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Alcoholism isn't so much about addiction as it is about binge drinking. Lots of people have a couple of drinks everyday and function quite well. It's the fou

Alcoholism isn't so much about addiction as it is about binge drinking. Lots of people have a couple of drinks everyday and function quite well. It's the four manhattans in quick succession where things go awry.

rdtsc 11y ago
Caution, couple of drinks every day could be problematic. What happens if they can't get the drinks one day? Do they get agitated? Does it impair their lives in any way?
sonofagun 11y ago
Alcoholism is when alcohol drinking interferes whit your life, every alcoholic likes to think he's not one and deceives himself into thinking he can stop anytime: " is just a couple of drinks, is not like I binge drink every day..."
venomsnake 11y ago
No it is not. Binge drinking is completely different (and harmless compared to alcoholism phenomenon). You usually grow out of binge drinking by your 18-19th birthday.
- simoncion 11y ago
  > You usually grow out of binge drinking by your 18-19th birthday. Except when you don't, as was the case with some adults that I spent a large chunk of my life with. Binge drinking is a different kind of alcoholism, but it is still alcoholism.
dmgbrn 11y ago
As a recovering alcoholic, I can confidently say that this is not correct. Although many alcoholics get in trouble by drinking too much too fast (this seems like an acceptable definition of binge drinking that takes tolerance into account), the key feature of alcoholism is addiction -- that in the face of the consequences, alcoholics do not stop. At the height of my drinking, I was going through about two liters of vodka a day. Despite this, I tried and usually succeeded not to lose control of my behavior. After all, getting in trouble jeopardizes your ability to get drunk, and as an addict, every action I took and decision I made was driven by a simple principle: don't let anything come between me and booze.
DanBC 11y ago
A couple of drinks could be harmful drinking, but it is nowhere near alcoholism. To get a medically supervised withdrawal in England you need to be drinking 40 units a day - that's a litre of 40% spirits every day. (That number drops if you have severe and enduring mental illness, or are female). Binge drinking - having most of the week alcohol free and ten having a bunch of drinks over a few days is associated with increased risk of sexual violence; unplanned pregnancy; STDs; accidental injury; etc, and the the alcohol harms on top. But uaving those drink free days is somewhat protective. Drinking a couple of drinks everyday makes the alcohol harms much more likely, and reduces the other risks. (It depends how big those drinks are.)

rdtsc 11y ago

Caution, couple of drinks every day could be problematic. What happens if they can't get the drinks one day? Do they get agitated? Does it impair their lives in any way?

sonofagun 11y ago

Alcoholism is when alcohol drinking interferes whit your life, every alcoholic likes to think he's not one and deceives himself into thinking he can stop anytime: " is just a couple of drinks, is not like I binge drink every day..."

venomsnake 11y ago

No it is not. Binge drinking is completely different (and harmless compared to alcoholism phenomenon). You usually grow out of binge drinking by your 18-19th birthday.

simoncion 11y ago
> You usually grow out of binge drinking by your 18-19th birthday. Except when you don't, as was the case with some adults that I spent a large chunk of my life with. Binge drinking is a different kind of alcoholism, but it is still alcoholism.

dmgbrn 11y ago

As a recovering alcoholic, I can confidently say that this is not correct. Although many alcoholics get in trouble by drinking too much too fast (this seems like an acceptable definition of binge drinking that takes tolerance into account), the key feature of alcoholism is addiction -- that in the face of the consequences, alcoholics do not stop. At the height of my drinking, I was going through about two liters of vodka a day. Despite this, I tried and usually succeeded not to lose control of my behavior. After all, getting in trouble jeopardizes your ability to get drunk, and as an addict, every action I took and decision I made was driven by a simple principle: don't let anything come between me and booze.

DanBC 11y ago

A couple of drinks could be harmful drinking, but it is nowhere near alcoholism. To get a medically supervised withdrawal in England you need to be drinking 40 units a day - that's a litre of 40% spirits every day. (That number drops if you have severe and enduring mental illness, or are female). Binge drinking - having most of the week alcohol free and ten having a bunch of drinks over a few days is associated with increased risk of sexual violence; unplanned pregnancy; STDs; accidental injury; etc, and the the alcohol harms on top. But uaving those drink free days is somewhat protective. Drinking a couple of drinks everyday makes the alcohol harms much more likely, and reduces the other risks. (It depends how big those drinks are.)