How many drinks do you have per week?

[burge13]

You are also just so much more productive with your time when you aren't drinking regularly it's ridiculous.

I get more done around the house prior to a write off session as i know I wont do it otherwise

Saturday morning I got a load of washing done, weeding, cleaned bathrooms/kitchen, groceries before having 300 pints (Sunday was dead). If I got hammered everyday 2nd day at least those mornings would be productive AF

In fact, might be onto something here. Going to need to drink more to up productivity I usually have

 

[Pistol Night]

I get more done around the house prior to a write off session as i know I wont do it otherwise

Saturday morning I got a load of washing done, weeding, cleaned bathrooms/kitchen, groceries before having 300 pints (Sunday was dead). If I got hammered everyday 2nd day at least those mornings would be productive AF

In fact, might be onto something here. Going to need to drink more to up productivity I usually have

Bang on

 

[Sinjin Smith]

This isn’t very productive or helpful. you’re not a heavy drinker. I’m more interested in the experience of people who aren’t scared of alcohol. it’s like saying smokes are bad. obviously they’re not good for you but it’s all relative.

People coming on here who don’t drink and are lecturing are in the wrong place.

I don’t go into the myriad fast food threads and bag them out. people reckon sushi sushi and Guzman y Gomez is a healthy meal.

I’m quite a stressed out and melancholic and emotional person and alcohol helps with that. I don’t think some specialist or shrink is going to help and SSRIs are absolutely ****ed. it’s not a healthy way of dealing with my personality and feelings but it’s my decision.

At this point I’m looking at harm minimisation. I’m a proper hypochondriac so just need to know I’m not going to end up seizing at work or something.

As said, I’ll generally have a six pack almost every night - obviously some evenings it’s one or two stubbies and sometimes it’s 10. Thursdays through Sunday nights it’s at least that many with a bottle of red on top. I know it’s a large amount. I’m not worried about my health because it’s fine - I’m not even worried about being addicted because after all this time, it hasn’t escalated (which is unusual: most people slowly progress from a few a night to the spirits). I just don’t want to have to end up with serious withdrawal issues and to be in a situation where I’m hospitalised from withdrawal.

Again, a bunch of people coming in saying ‘I don’t drink but that seems a lot’ isn’t productive.

Ok I'm not being judgemental, I'm the last ****ing person to be any sort of authority on this and to preface I don't drink. I used to (see page 1 of this thread) but it didn't work out well for me.

I wont go into quantity and how often as booze affects people in different ways. There are functioning alcoholics, there are those that just like to get rinsed on a weekend and there are those that can have a couple to unwind, for me it is each to their own.

I will say that if you are stressed out, melancholic and getting emotional (and there is nothing wrong with that, happens to the best of us) alcohol is not a good way to medicate. It will provide temporary relief but it will increase your anxiety and remember alcohol is a depressant. All I can offer is don't get caught in a cycle like I did, its dead set ****ing awful and can be very hard to get out of.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Ok I'm not being judgemental, I'm the last ****ing person to be any sort of authority on this and to preface I don't drink. I used to (see page 1 of this thread) but it didn't work out well for me.

I wont go into quantity and how often as booze affects people in different ways. There are functioning alcoholics, there are those that just like to get rinsed on a weekend and there are those that can have a couple to unwind, for me it is each to their own.

I will say that if you are stressed out, melancholic and getting emotional (and there is nothing wrong with that, happens to the best of us) alcohol is not a good way to medicate. It will provide temporary relief but it will increase your anxiety and remember alcohol is a depressant. All I can offer is don't get caught in a cycle like I did, its dead set ****ing awful and can be very hard to get out of.

I read your post on page 1. It sounds like you had a physical dependency on alcohol, with withdrawal symptoms if you didn't drink. That's a reasonable definition of alcoholism. I am happy you have your life back on track. But I think your experience is quite rare. For many it's a balance between enjoying a few drinks or having it adversely affect their health, job, family etc.

Someone who likes to get rinsed on a weekend or those who have a couple to unwind can be perfectly functional. They enjoy a drink but are not alcoholics. Then some let their drinking get out of control without the physical dependency. Perhaps that is functional alcoholism.

