wonder if alcohol hits some people harder? I have a friend. We go out and have a few drinks. I might feel a buzz while he becomes almost catatonic. I've had servers cut us off seeing him that way. To me he only had a few beers. Unless he's got a fifth stashed away and he's slugging it down when I'm not looking I don't understand how he gets so bad.

 

Does he head the the restroom after a swig off his first beer? 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 minute ago, Chef Jim said:

 

Does he head the the restroom after a swig off his first beer? 

 

No, not really.  

[Chef Jim]

Just now, PromoTheRobot said:

 

No, not really.  

 

Ok. It’s a typical alcoholic trick. Stash a flask or a couple of those small airline bottles in your pocket. Take one drink and head to the restroom to take a couple hits if the hard stuff. 

[PromoTheRobot]

12 minutes ago, Chef Jim said:

 

Ok. It’s a typical alcoholic trick. Stash a flask or a couple of those small airline bottles in your pocket. Take one drink and head to the restroom to take a couple hits if the hard stuff. 

 

I suppose that's the likely explanation.

[Chef Jim]

8 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I suppose that's the likely explanation.

 

That's what I was thinking.  Hard to believe anyone would get that smashed on a couple beers.  I know this from personal experience.  

[plenzmd1]

8 hours ago, Chef Jim said:

 

Ok. It’s a typical alcoholic trick. Stash a flask or a couple of those small airline bottles in your pocket. Take one drink and head to the restroom to take a couple hits if the hard stuff. 

you got it. My father in law would hide a fifth of vodka in the toilet tank at my house for this very reason. Now that boy was alcoholic.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2018 by plenzmd1

[BUFFALOKIE]

On 12/14/2018 at 1:02 PM, Nextmanup said:

Alcoholism is about an addiction or inability to stop a given level of consumption IMO.

 

I think the classic meaning of "alcoholic" is someone who is more or less drunk all day long, every day.

 

 

IMO:

 The first paragraph is partially correct: Not being able or willing to stop ONCE YOU START is a more precise indicater. of course things can get worse from there.

 

Your second paragraph ("All day, every day") is patently false. Yeah, it often devolves to that, but I am a very productive member of society and have held the same job (a great job - the job I grew up destined for) for 18 years. I am an alcoholic and there is no way i could've kept my job if i did not show up and perform at a high level every day.

Edited December 16, 2018 by BUFFALOKIE

[row_33]

4 hours ago, Chef Jim said:

 

That's what I was thinking.  Hard to believe anyone would get that smashed on a couple beers.  I know this from personal experience.  

 

Plenty of people do

 

 

[KD in CA]

I just got back from BevMo.  All wined up for the holidays.  

[Gordio]

On ‎12‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 6:31 PM, Chef Jim said:

I've struggled with alcohol for a long time.  I don't drink everyday.  I can go a week or weeks without a drink.  My issue is I'm a binge drinker.  I have one and it's on.  So does that make me an alcoholic?  Well I think it's safe to say it is a form of alcoholism.  I would hate to be the person who has to fight the urges everyday. That would be horrible. 

 

 

This is where I am.  My wife calls me a binge alcoholic.  I rarely drink during the week which is to say I rarely drink Monday - Friday.  Most weeks I go without a drink during this time frame.  Saturdays most of the time I hit it hard.  There will be Saturdays during Football/basketball season I will go in my basement all day & drink & bet on sports games.  It is my idea of fun I guess.  I never understood the guy that has to have a few drinks at night when they get home from work.  Of course those guys probably don't understand a guy like me that drinks 20 beers on a Saturday so to each their own I guess.  I never miss work(as I don't drink during the week), never miss my kids events, my wife of course is not crazy about my Saturdays but she knows I work hard all week etc...   I never get hung over as I usually stick to beer.  In fact on Sundays I usually get up at 630 & go to the gym & grocery shopping.  My wife has 3 drinks & she is in bed for two days.  That is why she rarely drinks.  

[teef]

On 12/13/2018 at 6:30 PM, Johnny Hammersticks said:

I have 2-3 glasses of wine or beers just about every night after the kids go to bed.  I guess if you add it all up I might have 20-25 drinks per week (a few more on weekend nights).  Some might consider me to be an alcoholic I guess.

 

I guess where I draw that line is whether or not the hooch has a negative impact on your life functioning.  Are you able to wake up and be productive at work?  Are you able to be kind to and provide for your family?  Are you able to have a few drinks without being an *****?  Do you know when is enough?

 

Alcohol doesn’t negatively impact my life (except for the few extra pounds and the rare mild hangover).  Bottoms up!

this is where my wife and i are at with it too.  i never feel like i need a drink, but we enjoy having a drink together.  after this new year i'm cutting back though.  i don't think there's a problem, but i just don't like the idea of having booze every day healthy wise. that being said, i'm sure i'll still drink 3 nights a week.

[Helpmenow]

When an 18 pack isn’t enough so you buy. A 30 pack of piss water and drink it all in two days.

[Royale with Cheese]

10 hours ago, teef said:

this is where my wife and i are at with it too.  i never feel like i need a drink, but we enjoy having a drink together.  after this new year i'm cutting back though.  i don't think there's a problem, but i just don't like the idea of having booze every day healthy wise. that being said, i'm sure i'll still drink 3 nights a week.

 

Did your gynecologist approve of you cutting back?

6 minutes ago, Helpmenow said:

When an 18 pack isn’t enough so you buy. A 30 pack of piss water and drink it all in two days.

 

I new a guy in college that lived 6 hours from home.  When he would go home, he would buy an 18 pack of Natty Light and drink it on the way home.

He would piss in empty gatorade bottles so he didn't have to pull over as much.

[stony]

37 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Did your gynecologist approve of you cutting back?

 

I new a guy in college that lived 6 hours from home.  When he would go home, he would buy an 18 pack of Natty Light and drink it on the way home.

He would piss in empty gatorade bottles so he didn't have to pull over as much.

That's what we used to do in college on the way home from rugby tourneys!  Five guys in a two-door Chevy Cavalier...some funny angles...

 

The wife and I usually split a bottle of wine most nights of the week.  I love wine, it's a hobby of sorts.  I don't think it's weird we drink most nights.  If we get home late or have after-work commitments, I don't "need" to open something at 9pm.  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.  But I was raised to enjoy an adult beverage with food.  I'll try to pass this onto my unborn children.  

[Jauronimo]

Someone who drinks more than me.