souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on Jan 9, 2020 15:16:15 GMT -5
In my 20's my friends and I were social drinkers and drank like fish on the weekends. Friday and/or Saturday pre-party at our place with vodka, close the bars down then come home and keep drinking until about 5am some nights. Get up the next day and if it was Sunday during football season we were out by 10am drinking, eating and watching football all day. Even when it wasn't football season we'd go out just to socialize. One of the local bars did industry night Sunday starting at like 7pm which was $3 you call its and they didn't care if you actually worked in the industry so some nights we ended up out until later than intended, particularly one of my roommates. We were definitely weekend alcoholics but none of us were losing jobs, or missing work. These days we're all in our late 30's or early 40's and on the rare occasion we all get together for a trip, birthday or what not we will have some fun but it doesn't keep going the next day.
For me I stopped drinking regularly then we'd have that rare night out where I drank too much and was reminded that I was getting old. The hangovers just aren't worth it and I like to exercise while a good hangover has me off my game for a few days. My wife never drank like we did thankfully and while we have the rare drink we're pretty active so again drinking regularly doesn't jive with that. Recently a family member who we all knew drank way too much and was told to stop by her doctor ended up in rehab and in terrible shape. Whatever it is I've always been able to pretty much just stop if I wanted to but I know not everyone can. Ultimately seeing the long term effects of drinking and feeling the effects of getting older even as little as they may be right now I just don't want to go down that path. My recommendation would be to find other things you can do together on the weekends that don't involve alcohol - take an exercise class, go for a walk, go dancing, go to a show and so on.
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Iggy aka IG
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Post by Iggy aka IG on Jan 9, 2020 15:17:29 GMT -5
Speaking of habits that hoops902 mentioned, Mrs. Dinero , something else I've been experimenting with is how DH and I spend our at home relaxing time. Instead of sitting and watching DVR/movies, for instance, a few weekends ago I suggested we go downstairs and play darts. Future evenings will include board games, Classic Atari, cards, etc. I equate it to back in the bar days: People seemed to drink less if they're up and down playing pool, darts, whatever, vs. sitting on their butts doing nothing. ETA: Speaking of sitting, do the math regarding the calories in booze. That might help a bit. BTDT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2020 15:30:59 GMT -5
For me I stopped drinking regularly then we'd have that rare night out where I drank too much and was reminded that I was getting old. The hangovers just aren't worth it and I like to exercise while a good hangover has me off my game for a few days. This was me. I drank a lot in my teens and twenties and maybe half of my thirties and then I was like screw it. I decided the bad I felt after was worse than the good I feel during (actually, even the during wasn't so great anymore) so I pretty much quit entirely. These days my tolerance is so low that 2 or 3 drinks does me in.
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Ava
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Post by Ava on Jan 9, 2020 17:19:20 GMT -5
Think about your children. My ex neighbor, the one who left the water running when evicted, used to sit outside on Saturday afternoons and drink beers while his two young kids were playing near him. Great role model, right?
Good for you that you are recognizing the problem and looking for a way to deal with it.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jan 9, 2020 17:20:45 GMT -5
Think about your children. My ex neighbor, the one who left the water running when evicted, used to sit outside on Saturday afternoons and drink beers while his two young kids were playing near him. Great role model, right?
Good for you that you are recognizing the problem and looking for a way to deal with it. What's wrong with an adult drinking beer on a Saturday afternoon around their kids exactly?
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Jan 9, 2020 17:29:46 GMT -5
Think about your children. My ex neighbor, the one who left the water running when evicted, used to sit outside on Saturday afternoons and drink beers while his two young kids were playing near him. Great role model, right?
