how does one transition from hard core casual drinking to alchoholic?

vash · vash's Garage

i have some coworkers. friends too. they drink easy 4 drinks a day. some of my good friends..hunting and fishing, they carry a 12 pack. (i just realized none of my california hunter buddies drink at all). some of my family members drink a bottle of wine nightly. none of them are addicted that i know of.

is it something different with people with addictive traits? i have addictive traits..i've been hooked on nose spray three times.

how does it transition? i've only known one alcoholic. a girlfriend's dad. he was unbelievable. like in the movies.

Oh Haha · 05-11-2012, 05:23 PM

I've wondered about this as well. I played in a rock band and drank enough alcohol for a lifetime but I never HAD to have a drink to function.

I would think it must be in a person's nature.

We don't have alcohol in our house. Not that we don't have a drink now and again but it's more of a splurge for us, like a special occasion. "ooh, let's be dangerous and drink a wine cooler(wife) and 2 whole beers in 1 evening".

I'm curious to hear what others have to say.

genrex · 05-11-2012, 05:27 PM

Alcoholics want to have a drink in their hand from the moment they wake up until they go to bed at night. They might not be able to afford it, but they want it. My uncle from NYC is an alcoholic. He's the life of the party, but he wants to have a drink in his hand all day long, every day.

_

944Larry · 944Larry's Garage

I worked with an old guy one time that came into work shaking so bad I thought he'd seen a ghost. Concerned I asked what was wrong. He said "I just quit drinking". I didn't know he drank. Certainly didn't affect his job that I could tell. (He was an aircraft mechanic) He told me he drank a half pint of Vodka as soon as he got up in the AM. Sneaked drinks all day long. He smoked to mask the Vodka I guess. Told me he couldn't get drunk like regular people. He went to AA and cleaned up. I love a drink. Kicking back on a Becks now. I go off on a job, I may go a month without one. I can't get a handle on the alcoholic thing either.

porwolf · 05-11-2012, 05:51 PM

In my opinion an alcoholic is one who needs a drink. A hardcore casual drinker who can take it or leave it is not an alcoholic.

pavulon · 06:14 PM

Addicts don't drink/take drugs/do whatever (call it "X") to get a buzz. They do X to feel normal and suffer if they stop or try stopping. Withdrawl from some addictions (i.e. chemical addictions) can result in death if not done with intent, time and care. Withdrawl from other addictions are, in my opinion, nearly pure BS drama.

With respect to chemicals, best to not dance with devils. I have the "best" stuff out there available to me each minute of each work day. I've seen several folks flush everything by losing out to temptation. Some die as a result. Crazy.

gassy · 05-11-2012, 06:22 PM

Just had my four year mark without a drink. When I went to rehab I was drinking all day every day. On the way to work, at work, after work. Wake up, do it again. I knew I had a problem and couldn't stop. I needed it. For years I couldn't stop at just one or two drinks. That turned in to 6,7, 10, 12 a day. Every day. I'm lucky I'm not dead, and I'm lucky that I didn't kill anyone, and I'm lucky that my wife stayed with me and I'm lucky that my two oldest children who saw me hit rock bottom still love me and are able to move on from the hell I put them through. I knew what was happening the entire time. Couldn't stop. It was a slow transition and I'm sure I was an alcoholic for many years before I admitted it to myself. I guess you know you're an alcoholic when you're willing to take the chance that everything you've worked for, everyone you love, and literally everything in the world is not as important as a glass of whiskey.

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by gassy

Just had my four year mark without a drink. When I went to rehab I was drinking all day every day. On the way to work, at work, after work. Wake up, do it again. I knew I had a problem and couldn't stop. I needed it. For years I couldn't stop at just one or two drinks. That turned in to 6,7, 10, 12 a day. Every day. I'm lucky I'm not dead, and I'm lucky that I didn't kill anyone, and I'm lucky that my wife stayed with me and I'm lucky that my two oldest children who saw me hit rock bottom still love me and are able to move on from the hell I put them through. I knew what was happening the entire time. Couldn't stop. It was a slow transition and I'm sure I was an alcoholic for many years before I admitted it to myself. I guess you know you're an alcoholic when you're willing to take the chance that everything you've worked for, everyone you love, and literally everything in the world is not as important as a glass of whiskey.

Four years here as well, same story almost word for word. My "rock bottom" was when I quit, had a seizure then started again trying to avoid another seizure.

My roommate in rehab was a "well known" gay porn star, however he was "straight" I'll never forget that guy.

targa911S · 07:12 PM

well speaking as a recovering alcoholic myself...28 years sober..I would say you get there "one drink at a time".
I drank for effect. never once did I ever go out and expect to drink one drink. Nooooo it was 6 glasses of mescal please..or yes I'll have 8 rusty nails or sure I'll have some more Jameson.. I don't think I ever "needed" a drink, but then I pretty much always had one so I really can't say. I do know that quitting was the single most life changing decision I have ever made. Had I not, I would be dead, pure and simple.

One never really knows when they "step over the line"...they just find themselves there.

