Alcoholic vs. just drinking too much

[richard_smith237]

Every online test I take implies that I'm a Raving Alcoholic... I know I'm not. 

 

I drink whenever I want.

 

If that means enjoying a cold beer at Midday, then so be it. 

If that means going out at 9pm with my friends and drinking Whisky, so be it, I'll either get drunk or I'll cut myself off after reaching my '2 pint sparkle' !!

But, it also means sometimes I don't want to drink, I'll take a business class flight (with he bar in the back of the plane) and not drink alcohol for the whole flight (my last flight).

Some times I'll have 1 glass of wine with dinner, other nights a beer, other nights water.

I can go for a month without drinking, but other times I'll drink every day of the week - it just depends how I feel and what I want to do, also who I'm with. 

 

When I am drunk, I'm not argumentative, I'm generally more placid, I talk too much !

 

So... Op... Don't go by what other people tell you - because so many people enjoy telling others they have a problem, especially when it comes to drinking... people will tell you that you have a 'dependency issue'.... Well you probably also 'dependency on golf' and everything else in your life you enjoy.

I have a dependency on Curry and Chips, Cups of Tea, Craft Beer, Good Whisky, Playing football, My Wife, My Son and everything else which makes my life enjoyable...  of course, I have real dependency issues with work, the issue is that I have to depend on work !

 

IF you can look inwards and be 100% honest with yourself that your alcohol intake is not a problem then you are fine. If, as your opening post implies, you have concerns then you are smart enough to recognize any issues in yourself and cut back. 

 

No one else knows you like you do... just be 100% honest with yourself. 

 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Elkski said:

I say Op has a problem.   I recall reading some article long time ago if you had 3 servings more than 3 days a week or binge drinking anytime.   I don't recall all the details but the numbers were quite low.  I'm not an expert. But I feel Better and save much money by only drinking 1 beer  a couple times a week

You still need beer a couple of times per week???? Oh... you must have a problem !!!! 

 

 

The point I'm trying to make here is that the issue is so subjective only the Op himself and those closest to him know if there is an issue or not. 

 

There may be health issues related to drinking the amounts the Op mentions, but there are also health issues with a poor diet. 

 

 

[BritManToo]

30 minutes ago, robblok said:

I think that test is crazy.. i almost never drink but in my youth and even in my time in Thailand there are parts I have no recollection from because of drinking too much. Missing just a few hours, cant say it has happend often but certainly 1 time in the last 10 years. 

Once I stopped drinking beer Chang, my 'missing moments' all went missing.

[nikmar]

52 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Or saved your life, if you actually want it !

fair play

 

[myshem]

Wait a bit, weed will be available soon ❤️

 

 

[MrPatrickThai]

4 minutes ago, Benroon said:

I can't imagine life without the joy of a cold beer

That's  because you don't have a problem with alcohol.

 

I can't imagine a life without betting on horses, but I don't post about it on forums to do with gambling problems.

[balo]

I enjoy a pint of Heineken or Guinness at my local pub in Pattaya, but I never drink more than 1 or 2 glasses, and then take a long break, my stomach just don't tolerate too much of it so I guess I'm lucky that way. So I never get drunk. Think about your liver , you only have one.

[Krataiboy]

It doesn't really make much difference whether you class yourself as an alcoholic or a heavy drinker. If you continue to drink as much as you are, your health is bound to suffer.

 

However, as with smokers and the certainty they have of contracting life-shortening conditions through their habit, people who drink more than they fear is good for them but continue to do so have a perfect right to be masters of their own destiny.

 

Alcohol is a poison that works insidiously over time. If you my best mate, I'd try and get you to see if you could stop drinking entirely for a week, and thereafter have regular breaks from the habit to allow your body to get rid of inflammation and other deleterious side effects.

 

You acknowledge your felt better after NOT drinking for a while, so I suspect you really know what you should be doing, but enjoy your current lifestyle too much to make the sacrifice.

 

Hope you don't think I and others posting similar advice are being preachy. Many of us, I suspect, have been in the same position of you and some of us made the wrong choice, or the right choice too late, with consequences we now regret.

[4MyEgo]

40 minutes ago, robblok said:

I think that test is crazy.. i almost never drink but in my youth and even in my time in Thailand there are parts I have no recollection from because of drinking too much. Missing just a few hours, cant say it has happend often but certainly 1 time in the last 10 years. 

 

I was drinking, Hoegaarden in the Kiwi bar near nana Bangkok. I cannot remember how I instructed the taxi to go to my home or what i paid. The fact that I woke up home says enough. I recall being in the taxi but that is it.

 

Anyway I doubt that getting real drunk once makes one an alcoholic. I could go months without drinking and then have a day that i drink. Certainly not an alcoholic. 

I went a week without drinking recently to do a 6 monthly blood test (liver check), was looking forward to the socialising and couple of drinks that follow when I do drink, puts me in a comfortable, ready for bed mode, but I make sure to give it a break, i.e. I drink Wed/Fri/Sun, repeat so the liver has time to recover.