Good for you that you are recognizing the problem and looking for a way to deal with it. What's wrong with an adult drinking beer on a Saturday afternoon around their kids exactly? Depends on the context. If he’s not over-imbibing and is actively involved with the children in a positive way there’s probably nothing wrong with it. If he acts like my father did, ignoring everything to drink, snapping at anyone that interrupted him or appeared to be having fun without him and progressively getting meaner as he drank more, then there’s a lot wrong with it.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Jan 9, 2020 19:00:55 GMT -5
Thank you for all for the responses. Like MN said it’s pretty common in our area to drink heavily. Our friends are heavy drinkers themselves. No one has voiced concern. We are concerned. We can’t continue to drink like this. Something will give eventually. I don’t want to be in hospital like the bil mentioned above. 1.5L /2 of us/2 nights =375ml or 12.7oz / 3oz = 4 doubles per night. Yikes! We have some left every weekend but not much. Weed isn’t legal in our state. Isn’t that the same thing though? I mean just using substances to relax rather than finding better ways to cope? I don’t know. Thought I would have grown up by now. Disappointed in myself. Woe is me. If you do decide to break the weekend habit, that will require you to separate yourselves from associating with your heavy drinker friends when alcohol is involved.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Jan 9, 2020 19:17:41 GMT -5
Thank you for all for the responses. Like MN said it’s pretty common in our area to drink heavily. Our friends are heavy drinkers themselves. No one has voiced concern. We are concerned. We can’t continue to drink like this. Something will give eventually. I don’t want to be in hospital like the bil mentioned above. 1.5L /2 of us/2 nights =375ml or 12.7oz / 3oz = 4 doubles per night. Yikes! We have some left every weekend but not much. Weed isn’t legal in our state. Isn’t that the same thing though? I mean just using substances to relax rather than finding better ways to cope? I don’t know. Thought I would have grown up by now. Disappointed in myself. Woe is me. If you do decide to break the weekend habit, that will require you to separate yourselves from associating with your heavy drinker friends when alcohol is involved. Sure fire way to find out who true friends are and possibly what you have in common or what you no longer have in common. If that makes sense
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justme
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Post by justme on Jan 9, 2020 21:16:01 GMT -5
1.5L /2 of us/2 nights =375ml or 12.7oz / 3oz = 4 doubles per night. Yikes! We have some left every weekend but not much. Holy crap! That's a LOT of booze. 8 drinks a night is way overdoing it. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, drinking is considered to be in the moderate or low-risk range for women at no more than three drinks in any one day and no more than seven drinks per week. For men, it is no more than four drinks a day and no more than 14 drinks per week. -Mayo Clinic I've seen those numbers before and I never quite figured them out. On a daily basis it's only one more for men but on a weekly basis it's double? Just doesn't seem logical - 33% more would seem more in proportion to the daily limit.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jan 10, 2020 0:09:21 GMT -5
It’s 20+ years in the making. Our tolerance is insane. What indicates that you have a high tolerance?
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jan 10, 2020 0:18:12 GMT -5
Think about your children. My ex neighbor, the one who left the water running when evicted, used to sit outside on Saturday afternoons and drink beers while his two young kids were playing near him. Great role model, right?
Good for you that you are recognizing the problem and looking for a way to deal with it. What's wrong with an adult drinking beer on a Saturday afternoon around their kids exactly? Depends on how drunk dad/mom already is while drinking those beers. My dad would have had quite a few beers and some side hits of gin - so by Saturday afternoon you never knew what he was gonna be like. I didn't have friends over on the weekends or weeknights for that matter as a little kid. We might play outside in the empty lot next door or down the block - rarely in my yard. the shame I'd feel if my dad came out swaying and quick to swear and smelling bad if you were close enough... Got some heavy drinkers in the family and I've seen that "look" on their kids faces sometimes at parties or just when having some family over for dinner. Got some high functioning alcoholics in my family... "tolerance" doesn't really mean much - drunks are different after a couple of drinks just like regular drinkers. They might not be "falling down" and "slurring their words" but they are definitely different and effected by the alcohol.
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Post by empress of self-improvement on Jan 10, 2020 7:51:31 GMT -5
I'm not sure what suggesting switching to beer and wine is supposed to accomplish. I'm a drunk. I would drink 2 bottles of wine a night(ish) since I worked overnights. On occasion I would have a mixed drink or 4. I also have not had an alcoholic drink in three years next month. I would love a glass of wine but I can't. My tolerance is shit now and I'd probably fall over with one glass.😋
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jan 10, 2020 8:27:25 GMT -5
I'm not sure what suggesting switching to beer and wine is supposed to accomplish. I'm a drunk. I would drink 2 bottles of wine a night(ish) since I worked overnights. On occasion I would have a mixed drink or 4. I also have not had an alcoholic drink in three years next month. I would love a glass of wine but I can't. My tolerance is shit now and I'd probably fall over with one glass.😋 First off, congratulations on getting this far! It's even more impressive as I hear/learn more with regards to my BIL and his journey.
