Wow... I'm a "heavy drinker"

[Mrs Mungo]

You might not be an alcoholic but there is still a very high chance that you might be a functional alcoholic and not know it at that level because chances are that you don't drink that much without some dependency.  I know this will get people's backs up but I do think that people need to consider this.  I was a very functional alcoholic.  I was the one taking my friend's home from the bar even as a teen.  

 

Again - I'm not saying that anyone that drinks that much is automatically an alcoholic but I do think that a doctor is well within his purview as a doctor to point out that dependency can happen at that level (and even at lower levels but more so at that level).

Did you actually go look at and read the CDC link that I posted? They are specifically saying that any woman who drinks more than 8 drinks per week *IS* an alcoholic. That is where I disagree. I absolutely agree that it is a doctor's job to get people to consider risk factors of drinking at all, different levels of drinking and considering lifestyle changes, if necessary. I absolutely agree that people should think about their actions whether they never exercise or eat too much cake (or drink too much soda, my actual main vice) or they smoke or they drink *every* night or even just a bit too often, those are all things people should consider changing. I am *only* disagreeing with the CDC that a certain number of drinks per week automatically make one an alcoholic, functional or otherwise.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Did you actually go look at and read the CDC link that I posted? They are specifically saying that any woman who drinks more than 8 drinks per week *IS* an alcoholic. That is where I disagree. I absolutely agree that it is a doctor's job to get people to consider risk factors of drinking at all, different levels of drinking and considering lifestyle changes, if necessary. I absolutely agree that people should think about their actions whether they never exercise or eat too much cake (or drink too much soda, my actual main vice) or they smoke or they drink *every* night or even just a bit too often, those are all things people should consider changing. I am *only* disagreeing with the CDC that a certain number of drinks per week automatically make one an alcoholic, functional or otherwise.

I disagree with your reading of the site.  It says that it is "typically defined" as X drinks for _______ (man/woman).  Then it gives more guidance on the manifestations of alcohol abuse.  I agree with the site and you that a certain number of drinks per week does not make one an alcoholic.  

[Mrs Mungo]

I disagree with your reading of the site.  It says that it is "typically defined" as X drinks for _______ (man/woman).  Then it gives more guidance on the manifestations of alcohol abuse.  I agree with the site and you that a certain number of drinks per week does not make one an alcoholic.

I think it is giving sort of hard and fast definitions that I disagree with:

What is excessive alcohol use?

Excessive alcohol use includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, any alcohol use by people under the age 21 minimum legal drinking age, and any alcohol use by pregnant women.

Pregnant women in most countries have a glass of wine or a beer now and then without issue. It isn't typically defined as alcohol abuse globally, but the CDC is defining it as such. They are defining heavy drinking as more than 8 drinks/week for women. They are defining anyone engaging in heavy drinking as engaging in alcohol abuse. I don't think over the top fear tactics are helpful. It's sort of like the boy who cried wolf, iykwim. I don't think it will achieve the desired result, I think it results in fewer people actually listening to them.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I think it is giving sort of hard and fast definitions that I disagree with:

 

Pregnant women in most countries have a glass of wine or a beer now and then without issue. It isn't typically defined as alcohol abuse globally, but the CDC is defining it as such. They are defining heavy drinking as more than 8 drinks/week for women. They are defining anyone engaging in heavy drinking as engaging in alcohol abuse. I don't think over the top fear tactics are helpful. It's sort of like the boy who cried wolf, iykwim. I don't think it will achieve the desired result, I think it results in fewer people actually listening to them.

Maybe.  But the OP started this in the context of a discussion she had with her doctor.  Did you see the screening chart I linked?  One probably used (or one like it) by her doctor? (Of course I have no idea what he/she actually used.)   It says that if you go over these limits that you are an "at risk" drinker.  It says to recommend certain courses of action and to rescreen annually.  It also recommends that if someone is an at risk drinker that they be assessed for certain alcohol use disorders.  It is only if someone "fails" the assessment that they are diagnosed as abusing alcohol.  There is another assessment after that for actual alcohol dependence.  I think that is appropriate.  I think it is appropriate for us to be aware of those things ourselves.  

 

ETA - I went back and reread the OP.  It was not in the context of a discussion she had with her doctor.  I'm not sure how I had that in my head.  So please ignore that part of what I said above.  I'm leaving it though because I do think the actual screening process is good and I don't want to retype all of that!  

[Trish]

It seems like there's an assumption that you do all  your drinking at once, for some reason.  I've had two or three occasions where doctors ask how much I drink in a week, I'll answer, and they'll immediately say "all at once?!" in a disapproving voice.  Um...no.  In a week.  The way you posed the question. :confused1:

 

Now I say what I drink per day, no matter how they pose the question.  It clears up the confusion.

 

You can be my drinking buddy, Janie Grace.  We match!

:cheers2:

 

"Of course. Right before I came! BURRRP."

 

[Canadianmumof5]

Apparently i am too!

Cheers :)

[Joanne]

We don't actually diagnose "alcoholism" or "addiction." The choices are substance abuse or substance dependency. Both have specific criteria, and neither quantifies amount.

