Need A Drink Every Day?

[jumnien]

I think a lot of needing a drink depends on your environment.

i think it's not the environment but the circumstances. nearly three years ago we lost our only child. since then my wife refuses to consume any alcohol but i make up for it consuming a multiple

Sorry to hear about your heartbreaking loss. You know how flippant I am usually on this forum, but your honesty brings out a bit of reality. I lost my brother a couple years ago, too.

[sgunn65]

I have found in over 15 years working with drug and alcohol users that alcohol is not the problem its the answer. That is, it is the thing people use to deal with what is not right in their life. Often the death of a loved one is cited. By seeking counselling to come to terms with the loss often the drinking goes away.

Where i work we spend less time talking about the drinking and much more time talking about the underlying issues and this, although often very painful, can bring about quick and lasting recovery.

Everyone is different but grief is grief.

If you live in the UK CRUSE are an excellent resource offering bereavement help and counselling. I hope you find your way.

[Gravelrash]

I think a lot of needing a drink depends on your environment.

i think it's not the environment but the circumstances. nearly three years ago we lost our only child. since then my wife refuses to consume any alcohol but i make up for it consuming a multiple

What a terrible heartbreaking loss.

My g/f and I split today so I am having a whisky tonight, although I haven't been drinking at all for 4 weeks now, good timing. Fortunately I don't really don't find it hard to not drink when content. However, this will mean out on the town at least 3 times a week boozing sorting that out, starting tomorrow.

If I can drink again after just that, I can't imagine dealing with what you have had to deal with.

[bachelor]

I think a lot of needing a drink depends on your environment.

i think it's not the environment but the circumstances. nearly three years ago we lost our only child. since then my wife refuses to consume any alcohol but i make up for it consuming a multiple

What a terrible heartbreaking loss.

My g/f and I split today so I am having a whisky tonight, although I haven't been drinking at all for 4 weeks now, good timing. Fortunately I don't really don't find it hard to not drink when content. However, this will mean out on the town at least 3 times a week boozing sorting that out, starting tomorrow.

If I can drink again after just that, I can't imagine dealing with what you have had to deal with.

Would this be to celebrate or drown your sorrows??

Having a couple of days off the booze a week is good practice, as mentioned by on poster before. My problem is going completely over board on a Sat / Sun night. A practice I wish I could stop.

[t.s]

Good day everyone!

Yes its true drinking alcohol can cause money and aside from that if you cannot control yourself when your drunk then that's the beginning of having an argue to your partner or your friends.

But if you know how to control yourself in everything then its okay to drink but not to much.

if only it were true, i would be retired

[sgunn65]

I think a lot of needing a drink depends on your environment.

i think it's not the environment but the circumstances. nearly three years ago we lost our only child. since then my wife refuses to consume any alcohol but i make up for it consuming a multiple

What a terrible heartbreaking loss.

My g/f and I split today so I am having a whisky tonight, although I haven't been drinking at all for 4 weeks now, good timing. Fortunately I don't really don't find it hard to not drink when content. However, this will mean out on the town at least 3 times a week boozing sorting that out, starting tomorrow.

If I can drink again after just that, I can't imagine dealing with what you have had to deal with.

Would this be to celebrate or drown your sorrows??

Having a couple of days off the booze a week is good practice, as mentioned by on poster before. My problem is going completely over board on a Sat / Sun night. A practice I wish I could stop.

Binge drinking is, increasingly, being recognised as just as dangerous as daily drinking. Whilst you may not be an alcoholic your drinking is affecting your quality of life. Therefore it is a problem and can be worked with in a similar way. Check out CBT programmes (more common in the UK than in the States) or maybe some solution focused therapy which can be done once a week for a time limited period. If you want to control your drinking rather than be abstinent this type of treatment is much better geared towards working with binge drinking than the 12 step model in my opinion.

And before I get flamed I do run a CBT programme but I am not touting for business here!

[jetjock]

There is another thread just below, where somebody asked whether they could leave off the beer for a couple of days, as if that defined them as an alcoholic or not.