Second, I assume most people were thinking lower alcohol content between beer/wine and hard liquor. For me, as I said previously, there's a line in my brain about 3rd bottle of beer = drinking too much. Doesn't mean I don't do it but it does mean it's a more conscious, active decision on my part. Does that mean it works for others? No idea but I'm guessing not.
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Post by empress of self-improvement on Jan 10, 2020 8:35:40 GMT -5
Beth: Before I forget, make sure there is no mouthwash or cough syrup with alcohol in the house. Hell, check the vanilla extract too. Hard-core alcoholics like your BIL will find them and drink them. Sad but true. According to my mother, her grandparents or parents, used to drink cough syrup for the alcohol. The maternal line is a long string of drunks.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jan 10, 2020 8:51:19 GMT -5
I'm not sure what suggesting switching to beer and wine is supposed to accomplish. I'm a drunk. I would drink 2 bottles of wine a night(ish) since I worked overnights. On occasion I would have a mixed drink or 4. I also have not had an alcoholic drink in three years next month. I would love a glass of wine but I can't. My tolerance is shit now and I'd probably fall over with one glass.😋 Because not everyone who has a problem with alcohol is a full on alcoholic. If it's more habit, then switching to something which will fill you up quicker and has a lower alcohol concentration might be a helpful switch. It's the equivalent of having a bad habit of eating an entire bag of potato chips at night, and switching that out with a healthier chip substitute.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2020 8:54:17 GMT -5
I'm not sure what suggesting switching to beer and wine is supposed to accomplish. I'm a drunk. I would drink 2 bottles of wine a night(ish) since I worked overnights. On occasion I would have a mixed drink or 4. I also have not had an alcoholic drink in three years next month. I would love a glass of wine but I can't. My tolerance is shit now and I'd probably fall over with one glass.😋 If they are truly alcohol dependent, then yeah, it won't make a difference, they'll just drink more wine/beer to get the same effect, but if having a drink in hand on the weekends is just a bad habit, then switching to something more filling/less alcohol might be a good way to lower the health risk anyhow.
eta: hoops beat me to it.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Jan 10, 2020 9:06:58 GMT -5
I had a friend who wouldn't attend a wedding since there was no booze at the reception!! And when we went out clubbing back in the day she always said "don't let me drink anything but beer" 3 beers in and the next order was gin and tonic and off to full blown drunk. And then had the nerve the next day to call me and ask why I "LET" her order g&T - I did my best to try to understand alcoholism (back before internet and spent a few hours in library and talking with someone who attended AA) The friendship eventually went by the way side and it truly made me sad. I often wonder if she is still living given some of the things that took place over the years.
And don't get me wrong I drank my fair share back then but I didn't have to have that drink. I feel for those who do and have the utmost admiration for those who recognize it and take control - it has to be really hard as expressed by empress of self-improvement .
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Mrs. Dinero
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Post by Mrs. Dinero on Jan 10, 2020 9:08:51 GMT -5
“What indicates that you have a high tolerance?” We’re not feeling the affects of the alcohol. Others might be blacked out with that amount.
Last night I looked at what alcohol we had in house to get a better gauge on what we’re drinking. I was off. Vodka was 1/4 down and Bourbon was half. We have 3 unopened bottles of wine, 6 blue moons, and 10 Coors Lights. Some Bailey’s too. We’ve had some of this since November.
We don’t get blacked out, get mean, or drive. DH usually falls asleep if he drinks too much and I vomit. I think I puked twice in 2019. DH also falls asleep when he’s not drinking so that’s not really out of norm.
I know this is a trigger for some of you. I’m sorry to remind you of times with an alcoholic.
