The Official Do You Think You Have a Drinking Problem Thread?

[troutman]

Some people binge drink to compensate for shyness. Don't do that - be yourself tonight.

[zukes]

Originally Posted by troutman

When you young bucks reach 30 and over, the hangovers get worse and the beer belly emerges.

This.

[Galakanokis]

Drinking habits definitely change as you get older, especially when kids are involved. Lord knows I still love my beer and whiskey but I don't drink it nearly as much as I use to. Too busy in the evenings to suck back a dozen beer before bed. I'll go weeks now without a drink and I don't think I have been really really drunk in a long time, years. But I can also put away a 26 of crown in a couple of hours and not blink an eye about it so it can get very expensive in a hurry.

Forget what movie it is from but I always liked the line about not drinking. Cannot remember it verbatim but the gist of it is...

Oh I don't drink anymore.
Why not? Didn't like yourself much when you drank?
No, I liked myself just fine it was everybody else that didn't like me.

Good for you for identifying a problem, it's the first step and probably the biggest at that. Nothing wrong with seeking support from friends, family or groups like AA. Alcohol can have devastating effects on people and family's and should not be taken lightly.

[Cflames_12.5]

According to my wife I do.

[northcrunk]

Originally Posted by Locke

That sucks. Good luck man.

I enjoy drinking but I hate being drunk/hungover so I keep it pretty controlled.

I know what can happen when things get out of control. I call it 'softball camp.'

That said, I never understood the concept of "If you drink alone you have a problem."

I deal with people all the time, I love having a scotch and a cigar all by myself in silence. The peace and quiet is relaxing.

I'm with you Locke. I enjoy a scotch with a J by myself on the rare occation I have time to myself. You really appreciate silence when your married with kids.

[afc wimbledon]

Couple of basic rules for any intoxicant, weed booze etc.

If you need to use it every day to function, if you can't go to sleep without a toke or a drink, if you feel like crap if you haven't smoked or drunk that day, you start to get edgy or nervous then you are addicted, you may well be utterly functional from a practical level, you may well hold down a job etc but you are probably pretty unhappy and you are at great risk of becoming very un functional very quickly, it is easy to go from holding it together to shambling wreck if you lose your job or the wife leaves with the kids.

If you can't control your intake once you start and find yourself blacking out and insulting your mother in law or fighting with the neighbour or smashing up your car and having to spend a week cleaning up the mess, if your friends have to herd you away from booze or tell jokes about what an epic eff up you are when your drunk you have a drinking problem, even if you only drink once a year. Age factors into this, it's not uncommon to be a Buffon at 17, if you are in your mid twenties and still acting like a teenager you are into problem territory, over 30 and you have a definite issue.

The two often intersect, a drinking problem often becomes an addiction and functional alcoholics can go on a benders.

With either you are at huge risk of screwing up your life and they both indicate you are not a particularly happy content human being.

[Dan02]

I just went to the fridge and noticed we are out of beer so yes i have a drinking problem at the moment.

On a more serious note, i used to be a hardcore drinker like 5 to 7 nights a week, now it's just a couple binge worthy nights a month and a couple days of social drinks.

Moreso then the hangovers, once i hit 30 i started getting blackouts when going hard, that just takes the fun away. Having to be told about your misadventures by your friends isn't nearly as much fun as relaying the stories yourself. That and waking up wondering if you used protection or not...

[polak]

No.
I don't drink alone, not even a single beer. I rarely drink to the point where I feel more than a light buzz during the week if I go for wings or something and recently it's becoming more and more rare that I get drunk more than once during the weekend.

I do however have weeks where I go overboard (This week for instance... 2 flames games and a christmas party). They're just getting more rare luckily. Also, I would say I still go crazy when I go on vacation.

It doesn't effect my life negatively in anyway outside of occasionally spending too much at the bar but even then it's not outrageous. I also don't tend to do anything too dumb when I'm drunk. I've never been arrested or caused property damage or pissed of my friends or family and since I started drinking 8-9 years ago, I've only maybe been in 2 fights so I don't think I misbehave either. I did go through a little cocky phase where I might have been a ###### to some people when I was 20, 21 but that's in the past now. I don't remember the last time I got into an unprovoked altercation, let alone an actual fist fight.

I do go crazy once in a while with my intoxicant intake but again, those nights are few and far between (multiple months).

I'm in my twenties and I'm having fun. Wee.

[Sr. Mints]

No, I hardly drink as it is (an eggnog at Christmas, glass of champaign at New Years, etc.) but it's a pretty common theme in my family, so I think it could easily happen if I let it.