Hmm thats a good question I think. I certainly would hate it and if I did not get my end of day relaxing beer or two would be well put out, in fact I probably would not sleep as well as I do. No, I can't leave off the beer for a day or two.

So, does "needing" a couple of beers a day, late evening, define you as an alcoholic?

Needing a few beers everyday may in fact define you as a 'freedom seeking health nut'.

As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria..

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop. (that's over 2 pounds).

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember: Water = Poop, Beer = Health

Therefore, it's better to drink beer and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit .

[mommysboy]

Yorkman asks "Need a drnk every day"?

mommysboy says "yes- beer Leo please."

[mgjackson69]

Thaipauly, I really hope it works for you this time mate. You've done it before and know the benefits. I think that I told you before that I was having problems with my liver before I stopped; elevated LFTs. I began to think that there was no point in stopping as my liver was already ruined. This was nonsense. My LFTs are now normal. As you say yourself, don't worry to much about the ciagarettes for a bit. You have enough on your plate already.

Cheers Garro...always the voice of reason......I am supposed to have my next check up in 2 weks, but I am gonna postpoen it for a month as right now they are gonna say there is no change, and that will be 10,000 Baht please.

When I go back I wanna have some news to look forward to, then if required they may wish to change my meds

But MONTH is a long way off mate

I won't hesitate to contact you if I am nearly falling off the waggon, but right now I KNOW I AM supposed to be feeling like this...I know from experience it gets WORSE the longer you are sober as you think you have it licked and never really had a problem with alcohol...but I know now ...at last...that thr results of my tests don't lie

ThaiPauly, here is my short story...

I completely stopped alcohol on 12 April this year. Without going into detail, let's just say that I had reason to consider what is important and what is not...alcohol ended up waaaayyyy down the list.

From the time I was 14 years of age until this year I doubt that I went longer than 3-4 weeks at a stretch without a drink/beer. Throughout that timeframe I would characterize myself as a moderate to heavy drinker.

So far it is 16 weeks 1 day without a drink and I am doing fine. I cannot honestly say that I feel better as a result of not drinking, but my bank account certainly appreciates my efforts. As a side benefit I have shed about 10 kg of excess weight, with no other diet or exercise modifications. I certainly can notice that difference.

I have not done the math as far as what I was spending on alcohol, or what the extra caloric intake was...I am guessing both were substantial.

Since stopping, I have only been in one situation where someone "pushed" me to have a drink, and I was able to deal with that just fine. I have been offered drinks several times, and have been able to refuse. It does not bother me to be around others who are drinking...I am content to drink water or soda.

Obnoxious drunks annoy me no more and no less than they did when I was drinking.

At this point I do not know if I will ever take another drink or not. I have no stop date in mind, nor have I decided to stop drinking "forever".

So far so good.

[IMA_FARANG]

There is another thread just below, where somebody asked whether they could leave off the beer for a couple of days, as if that defined them as an alcoholic or not.

Hmm thats a good question I think. I certainly would hate it and if I did not get my end of day relaxing beer or two would be well put out, in fact I probably would not sleep as well as I do. No, I can't leave off the beer for a day or two.

So, does "needing" a couple of beers a day, late evening, define you as an alcoholic?

No. probably not....but it does indicate a dependence on alcohol. If you can handle your life and function well you are probably o.k. But be careful, because.....

There is a big difference in how much you can handle before you have "too much" which gets less and less with age. I know that for a fact. What I could drink at 30 is far less than half of what I could handle at 60. I'm 62 now. I rarely drink now. I don't think it hurts to drink, but I'm positive the bad results of drinking are cumulative. I'm sort of the living proof, with high blood pressure and blood circulation problems starting.

I doubt I'll make it much past 70, but anyhow, I had a good life.

[bachelor]

Thaipauly, I really hope it works for you this time mate. You've done it before and know the benefits. I think that I told you before that I was having problems with my liver before I stopped; elevated LFTs. I began to think that there was no point in stopping as my liver was already ruined. This was nonsense. My LFTs are now normal. As you say yourself, don't worry to much about the ciagarettes for a bit. You have enough on your plate already.