[BlsdMama]

I grew up the child of an alcoholic and I fear it for myself. I know I have the ability to become that. Alcohol makes me relax and I like feeling relaxed. The problem comes if I allow myself a drink at night, after several months it slides into, well, why not two drinks? And I can just feel it.... I just know I'd I let two become the habit, then occasionally it would be three.... Do you see? Maybe for some people it's not an issue. But I know that I could be on that slippery slope, do yes, two drinks a night in the majority of nights would present a very serious problem for me. Maybe it's different for people without a familial history of alcoholism. But many of my uncles are alcoholics and I have to say they just do it to relax and view themselves as social drinkers and they are way, way past that.

[Catwoman]

I grew up the child of an alcoholic and I fear it for myself. I know I have the ability to become that. Alcohol makes me relax and I like feeling relaxed. The problem comes if I allow myself a drink at night, after several months it slides into, well, why not two drinks? And I can just feel it.... I just know I'd I let two become the habit, then occasionally it would be three.... Do you see? Maybe for some people it's not an issue. But I know that I could be on that slippery slope, do yes, two drinks a night in the majority of nights would present a very serious problem for me. Maybe it's different for people without a familial history of alcoholism. But many of my uncles are alcoholics and I have to say they just do it to relax and view themselves as social drinkers and they are way, way past that.

I think it's great that you recognize your own personal propensity toward drinking too much and realize how easy it would be to slip into bad habits, so you are deliberately proactive about it.

 

It sounds like you're making very wise choices for yourself.

[Guest]

My father thought that I was making a big fuss over nothing just because my ex liked to have a few beers after work.

 

The fact that he HAD to have those beers even if it meant stealing the kid's tooth fairy money made it a big deal to me. I'm glad I filed for divorce and exy says I probably saved his life by not ignoring his alcoholism like everybody else was doing.

 

If you and I each had a bottle of wine after we got the kids in bed, we could have a lot of fun on instant messenger, but I'd rather have the wine money for food and you'd rather have the time to spend with your dh and it's no big deal to either of us, certainly not anything either of us would steal a kid's tooth fairy money over.

 

That, to me, is the difference between an alcoholic in need of help and a drinking buddy.

[kbutton]

Maybe it's different for people without a familial history of alcoholism. But many of my uncles are alcoholics and I have to say they just do it to relax and view themselves as social drinkers and they are way, way past that.

 

Bingo.

 

Extended family motivates me to abstain (and it helps that I've never been able to get past the smell of most alcoholic beverages). I think there is a lot more to drinking responsibly than having a designated driver or counting drinks (though guidelines are a good place to start a discussion). I have no problem with other people drinking moderately, but I personally have seen it rather rarely. However, I don't think it's funny to joke about using alcohol as a way to cope with a bad day. In fact, the few people I know who drink moderately are very unlikely to joke about alcohol (though two friends who get tipsy on a thimble-full joke about that fact but rarely drink because they don't want to be drunk).

 

I think part of being responsible about alcohol is to stop trivializing alcohol consumption. It's like joking about playing with matches (think little kids behind the garage or the analogy is a bit stretched)--we don't get all preachy or defensive about matches; we give safety lessons and warnings, and then we use them properly to facilitate things that are useful or enjoyable.

 

 

[Joker]

It doesn't sound 'heavy' to me but that's probably because I'm right there with you. Most of my family are right there with you (and beyond) as well with zero risk factors. The only cancer in my family is in the elderly and the diseases that I know of are not at all alcohol related (juvenile diabetes and Parkinson's). Sometimes I feel like I hit the lottery in regards to genetics because there is just nothing there and it makes it a bit hard to understand the worry.

[Janie Grace]

OP here, sorry I didn't come back to this -- busy week and haven't been online much! The idea of my being an alcoholic is ridiculous (I never have more than 2, am never impaired, do not feel like I "need" it, sometimes go days/weeks without it, etc). I am glad to know about the cancer connection though and will probably cut back due to that.

[AlmiraGulch]

Even if someone is actually a "heavy drinker", whatever that means, it does not necessarily follow that they are an alcoholic.  It may be that the risk of some disease is increased, which I think is what the CDC is saying, but it does not mean that you have the disease of alcoholism.

 

From the Mayo Clinic:

 

Alcoholism is a chronic and often progressive disease that includes problems controlling your drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol, continuing to use alcohol even when it causes problems, having to drink more to get the same effect (physical dependence), or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking. If you have alcoholism, you can't consistently predict how much you'll drink, how long you'll drink, or what consequences will occur from your drinking.

It's possible to have a problem with alcohol, even when it has not progressed to the point of alcoholism. Problem drinking means you drink too much at times, causing repeated problems in your life, although you're not completely dependent on alcohol.

 

 

The OP has not indicated that a single one of the bolded statements above is true for her.  I would venture to guess that many people, even those who drink "heavily", would say the same. 

 

No one is saying that alcohol carries no risks. Clearly at some point (CDC's "heavy drinking" definition?) it can lead to other issues, like with the liver, increased risk of mouth, esophageal, or breast cancers, etc.  But it appears to me that many people here seem to believe that alcoholism has everything to do with the amount of alcohol you consume, and it really is much, much more than that, and even, in some cases, has not much to do with that at all.