[bradster57]

I'm not sure if my hangovers actually got worse after 30, or if it is having to deal with a hangover and kids at the same time.

[polak]

Originally Posted by polak

No.
I don't drink alone, not even a single beer. I rarely drink to the point where I feel more than a light buzz during the week if I go for wings or something and recently it's becoming more and more rare that I get drunk more than once during the weekend.

I do however have weeks where I go overboard (This week for instance... 2 flames games and a christmas party). They're just getting more rare luckily. Also, I would say I still go crazy when I go on vacation.

It doesn't effect my life negatively in anyway outside of occasionally spending too much at the bar but even then it's not outrageous. I also don't tend to do anything too dumb when I'm drunk. I've never been arrested or caused property damage or pissed of my friends or family and since I started drinking 8-9 years ago, I've only maybe been in 2 fights so I don't think I misbehave either. I did go through a little cocky phase where I might have been a ###### to some people when I was 20, 21 but that's in the past now. I don't remember the last time I got into an unprovoked altercation, let alone an actual fist fight.

I do go crazy once in a while with my intoxicant intake but again, those nights are few and far between (multiple months).

I'm in my twenties and I'm having fun. Wee.

I should add that I probably do develop a bit of a drinking problem in the summer simply cause lately I've been going on a lot of vacations...

[Temporary_User]

Originally Posted by Dan02

That and waking up wondering if you used protection or not...

If you never use protection, you always know.

[Jordan!]

Since turning 30, 2 years back I'm 1 cooler in and asleep

[Nyah]

Why do some people think drinking alone = having a drinking problem? If I have a glass or two of wine while watching TV or reading a book it doesn't mean I have a drinking problem. Right?!

[polak]

Originally Posted by Nyah

Why do some people think drinking alone = having a drinking problem? If I have a glass or two of wine while watching TV or reading a book it doesn't mean I have a drinking problem. Right?!

I think the logic behind this is that if you drink alone, you're not doing it for the social aspects but more for the enjoyment of being drunk in its self.

For me, being drunk alone is not a very enjoyable experience.

I think if someone was to accuse me of having a problem it would be that I have a "partying" problem and not a drinking problem. I might actually agree with that.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Nyah

Why do some people think drinking alone = having a drinking problem? If I have a glass or two of wine while watching TV or reading a book it doesn't mean I have a drinking problem. Right?!

Depends why you drink alone. A drink or two to relax or enjoy the drink seems fine. Drinking alone for the purpose of escape or getting smashed is more troubling.

[mrkajz44]

I think some people use the "drinking alone" argument as a cover up though. Sort of along the lines of "I don't drink when I'm alone, only with others" and rationalize that way. Personally, I don't think drinking alone is an indication of a problem.

[Nyah]

Originally Posted by polak

I think the logic behind this is that if you drink alone, you're not doing it for the social aspects but more for the enjoyment of being drunk in its self.

You're talking about drinking in a context where people only drink to get drunk (binge drinking). I see being drunk a lot differently than having a mild buzz after a glass of wine. Some people drink because they genuinely enjoy the beverage they're drinking. Another thing that I wonder about is why getting wasted with other people is any more acceptable than getting wasted by yourself? Binge drinking is no less harmless if you're hanging out with your buddies. I think if you're a chronic binge drinker, you may have a problem regardless of whether or not you're with other people. I get drunk every couple of weeks (although less & less now as I can't sleep and it takes me days to get over the hangovers), sometimes with friends and sometimes playing Xbox by my myself. I don't do it every night, so I figure I'm good

[GP_Matt]

Half the beer I drank last year was alone in the shower.
My old house had a beautiful walk in steam shower that was just a wonderful spot to crack a beer and relax after a long day outside. I don't see it as any different than a woman having a glass of wine in the bathtub. Neither of which are indicative of a drinking problem.

Sadly, my new shower isn't a steam shower and after three months I have yet to drink a beer in there.

[Flash Walken]

"Drinking alone" equates to drinking to excess alone, it does not mean a glass of wine in the tub or a beer while doing yard work.

If you're drinking more than 6 bottles of beers in a row, by yourself, that is when 'drinking alone' starts to apply to you.

Me? I keep it at 5 beers by myself so I know I don't have a problem /joke

I think I'm like Locke. I hate being drunk/hungover, it's a bad feeling for me, so I have between 1-4 drinks and usually fall asleep. Sometimes I'll have more than that on a weekend, especially if watching back to back hockey games or finishing a reno, but that's about it.

Alcoholism runs in my family so I'm aware of it but I'm thankful that it doesn't seem to be a trigger for me.