Cheers Garro...always the voice of reason......I am supposed to have my next check up in 2 weks, but I am gonna postpoen it for a month as right now they are gonna say there is no change, and that will be 10,000 Baht please.

When I go back I wanna have some news to look forward to, then if required they may wish to change my meds

But MONTH is a long way off mate

I won't hesitate to contact you if I am nearly falling off the waggon, but right now I KNOW I AM supposed to be feeling like this...I know from experience it gets WORSE the longer you are sober as you think you have it licked and never really had a problem with alcohol...but I know now ...at last...that thr results of my tests don't lie

ThaiPauly, here is my short story...

I completely stopped alcohol on 12 April this year. Without going into detail, let's just say that I had reason to consider what is important and what is not...alcohol ended up waaaayyyy down the list.

From the time I was 14 years of age until this year I doubt that I went longer than 3-4 weeks at a stretch without a drink/beer. Throughout that timeframe I would characterize myself as a moderate to heavy drinker.

So far it is 16 weeks 1 day without a drink and I am doing fine. I cannot honestly say that I feel better as a result of not drinking, but my bank account certainly appreciates my efforts. As a side benefit I have shed about 10 kg of excess weight, with no other diet or exercise modifications. I certainly can notice that difference.

I have not done the math as far as what I was spending on alcohol, or what the extra caloric intake was...I am guessing both were substantial.

Since stopping, I have only been in one situation where someone "pushed" me to have a drink, and I was able to deal with that just fine. I have been offered drinks several times, and have been able to refuse. It does not bother me to be around others who are drinking...I am content to drink water or soda.

Obnoxious drunks annoy me no more and no less than they did when I was drinking.

At this point I do not know if I will ever take another drink or not. I have no stop date in mind, nor have I decided to stop drinking "forever".

So far so good.

Great post & am full of admiration for you.

How do you fill your time previously spent drinking in bars , with friends etc ? I couldn't be in that environment without ' going along with the crowd '.

BTW, good luck & hope you keep it going, I wish I had the strength to do it.

[mgjackson69]

Thaipauly, I really hope it works for you this time mate. You've done it before and know the benefits. I think that I told you before that I was having problems with my liver before I stopped; elevated LFTs. I began to think that there was no point in stopping as my liver was already ruined. This was nonsense. My LFTs are now normal. As you say yourself, don't worry to much about the ciagarettes for a bit. You have enough on your plate already.

Cheers Garro...always the voice of reason......I am supposed to have my next check up in 2 weks, but I am gonna postpoen it for a month as right now they are gonna say there is no change, and that will be 10,000 Baht please.

When I go back I wanna have some news to look forward to, then if required they may wish to change my meds

But MONTH is a long way off mate

I won't hesitate to contact you if I am nearly falling off the waggon, but right now I KNOW I AM supposed to be feeling like this...I know from experience it gets WORSE the longer you are sober as you think you have it licked and never really had a problem with alcohol...but I know now ...at last...that thr results of my tests don't lie

ThaiPauly, here is my short story...

I completely stopped alcohol on 12 April this year. Without going into detail, let's just say that I had reason to consider what is important and what is not...alcohol ended up waaaayyyy down the list.

From the time I was 14 years of age until this year I doubt that I went longer than 3-4 weeks at a stretch without a drink/beer. Throughout that timeframe I would characterize myself as a moderate to heavy drinker.

So far it is 16 weeks 1 day without a drink and I am doing fine. I cannot honestly say that I feel better as a result of not drinking, but my bank account certainly appreciates my efforts. As a side benefit I have shed about 10 kg of excess weight, with no other diet or exercise modifications. I certainly can notice that difference.

I have not done the math as far as what I was spending on alcohol, or what the extra caloric intake was...I am guessing both were substantial.

Since stopping, I have only been in one situation where someone "pushed" me to have a drink, and I was able to deal with that just fine. I have been offered drinks several times, and have been able to refuse. It does not bother me to be around others who are drinking...I am content to drink water or soda.