You seem to have accepted a life time of taking valium and anti-depressants as an alternative to booze. Does that mean you are a functional valium addict?

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

I read your post on page 1. It sounds like you had a physical dependency on alcohol, with withdrawal symptoms if you didn't drink. That's a reasonable definition of alcoholism. I am happy you have your life back on track. But I think your experience is quite rare. For many it's a balance between enjoying a few drinks or having it adversely affect their health, job, family etc.

Someone who likes to get rinsed on a weekend or those who have a couple to unwind can be perfectly functional. They enjoy a drink but are not alcoholics. Then some let their drinking get out of control without the physical dependency. Perhaps that is functional alcoholism.

You seem to have accepted a life time of taking valium and anti-depressants as an alternative to booze. Does that mean you are a functional valium addict?

Oh boy, that’s harsh. And to say alcohol dependency is “quite rare” is just so wrong. It’s extremely common and the effects can be devastating on individuals and those close to them. People CAN come back from alcoholism and rebuild their lives but they are never CURED of alcoholism. There would be different ways of treating alcoholism and associated conditions, but the main thing is to not touch alcohol in any form.

 

[phantom13]

Oh boy, that’s harsh. And to say alcohol dependency is “quite rare” is just so wrong. It’s extremely common and the effects can be devastating on individuals and those close to them. People CAN come back from alcoholism and rebuild their lives but they are never CURED of alcoholism. There would be different ways of treating alcoholism and associated conditions, but the main thing is to not touch alcohol in any form.

I suspect its a bit of a semantics thing but quite rare/extremely common are just terms.

What constitutes extremely common to you? Id say it has to be 50%+ of the population as a minmum. I doubt 50% of the Aussie pop is dependent on alchohol personally.

The WHO seems to back that up.

An estimated 400 million people, or 7% of the world's population aged 15 years and older, lived with alcohol use disorders. Of this, 209 million people (3.7% of the adult world population) lived with alcohol dependence

 

[Gough]

I read your post on page 1. It sounds like you had a physical dependency on alcohol, with withdrawal symptoms if you didn't drink. That's a reasonable definition of alcoholism. I am happy you have your life back on track. But I think your experience is quite rare. For many it's a balance between enjoying a few drinks or having it adversely affect their health, job, family etc.

Someone who likes to get rinsed on a weekend or those who have a couple to unwind can be perfectly functional. They enjoy a drink but are not alcoholics. Then some let their drinking get out of control without the physical dependency. Perhaps that is functional alcoholism.

You seem to have accepted a life time of taking valium and anti-depressants as an alternative to booze. Does that mean you are a functional valium addict?

Some people simply can't have just a few drinks, it's a disease.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

I reckon lots of people have a problem with booze and either don't know it or can't admit it to themselves.

I didn't drink a drop during Melbourne's lockdowns, while all my friends were having online cocktail nights and an almost constant hangover (I was breastfeeding). A few things happened in the last year or two though and I started having 'just a glass' after work while i was cooking dinner. And then I started having two glasses after work and having social drinks with my friends on the weekends.

Next thing I knew I was drinking half a bottle, then sometimes a whole bottle because it seemed a shame to waste it. I was still parenting with no issues, still going to work with no issues, but pretty buzzed most nights. No one said anything to me about it but one day I kind of just wanted to see if I could go a night without drinking, and it wasn't easy. I had to just not buy any booze, but even then I got wine delivered on Uber Eats a few times.

Anyway I made my way out of it and now I try not to drink during the week at all. I can see how it easily snowballs out of control and I'm just glad I snapped out of it before it got worse.


Gah this feels super vulnerable and I don't know how long I'll keep this post up

 

[T2B_]

I reckon lots of people have a problem with booze and either don't know it or can't admit it to themselves.

I didn't drink a drop during Melbourne's lockdowns, while all my friends were having online cocktail nights and an almost constant hangover (I was breastfeeding). A few things happened in the last year or two though and I started having 'just a glass' after work while i was cooking dinner. And then I started having two glasses after work and having social drinks with my friends on the weekends.