Jim Bremner · 05-11-2012, 06:50 PM

Damn,

2 beers a night is norn for me. some nights none.

look 171 · 05-11-2012, 07:39 PM

How does one become like that? Does it build up over time drinking from college days? I have a beer once every two months, sometimes no drink at all for 6 months. A beer is a must with Mexican food for me. I grew up with this kid up the street from me. We did miles of bike racing together, one day he started with a bottle in his hand (at around 17 or 18 ). Next thing I knew, about a year or two later, he was drinking all day long.

aigel · aigel's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

i have some coworkers. friends too. they drink easy 4 drinks a day. ............ some of my family members drink a bottle of wine nightly. none of them are addicted that i know of.

That is definitely a functional / low dose alcoholism. If you down 4+ drinks a night, every night, you have an alcohol problem and should definitely stop the pattern, i.e. quit drinking during the week. If you can't do that, you should look for help. Alcohol at that level is not healthy, it is a lot of carbs, hard on your liver and stresses your body (increase cancer risk) even if you don't drift further.

That's all I can offer. I have no experience how people end up hardcore alcoholics / day time drinkers.

G

vash · vash's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by look 171

How does one become like that? Does it build up over time drinking from college days? I have a beer once every two months, sometimes no drink at all for 6 months. A beer is a must with Mexican food for me. I grew up with this kid up the street from me. We did miles of bike racing together, one day he started with a bottle in his hand (at around 17 or 18 ). Next thing I knew, about a year or two later, he was drinking all day long.

i dont get it either. i got addictied to nasal spray. my doctor laughed at me and told me i must have an additive personality. i cant use the stuff to this day.

drinking, i had to stop..and i simply stopped. i do have about 50 bottles of great wine that makes me sad i cant uncork. stupid underachieving liver.

look 171 · 05-11-2012, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

i dont get it either. i got addictied to nasal spray. my doctor laughed at me and told me i must have an additive personality. i cant use the stuff to this day.

drinking, i had to stop..and i simply stopped. i do have about 50 bottles of great wine that makes me sad i cant uncork. stupid underachieving liver.

I am thinking one of the reason some people don't drink is that alcohol really bothers them. Another friend around the old neighborhood can't handle one beer. One beer and he's buzzing to the point of throwing up. We tried as kids to get him drinking. No go. He will have one or two beers a year during our annual camping trip( My yearly intake of beer or alcohol is full fill the first two nights). We made him feel so bad that he had seek help from his doctor. His dumb azz doctor made a dumb comment about Asians having low tolerance or allergic to alcohol. Maybe its truth since I am no doc.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Research it. Asian flush, they can't handle alcohol well....

Alcohol flush reaction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

futuresoptions · 05-11-2012, 08:50 PM

I grew up with an alcoholic father. His friends were alcoholics. I enjoy a drink now and then and have even gotten hammered a few times in my life. I never understood the "want" aspect to it. I have a good friend that drinks quite a bit and have tried talking to him about his addiction. He no longer calls me. I have other family members that I feel may over indulge in their drinking, but figure they are well educated and know of the dangers. I know from experience though that this addiction shows no mercy to its victims no matter what race, religion or economic class that they may be in...

Evans, Marv · 05-11-2012, 09:43 PM

As a teenager, I drank a lot partying on weekends. As a later teen I took up smoking. By the time I was in my late 20s, I had quit smoking an almost didn't drink. My big thing, especially with smoking was I didn't want anything I couldn't control. That goes for food, sugar, drugs, sun tanning, anything at all. If I feel I'm being excessive about something I moderate it or stop it altogether especially in the case of smoking, dope, drugs. When I was younger, I did the party scene with the usual things people did then, but lost interest in it because it didn't lead anywhere & was generally unhealthy. I've had friends and work mates who were alcoholics/druggies and I distanced myself from them over time. There are people who tend toward addiction/addictive personalities, and they are just part of the spectrum of people in the world and deserve help. Basically I accept that, but it's not part of my personal world & never will be.

RANDY P · RANDY P's Garage

Had a good day? Have a drink. Bad day? Have a drink. Friends over- have a drink. After work? have a drink.

the drink always seems to help the alcoholic cope.

BTDT with someone. it sucks.

Dottore · 05-11-2012, 10:16 PM

I've always enjoyed wine with dinner. Grew up that way. Wouldn't miss it today. It's one of life's great pleasures IMO. Yeah sure, some evenings we probably drink a little more than we should, but so what? And late in the evening, a nice single malt rounds out the day very nicely.

When Aristotle was on his death bed some acolyte asked him what the most important thing in his life was, the Logic, the Ethics, the Metaphysics etc" (books he had written)...and Aristotle apparently replied "when I look back only life the most important time was the time I spent drinking wine in the company of good friends".

That anecdote really speaks to me. Those are also the moments I treasure most looking back.

Alcoholism is a terrible thing, and I've always felt sorry for people who can't seem to keep this in perspective.

Bill Douglas · 05-11-2012, 11:13 PM

I'm the first Douglas in six generations not to be an alcoholic - hell, I'm far to smart for that.

But I do have the gene for it. I'm very careful. I drink a glass with dinner and maybe two glasses if I'm livin' it up. Very careful.

I get addictions to other thngs. At the oment I've got a severe addiction to orange juice. I'm not trying to be funny here. I'm up between four a nd six times a night losing the orange juice but the craving and the euphoric feeling of drinking the orange juice make it all worth while LOL. I used to be addicted to candy bars, even worse

My dad was a monster and I'd rather someone shot me at an early age than end up like him.