Obnoxious drunks annoy me no more and no less than they did when I was drinking.

At this point I do not know if I will ever take another drink or not. I have no stop date in mind, nor have I decided to stop drinking "forever".

So far so good.

Great post & am full of admiration for you.

How do you fill your time previously spent drinking in bars , with friends etc ? I couldn't be in that environment without ' going along with the crowd '.

BTW, good luck & hope you keep it going, I wish I had the strength to do it.

Thank you for the kind words.

I still hang out with the same people, still go to bars, etc. I do not go to bars as much as when I was drinking. Upon reflection, I can see that a lot of the time I was spending in bars was spent drinking alone, which is not so good, or chatting with a bar lady (which can be done without consuming alcohol), or chatting with some other bar patron who is killing time as well. So it works ok.

I have never really been a "go along with the crowd type", so no problem there. I still enjoy the bar atmosphere and the crowd surfing.

I am not anti-alcohol or anti-recreational pharmaceutical or anti-anything. People can do what they want...up to people. I have simply made a determination as to what fits my situation and taken steps to make it so.

When I started this "experiment", my wife said that she would stop drinking also. I told her that is fine, if you want to. She still drinks, but a lot less than she did when I was drinking.

[jietjon]

Thaipauly, I really hope it works for you this time mate. You've done it before and know the benefits. I think that I told you before that I was having problems with my liver before I stopped; elevated LFTs. I began to think that there was no point in stopping as my liver was already ruined. This was nonsense. My LFTs are now normal. As you say yourself, don't worry to much about the ciagarettes for a bit. You have enough on your plate already.

Cheers Garro...always the voice of reason......I am supposed to have my next check up in 2 weks, but I am gonna postpoen it for a month as right now they are gonna say there is no change, and that will be 10,000 Baht please.

When I go back I wanna have some news to look forward to, then if required they may wish to change my meds

But MONTH is a long way off mate

I won't hesitate to contact you if I am nearly falling off the waggon, but right now I KNOW I AM supposed to be feeling like this...I know from experience it gets WORSE the longer you are sober as you think you have it licked and never really had a problem with alcohol...but I know now ...at last...that thr results of my tests don't lie

ThaiPauly, here is my short story...

I completely stopped alcohol on 12 April this year. Without going into detail, let's just say that I had reason to consider what is important and what is not...alcohol ended up waaaayyyy down the list.

From the time I was 14 years of age until this year I doubt that I went longer than 3-4 weeks at a stretch without a drink/beer. Throughout that timeframe I would characterize myself as a moderate to heavy drinker.

So far it is 16 weeks 1 day without a drink and I am doing fine. I cannot honestly say that I feel better as a result of not drinking, but my bank account certainly appreciates my efforts. As a side benefit I have shed about 10 kg of excess weight, with no other diet or exercise modifications. I certainly can notice that difference.

I have not done the math as far as what I was spending on alcohol, or what the extra caloric intake was...I am guessing both were substantial.

Since stopping, I have only been in one situation where someone "pushed" me to have a drink, and I was able to deal with that just fine. I have been offered drinks several times, and have been able to refuse. It does not bother me to be around others who are drinking...I am content to drink water or soda.

Obnoxious drunks annoy me no more and no less than they did when I was drinking.

At this point I do not know if I will ever take another drink or not. I have no stop date in mind, nor have I decided to stop drinking "forever".

So far so good.

Great post & am full of admiration for you.

How do you fill your time previously spent drinking in bars , with friends etc ? I couldn't be in that environment without ' going along with the crowd '.

BTW, good luck & hope you keep it going, I wish I had the strength to do it.

Thank you for the kind words.

I still hang out with the same people, still go to bars, etc. I do not go to bars as much as when I was drinking. Upon reflection, I can see that a lot of the time I was spending in bars was spent drinking alone, which is not so good, or chatting with a bar lady (which can be done without consuming alcohol), or chatting with some other bar patron who is killing time as well. So it works ok.

I have never really been a "go along with the crowd type", so no problem there. I still enjoy the bar atmosphere and the crowd surfing.