Next thing I knew I was drinking half a bottle, then sometimes a whole bottle because it seemed a shame to waste it. I was still parenting with no issues, still going to work with no issues, but pretty buzzed most nights. No one said anything to me about it but one day I kind of just wanted to see if I could go a night without drinking, and it wasn't easy. I had to just not buy any booze, but even then I got wine delivered on Uber Eats a few times.

Anyway I made my way out of it and now I try not to drink during the week at all. I can see how it easily snowballs out of control and I'm just glad I snapped out of it before it got worse.


Gah this feels super vulnerable and I don't know how long I'll keep this post up

I find it really easy to drop it as I feel like shit and get extraordinarily bad brain fog. Even worse than I normally do, which happens just with a less than suitable diet. My body and mind is way too sensitive.

My partner is a different story. I have to actively remind her how much she has drunk and when to stop. Its true what has been said in here I think - once an alcoholic, you can never truly be rid of it other than not drinking at all. She was an alcoholic in her teen years, then sober for over a decade until the last couple years she'd have a few, again for social reasons. But she could easily spiral.

When I mentioned the 1L whisky earlier in this thread, I should clarify that its between the two of us. So certainly not the whole bottle for one person. Still though, I'm thinking we probably need to back to 0 drinks as it would be easier for us both.

 

[Jatz]

I reckon lots of people have a problem with booze and either don't know it or can't admit it to themselves.

I didn't drink a drop during Melbourne's lockdowns, while all my friends were having online cocktail nights and an almost constant hangover (I was breastfeeding). A few things happened in the last year or two though and I started having 'just a glass' after work while i was cooking dinner. And then I started having two glasses after work and having social drinks with my friends on the weekends.

Next thing I knew I was drinking half a bottle, then sometimes a whole bottle because it seemed a shame to waste it. I was still parenting with no issues, still going to work with no issues, but pretty buzzed most nights. No one said anything to me about it but one day I kind of just wanted to see if I could go a night without drinking, and it wasn't easy. I had to just not buy any booze, but even then I got wine delivered on Uber Eats a few times.

Anyway I made my way out of it and now I try not to drink during the week at all. I can see how it easily snowballs out of control and I'm just glad I snapped out of it before it got worse.


Gah this feels super vulnerable and I don't know how long I'll keep this post up

I'm in the same boat.

Number 2 is due any day now and I've been drinking a bit more than usual, partly because I know I won't be able to for the foreseeable future.

I've never seen mine as a problem though because I can still go without easily. I've drank more than I should over the years but I've always been able to stop if needed/wanted to.

 

[Jatz]

The hangovers now I'm 32 certainly hit different as well.

The one last weekend still had me crook the next night. Very rare I drink enough for a hangover but that was a good reminder I don't want that.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

I don't get hangovers so I don't even get that deterrent

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

I find it really easy to drop it as I feel like shit and get extraordinarily bad brain fog. Even worse than I normally do, which happens just with a less than suitable diet. My body and mind is way too sensitive.

My partner is a different story. I have to actively remind her how much she has drunk and when to stop. Its true what has been said in here I think - once an alcoholic, you can never truly be rid of it other than not drinking at all. She was an alcoholic in her teen years, then sober for over a decade until the last couple years she'd have a few, again for social reasons. But she could easily spiral.

When I mentioned the 1L whisky earlier in this thread, I should clarify that its between the two of us. So certainly not the whole bottle for one person. Still though, I'm thinking we probably need to back to 0 drinks as it would be easier for us both.

Yeah I have a weird self justification thing when I think drinking wine or whiskey to excess isn't as bad as drinking beer, and you've just reflected it at me and now I know I'm full of shit lol

 

[Gough]

It took me a bit longer than was good for me to work out but I just have an addictive personality which means I have to watch myself as much as I can.

I don't get hangovers so I don't even get that deterrent

Same.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

It took me a bit longer than was good for me to work out but I just have an addictive personality which means I have to watch myself as much as I can.

Same.

I come from a long line of addicts...alcoholics and gambling addicts. I was definitely a binge drinker and extreme stoner in my younger years but I've avoided gambling like the plague. Some people just aren't good with moderation, and I am one of them.

 

[Gough]

I come from a long line of addicts...alcoholics and gambling addicts. I was definitely a binge drinker and extreme stoner in my younger years but I've avoided gambling like the plague. Some people just aren't good with moderation, and I am one of them.