 

Going for longer than that would mean socialising on water, and I couldn't do that as I drink enough of that at home.

[4MyEgo]

41 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

The difference with pu$$y is HIV and STD's are avoidable. Or curable.. Death from excessive alcohol intake is not.

Life is full of risk, one just has to be sensible about the risks they choose to take.

Then death by pu$$y it is ????

 

[Tony125]

21 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

it's not the amount you drink, it's how you change when under the influence...

That's not really a true statement. The OP has stated that he is not a violent drunk just passes out /falls asleep after drinking.  The problem is the drinking and the amount. I "had" a friend for almost 36 years who drank all his life. Sometime would quit for a month or so then start again. Had been to Thailand with me and planned to move here. Told me he was drinking 10 beers every night 7 days a week. I told him take the early retirement get out get over here. He said "I drink 10 beers a nite, what am I going to do if I don't have a job to go to? Drink 24/7 ?  That's what he did and died 6 months after retiring at the age of 57.  Makes no difference if you call it alcoholism or drinking too much, sitting around just drinking because you have no other interests is a waste. I don't need alcohol or drugs to feel good --- find another way.

[richard_smith237]

40 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

TWENTY QUESTIONS - Could I be an Alcoholic?

http://www.aascv.org/index.php/find-help/20-questions

1)     Never missed work etc because of drinking the night before etc

2)     Having a drink possibly makes life at home happier !

3)     Nope

4)     Not that I’m aware of

5)     Nope

6)     Nope

7)     Yes, I’ve been Nana !

????Never

9)     Nope 

10)   Yes, on some days I’ll think, its 6pm, I fancy a beer, but not each and every day

11)   Never

12)   Yes, I’m aware I have a better nights sleep when I’ve not been drinking

13)   Not that I’m aware of 

14)   Never

15)   Yes, after particularly busy troublesome day

16)   Yes, in the evenings at home (because my Wife doesn’t drink)

17)   Yes, in my younger wilder years

18)   Never

19)   Nope

20)  Yes, took a mate to hospital after he got into a fight when drunk (at 18yrs old)

 

 

So I’ve answered yes to 7 of the questions – which suggests I am definitely an alcoholic….   I’m calling complete and total BS !!

 

Neither myself or anyone around me has ever suggested or even remotely hinted that I may have an issue. 

 

I’m perfectly happy with my alcohol intake, I don’t think its excessive. I haven’t had an alcoholic drink since watching the Rugby last Saturday (I had 3 pints and went home).

 

I think these test contain an element of ‘puritan self-righteousness’ are bias, excessive and unrealistic to the point of being unhelpful.  I imagine the majority of the population answers Yes to at least a couple of those points… Anyone who ever went to Uni perhaps more !

 

 

 

[MrPatrickThai]

8 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

It doesn't really make much difference whether you class yourself as an alcoholic or a heavy drinker. If you continue to drink as much as you are, your health is bound to suffer.

Not true. There are very different ways to treat each.

[MrPatrickThai]

I agree, this test on nonsense. A real alcoholic will answer over 15.  

I answered yes to all. There are much better questions somewhere.

[Krataiboy]

4 minutes ago, MrPatrickThai said:

Not true. There are very different ways to treat each.

Obviously. But surely better to self-regulate and avoid the need for treatment.

[4MyEgo]

56 minutes ago, MrPatrickThai said:

Why write pussy like that? Have you ever thought about SA? 

Because it costs me every time.

 

SA?

[Genmai]

I find that there is a correlative relationship between the amount of time I have to spend dealing with Thai people and the number of drinks I desperately need at the end of the day to stop my head from spinning. I don't know how anyone can survive the ordeal of this country's garbage/driving/smog/noise/dogs/etc without a beer or 10 to take the edge off. Never used to drink at all in other countries (occasional trip to the pub with mates once or twice a month at most), but then again I never lived in a place before where the locals drive me up the wall to such an extent. If I shut myself in and don't see anyone Earl Gray tea with milk does me just fine for days. Don't know if that makes me an alcoholic but I certainly recognize it as a coping mechanism. If I could smoke weed I'd probably do that instead.

 

 

[MrPatrickThai]

8 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Obviously. But surely better to self-regulate and avoid the need for treatment.

The problem is that alcoholics can NOT self-regulate.

[sawadee1947]

You are a alc addict for sure but won't admit. 

You need professional help not just advice from TV doctors. 

Go to a GP you can trust and/or contact AA. 

Also you risk you marriage. If you not stop drinking your wife will run away one day. 

[MrPatrickThai]

6 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

You are a alc addict for sure but won't admit. 

You need professional help not just advice from TV doctors. 

Go to a GP you can trust and/or contact AA. 

Also you risk you marriage. If you not stop drinking your wife will run away one day. 

Don't go to a doctor in Thailand, they know nothing of alcoholism recovery. And he is not an alkie, he says he can stop drinking so he feels OK the next day. NO alcoholic can stop drinking after taking the first drink.