I am not anti-alcohol or anti-recreational pharmaceutical or anti-anything. People can do what they want...up to people. I have simply made a determination as to what fits my situation and taken steps to make it so.

When I started this "experiment", my wife said that she would stop drinking also. I told her that is fine, if you want to. She still drinks, but a lot less than she did when I was drinking.

[jietjon]

Thaipauly, I really hope it works for you this time mate. You've done it before and know the benefits. I think that I told you before that I was having problems with my liver before I stopped; elevated LFTs. I began to think that there was no point in stopping as my liver was already ruined. This was nonsense. My LFTs are now normal. As you say yourself, don't worry to much about the ciagarettes for a bit. You have enough on your plate already.

Cheers Garro...always the voice of reason......I am supposed to have my next check up in 2 weks, but I am gonna postpoen it for a month as right now they are gonna say there is no change, and that will be 10,000 Baht please.

When I go back I wanna have some news to look forward to, then if required they may wish to change my meds

But MONTH is a long way off mate

I won't hesitate to contact you if I am nearly falling off the waggon, but right now I KNOW I AM supposed to be feeling like this...I know from experience it gets WORSE the longer you are sober as you think you have it licked and never really had a problem with alcohol...but I know now ...at last...that thr results of my tests don't lie

ThaiPauly, here is my short story...

I completely stopped alcohol on 12 April this year. Without going into detail, let's just say that I had reason to consider what is important and what is not...alcohol ended up waaaayyyy down the list.

From the time I was 14 years of age until this year I doubt that I went longer than 3-4 weeks at a stretch without a drink/beer. Throughout that timeframe I would characterize myself as a moderate to heavy drinker.

So far it is 16 weeks 1 day without a drink and I am doing fine. I cannot honestly say that I feel better as a result of not drinking, but my bank account certainly appreciates my efforts. As a side benefit I have shed about 10 kg of excess weight, with no other diet or exercise modifications. I certainly can notice that difference.

I have not done the math as far as what I was spending on alcohol, or what the extra caloric intake was...I am guessing both were substantial.

Since stopping, I have only been in one situation where someone "pushed" me to have a drink, and I was able to deal with that just fine. I have been offered drinks several times, and have been able to refuse. It does not bother me to be around others who are drinking...I am content to drink water or soda.

Obnoxious drunks annoy me no more and no less than they did when I was drinking.

At this point I do not know if I will ever take another drink or not. I have no stop date in mind, nor have I decided to stop drinking "forever".

So far so good.

Great post & am full of admiration for you.

How do you fill your time previously spent drinking in bars , with friends etc ? I couldn't be in that environment without ' going along with the crowd '.

BTW, good luck & hope you keep it going, I wish I had the strength to do it.

Thank you for the kind words.

I still hang out with the same people, still go to bars, etc. I do not go to bars as much as when I was drinking. Upon reflection, I can see that a lot of the time I was spending in bars was spent drinking alone, which is not so good, or chatting with a bar lady (which can be done without consuming alcohol), or chatting with some other bar patron who is killing time as well. So it works ok.

I have never really been a "go along with the crowd type", so no problem there. I still enjoy the bar atmosphere and the crowd surfing.

I am not anti-alcohol or anti-recreational pharmaceutical or anti-anything. People can do what they want...up to people. I have simply made a determination as to what fits my situation and taken steps to make it so.

When I started this "experiment", my wife said that she would stop drinking also. I told her that is fine, if you want to. She still drinks, but a lot less than she did when I was drinking.

Op , you make me feel like a total alkie,.... which i probaby am. Usually have 8 weeks holiday in Los in Dec and Jan. Before i plan my

trip from Scotland , i abstain for 1 month, with great intentions of taking it easy when i get to Thai. Mate , i have maybe 6 jack daniels

in bar from 10am to 1pm, go apartment for sleep till 5pm, eat very little then 6pm to 10pm up to a dozen vodka and mixers. Oh ... and thats all day everyday, so go easy on yourself. I aint proud of what i do, but if anything in this life ,i am honest about my lifestyle,all

about two bahts worth . So you have a beer and relax. Slainte

[sibeymai]

Can a binge drinker be regarded as an alcoholic ?