Two grandfathers here and I was in my late twenties before I worked out why I hardly ever saw my dad with a drink when I was growing up.

 

[Sinjin Smith]

I read your post on page 1. It sounds like you had a physical dependency on alcohol, with withdrawal symptoms if you didn't drink. That's a reasonable definition of alcoholism. I am happy you have your life back on track. But I think your experience is quite rare. For many it's a balance between enjoying a few drinks or having it adversely affect their health, job, family etc.

Someone who likes to get rinsed on a weekend or those who have a couple to unwind can be perfectly functional. They enjoy a drink but are not alcoholics. Then some let their drinking get out of control without the physical dependency. Perhaps that is functional alcoholism.

You seem to have accepted a life time of taking valium and anti-depressants as an alternative to booze. Does that mean you are a functional valium addict?

Chronic physical (and mental) addiction affect a small percentage of drinkers overall but it is definitely not rare. I volunteer every Friday night going round to medical sites and rehab clinics helping alcoholics adjust to life after leaving a controlled environment (not higher power AA stuff, just a logical experienced helping hand). I couldn't give you a number of who I have counselled over the last 2 odd years but if you think its rare its because you are oblivious to it and that's ok, it is not a highly visible problem. Tonight I'm going to a rehab site where Ill be seeing a 14 year old girl who comes from a perfectly happy family who knocks back 4 x 700ml bottles of scotch a day, this is not uncommon.

On your second paragraph I'm not sure if you fully comprehended my previous posts. I never said any of those types of drinkers were alcoholics, I said "each to their own". I have openly said I do not think alcohol is bad in any shape, the majority are responsible with it including my wife.

Lastly yes, I am a highly functional valium addict that also requires anti depressants. Neither are an alternative to booze, I need those meds to combat PTSD and chronic anxiety. I've got no shame nor think less of myself because of it. If others do then I really couldn't give a shit.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

I don't get hangovers so I don't even get that deterrent

The first time I got drunk it took me a week to recover

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

I suspect its a bit of a semantics thing but quite rare/extremely common are just terms.

What constitutes extremely common to you? Id say it has to be 50%+ of the population as a minmum. I doubt 50% of the Aussie pop is dependent on alchohol personally.

The WHO seems to back that up.

An estimated 400 million people, or 7% of the world's population aged 15 years and older, lived with alcohol use disorders. Of this, 209 million people (3.7% of the adult world population) lived with alcohol dependence

Then there are all the ones that cope, or don't get into trouble, but still drink a fair bit daily. It is a dependency as they won't give it up or cut down. I'm thinking of a family member who would drink 3-4 cans of beer, a bottle of wine, sometime a bit more, and a couple of large glasses of a liqueur, daily.

 

[Kram]

What did Jimoen reckon "I didn't know about alcohol when I was a kid, I just used to think the old man was in good form at night time."

I don't get hangovers so I don't even get that deterrent

In one way it's a deterrent.. in another way it's really what makes it addictive as drinking again makes the physical and mental symptoms disappear.. (or really just delay them until the next day)

 

[Frank Bunn]

Oh boy, that’s harsh. And to say alcohol dependency is “quite rare” is just so wrong. It’s extremely common and the effects can be devastating on individuals and those close to them. People CAN come back from alcoholism and rebuild their lives but they are never CURED of alcoholism. There would be different ways of treating alcoholism and associated conditions, but the main thing is to not touch alcohol in any form.

I was talking about a physical dependency on alcohol, with withdrawal symptoms if you don't have a drink. As mentioned by Sinjin Smith - nausea, shakes, sweating etc. It's a useful definition of alcoholism but it only describes a small population of those who drink to excess. As I said, for most it's a balance between enjoying a few drinks or having it adversely affect their health, job, family etc.

The term functional alcoholism gets bandied around. Someone who has a couple of glasses of wine to unwind each night can be perfectly functional with their family and job. Or someone who likes to get rinsed on a weekend is fine during the week. They enjoy a drink but are not alcoholics. Then some let their drinking get out of control without the physical dependency. It's more of a mental crutch.