Don't go to AA, as heavy drinkers are ruining it.

[MrPatrickThai]

30 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Because it costs me every time.

 

SA?

SA is a 12 step program for sex addicts. Unbelievably, there is none in Pattaya!

[RJRS1301]

For women, low-risk drinking is defined as no more than 3 drinks on any single day and no more than 7 drinks per week. For men, it is defined as no more than 4 drinks on any single day and no more than 14 drinks per week. NIAAA research shows that only about 2 in 100 people who drink within these limits have AUD.

 

Alcohol Use Disorder. Problem drinking that becomes severe is given the medical diagnosis of “alcohol use disorder” or AUD. ... The severity of AUD—mild, moderate, or severe—is based on the number of criteria met.

 

The Chief Medical Officers' guideline for both men and women states that: To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis. If you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it's best to spread your drinking evenly over three or more days.

 

[sawadee1947]

1 minute ago, MrPatrickThai said:

Don't go to a doctor in Thailand, they know nothing of alcoholism recovery. And he is not an alkie, he says he can stop drinking so he feels OK the next day. NO alcoholic can stop drinking after taking the first drink.

Don't go to AA, as heavy drinkers are ruining it.

BS. All alcs would tell you they can stop drinking if they want. 

If he really wants to stop he would have gone to a clinic already. 

But he's not able to see his problem. Only experienced medical experts can help

[RJRS1301]

On 3/21/2019 at 9:19 AM, Orton Rd said:

Is there such a thing as being a part time alcoholic? I religiously only drink 4 days a week after drinking every day for years. I might start having a drink early morning on drink days, but not in the evening as it upsets my stomach that late. Probably drink 2-3 times the recommended 14 weekly units. Cutting down I found it helps to drink something else instead, I get through a lot of rock soda water.

The salt content of the soda could be a concern

 

 

[MrPatrickThai]

1 minute ago, sawadee1947 said:

BS. All alcs would tell you they can stop drinking if they want. 

If he really wants to stop he would have gone to a clinic already. 

But he's not able to see his problem. Only experienced medical experts can help

The definition of alcoholism is having lost the power of choice over alcohol. 

 

NO alkies I know/have know(which is thousands) would say they can stop drinking after they have taken that first one. You don't know what you're talking about. 

[sawadee1947]

19 minutes ago, MrPatrickThai said:

The definition of alcoholism is having lost the power of choice over alcohol. 

 

NO alkies I know/have know(which is thousands) would say they can stop drinking after they have taken that first one. You don't know what you're talking about. 

Sorry to dissapoint you, however I am that expert as being a Medical Doctor. 

Please don't answer because I don't like wasting my time with #####

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, MrPatrickThai said:

Why write pussy like that? Have you ever thought about SA? 

4myego deserves credit for the term, not me. In answer to your question, he's right. Pussy always costs. The best pussy doesn't necessarily cost more.

Why would I think about SA? Regular shags are very healthy exercise.

 

[MrPatrickThai]

19 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

Sorry to dissapoint you, however I am that expert as being a Medical Doctor. 

Please don't answer because I don't like wasting my time with #####

Oh dear... Not only does he not want a debate, which he can't win, he is very rude too!

 

A medical doctor saying an alcoholic can stop drinking if he wants to, whatever next! 

 

Doctors with over-inflated egos add to the problem in this area, never help.

[4MyEgo]

50 minutes ago, MrPatrickThai said:

SA is a 12 step program for sex addicts. Unbelievably, there is none in Pattaya!

Lol, I ain't got it that bad.

 

Reminds me of this joke:

 

Late at night this guy runs into a pub and gasps for a glass of water from the bartender. The guy drinks it in one quick gulp then gasps for a second glass. Six glasses later, and he has recovered enough to sort of speak.

"Thanks," he gasps.

"That's one hell of a thirst you've got there," says the bartender.

The guy says, "Any man would be as thirsty as me if they'd just had sex with this woman that I picked up, she's insatiable. She wants me to go right back out there and do it all again, but I can't., look at me I'm a total mess"

"Where out there is she asks, the bartender.

"In my car at the roadside, the guy gasps.

"Tell you what," says the bartender, "I will take you off the hook if you like, how as the guy, I will take your place, ok says the guy, sure, whatever you can do to help, the bartender then says, what type of car you got, the guy gasping says, it's a kombie van, white with roof racks, ok, you watch the bar for me while I go out and take your place."

"Be my guest, the broad's a nympho I'm telling you. She'll do anybody."

So the bartender goes outside and gets in the kombi van. It's totally dark, so the woman doesn't realize she's with a different man. They get right down to it, humping away. Five minutes later there's a knock on the window. It's a cop and he shines his flashlight on the naked couple.

"What's going on here?" he asks.

"It's all right, officer," explains the bartender. "She's my wife."

"Oh, sorry sir, I didn't realize..."

"Neither did I till you switched on that damned light said the bartender."

[natway09]

There is a huge difference between an alcoholic & a drunk.

Not going to go into it here but there is a vast amount of info out there if you care to look