Don’t think we’re alcoholics but I’m not opposed to hearing why we could be. Our lives aren’t dependent on it. Our heavy drinker friends could give 2 sh$ts if we quit. We’ve been friends for longer than the drinking. I think we all drink this much because why not? We’re not causing family or work issues or breaking the law. I know we’re slowly killing ourselves though. My #1 concern is health. We’ll scale it back. We have before. Just wanted to hear from others that might have experienced the same.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jan 10, 2020 9:15:11 GMT -5
“What indicates that you have a high tolerance?” We’re not feeling the affects of the alcohol. Others might be blacked out with that amount. Last night I looked at what alcohol we had in house to get a better gauge on what we’re drinking. I was off. Vodka was 1/4 down and Bourbon was half. We have 3 unopened bottles of wine, 6 blue moons, and 10 Coors Lights. Some Bailey’s too. We’ve had some of this since November. We don’t get blacked out, get mean, or drive. DH usually falls asleep if he drinks too much and I vomit. I think I puked twice in 2019. DH also falls asleep when he’s not drinking so that’s not really out of norm. I know this is a trigger for some of you. I’m sorry to remind you of times with an alcoholic. Don’t think we’re alcoholics but I’m not opposed to hearing why we could be. Our lives aren’t dependent on it. Our heavy drinker friends could give 2 sh$ts if we quit. We’ve been friends for longer than the drinking. I think we all drink this much because why not? We’re not causing family or work issues or breaking the law. I know we’re slowly killing ourselves though. My #1 concern is health. We’ll scale it back. We have before. Just wanted to hear from others that might have experienced the same. I used to drink too much in my 20's. I just don't have time or the inclination now, and hangovers last 4 days. My take on this post is that it's full of justifications. If you think you drink too much, just choose not to drink for a set time, one week, 2 weeks, one month, whatever. Your dependence on alcohol can be gauged about how horrified you are about not drinking at all for a short period of time.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jan 10, 2020 9:17:18 GMT -5
“What indicates that you have a high tolerance?” We’re not feeling the affects of the alcohol. Others might be blacked out with that amount. Last night I looked at what alcohol we had in house to get a better gauge on what we’re drinking. I was off. Vodka was 1/4 down and Bourbon was half. We have 3 unopened bottles of wine, 6 blue moons, and 10 Coors Lights. Some Bailey’s too. We’ve had some of this since November. We don’t get blacked out, get mean, or drive. DH usually falls asleep if he drinks too much and I vomit. I think I puked twice in 2019. DH also falls asleep when he’s not drinking so that’s not really out of norm. I know this is a trigger for some of you. I’m sorry to remind you of times with an alcoholic. Don’t think we’re alcoholics but I’m not opposed to hearing why we could be. Our lives aren’t dependent on it. Our heavy drinker friends could give 2 sh$ts if we quit. We’ve been friends for longer than the drinking. I think we all drink this much because why not? We’re not causing family or work issues or breaking the law. I know we’re slowly killing ourselves though. My #1 concern is health. We’ll scale it back. We have before. Just wanted to hear from others that might have experienced the same. I'm not necessarily interested in labeling things, especially in places where the label probably comes from a health professional...but I think it's common for people with a binge drinking problem to think they are not alcoholics because of the way in which they drink. I'm not sure if it qualifies as alcoholic or not, but the lens to view it from is probably different from a traditional "are you an alcoholic" viewpoint and more specifically through the binge-drinking lens. Ultimately though, the label doesn't matter. If you recognize you want to scale back, and you succeed in scaling back...whatever label you put on it is irrelevant. One little trick that I can't remember who told me was "if you can't remember how much you've had without counting bottles/glasses, then you've had too much".
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laterbloomer
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Post by laterbloomer on Jan 10, 2020 9:19:17 GMT -5
My grandparents (Mom's parents, divorced since she was a kid) were "nice" drunks and I never thought of them having a problem even though they drank a lot. But when they got older that is pretty much all they wanted to do. The last 10-20 years of their lives were drinking, going over memories of the good old days and sleeping. They literally never left their houses. To the point my grandmother's doctor did house calls. Until it was time to go to the hospital and die. That was a big factor in my decision to sober up. I didn't believe I would die or end up in jail, but I sure as hell didn't want that future.
ETA - That much alcohol took a really big toll on their physical health.