 

[errant bounce]

Yes, that seems to be the weird reality with alcohol: physical and serious withdrawal symptoms are actually pretty rare. something like 15% of people experience them and within that 15%, only a minority have DTs and seizures.

I think quoting the world health organisation's definition of alcoholism is pretty dangerous and a bit scaredycat. they're obviously not going to tolerate three beers a night because it is technically unhealthy, but so is having three large meals a day and working from home.

People love to attach themselves to these 'authorities' but they all have their own bent.

This thread should be for people who have dealt with regular, hard drinking and not people who got pissed at the Bottom End for five years during uni.

I get the feeling contributors to this thread would promote SSRIs and therapy. I used to see a girl who was way smarter than me and has gotten to live all over the world because of it. she was a slave to those things and her side effects seemed completely demoralising and reneged the simple pleasures of life and also indebted you with a contract to the drug. she knew very well her weening off period would take so long and be so fanciful and unreliable in its outcome, it was easier to stay on them.

Alcoholism in its loosest term, by those experts at the WHO, is so prevalent and common it's definitely not a sideskirt hobby or illness.

People are tolerant of so much these days but seem afraid to tolerate alcoholism. mental illness and poor mental health has such a supportive social mechanism in place but alcoholism is still treated as a 'just don't drink' thing. it's very complex and mostly lies within people's outlooks. it definitely affects melancholic people the worst. an angry drunk is an obvious drunk but a sad one isn't.

 

[errant bounce]

I have also cut back on my drinking a lot this week. I had three Sunday, none the next two days, a few wines Wednesday, four beers on Thursday. it's the least I've drank for months. and it felt good and sustainable. it's Friday and I don't particularly feel like getting so pissed I can't speak or stand straight.

And it definitely wasn't the result of arseholes on here chastising me. it was the supportive heavy drinkers who did.

The people on here with no firsthand right to demonstrate their experience with alcohol need to adjust how they communicate to people battling what is a very difficult vice.

 

[Cruyff14]

I have also cut back on my drinking a lot this week. I had three Sunday, none the next two days, a few wines Wednesday, four beers on Thursday. it's the least I've drank for months. and it felt good and sustainable. it's Friday and I don't particularly feel like getting so pissed I can't speak or stand straight.

And it definitely wasn't the result of arseholes on here chastising me. it was the supportive heavy drinkers who did.

The people on here with no firsthand right to demonstrate their experience with alcohol need to adjust how they communicate to people battling what is a very difficult vice.

I think you've taken things far too personally, and these posts have clearly eaten away at you over the last few days.

Nobody was having a go at you. You asked questions, you received answers. You didn't happen to like those answers - for whatever reason - and at every opportunity it's almost like you've relished having a go at those who told you things you did not want to hear.

It's good to see you've cut down and it's not impacted you.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

I keep my drinking Friday night, Saturday and maybe Sunday. Outside of that rarely. If I'm driving on those days it's a no go zone for me.

Drink more during the footy season then basically cut back over summer.

I am getting more and more into the non alcoholic beer lately. I've found the Asahi zero is closest to the alcholic version.

I reckon lots of people have a problem with booze and either don't know it or can't admit it to themselves.

I didn't drink a drop during Melbourne's lockdowns, while all my friends were having online cocktail nights and an almost constant hangover (I was breastfeeding). A few things happened in the last year or two though and I started having 'just a glass' after work while i was cooking dinner. And then I started having two glasses after work and having social drinks with my friends on the weekends.

Next thing I knew I was drinking half a bottle, then sometimes a whole bottle because it seemed a shame to waste it. I was still parenting with no issues, still going to work with no issues, but pretty buzzed most nights. No one said anything to me about it but one day I kind of just wanted to see if I could go a night without drinking, and it wasn't easy. I had to just not buy any booze, but even then I got wine delivered on Uber Eats a few times.

Anyway I made my way out of it and now I try not to drink during the week at all. I can see how it easily snowballs out of control and I'm just glad I snapped out of it before it got worse.


Gah this feels super vulnerable and I don't know how long I'll keep this post up

I find when I have a couple of glasses of wine will be more than enough and won't have any more. It hits me different than beer or gin and whiskey does.