I'd have to say yes in my case. Having to drink on a daily basis or having a craving which can only be satisfied by having a drink are IMHO not essential to be considered an alcoholic.

In my case I can go up to a week without a beer (I rarely drink spirits) but find myself looking forward to the Friday/Saturday night beers at the bar(s). Problem is though that I keep drinking. When the bars close I look for other venues to continue drinking. Often it's upwards of 15 small bottles and I come home at 9:00am to a very disappointed wife.

Classifies me as a heavy drinker I guess but since, when started drinking, my alcohol consumption appears to have no limit and this has negative effects on my life and those around me I believe this qualifies me as an alcoholic.

I gave up alcohol for a year in 1996 just to see what life was like without it. It wasn't at all difficult so at the time I dismissed the possibility that I could be an alcoholic. Also, my father-in-law and brother-in-law were confirmed alcoholics (once saw my drunk brother-in-law pour a full bottle of vodka over himself while seated in a lounge chair to cool himself down) and I wasn't anything like them and I didn't need to drink every day. Life wasn't noticeably better not drinking so at the end of the year I started drinking again. It didn't take long for the binge drinking habit to return and it continued to develop from 1996 to now and the binges became more frequent and deeper.

Finally, it became that I preferred to go to a bar and drink with other people getting drunk rather than spend time with my family even though I knew this made my wife unhappy.

So today is the day to start being honest with myself: that when it comes to drinking I don't have a limit and that I abuse alcohol. It's also time to acknowledge that my wife did not sign up for this behaviour when we married and that it won't be fair for my daughter to grow up with a father who spends his weekends sleeping off a hangover.

My approach is simple. I wake up and say "today I will not have a drink". Not being a daily drinker I find this approach works for me and is sustainable for years.

The tricky part is remembering that it probably will never be possible for me to become just a social drinker. The binge factor will re-emerge as if I'd never stopped.

So far so good. Today is a sober day. Tomorrow is another day. One day at a time.

[Geroc]

No doubt about that ! You need then you're addicted.

But if you really drink only 2 beers a day and never more, your liver and your neurons will surely survive !

[fred2007]

Need A Drink Every Day?

i need more than one every day

[fred2007]

now to all you reformed drinkers and smokers I like to add my grandfather died at the ripe old age off 113 he drunk all day and he smoked 50 cics every day. so can you explain to me it is harmful to my life ?

I guess you guys missing the point of it you should do what you like to do if some one stops you what you like to do you will die ( yes I don't smoke any more for a long time but don't try to tell other people what to do that is there private life) and yes smokers are welcomed in my place

[Sheryl]

now to all you reformed drinkers and smokers I like to add my grandfather died at the ripe old age off 113 he drunk all day and he smoked 50 cics every day. so can you explain to me it is harmful to my life ?

I guess you guys missing the point of it you should do what you like to do if some one stops you what you like to do you will die ( yes I don't smoke any more for a long time but don't try to tell other people what to do that is there private life) and yes smokers are welcomed in my place

This forum is titled "I drink too much" for a reason: it is a support venue for people who themselves believe that they have a drinking problem. Nobody is going around telling people who don't want to stop drinking that they should do so.

Posts are welcome from (1) people who want help with their drinking and (2) people who wish to offer sincere encouragement to them.

Those who do not fall into either either category have plenty of other forums to post in.

Hint, hint...

[mgjackson69]

Update ... 174 days alcohol-free

[Jockstar]

I have a few beers just about every day. But cant remember when i was last drunk! But since the weather here has picked up. I have found myself drinking more again. Does that make me an alcoholic? I dont know the last time i drank spirits and its been months since i had a glass or bottle of wine. But i do love my beer!

[dumball]

now to all you reformed drinkers and smokers I like to add my grandfather died at the ripe old age off 113 he drunk all day and he smoked 50 cics every day. so can you explain to me it is harmful to my life ?

