Do I have a drinking problem?

[alias]

long time maggot, using an alias to protect my identity.

So, what constitutes a drinking problem?

I get to work on time everyday, my supervisors are happy and I do a good job. I never sleep in alleys, and I have a good home life.

However, I have noticed my drinking habits increasing a lot lately. Most days my first drink starts at noon, and I keep a nice buzz going until I go to bed at midnight or so.

My consumption is not crazy, 3 mixed drinks and maybe 2 beers a day. Weekends become drink fests. I am rarely sober at night on a weekend.

what do you consume daily, and when is it "a problem"?

[Lurch]

Even if you were not "addicted" I'd say it's a problem if you are drinking every day to have more than one just becasue your liver is never getting a break.

[El Chupacabra]

My consumption is not crazy, 3 mixed drinks and maybe 2 beers a day.

Do I read this right? 5 drinks a day, weekdays?

Seems like a lot to me. Even if it's not impairing your functions (although it might, and you might not be aware of it), wouldn't that do some damage to your liver?

Do you suspect it's a problem? Sounds like you do, as you're asking about it.

Have you tried scaling back/ quitting during the weekdays? Any difficulty in doing so?

-Karl

[HASKINS]

you start drinking at work?, its a problem but not yours

[BobMc]

I'm not an alias, and I've wondered about this myself.

I drink at least 12 beers EVERY day. Weekend nights I'll usually go through about 18-20 beers.

I haven't really had any health issues, but worry about the future. Like yourself it hasn't effected my job or family. It just seems to be a fun habit I've developed.

BobMc

[hop]

Whoa BobMc, I'd say it's time to cut back (says the guy that drinks 2 beers, is drunk instantly and hungover in an hour, and then back to normal in 90 minutes).

Let's see how much that would cost/year.
An 18-pack of shit a day at 10 bucks a day x 365 = $3,650.00

18 pints of whatever at $3.50 per pint x 365 = $22,995.00

I'd rather have the money for other things myself.

[powstash]

if you have to ask, it's prolly a problem. Get up early for a dawn patrol next time it snows - or if you're in the city get up early and go destroy yourself physically (same end product) and quit yer problem.

BTW, when you're done with "Alias" can I use it to ask the crew a few candid questions?

[Lurch]

[altagirl]

I'm not an alias, and I've wondered about this myself.

I drink at least 12 beers EVERY day. Weekend nights I'll usually go through about 18-20 beers.

I haven't really had any health issues, but worry about the future. Like yourself it hasn't effected my job or family. It just seems to be a fun habit I've developed.

BobMc

But since they're UT beers, that's only like a couple of real beers, right?

Anyway, I don't know. It can't be good for you health-wise, but you know that. I just don't know how bad it is, either.

[AA]

I have a drinking problem. I know it, and have bounced in and out of AA for the last couple of months. Currently out.

An easy test is to see if you can stop. Have a drink and don't have another.

Good lukc.

[72Twenty]

Pfffft. Utah beers....

Well, I wondered the same thing at one point in my life, but when I was done with college I had a serious decline in my booze intake.

I would, however, like to quit chewing (picked it up in college too.)

[assgasorgrass]

everybody is different. go to an internist and get a liver function test. if your liver enzymes are greatly elevated it could be cause for concern, assuming you don't have a form of hepatitis. I don't believe it is expensive (I have a yearly physical for work so I don't know the cost). It would be best to have it done yearly that way you can track it to see if you have increasing\decreasing or stable levels.

[Buster Highmen]

I have always loved drugs. All sorts. Every kind you could name and then some.

Fortunately, I bore easily.

Only nuns should have habits they never break.

Where's my nun?

Anyway, it's good to ask yourself questions about your habits. And it's generally a sign that you know what the answer is.

[TomK]

I'd say you and Bob could both be on the path, or even there.

Here's some questions to ask yourself:

http://www.aug.edu/counseling_and_te.../signstest.htm

Good luck.