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Mrs. Dinero
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Post by Mrs. Dinero on Jan 10, 2020 9:27:06 GMT -5
Later - your story speaks to me and is a concern for our future as well. I love all the ideas of filling our drinking time with other activities. That’s what we should be doing. Not wasting our (younger & healthier) time together. Thanks for all responses everyone. Have a great weekend.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Jan 10, 2020 9:27:32 GMT -5
Because not everyone who has a problem with alcohol is a full on alcoholic. If it's more habit, then switching to something which will fill you up quicker and has a lower alcohol concentration might be a helpful switch. It's the equivalent of having a bad habit of eating an entire bag of potato chips at night, and switching that out with a healthier chip substitute. Addiction is like pregnancy. You either are or aren't. Alcoholic is still found in the term "functional alcoholic, no?"
And also, I think your food example is pretty poor. We don't keep chips in the house. But, we also don't give a pass to anyone eating a complete box of crackers or a huge bag of goldfish in one sitting. No matter how much my 15 year old son would argue that it's far better for you than eating a bag of chips (which again, we don't have in the house. I'd argue eating 20+ servings of something in a sitting, is well, not good. ETA: I also don't like the use of the word "problem" either. But, that's how my husband referred to his addiction. Because he was more interested in lying to himself and somehow justifying that his addiction "wasn't that bad."
All the justifications and the use of the word "problem" did for him, was lead to a relapse.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jan 10, 2020 9:28:30 GMT -5
Beth: Before I forget, make sure there is no mouthwash or cough syrup with alcohol in the house. Hell, check the vanilla extract too. Hard-core alcoholics like your BIL will find them and drink them. Sad but true. According to my mother, her grandparents or parents, used to drink cough syrup for the alcohol. The maternal line is a long string of drunks. I ran that by DH a couple of days ago. It never crossed his mind. And he doesn't think it crossed his Mom's mind either. I'll bring it up again. Thanks!
I've read that people did drink extracts back during Prohibition since it was one way to get alcohol.
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Pants
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Post by Pants on Jan 10, 2020 9:35:26 GMT -5
Mrs. Dinero - my parents were like you when I was in my teens. It was no big deal. They’d overimbibe on occasion at a party or something, but again, generally fine.
Then we moved out. They retired. And kind of went off the deep end. My mom especially. She’s a very functional, WASPy alcoholic, but she’s an alcoholic. Martinis start every day by 5. (Martinis are just glasses of cold vodka with an olive.) Mixed drinks on the weekend all day. They just hang out in their house and drink, but they also exercise, and maintain the house, and have friends. Again, all very functional.
BUT - if I get a call from my mom after 5pm, I don’t answer, because she is slurring and drunk without knowing it. She won’t remember the conversation. She has restricted access to my kids and is not allowed to be with them in the evenings without another adult around. She doesn’t know these restrictions are in place, but they are.
So all this to say - you may very well be fine. You may very well be functional. But that doesn’t mean this won’t harm your relationships - relationships you cherish - now or in the years to come.
My best to you.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jan 10, 2020 9:41:09 GMT -5
Because not everyone who has a problem with alcohol is a full on alcoholic. If it's more habit, then switching to something which will fill you up quicker and has a lower alcohol concentration might be a helpful switch. It's the equivalent of having a bad habit of eating an entire bag of potato chips at night, and switching that out with a healthier chip substitute. Addiction is like pregnancy. You either are or aren't. Alcoholic is still found in the term "functional alcoholic, no?"
And also, I think your food example is pretty poor. We don't keep chips in the house. But, we also don't give a pass to anyone eating a complete box of crackers or a huge bag of goldfish in one sitting. No matter how much my 15 year old son would argue that it's far better for you than eating a bag of chips (which again, we don't have in the house. I'd argue eating 20+ servings of something in a sitting, is well, not good. ETA: I also don't like the use of the word "problem" either. But, that's how my husband referred to his addiction. Because he was more interested in lying to himself and somehow justifying that his addiction "wasn't that bad."
All the justifications and the use of the word "problem" did for him, was lead to a relapse.