I guess you guys missing the point of it you should do what you like to do if some one stops you what you like to do you will die ( yes I don't smoke any more for a long time but don't try to tell other people what to do that is there private life) and yes smokers are welcomed in my place

This forum is titled "I drink too much" for a reason: it is a support venue for people who themselves believe that they have a drinking problem. Nobody is going around telling people who don't want to stop drinking that they should do so.

Posts are welcome from (1) people who want help with their drinking and (2) people who wish to offer sincere encouragement to them.

Those who do not fall into either either category have plenty of other forums to post in.

Hint, hint...

We all hear about or read about the exceptions to the rules of genetics , but we alone are in control of our own lives , oh so wrong , to be quite honest with ourselves , we are indirectly in charge of the lives and futures of those whom we love and who love us .We need to 'Get with the programme ' and consider all of the other people in our lives affected by our personal performance , how much do you love or are you concerned FOR THEM ? Think about it !!!

[monalisa]

There is another thread just below, where somebody asked whether they could leave off the beer for a couple of days, as if that defined them as an alcoholic or not.

Hmm thats a good question I think. I certainly would hate it and if I did not get my end of day relaxing beer or two would be well put out, in fact I probably would not sleep as well as I do. No, I can't leave off the beer for a day or two.

So, does "needing" a couple of beers a day, late evening, define you as an alcoholic?

No dear everyday or sometime drink will harm your health so you must keep yourself away from alcohol. By this new year take one promise you will never drink in your state only. By this way you will stop the drink habbits

[Moonrakers]

I drink just about everyday, about 3 big bottles of beer during the week and more at the weekend.

I always try to leave it late though and even on weekends I don't usually have my first until about 8 PM, unless I am going out in which case I will start earlier (and heavier). And should I spend a weekend on the beach then the only time I will be without a bottle in my hand is when I am swimming or sleeping.

Every now and then though I wont touch a drop for a few days and for no particular reason other than I just don't want one, maybe that is my body's way of telling me to give it a break.

I rarely get drunk during the week, and the main reason for this I think is that I detest going to work the next day hungover.

Edited November 3, 2008 by globalj

[whynot?]

No one ever replies to these how much do you drink threads with 100% honesty do they? No one ever says I get siht faced all day everyday.

[/quote

I will-I get shitfaced all day everyday and hate myself for it-suicide or alcohol-I'll take the booze for now-yes I know I need help but it's just not there-I run a bar and cant get away from it

[garro]

whynot, in AA they say that if you keep on doing the same things then the same things will keep on happening to you. I don't completely agree with them. I think it gets worse. In my early twenties I worked as a barman and even though it was killing me I convinced myself that I couldn't give drink up because it was part my job. In the end I didn't need to give up anything. I had an alcohol induced breakdown and ended up homeless on the streets.

If you give up alcohol your life will get better. This better life might not involve owning a bar, but it will be a better life. You just have to trust in the the process that makes life as a drunk unbearable also works the other way. I know that it does but how can I convince you?

Best of luck.

Edited December 28, 2008 by garro

[tomartoh]

After drinking more or less everyday since i arrived in Thailand in 2002. On 15 june 2008 i thought i ought to get myself back in control.

So I have not had a drink since. Not being smug, but i feel a lot better for it. Can concentrate more and have started to get into better physical condition.

I dont rule out drinking again, but at this time i dont feel the need to drink, inspite of going through some serious domestic and business problems.

[mgjackson69]

Update - 897 days alcohol-free

[StreetCowboy]

Update - 897 days alcohol-free

Well done!

[mommysboy]

Update - 897 days alcohol-free

Well done!

Complex issue. I don't believe' alcoholism' is just defined by drinking or not drinking. For me , it's more an issue of moderation, and knowing when and how to stop, either for the night or for a few days.

In this respect, personally, I am failing at present, I admit, but do not yet consider myself an alcoou happy?

Perhaps it's about when the habit starts to destroy your health! or the welfare of those around you.

For this reason I'm holding off from the praise at this point.