[lemon boy]

Whoa- Team members in crisis.

Listen folks, drinking a lot is bad for you. If the booze owns you not only am I kicking your shit off the team but I'm gonna raise some coin for treatment. Booze screwing up your life? You got a problem. Can't stop, can't slow down, can't moderate? You got a problem.

Alias and bob: Give me one month clean and sober, NO CHEATING. You can't do it or the first week nearly cripple/kills you? You got a problem. After that month think about the booze and what you need it for and what you're using it for and why you need so much. Bonus, the month off will to some extent reset your clock.

AA- Good luck to you brother. I don't have em handy but there are alternatives to AA if it isn't working for you.

A long time ago a chatterer told me that if you want to have an interesting AA experience, go to one in UT. Eye Opening.

[TheDingleberry]

I gotta problem...I don't drink anymore.










Or any less than I used too.

[truth]

Anything you can't stop doing is a problem, aside from living.

[alias]

My dilema - drinking at work is encouraged. Events in my life seem to always involve alcohol, and I REALLY enjoy it.

Hell, as I sit here my boss just dropped a beer on my desk. I've already had 2 mixed drinks, brought to me by my boss.

I will go days, even a week or so without a drink - I posted this because I realized that the last time I didn't have a drink was probably 3 weeks ago.

help me out - what are your consumption levels?

[Blizzard7763]

The day I turned 21 in early July, and all the way through the end of October, there wasn't a day I didn't drink at least 6 beers. I ended up with a case of acute pancreatitis, and spent a full day in the ER. It's not fun.

I've definitely slowed down because of that incident, but I'm not sure where I'd be now if I didn't have that eye opening experience. There are health risks, even if you don't think you're old enough for it to cause a problem.

[irul&ublo]

I'm not an alias, and I've wondered about this myself.

I drink at least 12 beers EVERY day. Weekend nights I'll usually go through about 18-20 beers.

I haven't really had any health issues, but worry about the future. Like yourself it hasn't effected my job or family. It just seems to be a fun habit I've developed.

BobMc

I'd be worried about the amount of time I spent in the bathroom.

[iceman]

Anything you can't stop doing is a problem, aside from living.

There's like twenty straight lines in that one.

Well, I know a little about this topic, and have an idea who you might be, alias, PM me, maybe we can help each other, who knows?

btw, don't worry about Bob, when he decided he'd smoked enough cigs he just stopped then and there, he's in charge of hisself.

[Crinkle]

Anything you can't stop doing is a problem, aside from living.

wow my list is long then:
drinking is just for starters
sex (solo and with my other)
skiing (most of us have this problem)
what about breathing?
yelling at my misbehaving dogs
mtn biking
looking at porn (ties in with #2 up top)


everyone has thier vice. The key is to make them as healthy as possible. Aside from my deteriorating eye sight from excessive masturbation, i feel perfectly fine, but i only drink myself into oblivion once/twice a week.

Alias, i am going to be the first one to call you out on this: 8 drinks a day keeps you buzzed from noon till sometime in the eve? I call BS, unless your liver is of phunk proportions.

[alias]

Alias, i am going to be the first one to call you out on this: 8 drinks a day keeps you buzzed from noon till sometime in the eve? I call BS, unless your liver is of phunk proportions.

good point, not buzzed. I go from buzzed to not buzzed and back from noon on. And only in the last few weeks has it gone to this level.

[Yossarian]

Wow. I hope this is a joke of some sort. I'm shocked/saddened by much of this.
Don't get me wrong, I've gotten sauced with the rest/best of 'em, but I could honestly never drink again for the rest of my life and not really think twice about it.

Of course, I'd probably start smoking a lot of dope.

Ha.

Seriously though, you have a problem.

Deal with it before it brings you down, not after.

A Preventative approach is a gadzillion times more effective than a Prescriptive one; true for everything from health, to debt, to alcomohol.

Good luck.

[Crinkle]

cletus, drinking you could quit but could you go a season without buying any more gear?