Right, and you can NOT be an addict, but still have an issue with alcohol. Just like you can NOT be addicted to Cheetos but still eat more Cheetos than you wish you did. Addiction is in the brain, you either have it or you don't. Not all bad habits are equal to addiction. Eating 20+ servings of something in a sitting isn't good. Doing it doesn't translate to "addiction" though. There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of addiction here. Society seems to want to label "it's a bad thing" as "it must be an addiction". "I eat too much, therefore I'm addicted to food"..."I exercise too much, therefore I'm an exercise addict"..."I keep cheating on my partners, I must be a sex addict". Not all bad behavior or bad habits are addiction. Sometimes it's just bad behavior, bad habits, poor choices, etc. And the ways to battle bad habits that are not addiction include the types of things that people who attribute everything to addiction would be aghast at, because they aren't things that would work for addicts.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on Jan 10, 2020 9:47:02 GMT -5
I’m coming to terms with this. We spend a ton on liquor and have for 20 years. We both realize we need to stop. We’re both able to refrain from alcohol all work week then drink a handle on the weekend (1.5L). It’s obvious that it’s not a social thing. We drink when it’s just us watching Dateline. We’ve given it up for Lent before with no problem. It’s just something that creeps back into our lives. Our tolerance was through the roof over the holidays. Have you experienced this? What are some steps we can take? We are scaling back after the holidays too. Our issue is daily drinking. That drink or two, or three, seemed so harmless until I realized I was craving it and most likely forming a dependency. My plan was to stop drinking during the week. Now that I've made it through the week I'm wondering if weekend drinking is even worth it. My father is an alcoholic. Every time he gets in trouble with it he makes new rules for himself. He "doesn't need AA". His rules inevitably don't work for him and they probably won't work for me either. I like wine, but how long can I kick the can?
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jan 10, 2020 9:47:28 GMT -5
Mrs. Dinero - my parents were like you when I was in my teens. It was no big deal. They’d overimbibe on occasion at a party or something, but again, generally fine. Then we moved out. They retired. And kind of went off the deep end. My mom especially. She’s a very functional, WASPy alcoholic, but she’s an alcoholic. Martinis start every day by 5. (Martinis are just glasses of cold vodka with an olive.) Mixed drinks on the weekend all day. They just hang out in their house and drink, but they also exercise, and maintain the house, and have friends. Again, all very functional. BUT - if I get a call from my mom after 5pm, I don’t answer, because she is slurring and drunk without knowing it. She won’t remember the conversation. She has restricted access to my kids and is not allowed to be with them in the evenings without another adult around. She doesn’t know these restrictions are in place, but they are. So all this to say - you may very well be fine. You may very well be functional. But that doesn’t mean this won’t harm your relationships - relationships you cherish - now or in the years to come. My best to you. To me this is the real risk. When you only overindulge (in anything really) on the weekends...what happens when your entire life turns into one big weekend when you retire? Or what happens when someone loses a job and doesn't have work in the morning as a solid reason they can't drink. Bad habits over time tend to get worse, not better. They only get better if you make an active effort to improve them, they'll get worse all on their own without any effort to make them worse. You can look at it similar to weight...very few people just naturally go from overeating to eating sensibly and losing weight without a concerted effort. But people who overeat tend to keep doing it more and more and keep gaining weight until it's a big problem. Also as with most bad habits, it's a lot easier to nip them earlier rather than later.
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laterbloomer
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 26, 2018 0:50:42 GMT -5
Posts: 4,347
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Post by laterbloomer on Jan 10, 2020 10:04:26 GMT -5
Actually it's progressive. You can start off not an alcoholic but drink enough to make yourself dependent. And get progressively more dependent as time and drinking goes on.
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Tiny
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,362
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Post by Tiny on Jan 10, 2020 10:16:36 GMT -5
“What indicates that you have a high tolerance?” We’re not feeling the affects of the alcohol. Others might be blacked out with that amount. I'd say you are feeling the effects of the alcohol - you are just spending more time in the "still able to drink" stage. What do you feel/remember after you've had each round of drinks? Do you remember what you watched on TV? if you re-watch the show/movie - is it the way you remember it? What are you NOT doing because of the effects of the alcohol - the hours drinking and then the "slow start" the next day? What could you be doing instead that you want to do? How much do you accomplish during the week when you aren't drinking? Too tired in the evenings to do much? What are you missing out on because you are home on the couch with a drink - that day and then the next day (and the days afterward?) Does every event in your life have alcohol involved? Is the first "thing to buy" for an occassion "alcohol" and then what you'll serve? If you go on vacation - is mostly built around what restaurants to eat at and what bars/where you will get drinks?
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