Do I have a drinking problem?

[Yossarian]

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

Hey now, that's crazy talk.

[Buster Highmen]

What do our consumptive levels have to do with the way you feel about yours?

That's not the question. The question is whether you're comfortable with yours. If you were, why are you asking these questions?

But I'll humor you anyway:
In winter, a bottle of red burgundy per week spread over 2-3 nights shared with my sweetie. Weed if I'm skiing and up to 2 beers afterward. So 1 bootle of wine and 2 pints of beer/week.

Then again, I grew up with an alcoholic. I can't stand constant drunks or junkies, twirly rasta moonbeamers or habitue's of any sort.

[skibum1087]

sorry for the thread highjack- Buster i sent you a PM but it didint show up in my sent box. I was wondering if you recived one from me in the past week, kind of random. THanks

[Pinner]

I've always contended that there's a difference between a heavy drinker and an alcoholic. I, myself, am a heavy drinker but not an alcoholic. (try outpacing me. I dare ya)

But in the times when I've felt like things in my life were eroded in one area or another, I took a look at other areas. Inevitably one goes hand-in-hand with the other. At those times it's easy to step back and regroup.

In moderation, nothing will kill you. In excess, everything will.

Good luck with your quest.

[meatdrink9]

I'd just take a little time off. Sometimes your life (friends, work, whatever) will have you partying more than you'd expect. Then you look back and say..."shit, I've been partying a ton" At which point you need to play sober guy at a few parties and not always be "the life of" where ever you go. I too feel like I could drop drinking anytime. Since the kid I've only had drinks a couple times and never enough drinks to black out, wake up in parking lots, break appendages, flash motorists, steal license plates, urinate on parked cars, scream vaginal obscenties at the elderly, or generally anything considered good clean fun. Who wants to grab some drinks?

[LAN]

Seriously though, you have a problem.

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

Sound advice. My family has been completely screwed up as a result of alcoholism. Alias, whether you consider yourself an "alcoholic" or not, it does sound as though you have a problem. I'm not saying that to point fingers, but rather just to help you sort through your questions and thoughts.

The fact that you're asking yourself the very question if it's a problem, deserves some consideration. Do other people seem concerned about your drinking habits? Do you feel as though you can't go a day, week, month without taking a drink?

I would suggest getting in touch with some resources that can help you investigate these questions. But like Yoss said, get some assistance sooner, rather than later. It's not worth risking your life, your health, your family or your friends. PM me if you'd like - I can put you in touch with some excellent resources.

Oh one more thing - ass suggested having your liver enzymes checked. While this can be an important diagnostic tool as to how your liver is functioning, it's not something that can tell you whether or not you have a problem. Elevated LFT's can be caused by alcohol, prescription drugs, fatty liver, cirrhosis, Hepatitis, HIV, etc. Aside from checking out your physical health, your doctor can point you in the right direction to counseling resources.

[Buster Highmen]

sorry for the thread highjack- Buster i sent you a PM but it didint show up in my sent box. I was wondering if you recived one from me in the past week, kind of random. THanks

My box was clogged...try now.

[skifox]

Holy shit. I thought we drank a lot here in Can. (mostly bottles though) We usually giv'r on weekends, but there's a party every night of the week. It's always somebody's b-day or a going away, coming home thing. Sometimes I go just for the bbq, and a beer or 2. Other times, it's forget the steak and just get shwacked playing croquet or something stupid like that. I have also found having a really full tum helps out huge. It's friday, and almost time for happy hour, and I don't expect to get home till 3ish. I'll probably drink 8-10 beers, and then work my hangover off climbing up something. I used to make a habit of punishing myself the next day, for the night before. After the weekend is done, It's back to work, (nights), and I do not normally drink at work. I may go out a few times during the week, but I try to keep it to just a few. I've asked myself if I have a problem before, but usually brush it aside. That's not the answer per say, but taking a break is a good place to start. The type of lifestyle a lot of us lead, it can be hard when it's everywhere(even work) I have taken breaks months at a time, and it can be amazing what you see when the fog lifts. Good luck. We had a fun race the other day, and the apres was great. I took it to the next level though, drinking for waaaay too long, and couldn't remember the end of the night. When I got up the next day, I was confused as to how I got home, what I broke at my buddies place, and what or what may not have come out of my big fat mouth. I can't wait to see the video. I'm not going on a cleanse or anything, but maybe I should tone er' down a little. Famous last words. We'll see....

[grrrr]

Comsumption of 3 or more drinks daily will show up on a liver function test. At your consumption rate, your liver is dying. You won't notice any effects until it is too late. Twenty years from now, you will be dying a slow, painful death.

[LAN]

My box was clogged.

Sounds like a personal problem.

[meatdrink9]

The fact that you're asking yourself the very question if it's a problem, deserves some consideration.

So if you've asked yourself if you're insane are you in trouble?

[Buster Highmen]

Sounds like a personal problem.

So says the expert on PMs.

[LAN]

So says the expert on PMs.

"PMs" or "PMS?"

[bigsugar]

A wise recovering alcoholic taught me a guideline that makes sense to me.....you are probably an alcoholic if:

when you are controlling your drinking, you are not enjoying it, and if you're enjoying it, you're not controlling it.

[Trackhead]

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

Maybe next year you should skip the season pass and spend some time with Powstash and I.

Health issues: I bet your LFT's (liver function tests) will be elevated in your future. Then you will be thiamine deficient and have Wernicke's-Korsakoff Syndrome, getting paracentesis done to drain off the fluid from your abdomen from your ascites, have bleeding esophageal varices. Eventually, a liver transplant will be on the table, if you can get one.

If nothing else, a can of beer has a minimum of 150 calories I would guess.
150x12 = a shitload of extra calories you don't need.

[Jax]

Hi. My name's Jacquelyne, and I'm an alcoholic.

[Pinner]

Hi. My name's Jacquelyne, and I'm an alcoholic.

Wanna meet me for happy hour?

[Jax]

Wanna meet me for happy hour?

As soon as I get my license back. ...no, seriously.

[LAN]

Health issues: I bet your LFT's (liver function tests) will be elevated in your future. Then you will be thiamine deficient and have Wernicke's-Korsakoff Syndrome, getting paracentesis done to drain off the fluid from your abdomen from your ascites, have bleeding esophageal varices. Eventually, a liver transplant will be on the table, if you can get one.

You forgot to mention Lactulose. *puke*

[Jax]

Whatever any of you guys do, just don't drink and drive. It's not worth it. Believe me.

[Trackhead]

You forgot to mention Lactulose. *puke*

Oh yeah, lactulose for your ammonia levels that will be off the charts. It's either lactulose or a sleepy obtunded death from toxic ammonia levels.

Sound fun to me.

[skifox]

True dat! Definately no room for that. How about town bikes though?

[grrrr]

Hey, it might be quick - like an abdominal aortic rupture. Bleed out into your gut and be dead in 4 minutes. Or those varices will brun through at the cardiac sphincter. One minute a feeling of heartburn, the next vomiting life threatening quantities of blood.

[iceman]

Jesus, trackhead. Way too go all parochial.

The fact is that everybody has different tolerances and everybody has different limits.

The "scare-you-to-death-through-technical-talk" approach has limited value.

Listen to your body and your brain and you should be okay, Alias.

If the situation is going in the wrong way get help.

Fucking presciptive mofo's piss me off.

You don't know him, track, back the fuck off. What is it that you think you are accomplishing?

[skifox]

When you put it like that, happy hour doesn't seem too enticing after all. Then again, it IS the weekend... later!